# How to install Tails on USB flash drive or SD card [](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ4NHz-gjLo "Why Tails is not only for hacktivists and whistleblowers and how to get started") ## Requirements - USB flash drive or SD card (faster is better) - Computer running macOS Big Sur or Monterey or Debian-based operating system ## Caveats - When copy/pasting commands that start with `$`, strip out `$` as this character is not part of the command ## Guide (macOS) ### Step 1: install [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) ```console $ /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)" $ uname -m | grep arm64 && echo 'export PATH=$PATH:/opt/homebrew/bin' >> ~/.zshrc && source ~/.zshrc ``` ### Step 2: disable Homebrew analytics ```shell brew analytics off ``` ### Step 3: install [GnuPG](https://gnupg.org/) ```shell brew install gnupg ``` ### Step 4: import “Tails developers” PGP public key ```console $ curl https://tails.boum.org/tails-signing.key | gpg --import % Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed 100 1341k 100 1341k 0 0 1568k 0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:-- 1567k gpg: key 0xDBB802B258ACD84F: 2170 signatures not checked due to missing keys gpg: key 0xDBB802B258ACD84F: public key "Tails developers (offline long-term identity key) " imported gpg: Total number processed: 1 gpg: imported: 1 gpg: key 0xA3A31BAD5A2A5B10: no user ID for key signature packet of class 10 gpg: marginals needed: 3 completes needed: 1 trust model: pgp gpg: depth: 0 valid: 3 signed: 1 trust: 0-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 3u gpg: depth: 1 valid: 1 signed: 0 trust: 1-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 0u ``` imported: 1 👍 ### Step 5: download [Tails](https://tails.boum.org/) release Go to https://tails.boum.org/install/download/index.en.html and download latest release and associated PGP signature (found under “or download the OpenPGP signature”) to `~/Downloads` folder. ### Step 6: verify Tails release (learn how [here](../how-to-verify-pgp-digital-signatures-using-gnupg-on-macos)) > Heads-up: replace `4.29` with [latest release](https://tails.boum.org/install/download/index.en.html) semver. ```console $ gpg --verify ~/Downloads/tails-amd64-4.29.img.sig gpg: assuming signed data in '/Users/sunknudsen/Downloads/tails-amd64-4.29.img' gpg: Signature made Mon 4 Apr 08:10:52 2022 EDT gpg: using RSA key 753F901377A309F2731FA33F7BFBD2B902EE13D0 gpg: Good signature from "Tails developers (offline long-term identity key) " [unknown] gpg: aka "Tails developers " [unknown] gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature! gpg: There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner. Primary key fingerprint: A490 D0F4 D311 A415 3E2B B7CA DBB8 02B2 58AC D84F Subkey fingerprint: 753F 9013 77A3 09F2 731F A33F 7BFB D2B9 02EE 13D0 ``` Good signature 👍 ### Step 7: copy Tails to USB flash drive or SD card > **WARNING: BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN RUNNING `DD` AS DATA CAN BE PERMANENTLY DESTROYED (BEGINNERS SHOULD CONSIDER USING [BALENAETCHER](https://www.balena.io/etcher/) INSTEAD).** > Heads-up: run `diskutil list` to find disk ID of USB flash drive or SD card to overwrite with Tails (`disk4` in the following example). > Heads-up: replace `diskn` and `rdiskn` with disk ID of USB flash drive or SD card (`disk4` and `rdisk4` in the following example) and `tails-amd64-4.29.img` with current image. ```console $ diskutil list /dev/disk0 (internal): #: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER 0: GUID_partition_scheme 500.3 GB disk0 1: Apple_APFS_ISC 524.3 MB disk0s1 2: Apple_APFS Container disk3 494.4 GB disk0s2 3: Apple_APFS_Recovery 5.4 GB disk0s3 /dev/disk3 (synthesized): #: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER 0: APFS Container Scheme - +494.4 GB disk3 Physical Store disk0s2 1: APFS Volume Macintosh HD 15.3 GB disk3s1 2: APFS Snapshot com.apple.os.update-... 