9 ms·

PirateBox 1.0

222 points by Morgawr 12y ago

hypron 12y ago
Site seems to be under heavy load atm.
- uptownhr 12y ago
  Yup, doesn't load for me.
  - uptownhr 12y ago
    http://cl.ly/image/203P0c1u1Y12 http://cl.ly/image/203P0c1u1Y12 dreamhost....
    - themoonbus 12y ago
      What service are you using to get that information?
      - bronson 12y ago
        One way: ~$ ping -c1 piratebox.cc PING piratebox.cc (64.111.103.127): 56 data bytes 64 bytes from 64.111.103.127: icmp_seq=0 ttl=49 time=96.722 ms --- piratebox.cc ping statistics --- 1 packets transmitted, 1 packets received, 0.0% packet loss round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 96.722/96.722/96.722/0.000 ms ~$ nslookup 64.111.103.127 Server: 192.168.1.1 Address: 192.168.1.1#53 Non-authoritative answer: 127.103.111.64.in-addr.arpa name = ps43705.dreamhost.com. Authoritative answers can be found from: 103.111.64.in-addr.arpa nameserver = ns3.dreamhost.com. 103.111.64.in-addr.arpa nameserver = ns1.dreamhost.com. 103.111.64.in-addr.arpa nameserver = ns2.dreamhost.com. ns1.dreamhost.com internet address = 66.33.206.206 ns2.dreamhost.com internet address = 208.97.182.10 ns3.dreamhost.com internet address = 66.33.216.216
        contingencies 12y ago
        Heh, pre-webschool :) While we're teaching. $ whois 64.111.103.1 # Note: IP!=same, similar is ok NetRange: 64.111.96.0 - 64.111.127.255 CIDR: 64.111.96.0/19 OriginAS: AS26347 NetName: DREAMHOST-BLK4 NetHandle: NET-64-111-96-0-1 Parent: NET-64-0-0-0-0 NetType: Direct Allocation RegDate: 2005-03-07 Updated: 2013-01-18 Ref: http://whois.arin.net/rest/net/NET-64-111-96-0-1 http://whois.arin.net/rest/net/NET-64-111-96-0-1 The above shows us that the IP address range has been owned by Dreamhost since 2005. $ traceroute -M16 64.111.103.1 # Note: Hides first 15 hops traceroute to 64.111.103.1 (64.111.103.1), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets 16 te0-0-2-0.nr11.b037327-0.iad02.atlas.cogentco.com (154.24.15.62) 150.006 ms 112.416 ms 111.521 ms 17 38.122.62.254 (38.122.62.254) 110.817 ms 111.131 ms 113.563 ms 18 ip-208-113-156-8.dreamhost.com (208.113.156.8) 122.604 ms 119.393 ms 120.720 ms 19 ip-208-113-156-14.dreamhost.com (208.113.156.14) 118.675 ms 116.344 ms 116.236 ms 20 ps43497.dreamhost.com (64.111.103.1) 165.690 ms 111.885 ms 119.339 ms This shows you the carrier in use leading to the facility (cogentco). Often facilities without reverse DNS (apparently in the final hop) or without own IP ranges (as we discovered above Dreamhost has) can still be determined without actually passing traffic by reading the reverse DNS information on the closest border hop on their carrier. In this case we don't get lucky with that technique, since #17 is not showing any reverse DNS. Beyond the above you can start looking at AS-driven routing records, physical network layouts, internet historical information, etc. before resorting to more active probes.
        pyre 12y ago
        > $ traceroute -M16 64.111.103.1 # Note: Hides first 15 hops HARD MODE: Is is actually 'hiding' those hops, or does it not even look for them? Using Apple's `traceroute.c`[1]: case 'M': /* FreeBSD compat. */ first_ttl = str2val(optarg, "first ttl", 1, 255); break; Looks like it's just bumping up the value of the first TTL. Note: For those not in the know, traceroute works by adjusting the TTL (time-to-live) value on the packet it sends out. The TTL is basically the max number of hops that the packet can take. Each 'hop' decrements the TTL value, until it reaches the destination or TTL == 0. If the TTL == 0 before it gets to the destination, then the packet it sent back as rejected. [1] http://www.opensource.apple.com/source/network_cmds/network_cmds-307.0.1/traceroute.tproj/traceroute.c http://www.opensource.apple.com/source/network_cmds/network_...
- jonathanmd 12y ago
  It could just be the 3.1 MB image getting served from Apache. 3888 × 2592 might be a tiny bit too large for a preview image. They should take a look at mod_pagespeed (https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/module https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/module) and start using a CDN.
  - MaStr 12y ago
    Well, that costs bandwith, but wasn't the issue. The issue was the cpu power. The VPS hadn't got enough cpu time for fullfilling all these requests. The machine reportet 8 cores, but load didn't cross the 4 - mark. Memory is 4GB, but that was more then enough. On the top list you were able to clearly verify the php processes running and trying to fullfill the request. We swapped to my provider http://net-build.net http://net-build.net , which has a good performance. thanks for the hint anyway. I think David already exchanged it. Matthias
josephlord 12y ago
I can't see any links on any of their pages to the source code. Multiple links to the GPL and about Free software but no route that I could find to the source itself.
- pyre 12y ago
