It’s been a while since I last used the Tor Browser. So long, in fact, that it’s not even installed on my machine. Let’s fix that.
Download
You can install the Tor Browser using a package manager. But updates can be slow to propagate. If you want the latest version (and I do), then it’s better to download directly. Go to https://www.torproject.org/download/ and click the Download for Linux button. You’ll get a compressed tar archive. While you’re there you should also click the Signature link. You’ll get an .asc file containing an ASCII-armoured PGP signature.
Verify
You can probably skip this step. However, verifying the Tor Browser download using its PGP signature gives you confidence that the software definitely comes from the Tor Project and hasn’t been tampered with in transit.
Tor Browser is a high-value target for attackers and downloading it over the internet exposes you to the possibility of getting a compromised version.
A valid PGP signature proves that the file was signed by the Tor developers’ private key and matches the exact content they released. It gives you cryptographic assurance that the browser you’re running is authentic, unaltered and safe to trust with your privacy. It’s quick and easy. What have you got to lose?
First import the Tor developers’ signing key.
gpg --locate-keys torbrowser@torproject.org
pub rsa4096 2014-12-15 [C] [expires: 2027-07-15]
EF6E286DDA85EA2A4BA7DE684E2C6E8793298290
uid [ unknown] Tor Browser Developers (signing key) <torbrowser@torproject.org>
sub rsa4096 2024-07-15 [S] [expires: 2026-10-26]
Now verify the downloaded archive.
gpg --verify tor-browser-linux-x86_64-15.0.2.tar.xz.asc tor-browser-linux-x86_64-15.0.2.tar.xz
gpg: Signature made Wed 19 Nov 2025 14:31:56 GMT
gpg: using RSA key CAAE408AEBE2288E96FC5D5E157432CF78A65729
gpg: Good signature from "Tor Browser Developers (signing key) <torbrowser@torproject.org>"
gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
gpg: There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
Primary key fingerprint: EF6E 286D DA85 EA2A 4BA7 DE68 4E2C 6E87 9329 8290
Subkey fingerprint: CAAE 408A EBE2 288E 96FC 5D5E 1574 32CF 78A6 5729
The signature is good. Boom! 💥 Done. We know that the download is legit and has not been tampered with.
Unpack & Install
Although I generally prefer to install applications into a system directory, for Tor Browser it’s best to install into your user account. But where to unpack the archive? If I were installing to a system directory I’d probably unpack it under /opt/ or /usr/local/. To mirror that in my user account I’ll use ~/.local/opt/.
# Create directory if it doesn't exist.
mkdir -p ~/.local/opt/
# Unpack the archive.
tar -Jxvf tor-browser-linux-x86_64-15.0.2.tar.xz -C ~/.local/opt/
Now register the application so that it’s available via the application menu.
cd ~/.local/opt/tor-browser/
# You need to actually be in the same directory as this script!
./start-tor-browser.desktop --register-app
Search for Tor Browser in your desktop launcher and go!
Ready for privacy and potential mischief.