Merge branch 'chore/main-catchup-2026-08-26' into 'main'HEADmain

Bring main onto the line this project actually ships (incl. the 1.2.23 compactblock port)

Closes #6, #7, #8, #11, #35, #34, #29, #28, #27, and #16

See merge request !16

1 files changed, 231 insertions, 0 deletions

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+# Tor mode
+
+Bitflash can route outbound discovery traffic through a local Tor SOCKS5 proxy.
+This is transport plumbing only: it does not change consensus, wallet keys,
+mining, `.btf` addresses, or the encrypted rendezvous protocol.
+
+## Client mode
+
+Start Tor locally, then start Bitflash with:
+
+```bash
+bitflash -tor
+```
+
+`-tor` is shorthand for:
+
+```bash
+bitflash -socks=127.0.0.1:9050
+```
+
+If Tor listens somewhere else:
+
+```bash
+bitflash -tor=127.0.0.1:9150
+bitflash -tor=[::1]:9050
+```
+
+For a SOCKS5 proxy that is not Tor, use `-socks` directly:
+
+```bash
+bitflash -socks=127.0.0.1:9050
+bitflash -socks=[::1]:9050
+```
+
+If both `-tor` and `-socks` are present, Tor mode wins and the node prints a
+warning. That keeps a command line with `-tor` from silently becoming a custom
+proxy route.
+
+## Managed Tor mode
+
+`-managedtor` starts a Tor process for this node, writes a local `torrc`, creates
+a v3 hidden service for the normal Bitflash P2P listener, routes outbound
+discovery through that Tor instance, and signs the generated `.onion:8433`
+endpoint into the node's `.btf` descriptor.
+
+```bash
+bitflash -managedtor
+```
+
+Without a value, Bitflash looks for Tor in this order:
+
+1. `tor/tor.exe` or `tor/tor` beside the Bitflash binary;
+2. `tor.exe` or `tor` beside the Bitflash binary;
+3. `tor.exe` or `tor` on `PATH`.
+
+Windows releases can also be built as `Bitflash-*-windows-with-tor.zip`. That
+package includes the official Tor Expert Bundle under `tor/`, so the first path
+above exists immediately after extraction and `bitflash -managedtor` needs no
+separate Tor install.
+
+The bundled-Tor package is created by:
+
+```bash
+make windows-tor
+```
+
+The packaging script verifies a pinned SHA256 for the downloaded Tor Expert
+Bundle before copying it into the release directory. When `gpg` is available it
+also verifies the matching `.asc` signature against the pinned Tor Browser
+Developers signing-key fingerprint. Release builds should use
+`TOR_VERIFY_GPG=required make windows-tor` to make that second check mandatory.
+The Tor binary is bundled; the runtime data directory, hidden-service key, and
+control cookie are still created under the user's Bitflash data directory.
+
+To point at a specific Tor executable:
+
+```bash
+bitflash -managedtor=/opt/tor/bin/tor
+bitflash -managedtor=C:\Tor Browser\Browser\TorBrowser\Tor\tor.exe
+```
+
+Managed Tor writes its state under the Bitflash data directory:
+
+```text
+managed-tor/
+  torrc
+  data/
+  onion-service/
+```
+
+The private key for the onion address lives in `managed-tor/onion-service/`.
+Back up that directory if you want the same onion address after moving the node.
+Delete it only if you intentionally want a fresh onion endpoint.
+
+`-managedtor` takes precedence over `-tor` and `-socks`, because it must choose
+the local SOCKS port it starts. Diagnostics report the current managed Tor
+state, including the SOCKS port and onion endpoint once Tor has generated it.
+
+When Tor mode is enabled:
+
+- outbound Nostr relay dials use Tor;
+- outbound `.btf` rendezvous relay dials use Tor;
+- outbound direct peer dials prefer signed `.onion` endpoints when a peer
+  advertises one;
+- destination names are sent to Tor as SOCKS5 domain-name CONNECT requests, so
+  the local DNS resolver does not see them;
+- direct `.onion` dials are refused unless a SOCKS5/Tor proxy is enabled;
+- plain HTTP external-IP probes are skipped.
+
+Tor mode affects outbound discovery and relay dials. It does not encrypt
+`wallet.dat`, hide mining rewards on-chain, or change the `.btf` identity. A
+relay still sees the TCP client that connected to it; with Tor mode that client
+is the Tor exit or onion circuit endpoint instead of the user's direct IP.
+
+## What to test
+
+Use the public status page only as a rough health check. To prove the local node
+is using Tor/SOCKS, test from the node machine:
+
+```bash
+bitflash -tor -debug
+```
+
+Then confirm in `debug.log` that Nostr and rendezvous dials report the proxy
