# Tor Browser Launcher
-Tor Browser Launcher is intended to make the Tor Browser Bundle (TBB) easier to maintain and use for GNU/Linux users. You install ```torbrowser-launcher``` from your distribution's package manager and it handles everything else, including:
+_**Are you getting an error?** Sometimes updates in Tor Browser itself will break Tor Browser Launcher. There's a good chance that the problem you're experiencing has already been fixed in the [newest version](https://github.com/micahflee/torbrowser-launcher/releases). Try installing from Flatpak (instructions below), or [build from source](/BUILD.md)._
-* Downloading the most recent version of TBB for you, in your language and for your architecture
-* Automatically updating (while preserving your bookmarks and preferences)
-* Verifying the TBB's [GnuPG signature](http://www.gnupg.org/gph/en/manual/x135.html)
-* Adding a "Tor Browser" application launcher to your desktop environment's menu
+Tor Browser Launcher is intended to make Tor Browser easier to install and use for GNU/Linux users. You install ```torbrowser-launcher``` from your distribution's package manager and it handles everything else:
-If you use Ubuntu, you can install it now from my PPA (see "Installing in Ubuntu" below). [Soon](https://github.com/micahflee/torbrowser-launcher/issues/31) it will be in Debian. To install it in any other distribution, follow the "Quick Start" instructions.
+* Downloads and installs the most recent version of Tor Browser in your language and for your computer's architecture, or launches Tor Browser if it's already installed (Tor Browser will automatically update itself)
+* Verifies Tor Browser's [signature](https://www.torproject.org/docs/verifying-signatures.html.en) for you, to ensure the version you downloaded was cryptographically signed by Tor developers and was not tampered with
+* Adds "Tor Browser" and "Tor Browser Launcher Settings" application launcher to your desktop environment's menu
+* Includes AppArmor profiles to make a Tor Browser compromise not as bad
+* Optionally plays a modem sound when you open Tor Browser (because Tor is so slow)
-You might want to check out the [security design doc](/security_design.md).
-
-## Quick Start
-
-First, clone the repository:
-
- git clone https://github.com/micahflee/torbrowser-launcher.git
- cd torbrowser-launcher
-
-Then install dependencies, build a package, and install:
-
-### Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, etc.
+Tor Browser Launcher is included in Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora. To install it in any other distribution, see the [build instructions](/BUILD.md).
- sudo apt-get install build-essential python-all python-stdeb python-gtk2 python-psutil python-twisted python-lzma wmctrl gnupg fakeroot xz-utils
- ./build_deb.sh
- sudo dpkg -i deb_dist/torbrowser-launcher_*.deb
-
-Optionally you can install python-pygame if you want to play a modem sound while Tor Browser is launching.
-
-### Red Hat, Fedora, CentOS, etc.
-
- sudo yum install python-psutil python-twisted wmctrl gnupg fakeroot rpm-build
- ./build_rpm.sh
- sudo yum install dist/torbrowser-launcher-*.rpm
-
-Optionally you can install pygame if you want to play a modem sound while Tor Browser is launching.
+You might want to check out the [security design doc](/security_design.md).
-### Run without installing
+
-Install the dependencies: sadly, not all of them are available in virtualenv, so you will need to install (some of) them system-wide.
-Then, you can run: `TBL_SHARE=share ./torbrowser-launcher`
+# Installing
-## Installing in Ubuntu
+You can install `torbrowser-launcher` from your operating system's package manager, but it might be out-of-date and have issues working. If you want to make sure you always have the latest version, use Flatpak:
-I've created a PPA where I'm maintaining torbrowser-launcher binaries. You can install in an Ubuntu-based distribution like this:
+## Installing in any Linux distro using Flatpak
- sudo add-apt-repository ppa:micahflee/ppa
- sudo apt-get update
- sudo apt-get install torbrowser-launcher
+Install Flatpak using these [instructions](https://flatpak.org/setup/).
-## Enabling AppArmor Profiles
+Then install `torbrowser-launcher` like this:
-AppArmor is a Linux kernel hardening technology that lets you confine specific programs to only use specific resources. For example, if you visit a website that exploits a bug in the Tor Browser to get arbitrary code execution, the attacker won't be able to access files in ~/.gnupg. Here's how you turn on the AppArmor profiles for Tor Browser Launcher and for the programs bundled in the TBB.
+```
+flatpak install flathub com.github.micahflee.torbrowser-launcher -y
+```
- sudo apt-get install apparmor-utils
- sudo aa-enforce /etc/apparmor.d/usr.bin.torbrowser-launcher
- sudo aa-enforce /etc/apparmor.d/torbrowser.start-tor-browser
- sudo aa-enforce /etc/apparmor.d/torbrowser.Browser.firefox
- sudo aa-enforce /etc/apparmor.d/torbrowser.Tor.tor
+Run `torbrowser-launcher` either by using the GUI desktop launcher, or by running:
+```
+flatpak run com.github.micahflee.torbrowser-launcher
+```
projects / torbrowser-launcher.git / blobdiff