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dyndns-onion

Dynamic DNS server that serves Tor's onion like domains

See other related links https://github.com/yurt-page/docs/blob/main/dns.md

Idea

https://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-onions/2022-June/000468.html

Hello the Tor Community,

I have a proposition to build a DynDNS server that will host onion-like addresses for regular websites. And I'll appreciate any feedback, opinions and thoughts on this.

I am working on a YurtPage which is a small home page server and kind of light version of NextCloud for inexperienced users. Some users already have an IP static or dynamic so their site can be directly accessed from the Internet. But still they need a domain to be independent of IP changes. Unfortunately domains are controlled by the DNS mafia and they cost money. The NameCoin's .bit domains are cool but they cost money too.

So for users I'll implement a Dynamic DNS (DynDNS) so that they'll automatically receive a subdomain of mine's jkl.mn site like SomeonesYurt.jkl.mn And the user's homepage will send ping to jkl.mn so it can detect the public IP and update a DNS record.

The problem is that I don't want to have a responsibility to host the DynDNS service. I may forget to renew its domain or hosting, or its server dies or I may die. And I decided to generate an onion-like address so they'll look like http://jklmnyiyjnwfc6aklubg45o4hbkvz5uu47hcwjinbihi4shcucq5aiid.jkl.mn/

I see a few advantages:

  • In case the jkl.mn disappears users may install a Tor Onion Service and visitors can still open the site by replacing jkl.mn to .onion in links. I'm going to install the Tor Service by default.
  • I don't need to store a database: a homepage may just sign its request with a private key and the DynDNS can check it and update a DNS record.
  • Yes, the address is not possible to remember but anyone can save a bookmark or use Google to find it. Instead, I'll not have cyber squatters who took all the good domains. Anyone can buy a domain and use CNAME if they wish.

What do you think about this idea? Will it work? I created a project to develop it https://github.com/yurt-page/dyndns-onion but decided to consult with you first.

To go further I think that the remaining problems may also be solved easily.

Volunteers may start their own DynDNS servers and exchange the records with each other. The same as PGP key servers can easily exchange public keys between each other.

The homepage sends a Ticket to any DynDNS server. The Ticket is just an encrypted IP and timestamp and anybody can decrypt it with the public key from the domain. The ticket with last time is considered as actual and every DynDNS server may return its IP.

Here may be used other technologies like DHT for a quicker lookup and to be independent if the jkl.mn domain disappears. Similarly to a .bit TLD we may have .dyn that are free to anyone. But unlike .onion domains the .dyn domains are not anonymous and lookups are not blocked on DNS level and can be answered by any.