Install Tor Browser in CentOS/RHEL 6 and Fedora 19/20

Written by Rahul, Updated on January 26, 2014

Tor is free software web proxy enabled browser. Tor browser helps us to defend against traffic analysis, a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security

This article will help you to install Tor browser in your CentOS/RHEL and Fedora systems.

Step 1: Add Tor Repository

Firstly we need to add tor yum repository in our system. To create tor repository create file /etc/yum.repos.d/tor.repo and add following content on basis of your system.

For CentOS/RHEL 6

[Tor]
name=Tor Project Repo
baseurl=http://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/rpm/el/6/$basearch/
gpgcheck=1
enabled=1
gpgkey=http://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/rpm/RPM-GPG-KEY-torproject.org.asc

For Fedora 19

[Tor]
name=Tor Project Repo
baseurl=http://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/rpm/fc/19/$basearch/
gpgcheck=1
enabled=1
gpgkey=http://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/rpm/RPM-GPG-KEY-torproject.org.asc

For Fedora 20

[Tor]
name=Tor Project Repo
baseurl=http://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/rpm/fc/20/$basearch/
gpgcheck=1
enabled=1
gpgkey=http://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/rpm/RPM-GPG-KEY-torproject.org.asc

Step 2: Install Tor Browser

To install tor browser run the following command from command line.

# yum install tor

Step 3: Start Tor Browser

To start tor browser in your system, use following command from non root account. Before starting tor make sure you system time is correct.

$ tor

Rahul

I, Rahul Kumar am the founder and chief editor of TecAdmin.net. I am a Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) and working as an IT professional since 2009..