  There are instructions here[1] for building your own. Which includes: 1. First download a copy of install_piratebox.zip and a customized copy of OpenWrt for the MR3020, WR702N or MR3040 to your computer from: http://stable.openwrt.piratebox.de/auto (be sure to download the “*squashfs-factory.bin” file that corresponds with your specific device). Also says: Using OpenWrt and off-the-shelf hardware, you can build a PirateBox 1.0 for as little as US$35. Check out the OpenWrt DIY page for more info and visit the OpenWrt Discussion Board for support. [1] http://piratebox.cc/openwrt:diy http://piratebox.cc/openwrt:diy [2] http://stable.openwrt.piratebox.de/auto/install_piratebox.zip http://stable.openwrt.piratebox.de/auto/install_piratebox.zi...
- MaStr 12y ago
  Hi, sorry, during all the work on the page, we forgot putting the github link to the page. We summarized all the sources here: https://github.com/orgs/PirateBox-Dev https://github.com/orgs/PirateBox-Dev When the page is working in normal parameters again, we'll put a link the sourcecode to the page. We are sorry about the inconvenience. regards Matthias
  - josephlord 12y ago
    Thanks. Apologies if my previous post was a bit too negative. I'm not saying the Github link should be hugely prominent front and centre but somewhere with the licence links and in the menus at the top somewhere would be good (probably in About or Community).
    - MaStr 12y ago
      No worries. We'll add it in the "about" section in the next week, when we moved back to piratebox.cc (currently we are running on a mirror). regards Matthias
tomp 12y ago
Site is down now, but this is from the FAQ: > What is the PirateBox? > PirateBox is a self-contained mobile communication and file sharing device. Simply turn it on to transform any space into a free and open communications and file sharing network. Inspired by pirate radio and the free culture movements, PirateBox utilizes Free, Libre and Open Source software (FLOSS) to create mobile wireless communications and file sharing networks where users can anonymously chat and share images, video, audio, documents, and other digital content. > How does it work? > Simply turn PirateBox on to transform any space into an offline communication and wireless file sharing network. When users join the PirateBox wireless network and open a web browser, they are automatically redirected to the PirateBox welcome page. Users can then immediately begin to chat anonymously, post images or comments on the bulletin board, watch or listen to streaming media, or upload and download files.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
shiftpgdn 12y ago
Cached version: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:zWSCSbJPfP4J:piratebox.cc/news+&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:zWSCSbJ... I built a piratebox using a cheapo tplink router about 2 1/2 years ago. I'm somewhat surprised nothing has been built using commodity Android phones since then. They'd be better suited to the task as far as having a battery built in, better antennas, etc.
- Torgo 12y ago
  I don't know about Piratebox specifically, but I've found it a hassle to try and use phones. When the screen shuts off Android drops the CPU performance, and (in particular on older phones) running he wifi nonstop in AP mode dramatically heats up the phone, causing reboots. This might be ameliorated by a custom kernel, but I never got that far.
Phogo 12y ago
What is the PirateBox? PirateBox is a self-contained mobile communication and file sharing device. Simply turn it on to transform any space into a free and open communications and file sharing network. Inspired by pirate radio and the free culture movements, PirateBox utilizes Free, Libre and Open Source software (FLOSS) to create mobile wireless communications and file sharing networks where users can anonymously chat and share images, video, audio, documents, and other digital content. How does it work? Simply turn PirateBox on to transform any space into an offline communication and wireless file sharing network. When users join the PirateBox wireless network and open a web browser, they are automatically redirected to the PirateBox welcome page. Users can then immediately begin to chat anonymously, post images or comments on the bulletin board, watch or listen to streaming media, or upload and download files. PirateBox runs on multiple devices, including wireless routers, Android-based phones, single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi, and even laptops. Is it safe? PirateBox is designed to be private and secure. No logins are required and no user data is logged. Users remain anonymous – the system is purposely not connected to the Internet in order to subvert tracking and preserve user privacy. Can I make my own PirateBox? Absolutely! The PirateBox is is free (as in freedom) because it is registered under the GNU GPLv3. This license grants the right to freely copy, distribute, and transform creative works according to the principles of copyleft. PirateBox can be built for as little as US$35. For detailed instructions, visit the PirateBox OpenWrt DIY page. Where can I read more about the PirateBox? Visit the PirateBox Press page for a listing of and links to more than 175 stories about the PirateBox. Where can I find more photos of the PirateBox? Check out the PirateBox Gallery. Where can I find more videos of the PirateBox? Check out these PirateBox Videos. Why did you build the PirateBox? The PirateBox solves