Can I install or use the TOR Browser with freedombox?

Pioneer Support
1

I want to browse the net with the TOR-Browser. (How) can I do it.

Wolfgang

2

Hi @wromey, thanks for your question.

First, for the sake of clarity, here is a list of the Tor use cases that FreedomBox offers by default:

  • Tor Hidden Services: A hidden service will allow FreedomBox to provide selected services (such as wiki or chat) without revealing its location. Do not use this for strong anonymity yet.

  • Download software packages over Tor: When enabled, software will be downloaded over the Tor network for installations and upgrades. This adds a degree of privacy and security during software downloads.

  • Enable Tor relay: When enabled, your FreedomBox will run a Tor relay and donate bandwidth to the Tor network. Do this if you have more than 2 megabits/s of upload and download bandwidth.

  • Enable Tor bridge relay: When enabled, relay information is published in the Tor bridge database instead of public Tor relay database making it harder to censor this node. This helps others circumvent censorship.

On using Tor Browser with FreedomBox: Tor Browser provides privacy by routing your internet traffic through the broader network of Tor relays: it is simply a Firefox browser which is configured to route traffic exclusively through the Tor network. Your FreedomBox could become one part of the Tor network if you decide to turn on the Tor Relay feature in your FreedomBox. But at the end of the day, your browser needs to be installed on your computer, and it needs to access the Tor network in order to anonymize your internet traffic. I personally don’t see the added benefit of installing the Tor browser on your FreedomBox, because no matter what you will be accessing the same network of Tor relays and no matter what you will be using a browser on your computer.

My recommendation is that you install the Tor browser on your computer and use it as you normally would. The Tor browser is designed to be a client-side software program, not a server-side software program–that’s why it wouldn’t make sense to install the Tor browser on a FreedomBox server. The Tor use cases supported by FreedomBox are those use cases which are designed for servers.

But note that Tor security is NOT my area of expertise. Maybe others could weigh in on this issue. @njoseph @jvalleroy @sunil

3

Thank you for your extended answer, I admit, that I do not completely at the moment, but I will work on it.

I use TOR on my computers already for a long time.