9 Comments

Nguyen Nam Reply
August 5, 2019 at 6:47 am
@STEPHEN WESTMAN, @PURAB
[tor]
name=Tor repo
enabled=0
baseurl=https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/rpm/DISTRIBUTION/$basearch/
gpgcheck=1
gpgkey=https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/rpm/RPM-GPG-KEY-torproject.org.asc
Please change enabled from 1 to 0 as my above text. It will work
john Reply
July 25, 2019 at 2:02 pm
When i am start tor , it gives an error like below,
[[email protected] ~]$ tor
Jul 25 19:28:53.021 [notice] Tor 0.3.5.8 running on Linux with Libevent 2.1.8-stable, OpenSSL 1.1.1c, Zlib 1.2.11, Liblzma 5.2.4, and Libzstd 1.4.0.
Jul 25 19:28:53.021 [notice] Tor can’t help you if you use it wrong! Learn how to be safe at https://www.torproject.org/download/download#warning
Jul 25 19:28:53.022 [warn] Tor was compiled with zstd 1.3.8, but is running with zstd 1.4.0. For safety, we’ll avoid using advanced zstd functionality.
Jul 25 19:28:53.029 [notice] Read configuration file “/etc/tor/torrc”.
Jul 25 19:28:53.052 [notice] Opening Socks listener on 127.0.0.1:9050
Jul 25 19:28:53.052 [notice] Opened Socks listener on 127.0.0.1:9050
Jul 25 19:28:53.052 [warn] Directory /run/tor cannot be read: Permission denied
Jul 25 19:28:53.052 [warn] Before Tor can create a control socket in “/run/tor/control”, the directory “/run/tor” needs to exist, and to be accessible only by the user and group account that is running Tor. (On some Unix systems, anybody who can list a socket can connect to it, so Tor is being careful.)
Jul 25 19:28:53.052 [notice] Closing partially-constructed Socks listener on 127.0.0.1:9050
Jul 25 19:28:53.052 [warn] Failed to parse/validate config: Failed to bind one of the listener ports.
Jul 25 19:28:53.052 [err] Reading config failed–see warnings above.
[[email protected] ~]$
Dan Reply
March 18, 2019 at 6:10 pm
Not working
purab Reply
September 1, 2017 at 6:57 am
This is not worked for me…
Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, langpacks
http://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/rpm/el/6/x86_64/repodata/repomd.xml: [Errno 14] HTTP Error 404 – Not Found
Trying other mirror.
To address this issue please refer to the below knowledge base article
Stephen Westman Reply
August 17, 2017 at 5:58 pm
I installed the repository script included at
https://tecadmin.net/install-tor-browser-in-centos-rhel-and-fedora/
When I ran it, I got the following error message from yum:
“http://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org/rpm/el/6/x86_64/repodata/repomd.xml: [Errno 14] PYCURL ERROR 22 – “The requested URL returned error: 404 Not Found”
Trying other mirror.
Error: Cannot retrieve repository metadata (repomd.xml) for repository: Tor. Please verify its path and try again”
I went to http://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org and found no “xml” subdirectory there. I wasn’t sure what the subdirectory should be out of the many subfolders there on the site.
Is it possible to get the correct URL for the repo to put into the file?
Thanks
Sina Reply
January 20, 2017 at 12:44 pm
Hello, please guide me that what I have to do exactly in step one?
And please create a tutorial for how to install Tor Service (Not Tor browser) in Fedora. thanks.
NOTE: My English is not good. sorry.
Rajan Paneru Reply
August 10, 2015 at 5:51 am
I also encountered same issue as @PAUL MCPHOY
Paul McPhoy Reply
July 15, 2014 at 3:38 pm
Thanks fot this tutorial Rahul. I followed all 3 steps with success but I dont see the tor browser opening, it just shows success in the terminal where I ran tor. I’m uing a 64 bit machine . i don’t if that’s the reason . here
- Paul McPhoy Reply
  July 15, 2014 at 3:41 pm
  here is the output when i type tor at the terminal:
  [[email protected] ~]$ if eth0
  > ^C
  [[email protected] ~]$ ifconfig
  lo Link encap:Local Loopback
  inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
  inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
  UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
  RX packets:8 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
  TX packets:8 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
  collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
  RX bytes:480 (480.0 b) TX bytes:480 (480.0 b)
  [[email protected] ~]$ ifup eth0
  Users cannot control this device.
  [[email protected] ~]$ sudo ifup eth0
  [sudo] password for mac5:
  mac5 is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
  [[email protected] ~]$ sudo -i
  [sudo] password for mac5:
  mac5 is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
  You have new mail in /var/spool/mail/mac5
  [[email protected] ~]$ su
  Password:
  [[email protected] mac5]# ifup eth0
  Determining IP information for eth0… done.
  [[email protected] mac5]# ifconfig
  eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr D0:27:88:06:6A:E4
  inet addr:192.168.0.107 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
  inet6 addr: fe80::d227:88ff:fe06:6ae4/64 Scope:Link
  UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
  RX packets:31 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
  TX packets:48 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
  collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
  RX bytes:3830 (3.7 KiB) TX bytes:6673 (6.5 KiB)
  lo Link encap:Local Loopback
  inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
  inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
  UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
  RX packets:20 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
  TX packets:20 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
  collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
  RX bytes:1800 (1.7 KiB) TX bytes:1800 (1.7 KiB)
  [[email protected] mac5]# rpm -q vnc-server
  package vnc-server is not installed
  [[email protected] mac5]# yum install vnc-server
  Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, refresh-packagekit, security
  Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
