Guide: Step-by-step guide to running a pruned Monero node anonymously using Linux. Tested and verified. (Any distro).

#8338Jun 23, 2026 · 18:49

Pruned Monero Node + Feather Wallet on Linux — Full Guide [2026]

Introduction

Native Linux adaptation of /post/eaba27d4e3b8b513d719. No virtual machines required. The node runs directly on your system with two operating modes:

Clearnet mode — initial sync or resyncing after downtime. Fast. Your IP is

visible to Monero peers, not to blockchain contents or transactions.

Tor mode — daily use. All P2P traffic and transaction broadcasts go through

Tor. Slower peer connection than clearnet — expected and correct.

Critical difference from Whonix: Whonix Gateway forces all traffic through

Tor at network level regardless of application config. Here, you select the

mode by choosing which config file to launch. If you use the Tor config while

Tor is not running, monerod simply won't connect — no silent fallback to

clearnet. But you must verify this yourself.

apt commands shown are for Debian/Ubuntu. On Fedora use dnf,

on Arch use pacman. Everything else in this guide is distribution-agnostic.

Replace YOUR_USER with your actual system username throughout this guide.

Run echo $HOME in a terminal to confirm your home directory.

Prerequisites

Linux x64 system (any distribution)
~200 GB free disk space for the pruned blockchain
8 GB RAM minimum recommended

STEP 0 — Install and start Tor

sudo apt update
sudo apt install tor -y
sudo systemctl start tor

Verify Tor is listening on the correct port:

ss -tlnp | grep 9050

You must see 127.0.0.1:9050 in the output. If nothing appears, Tor is not

running — resolve this before continuing.

STEP 1 — Download and verify Monero CLI and Feather

Do NOT skip GPG verification. It is the only way to guarantee the

binaries have not been tampered with.

Do not install monerod from your distribution's package manager.

Repository packages are maintained by third parties and are frequently

several versions behind. Use the official binaries from getmonero.org.

1.1 — Download the binaries

cd ~/Downloads

# Monero CLI
wget https://downloads.getmonero.org/cli/linux64
wget https://www.getmonero.org/downloads/hashes.txt

# Feather Wallet
flatpak install --from https://featherwallet.org

1.2 — Verify Monero CLI

Download the GPG key from the official repository:

[code]wget -O binaryfate.asc \
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/monero-project/monero/master/utils/gpg_keys/binaryfate.asc

Check the fingerprint BEFORE importing:

gpg --keyid-format long --with-fingerprint binaryfate.asc

The fingerprint must be exactly:

Key fingerprint = 81AC 591F E9C4 B65C 5806  AFC3 F0AF 4D46 2A0B DF92

If the fingerprint does not match character by character — STOP.

Delete the file and do not continue.

Import the key:

gpg --import binaryfate.asc

Verify the signature of the hashes file:

gpg --verify hashes.txt

Expected output:

gpg: Good signature from "binaryFate <binaryfate@getmonero.org>" [unknown]
gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
gpg:          There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
Primary key fingerprint: 81AC 591F E9C4 B65C 5806  AFC3 F0AF 4D46 2A0B DF92

The WARNING about certification is normal and expected. The only relevant

line is "Good signature". If you see BAD signature — the file was tampered

with. Delete it and do not continue.

Verify the SHA256 hash:

sha256sum monero-linux-x64-v0.18.5.0.tar.bz2
grep "monero-linux-x64-v0.18.5.0.tar.bz2" hashes.txt

Both hashes must be identical character by character. If they don't match,

do not use the file.

1.3 — Verify Feather Wallet

In Terminal:

gpg --show-keys --with-fingerprint /var/lib/flatpak/repo/feather.trustedkeys.gpg

The fingerprint must be exactly:

Key fingerprint = 8185 E158 A333 30C7 FD61 BC0D 1F76 E155 CEFB A71C

If the fingerprint does not match character by character — STOP.

Delete the file and do not continue.

STEP 2 — Install monerod

cd ~/Downloads
tar -xjf linux64
mkdir -p ~/bin
cp monero-x86_64-linux-gnu-v0.18.5.0/monerod ~/bin/monerod
chmod +x ~/bin/monerod

Verify the binary works:

~/bin/monerod --version

STEP 3 — Create the configurations

mkdir -p ~/.bitmonero

Two separate config files — one for each mode.

