HowTo: LMDE, TOR and Chrome/Chromium

[GregE]

This is all now unnecessary.

Simply sudo apt-get install tor polipo
restart
Start Chrome and go to the Chrome Store and search for "Quick Proxy" and install. In Quick proxy click on Add, call it TOR, Manual, Socks5, Host = 127.0.0.1 and Port = 9050. Save. Job done.

Forget below it is now history.

This HowTo is specifically aimed at getting TOR to work in Chrome. For more general uses of TOR see craigevil's links in the post below.


Install of Tor is based on this Ubuntu HowTo, but the result works with Debian as well.
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Tor

From Synaptic install the package Tor
From Synaptic install the package Polipo
or
sudo apt-get install tor
sudo apt-get install polipo

Save the contents of this page as polipo.conf

https://gitweb.torproject.org/torbrowse ... olipo.conf

As sudo copy the new polipo.conf to /etc/polipo/polipo.conf
or
sudo mv -i /etc/polipo/config /etc/polipo/config.orig
sudo mv -i ~/Downloads/polipo.conf /etc/polipo/config <- if you saved it in Downloads

Restart computer
or
sudo /etc/init.d/tor start
sudo /etc/init.d/polipo start

Inside Chrome go to the web store and search on proxy and in the list find Proxy Switchy! Install it.

Then from Chrome right click on the Proxy Switchy! icon and select Options

Create a Tor profile and select manual configuration and in HTTP Proxy and HTTPS Proxy enter localhost and port 8118

Edit: I now use Proxy Anywhere with localhost and 8118. Proxy Switchy does not seem to work with Gnome 3.2. Proxy Anywhere is a simple green/grey on/off button.
Edit2: Proxy Anywhere has disappeared from the Chrome Store, do a search and get it from GitHub. Or try one of the other proxy switchers.

Then in Chrome you have an extension icon that is a little grey globe that you click on and select Tor. The globe turns green to show the proxy is active. Click again and select direct connection and it returns to grey.

To test that it works

https://check.torproject.org/

http://torcheck.xenobite.eu/

For Firefox the configuration is similar. I use the FoxyProxy Standard addon.

Now you can toggle anonymous web surfing on and off as you desire.

Note: There are other ways of using Tor - standalone or in conjunction with other programs like Vidalia. The Polipo approach works well with LMDE and Chrome. It will also work with Firefox. These instructions should also work with all variants of Mint. If you are using Xfce you may have problems with Chrome and Proxies as Chrome does not directly support Xfce. Firefox and Tor will work in Xfce using the above instructions.

[mbnoimi]

Save the contents of this page as polipo.conf

https://gitweb.torproject.org/torbrowse ... olipo.conf

The link is broken so I couldn't configure polipo correctly for working with TOR could any one fix this tip.

Thanks

[GregE]

Code: Select all

### Basic configuration
### *******************

# Uncomment one of these if you want to allow remote clients to
# connect:

# proxyAddress = "::0"        # both IPv4 and IPv6
# proxyAddress = "0.0.0.0"    # IPv4 only

proxyAddress = "127.0.0.1"
proxyPort = 8118

# If you do that, you'll want to restrict the set of hosts allowed to
# connect:

# allowedClients = "127.0.0.1, 134.157.168.57"
# allowedClients = "127.0.0.1, 134.157.168.0/24"

allowedClients = 127.0.0.1
allowedPorts = 1-65535

# Uncomment this if you want your Polipo to identify itself by
# something else than the host name:

proxyName = "localhost"

# Uncomment this if there's only one user using this instance of Polipo:

cacheIsShared = false

# Uncomment this if you want to use a parent proxy:

# parentProxy = "squid.example.org:3128"

# Uncomment this if you want to use a parent SOCKS proxy:

socksParentProxy = "localhost:9050"
socksProxyType = socks5


### Memory
### ******

# Uncomment this if you want Polipo to use a ridiculously small amount
# of memory (a hundred C-64 worth or so):

# chunkHighMark = 819200
# objectHighMark = 128

# Uncomment this if you've got plenty of memory:

# chunkHighMark = 50331648
# objectHighMark = 16384

chunkHighMark = 67108864

### On-disk data
### ************

# Uncomment this if you want to disable the on-disk cache:

diskCacheRoot = ""

# Uncomment this if you want to put the on-disk cache in a
# non-standard location:

# diskCacheRoot = "~/.polipo-cache/"

# Uncomment this if you want to disable the local web server:

localDocumentRoot = ""

# Uncomment this if you want to enable the pages under /polipo/index?
# and /polipo/servers?.  This is a serious privacy leak if your proxy
# is shared.

