diff --git a/oml/tor.py b/oml/tor.py
index 8edf5b5..c91920d 100644
--- a/oml/tor.py
+++ b/oml/tor.py
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import os
+import sys
 import subprocess
 from threading import Thread
 import distutils
@@ -43,32 +44,9 @@ DirReqStatistics 0
                 '''.strip().format(base=settings.config_path))
         return defaults, torrc
 
-    def get_tor(self):
-        def cmd_exists(cmd):
-            return subprocess.call("type " + cmd, shell=True,
-                stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE) == 0
-        for path in (
-            '/Applications/TorBrowser.app/TorBrowser/Tor/tor',
-        ):
-            if os.path.isfile(path) and os.access(path, os.X_OK):
-                return path
-        start = os.path.expanduser('~/.local/share/applications/start-tor-browser.desktop')
-        if os.path.exists(start):
-            with open(start) as fd:
-                e = [line for line in fd.read().split('\n') if line.startswith('Exec')]
-                if e:
-                    try:
-                        base = os.path.dirname(e[0].split('"')[1])
-                        path = os.path.join(base, 'TorBrowser', 'Tor', 'tor')
-                        if os.path.isfile(path) and os.access(path, os.X_OK):
-                            return path
-                    except:
-                        pass
-        return distutils.spawn.find_executable('tor')
-
     def run(self):
         defaults, torrc = self.create_torrc()
-        tor = self.get_tor()
+        tor = get_tor()
         if not tor:
             self._status.append('No tor binary found. Please install TorBrowser or tor')
         else:
@@ -203,7 +181,6 @@ class Tor(object):
 
 def torbrowser_url():
     import re
-    import sys
     from ox.cache import read_url
 
     base_url = 'https://dist.torproject.org/torbrowser/'
@@ -211,7 +188,11 @@ def torbrowser_url():
     current = sorted(r.findall(read_url(base_url).decode()))[-1]
     url = base_url + current
     if sys.platform.startswith('linux'):
-        osname = 'linux64'
+        import platform
+        if platform.architecture()[0] == '64bit':
+            osname = 'linux64'
+        else:
+            osname = 'linux32'
         ext = 'xz'
     elif sys.platform == 'darwin':
         osname = 'osx64'
@@ -226,3 +207,65 @@ def torbrowser_url():
     torbrowser = sorted(r.findall(read_url(url).decode()))[-1]
     url += torbrowser
     return url
+
+def get_tor():
+    if sys.platform == 'darwin':
+        for path in (
+            '/Applications/TorBrowser.app/TorBrowser/Tor/tor',
+            os.path.join(settings.base_dir, 'tor', 'TorBrowser.app/TorBrowser/Tor/tor')
+        ):
+            if os.path.isfile(path) and os.access(path, os.X_OK):
+                return path
+    start = os.path.expanduser('~/.local/share/applications/start-tor-browser.desktop')
+    if os.path.exists(start):
+        with open(start) as fd:
+            e = [line for line in fd.read().split('\n') if line.startswith('Exec')]
+            if e:
+                try:
+                    base = os.path.dirname(e[0].split('"')[1])
+                    path = os.path.join(base, 'TorBrowser', 'Tor', 'tor')
+                    if os.path.isfile(path) and os.access(path, os.X_OK):
+                        return path
+                except:
+                    pass
+    return distutils.spawn.find_executable('tor')
+
+def install_tor():
+    import tarfile
+    import update
+    import shutil
+    # only install if tor can not be found
+    if get_tor():
+        print('found existing tor installation')
+    url = torbrowser_url()
+    target = os.path.join(settings.base_dir, 'tor')
+    if url:
+        print('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)
+        elif sys.platform == 'darwin':
+            os.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])
+        else:
+            logger.debug('no way to install TorBrowser on %s so far', sys.platform)