You can help Tails! The first (and hopefully only) release candidate for the upcoming version 0.18 is out. Please test it and see if all works for you.

  1. How to test Tails 0.18~rc1?
  2. What's new since 0.17.2?
  3. Known issues in 0.18~rc1

How to test Tails 0.18~rc1?

  1. Keep in mind that this is a test image. We have made sure that it is not broken in an obvious way, but it might still contain undiscovered issues.

  2. Download the ISO image and its signature:

    Tails 0.18~rc1 ISO image

    Tails 0.18~rc1 signature

  3. Verify the ISO image.

  4. Have a look at the list of known issues of this release and the list of longstanding known issues.

  5. Test wildly!

If you find anything that is not working as it should, please report to us! Bonus points if you check that it is not a known issue of this release or a longstanding known issue.

What's new since 0.17.2?

  • New features

    • Support obfs3 bridges.

    • Automatically install a custom list of additional packages chosen by the user at the beginning of every working session, and upgrade them once a network connection is established (technology preview).

  • Iceweasel

    • Update Torbrowser patches to current maint-2.4 branch (567682b).

    • Isolate DOM storage to first party URI, and enable DOM storage.

    • Isolate the image cache per url bar domain.

    • Torbutton 1.5.2, and various prefs hacks to fix breakage.

    • HTTPS Everywhere 3.2.

    • Update prefs to match the TBB's, fix bugs, and take advantage of the latest Torbrowser patches.

    • Make prefs organization closer to the TBB's.

    • Cleanup prefs.

    • Update unsafe browser prefs mangling accordingly.

  • Bugfixes

    • Fixed swapped filenames of tails-{reboot,shutdown}.desktop.

    • Only add ClientTransportPlugin to torrc when bridge mode is enabled.

  • Minor improvements

    • Set kernel.dmesg_restrict=1, and make /proc/<pid>/ invisible and restricted for other users.

    • Install gnome-screenshot.

    • Don't disable IPv6 on all network interfaces anymore.

    • Add a "About Tails" launcher in the System menu.

    • Install GNOME accessibility themes.

    • Use Getting started... as the homepage for Tails documentation button.

    • Stop relying on the obsolete /live/image compatibility symlink.

    • Disable audio preview in Nautilus.

  • Localization: many translation updates all over the place.

  • Build process

    • Make Vagrant's build-tails script support Jenkins too.

  • Test suite

    • Fix Unsafe Browser test broken by hidepid.

Known issues in 0.18~rc1

  • A number of Iceweasel prefs are not applied. This can result in a more fingerprintable web browsing behaviour than usual.
  • The Iceweasel web browser leaks some browser type information via JavaScript.

All these issues should be fixed in Tails 0.18.