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* 8 of 130 Bugs currently fixed prior to update release.
* 8 of 130 Bugs fixed. https://labs.riseup.net/code/projects/tails/roadmap<ref name="roadmap" />
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Revision as of 18:33, 10 June 2016

Tails
Tails logo
Tails OS
Tails version 2.3 with Aircrack-ng
OS familyUnix-like
Working stateCurrent
Source modelOpen source
Initial releaseJune 23, 2009; 15 years ago (2009-06-23)
Latest release2.4 / June 7, 2016; 8 years ago (2016-06-07)[1]
Latest preview2.4 release candidate 1 / May 26, 2016; 8 years ago (2016-05-26)[2]
Repository
Marketing targetPersonal computers
PlatformsIA-32
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux)
UserlandGNU
Default
user interface		GNOME 3
LicenseGPLv3+[3]
Preceded byIncognito
Official websitetails.boum.org

Tails or The Amnesic Incognito Live System is a security-focused Debian-based Linux distribution aimed at preserving privacy and anonymity.[4] All its outgoing connections are forced to go through Tor,[5] and non-anonymous connections are blocked. The system is designed to be booted as a live DVD or live USB, and will leave no digital footprint on the machine unless explicitly told to do so. The Tor Project has provided financial support for its development.[6]

History

Tails was first released on 23 June 2009. It is the next iteration of development on Incognito, a Gentoo-based Linux distribution.[7] The Tor Project has provided financial support for its development.[6] Tails has also received funding from the Debian Project, Mozilla, and the Freedom of the Press Foundation.[8]

Laura Poitras, Glenn Greenwald, and Barton Gellman have each said that Tails was an important tool they used in their work with National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden.[9][10][11]

On 3 July 2014, German public television channel Das Erste reported that the NSA's XKeyscore surveillance system contains definitions that match persons who search for Tails using a search engine or visit the Tails website. A comment in XKeyscore's source code calls Tails "a comsec mechanism advocated by extremists on extremist forums".[12][13]

On 28 December 2014, Der Spiegel published slides from an internal NSA presentation dating to June 2012 in which the NSA deemed Tails on its own as a "major threat" to its mission, and when used in conjunction with other privacy tools such as OTR, Cspace, RedPhone, and TrueCrypt was ranked as "catastrophic," leading to a "near-total loss/lack of insight to target communications, presence..."[14][15]

Bundled software

Networking

Encryption and privacy

One may choose among a large number of languages when the system is booted.

Release history

Legend:
Old version
Older version, still maintained
Latest version
Latest preview version
Future release
Release history
Version Release date Notes
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.2[16] 23 June 2009
  • First public release.
  • The project was called Amnesia.
Old version, no longer maintained: 0.5[17] ?
  • First release since the project was renamed to The Amnesic Incognito Live System.
Old version, no longer maintained: 1.0[16] 29 April 2014
  • 36th stable release.
Old version, no longer maintained: 2.0[18] 26 January 2016
  • Tails 2.0 uses Debian 8 as a base, GNOME Shell Classic Mode, systemd, and has newer software and firmware packages.[18]
Current stable version: 2.4[1] 6 June 2016
  • Automatic account configuration of Icedove, harden kernel and firewall, update the DRM and Mesa graphical libraries
  • New version of Tor Browser[1]
Future release: 2.5 2 August 2016
Future release: 3.0 TBA
  • Will focus on changes in the internals of Tails to make it more secure. That includes sandboxing critical applications and software hardening.[16]
Version Release date Notes

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Tails 2.4 is out". Tails. June 7, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
  2. ^ "Call for testing: 2.4~rc1". May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2016.
  3. ^ "Tails 0.11 incognito live system released", The H, April 30, 2012, retrieved August 12, 2012
  4. ^ Vervloesem, Koen (April 27, 2011), "The Amnesic Incognito Live System: A live CD for anonymity", LWN.net, retrieved August 12, 2012
  5. ^ "Anonym im Netz", TecChannel (in German), February 6, 2012, retrieved August 12, 2012 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b "Finances". Tails. April 4, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
  7. ^ Gray, James (September 16, 2011), "The Tails Project's The Amnesic Incognito Live System (Tails)", Linux Journal, retrieved August 12, 2012
  8. ^ "Tails report for May, 2014". Tails. June 14, 2014.
  9. ^ Timm, Trevor (April 2, 2014). "Help Support the Little-Known Privacy Tool That Has Been Critical to Journalists Reporting on the NSA". Freedom of the Press Foundation. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  10. ^ Finley, Klint (April 14, 2014). "Out in the Open: Inside the Operating System Edward Snowden Used to Evade the NSA". WIRED. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  11. ^ Condliffe, Jamie (April 15, 2014). "Try the Super-Secure USB Drive OS That Edward Snowden Insists on Using". Gizmodo. Retrieved April 15, 2014.
  12. ^ Jacob Appelbaum, A. Gibson, J. Goetz, V. Kabisch, L. Kampf, L. Ryge (July 3, 2014). "NSA targets the privacy-conscious". DasErste.de.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ Bruce Schneier (July 3, 2014). "NSA Targets Privacy Conscious for Surveillance". Schneier on Security.
  14. ^ SPIEGEL Staff (December 28, 2014). "Prying Eyes: Inside the NSA's War on Internet Security". Der Spiegel. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  15. ^ "Presentation from the SIGDEV Conference 2012 explaining which encryption protocols and techniques can be attacked and which not" (PDF). Der Spiegel. December 28, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ a b c "Tails 1.0 is out". Tails. May 1, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2015.
  17. ^ "version 0.5". Tails. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  18. ^ a b "Tails 2.0 is out". Tails. January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  19. ^ ver 2.5 update, August 2, 2016 {{citation}}: Check |url= value (help)
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