a technical/social problem by providing people in the same physical space with an easy way to anonymously communicate and exchange files. This obviously has larger cultural and political implications and thus the PirateBox also serves as an artistic provocation. See this ars technica article and this New Scientist article for more info. Why is it called the PirateBox? The PirateBox is inspired by the free culture and pirate radio movements. The name is a playful remixing of the title of the world’s most resilient BitTorrent site, The Pirate Bay. Does the PirateBox promote stealing? No. The PirateBox is designed to facilitate communication and sharing between friends and local community members. Who helps build the PirateBox? The PirateBox was created by David Darts and the lead developer is Matthias Strubel. Aaron Williamson from the Software Freedom Law Center provided advice on the project and Christiane Ruetten originally ported PirateBox to OpenWrt. The project is actively supported by developers and testers all over the world. Do you know of any other projects similar to PirateBox? Yes, check out Aram Bartholl's fantastic Dead Drops. There are also several forks of the project, including Jason Griffey’s LibraryBox, the Bibliobox, the LibroBox and the CoWBox (CoWorking Box). Where can I discuss the PirateBox? Visit the PirateBox Forum to discuss the PirateBox, share your builds, and receive support.
cyanbane 12y ago
Would be neat to see a mesh-network of these running on old phones of which most people have 1 or 2 of at their house with a REALLY simple installer. A few of these sprout up organically in locales and it would be like the BBS days of yore - ultimately it could lead to a larger geographical footprint of a "side-net".
- jobu 12y ago
  Does Piratebox support wireless bridging or mesh? This is a super handy feature of dd-wrt (http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index).
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - MaStr 12y ago
    Speaking for the OpenWRT-implementation. mesh is in preparation. There is already a mesh implementation done for the sister-project "LibraryBox. The code is contributed back to PirateBox. It still needs some tine addons to work nicely. Bridging could be done with some configuration, I think. IMHO the 2nd device don't need to be a PirateBox. http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/recipes/atheroswds http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/recipes/atheroswds regards Matthias
- xhrpost 12y ago
  Didn't think about using an old phone. I think I found the Android App on the Play store [1] but it requires root which likely removes the 'REALLY simple installer' requirement. [1]https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.fun2code.android.piratebox https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.fun2code.an...
- bri3d 12y ago
  Check out "The Serval Project" - it checks a few of your boxes, although it focuses more on securing and expand 1-to-1 communication than the community/BBS aspect.
mentos 12y ago
I'd love to see a world where an enormous network of these makes big telecom obsolete. Don't think the issues with big internet will ever push enough people into creating this but at least there's a safety net. Pun intended?
- y4mi 12y ago
  this would only work in cities. any towns and smaller villages would henceforth be without service. and each city would be disconnected from the next big city, as there is no realistic way to span that amount of space in between for hobbyists. but it would be great, despite these limitations. governments would no longer be able to kill all communication... until they adapted anyway. nothing easier than spamming these networks with useless entries to hide the actually worthwhile ones
  - Istof 12y ago
    if similar devices became available with support for "super wi-fi", it might become possible to make it work in smaller cities or even villages... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Wi-Fi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Wi-Fi
- drdaeman 12y ago
  Would be fun to see that, but I fear it's really hard. Routing in a mesh network is a tricky subject. Even ISPs (those who care) have issues ensuring that there would be enough bandwidth for peers to watch their videos and low enough latency to play their games. Especially it's tricky to balance ingress trafic when there are multiple paths to you (your ISP has many peers), but one pipe's clogged and one's nearly unused (and situation changes all the time, so next day - or sometimes even hour - it could be the opposite).
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
TruthSHIFT 12y ago
In this picture, they show the PirateBox attached to the bottom of a skateboard: http://piratebox.cc/faq http://piratebox.cc/faq Can it actually run this way? Do they actually have a portable way of powering this device?
- MaStr 12y ago
  It totally runs on the skateboard, because there is a battery taped there as well :)
- xhrpost 12y ago
  The picture of the one attached to a girl's bike appears to connect to a power source next to the front wheel which I assume to be some sort of generator from wheel motion.
