Install Tor Browser on Debian 12 From Terminal: Best Browser

In this article, you will learn to Install Tor Browser on Debian 12 From Terminal. Tor is a secure internet browser tool of the Tor Network project. The Tor packages are available in the Debian 12 default repository, but you can use the Tor source to install the latest version. You can follow the steps below provided by the Orcacore website to Install Tor Browser on Debian 12 From Terminal.

Before you start the Tor browser installation, you must have access to your server as a non-root user with sudo privileges. To do this, you can visit the Debian 12 Initial Server Setup Guide.

Now follow the steps below to Install Tor Browser on Debian 12 From Terminal.

Tor secure internet browser on Debian 12

Step 1 – Requirement for Tor Browser Installation

The Tor package repository will support the amd64, arm64, and i386 binaries. You can verify your system CPU architecture by using the command below:

sudo dpkg --print-architecture

**Output**
amd64

As you can see, the CPU architecture is amd64 and we can continue to install the Tor browser.

Then, use the following command to install the apt-transport-https package on Debian 12:

sudo apt install apt-transport-https -y

Step 2 – Add Tor GPG Signing Key on Debian 12

At this point, you must download the gpg key used to sign the packages by using the following command in Debian 12 from the terminal:

sudo wget -qO- https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/A3C4F0F979CAA22CDBA8F512EE8CBC9E886DDD89.asc | sudo gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/tor-archive-keyring.gpg >/dev/null

Step 3 – Add Tor Repository on Debian 12

Now you must add the latest Tor repository to your Debian 12. To do this, you can run the following command:

# echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/tor-archive-keyring.gpg] https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org bookworm main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/tor.list
# echo  "deb-src [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/tor-archive-keyring.gpg] https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org bookworm main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/tor.list

Step 4 – Command To Install Tor on Debian 12

At this point, run the system update and use the command below in your terminal to install Tor:

# sudo apt update
# sudo apt install tor -y

Important Note: It is highly recommended to use the Tor browser bundle, but if you want to use Firefox with Tor, once you have started the service, open Firefox settings >> Preferences >> advanced >> network >> settings and select manual proxy configuration.

Now you can launch the application on your Desktop system.

Conclusion

At this point, you have learned to Install Tor Browser in the latest version on Debian 12 Bookworm from the terminal by adding its repository to the server. Hope you enjoy it.

You may be interested in these articles:

Install Latest Apache Solr on Debian 12 Bookworm

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Install Mozilla Firefox on Debian 12 Bookworm

Alternative Methods to Install Tor Browser on Debian 12

While the above method details installing the core Tor package, it’s crucial to understand this isn’t the Tor Browser itself. The core Tor package acts as a proxy, allowing other applications (like Firefox, as mentioned) to route traffic through the Tor network. The Tor Browser Bundle, on the other hand, is a pre-configured Firefox browser optimized for privacy and security, with Tor integration built-in. Here are two alternative methods to get the complete Tor Browser experience on Debian 12.

Method 1: Using the Tor Browser Bundle (Recommended)

This is the recommended method for most users because it provides a ready-to-use, secure browser that’s been specifically designed for anonymity.

Download the Tor Browser Bundle:

Go to the official Tor Project downloads page: https://www.torproject.org/download/. Download the appropriate Linux version (likely 64-bit). Save the file to your Downloads directory.
Verify the Download (Important for Security):

This step is critical to ensure you’ve downloaded a legitimate copy of the Tor Browser and not a compromised version.
- Download the Signature File: On the Tor Project download page, find the link to the signature file (it will have the same name as the downloaded file, but with a .asc extension). Download this file to the same directory as the Tor Browser bundle.
- Import the Tor Project’s Signing Key: If you haven’t already done so, import the Tor Project’s key:
```
gpg --locate-keys torbrowser@torproject.org
```
  If the key isn’t found, import it directly:
```
gpg --keyserver keys.openpgp.org --recv-keys 916B8D99C38EAF6A5E469301624F58522D06A2A3
```
- Verify the Signature: Run the following command, replacing tor-browser-linux64-xx.x.x_en-US.tar.xz with the actual name of the downloaded Tor Browser file:
```
gpg --verify tor-browser-linux64-xx.x.x_en-US.tar.xz.asc tor-browser-linux64-xx.x.x_en-US.tar.xz
```
  A successful verification will show a message like "Good signature from "Tor Browser Developers (signing key) torbrowser@torproject.org". Do not proceed if the signature verification fails.
Extract the Tor Browser Bundle:

Open a terminal and navigate to your Downloads directory:
```
cd ~/Downloads
```
Extract the downloaded archive:
```
tar -xvJf tor-browser-linux64-xx.x.x_en-US.tar.xz
```
This will create a directory named tor-browser_en-US (or similar).
Run Tor Browser:

Navigate into the extracted directory:
```
cd tor-browser_en-US
```
Run the start-tor-browser.desktop file. This should launch the Tor Browser setup. You can run it from the command line using:
```
./start-tor-browser.desktop
```
The first time you run it, it will ask you to configure the connection. Generally, you can click "Connect" unless you’re in a country with heavy censorship, in which case you may need to configure bridges.

Method 2: Using Flatpak

Flatpak is a universal package manager that allows you to install applications from a centralized repository. The Tor Browser is available on Flathub.

Install Flatpak: If Flatpak is not already installed on your Debian 12 system, install it with the following command:
```
sudo apt update
sudo apt install flatpak -y
```

Add Flathub Repository: Add the Flathub repository to your Flatpak configuration:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

Install Tor Browser: Install the Tor Browser using Flatpak:
```
flatpak install flathub org.torproject.torbrowser
```
Run Tor Browser: After installation, you can launch the Tor Browser from your desktop environment’s application menu or from the command line:
```
flatpak run org.torproject.torbrowser
```

Both of these alternative methods provide the full Tor Browser experience, a more secure and privacy-focused solution than simply using the core Tor proxy with another browser. The Tor Browser is specifically configured to prevent fingerprinting and other privacy leaks. Always verify the Tor Browser download to ensure you are using a legitimate version. The key is to choose a method that suits your technical comfort level and provides the security you need. Install Tor Browser on Debian 12 From Terminal using one of the methods to ensure a secure and private browsing experience. Remember to verify your downloads.