15.3 GB disk3s1s1 3: APFS Volume Preboot 412.4 MB disk3s2 4: APFS Volume Recovery 807.3 MB disk3s3 5: APFS Volume Data 386.2 GB disk3s5 6: APFS Volume VM 2.1 GB disk3s6 /dev/disk4 (external, physical): #: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER 0: FDisk_partition_scheme *32.1 GB disk4 1: Windows_NTFS Untitled 32.1 GB disk4s1 $ sudo diskutil unmount /dev/diskn disk4 was already unmounted or it has a partitioning scheme so use "diskutil unmountDisk" instead $ sudo diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskn (if previous step fails) Unmount of all volumes on disk4 was successful $ sudo dd bs=1m if=$HOME/Downloads/tails-amd64-4.29.img of=/dev/rdiskn 1147+0 records in 1147+0 records out 1202716672 bytes transferred in 50.591479 secs (23773108 bytes/sec) $ sudo diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskn Unmount of all volumes on disk4 was successful ``` 👍 ## Guide (Debian-based operating system) ### Step 1: install dependencies ```console $ sudo apt update $ sudo apt install curl gnupg ``` ### Step 2: import “Tails developers” PGP public key ```console $ curl https://tails.boum.org/tails-signing.key | gpg --import % Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed 100 1341k 100 1341k 0 0 517k 0 0:00:02 0:00:02 --:--:-- 517k gpg: key DBB802B258ACD84F: 2172 signatures not checked due to missing keys gpg: key DBB802B258ACD84F: public key "Tails developers (offline long-term identity key) " imported gpg: Total number processed: 1 gpg: imported: 1 gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found ``` imported: 1 👍 ### Step 3: set Tails release semver environment variable > Heads-up: replace `4.29` with [latest release](https://tails.boum.org/install/download/index.en.html) semver. ```shell TAILS_RELEASE_SEMVER=4.29 ``` ### Step 4: download Tails release ```console $ curl --fail --location --remote-name https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/tails/stable/tails-amd64-${TAILS_RELEASE_SEMVER}/tails-amd64-${TAILS_RELEASE_SEMVER}.img $ curl --fail --location --remote-name https://tails.boum.org/torrents/files/tails-amd64-${TAILS_RELEASE_SEMVER}.img.sig ``` ### Step 5: verify Tails release (learn how [here](../how-to-verify-pgp-digital-signatures-using-gnupg-on-macos)) ```console $ gpg --verify tails-amd64-${TAILS_RELEASE_SEMVER}.img.sig gpg: assuming signed data in 'tails-amd64-4.29.img' gpg: Signature made Mon 04 Apr 2022 08:10:52 AM EDT gpg: using RSA key 753F901377A309F2731FA33F7BFBD2B902EE13D0 gpg: Good signature from "Tails developers (offline long-term identity key) " [unknown] gpg: aka "Tails developers " [unknown] gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature! gpg: There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner. Primary key fingerprint: A490 D0F4 D311 A415 3E2B B7CA DBB8 02B2 58AC D84F Subkey fingerprint: 753F 9013 77A3 09F2 731F A33F 7BFB D2B9 02EE 13D0 ``` Good signature 👍 ### Step 6: copy Tails to USB flash drive or SD card > **WARNING: BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN RUNNING `DD` AS DATA CAN BE PERMANENTLY DESTROYED (BEGINNERS SHOULD CONSIDER USING [BALENAETCHER](https://www.balena.io/etcher/) INSTEAD).** > Heads-up: run `sudo fdisk --list` to find device name of USB flash drive or SD card to overwrite with Tails (`sda` in the following example). > Heads-up: replace `sdn` with device name of USB flash drive or SD card (`sda` in the following example). ```console $ sudo fdisk --list Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 931.51 GiB, 1000204886016 bytes, 1953525168 sectors Disk model: Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 1TB Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disklabel type: gpt Disk identifier: F053B657-4758-4775-98B1-27256D3B46C9 Device Start End Sectors Size Type /dev/nvme0n1p1 2048 1050623 1048576 512M EFI System /dev/nvme0n1p2 1050624 2050047 999424 488M Linux filesystem /dev/nvme0n1p3 2050048 1953523711 1951473664 930.5G Linux filesystem Disk /dev/mapper/nvme0n1p3_crypt: 930.52 GiB, 999137738752 bytes, 1951440896 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disk /dev/mapper/debian--vg-root: 930.52 GiB, 999133544448 bytes, 1951432704 sectors Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disk /dev/sda: 29.88 GiB, 32080200192 bytes, 62656641 sectors Disk model: Flash Drive Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes Disklabel type: dos Disk identifier: 0x00000000 Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type /dev/sda1 2048 62656511 62654464 29.9G 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT $ sudo umount /dev/sdn* umount: /dev/sda: not mounted. umount: /dev/sda1: not mounted. $ sudo dd bs=1M if=tails-amd64-${TAILS_RELEASE_SEMVER}.img of=/dev/sdn 1147+0 records in 1147+0 records out 1202716672 bytes (1.2 GB, 1.1 GiB) copied, 62.9469 s, 19.1 MB/s ``` 👍