lemonSnap 12y ago
Sounds cool but the website should explain what it is at the top of the home page... Why make people hunt? A short tagline would be helpful.
noonespecial 12y ago
That is an unfortunate name. This has implications much greater than a few privileged first-worlders sharing some movies but you wouldn't guess it from the name. FreedomBox perhaps? WunderWurfel? Anything seems better than Pirate-something.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- icebraining 12y ago
  FreedomBox already exists; it's a similar project: https://freedomboxfoundation.org/ https://freedomboxfoundation.org/
- aw3c2 12y ago
  Sharebox?
- yarrel 12y ago
  Bless.
- serf 12y ago
  I agree that 'pirate' anything is a disservice for a brand name, but let's not apply the MPAA's definition of piracy so broadly. Piracy isn't sharing copyrighted media, it just happens to be a spookier name than "copyright infringement" that the media industries like to use haphazardly to in order to paint such activities as morally reprehensible.
  - travisp 12y ago
    Like it or not, neither modern media nor the MPAA introduced this usage of piracy. It has been around and part of legal discussion about intellectual property since the 1800s: "I know patentees are much troubled with piracies upon their inventions" (Irwin v. McRoberts 1879) "he has a just defence, and is not a willful pirate of the plaintiff’s invention" (Goodyear v. Dunbar 1860) and so on...
vertex-four 12y ago
Does anyone have any idea how long you could run, say, the TP-LINK WR703N for on battery? It'd be neat to set one of these up at a small summer festival in a couple of months.
- MaStr 12y ago
  MR3020 and WR703N have nearly the same board. I linked and described my observed runtime here: http://piratebox.aod-rpg.de/dokuwiki/doku.php/about/matthias http://piratebox.aod-rpg.de/dokuwiki/doku.php/about/matthias
- robocat 12y ago
  Buy one of those car cigarette-lighter USB charger thingies, and connect it between a car battery and the router. The WR702N (I presume similar to 703N) says "Powered through a micro USB port by an external power adapter or USB connection to a computer": http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR702N http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR702N A car battery is fast and easy to charge. I would guess a car battery would last 20 to 80 hours, depending on the the battery, the router, and the usage. Alternatively most cigarette-lighter USB chargers can take under-voltage so you can easily hook up a LiIon laptop battery (nominally 10.8 Volts). Laptop batteries are great because they come with a laptop that can charge them very quickly. A car battery gives you the option to use many other routers (maybe you have a suitable one lying around!). Routers often use a 12 Volt DC input, and although a direct connection between the battery and the device is theoretically the wrong voltage, in practice I myself would just connect it straight through without any qualms (unless it was an expensive or rare router!). The WR703N probably uses less power so would run longer, but maybe compromises on range?!
soapdog 12y ago
Love the project! I am actually thinking about buying an mr3020 just for this. My main feedback is that the page does nothing to tell new users what the heck is PirateBox. The landing page should contain an explanation of what it is and why do you want it.
paulhauggis 12y ago
I like to be more anonymous and hide within plain sight. Instead of a little box with a large pirate symbol, I would rather fire up a VM and run it off my laptop.
ecoqba 12y ago
This is perfect for the people in Cuba.
Element_ 12y ago
These would be great on planes/trains/buses where wifi isn't readily available. These days the passengers probably carry enough content on their mobile devices to keep everyone entertained during a long haul flight they just need a way to share it.
iuguy 12y ago
Does anyone know if this addresses the myriad of security flaws with the old version? I have an older box, but found it wasn't really used. I should bring it back up at some point and update it.
mschuster91 12y ago
Sweet idea, but the sceptic in me already sees the negative downside, which will inevitably follow: perverts exchaining child porn, people sharing copyrighted stuff, drug dealers organizing heroin trafficking. Before you downvote me: from a legal POV, this is the same as leaving your WiFi open or protected with WEP. In front of a court you will be either held liable for just aiding distribution of child porn/warez (if you're lucky), or worse, for possession. In Germany this definitely means time behind bars, in the US it means federal court for child porn/aiding a drug business. Good luck getting out of this. You would not even remotely consider leaving your WiFi open, right? Then, why do you consider putting up a PirateBox or whatever it is named for public use?
kybernetikos 12y ago
Seems like this would be perfectly suited to running on a hacked wifi sd card.
rkda 12y ago
I'm a bit concerned that some unsavory elements will be inspired by this and create a malware box.
chippy 12y ago
Would this work with all those old routers on the defunct laptops we have lying around?

