XeroBank Browser
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| xB Browser | |
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 xB Browser 2.0.0.12b |
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| Developed by | Steve Topletz |
| Latest release | 2.0.0.14a |
| OS | Windows |
| Genre | Web browser |
| License | Torrify Ethical Software Licensing Agreement |
| Website | www.xerobank.com |
| Mozilla Firefox (category) |
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| Contents |
| Origins and Lineage |
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xB Browser, previously called Torpark,[1][2] is a source-available (but not open source[3]), portable browser originally forked from Portable Firefox web browser with Tor access built into it. xB Browser is designed for use on portable media such as a USB flash drive but it can also be used on any hard disk drive. As such, a secure and encrypted connection to any of the Tor routers can be created from any computer with a suitable internet connection, and the browser clears all data that was created on the portable drive upon exit or on demand. The original Torpark was created by Steve Topletz using the Nullsoft Scriptable Install System. The current version is 2.0.0.14a and it does not allow one to run another version of Firefox concurrently for security reasons.
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[edit] Tor network
xB Browser works by routing Internet traffic through several "onion" servers, obscuring the originating address. This does not naturally provide anonymity for other Internet programs, only the xB Browser. However, other applications data such as Pidgin can be routed through the Tor network via xB Browser by directing the applications traffic to a SOCKS proxy at localhost, port 9050. This port can be changed via Xconfig, an INI generator for xB Browser located in its App/ directory. For a more complete explanation of the functioning of the system, see Tor.
Reading the Tor documentation is highly recommended to prevent configuration mistakes that could compromise the user's anonymity. xB Browser is preconfigured, and the settings, especially within the browser, should not be modified unless done by an expert familiar with onion routing, and the workings of xB Browser itself.
[edit] Versions
Steve Topletz co-released Torpark v.1.5.0.7 with CULT OF THE DEAD COW/Hacktivismo on 19 September 2006.[4][5][6]
The current version of the xB Browser is 2.0.0.14a.[7]
Unlike Firefox, which is cross-platform, xB Browser is currently only available for Microsoft Windows. Versions are being developed for Linux and Mac environments.
[edit] License
xB Browser is released under the Torrify Ethical Software License Agreement, or TESLA for short. This license is derived from the Hacktivismo Enhanced-Source Software License Agreement, which is employed by Hacktivismo. This type of license states that private use is unlimited, except that unlike GPL, it may not be modified to include trojans, security compromising programs, spyware, or other malwares. It also prohibits modification of xB Browser for use with commercial proxy services other than XeroBank.
xB Browser's developers state that TESLA is a free and open source software license, but critics state that TESLA doesn't satisfy either Free Software Definition or Open Source Definition due to restrictions on modifications, and thus Torpark is not FOSS.[8]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ What happened to Torrify?. XeroBank. Retrieved on 2007-06-07.
- ^ The name Torpark is a reference to the development codename for Firefox 1.5, "Deer Park".
- ^ The Torrify Ethical Software License Agreement. Retrieved on 2007-05-09.
- ^ Hacktivismo Releases Torpark for Anonymous, Portable Web Browsing (2006-09-19). Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
- ^ "Free anonymising browser debuts", BBC News, 2006-09-20. Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
- ^ Broersma, Mathew (2006-09-22). Activists unveil stealth browser (News). Retrieved on 2007-04-18.
- ^ xB Browser - Anonymous Surfing with the XeroBank Anonymous Browser
- ^ Re: Free Software and Torpark (was: Ultimate solution)
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