What’s new in Tor Browser 8.0.9:
- All platforms:
- Update Torbutton to 2.0.13 (Bug 30388: Make sure the updated intermediate certificate keeps working)
- Backport fixes for bug 1549010 and bug 1549061 (Bug 30388: Make sure the updated intermediate certificate keeps working)
- Update NoScript to 10.6.1 (Bug 29872: XSS popup with DuckDuckGo search on about:tor)
Tor Browser is a free and platform-independent application designed to allow users to browser the Web anonymously through the powerful Tor network on the Linux, Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, without the need to use any third-party software.
Features at a glance
It is a portable software, allowing users to use directly from a USB flash drive, running a pre-configured web browser to protect their anonymity. The Tor software is the key component of Tor Browser Bundle, protecting users by bouncing their communications around a distributed network of relays, which are run by volunteers all around the world.
Getting started with Tor Browser Bundle
When you open the application for the first time, it will ask if you want to immediately connect to the Tor network and start browsing the Web anonymously, or if you want to tweak your network settings, in case the respective computer its censored, proxied or filtered.
Once you hit the Connect button, the software will connect to the Tor network and in a few seconds it will close the connection dialog and open the actual web browser, which is based on an ESR (Extended Support Release) version of the Mozilla Firefox project.
To verify if your connection is indeed anonymous, you can access the www.whatismyip.com website, wich will display the current IP address you’re using at that moment, as well as the geographical location.
Availability and supported platforms
It is a freely distributed, yet not open source graphical software, a mix between the well known Mozilla Firefox web browser and the Tor application, enabling users to surf the Web anonymously from the comfort of their Linux desktops.
Detailed installation instructions for each of the supported operating systems is provided on the project’s homepage, along with the respective binary packages, supporting the 64-bit and 32-bit hardware platforms and many languages.
Bottom line
Overall, Tor Browser Bundle is a really powerful application for Mozilla Firefox users who don’t want to configure the Tor network separately on their Linux-based operating system. Happy anonymous surfing!
