# How to edit Tor circuit in shell **URL:** \ **Category:** Core Tor\ **Tags:** tor\ **Created:** [December 1, 2021, 10:56pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955 "2021-12-01T22:56:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/u/Aleff)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2021, 10:56pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/1 "2021-12-01T22:56:54Z")
Hello, can i use some commands to edit my connection how i want? I need to do this in shell, exist some method for edit my circuit like choose how many nodes to use like just one or more than 3? Can i choose my exit node on the same command? Is extremely important that i don’t use some software, i must use shell(terminal) ---
**Author:** ![atari](https://forum.torproject.org/user_avatar/forum.torproject.org/atari/32/392_2.png) [@atari](https://forum.torproject.org/u/atari)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 10:03am UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/4 "2021-12-02T10:03:34Z")
Information taken from here: [Tor Project: manual](https://2019.www.torproject.org/docs/tor-manual.html.en) There are ways to manipulate or steer your paths via `torrc`, you can specify explicit nodes, countries or an IP/IP-Ranges: **ExitNodes** _node_ , _node_ , _…_ **MiddleNodes** _node_ , _node_ , _…_ **EntryNodes** _node_ , _node_ , _…_ **StrictNodes** **0** | **1** For playing around it might be fine, when you need anonymity it is not recommended, because you look completely different from the other network… * * * building a Tor-binary will let you choose how many hops are used when modifying ‘`#define DEFAULT_ROUTE_LEN 3`’ in ‘`src/core/or/or.h`’ on Debian/Ubuntu: `sudo apt-get install build-essential libevent-dev libssl-dev zlib1g zlib1g-dev` `mkdir ~/tortest` `cd ~/tortest` `wget https://dist.torproject.org/tor-0.4.7.2-alpha.tar.gz` `tar xfz tor-0.4.7.2-alpha.tar.gz` `sed -i 's/DEFAULT_ROUTE_LEN\ 3/DEFAULT_ROUTE_LEN\ 6/' tor-0.4.7.2-alpha/src/core/or/or.h` | where 6 is your wanted hop number `./configure --prefix=~/tortest` `make` `make install` `cp etc/torrc.sample etc/torrc` —\> adjust your torrc to provide debug.log `mkdir -p ~/tortest/var/lib/tor` `mkdir -p ~/tortest/var/log/tor` `~/tortest/bin/tor -f ~/tortest/etc/torrc` `curl --socks5-hostname localhost:9050 https://check.torproject.org/` —\> see `~/tortest/var/log/tor/debug.log` for ‘`exit circ (length `’ ---
**Author:** ![Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/u/Aleff)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 2:00pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/5 "2021-12-02T14:00:05Z")
Thanks for the reply, i think that you have understand correctly what i need but i have some problems with your solution. I have created a directory with mkdir and downloaded the Tor Project dist, but after `make install` command nothing else works. When i run `cp tor/torrc.sample tor/torrc` i have No such file or directory however i found this guide [How to install tor frome source code](https://community.torproject.org/onion-services/setup/install/) that i tried to follow but without success, it however doesn’t work because if i send just `tor` in Shell (after `make install` command) it doesn’t find nothing and if i run tor from `src/app/tor` it doesn’t even work… What i wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/u/Aleff)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 2:00pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/6 "2021-12-02T14:00:07Z")
And an another important thing is that i must can change this config file when tor is installed on the machine whenever i want. For example… Now i install Tor and i have 3 default node I edit this setting with 6 node circuit I run Tor and now i have 6 node circuit I edit this setting with 2 node circuit I run Tor and now i have 2 node circuit And more… ---
**Author:** ![atari](https://forum.torproject.org/user_avatar/forum.torproject.org/atari/32/392_2.png) [@atari](https://forum.torproject.org/u/atari)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/7 "2021-12-02T14:34:42Z")
> [@atari](#): > > `cp etc/torrc.sample etc/torrc` sorry - edited this one - there was a typo and that one > [@atari](#): > > `~/tortest/bin/tor -f ~/tortest/etc/torrc` then it should work ---
**Author:** ![atari](https://forum.torproject.org/user_avatar/forum.torproject.org/atari/32/392_2.png) [@atari](https://forum.torproject.org/u/atari)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 2:34pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/8 "2021-12-02T14:34:45Z")
probably this won’t work so easy - you could compile different versions for different hop-settings - maybe there is a more clever approach, but can’t provide you with… ---
**Author:** ![Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/u/Aleff)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 3:07pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/9 "2021-12-02T15:07:35Z")
in `~/tortest/etc/` i have just tor directory, i don’t have torrc file and i seen in else directories and i haven’t found torrc file anywhere, except for etc/tor/torrc.sample that i found correctly… However, if i understand you do you mean, do you think that can i change this option on torrc file? In case of yes what i must write inside? Because if exist some command like `ExitNodes {ca} StrictNodes 1` (it is just for an example) where i can declare something like `Route_Len 6` everything is done… but i didn’t find nothing like this on the [manual page](https://2019.www.torproject.org/docs/tor-manual.html.en) ---
**Author:** ![atari](https://forum.torproject.org/user_avatar/forum.torproject.org/atari/32/392_2.png) [@atari](https://forum.torproject.org/u/atari)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 5:07pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/10 "2021-12-02T17:07:04Z")
`cp ~/tortest/etc/torrc.sample ~/tortest/etc/torrc` Add `ExitNodes {ca}` `StrictNodes 1` and you will exit in Canada… As far as I know you can’t change hops from config - you have to compile a corresponding binary with the specific `DEFAULT_ROUTE_LEN` ---
