You will want to change the HiddenServiceDir line, so that it points to an actual directory that is readable/writeable by the user that will be running Tor.

The HiddenServiceDir line specifies the directory which should contain information and cryptographic keys for your onion service. You will need to put the following two lines in your torrc file: HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/my_website/ The next step is opening the config file of Tor (torrc) and doing the appropriate configurations to setup an onion service.ĭepending on your operating system and setup, your Tor configuration file can be at a different location or look different. Once your web server is set up, make sure it works: open your browser and go to Then try putting a file in the main html directory, and make sure it shows up when you access the site. If you get an error message, something has gone wrong and you cannot continue until you've figured out why this didn't work. Nginx is available in the main repository of multiple Linux and *BSD distributions.īy default, the web server will be running on localhost:80 at the end of the installation. ApacheĪpache is available in the main repository of multiple Linux and *BSD distributions. On this page, the commands to manage the web server are based on Debian-like operating systems and may differ from other systems.Ĭheck your web server and operating system documentation. We recommend you install a new separate web server for your onion service, since even if you already have one installed, you may be using it (or want to use it later) for a regular website. If you get stuck or want to do more, find a friend who can help you or join our tor-onions mailing list to speak with other operators.Īs an example, we will cover how to set up an onion site with Nginx and Apache on Debian. Step 1: Get a web server workingĪs a first step, you should set up a web server locally, like Nginx, Apache, or your favorite web server.

You should also know where Tor's configuration files are. Tor should be up and running correctly for this guide to work. To set up Tor, please follow the Tor installation guide. Step 0: Get a working TorĪs part of this guide, we will assume you have a functional Tor in your machine. This guide shows you how to set up an onion service for your website.įor the technical details of how the onion service protocol works, see our onion service protocol page.

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