Set Tor as default browser
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Hi,
How can I make Tor my default Browser?
Followed what I found for Ubunutu, but didn't work.
Take a looks at the "Details" utility in the "System settings". You can choose the default applications there.
I tried so, but I could only find Abrowser and Icecat.
As I installed Tor from the web, I thought that the "Details" utility was only showing me applications properly installed from the repository. Am I right?
Is the Tor Browser available from the repo? I have not found it.
Maybe I should install the Tor Browser in a specific way so that it can be seen from the "Details" utility?
Thanks
"Tor" installed from the repos is merely the service itself. You would have to configure a browser of your own to use with it.
"Tor Browser Bundle" is a stand-alone package downloaded from TorProject.org which you run without installing anything. I don't know how to make it default browser though, have thought about doing so in my pc but never tried it.
Try asking in Tor's IRC (tor website, contacts, IRC).
If you get it to work please let me know how :)
Just the best time now for me to answer that question, because just a few days ago i set the Tor-Browser-Bundle (TBB) as my default webbrowser :)
1. to know how to install TBB on GNU/Linux read the short install-info:
https://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser.html.en#linux
...very simple so far... just download and untar the archive file
2. then, i did a tiny script under $HOME/bin/tor-browser with the following content:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/bash
cd "$HOME/tor-browser_en-US/"
./start-tor-browser.desktop
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. now to make the script executable set the right permissions,
open a terminal and run the following command:
$ chmod 700 $HOME/bin/tor-browser
4. now you can launch the browser by just typing..
$ tor-browser
...in your preferred terminal-emulator
5. add Tor-Browser to your alternative list:
$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/x-www-browser x-www-browser $HOME/bin/tor-browser 1
$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gnome-www-browser gnome-www-browser $HOME/bin/tor-browser 1
6. set it as default browser now:
$ sudo update-alternatives --config x-www-browser
$ sudo update-alternatives --config gnome-www-browser
7. launch the browser:
$ tor-browser
8. now there should be the .desktop-file $HOME/.local/share/applications/start-tor-browser.desktop
9. make this desktop file the default by typing:
$ xdg-settings set default-web-browser start-tor-browser.desktop
10. DONE! ;)
note: not working after doing all these steps to set TBB as default browser
---> right-click a link and select "open in browser" will only start the browser but without the website opened
Does it work to skip the four first steps and simply write the following lines at the fifth step?
$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/x-www-browser x-www-browser ~/tor-browser_en-US/start-tor-browser.desktop 1
$ sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/gnome-www-browser gnome-www-browser ~/tor-browser_en-US/start-tor-browser.desktop 1
@Magic Banana:
Seems to be a very nice way of simplifying the whole procedure... i'll definitively give it a try.
I've done this little start script a long time before doing this default-browser-thing explained here (just for easier launching the program from terminal), so i didn't come the way you offered.
@SuperTramp83:
Thanks!!
I am a translator!
this is a good guide. +1 3n3r6yD
Magic Banana's solution works too.
But one strange thing to note:
If i set it the way as suggested by you it isn't possible to start the browser via...
$ x-www-browser
...or...
$ gnome-www-browser
both commands just bring up this message -->
/usr/bin/env: ./Browser/execdesktop: Datei oder Verzeichnis nicht gefunden
If you configure TBB as default browser the way i wrote above, both commands launch the browser normally.
short followup:
I just realized that it isn't possible to start TBB with the full path name...
$ /home/username/tor-browser_en-US/start-tor-browser.desktop
...
/usr/bin/env: ./Browser/execdesktop: Datei oder Verzeichnis nicht gefunden
You can only run the browser if you change into the directory
$ cd /home/username/tor-browser_en-US/
and from there execute the start file
$ ./start-tor-browser.desktop
Does that apply only to Magic Banana's method, or yours too?
Also, does that solve the "problem" of using Torbirdy, and when you click a link inside email it will open in standard browser, thus revealing your identity?
Magic Banana's method can't work because of the need to start the "start-tor-browser.desktop" - file from inside the "$HOME/tor-browser_en-US/" - directory and his solution relies on the full path.
Just look above again and you'll see what the start-script does.
The xdg-settings part should solve "the torbirdy problem".
But again look above please and read the note under my first post.
Thank you all. But before trying to configure it, I have some questions.
I have the Tor browser already downloaded, so I guess I do not have to install anything, do I? (I ask because of step 1)
What is that .desktop thing? I cannot find that file.
Yes it's eventually a bit confusing because i used the word "install".
The only thing you need to do is extract the archiv:
$ tar -xvJf tor-browser-linux64-4.5.2_en-US.tar.xz
Make sure to write the right name for the .tar.xz file
After you untar the archiv change in the new directory with...
$ cd tor-browser_en-US
and start the browser with:
$ ./start-tor-browser.desktop
after doing these steps there should be the .desktop-file
~/.local/share/applications/start-tor-browser.desktop
....but related to all things "install" and run tor-browser the right way i really recommend to read the documentation of the torproject:
https://www.torproject.org/docs/documentation.html.en
Icecat uses Tor for its private browsing mode, which I think is about as good as using a Tor browser.
https://www.torproject.org/download/download-easy.html.en#warning
tor relies on all the browsers giving identical information
if you use a different browser then it could give identifiable info about what browser your using and so narrowing the search down to a few icecat users
correct me if i am wrong
I think you are right: the Tor browser tries to have a fingerprint that is as generic as possible. Icecat, on the other hand, includes extensions that can help a website to uniquely identify a user. There may be other bits in Icecat's configuration that help fingerprinting. See https://panopticlick.eff.org for more information.
Plus Tor Browser now uses a different circuit for each website you visit, and blocks tracking by "like buttons" and such. The next stable version will also include a deffense against fonts fingerprint, which is also important.
The Tor Browser team actually tries to make it the most secure and private browser on the planet.
That is why Tor Browser is my main browser and will soon be the default (thanks to this thread).
I am a translator!
https://www.torproject.org/download/download-easy.html.en#warning
Use the Tor Browser
Tor does not protect all of your computer's Internet traffic when you run it. Tor only protects your applications that are properly configured to send their Internet traffic through Tor. To avoid problems with Tor configuration, we strongly recommend you use the Tor Browser. It is pre-configured to protect your privacy and anonymity on the web as long as you're browsing with the Tor Browser itself. Almost any other web browser configuration is likely to be unsafe to use with Tor.
Just for the sake of completeness...
... i have one thing to add to the few last posts:
IceCat's ability to prevent fingerprinting is already very good compared to other firefox-like-web-browsers.
You can compare different installed browsers using this site:
https://panopticlick.eff.org/
I should point out that if LibreJS is enabled, the result is deceptive, because that site's scripts get blocked. In fact, the last time I checked, IceCat's fingerprint wasn't particularly great with JavaScript disabled, and with JavaScript enabled, it's quite unique.
I would echo what others have said: using IceCat with Tor is unsafe. Don't do it.
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