View source for Tor Browser in a Container


Here are a few steps to run Tor Browser in NixOS Container w/ Pulse, Media Support. Most of the time, <code>ssh -X</code> would have sufficed. Nevertheless, to route audio the followings are required. Prob. there is an easier way which I am not aware of.

Need a few programs beforehand. Install the followings in your user profile.

<pre>
nix-env -iA nixos.socat
</pre>

Use the following container conf in <code>configuration.nix</code> or derive your own.

<pre>
  containers.browser = {
    autoStart = false;
    privateNetwork = true;
    hostAddress = "192.168.7.10";
    localAddress = "192.168.7.11";
    config = {config, pkgs, ... }: {
      services.openssh = {
        enable = true;
        forwardX11 = true;
      };

      users.extraUsers.browser = {
        isNormalUser = true;
        home = "/home/browser";
        openssh.authorizedKeys.keys = [ SSH-KEYS-GO-HERE ];
        extraGroups = ["audio" "video"];
      };
    };
  };
</pre>

Mind to fill the SSH keys in. Need to open up ports and pulse audio also:
<pre>
  networking.firewall.allowedTCPPorts = [ 4713 6000 ];
  hardware.pulseaudio = {
    enable = true;
    systemWide = true;
    support32Bit = true;
    tcp = { enable = true; anonymousClients = { allowedIpRanges = ["127.0.0.1" "192.168.7.0/24"]; }; };
  };
</pre>

Then, follow the steps:

# Do a usual <code>nixos-rebuild switch</code> and container will be created.
# Run the container <code>nixos-container start browser</code>.
# Root login <code>nixos-container root-login browser</code>
# Update <code>nix-channel --update </code>
# Switch <code> nixos-rebuild switch</code>


Now the container should be in a sane state to work on. Install the browser and apulse:
<pre>
[root@browser:~]$ su - browser
[browser@browser:~]$ nix repl
Welcome to Nix version 2.2. Type :? for help.

nix-repl> pkgs = import <nixpkgs> {}                                                                                                                    
nix-repl> :i pkgs.callPackage <nixpkgs/pkgs/applications/networking/browsers/tor-browser-bundle-bin> { mediaSupport = true; pulseaudioSupport = true; }
installing 'tor-browser-bundle-bin-8.0.6.drv'
nix-repl> :i pkgs.callPackage <nixpkgs/pkgs/misc/apulse> {} 
installing 'apulse-0.1.11.1.drv'
these paths will be fetched (0.04 MiB download, 0.20 MiB unpacked):
  /nix/store/mi6kyfjymb3bdpwic3hy9y64hv21hflc-apulse-0.1.11.1
copying path '/nix/store/mi6kyfjymb3bdpwic3hy9y64hv21hflc-apulse-0.1.11.1' from 'https://cache.nixos.org'...
building '/nix/store/r00d47r40v7mhblly9rqas434x2d53js-user-environment.drv'...
created 121 symlinks in user environment
nix-repl> 
</pre>

The following two scripts are needed. Put them in <code>~/bin</code> directories or any other directory included in the path.

This <code>run-tor-browser.sh</code> is executed by the host.
<pre>
#!/bin/sh
socat -d TCP-LISTEN:6000,fork,bind=192.168.7.10 UNIX-CONNECT:/tmp/.X11-unix/X0 &
xhost +
ssh -X browser@192.168.7.11 run-tor-browser.sh
</pre>

This <code>run-tor-browser.sh</code> is executed in the container (guest) by the previous one executed on the host.
<pre>
#!/bin/sh
PULSE_SERVER=tcp:192.168.7.10:4713 XAUTHORITY="/home/browser/.Xauthority" DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS="" DISPLAY=192.168.7.10:0.0 apulse tor-browser $@
</pre>

That's it. 

Now you should be able to run the browser in a container and have media and audio support. 


Have a nice day.