Tails 5.1 Release: Key Updates and Features

By Jasper MonroeLinux Commands

Tails 5.1 Distribution Released

The specialized Tails 5.1 distribution (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) has been released. Tails is based on Debian packages and is designed for anonymous internet access. Anonymity in Tails is provided by the Tor system. By default, all connections except those routed through the Tor network are blocked by a packet filter. User data persistence between sessions is encrypted. The distribution is available as a 1 GB ISO image that can run in Live mode.

Release Details and Delays

This new release was prepared on June 5, 2022, instead of the originally planned May 31, due to a delay in the publication of the new Tor Browser 11.0.14, which includes fixes for vulnerabilities in the Firefox engine. Although the new Tor Browser release has not been officially announced yet, builds are already available.

Main Changes and Updates

  • Upgraded to the new stable branch of Tor 0.4.7, which implements overload management protocol.
  • Updated Linux kernel to 5.10.113 and Thunderbird email client to 91.9.
  • Enhanced the Tor Connection Assistant, allowing users to connect from censored networks via bridge gateways to bypass blocks.
  • Automatic time correction is now performed before connecting to Tor, simplifying circumvention of censorship systems in some countries. Time information is retrieved directly from Fedora’s captive portal detection service before the Tor connection is established.
  • The time displayed in the top panel now reflects the time zone selected during clock correction.
  • The screen shown after connecting to Tor now indicates whether bridge nodes are being used.

Unsafe Browser and Network Improvements

The Unsafe Browser, used for accessing resources on local networks (such as authenticating on a wireless network with a captive portal), now features a new homepage. This page appears when not connected through Tor and simplifies connecting to wireless networks via captive portals. A warning is now displayed about possible session data loss if a restart is attempted while the Unsafe Browser is disabled.

File Management Enhancements

  • The file manager now allows launching the Kleopatra certificate management program by clicking on OpenPGP files. Decrypting *.gpg files now only requires a double-click. Kleopatra has also been added to the list of recommended applications.
  • File transfer via the OnionShare application is now available directly from the file manager.

GNOME Overview Mode Changes

In GNOME overview mode, the “files,” “calculator,” and “terminal” search providers have been disabled.

Source

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