PirateBox 1.0

222 points by Morgawr 12y ago

hypron 12y ago

Site seems to be under heavy load atm.

uptownhr 12y ago
Yup, doesn't load for me.
- uptownhr 12y ago
  http://cl.ly/image/203P0c1u1Y12 http://cl.ly/image/203P0c1u1Y12 dreamhost....
  - themoonbus 12y ago
    What service are you using to get that information?
    - bronson 12y ago
      One way: ~$ ping -c1 piratebox.cc PING piratebox.cc (64.111.103.127): 56 data bytes 64 bytes from 64.111.103.127: icmp_seq=0 ttl=49 time=96.722 ms --- piratebox.cc ping statistics --- 1 packets transmitted, 1 packets received, 0.0% packet loss round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 96.722/96.722/96.722/0.000 ms ~$ nslookup 64.111.103.127 Server: 192.168.1.1 Address: 192.168.1.1#53 Non-authoritative answer: 127.103.111.64.in-addr.arpa name = ps43705.dreamhost.com. Authoritative answers can be found from: 103.111.64.in-addr.arpa nameserver = ns3.dreamhost.com. 103.111.64.in-addr.arpa nameserver = ns1.dreamhost.com. 103.111.64.in-addr.arpa nameserver = ns2.dreamhost.com. ns1.dreamhost.com internet address = 66.33.206.206 ns2.dreamhost.com internet address = 208.97.182.10 ns3.dreamhost.com internet address = 66.33.216.216
      - contingencies 12y ago
        Heh, pre-webschool :) While we're teaching. $ whois 64.111.103.1 # Note: IP!=same, similar is ok NetRange: 64.111.96.0 - 64.111.127.255 CIDR: 64.111.96.0/19 OriginAS: AS26347 NetName: DREAMHOST-BLK4 NetHandle: NET-64-111-96-0-1 Parent: NET-64-0-0-0-0 NetType: Direct Allocation RegDate: 2005-03-07 Updated: 2013-01-18 Ref: http://whois.arin.net/rest/net/NET-64-111-96-0-1 http://whois.arin.net/rest/net/NET-64-111-96-0-1 The above shows us that the IP address range has been owned by Dreamhost since 2005. $ traceroute -M16 64.111.103.1 # Note: Hides first 15 hops traceroute to 64.111.103.1 (64.111.103.1), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets 16 te0-0-2-0.nr11.b037327-0.iad02.atlas.cogentco.com (154.24.15.62) 150.006 ms 112.416 ms 111.521 ms 17 38.122.62.254 (38.122.62.254) 110.817 ms 111.131 ms 113.563 ms 18 ip-208-113-156-8.dreamhost.com (208.113.156.8) 122.604 ms 119.393 ms 120.720 ms 19 ip-208-113-156-14.dreamhost.com (208.113.156.14) 118.675 ms 116.344 ms 116.236 ms 20 ps43497.dreamhost.com (64.111.103.1) 165.690 ms 111.885 ms 119.339 ms This shows you the carrier in use leading to the facility (cogentco). Often facilities without reverse DNS (apparently in the final hop) or without own IP ranges (as we discovered above Dreamhost has) can still be determined without actually passing traffic by reading the reverse DNS information on the closest border hop on their carrier. In this case we don't get lucky with that technique, since #17 is not showing any reverse DNS. Beyond the above you can start looking at AS-driven routing records, physical network layouts, internet historical information, etc. before resorting to more active probes.
        pyre 12y ago
        > $ traceroute -M16 64.111.103.1 # Note: Hides first 15 hops HARD MODE: Is is actually 'hiding' those hops, or does it not even look for them? Using Apple's `traceroute.c`[1]: case 'M': /* FreeBSD compat. */ first_ttl = str2val(optarg, "first ttl", 1, 255); break; Looks like it's just bumping up the value of the first TTL. Note: For those not in the know, traceroute works by adjusting the TTL (time-to-live) value on the packet it sends out. The TTL is basically the max number of hops that the packet can take. Each 'hop' decrements the TTL value, until it reaches the destination or TTL == 0. If the TTL == 0 before it gets to the destination, then the packet it sent back as rejected. [1] http://www.opensource.apple.com/source/network_cmds/network_cmds-307.0.1/traceroute.tproj/traceroute.c http://www.opensource.apple.com/source/network_cmds/network_...
jonathanmd 12y ago
It could just be the 3.1 MB image getting served from Apache. 3888 × 2592 might be a tiny bit too large for a preview image. They should take a look at mod_pagespeed (https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/module https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/module) and start using a CDN.
- MaStr 12y ago
  Well, that costs bandwith, but wasn't the issue. The issue was the cpu power. The VPS hadn't got enough cpu time for fullfilling all these requests. The machine reportet 8 cores, but load didn't cross the 4 - mark. Memory is 4GB, but that was more then enough. On the top list you were able to clearly verify the php processes running and trying to fullfill the request. We swapped to my provider http://net-build.net http://net-build.net , which has a good performance. thanks for the hint anyway. I think David already exchanged it. Matthias

josephlord 12y ago

I can't see any links on any of their pages to the source code. Multiple links to the GPL and about Free software but no route that I could find to the source itself.

