xB Browser, previously called Torpark, is a source-available (but not technically open source), 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 present version is 2.0.0.10a and it does not allow one to run another version of Firefox concurrently for security reasons.

Tor network

Main article: Tor (anonymity 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, particularly within the browser, should not be modified unless done by an expert familiar with onion routing, and the workings of xB Browser itself.

Versions

Steve Topletz co-released Torpark v.1.5.0.7 with CULT OF THE DEAD COW/Hacktivismo on 19 September 2006.

The present version of the xB Browser is 2.0.0.10a.

Unlike Firefox, which is cross-platform, xB Browser is currently only available for Microsoft Windows. Versions are being developed for Linux and Mac environments.

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, andthereforeTorpark is not FOSS.

Easter Eggs

Torpark Easter egg from version 2.0.0.2, featuring heptagon with guilloche designsThe Torpark Easter egg showing the black cross with Cult of the Dead Cow symbols.

There is an easter egg in version 1.5.0.7 and 2.0.0.2 of Torpark. The easter egg is revealed by launching the executable from CMD with the switch /DEADBEEF enabled, an allusion to 0xDEADBEEF, eg. C:\Torpark\torpark.exe /DEADBEEF. A black cross with Cult of the Dead Cow symbols appears while playing a chiptune song in the background.