  epel/metalink | 26 kB 00:00
  * base: centos.hyve.com
  * epel: epel.check-update.co.uk
  * extras: centos.hyve.com
  * updates: centos.hyve.com
  Tor | 2.9 kB 00:00
  adobe-linux-x86_64 | 951 B 00:00
  base | 3.7 kB 00:00
  extras | 3.4 kB 00:00
  updates | 3.4 kB 00:00
  Setting up Install Process
  Resolving Dependencies
  –> Running transaction check
  —> Package tigervnc-server-module.x86_64 0:1.1.0-8.el6_5 will be installed
  –> Finished Dependency Resolution
  Dependencies Resolved
  ================================================================================
  Package Arch Version Repository Size
  ================================================================================
  Installing:
  tigervnc-server-module x86_64 1.1.0-8.el6_5 updates 291 k
  Transaction Summary
  ================================================================================
  Install 1 Package(s)
  Total download size: 291 k
  Installed size: 827 k
  Is this ok [y/N]: y
  Downloading Packages:
  tigervnc-server-module-1.1.0-8.el6_5.x86_64.rpm | 291 kB 00:00
  Running rpm_check_debug
  Running Transaction Test
  Transaction Test Succeeded
  Running Transaction
  Installing : tigervnc-server-module-1.1.0-8.el6_5.x86_64 1/1
  Verifying : tigervnc-server-module-1.1.0-8.el6_5.x86_64 1/1
  Installed:
  tigervnc-server-module.x86_64 0:1.1.0-8.el6_5
  Complete!
  [[email protected] mac5]# rpm -q vnc
  package vnc is not installed
  [[email protected] mac5]# yum install vnc
  Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, refresh-packagekit, security
  Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
  * base: centos.hyve.com
  * epel: epel.check-update.co.uk
  * extras: centos.hyve.com
  * updates: centos.hyve.com
  Setting up Install Process
  Resolving Dependencies
  –> Running transaction check
  —> Package tigervnc.x86_64 0:1.1.0-8.el6_5 will be installed
  –> Finished Dependency Resolution
  Dependencies Resolved
  ================================================================================
  Package Arch Version Repository Size
  ================================================================================
  Installing:
  tigervnc x86_64 1.1.0-8.el6_5 updates 258 k
  Transaction Summary
  ================================================================================
  Install 1 Package(s)
  Total download size: 258 k
  Installed size: 644 k
  Is this ok [y/N]: y
  Downloading Packages:
  tigervnc-1.1.0-8.el6_5.x86_64.rpm | 258 kB 00:00
  Running rpm_check_debug
  Running Transaction Test
  Transaction Test Succeeded
  Running Transaction
  Installing : tigervnc-1.1.0-8.el6_5.x86_64 1/1
  Verifying : tigervnc-1.1.0-8.el6_5.x86_64 1/1
  Installed:
  tigervnc.x86_64 0:1.1.0-8.el6_5
  Complete!
  [[email protected] mac5]# yum groupinstall Desktop
  Loaded plugins: fastestmirror, refresh-packagekit, security
  Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile
  * base: centos.hyve.com
  * epel: mirror.vorboss.net
  * extras: centos.hyve.com
  * updates: centos.hyve.com
  Setting up Group Process
  Checking for new repos for mirrors
  epel/group_gz | 237 kB 00:00
  Package nautilus-2.28.4-19.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package 1:control-center-2.28.1-39.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gvfs-smb-1.4.3-16.el6_5.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package xdg-user-dirs-gtk-0.8-7.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gnome-power-manager-2.28.3-7.el6_4.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package alsa-plugins-pulseaudio-1.0.21-3.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package at-spi-1.28.1-2.el6.centos.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package 1:gdm-2.30.4-52.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package notification-daemon-0.5.0-1.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package 1:NetworkManager-0.8.1-66.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package 1:NetworkManager-gnome-0.8.1-66.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package polkit-gnome-0.96-3.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gnome-session-2.28.0-18.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gnome-terminal-2.31.3-8.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gnome-panel-2.30.2-15.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gvfs-fuse-1.4.3-16.el6_5.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package metacity-2.28.0-23.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gnome-screensaver-2.28.3-28.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package yelp-2.28.1-17.el6_3.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package 1:dbus-1.2.24-7.el6_3.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gvfs-archive-1.4.3-16.el6_5.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package 1:gdm-user-switch-applet-2.30.4-52.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package 1:control-center-extra-2.28.1-39.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package eog-2.28.2-4.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gnome-packagekit-2.28.3-7.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gok-2.28.1-5.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gnome-media-2.29.91-6.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package gnome-vfs2-smb-2.24.2-6.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package openssh-askpass-5.3p1-94.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package pulseaudio-module-x11-0.9.21-14.el6_3.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package pulseaudio-module-gconf-0.9.21-14.el6_3.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package 1:gnome-applets-2.28.0-7.el6.centos.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package orca-2.28.2-1.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package vino-2.28.1-9.el6_4.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Package 1:gdm-plugin-fingerprint-2.30.4-52.el6.x86_64 already installed and latest version