pyre 12y ago
There are instructions here[1] for building your own. Which includes: 1. First download a copy of install_piratebox.zip and a customized copy of OpenWrt for the MR3020, WR702N or MR3040 to your computer from: http://stable.openwrt.piratebox.de/auto (be sure to download the “*squashfs-factory.bin” file that corresponds with your specific device). Also says: Using OpenWrt and off-the-shelf hardware, you can build a PirateBox 1.0 for as little as US$35. Check out the OpenWrt DIY page for more info and visit the OpenWrt Discussion Board for support. [1] http://piratebox.cc/openwrt:diy http://piratebox.cc/openwrt:diy [2] http://stable.openwrt.piratebox.de/auto/install_piratebox.zip http://stable.openwrt.piratebox.de/auto/install_piratebox.zi...
MaStr 12y ago
Hi, sorry, during all the work on the page, we forgot putting the github link to the page. We summarized all the sources here: https://github.com/orgs/PirateBox-Dev https://github.com/orgs/PirateBox-Dev When the page is working in normal parameters again, we'll put a link the sourcecode to the page. We are sorry about the inconvenience. regards Matthias
- josephlord 12y ago
  Thanks. Apologies if my previous post was a bit too negative. I'm not saying the Github link should be hugely prominent front and centre but somewhere with the licence links and in the menus at the top somewhere would be good (probably in About or Community).
  - MaStr 12y ago
    No worries. We'll add it in the "about" section in the next week, when we moved back to piratebox.cc (currently we are running on a mirror). regards Matthias

tomp 12y ago

Site is down now, but this is from the FAQ: > What is the PirateBox? > PirateBox is a self-contained mobile communication and file sharing device. Simply turn it on to transform any space into a free and open communications and file sharing network. Inspired by pirate radio and the free culture movements, PirateBox utilizes Free, Libre and Open Source software (FLOSS) to create mobile wireless communications and file sharing networks where users can anonymously chat and share images, video, audio, documents, and other digital content. > How does it work? > Simply turn PirateBox on to transform any space into an offline communication and wireless file sharing network. When users join the PirateBox wireless network and open a web browser, they are automatically redirected to the PirateBox welcome page. Users can then immediately begin to chat anonymously, post images or comments on the bulletin board, watch or listen to streaming media, or upload and download files.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

shiftpgdn 12y ago

Cached version: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:zWSCSbJPfP4J:piratebox.cc/news+&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:zWSCSbJ... I built a piratebox using a cheapo tplink router about 2 1/2 years ago. I'm somewhat surprised nothing has been built using commodity Android phones since then. They'd be better suited to the task as far as having a battery built in, better antennas, etc.

Torgo 12y ago
I don't know about Piratebox specifically, but I've found it a hassle to try and use phones. When the screen shuts off Android drops the CPU performance, and (in particular on older phones) running he wifi nonstop in AP mode dramatically heats up the phone, causing reboots. This might be ameliorated by a custom kernel, but I never got that far.