# disableIndexing = false
# disableServersList = false

disableLocalInterface = true
disableConfiguration = true

### Domain Name System
### ******************

# Uncomment this if you want to contact IPv4 hosts only (and make DNS
# queries somewhat faster):
#
# dnsQueryIPv6 = no

# Uncomment this if you want Polipo to prefer IPv4 to IPv6 for
# double-stack hosts:
#
# dnsQueryIPv6 = reluctantly

# Uncomment this to disable Polipo's DNS resolver and use the system's
# default resolver instead.  If you do that, Polipo will freeze during
# every DNS query:

dnsUseGethostbyname = yes


### HTTP
### ****

# Uncomment this if you want to enable detection of proxy loops.
# This will cause your hostname (or whatever you put into proxyName
# above) to be included in every request:

disableVia = true

# Uncomment this if you want to slightly reduce the amount of
# information that you leak about yourself:

# censoredHeaders = from, accept-language
# censorReferer = maybe

censoredHeaders = from,accept-language,x-pad,link
censorReferer = maybe

# Uncomment this if you're paranoid.  This will break a lot of sites,
# though:

# censoredHeaders = set-cookie, cookie, cookie2, from, accept-language
# censorReferer = true

# Uncomment this if you want to use Poor Man's Multiplexing; increase
# the sizes if you're on a fast line.  They should each amount to a few
# seconds' worth of transfer; if pmmSize is small, you'll want
# pmmFirstSize to be larger.

# Note that PMM is somewhat unreliable.

# pmmFirstSize = 16384
# pmmSize = 8192

# Uncomment this if your user-agent does something reasonable with
# Warning headers (most don't):

# relaxTransparency = maybe

# Uncomment this if you never want to revalidate instances for which
# data is available (this is not a good idea):

# relaxTransparency = yes

# Uncomment this if you have no network:

# proxyOffline = yes

# Uncomment this if you want to avoid revalidating instances with a
# Vary header (this is not a good idea):

# mindlesslyCacheVary = true

# Suggestions from Incognito configuration
maxConnectionAge = 5m
maxConnectionRequests = 120
serverMaxSlots = 8
serverSlots = 2
tunnelAllowedPorts = 1-65535


[GregE]

Save the contents of this page as polipo.conf

https://gitweb.torproject.org/torbrowse ... olipo.conf

The link is broken so I couldn't configure polipo correctly for working with TOR could any one fix this tip.

Thanks

Hi,

Just replace the contents of /etc/polipo/conf with the text of the previous post.

Now the config is stored here forever.

cheers

[limotux]

Thanks GregE for this wonderful and simple how=to.

This is my first time ever I could use tor on firefox.

My main interest is to be able to use skype in particular and voip in general anywhere as I travel a lot and some countries block voip.

I'll be searching to find a way to torify ALL my internet trafic. I believe it is done already on a debian based linux distro called Tails (https://tails.boum.org/), but the problem is that it is too paranoid, no installation on hard disk, no update, no installation of new software... Just in case anybody wants to try it. Maybe LMDE developers would consider the idea as an option.

For now, I'll appreciate any guidance on directing or adding applications to go through tor.

[GregE]

Thanks GregE for this wonderful and simple how=to.

This is my first time ever I could use tor on firefox.

My main interest is to be able to use skype in particular and voip in general anywhere as I travel a lot and some countries block voip.

I'll be searching to find a way to torify ALL my internet trafic. I believe it is done already on a debian based linux distro called Tails (https://tails.boum.org/), but the problem is that it is too paranoid, no installation on hard disk, no update, no installation of new software... Just in case anybody wants to try it. Maybe LMDE developers would consider the idea as an option.

For now, I'll appreciate any guidance on directing or adding applications to go through tor.

Now that you have it working it is just a matter of adding a proxy to your system - that you can turn on and off as required. In Gnome you go to System Settings then Network then Network Proxy. Use localhost and 8118. Fire up Firefox without using Tor and check to see if Tor is functioning system wide by going to torcheck. You may need to use 127.0.0.1 instead of localhost. Other desktops like KDE or Cinnamon can do the same thing, just look for system settings, network and proxy.

You will probably find the net too slow to run Skype through Tor, try without video and it might be good enough.

Good Luck

NOTE: read next post - you do not need to activate TOR system wide.

[GregE]

I had a look in the Skype options and you can add the proxy in there under "Advanced" - localhost and 8118. You might need 127.0.0.1 instead of localhost - try localhost first.

[limotux]

Now that you have it working it is just a matter of adding a proxy to your system - that you can turn on and off as required. In Gnome you go to System Settings then Network then Network Proxy. Use localhost and 8118. Fire up Firefox without using Tor and check to see if Tor is functioning system wide by going to torcheck. You may need to use 127.0.0.1 instead of localhost. Other desktops like KDE or Cinnamon can do the same thing, just look for system settings, network and proxy.

You will probably find the net too slow to run Skype through Tor, try without video and it might be good enough.

Good Luck

NOTE: read next post - you do not need to activate TOR system wide.

Thanks a lot GregE,
I will try your method and report back.
For the time being, before reading your last post, I have searched and tried several things till I finally could start any application through tor after just installing proxychains then

Code: Select all

proxychains appname

from terminal
e.g:

Code: Select all

proxychains chromium

in my case as I havent configured chromium to use tor, but when I check on https://check.torproject.org/ it confirms chromium is using tor.

But I'll try your method to set it up system wide by default.

Again, thanks a million for your nice thread, I have been trying for long but you made it much simpler and clearer.
Thanks.

