Tails 0.11 : The Amnesic Incognito Live System

May 1st, 2012 (Seattle/USA)

The Tails Project (https://tails.boum.org/) is happy to announce the
release of Tails 0.11, The Amnesic Incognito Live System. Tails is an
operating system run from a DVD or USB drive that aims at preserving
privacy and anonymity. Among other improvements, this new release
includes the long-awaited support to selectively save files and
application settings, and an easier way to install and upgrade Tails
on USB sticks.

“The new 0.11 release is an important milestone in the Tails history,
and a big step towards Tails 1.0, that is scheduled for release later
this year,” said one Tails developer. “No one should have to become
computer experts to protect their privacy and online activities.
Our recent focus on ‘persistent’ files and settings finally enables
human rights workers and freedom activists, among others, to focus on
important work instead of technical details.”

When running Tails from a USB drive, users can optionally enable
persistence. The files in the persistent volume are saved securely
using strong encryption and remain available across separate working
sessions. The persistent volume can be used to store user's personal
files and working documents as well as encryption keys, programs
configurations and much more. As Tails ensure that communications are
protected by the Tor anonymity network, it is now easy to create
a pseudonymous online identity.

This is the first release in which Tails can be copied to a USB stick
in a few clicks. “Security is a social process. Now it takes about two
minutes to get Tails on a friend's USB drive,” commented another
Tails developer.

Among many other improvements, Tails 0.11 also features a brand new
graphical login screen that allows choosing among a huge list of
languages, the Traverso multitrack audio recorder and editor, and new
major versions of the Iceweasel web browser and of the Linux kernel
for better hardware support.

What is Tails?
==============

Built upon many years of work and thorough review, Tails is a computer
operating system that aims at preserving privacy and anonymity. It is
developed with the support of the Tor Project
<https://www.torproject.org/>. With human rights workers and freedom
activists in mind, Tails is based on GNU/Linux and on Debian Live
<http://live.debian.net/>, and runs directly from a DVD or USB drive
to provide a secure environment for work and communications.

As no installation or configuration is required, Tails turns virtually
any PC¹ into a secure workstation in a matter of seconds. All of its
software and hardware drivers operate independently of the computer's
usual operating system, and leave no traces after use.

Tails channels all Internet connections through the Tor anonymization
network (the I2P network is available, too) and needs to be explicitly
told of any data that should be stored permanently. Tails offers
carefully preconfigured, security-enhanced Free and Open Source
Software, including the Firefox/Iceweasel web browser, the Pidgin
Instant Messenger with the Off-The-Record encryption plugin and
built-in support for GoogleTalk, Jabber/XMMP, AIM, Yahoo and others,
the Claws mail client with OpenPGP mail encryption, the OpenOffice
suite, GIMP, Inkscape, the Scribus desktop publishing software,
Audacity, Traverso and Pitivi for sound and video editing and many
other programs (see <https://tails.boum.org/doc/about/features/> for
details).

Tails is easy to use, designed for average computer users and is
available for free download at <https://tails.boum.org/download/>.
Once downloaded, the image can be written to DVD or installed to USB
thumb drive and is immediately ready for use. From image scanners and
printers through WiFi to audio and graphics cards, Tails comes
equipped with preinstalled and preconfigured drivers for virtually all
common devices and automatically loads the right ones for
your hardware.

Tails offers a localization menu at startup. There, the user may
select their preferred language among hundreds. Most software shipped
with Tails is translated into these languages.

Contact information
===================

For further details, please refer to the Tails website at
<https://tails.boum.org/>. The Tails developers can be reached by
email using <tails@boum.org>.
 
¹ Minimum System Recommendations:
  - 1 GHz x86 processor or better
  - 1 GB of system memory (RAM) or more
  - Monitor capable of 800 by 600 or better
  - DVD Drive or a USB port
  - Rule of Thumb: if the Computer can run Microsoft Windows XP
    or newer, it can run Tails as well.


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