Phogo 12y ago

What is the PirateBox? PirateBox is a self-contained mobile communication and file sharing device. Simply turn it on to transform any space into a free and open communications and file sharing network. Inspired by pirate radio and the free culture movements, PirateBox utilizes Free, Libre and Open Source software (FLOSS) to create mobile wireless communications and file sharing networks where users can anonymously chat and share images, video, audio, documents, and other digital content. How does it work? Simply turn PirateBox on to transform any space into an offline communication and wireless file sharing network. When users join the PirateBox wireless network and open a web browser, they are automatically redirected to the PirateBox welcome page. Users can then immediately begin to chat anonymously, post images or comments on the bulletin board, watch or listen to streaming media, or upload and download files. PirateBox runs on multiple devices, including wireless routers, Android-based phones, single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi, and even laptops. Is it safe? PirateBox is designed to be private and secure. No logins are required and no user data is logged. Users remain anonymous – the system is purposely not connected to the Internet in order to subvert tracking and preserve user privacy. Can I make my own PirateBox? Absolutely! The PirateBox is is free (as in freedom) because it is registered under the GNU GPLv3. This license grants the right to freely copy, distribute, and transform creative works according to the principles of copyleft. PirateBox can be built for as little as US$35. For detailed instructions, visit the PirateBox OpenWrt DIY page. Where can I read more about the PirateBox? Visit the PirateBox Press page for a listing of and links to more than 175 stories about the PirateBox. Where can I find more photos of the PirateBox? Check out the PirateBox Gallery. Where can I find more videos of the PirateBox? Check out these PirateBox Videos. Why did you build the PirateBox? The PirateBox solves a technical/social problem by providing people in the same physical space with an easy way to anonymously communicate and exchange files. This obviously has larger cultural and political implications and thus the PirateBox also serves as an artistic provocation. See this ars technica article and this New Scientist article for more info. Why is it called the PirateBox? The PirateBox is inspired by the free culture and pirate radio movements. The name is a playful remixing of the title of the world’s most resilient BitTorrent site, The Pirate Bay. Does the PirateBox promote stealing? No. The PirateBox is designed to facilitate communication and sharing between friends and local community members. Who helps build the PirateBox? The PirateBox was created by David Darts and the lead developer is Matthias Strubel. Aaron Williamson from the Software Freedom Law Center provided advice on the project and Christiane Ruetten originally ported PirateBox to OpenWrt. The project is actively supported by developers and testers all over the world. Do you know of any other projects similar to PirateBox? Yes, check out Aram Bartholl's fantastic Dead Drops. There are also several forks of the project, including Jason Griffey’s LibraryBox, the Bibliobox, the LibroBox and the CoWBox (CoWorking Box). Where can I discuss the PirateBox? Visit the PirateBox Forum to discuss the PirateBox, share your builds, and receive support.

cyanbane 12y ago

Would be neat to see a mesh-network of these running on old phones of which most people have 1 or 2 of at their house with a REALLY simple installer. A few of these sprout up organically in locales and it would be like the BBS days of yore - ultimately it could lead to a larger geographical footprint of a "side-net".

jobu 12y ago
Does Piratebox support wireless bridging or mesh? This is a super handy feature of dd-wrt (http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index).
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- MaStr 12y ago
  Speaking for the OpenWRT-implementation. mesh is in preparation. There is already a mesh implementation done for the sister-project "LibraryBox. The code is contributed back to PirateBox. It still needs some tine addons to work nicely. Bridging could be done with some configuration, I think. IMHO the 2nd device don't need to be a PirateBox. http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/recipes/atheroswds http://wiki.openwrt.org/doc/recipes/atheroswds regards Matthias
xhrpost 12y ago
Didn't think about using an old phone. I think I found the Android App on the Play store [1] but it requires root which likely removes the 'REALLY simple installer' requirement. [1]https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.fun2code.android.piratebox https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.fun2code.an...
bri3d 12y ago
Check out "The Serval Project" - it checks a few of your boxes, although it focuses more on securing and expand 1-to-1 communication than the community/BBS aspect.

mentos 12y ago

I'd love to see a world where an enormous network of these makes big telecom obsolete. Don't think the issues with big internet will ever push enough people into creating this but at least there's a safety net. Pun intended?

y4mi 12y ago
this would only work in cities. any towns and smaller villages would henceforth be without service. and each city would be disconnected from the next big city, as there is no realistic way to span that amount of space in between for hobbyists. but it would be great, despite these limitations. governments would no longer be able to kill all communication... until they adapted anyway. nothing easier than spamming these networks with useless entries to hide the actually worthwhile ones
- Istof 12y ago
  if similar devices became available with support for "super wi-fi", it might become possible to make it work in smaller cities or even villages... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Wi-Fi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Wi-Fi
drdaeman 12y ago
Would be fun to see that, but I fear it's really hard. Routing in a mesh network is a tricky subject. Even ISPs (those who care) have issues ensuring that there would be enough bandwidth for peers to watch their videos and low enough latency to play their games. Especially it's tricky to balance ingress trafic when there are multiple paths to you (your ISP has many peers), but one pipe's clogged and one's nearly unused (and situation changes all the time, so next day - or sometimes even hour - it could be the opposite).
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TruthSHIFT 12y ago

In this picture, they show the PirateBox attached to the bottom of a skateboard: http://piratebox.cc/faq http://piratebox.cc/faq Can it actually run this way? Do they actually have a portable way of powering this device?

