How to create a Tor Browser shortcut for both runner and menu?

This is what I did, already:

tar -xf tor.tar.xz
mv tor-browser_en-US ~/.local/share/tor

After that, I tried creating the shortcut in two different ways. Both of them resulted in the same error:

first attempt

ln -s $HOME/.local/share/tor/start-tor-browser.desktop $HOME/.local/share/applications/start-tor-browser.desktop

second attempt

~/.local/share/tor/start-tor-browser.desktop --register-app

Both methods creates an icon, indeed. Although, Tor Browser won't open, at all.

This is the output, when I try to run start-tor-browser.desktop directly from the terminal:

cd ~/.local/share/applications
./start-tor-browser.desktop
/usr/bin/env: ‘./Browser/execdesktop’: No such file or directory

Update

This is the content of start-tor-browser.desktop:

#!/usr/bin/env ./Browser/execdesktop
#
# This file is a self-modifying .desktop file that can be run from the shell.
# It preserves arguments and environment for the start-tor-browser script.
#
# Run './start-tor-browser.desktop --help' to display the full set of options.
#
# When invoked from the shell, this file must always be in a Tor Browser root
# directory. When run from the file manager or desktop GUI, it is relocatable.
#
# After first invocation, it will update itself with the absolute path to the
# current TBB location, to support relocation of this .desktop file for GUI
# invocation. You can also add Tor Browser to your desktop's application menu
# by running './start-tor-browser.desktop --register-app'
#
# If you use --register-app, and then relocate your TBB directory, Tor Browser
# will no longer launch from your desktop's app launcher/dock. However, if you
# re-run --register-app from inside that new directory, the script
# will correct the absolute paths and re-register itself.
#
# This file will also still function if the path changes when TBB is used as a
# portable app, so long as it is run directly from that new directory, either
# via the shell or via the file manager.
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Tor Browser
GenericName=Web Browser
Comment=Tor Browser is +1 for privacy and −1 for mass surveillance
Categories=Network;WebBrowser;Security;
Exec=sh -c '"/home/personal/.local/share/tor/Browser/start-tor-browser" --detach || ([ ! -x "/home/personal/.local/share/tor/Browser/start-tor-browser" ] && "$(dirname "$*")"/Browser/start-tor-browser --detach)' dummy %k
X-TorBrowser-ExecShell=./Browser/start-tor-browser --detach
Icon=/home/personal/.local/share/tor/Browser/browser/chrome/icons/default/default128.png
StartupWMClass=Tor Browser

1 Answer

I got this working by doing the following:

Go to the to directory where your unpacked browser is, e.g.

cd /opt/tor-browser-linux64-10.5.8_de/tor-browser_en

Then execute

./start-tor-browser.desktop --register-app

This will copy start-tor-browser.desktop to ~/.local/share/applications

Now move it manually to ~/Desktop

It appears on your desktop now. Right click to make it executable. Try if it is basically working by starting the browser. If yes, move it back to ~/.local/share/applications and press the "option (Windows)" key on your keyboard to launch the app launcher view of Ubuntu. Start typing "tor" => the Tor Browser will appear. Launch it, then it will appear it in the left sidebar. Right click on the icon and add it to the favorites. That's it.