Nexus market mirrors, as published on this site
nexusb2l7fmqnefwphyy7m5zjhlkytlbo7qbb5lu5dlczr3azgii2gyd.onionnexusma2iqgauqqvjcgds4ckv5xbf272tkfagq4epojjhsgleqpwxiqd.onionnexusabcd6tyfhdwilyitaqiri6tisj2v2hueyjuj6qkvd6azvi5tuqd.onionPublished as supplied. This site does not probe an onion, so nothing here is a claim that a given address opens for you right now.
A directory that publishes a nexus market mirrors list can ship a new one at any time. The panel above is a known list of three. The check across is a small block by block read.
What it is
A mirror list is a directory that publishes a set of onion strings for a market. Some lists carry one line, some carry three, some carry more. An update is when the list ships a new set. The reader is looking at the new set now and wants to know if it agrees with what this site publishes.
The panel above is a known list, in the sense that the three lines on it have been on the site as supplied. The card compares list against list, not list against reality.
Lifeline
- Old list on the directory
- New list on the directory
- Agreement, or a mismatch to read
What can happen when two lists disagree
- The directory has learned about a rotation and this site has not caught up. The first line on the panel above is worth checking against the after a rotation card.
- This site has caught up and the directory has not. The directory is behind and its list is the older one.
- The two lists are looking at different sets of mirrors from the same market. Two valid v3 onions can exist for the same service at the same time.
- One list is wrong. A lookalike line, a swapped block or a missing character on one side is a signal the reader should read on the trap cards.
How to compare two lists
- Line by line
- Read a line from the new list against a line on the panel above. Do not skim. A single wrong character in the middle of a 56 character run is a lookalike.
- Block by block
- A v3 onion is a long run. Split it visually into blocks of four or five characters and read one block at a time.
- Vanity head
- Every line should start with the four letters that spell nexus and a short readable tail. A line that starts with a different prefix is a different service or a fake.
- Suffix and label
- Every line should end with
.onionand nothing else. A trailing dot, a slash, a subdomain in front or a query at the end are all worth reading on the trap cards.
A small next check
- Pick one line off the panel above.
- Read it block by block against the line on the new directory list that shares the vanity head.
- If every block agrees, that line is the same string on both sides.
- If any block disagrees, do not use the directory line until the source of the update is understood.
What a signed list adds and does not add
Some directories publish their mirror lists inside a signed message and some do not. A signed list, verified against the key the reader already trusts, is a stronger source than an unsigned list because the reader can tell the message has not been rewritten by whatever hosted it. That is a different guarantee from up to date, and it is worth naming the difference.
A signed list can be old and still be signed. A signed list can be right about two of the three lines and wrong about the third if the signer had bad information at signing time. The signature protects the message, not the world outside the message. The path card for a list rebuilt from a signed source is the companion to this one.
Cases where the two lists honestly diverge
- Different mirror sets from the same market
- A market can publish more than three onions and different directories can pin different subsets. Two lists that share only one line can both be right about the same market.
- Different snapshot times
- One list may have been updated more recently than another. Neither list holds a date visible to the reader unless the directory chose to publish one.
- Different upstream sources
- A directory that lifts its list from a signed announcement and one that lifts it from a forum thread will have different exposure to typos and to rebranding.
- Different trust models
- A directory that only lists mirrors the operator confirmed to it will be shorter and lag more. A directory that lists anything close to the vanity head will be longer and drift more.
A quick read for the whole list at once
- Skim the new list top to bottom. Count the lines.
- For each line, read the first block. Every line should start with nexus and the short readable tail.
- For each line, check the suffix. Every line should end in the four characters that spell
.onion. - Cross the panel above against the new list line by line. Highlight any line that appears on one side and not the other.
- Read the highlighted lines block by block. This is where a lookalike would be hiding.
Engagement
What this card does not say
- It does not name the directory. Naming a specific site would age this page.
- It does not put a date on when the update landed.
- It does not treat the directory as authoritative over the panel above, or the other way round.
- It does not tell the reader to trust a signed list over an unsigned one without checking the signature.