MaStr 12y ago
It totally runs on the skateboard, because there is a battery taped there as well :)
xhrpost 12y ago
The picture of the one attached to a girl's bike appears to connect to a power source next to the front wheel which I assume to be some sort of generator from wheel motion.

lemonSnap 12y ago

Sounds cool but the website should explain what it is at the top of the home page... Why make people hunt? A short tagline would be helpful.

noonespecial 12y ago

That is an unfortunate name. This has implications much greater than a few privileged first-worlders sharing some movies but you wouldn't guess it from the name. FreedomBox perhaps? WunderWurfel? Anything seems better than Pirate-something.

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icebraining 12y ago
FreedomBox already exists; it's a similar project: https://freedomboxfoundation.org/ https://freedomboxfoundation.org/
aw3c2 12y ago
Sharebox?
yarrel 12y ago
Bless.
serf 12y ago
I agree that 'pirate' anything is a disservice for a brand name, but let's not apply the MPAA's definition of piracy so broadly. Piracy isn't sharing copyrighted media, it just happens to be a spookier name than "copyright infringement" that the media industries like to use haphazardly to in order to paint such activities as morally reprehensible.
- travisp 12y ago
  Like it or not, neither modern media nor the MPAA introduced this usage of piracy. It has been around and part of legal discussion about intellectual property since the 1800s: "I know patentees are much troubled with piracies upon their inventions" (Irwin v. McRoberts 1879) "he has a just defence, and is not a willful pirate of the plaintiff’s invention" (Goodyear v. Dunbar 1860) and so on...

vertex-four 12y ago

Does anyone have any idea how long you could run, say, the TP-LINK WR703N for on battery? It'd be neat to set one of these up at a small summer festival in a couple of months.

MaStr 12y ago
MR3020 and WR703N have nearly the same board. I linked and described my observed runtime here: http://piratebox.aod-rpg.de/dokuwiki/doku.php/about/matthias http://piratebox.aod-rpg.de/dokuwiki/doku.php/about/matthias
robocat 12y ago
Buy one of those car cigarette-lighter USB charger thingies, and connect it between a car battery and the router. The WR702N (I presume similar to 703N) says "Powered through a micro USB port by an external power adapter or USB connection to a computer": http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR702N http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR702N A car battery is fast and easy to charge. I would guess a car battery would last 20 to 80 hours, depending on the the battery, the router, and the usage. Alternatively most cigarette-lighter USB chargers can take under-voltage so you can easily hook up a LiIon laptop battery (nominally 10.8 Volts). Laptop batteries are great because they come with a laptop that can charge them very quickly. A car battery gives you the option to use many other routers (maybe you have a suitable one lying around!). Routers often use a 12 Volt DC input, and although a direct connection between the battery and the device is theoretically the wrong voltage, in practice I myself would just connect it straight through without any qualms (unless it was an expensive or rare router!). The WR703N probably uses less power so would run longer, but maybe compromises on range?!

soapdog 12y ago

Love the project! I am actually thinking about buying an mr3020 just for this. My main feedback is that the page does nothing to tell new users what the heck is PirateBox. The landing page should contain an explanation of what it is and why do you want it.

paulhauggis 12y ago

I like to be more anonymous and hide within plain sight. Instead of a little box with a large pirate symbol, I would rather fire up a VM and run it off my laptop.

ecoqba 12y ago

This is perfect for the people in Cuba.

Element_ 12y ago

These would be great on planes/trains/buses where wifi isn't readily available. These days the passengers probably carry enough content on their mobile devices to keep everyone entertained during a long haul flight they just need a way to share it.

iuguy 12y ago

Does anyone know if this addresses the myriad of security flaws with the old version? I have an older box, but found it wasn't really used. I should bring it back up at some point and update it.

mschuster91 12y ago

Sweet idea, but the sceptic in me already sees the negative downside, which will inevitably follow: perverts exchaining child porn, people sharing copyrighted stuff, drug dealers organizing heroin trafficking. Before you downvote me: from a legal POV, this is the same as leaving your WiFi open or protected with WEP. In front of a court you will be either held liable for just aiding distribution of child porn/warez (if you're lucky), or worse, for possession. In Germany this definitely means time behind bars, in the US it means federal court for child porn/aiding a drug business. Good luck getting out of this. You would not even remotely consider leaving your WiFi open, right? Then, why do you consider putting up a PirateBox or whatever it is named for public use?

kybernetikos 12y ago

Seems like this would be perfectly suited to running on a hacked wifi sd card.

rkda 12y ago

I'm a bit concerned that some unsavory elements will be inspired by this and create a malware box.

chippy 12y ago

Would this work with all those old routers on the defunct laptops we have lying around?