[tor-reports] Tails report for April, 2014
Tails folks
tails at boum.org
Fri May 9 09:17:06 UTC 2014
Releases
========
Tails 1.0 was released on April 29.
Metrics
=======
- Tails has been started more than 292 595 times in April.
This make 9 753 boots a day in average.
- 35 029 downloads of the OpenPGP signature of Tails ISO.
- 105 reports were received through WhisperBack.
Code
====
* Quite some work was put into adapting Tails to Debian 7 (Wheezy).
The result will be released on June 10, as Tails 1.1.
- Thanks to the amazing work done in Debian by Ulrike, we are
almost there when it comes to adding back support for
OpenPGP signature verification in Nautilus (#6608).
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=feature/6608-OpenPGP-signature-verification-in-Nautilus
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/6608
- The Vagrant setup was fixed to allow building Tails/Wheezy images
in RAM (#7132).
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=bugfix/vagrant-ram-bump-for-wheezy
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/7132
- Synaptic was made to start again on Wheezy (#7055).
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=bugfix/7055-drop-default-APT-release
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/7055
- The Debian Mozilla team's repository used on the devel branch
was updated for Wheezy (#7063).
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=bugfix/use-Wheezy-repo-for-debian-mozilla
- The latest version of the MAT is now installed (#5792).
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=feature/mat-0.5.2
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/5792
- Initial progress was made to update the Windows camouflage.
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=feature/6342-update-camouflage-for-gnome3
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/6342
* The APT suite being used when building from the stable branch
was corrected. (#7022).
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=bugfix/7022-use-stable-APT-suite-when-building-from-stable-branch
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/7022
* The new logo was integrated in the *About Tails* dialog (#7096).
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=feature/7096-integrate-the-new-logo-in-about-tails
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/7096
* Some Vagrant compatibility issues were fixed (#7134).
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=bugfix/fix-vagrant-compatibility-issues
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/7134
* The blacklisting of directory authority keys that have been used
with versions of OpenSSL affected by Heartbleed
was backported into our Tor packages.
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=feature/tor-0.2.4.21-1+tails1_d70.wheezy+1
* Our modified Tor Launcher was updated to avoid
pretending that we ship a default set of bridges.
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=feature/tor-launcher-0.2.5.3
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/6934
* I2P was explicitly told that it cannot receive inbound connections
(#7070).
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=bugfix/i2p_incoming
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/7070
* An attempt at migrating our source tree to live-build 3.x
was made (#5691). It is still entirely unclear whether the
cost/benefit ratio is worth it, especially because live-build 4.x
has already gone quite further in terms of incompatibilities, and is
far from being ready for prime-time yet.
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=feature/live-build-3.x
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/5691
* A patch to make the Greeter's help window resolution-aware was
proposed (#7009).
https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005451.html
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/7009
* Another proposed patch aims at fixing the Tails Installer fonts size
on Wheezy (#5673).
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/5673
Documentation and website
=========================
* The FAQ was published.
https://tails.boum.org/support/faq/index.en.html
* The logo that won the
contest was integrated
in the website, and on the boot loader's splash screen
(#7090).
https://tails.boum.org/promote/logo/
https://tails.boum.org/news/and_the_winner_is/index.en.html
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=feature/logo
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/7090
* Some initial steps were walked to modernize our website's markup and
CSS, including moving to HTML5 and better responsiveness (#7021).
Compatibility with older browsers is left to be tested before we can
apply these changes to the live website.
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/451f/tails/log/?h=websitemodernization
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/7021
* Many documentation pages were deeply reworked as part of #5977:
doc/why_tor, doc/vidalia, doc/unsafe_browser, doc/network-manager,
doc/introduction.
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/5977
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=doc/why_tor
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=doc/vidalia
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=doc/unsafe_browser
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=doc/network-manager
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=doc/introduction
* The homepage now makes it clear that
Tails is based on Debian, Tor, and is Free software.
https://tails.boum.org/index.en.html
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=doc/mention-Debian-on-the-homepage
* The MAC spoofing documentation now explains
why we do not randomize the OUI part of MAC addresses.
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=doc/7054-explain-why-not-randomising-oui-part-of-mac
* The way to update our Tor Launcher is now documented.
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=doc/bridge-mode-design
* The I2P documentation was slightly improved.
http://repo.or.cz/w/tails/kytv.git/shortlog/refs/heads/bugfix/I2P-page
* The CSS of the boxed titles was improved (#6323).
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/6323
Translation
===========
* The German translation team has been making great progress, and we
are not considering dropping this language from our website anymore.
* The French translation team got a new member.
* The Italian translation team has been reviewing strings in
Transifex, and working on their internal workflow and processes.
There is hope that they start translating the website soon.
* A list of glossaries used by translation teams is being compiled.
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/6968
Infrastructure
==============
* Quite a lot of progress was made to make our automated test suite
support Tails based on Debian Wheezy:
test/6559-adapt-test-suite-for-Wheezy,
test/6559-adapt-test-suite-for-Wheezy-by-anonym (#6559).