[Oscar799]

Moved here by moderator

[craigevil]

Debian User Forums • View topic - Howto: Anonymous web browsing with Tor and Polipo (Squeeze) : http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=74372

How to: Privoxy (proxy) + Polipo (web cache) + Dnsmasq (DNS - http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=66500

Want Tor to really work? - https://www.torproject.org/download/download.html.en#warning

Debian User Forums •installing tor/polipo - http://www.debianuserforums.org/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=961

[limotux]

Now that you have it working it is just a matter of adding a proxy to your system - that you can turn on and off as required. In Gnome you go to System Settings then Network then Network Proxy. Use localhost and 8118. Fire up Firefox without using Tor and check to see if Tor is functioning system wide by going to torcheck. You may need to use 127.0.0.1 instead of localhost. Other desktops like KDE or Cinnamon can do the same thing, just look for system settings, network and proxy.

You will probably find the net too slow to run Skype through Tor, try without video and it might be good enough.

Good Luck

NOTE: read next post - you do not need to activate TOR system wide.

Just out of curiosity to apply tor system wide, I failed!
Meanwhile, I am running google desktop search, it doesn't work on torified firefox but works on non torified chromium.
Any clues?

[craigevil]

won't work on Chrome/Chromium, but on Firefox I use an extension to turn proxy on/off/

QuickProxy :: Add-ons for Firefox - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... src=search

Statusbar button to turn the proxy on and off with a single click.

I have the proxy settings in Firefox setup to use Tor, so a quick click and its on/off in Firefox.

[GregE]

Proxy Anywhere is the on/off button for Chrome and Chromium. It is in the Chrome Store.

[GregE]

Just out of curiosity to apply tor system wide, I failed!
Meanwhile, I am running google desktop search, it doesn't work on torified firefox but works on non torified chromium.
Any clues?

I would not activate TOR system wide unless you really need it. That was not one of my better ideas. It will slow Internet access down a lot. Your aim is to use VOIP through TOR and that is best achieved using proxychains or simply in the Settings of Skype. For anonymous web surfing use Quick Proxy in Firefox or Proxy Anywhere in Chrome.

This thread is specifically about using TOR in Chrome, there are probably better forums in which to ask general TOR questions.

Anyway you seem to now be able to run VOIP through TOR. It would be interesting for others to know if it works well enough or if the latency in the TOR network makes the idea worthless.



ps
I have never used Google Desktop Search, but using a program to search your own computer through a proxy does not seem right.

[limotux]

I would not activate TOR system wide unless you really need it. That was not one of my better ideas. It will slow Internet access down a lot. Your aim is to use VOIP through TOR and that is best achieved using proxychains or simply in the Settings of Skype. For anonymous web surfing use Quick Proxy in Firefox or Proxy Anywhere in Chrome.

Doing it system wide is just out of curiosity and practicing, especially I'm doing all this on a virtual machine.

Anyway you seem to now be able to run VOIP through TOR.

It is all thanks to you.

It would be interesting for others to know if it works well enough or if the latency in the TOR network makes the idea worthless.

I'll definitely report back about how it goes for everybody to know.

ps
I have never used Google Desktop Search, but using a program to search your own computer through a proxy does not seem right.

Of course not, I was thinking of something like setting up an exception for local stuff.

[limotux]

won't work on Chrome/Chromium, but on Firefox I use an extension to turn proxy on/off/

QuickProxy :: Add-ons for Firefox - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... src=search

Statusbar button to turn the proxy on and off with a single click.

I have the proxy settings in Firefox setup to use Tor, so a quick click and its on/off in Firefox.

Thanks craigevil, this would help of course, but I was curious if it would be possible to add exception in browser or tor not to direct google desktop search through tor of course.

Sorry if I'm bothering you, I'm just trying to learn more and more when I find someone experienced.

[GregE]

I guess you know but just in case - Google Desktop Search is a discontinued product. Support ended last September and you cannot download it any more.

[limotux]

Ok, as promised I'm reporting back about skype via tor.
First of all, I'm working all this on virtualbox, and fired skype through proxychains.
It took a while to sign in and show my online contacts. I tried a skype test call but it never went through. I tried to skype (audio only) my son in his room (same network) and sound was really awful.

I guess this is is because of tor proxy, not a bad network.

I believe I'll be promoting G+ to my friends as it can't be blocked unless they block browsing the internet AFAIK.

But no matter what, I have to thank you again GregE as this was my first time to succeed with Tor. Still it is of use in some countries that controls or censors the internet.

By the way, I remember I encountered some websites selling/renting proxies and claim it is real fast and reliable, and I believe it can be configured with foxyproxy on firefox and on skype.

Anybody experienced with such proxies?

[limotux]

I guess you know but just in case - Google Desktop Search is a discontinued product. Support ended last September and you cannot download it any more.

Yeah, unfortunately they introduce products then abandon them, I wonder why! Especially for Google DesktopSearch, which I find is still the best.
But I hope google won't be upset because I have the app on my hard drive and can install it whenever I want.