Tails OS Tutorial | Features, Installation, Pros, Cons

Tails is a Tor-based project inspired by the Debian Linux distro. Tails works on Tor Foundation, i.e., the onion router. It is supposed to be a secure OS and difficult to trace with ordinary tools/tricks.

Tails is used to perform privacy-focused tasks without leaving digital traces. These tasks include accessing or monitoring the target, i.e., it is recommended to access the identity type of data ethically (with consent of the target).

Today, this guide brings a brief walkthrough of the Tails OS and also lists the process to set up Tails.

• Tails OS | A Quick Walkthrough
  • Tails Development and Merger With Tor
  • Release Cycle
  • Top Features of Tails OS
  • Built-in Security and Privacy Tools for Maximum Anonymity
  • Persistent Vs Non-Persistent Storage in Tails
  • How to Install and Set up Tails on a USB Drive (Step-by-Step Guide)
    • Hardware Requirements for Installing Tails
    • Step 1: Download and Verify the Tails OS Disk Image (For USB or Virtual Machines)
    • Step 2: Install Tails
    • Should You Use Tails? | Technical Pros and Cons
    • Conclusion

Tails OS | A Quick Walkthrough

Let’s have a quick walkthrough of the features, some facts, and tools that Tails has:

Tails Development and Merger With Tor

• Tails was first released in 2009 as an iteration of Incognito, a Gentoo-based Linux distribution.
• The Tails project was originally named “Amnesia,” and now “Amnesia” is the default username/hostname of the Tails OS.
• In 2023, the Tails submitted a request to merge with Tor, which was completed in 2024, and now Tails is a Tor project.

Release Cycle

• Tails usually release the update after every 6-8 weeks. However, the major release (Like 5.0, 6.0, 7.0) is expected approximately every 2 years.

Top Features of Tails OS

• Communication via Tails is done using Tor (The Onion Router).
• Direct or non-Tor traffic is blocked by default.
• Can create persistent (keeping the data) and non-persistent (temporary) storage.
• Tails verifies and authenticates the Tails version you acquire.
• Wipes out the memory (RAM) after every reboot or shutdown, nullifying the chance of accessing the sensitive data, i.e., passwords, logins, etc, after restarts/ shutdowns.
• MAC Address Spoofing

Built-in Security and Privacy Tools for Maximum Anonymity

• • Tor Network: An Anonymous network to route traffic anonymously.
  • Thunderbird: An email client to send/receive encrypted emails.
  • KeePassXc: A password manager to securely save passwords.
  • Electrum: Bitcoin wallet
  • OnionShare: Sharing files/media anonymously
  • MAT2: A tool to remove metadata from files, i.e., PDF.
  • GnuPG (GPG): Tool for encrypting, signing, and verifying emails, using Public-Key cryptography.

Persistent Vs Non-Persistent Storage in Tails

Before proceeding to its setup, let‘s have a look at the difference between Persistent and Non-Persistent.

How to Install and Set up Tails on a USB Drive (Step-by-Step Guide)

Why are you installing Tails? If the purpose is anonymity, you need to create a non-persistent Live USB. However, if the purpose is to learn and implement, then you can create a persistent one to keep the history and some data from the previous sessions.

• Recommended: Use Tails as a Live OS, i.e., a non-persistent OS.
• Not Recommended: Avoid installing it on your primary host or primary virtual machine, where traces can persist.

Hardware Requirements for Installing Tails

• 64-bit processor
• Minimum 2GB RAM (Recommended is 4GB)
• Minimum 8 GB USB drive (Recommended is 16GB)

Step 1: Download and Verify the Tails OS Disk Image (For USB or Virtual Machines)

Download the Tails (either for USB sticks or the ISO file for Virtual machines).

Download Tails:

Once downloaded, verify your downloaded version:

Confirm that the verification is successful before proceeding further:

Step 2: Install Tails

Once done, you must have a USB bootable tool like balenaEtcher (if using Linux), Rufus (if using Windows), etc. Here, I have listed two possibilities:

• Installation Option 1: Installing Tails Using the GNOME Disks App
• Installation Option 2: Installing Tails Using the Balena Etcher

• Installation Option 1: GNOME Disks App

If you are using a GNOME desktop environment, you can make the Tails USB using the GNOME Disks Desktop application. Here’s the process.

Attach the USB with the Linux OS, and open the “GNOME Disks” app. Now, select the USB and click the “vertical ellipsis”.

It will then ask you to choose the Disk Image:

Confirm to start writing Tails on USB:

This will take a few minutes. Once all done, you can eject the drive and boot from the USB to run Tails in an isolated environment.

• Installation Option 2: Installing Tails Using the balenaEtcher

First, you must download and install the Balena Etcher on your respective Linux distribution.

Once installed, you have to make the USB bootable with the Tails disk image that you have already downloaded.

Follow this guide to briefly understand how to install and use Balena Etcher

Setting Up Persistent Storage and Administrator Password

When you boot from Tails, you will have to pass through the following interface, where you can create persistent storage and set the administrator password.

• Persistent Storage: To keep the data, history for further sessions.
• Administrator Password: To handle the permissions or admin password required for installing applications.

Now, you have to set the Tor connection, where you have two options, i.e., choose “Connect to Tor automatically”.

This way, you can set anonymity through Tails.

• What is Tor/Onion Circuits: The Path that the Tor network uses to route traffic from a user’s device to the destination server with anonymity.

Here’s the terminal look of the Tails:

Here you go with the Tails:

Should You Use Tails? | Technical Pros and Cons

If you still have questions about whether Tails is a perfect fit for me or not, don’t worry, I have compiled a technical Pros/Cons of Tails to assist you in this regard:

Pro-Tip: For maximum security, always use the non-persistent USB for Tails and enjoy this state-of-the-art tool in the tech era.

Conclusion

Tails OS is one of the best anonymity tools based on the Debian distro and is a part of the Tor project. With one end in Open Source (Linux-based) and the other in anonymity (Tor project).

Tails OS is installed and used as a Live non-persistent USB, which minimizes the risk of any traces. Today, I have drafted an in-depth review of the Tails OS, including its installation on a USB as well.

FAQs:

Q1: Is Tails OS Legal?

Yes, Tails is legal. Tails is an open-source Debian-inspired Tor project. The Onion Routing (Tor) nature of Tails makes it suspicious but not illegal.

Q2: Does Tails hide your IP?

Tails is a Tor project, and when routing, it hides your IP and server information.

Q3: Does Tails run in RAM?

Since it’s an amnestic, no data or history is kept. This anonymity is due to RAM. It temporarily stores data and refreshes it after each session.

Q4: What is the Tails filesystem?

Tails works on the Ext4 file system, i.e., Fourth Extended Filesystem.