OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

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webfork
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OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#1 Post by webfork »

First mentioned by smaragdus, a possible solution to the often very stripped-down serverless and semi-anonymous file transfer programs.
synopsis wrote:OnionShare lets you securely and anonymously share files of any size. It works by starting a web server, making it accessible as a Tor onion service, and generating an unguessable URL to access and download the files. It doesn't require setting up a server on the internet somewhere or using a third party filesharing service. You host the file on your own computer and use a Tor onion service to make it temporarily accessible over the internet. The other user just needs to use Tor Browser to download the file from you.
Requires: Tor Browser needs to be running in the background

Steps: Download the program and extract using 7zip. Launch onionshare-gui.exe.

Status: If you use the default settings, it's portable and stealth. If you change them, it writes to \AppData\Roaming\OnionShare\onionshare.json. I tested version 1.0.

License: GPLv3

How it works:
  1. Launch TorBrowser and OnionShare, and have the file recipient(s) run TorBrowser
  2. Add a file, files, or a whole folder and uncheck Stop After First Download if you want more that one person to have access
  3. Click Start Sharing
  4. The program will give a URL that you can send to the recipient to launch inside TorBrowser
  5. File or files will transfer inside a ZIP file
In our testing, two people on reasonably good internet connections transferred a 10 meg file in under 30 seconds.

Screenshot:
  • Image
Cross-platform with clients available for Mac and Linux.

---

EDIT: https://github.com/micahflee/onionshare/issues/378

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smaragdus
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Re: OnionShare 1.1

#2 Post by smaragdus »

OnionShare at version 1.1, changes:

OnionShare 1.1
What's new:
  • OnionShare connects to Tor itself now, so opening Tor Browser in the background isn't required
  • In Windows and macOS, OnionShare alerts users about updates
  • Removed the menu bar, and added a Settings button
  • Added desktop notifications, and a system tray icon
  • Ability to add multiple files and folders with a single "Add" button
  • Ability to delete multiple files and folders at once with the "Delete" button
  • Hardened some response headers sent from the web server
  • Minor clarity improvements to the contents of the share's web page
  • Alert the user rather than share an empty archive if a file was unreadable
  • Prettier progress bars
Links
Website - https://onionshare.org/
Project Page - https://github.com/micahflee/onionshare
Download Page - https://github.com/micahflee/onionshare/releases
Change Log - https://github.com/micahflee/onionshare ... ANGELOG.md
Wiki Page - https://github.com/micahflee/onionshare/wiki
Publisher - https://github.com/micahflee
Publisher - https://micahflee.com/
Softpedia - http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/F ... hare.shtml
MajorGeeks - http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/onionshare.html
SnapFiles - http://www.snapfiles.com/get/onionshare.html
DownloadCrew - https://www.downloadcrew.com/article/35045-onionshare
AlternativeTo - https://alternativeto.net/software/onionshare/
WIRED Review - https://www.wired.com/2014/05/onionshare/
Gizmodo Review - https://gizmodo.com/meet-onionshare-the ... 1597056567
SoftwareCrew Review - http://www.softwarecrew.com/2017/02/sha ... nionshare/
gHacks Review - https://www.ghacks.net/2017/03/01/onion ... using-tor/

donald
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Re: OnionShare - 1.1 issue

#3 Post by donald »

launch error OnionShare - 1.1
winXP sp3
onionshare-gui.exe - Entry Point Not Found
The procedure entry point GetFinalPathByHandleW could not be located in the dynamic link library KERNEL32.dll.

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Re: OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#4 Post by webfork »

Did you have Portable Tor setup? Might want to post about that here: https://github.com/micahflee/onionshare/issues

donald
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Re: OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#5 Post by donald »

webfork wrote:Did you have Portable Tor setup?
No ... but ...
Micah Lee wrote: Connecting to Tor
There are several options for how OnionShare might connect to Tor that are available in the Settings:

Use Tor that is bundled with OnionShare
Attempt automatic configuration with Tor Browser
Connect using control port
Connect using socket file

Use Tor that is bundled with OnionShare

This is the default way that OnionShare connects to Tor, and it's also the simplest and most reliable way. For this reason, it's recommended for most users.

When you open OnionShare, it will launch a Tor process in the background that's configured specifically for OnionShare to use. This Tor process won't interfere with other Tor processes on your computer, so you're free to run Tor Browser or use a system Tor in the background.
webfork wrote:Might want to post about that here: https://github.com/micahflee/onionshare/issues
posted issue here

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Re: OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#6 Post by webfork »

donald wrote:posted issue here
Good stuff, thanks. I'm sure he appreciates it.


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Re: OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#8 Post by webfork »

New version out with some nice additions:

January 19th, 2018

New feature: Support for Tor bridges, including obfs4proxy
New feature: Ability to use a persistent URL
New feature: Auto-stop timer, to stop OnionShare at a specified time
New feature: Get notification when Tor connection dies
Updated versions of python, Qt, tor, and other dependencies that are bundled
Added ability to supply a custom settings file as a command line arg
Added support for FreeBSD
Fixed small user interface issues
Fixed minor bugs
New translations for Dutch

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Re: OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#9 Post by webfork »

New update out (2.0 Dev 2) a few days ago, notably with a receive mode: https://www.softpedia.com/progChangelog ... 53739.html

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Re: OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#10 Post by webfork »

Onionshare appears to have expanded it's functionality beyond simple file sharing to sharing files and folders, sending, hosting a website, and even chat, all at the same time in a tabbed interface. Nice interface and simple usage.