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=test/6559-adapt-test-suite-for-Wheezy
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=test/6559-adapt-test-suite-for-Wheezy-by-anonym
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/6559
* An automated test case was written
to check write access to the boot device via udisks (#6275).
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/tails/log/?h=test/6275-boot-device-write-access-via-udisks
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/6275
* Our Jenkins master configuration was migrated to
a published module.
https://git-tails.immerda.ch/puppet-tails
* We now install debomatic from wheezy-backports, for easier
maintenance and a more stable infrastructure.
* Thanks to Alster's suggestion, the boum.org administrators could
add a few security-oriented HTTP headers to our website.
https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005392.html
* Jurre van Bergen has requested an audit by OpenITP's Peer Review
Board (#6889).
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/6889
* For ethical reasons, we have renamed our *Broken Window* Redmine
category to *Hole in the Roof*.
On-going discussions
====================
* Improving our website in various ways.
https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005476.html
* Making it easy to backup and restore a persistent volume
https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005388.html
https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/5301
* Jacob Appelbaum expressed interest in getting a grsec-patched Linux
kernel into Tails. Of course, this requires doing the same in Debian,
which is not a trivial mission.
https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005413.html
* Installing gimp-ufraw?
https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005587.html
* Installing tcplay?
https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005595.html
* Tracking Jessie-related tickets
https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005429.html
Funding
=======
- We are still the process of getting the contracts signed both for
a grant we were awarded by OpenITP at the end of 2013, and for the
Access Innovation Prize.
- We have been talking with Mozilla and Tor about supporting the Tails
summit and hackfest, scheduled for July.
- Our proposal to the Knight Foundation News Challenge was not
selected among the finalists. If you know why, please share your
insight with us :)
- The crowdfunding campaign by
the Freedom of the Press Foundation has made great progress. It is
still time to donate.
https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/
Outreach
========
* A call for testing for the upcoming UEFI support was published.
https://tails.boum.org/news/test_UEFI/index.en.html
Press and testimonials
======================
Dozens of press articles about Tails were written in April,
most notably:
https://tails.boum.org/press/index.en.html
* In TAILS: Snowden's favorite anonymous, secure OS goes
1.0, Cory Doctorow writes "Effectively, this is the ParanoidLinux I
fictionalized in my novel Little Brother."
http://boingboing.net/2014/04/30/tails-snowdens-favorite-ano.html)
* Tails reaches 1.0 by Nathan Willis in Linux Weekly News.
https://lwn.net/SubscriberLink/596765/380d4e75b17ea491/
* Anonymous OS reportedly used by Snowden reaches version 1.0
by Steven Musil in CNET.
http://www.cnet.com/news/anonymous-os-reportedly-favored-by-nsa-whistle-blower-edward-snowden-reaches-version-1-0/
* 2014-04-29: This is the most secure computer you’ll ever own by
Russell Brandom, in The Verge.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/29/5664884/this-is-the-most-secure-computer-you-ll-ever-own
* 2014-04-23: Amaelle Guiton mentions Tails in the article [Chiffrer le
Net pour retrouver notre vie privée en ligne: une bonne solution qui
pose des problèmes in Slate (in French).
http://www.slate.fr/monde/86275/cyberespace-cypherspace-crypter-chiffrement-internet
* 2014-04-17: Bruce Schneier writes "Nice article on the Tails
stateless operating system. I use it." in a blog post.
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2014/04/tails.html
* 2014-04-14: In the press conference
she held after winning a Polk Award for her reporting on Edward
Snowden and the NSA, Laura Poitras said "We just published a blog
about a tool that's called Tails, which is a operating system that
runs on either USB stick or SD disc, that is a sort of all-in-one
encryption tool that you can use for PGP and encryption. And it's
just really secure. [...] So, it's a really important tool for
journalists."
http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2014/4/11/video_glenn_greenwald_laura_poitras_q
* 2014-04-14: Out in the Open: Inside the Operating System Edward
Snowden Used to Evade the NSA by Klint Finley, in Wired.
http://www.wired.com/2014/04/tails/
* 2014-04-02: In Help Support the Little-Known Privacy Tool That Has
Been Critical to Journalists Reporting on the
NSA by Trevor Timm:
https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/blog/2014/04/help-support-little-known-privacy-tool-has-been-critical-journalists-reporting-nsa
- Laura Poitras says: "I've been reluctant to go into details about
the different steps I took to communicate securely with Snowden to
avoid those methods being targeted. Now that Tails gives a green
light, I can say it has been an essential tool for reporting the
NSA story. It is an all-in-one secure digital communication system
(GPG email, OTR chat, Tor web browser, encrypted storage) that is
small enough to swallow. I'm very thankful to the Tails developers
for building this tool."
- Glenn Greenwald says: "Tails have been vital to my ability to work
securely on the NSA story. The more I've come to learn about
communications security, the more central Tails has become to
my approach."
- Barton Gellman says: "Privacy and encryption work, but it's too
easy to make a mistake that exposes you. Tails puts the essential
tools in one place, with a design that makes it hard to screw them
up. I could not have talked to Edward Snowden without this kind of
protection. I wish I'd had it years ago."
--
Tails folks
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