  Warning: Group basic-desktop does not have any packages.
  No packages in any requested group available to install or update
  [[email protected] mac5]# useradd Larry
  [[email protected] mac5]# useradd moe
  [[email protected] mac5]# useradd curly
  [[email protected] mac5]# passwd larry
  passwd: Unknown user name ‘larry’.
  [[email protected] mac5]# useradd larry
  [[email protected] mac5]# passwd larry
  Changing password for user larry.
  New password:
  BAD PASSWORD: it is too short
  BAD PASSWORD: is too simple
  Retype new password:
  Sorry, passwords do not match.
  New password:
  Retype new password:
  passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.
  [[email protected] mac5]# passwd moe
  Changing password for user moe.
  New password:
  Retype new password:
  passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.
  [[email protected] mac5]# passwd curly
  Changing password for user curly.
  New password:
  Retype new password:
  passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.
  [[email protected] mac5]# nano /etc/sysconfig/vncservers,
  [[email protected] mac5]# nano /etc/sysconfig/vncservers
  [[email protected] mac5]# ls /etc/sysconfig/
  atd init network rsyslog
  auditd ip6tables networking samba
  authconfig ip6tables-config network-scripts sandbox
  autofs ip6tables.old nfs saslauthd
  cbq iptables nspluginwrapper selinux
  cgconfig iptables-config ntpd smartmontools
  cgred.conf iptables.old ntpdate sshd
  clock irqbalance openct sysstat
  console kdump prelink sysstat.ioconf
  cpuspeed kernel quota_nld system-config-firewall
  crond keyboard raid-check system-config-firewall.old
  firstboot mcelogd readahead system-config-users
  grub modules readonly-root udev
  i18n netconsole rngd wpa_supplicant
  [[email protected] mac5]# nano /etc/sysconfig/vncservers
  [[email protected] mac5]# su larry
  [[email protected] mac5]$ vnc passwd
  bash: vnc: command not found
  [[email protected] mac5]$ vncpasswd
  bash: vncpasswd: command not found
  [[email protected] mac5]$ logout
  bash: logout: not login shell: use `exit’
  [[email protected] mac5]$ exit
  exit
  [[email protected] mac5]#
  [[email protected] mac5]# su – larry
  [[email protected] ~]$ vncpasswd
  -bash: vncpasswd: command not found
  [[email protected] ~]$ tor
  Jul 15 16:39:24.732 [notice] Tor v0.2.4.22 (git-2ee56e4c2c841a45) running on Linux with Libevent 1.4.13-stable and OpenSSL 1.0.1e-fips.
  Jul 15 16:39:24.734 [notice] Tor can’t help you if you use it wrong! Learn how to be safe at https://www.torproject.org/download/download#warning
  Jul 15 16:39:24.752 [notice] Read configuration file “/etc/tor/torrc”.
  Jul 15 16:39:24.756 [notice] Opening Socks listener on 127.0.0.1:9050
  Jul 15 16:39:24.000 [notice] Parsing GEOIP IPv4 file /usr/share/tor/geoip.
  Jul 15 16:39:24.000 [notice] Parsing GEOIP IPv6 file /usr/share/tor/geoip6.
  Jul 15 16:39:24.000 [notice] We were built to run on a 64-bit CPU, with OpenSSL 1.0.1 or later, but with a version of OpenSSL that apparently lacks accelerated support for the NIST P-224 and P-256 groups. Building openssl with such support (using the enable-ec_nistp_64_gcc_128 option when configuring it) would make ECDH much faster.
  Jul 15 16:39:25.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 5%: Connecting to directory server.
  Jul 15 16:39:25.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 10%: Finishing handshake with directory server.
  Jul 15 16:39:26.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 15%: Establishing an encrypted directory connection.
  Jul 15 16:39:26.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 20%: Asking for networkstatus consensus.
  Jul 15 16:39:26.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 25%: Loading networkstatus consensus.
  Jul 15 16:39:27.000 [notice] I learned some more directory information, but not enough to build a circuit: We have no usable consensus.
  Jul 15 16:39:27.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 40%: Loading authority key certs.
  Jul 15 16:39:27.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 45%: Asking for relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:27.000 [notice] I learned some more directory information, but not enough to build a circuit: We need more microdescriptors: we have 0/5925, and can only build 0% of likely paths. (We have 0% of guards bw, 0% of midpoint bw, and 0% of exit bw.)
  Jul 15 16:39:27.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 50%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 51%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 53%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 55%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 57%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 58%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 60%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 62%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 64%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 66%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 67%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 69%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 70%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 72%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 73%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 75%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:28.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 77%: Loading relay descriptors.
  Jul 15 16:39:30.000 [notice] We now have enough directory information to build circuits.
  Jul 15 16:39:30.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 80%: Connecting to the Tor network.
  Jul 15 16:39:30.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 90%: Establishing a Tor circuit.
  Jul 15 16:39:31.000 [notice] Tor has successfully opened a circuit. Looks like client functionality is working.
  Jul 15 16:39:31.000 [notice] Bootstrapped 100%: Done.