A month after the previousย 6.3 release, Tails 6.4 is out, much to the excitement of individuals passionate about online privacy. As an acronym for The Amnesic Incognito Live System, it is a Debian-based Linux distribution that helps users stay anonymous online.
Tails 6.4: Key Updates
The highlight feature in Tails 6.4 is the addition of a random seed stored on the USB stick, a move designed to bolster the cryptography across the system. This enhancement addresses the critical need for a secure random number generator, essential for various cryptographic functions within Tails, including Persistent Storage, Tor, and HTTPS protocols.
The random seed is strategically stored outside of the Persistent Storage to ensure that all users benefit from stronger cryptographic protections regardless of their individual configurations.
Tails 6.4 also marks a significant shift in how the system accesses updates and packages. The operating system has transitioned from using onion addresses to HTTPS addresses for the Debian and Tails APT repositories.
Further updates include the latest versions of key applications:
- Tor Browser has been updated to 13.0.16, ensuring users have the latest privacy enhancements and security fixes.
- Tor client is now at version 0.4.8.12, improving connectivity and stability.
- Thunderbird has been upgraded to 115.12.0, bringing new features and bug fixes to the email client.
Moreover, Tails 6.4 also addresses several issues identified in previous versions:
- Enhancements to the Persistent Storage unlocking process, fixing bugs that users encountered.
- Improved connectivity with mobile broadband networks on certain hardware.
- Restoration of the PDF reader in Thunderbird was disabled in the previous version for security concerns.
- A refined error message for the Tails Cloner utility when USB unmounting issues occur.
- An updated homepage setting for Tor Browser to eliminate error messages when using the New Identity feature.
- Remove redundant dialogs when unlocking VeraCrypt volumes, streamlining the process.
Tails 6.4 offers automatic upgrades from version 6.0 or later for existing users. Users are encouraged to perform a manual upgrade to the latest version to conserve bandwidth and reduce the size of future downloads.
A manual upgrade is recommended if users face issues with automatic upgrades or if Tails does not start correctly post-upgrade.
Those interested in the technical details and the complete list of changes can refer to theย release announcementย or visit the fullย changelog.
