# Quickstart

This guide walks through installing the SpaceRouter Onion App, running the setup wizard, installing the browser extension, and verifying that traffic routes through the SpaceRouter Onion network. The entire process takes a few minutes.

***

### How it works

```
                          control (HTTP API)
  ┌────────────┐        ┌─────────────────────┐        ┌─────────────────────┐
  │  Browser   │ SOCKS5 │  SpaceRouter Onion  │ circuit│  SpaceRouter Onion  │
  │            ├───────►│   Client (local)    ├───────►│       Network       │
  │ + Extension│ :1080  │                     │        │ guard → mid → exit  ├──► Internet
  └────────────┘        └─────────────────────┘        └─────────────────────┘
        ▲                          ▲
        │                          │
   Browser extension        Desktop app
   starts/stops proxy       installs and manages
   from the toolbar         the proxy service
```

***

### Step 1: install the SpaceRouter Onion App

Download the installer

Available platforms:

| Platform | Architecture                                                                                     |
| -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| macOS    | [arm64](https://asset-api.spacerouter.org/api/assets/app/download/darwin-arm64?env=staging)      |
| macOS    | [x64](https://asset-api.spacerouter.org/api/assets/app/download/darwin-x64?env=staging)          |
| Windows  | [x64](https://asset-api.spacerouter.org/api/assets/app/download/windows-x64?env=staging)         |
| Linux    | [x64 (deb)](https://asset-api.spacerouter.org/api/assets/app/download/linux-x64-deb?env=staging) |
| Linux    | [x64 (rpm)](https://asset-api.spacerouter.org/api/assets/app/download/linux-x64-rpm?env=staging) |

Open the downloaded installer and follow the standard OS prompts to complete installation.

***

### Step 2: run the setup wizard

The first time the app launches, a setup wizard walks through initial configuration.

1. **Welcome.** Click "Get Started".
2. **Choose your client.** Select Go or Rust. Both connect to the same SpaceRouter Onion network.
3. **Download the binary.** The app downloads the selected proxy binary automatically. Wait for the progress bar to finish, then click "Next".
4. **Install service.** Click "Install Service". The OS prompts for a password on macOS, a UAC dialog on Windows, or installs without elevation on Linux (systemd user service). The proxy installs as a background service so it can run without a terminal window open.
5. **Select network.** Pick the network this proxy will join from the dropdown, then click "Save & Continue". If the list is empty, wait a few seconds for the proxy to populate it.
6. **Done.** The proxy service is now installed and running. Click "Open SpaceRouter Onion" to open the main app window.

***

### Step 3: install the SpaceRouter Onion extension

1. Open the [SpaceRouter Onion Proxy page on the Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/spacerouter-onion-extensi/dmofgbiaagkmblmpmjponfkinnnajfng).
2. Click "Add to Chrome".
3. The SpaceRouter Onion extension icon appears in the browser toolbar.

The extension also works in Chromium-based browsers (Edge, Brave, Arc).

***

### Step 4: start the proxy

1. Click the SpaceRouter Onion extension icon in the browser toolbar.
2. Click the Start button.
3. The extension builds a 3-hop circuit through the SpaceRouter Onion network and begins routing browser traffic through it.
4. The popup displays the active circuit: guard, middle, and exit nodes with their geographic locations.

***

### Step 5: verify

Open a new tab and visit a site that shows the public IP address, such as `https://httpbin.org/ip`. The IP displayed should differ from the normal public IP, confirming traffic is routed through the SpaceRouter Onion exit node.

Alternatively, test from the command line using the SOCKS5 proxy on the default port (1080):

```bash
curl -x socks5h://127.0.0.1:1080 https://httpbin.org/ip
```

The response contains the exit node's IP, not the local machine's IP.

***

### Next steps

* For desktop app features (circuit visualization, node browser, settings): [SpaceRouter Onion App](/spacerouter-onion/app.md)
* For extension features (configuration, node browser, WebRTC protection): [SpaceRouter Onion extension](/spacerouter-onion/browser-extension.md)
* If something is not working: [Troubleshooting](/spacerouter-onion/troubleshooting.md)


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.spacecoin.org/spacerouter-onion/quickstart.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.