# How to install Tails on USB flash drive or SD card on macOS [](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 Catalina or Big Sur ## Caveats - When copy/pasting commands that start with `$`, strip out `$` as this character is not part of the command ## Guide ### Step 1: install [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) ```shell /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 ``` ### 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 1334k 100 1334k 0 0 92536 0 0:00:14 0:00:14 --:--:-- 212k 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 0x4E2C6E8793298290: no user ID for key signature packet of class 10 gpg: key 0x4E2C6E8793298290: no user ID for key signature packet of class 12 gpg: key 0x4E2C6E8793298290: no user ID for key signature packet of class 12 gpg: marginals needed: 3 completes needed: 1 trust model: pgp gpg: depth: 0 valid: 3 signed: 0 trust: 0-, 0q, 0n, 0m, 0f, 3u ``` 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 `4.19` with [latest release](https://tails.boum.org/install/download/index.en.html) semver. ```console $ gpg --verify ~/Downloads/tails-amd64-4.19.img.sig gpg: assuming signed data in '/Users/sunknudsen/Downloads/tails-amd64-4.18.img' gpg: Signature made Mon 19 Apr 11:30:01 2021 EDT gpg: using EDDSA key CD4D4351AFA6933F574A9AFB90B2B4BD7AED235F 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: CD4D 4351 AFA6 933F 574A 9AFB 90B2 B4BD 7AED 235F ``` Good signature 👍 ### Step 7: copy Tails to USB flash drive or SD card > WARNING: DO NOT RUN THE FOLLOWING COMMANDS AS-IS. Run `diskutil list` to find disk ID of USB flash drive or SD card to overwrite with Tails (`disk2` in the following example). Replace `diskn` and `rdiskn` with disk ID of USB flash drive or SD card (`disk2` and `rdisk2` in the following example) and `tails-amd64-4.18.img` with current image. ```console $ diskutil list /dev/disk0 (internal, physical): #: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER 0: GUID_partition_scheme *500.3 GB disk0 1: EFI EFI 209.7 MB disk0s1 2: Apple_APFS Container disk1 500.1 GB disk0s2 /dev/disk1 (synthesized): #: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER 0: APFS Container Scheme - +500.1 GB disk1 Physical Store disk0s2 1: APFS Volume Macintosh HD - Data 340.9 GB disk1s1 2: APFS Volume Preboot 85.9 MB disk1s2 3: APFS Volume Recovery 529.0 MB disk1s3 4: APFS Volume VM 3.2 GB disk1s4 5: APFS Volume Macintosh HD 11.3 GB disk1s5 /dev/disk2 (internal, physical): #: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER 0: FDisk_partition_scheme *15.9 GB disk2 1: Windows_FAT_32 boot 268.4 MB disk2s1 2: Linux 15.7 GB disk2s2 $ sudo diskutil unmount /dev/diskn disk2 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 disk2 was successful $ sudo dd bs=1m if=$HOME/Downloads/tails-amd64-4.18.img of=/dev/rdiskn 1131+0 records in 1131+0 records out 1185939456 bytes transferred in 44.708618 secs (26525970 bytes/sec) $ sudo diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskn Unmount of all volumes on disk2 was successful ``` 👍