New Release: Tails 5.8

News
1

by tails | December 20, 2022

lead.jpg1280Ă—720 23 KB

Tails 5.8 is the most important release of Tails in years. It includes both major redesign of existing features, important usability improvements, and hardened security.

This work has been made possible by donations from users like you. If you like these changes and want more, donate now to fund our work in 2023.

Donate now to fund our work in 2023.

New features

New Persistent Storage

After 2 years of hard work, we are extremelly proud to present you a complete redesign of the Persistent Storage.

The Persistent Storage hasn't changed much since its first release in 2012 because the code was hard to modify and improve. But, we learned from users that the Persistent Storage could do a lot more for you if it had more features and was easier to use.

  • You don't have to restart anymore after creating the Persistent Storage or each time you activate a new feature.

  • You can change the password of your Persistent Storage from this new application.

  • You can choose to create a Persistent Storage directly from the Welcome Screen, if you don't have one already.

Wayland and better Unsafe Browser

We replaced the deprecated X.Org display system with Wayland.

Even if you won't notice any visual difference, Wayland brings more security in depth to Tails by making it harder for a compromised application in Tails to compromise or misuse another application.

For example, since Tails 4.8, the Unsafe Browser was disabled by default because a security vulnerability in another application in Tails could start an invisible Unsafe Browser , reveal your IP address, and deanonymize you.

Wayland fixes this vulnerability and makes it safe to reenable the Unsafe Browser by default. You can still disable the Unsafe Browser in the Welcome Screen.

Wayland also brings in other features that were not working yet in the Unsafe Browser :

  • Sound
  • Uploads and downloads
  • Alternative input methods for Chinese and other non-Latin languages
  • Accessibility features like the screen reader and virtual keyboard

QR code scanning of Tor bridges

We made it easier to enter new Tor bridges in Tails by scanning a QR code.

To get a QR code, you can either:

We are aware that the QR codes that are currently provided are too big to be easy to scan. We are working with Tor to make them smaller and easier to scan.

qr_code.png820Ă—524 176 KB

Changes and updates

  • Update Tor Browser to 12.0.1.

  • Update Thunderbird to 102.6.0.

  • Update Tor to 0.4.7.12.

Fixed problems

We fixed 3 usability issues in the Tor Connection assistant:

  • Display a percentage on the connection progress bar. (#19208)

  • Fix links to documentation. (#19172)

  • Add a Bridge label in front of the line to enter a custom bridge. (#19169)

For more details, read our changelog.

Known issues

  • The switches that turn on and off the different features of the Persistent Storage are very slow to respond on some USB sticks. Please report on #19291 if this happens to you.

  • The top of the Welcome Screen is cut out on small displays (800Ă—600), like virtual machines. (#19324)

You can press Alt+S to start Tails.

  • When using a custom Tor obfs4 bridge, the progress bar of Tor Connection sometimes gets stuck halfway through and becomes extremelly slow. (#19173)

To fix this, you can either:

* Close and reopen _Tor Connection_ to speed up the initial connection.
* Try a different `obfs4` bridge.

This issue only affects outdated obfs4 bridges and does not happen with obfs4 bridges that run version 0.0.12 or later.

See the list of long-standing issues.

Get Tails 5.8

To upgrade your Tails USB stick and keep your persistent storage

  • Automatic upgrades are available from Tails 5.0 or later to 5.8.

You can reduce the size of the download of future automatic upgrades by doing a manual upgrade to the latest version.

  • If you cannot do an automatic upgrade or if Tails fails to start after an automatic upgrade, please try to do a manual upgrade.

To install Tails on a new USB stick

Follow our installation instructions:

The Persistent Storage on the USB stick will be lost if you install instead of upgrading.

To download only

If you don't need installation or upgrade instructions, you can download Tails 5.8 directly:

Support and feedback

For support and feedback, visit the Support section on the Tails website.

This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://blog.torproject.org/new-release-tails-58/
2 Likes
2

Note: Missing from the OP:

To install Tails on a new USB stick

Follow our installation instructions:

The Persistent Storage on the USB stick will be lost if you install instead of upgrading.

To download only

If you don’t need installation or upgrade instructions, you can download Tails 5.8 directly:

And just for information:

= CHANGELOG =

tails (5.8) unstable; urgency=medium

  • Upgrade Thunderbird to 102.6.0-1~deb11u1

  • Fix FTBFS: refresh patch (tails/tails!965)

    Closes #19297

    Commits:

    • Fix FTBFS: refresh patch

  • Update tor browser to 12.0.1 (tails/tails!979)

    Closes #19313

    Commits:

    • Fetch Tor Browser from our own archive
    • Upgrade Tor Browser to 12.0.1-build1

  • Enable bullseye-proposed-updates (to test Bullseye 11.6 before it’s released),
    upgrade to Linux 5.10.158 (tails/tails!975)

    Closes #19301, #19293

    Commits:

    • After disabling the Tor Configuration persistence feature, only start Tor
      Connection if we’re connected to a local network
    • Also consider the Linux kernel from bullseye-updates
    • Install the Linux kernel from bullseye-proposed-updates, if that suite is
      enabled
    • Test suite: remove unused image
    • Upgrade to Linux 5.10.158-1
    • Enable bullseye-proposed-updates, to test Bullseye 11.6 before it’s released
    • Bump snapshot of the Debian archive to 2022121302, so we can use proposed-
      updates for Bullseye 11.6

  • Test suite: make keyboard input more reliable (tails/tails!971)

    Commits:

    • Test suite: increase sleep time at the end of Screen#type
    • Test suite: correct comment
    • Test suite: keep keys pressed for 40 ms
    • Test suite: improve comment
    • Test suite: keep keys pressed for 20 ms instead of 10 ms
    • Test suite: update comment

  • Fix Dotfiles access for non-root users (tails/tails!968)

    Closes #19278

    Commits:

    • Fix dotfiles access for non-root users

  • Adapt to Wayland our error reporting mechanism when GDM fails to start
    (tails/tails!951)

    Closes #19227

    Commits:

    • resorting to X.Org → crash → better UX!
    • Adapt to Wayland our error reporting mechanism when GDM fails to start

  • Switch from bullseye-proposed-updates to Bullseye 11.6 (tails/tails!978)

    Closes #19315

    Commits:

    • Revert “Enable bullseye-proposed-updates, to test Bullseye 11.6 before it’s
      released”
    • Bump APT snapshots

  • Tor Connection UI improvements (tails/tails!977)

    Closes #19238, #19256, #19169, #19172

    Commits:

    • Tor Connection: fix window size
    • Fix links from Tor Connection to the offline documentation
    • Tor Connection: fix typo in string
    • Tor Connection: display QR code scanning error below the scanning button
    • Add label to bridge line

  • Persistent Storage: use new icon (tails/tails!976)

    Commits:

    • Use the new Persistent Storage icon on the Welcome Screen when the Persistent
      Storage does not exist yet
    • Persistent Storage: use new icon

  • Allow persisting bridge scanned from QR code, take 1 (tails/tails!973)

    Closes #19281

    Commits:

    • Allow persisting bridge scanned from QR code, take 1

  • Update tor to 0.4.7.12 (tails/tails!972)

    Closes #19310

    Commits:

    • Update tor to 0.4.7.12

  • fix window centering (tails/tails!970)

    Closes #19045

    Commits:

    • Ensure extension description matches what it actually does
    • gdm-tails is a GDM session, with extension support
    • more comments to clarify subtleties
    • check which session we’re in is more to the point
    • not really needed
    • Apply 1 suggestion(s) to 1 file(s)
    • stop “when it’s done” , not predefined time
    • window-centering only runs in GDM
    • increase timeout
    • rounding is needed to avoid false moves
    • better comments and log messages
    • Revert “avoid useless CPU work”
    • avoid useless CPU work
    • extensions are disabled in GDM: workaround
    • window centering in Greeter

  • Remove static suggestion of diceware passphrase (tails/tails!969)

    Closes #19305

    Commits:

    • Remove static suggestion of diceware passphrase

  • Allow disabling the Unsafe Browser (tails/tails!967)

    Closes #19289

    Commits:

    • fix “I disable the Unsafe Browser” in corner cases
    • adapt Greeter options persistence
    • fix test suite for new wording
    • Adjust to the Unsafe Browser being disabled by default
    • Update tests
    • Enable Unsafe Browser by default
    • Revert “Welcome Screen: always enable the Unsafe Browser and make the setting
      obsolete”

  • Misc Persistent Storage fixes for 5.8 (tails/tails!966)

    Closes #19220, #19279, #19280, #19148, #19294

    Commits:

    • Don’t run OnionShare as a native Wayland app
    • Run Qt applications as native Wayland by default
    • Allow running Qt applications as native Wayland
    • Remove Dasher (broken on Wayland)
    • Tell the user what’s going on while deleting Persistent Storage
    • When Persistent Storage is unlocked, instruct how to delete it
    • Persistent Storage: add missing link to doc on the features screen

  • FIX --disable-chutney (tails/tails!961)

    Commits:

    • FIX --disable-chutney

  • Tor Connection: select “Ask for a bridge by email” by default when “Hiding”
    (tails/tails!957)

    Closes #19167

    Commits:

    • Make it easier to scan a QR code
    • Tor Connection: select “Ask for a bridge by email” by default when “Hiding”

  • Tor Connection: display percentage on the connection progress bar
    (tails/tails!955)

    Commits:

    • Tor Connection: display percentage on the connection progress bar

  • TPS explanation strings, and more (tails/tails!947)

    Closes #18759

    Commits:

    • remove vague comment
    • remove dead code
    • remove dead code
    • explanation strings for relevant TPS features

  • Additional Software: ensure APT is not broken after being interrupted
    (tails/tails!946)

    Closes #18657

    Commits:

    • Additional Software: ensure APT is not broken after being interrupted

  • Test suite: relax our expectations for coverage of the known pattern in memory
    (tails/tails!944)

    Commits:

    • Test suite: relax our expectations for coverage of the known pattern in memory

  • create persistent storage from the greeter (tails/tails!922)

    Closes #15586

    Commits:

    • change wording following the new style
    • comment to explain flag files
    • tabs → spaces
    • Apply 3 suggestion(s) to 3 file(s)
    • Fix labels
    • greeter test suite code refactor
    • checking early is useless and ineffective
    • FIX look at the actual value
    • big code refactoring
    • actually handle button
    • better size and margins for padlock
    • make label the same in glade and python
    • remove suggested-action
    • Reorder in greeter
    • Better real estate use
    • draft: automated tests
    • “don’t create” is not a suggested-action
    • Clearer state management in UI
    • actually start persistent storage setup
    • draft: create persistent storage from greeter

  • Upgrade Tor Browser to 12.0 (tails/tails!921)

    Closes #19135, #19085

    Commits:

    • Test suite: bump timeout
    • Make code more readable
    • Fetch Tor Browser from our own archive
    • Upgrade Tor Browser to 12.0
    • Test suite: fix “Downloading files with the Tor Browser” scenario with Tor
      Browser 12 on Wayland
    • Test suite: improve comment phrasing
    • Test suite: only compute keymap once in Screen#press
    • Test suite (mouse_location): remove unused method parameters
    • Fix buggy (invisible) conflict resolution from rebase
    • Turn off shellcheck false positive
    • Drop obsolete mentions of $TBB_EXT
    • Drop import of library that’s not needed anymore
    • Update handling of Tor Browser locales
    • Fix location for Burmese
    • Declare newly added Tor Browser locales
    • Don’t try to install non-existing langpacks
    • Tor Browser update process: there’s no langpacks anymore
    • Fetch Tor Browser from our own archive
    • Upgrade Tor Browser to 12.0a5
    • Upgrade Tor Browser to nightly.2022.11.22
    • Thunderbird: avoid proxy bypass, same as Tor Browser
    • Test suite: Unsafe Browser has no bookmarks at all anymore
    • Unsafe Browser: delete default bookmarks
    • Test suite: update expected images
    • Test suite: update expected images
    • Upgrade Tor Browser to 12.0a4
    • Thunderbird: replace network.security.ports.banned pref with
      network.proxy.allow_hijacking_localhost
    • Tor Browser: remove network.security.ports.banned pref, which does more harm
      than good
    • Update AppArmor policy for Tor Browser 12
    • Test suite: update expected images for Tor Browser 12
    • Test suite: update expected Unsafe Browser images for Tor Browser 12
    • Lint
    • Remove unused variable
    • Test suite: update expected images for Tor Browser 12
    • Test suite: remove obsolete complexity
    • Test suite: update for new “New Identity” UX in Tor Browser 12
    • Test suite: spam Tor Browser less intensively
    • Test suite: refactoring (DRY)
    • Test suite: update expected image
    • Test suite: spam Tor Browser less intensively
    • Test suite: add support for Tor Browser nightly builds
    • Clarify comment
    • Fix indentation
    • Drop unused flexibility
    • Remove obsolete variable
    • Adjust to multilingual Tor Browser tarball
    • Adjust to script being renamed upstream
    • Upgrade Tor Browser to nightly.2022.10.19
    • Tor Browser upgrade doc: support nightly builds, assume multilingual tarball
    • Upgrade Tor Browser to 12.0a3
    • Unsafe Browser: also apply branding to brand.properties
    • Fix grammar in comment
    • Unsafe Browser: don’t ask confirmation when quitting with CTRL+q
    • Test suite: update Unsafe Browser images
    • Test suite: add expected unused Tor Browser library
    • Test suite: adjust to Tor Browser 12’s (Firefox 102) new download flow
    • Upgrade Tor Browser to 12.0a2
    • Clarify wording

– Tails developers tails@boum.org Mon, 19 Dec 2022 09:43:26 +0000

1 Like
3

= Direct Downloads =

@ Wikimedia.org:

@ Kernel.org:

1 Like
4

Very nice work here. Thank you.

1 Like