Setting a website on the Dark Web

#Access Your Site via the Tor Network

Introduction: Embracing the Dark Side

Join the ranks of websites embracing anonymity with an onion domain. Just like Facebook, you can now make your site accessible via the Tor protocol, allowing users to navigate through the depths of the internet securely. Welcome to the era where your site exists in both the clearnet and the darknet. Don’t forget to equip yourself with the Tor Browser for this journey.

Onion Odyssey: Setting Up Tor

Installing Tor

Begin by editing sources.list:

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Add the Tor repository:

deb https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org stretch main
deb-src https://deb.torproject.org/torproject.org stretch main

Next, add the repository keys:

gpg2 --recv A3C4F0F979CAA22CDBA8F512EE8CBC9E886DDD89
gpg2 --export A3C4F0F979CAA22CDBA8F512EE8CBC9E886DDD89 | apt-key add -

Update the package list and install Tor:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install tor

Configuring Tor

Edit the Tor configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/tor/torrc

Configure Tor to serve your .onion domain:

SocksPort 9050
RunAsDaemon 1
HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/hidden_service/
HiddenServiceVersion 3
HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:8123

Restart Tor:

sudo service tor restart

Your onion domain’s private key can be found in /var/lib/tor/hidden_service/. The address is located in the hostname file.

Nginx Navigation: Configuring the Web Server

Nginx Configuration

Create a new configuration file for your onion domain:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/youronionconfiguration

Add the following content, adjusting port, root folder, and server name accordingly:

server {
    listen 127.0.0.1:8123;
    root /var/www/yourwebsite;
    index index.html index.htm index.php;
    server_name youronionaddress.onion;
}

Save the file and activate the configuration:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/youronionconfiguration /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/youronionconfiguration

Testing and Restarting Nginx

Test the Nginx configuration:

sudo nginx -t

If successful, restart the web server:

sudo service nginx restart

Informing the World: Adding Onion Location

As of Feb 6th, you can notify visitors of your onion address. Follow the official Tor Project blog post for detailed instructions. In short, add the following header to your server configuration.

Nginx Example

Edit your website configuration:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/<your-website>.conf

Add the line:

add_header Onion-Location http://<your-onion-address>.onion$request_uri;

Apache Example

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/<your-website>.conf

Add the line:

Header set Onion-Location "http://your-onion-address.onion%{REQUEST_URI}s"

Now, visitors using Tor Browser will be informed of your onion domain when accessing your site via the standard domain.

Conclusion: Embrace the Shadows

Congratulations! Your website now shines a light in both the clearnet and the darknet, thanks to its onion domain. Navigate through the depths of cyberspace securely and anonymously. Embrace the shadows and welcome visitors from all corners of the internet.