Custom Onion address (mkp224o)

Creating a Vanity .onion Address with mkp224o

This method is tested on Debian and EndeavourOS. The guide will focus on Debian; the main difference for other distributions is the package manager.

Important: You do not need to run this on the server hosting the hidden service — you can generate the keys elsewhere and transfer them later.

Requirements

• A hosted hidden service
• Build tools installed:

$ sudo apt install gcc libc6-dev libsodium-dev make autoconf git -y

Steps

1. Clone the Repository

   $ git clone https://github.com/cathugger/mkp224o.git

2. Navigate into the Project Directory

   $ cd mkp224o

3. Build from Source

   Run the autogen script:

   $ sudo ./autogen.sh

   Configure the build:

   $ sudo ./configure

   Compile the application:

   $ sudo make

4. Generate Your Vanity Onion Address

   $ sudo ./mkp224o test -v -n 1 -d ~/ONION -t 4

5. Use Your New Onion Address

   1. Delete the old host and key files from your hidden service directory:
      /var/lib/tor/hidden_service
   2. Copy the newly generated host file and keys to /var/lib/tor/hidden_service.
   3. Restart the TOR service:

   $ sudo systemctl restart tor

   After restarting, your hidden service will be available via the new vanity onion address!

Command Breakdown

• test: The string to appear at the beginning of the .onion address.
• -v: Verbose mode (more detailed output).
• -n 1: Generate 1 matching address.
• -d ~/ONION: Output directory for the keys.
• -t 4: Use 4 CPU threads for the search.

Adjust these options based on your hardware and preferences.

How Long Does It Take?

Because v3 onion addresses are 32-character Base32-encoded strings, the time needed increases rapidly:

Due to the random nature of the process, actual times can vary.

Using Your New Onion Address

1. Delete the old host and key files from your hidden service directory:
   /var/lib/tor/hidden_service
2. Copy the newly generated host file and keys to /var/lib/tor/hidden_service.
3. Restart the TOR service:

$ sudo systemctl restart tor

After restarting, your hidden service will be available via the new vanity onion address!