Although privacy/anonymity is the focus, this might be useful to get around a lot of frustrating firewalls and restrictions to get files from one machine to another.

Testing notes

I wasn't able to test this out. Finally started working.

Image

Status: Untested but it writes the entire program to AppData so I'm not optimistic.

Resources (megs): 63 RAM, 272 Disk

Screenshot on Win10
Image

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rbon
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Re: OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#11 Post by rbon »

webfork wrote: Sun Mar 07, 2021 11:43 am Status: Untested but it writes the entire program to AppData so I'm not optimistic.
The issue number #366 [Feature request] "Portable" settings https://github.com/micahflee/onionshare/issues/366 is still open (2 days ago).
Save setting to:
--> USER\AppData\Roaming\OnionShare\onionshare.json

By The Way
You can browse the Micah Lee's blog: https://micahflee.com/2021/02/onionshar ... -chat-cli/ where there is a explanation about:
OnionShare from the command line
--> see also inside Online documentation (eng): https://docs.onionshare.org/2.3.1/en/
--> Advanced usage --> Command-line Interface https://docs.onionshare.org/2.3.1/en/ad ... -interface


So if You run OnionShare as CLI, the program should be Stealth.

Here is all commands availables in CLI:

Code: Select all

$ onionshare-cli --help
OnionShare 2.3 | https://onionshare.org/

                    @@@@@@@@@
                @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
            @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
          @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
            @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@           ___        _
              @@@@@@         @@@@@@@@@@@@@         / _ \      (_)
        @@@@    @               @@@@@@@@@@@       | | | |_ __  _  ___  _ __
      @@@@@@@@                   @@@@@@@@@@       | | | | '_ \| |/ _ \| '_ \
    @@@@@@@@@@@@                  @@@@@@@@@@      \ \_/ / | | | | (_) | | | |
  @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@                 @@@@@@@@@       \___/|_| |_|_|\___/|_| |_|
      @@@@@@@@@                 @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@    _____ _
      @@@@@@@@@@                  @@@@@@@@@@@@     /  ___| |
      @@@@@@@@@@                   @@@@@@@@       \ `--.| |__   __ _ _ __ ___
      @@@@@@@@@@@               @    @@@@          `--. \ '_ \ / _` | '__/ _ \
        @@@@@@@@@@@@@         @@@@@@               /\__/ / | | | (_| | | |  __/
        @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@             \____/|_| |_|\__,_|_|  \___|
          @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
            @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
                @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
                    @@@@@@@@@

usage: onionshare-cli [-h] [--receive] [--website] [--chat] [--local-only] [--connect-timeout SECONDS] [--config FILENAME] [--persistent FILENAME]
                      [--public] [--auto-start-timer SECONDS] [--auto-stop-timer SECONDS] [--legacy] [--client-auth] [--autostop-sharing]
                      [--data-dir data_dir] [--disable_csp] [-v]
                      [filename [filename ...]]

positional arguments:
  filename                  List of files or folders to share

optional arguments:
  -h, --help                show this help message and exit
  --receive                 Receive files
  --website                 Publish website
  --chat                    Start chat server
  --local-only              Don't use Tor (only for development)
  --connect-timeout SECONDS
                            Give up connecting to Tor after a given amount of seconds (default: 120)
  --config FILENAME         Filename of custom global settings
  --persistent FILENAME     Filename of persistent session
  --public                  Don't use a password
  --auto-start-timer SECONDS
                            Start onion service at scheduled time (N seconds from now)
  --auto-stop-timer SECONDS
                            Stop onion service at schedule time (N seconds from now)
  --legacy                  Use legacy address (v2 onion service, not recommended)
  --client-auth             Use client authorization (requires --legacy)
  --autostop-sharing        Share files: Stop sharing after files have been sent
  --data-dir data_dir       Receive files: Save files received to this directory
  --disable_csp             Publish website: Disable Content Security Policy header (allows your website to use third-party resources)
  -v, --verbose             Log OnionShare errors to stdout, and web errors to disk
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the universe trying to build bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning." - Rick Cook.

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Re: OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#12 Post by webfork »

rbon wrote: Tue Mar 09, 2021 10:12 am if You run OnionShare as CLI, the program should be Stealth.
Very impressive -- I didn't see anything about the CLI options. Great find.

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Re: OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#13 Post by webfork »

Retested v.2.5 today using Unextract2 and the onionshare.com --config option but without success:

Image

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rbon
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Re: OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#14 Post by rbon »

I'm not sure I understand correctly.

I have extract 'OnionShare-2.5.msi' using X-IniExtract 1.6.1 from winPenPack http://www.winpenpack.com/en/download.php?view.1271
-> X-UniExtract displays a warning: select MSI Administrative Installer and confirm.

You can find details about rel 2.5 on Micah Lee's blog https://micahflee.com/2022/01/onionshare-25-released/

B.T.W.
If program don't works properly, add PATH variable to Your sistem:
• for (extracted) program: main folder
• for (extracted) program: his subfolder
"Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the universe trying to build bigger and better idiots. So far, the universe is winning." - Rick Cook.

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Re: OnionShare - anonymous file sharing

#15 Post by webfork »

rbon wrote: Mon Jul 04, 2022 11:01 am I'm not sure I understand correctly.
It's been a bit since I tested this so I'm not sure of my specific steps. I think I uniextract'd and launched with the --config argument as discussed I think earlier in the thread.

I'll try to come up with a more detailed post if I come back to this, think I got frustrated with the error message and just posted a quickie 'didn't work' update.

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