Particl Project WikiParticl with Tor
Anonymize your IP address with Tor when using Particl Desktop and/or Open Marketplace
The only privacy protocol that’s not enabled by default on Particl Desktop is the ability to hide your IP address using the Tor network.
While it could eventually be enabled by default or through the Settings page, Tor currently needs to be activated manually to route your Particl Desktop connection through its network. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated at all and will only take you a few minutes.
There are currently 3 ways of using Particl Desktop through Tor network. Choose the one that fits you best:
The easiest way to enable the Tor network on Particl Desktop is probably by using the same connection being used by the Tor Browser. To do that, follow these steps:
- Download, install and launch the Tor Browser
- Connect to the Tor network by clicking on
Connector configure your connection parameters by clicking onConfigure - Once connected, leave the Tor Browser running in the background
- Open a terminal and go to the folder you’ve installed your Particl Desktop executable file
- Launch Particl Desktop with the
-proxy=127.0.0.1:9150argument
| OS (package) | Launch parameter |
|---|---|
 Windows | “Particl Desktop.exe” -proxy=127.0.0.1:9150 |
 MacOS | ./Particl\ Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/Particl\ Desktop -proxy=127.0.0.1:9150 |
 Linux | ./Particl\ Desktop -proxy=127.0.0.1:9150 |
| Linux (DEB) | particl-desktop -proxy=127.0.0.1:9150 |
The Tor Browser method is quite easy, but if you don’t want to run the Tor Browser alongside Particl Desktop, you can only run the Tor daemon instead. This Tor daemon will run seamlessly in the background and won’t bother you with a browser that you need to keep open.
- Download and install the Tor Browser
- Open the Windows File Explorer and navigate to the directory in which you’ve installed the Tor Browser (i.e.
C:\Tor Browser\) - Go into the
Browser\TorBrowser\Tordirectory - Hold down the
Shiftkey and right-click on the Tor folder → Open command window here - In the terminal that pops up, type
tor.exe –service install - Tor should now be running as a Windows service. To verify, hold down the {{fa>windows}} key and press
Rkey to open up the Run window. Then, typeservices.mscand then pressOK - You should see Tor running as a service somewhere in the list
- Go to the folder where your Particl Desktop executable is located
- Hold down the
Shiftkey and right-click on the Tor folder → Open command window here - Launch Particl Desktop and route its connection through Tor by typing
“Particl Desktop.exe” -proxy=127.0.0.1:9050
- Open a terminal
- Install Brew by typing
/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)" - Go through the installation process
- Install the Tor daemon:
brew install tor - Enable Tor as a Brew service:
brew services start tor - Navigate (using
cd) to the folder where your Particl Desktop application icon is located (i.e.cd /home/USER/Applications/) - Launch Particl Desktop by routing its connection through the Tor network:
./Particl\ Desktop.app/Contents/MacOS/Particl\ Desktop -proxy=127.0.0.1:9050
- Open a terminal
- Install the Tor daemon:
sudo apt install tor(for Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions) - Make sure Tor launches on startup:
sudo systemctl enable tor - Navigate (using
cd) to the folder where your Particl Desktop application icon is located (i.e.cd ~/Particl/) - Launch Particl Desktop by routing its connection through the Tor network:
./Particl\ Desktop -proxy=127.0.0.1:9050(if you’ve installed Particl using the DEB package, then simply type this command:particl-desktop -proxy=127.0.0.1:9050from any folder)
You can also run Tor as a hidden service and connect your Particl Desktop to it. By running Tor as a hidden service, you allow other Tor users to use your node as an entry or exit point. This helps the Tor network being more decentralized, thus increasing its anonymity.
Please refer to dedicated guide on running Tor as Hidden Service