☰
✕
✕

How to install Tor browser in Ubuntu

To install Tor browser in Ubuntu

Tor browser is a freeware and it is released under BSD licensing and it allows you to browse internet anonymously. It is available for Windows,Mac,Linux OS. Tor browser is a combination of Firefox and tor project. Tor works on onion routing and in this the layers are nested one over the other which is similar to the onion layers. Tor browser is responsible for encrypting the data several times and send it through virtual circuits.

Working of Tor

Tor browser is based on the Onion routing concept. In this concept the routing layers are nested one over the other like the onion layers. The nested layer is responsible for encryption of data and sends to circuits and the last layer decrypts inner layer data by sending original data to destination.

Tor Installation

Download the latest version of Tor from the official site of Tor browser using the below command.

user1@linuxhelp:~/wget https://www.torproject.org/download/download-easy.html.en

Extract tor package

user1@linuxhelp:~/Downloads$ tar -xpvf tor-browser-linux64-5.5.4_en-US.tar.xz
tor-browser_en-US/
tor-browser_en-US/Browser/
tor-browser_en-US/Browser/TorBrowser/
tor-browser_en-US/Browser/TorBrowser/Data/
...
...
tor-browser_en-US/Browser/webapprt/omni.ja
tor-browser_en-US/Browser/webapprt/webapprt.ini
tor-browser_en-US/start-tor-browser.desktop

To start the browser

To start the browser, run the following command. 

user1@linuxhelp:~/Downloads$ ls -l
total 64948
drwxr-xr-x 3 user1 user1 4096 Apr 7 10:10 ./
drwxr-xr-x 16 user1 user1 4096 Apr 4 20:10 ../
drwx------ 3 user1 user1 4096 Jan 1 2000 tor-browser_en-US/
-rw-rw-r-- 1 user1 user1 66492864 Mar 16 15:41 tor-browser-linux64-5.5.4_en-US.tar.xz

user1@linuxhelp:~/Downloads$ cd tor-browser_en-US/
user1@linuxhelp:~/Downloads/tor-browser_en-US$ ls -l
total 16
drwx------ 3 user1 user1 4096 Jan 1 2000 ./
drwxr-xr-x 3 user1 user1 4096 Apr 7 10:10 ../
drwx------ 10 user1 user1 4096 Jan 1 2000 Browser/
-rwx------ 1 user1 user1 1682 Jan 1 2000 start-tor-browser.desktop*

user1@linuxhelp:~/Downloads/tor-browser_en-US$ ./start-tor-browser.desktop
Launching ' ./Browser/start-tor-browser --detach' ...

Click Connect to connect to the Tor proxy server,after connecting the browser will open.

Now we can verify the proxy server using the whatismyipaddress website.

Link: www.whatismyipaddress.com/proxy-check

Now we can open a website using Tor.

To add desktop shortcut

To add a desktop to the launcher first go to tor installed directory and drag the tor application and drop it to the launcher.

Tag : Tor browser
FAQ
Q
Can I use the Tor browser on my phone or mobile device?
A
Tor on Android devices is maintained by the Guardian Project. Currently, there is no supported way of using Tor on iOS; the Guardian Project is working to make this a reality in the future.
Q
How can I get support for Tor browser?
A
Here I have attached the link to get any support for Tor browser as "https://www.torproject.org/about/contact.html.en#support".
Q
How to install Tor browser on Ubuntu using the ppa repository?
A
You can follow steps to install Tor browser on Ubuntu using the ppa repository.
"sudo add-apt-repository ppa:webupd8team/tor-browser"
"sudo apt-get update"
"sudo apt-get install tor-browser"
Q
Why can't I view videos on some Flash-based sites in Tor browser?
A
Some sites require third-party browser plugins such as Flash. Plugins operate independently from Firefox and can perform an action on your computer that ruins your anonymity. This includes but is not limited to: completely disregarding proxy settings, querying your local IP address, and storing their own cookies. It is possible to use a LiveCD solution such as or The Amnesic Incognito Live System that creates a secure, transparent proxy to protect you from the proxy bypass, however, issues with local IP address discovery and Flash cookies still remain.
Q
How is Tor different from other proxies?
A
A typical proxy provider sets up a server somewhere on the Internet and allows you to use it to relay your traffic. This creates a simple, easy to maintain architecture. The users all enter and leave through the same server. The provider may charge for use of the proxy, or fund their costs through advertisements on the server. In the simplest configuration, you don't have to install anything. You just have to point your browser at their proxy server. Simple proxy providers are fine solutions if you do not want protection for your privacy and anonymity online and you trust the provider to not do bad things. Some simple proxy providers use SSL to secure your connection to them, which protects you against local eavesdroppers, such as those at a cafe with free wifi Internet.