# Install torsocks with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman Use SOCKS-friendly applications with Tor. Version 2.5.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:torsocks ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install torsocks ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install torsocks ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: net/torsocks/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add torsocks ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: torsocks from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install libtorsocks ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: libtorsocks from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install torsocks ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: torsocks from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#torsocks ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/to/torsocks/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S torsocks ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: torsocks from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - Ubuntu apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install torsocks ``` Evidence: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: torsocks from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:torsocks - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 2.5.0 - **Source summary:** Use SOCKS-friendly applications with Tor - **Homepage:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-only - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - torsocks (cli) - torsocks (alias) ## Build dependencies - autoconf - automake - libtool ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 2.5.0 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/core/torsocks - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage torsocks is a Tor Project command-line wrapper and preload library that routes many ordinary network applications through Tor. The official README says it handles DNS safely and rejects traffic other than TCP; the Tor support glossary gives the same user-facing explanation. ### Project history torsocks exists to solve a practical gap around the tor daemon: many applications speak TCP but do not know how to use Tor's SOCKS proxy safely. torsocks wraps an application with LD_PRELOAD and overrides libc networking calls such as connect and gethostbyname so the application's traffic is forced through Tor when the mechanism is applicable. The Tor Project blog announced torsocks 1.2 in October 2011 as a Linux, BSD, and Mac OS X application for using network applications such as ssh and irssi with Tor. That release focused on adding a test suite, cleaning source code, simplifying the build, compiling on more BSD versions, and adding leak-prevention defenses. By August 2014, Tor Weekly News said torsocks 2.0 was considered stable after more than a year of effort, describing it as a wrapper program that forces an application's network connections through Tor. Later Tor Project writing about oniux in 2025 used torsocks as the established comparison point and explained its libc-overriding approach and leak limitations. ### Adoption history torsocks became a standard companion package for command-line Tor users because it lets existing tools like ssh, irssi, curl-like clients, and other dynamically linked libc applications attempt network access through Tor without those applications adding native SOCKS support. The input package facts show torsocks packaged across Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu via libtorsocks, Fedora/dnf, Arch/pacman, Nix, MacPorts, apk, and zypper. That breadth reflects its role as a small Unix privacy utility commonly installed beside tor. ### How it is used The README's basic usage is torsocks [application], with torsocks ssh username@host as an example. It also documents direct LD_PRELOAD usage with libtorsocks.so, and warns that applications using raw syscalls or bypassing libc cannot be protected by this mechanism. The wrapper reads /etc/tor/torsocks.conf or a TORSOCKS_CONF_FILE override, and otherwise uses sensible defaults for common Tor installations. Package nerds use it for quick torification of terminal tools, circuit isolation experiments, and privacy-aware testing where a full network namespace or VM would be heavier. ### Why package nerds care torsocks is a classic package-nerd tool because it is small, composable, and sharp-edged: it gives ordinary commands a Tor routing context, but its README clearly states the LD_PRELOAD ceiling. That makes it useful and also educational for understanding where user-space wrappers stop and stronger isolation begins. Its continued relevance is visible in Tor Project's 2025 oniux announcement, which presents oniux as a newer alternative for Linux isolation while using torsocks as the familiar baseline. ### Timeline - 2011: Tor Project blog announces torsocks 1.2 for Linux, BSD, and Mac OS X, with leak-prevention and portability work. - 2014: Tor Weekly News says torsocks 2.0 is considered stable after more than a year of effort. - 2025: Tor Project introduces oniux and compares it with torsocks' libc-overriding approach. ### Related projects - torsocks is directly related to the tor daemon, Tor's SOCKS proxy, torify-style workflows, and newer Tor Project isolation work such as oniux. It also overlaps historically with tsocks-style SOCKS wrapping. ### Sources - - - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Unix: /etc/tor/torsocks.conf ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** torsocks - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - libtorsocks - 2.5.0-1+deb13u1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libtorsocks from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | use SOCKS-friendly applications with Tor (library) | https://gitweb.torproject.org/torsocks.git - Debian apt - torsocks - 2.5.0-1+deb13u1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: torsocks from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | use SOCKS-friendly applications with Tor | https://gitweb.torproject.org/torsocks.git - Nix - torsocks: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/to/torsocks/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - torsocks - 2.4.0-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: torsocks from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | use SOCKS-friendly applications with Tor | https://gitweb.torproject.org/torsocks.git - apk - torsocks - 2.5.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: torsocks from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Wrapper to safely torify applications | https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/core/torsocks - apk - torsocks-doc - 2.5.0-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: torsocks-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Wrapper to safely torify applications (documentation) | https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/core/torsocks - dnf - torsocks - 2.4.0-10.fc43: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: torsocks from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst | Use SOCKS-friendly applications with Tor | https://gitweb.torproject.org/torsocks.git - pacman - torsocks - 2.5.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: torsocks from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Wrapper to safely torify applications | https://gitlab.torproject.org/tpo/core/torsocks - MacPorts - torsocks: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: net/torsocks/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [autoconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/autoconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [automake](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/automake/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [libtool](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libtool/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [obfs4proxy](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/obfs4proxy/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, privacy, proxy, tor. - [dnscrypt-proxy](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dnscrypt-proxy/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, privacy, proxy. - [meek](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/meek/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, privacy, tor. - [onioncat](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/onioncat/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, privacy, tor. - [dnscrypt-wrapper](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dnscrypt-wrapper/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, privacy, proxy. - [dsocks](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dsocks/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, proxy, socks, tor. - [i2p](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/i2p/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, privacy. - [i2pd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/i2pd/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, networking, privacy. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/torsocks.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/torsocks.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph