Tails project releases 2.0 version of the operating system
The 2.0 version of the Tails operating system is now available for download. The biggest changes are that the system now uses Gnome Shell as its desktop environment and that it is based on the latest version of the Debian distribution, Jessie.
Also, the new Tor browser 5.5 is part of the distribution. Until now, Tails used the outdated ‘Flashback’ version of Gnome, but it has now been replaced by Gnome Shell. For the display, the ‘Classic’ mode has been chosen, so that there is not much difference with the appearance of previous versions of Tails.
Among other things, Debian 8 ensures that new versions of standard programs are present, including LibreOffice 4.3 and Git 2.1.4. The controversial systemd-init system is also part of the new version of Tails, which should improve sandboxing and support Tor startup, among other things. The ‘Windows camouflage’ feature didn’t make it to the new release. This function should make it possible to give the desktop the appearance of Windows, to hide the fact that Tails is being used in public places. Work is underway to re-implement this feature.
The Tor browser should also protect against browser fingerprinting, but this option is not enabled in Tails 2.0. This shouldn’t be a problem though, as all Tails installations have the same fonts. As a result, an attacker would only see whether Tails is being used. However, that would already be established anyway, since in Tails the Adblock Plus extension is present in the Tor browser and not with the standard version of the browser.
Tails is a Linux distribution that offers the user far-reaching possibilities to remain anonymous on the Internet and to communicate in a secure way. The system uses the Tor network for this by default. Tails is usually installed on encrypted USB sticks or in virtual machines to increase security. These features make the operating system popular among journalists and citizens in countries that have a strict policy towards dissidents. Edward Snowden also used Tails in his revelations. The new version is already available on the site.