# 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 Big Sur or Monterey ## 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/) ```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 1451k 0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:-- 1450k 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: 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)) Replace `4.25` with [latest release](https://tails.boum.org/install/download/index.en.html) semver. ```console $ gpg --verify ~/Downloads/tails-amd64-4.25.img.sig gpg: assuming signed data in '/Users/sunknudsen/Downloads/tails-amd64-4.25.img' gpg: Signature made Mon 6 Dec 11:19:38 2021 EST gpg: using RSA key 05469FB85EAD6589B43D41D3D21DAD38AF281C0B 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: 0546 9FB8 5EAD 6589 B43D 41D3 D21D AD38 AF28 1C0B ``` 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 (`disk4` in the following example). Replace `diskn` and `rdiskn` with disk ID of USB flash drive or SD card (`disk4` and `rdisk4` in the following example) and `tails-amd64-4.25.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 328.4 MB disk3s2 4: APFS Volume Recovery 815.1 MB disk3s3 5: APFS Volume Data 439.3 GB disk3s5 6: APFS Volume VM 7.5 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-amd64-4.25.img of=/dev/rdiskn 1139+0 records in 1139+0 records out 1194328064 bytes transferred in 49.463690 secs (24145551 bytes/sec) $ sudo diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskn Unmount of all volumes on disk4 was successful ``` 👍