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Custom .onion v3 Domain Guide

· 4 min read
Ryan Achmad
Ryan Achmad
soc & sysadmin

A .onion website runs on the Tor network, ensuring high anonymity. Follow these steps to set up your own hidden service.

📌 Requirements​

  • Tor (to host the hidden service)
  • Web Server (Apache, Nginx, or frameworks like Flask/Django)
  • Tor Browser (to access the .onion website)

🛠️ Step 1: Install Tor​

🔹 Linux​

sudo apt update && sudo apt install tor

🔹 Windows​

  1. Download the Tor Expert Bundle
  2. Extract and run Tor.exe from CMD.

🛠️ Step 2: Configure Tor Hidden Service​

Edit the torrc file:

  • Linux: /etc/tor/torrc
  • Windows: C:\Users\Username\torrc

Add the following lines:

HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/hidden_service/
HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:80

torrc2

Restart Tor:

sudo service tor restart

🛠️ Step 3: Get Your .onion Domain​

Once Tor is running, check your assigned .onion address:

cat /var/lib/tor/hidden_service/hostname

Example output:

abcdefghijklm.onion

🛠️ Step 4: Set Up a Web Server​

🔹 Apache (Linux)​

sudo apt install apache2

🔹 Nginx​

Edit /etc/nginx/sites-available/default:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name localhost;
    root /var/www/html;
    index index.html;
}

Restart Nginx:

sudo service nginx restart

🛠️ Step 5: Upload Your Website Files​

Place your HTML/PHP files in:

/var/www/html/

Or, if using Flask/Django, run the web server on port 80.

🛠️ Step 6: Access the Website via Tor Browser​

  1. Open Tor Browser.
  2. Enter your .onion address.
  3. Your hidden website is now online! 🎉

⚠️ Security Tips​

  • Do not expose your real IP address.
  • Use a sandbox or anonymous VPS.
  • Implement self-signed SSL if needed.

🔹 Happy Hosting! 🚀

🌐 Custom .onion v3 Domain (Vanity Address)

By default, .onion domains are random strings derived from a public key. However, with mkp224o, we can generate a customized (vanity) .onion address.

📌 Requirements​

  • Tor (installed from the previous guide)
  • mkp224o (to generate vanity addresses)
  • Linux (recommended for compatibility)

🛠️ Step 1: Install Dependencies​

🔹 Debian-based (Ubuntu, Kali, etc.)​

sudo apt update
sudo apt install gcc libsodium-dev make autoconf

🔹 CentOS / RHEL​

sudo yum install libsodium-devel
sudo yum groupinstall "Development Tools"

🛠️ Step 2: Install mkp224o​

Clone the mkp224o repository and compile it:

git clone https://github.com/cathugger/mkp224o.git
cd mkp224o/
./autogen.sh 
./configure 
make

🛠️ Step 3: Generate a Vanity .onion Address​

Run the following command to generate a .onion address starting with "opsls":

./mkp224o opsls -t 50 -v -n 4 -d /tmp/

Explanation of parameters:

  • opsls: The prefix you want (e.g., opslsabc123.onion).
  • -t 50: Use 50 threads for faster processing.
  • -v: Verbose mode.
  • -n 4: Generate 4 different addresses.
  • -d /tmp/: Save results in /tmp/ directory.

Example output:

opsls6pv5tvhh6oh46g4etroea4j3q4e4lusjiviasbo4h3lr4gqd.onion
opsls27owmy4zuirqfucbq3nrz3wz6ggznunpnbakvsjdhfn2jlmr6yd.onion
opslswgds7zi4fkvrbmmrv7eplk2vtjjn6fqehl4jjezspwm577mfwad.onion

🛠️ Step 4: Move and Configure the Custom Address​

Pick one of the generated addresses and move it to Tor's hidden service directory:

mv /tmp/opsls27owmy4zuirqfucbq3nrz3wz6ggznunpnbakvsjdhfn2jlmr6yd.onion /var/lib/tor/opslinuxsec

Fix ownership and permissions:

chown -R debian-tor:debian-tor /var/lib/tor/opslinuxsec
chmod -R u+rwX,og-rwx /var/lib/tor/opslinuxsec

🛠️ Step 5: Update torrc Configuration​

Edit Tor's configuration file:

nano /etc/tor/torrc

Modify the hidden service directory:

HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/opslinuxsec/
HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:80

torrc

Save and restart Tor:

sudo systemctl restart tor

🛠️ Step 6: Test Your Custom .onion Address​

Open Tor Browser and enter your new .onion domain:

opsls27owmy4zuirqfucbq3nrz3wz6ggznunpnbakvsjdhfn2jlmr6yd.onion

If everything is set up correctly, your website should load! Example

If you have tor browser you can check my site in there

http://opsls27owmy4zuirqfucbq3nrz3wz6ggznunpnbakvsjdhfn2jlmr6yd.onion/

⚠️ Security Tips​

  • Never expose your private key.
  • Use a secure VPS or dedicated air-gapped machine.
  • Consider sandboxing Tor for extra security.

🔹 Enjoy Your Custom .onion Domain! 🚀

Source​

https://www.bentasker.co.uk/posts/documentation/linux/708-generating-a-vanity-address-for-version-3-onions.html https://medium.com/@rishabhlakhotia/setting-up-tor-hidden-service-8af1875921c6 https://community.torproject.org/onion-services/setup/