diff --git a/application/ricochetonion.go b/application/ricochetonion.go
index b3dc6ec..82f965d 100644
--- a/application/ricochetonion.go
+++ b/application/ricochetonion.go
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@ import (
 	"net"
 )
 
-func SetupOnion(proxyServer string, authentication string, pk *rsa.PrivateKey, onionport uint16) (net.Listener, error) {
-	c, err := bulb.Dial("tcp4", proxyServer)
+// "127.0.0.1:9051" "tcp4"
+// "/var/run/tor/control" "unix"
+func SetupOnion(torControlAddress string, torControlSocketType string, authentication string, pk *rsa.PrivateKey, onionport uint16) (net.Listener, error) {
+	c, err := bulb.Dial(torControlSocketType, torControlAddress)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/utils/crypto.go b/utils/crypto.go
index 4852fb0..7964d6a 100644
--- a/utils/crypto.go
+++ b/utils/crypto.go
@@ -5,20 +5,37 @@ import (
 	"crypto/x509"
 	"encoding/pem"
 	"io/ioutil"
+	"errors"
+	"crypto/rand"
 )
 
 const (
 	InvalidPrivateKeyFileError = Error("InvalidPrivateKeyFileError")
+	RICOCHET_KEY_SIZE = 1024
 )
 
+// Generate a private key for use
+func GeneratePrivateKey() (*rsa.PrivateKey, error) {
+	privateKey, err := rsa.GenerateKey(rand.Reader, RICOCHET_KEY_SIZE)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, errors.New("Could not generate key: " + err.Error())
+	}
+	privateKeyDer := x509.MarshalPKCS1PrivateKey(privateKey)
+	return x509.ParsePKCS1PrivateKey(privateKeyDer)
+}
+
 // LoadPrivateKeyFromFile loads a private key from a file...
 func LoadPrivateKeyFromFile(filename string) (*rsa.PrivateKey, error) {
 	pemData, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filename)
-
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	return ParsePrivateKey(pemData)
+}
+
+// Convert a private key string to a usable private key
+func ParsePrivateKey(pemData []byte) (*rsa.PrivateKey, error) {
 	block, _ := pem.Decode(pemData)
 	if block == nil || block.Type != "RSA PRIVATE KEY" {
 		return nil, InvalidPrivateKeyFileError
@@ -26,3 +43,14 @@ func LoadPrivateKeyFromFile(filename string) (*rsa.PrivateKey, error) {
 
 	return x509.ParsePKCS1PrivateKey(block.Bytes)
 }
+
+// turn a private key into storable string
+func PrivateKeyToString(privateKey *rsa.PrivateKey) string {
+	privateKeyBlock := pem.Block{
+		Type: "RSA PRIVATE KEY",
+		Headers: nil,
+		Bytes: x509.MarshalPKCS1PrivateKey(privateKey),
+	}
+
+	return string(pem.EncodeToMemory(&privateKeyBlock))
+}