Clearnet config (initial sync and resyncing after downtime):

nano ~/.bitmonero/bitmonero-clearnet.conf

data-dir=/home/YOUR_USER/.bitmonero
log-file=/home/YOUR_USER/.bitmonero/monerod.log
log-level=1
max-log-file-size=10485760
max-log-files=3
prune-blockchain=1
sync-pruned-blocks=1
db-sync-mode=fast:async:250000000bytes
out-peers=64
in-peers=0
rpc-bind-ip=127.0.0.1
rpc-bind-port=18081
restricted-rpc=1
no-igd=1
hide-my-port=1
no-zmq=1
check-updates=disabled

Save: Ctrl+S → Ctrl+X

Tor config (daily use):

nano ~/.bitmonero/bitmonero-tor.conf

data-dir=/home/YOUR_USER/.bitmonero
log-file=/home/YOUR_USER/.bitmonero/monerod.log
log-level=1
max-log-file-size=10485760
max-log-files=3
prune-blockchain=1
sync-pruned-blocks=1
db-sync-mode=safe
proxy=127.0.0.1:9050
tx-proxy=tor,127.0.0.1:9050,16,disable_noise
enable-dns-blocklist=1
p2p-bind-ip=127.0.0.1
p2p-bind-port=18080
out-peers=16
in-peers=0
rpc-bind-ip=127.0.0.1
rpc-bind-port=18081
restricted-rpc=1
no-igd=1
hide-my-port=1
no-zmq=1
check-updates=disabled

Save: Ctrl+S → Ctrl+X

Replace YOUR_USER with your actual username in both files.

What the Tor config does:

All P2P traffic and transaction broadcasts routed through Tor (127.0.0.1:9050)
disable_noise disables Dandelion++ over Tor — it is redundant there and adds
unnecessary overhead
p2p and RPC bound to localhost only — you are not a public node
in-peers=0 — no incoming connections, reduces attack surface
hide-my-port=1 — node does not advertise itself to the network
check-updates=disabled — no outbound update pings

STEP 4 — Initial blockchain sync (clearnet)

This step exposes your IP to Monero peers. Do not open or connect your wallet

while you are using clearnet mode.

Launch in clearnet mode:

~/bin/monerod --config-file=$HOME/.bitmonero/bitmonero-clearnet.conf

Monitor progress in another terminal:

tail -f ~/.bitmonero/monerod.log

Sync takes several hours depending on your connection. Once fully synced,

stop the node cleanly:

pkill -f monerod

STEP 5 — Run in Tor mode

Verify Tor is listening before launching:

ss -tlnp | grep 9050

Must show 127.0.0.1:9050. If not, start Tor first:

sudo systemctl start tor

Launch in Tor mode:

~/bin/monerod --config-file=$HOME/.bitmonero/bitmonero-tor.conf

Monitor logs:

tail -f ~/.bitmonero/monerod.log

Peer connections over Tor are slower than clearnet. This is expected.

Stop the node:

pkill -f monerod

STEP 6 — Set up Feather Wallet

Launch Feather:

Just look for it in the list of apps or

flatpak run org.featherwallet.Feather

Inside Feather: Settings → Network → Node → add 127.0.0.1:18081 → connect.

Only connect Feather after monerod is running and synced. The RPC listens

on localhost only — no external exposure.

STEP 7 — Daily usage

Normal daily use (node already synced):

Verify Tor is running: systemctl status tor
Launch node: ~/bin/monerod --config-file=$HOME/.bitmonero/bitmonero-tor.conf
Open Feather: In the App menu or
```
flatpak run org.featherwallet.Feather
```
When done, stop the node: pkill -f monerod or Exit in the terminal.

After extended downtime (weeks or months offline):

Resync in clearnet for speed: ~/bin/monerod --config-file=$HOME/.bitmonero/bitmonero-clearnet.conf
Wait for full sync, then stop: pkill -f monerod
Relaunch in Tor mode: ~/bin/monerod --config-file=$HOME/.bitmonero/bitmonero-tor.conf
Open Feather once Tor mode is synced

STEP 8 — Final cleanup

rm ~/Downloads/monero-linux-x64-v0.18.5.0.tar.bz2
rm ~/Downloads/hashes.txt
rm ~/Downloads/binaryfate.asc
rm -r ~/Downloads/linux64

Made by Facite

Monero is the only cryptocurrency with real privacy by default.

*Updated to Monero 0.18.5.0 'Fluorine Fermi'

— Tested on Linux Mint 22.3 / any Linux x64 — June 2026 —