How to create a Tails Live USB
Background Information
Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a privacy-focused, Debian Based, Linux distribution designed to provide users complete anonymity, security, and privacy while browsing the internet and communicating online. It is a live operating system, which means it can be booted directly from a USB drive or DVD without the need for installation on the host machine unless given express permission from the user.
Features
Privacy and Anonymity with Tor Network
Tails routes all internet traffic through the Tor network, ensuring users' online activities are anonymized and protected from surveillance and tracking by concealing the user's IP addresses.
Security and Encryption
Tails include built-in security features and encryption tools to safeguard user data and communications, ensuring secure communication and safeguarding sensitive information.
Pre-installed Privacy Tools
The distribution comes with essential privacy-oriented applications, including the Tor Browser for anonymous web browsing and Thunderbird with Enigmail for encrypted email communication.
Amnesic Nature
Tails OS is designed to be amnesic, leaving no traces on the computer used. When shut down, it wipes any data, ensuring privacy and anonymity.
Persistence Support
While Tails is amnesic, it offers persistence support for specific use cases. Users can create a persistent volume on a separate USB drive to store sensitive data or customize settings that will persist between sessions.
Open-Source
Tails OS is a completely free and open-source operating system, allowing anyone to inspect and verify the code for transparency and security.
Technical Specifications
General Information
- Developer: The Tails Project
- Licensing: GNU GPLv3
- OS Family: Linux (Unix-like)
- Initial Release Date:
- Latest Release Date:
Availability Information
- Languages: Multilingual
- Platforms: x86-64
System Information
- Working State: Current
- Source Model: Open Source
- Update Method: Tails Upgrader
- Package Manager: APT (front-end), dpkg
- Userland: GNU
- Default User Interface: GNOME 3
System Requirements
Tails OS is lightweight and can run on most modern computers. The minimum system requirements typically include the following:
- A USB stick of 8 GB minimum or a recordable DVD.
- A 64-bit x86-64 compatible processor
- IBM PC compatible but not PowerPC nor ARM.
- Most Mac computers are IBM PC compatible since 2006.
- Tails OS does not work with Mac models that use the Apple M1 or M2 chips.
- Tails OS does not work on 32-bit computers since Tails 3.0
- Tails OS does not work on most tablets and phones.
- 2 GB of RAM to work smoothly.
- Tails can work with less than 2 GB RAM but might behave strangely or crash.
Installation and Usage
Tails OS is designed to be used as a live operating system, allowing users to boot it from a USB drive or DVD without the need for installation. It can be downloaded from the official Tails website and installed on a USB drive using the provided instructions. Once the USB drive is prepared, users can boot their computer from it, and Tails OS will run in a live environment.