diff --git a/oml/tor.py b/oml/tor.py
index 9f630ca..9a69063 100644
--- a/oml/tor.py
+++ b/oml/tor.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import subprocess
 from threading import Thread
 import distutils
 
+import ox
 import stem
 from stem.control import Controller
 import settings
@@ -49,7 +50,9 @@ DirReqStatistics 0
         tor = get_tor()
         if not tor:
             self._status.append('No tor binary found. Please install TorBrowser or tor')
-        else:
+            install_tor()
+            tor = get_tor()
+        if tor:
             cmd = [tor, '--defaults-torrc', defaults, '-f', torrc]
             self.p = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, bufsize=1,
                 universal_newlines=True, close_fds=True, start_new_session=True)
@@ -185,7 +188,7 @@ def torbrowser_url():
 
     base_url = 'https://dist.torproject.org/torbrowser/'
     r = re.compile('href="(\d\.\d\.\d/)"')
-    current = sorted(r.findall(read_url(base_url).decode()))[-1]
+    current = sorted(r.findall(read_url(base_url, timeout=3*24*60*60).decode()))[-1]
     url = base_url + current
     if sys.platform.startswith('linux'):
         import platform
@@ -236,36 +239,43 @@ def install_tor():
     import shutil
     # only install if tor can not be found
     if get_tor():
-        print('found existing tor installation')
+        logger.debug('found existing tor installation')
+        return
     url = torbrowser_url()
     target = os.path.normpath(os.path.join(settings.base_dir, '..', 'tor'))
     if url:
-        print('downloading and installing tor')
+        logger.debug('downloading and installing tor')
         if sys.platform.startswith('linux'):
-            os.makedirs(target)
-            tar_file = os.path.join(target, os.path.basename(url))
-            update.get(url, tar_file)
-            tar = tarfile.open(tar_file)
-            tar.extractall(target)
-            desktop = os.path.join(target, tar.members[0].path, 'start-tor-browser.desktop')
-            tar.close()
-            subprocess.call([desktop, '--register-app'], cwd=target)
-            os.unlink(tar_file)
+            ox.makedirs(target)
+            try:
+                tar_file = os.path.join(target, os.path.basename(url))
+                update.get(url, tar_file)
+                tar = tarfile.open(tar_file)
+                tar.extractall(target)
+                desktop = os.path.join(target, tar.members[0].path, 'start-tor-browser.desktop')
+                tar.close()
+                subprocess.call([desktop, '--register-app'], cwd=os.path.dirname(desktop))
+                os.unlink(tar_file)
+            except:
+                logger.debug('tor installation failed', exc_info=1)
         elif sys.platform == 'darwin':
-            os.makedirs(target)
+            ox.makedirs(target)
             dmg = os.path.join(target, os.path.basename(url))
-            update.get(url, dmg)
-            subprocess.call(['hdiutil', 'mount', dmg])
-            volume = '/Volumes/Tor Browser'
             name = 'TorBrowser.app'
-            app = os.path.join(volume, name)
             if os.access('/Applications', os.W_OK):
                 target = os.path.join('/Applications', name)
             else:
-                os.makedirs(target)
                 target = os.path.join(target, name)
             if not os.path.exists(target):
-                shutil.copy(app, target)
-            subprocess.call(['hdiutil', 'unmount', volume])
+                try:
+                    update.get(url, dmg)
+                    r = subprocess.check_output(['hdiutil', 'mount', dmg])
+                    volume = r.decode().strip().split('\t')[-1]
+                    app = os.path.join(volume, name)
+                    shutil.copytree(app, target)
+                    subprocess.call(['hdiutil', 'unmount', volume])
+                    os.unlink(dmg)
+                except:
+                    logger.debug('tor installation failed', exc_info=1)
         else:
             logger.debug('no way to install TorBrowser on %s so far', sys.platform)