**Author:** ![Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/u/Aleff)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 5:50pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/11 "2021-12-02T17:50:40Z")
ok i discard this idea i found online\*1 that the only one torrc command enable you to have a different number of circuit nodes is `HiddenServiceSingleHopMode 1` that need to have `HiddenServiceNonAnonymousMode 1` that change default tor circuit with 3 nodes in an another with just 1 node but when i write it on torrc my tor browser doesn’t start because it have an error in loading tor circuit, do you have some idea how can i solve it? source\*1: [What's new in Tor 0.2.9.8? | The Tor Project](https://blog.torproject.org/whats-new-tor-0298/) ---
**Author:** ![gus](https://forum.torproject.org/user_avatar/forum.torproject.org/gus/32/16_2.png) [@gus](https://forum.torproject.org/u/gus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2021, 5:53pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/12 "2021-12-02T17:53:37Z")
> [@Aleff](#): > > Is extremely important that i don’t use some software, i must use shell(terminal) Can I ask what exactly are you trying to do? ---
**Author:** ![Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/u/Aleff)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2021, 10:04am UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/13 "2021-12-03T10:04:55Z")
Sure i’m trying to change circuit nodes number on Tor Browser that it can change in 1 or 2 or more of 3 nodes. I know that this is not a good idea for anonymity but i’m trying to do it however for a study project and i don’t understand if it is possible or not… I found 2 methods for do it… 1. Change source code before installing tor, but it is not good for what i want to do because i need to can change nodes number when tor browser is installed. 2. Change, with torrc file, hop number(so nodes number) to one and yes, it is a good command but i don’t have what i want because i can’t change nodes number to 2 or to more of 3 Forgive me if my English is not good. I know that 3 nodes is the perfect circuit for the anonymity online but i need(i don’t know if “need” is the correct word to understand my necessity) do it for my study project ---
**Author:** ![atari](https://forum.torproject.org/user_avatar/forum.torproject.org/atari/32/392_2.png) [@atari](https://forum.torproject.org/u/atari)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2021, 9:45am UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/14 "2021-12-04T09:45:44Z")
> [@Aleff](#): > > Change source code before installing tor, but it is not good for what i want to do because i need to can change nodes number when tor browser is installed. 1. You can use the downloaded Tor Browser and start it from command-line. 2. From a second command-line you can kill the tor process e.g. `killall tor`, when something like `psmisc` is installed. 3. Afterwards you start your compiled version of Tor with the specific hop settings. Make sure `9150` is set as socks port in `torrc`. 4. Repeat from 2. to change your hops… After putting this in an interactive script/application using `dialog` / `ncurses` you will probably get you better grades than just the 1.-4. PoC… ---
**Author:** ![Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/u/Aleff)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2021, 10:04pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/15 "2021-12-05T22:04:32Z")
I don’t want to change my hops, i want to change hops number from 3 to N ---
**Author:** ![atari](https://forum.torproject.org/user_avatar/forum.torproject.org/atari/32/392_2.png) [@atari](https://forum.torproject.org/u/atari)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 12:57pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/16 "2021-12-06T12:57:36Z")
> [@Aleff](#): > > I don’t want to change my hops, i want to change hops number from 3 to N Probably then your only option is to modify the source code to accept changes to new\_route\_len() at runtime… ---
**Author:** ![Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/u/Aleff)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 3:26pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/17 "2021-12-06T15:26:28Z")
Ok, and how can i do what did you say? What i must to do, when tor is installed on my computer, to change route len with new\_route\_len() method? An another question is, is necessary use tor source code or can i use TorBrowser? If i need tor source code, how can i install correctly to do what i need? Thanks for the help ---
**Author:** ![atari](https://forum.torproject.org/user_avatar/forum.torproject.org/atari/32/392_2.png) [@atari](https://forum.torproject.org/u/atari)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 5:15pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/18 "2021-12-06T17:15:31Z")
If you want a software to behave different from default, you need to modify it. Like you do, when changing the `DEFAULT_ROUTE_LEN` in the source and compile it → This change is static and the binary will have the specified route-length baked in. To make this length dynamic you need to modify way more things in the source → Read the corresponding source, adapt it according to your needs and compile it… In other words, there is no easy way → Compile > [@Aleff](#): > > 3 to N different versions or learn a little C… ---
**Author:** ![Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@Aleff](https://forum.torproject.org/u/Aleff)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2021, 5:30pm UTC](https://forum.torproject.org/t/how-to-edit-tor-circuit-in-shell/955/19 "2021-12-06T17:30:07Z")
Ok atari, thanks for your amazing help.