+path. A DNS leak test should show no local resolver lookup for relay hostnames:
+the SOCKS5 request uses the domain-name form and asks the proxy to resolve it.
+
+## Onion rendezvous relay
+
+An operator can expose a Bitflash rendezvous relay as a Tor hidden service. The
+node does not create hidden services itself; Tor owns that configuration.
+
+Example `torrc`:
+
+```text
+HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/bitflash-rendezvous/
+HiddenServicePort 8434 127.0.0.1:8434
+```
+
+After restarting Tor, read the generated onion name:
+
+```bash
+sudo cat /var/lib/tor/bitflash-rendezvous/hostname
+```
+
+Then run the relay on localhost/VPS as usual and announce the onion endpoint from
+nodes that use Tor:
+
+```bash
+bitflash -tor -rvrelay=exampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexample.onion:8434
+bitflash -tor -announcerelay=exampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexample.onion:8434
+```
+
+For a pool operator that wants the pool descriptor to point at an onion
+rendezvous relay, use both:
+
+```bash
+bitflash -operator -tor \
+  -rvrelay=exampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexample.onion:8434 \
+  -announcerelay=exampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexample.onion:8434
+```
+
+## Manual direct full-node hidden service
+
+Managed Tor is the preferred path for ordinary nodes. Operators can still expose
+the P2P listener through a separately managed Tor service:
+
+```text
+HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/bitflash-node/
+HiddenServicePort 8433 127.0.0.1:8433
+```
+
+After restarting Tor, read the generated onion name:
+
+```bash
+sudo cat /var/lib/tor/bitflash-node/hostname
+```
+
+Then start Bitflash with Tor outbound enabled and advertise that hidden service:
+
+```bash
+bitflash -tor \
+  -onionservice=exampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexampleexample.onion:8433
+```
+
+That onion endpoint is signed into this node's self-certifying `.btf`
+descriptor. New peers that resolve the descriptor and also run with `-tor` try
+the `.onion:8433` P2P connection first. If it fails, they fall back to the
+ordinary encrypted rendezvous path. Older nodes ignore the onion field and still
+use the rendezvous relay because the descriptor keeps the legacy signature too.
+
+If the node has `-onionservice` but has not registered at any rendezvous relay
+yet, it can still publish an onion-capable descriptor with
+`meeting_node = rendezvous-pending`. Tor-capable peers can dial the hidden
+service directly from that descriptor. Rendezvous becomes a fallback, not a
+precondition for being discoverable.
+
+This means rendezvous relays stop being the only way to reach a node that has
+published a hidden service. They remain useful bootstrap/fallback infrastructure,
+but an already-discovered onion-capable peer can be reached directly over Tor.
+
+Tor owns the private key under `HiddenServiceDir`; back it up if you want the
+onion name to stay stable.
+
+## Release smoke test
+
+After building a Windows binary with managed Tor support, run the two-node smoke
+test before cutting a release:
+
+```powershell
+powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts\smoke-managed-tor-onion.ps1 `
+  -Bitflash .\src\bitflash.exe `
+  -Tor C:\path\to\tor.exe
+```
+
+The script creates two temporary datadirs, starts node A with `-managedtor`,
+waits for it to publish its `.btf` identity and generated `.onion` endpoint,
+then starts node B with its own `-managedtor`, `-oniononly`, and
+`-connectbtf=<node-a>`. It passes only when node B logs that it connected to
+node A `via direct onion`; rendezvous fallback cannot satisfy the test.
+
+By default the script waits 120 seconds after node A's descriptor self-resolves
+before it starts node B. Tor can create the local `hostname` before the hidden
+service descriptor is visible enough for client circuits, and early dials often
+fail with SOCKS5 reply `0x01`. Override this with `-OnionWarmupSec N` when
+testing a slow or already-warmed Tor environment.
+
+This test still uses Nostr for descriptor discovery, because that is how nodes
+learn each other's signed `.btf` descriptors. It does not require a Bitflash
+rendezvous relay to carry the P2P connection: once the descriptor includes the
+signed onion endpoint, the actual node connection goes directly through Tor.