[[!meta title="Tails report for October, 2013"]]

Releases
========

Tails 0.21 [[was released|news/version_0.21]] on October 29.

Tails 0.22 is
[scheduled](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-September/003718.html)
for December 11.

Metrics
=======

- Tails has been started more than 189 979 times in October.
  This makes a boot every 14 seconds on average.
- 15 226 downloads of the OpenPGP signature of Tails ISO.
- 86 reports were received through WhisperBack.

Code
====

- Andres Gomez Ramirez proposed an
  [initial patch](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003810.html)
  to warn when caps-lock in on in the Greeter ([[!tails_ticket 5917]]).
- We had a low-hanging fruits session [on October 12](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003860.html),
  and malaparte couldn't stop in the end :)
- Some issues were fixed for the migration to [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  feature/wheezy desc="Tails Wheezy"]] ([[!tails_ticket 6015]]).
- The branch for SD cards support wired via [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  feature/sdio desc="SDIO"]] was merged ([[!tails_ticket 6324]]).
- Some [[!tails_gitweb_branch feature/vagrant-libvirt desc="initial
  work"]] to build Tails with vagrant-libvirt was done
  ([[blueprint|blueprint/vagrant-libvirt]], [[!tails_ticket 6212]]).
- A [[!tails_gitweb_branch feature/stronger-gnupg-cipher
  desc="branch"]] to use stronger ciphers in GnuPG was prepared
  and merged.
- Kevin C. Krinke is [working
  on](https://git-tails.immerda.ch/kevin/clock/) a clock applet that
  allows displays local time, while keeping UTC as the
  system timezone.
- [[!tails_gitweb_branch test/fix-detection-of-used-display]]
  was merged.
- [[!tails_gitweb_branch feature/Debian-proposed-updates]] was merged,
  and reverted after the Squeeze point-release was out.
- Tails now uses the [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  feature/same-startpage-custom-url-as-tbb desc="same custom Startpage
  URL as the TBB"]].
- The ikiwiki setup was [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  feature/simplify_ikiwiki_setup desc="simplified"]].
- Some [[!tails_gitweb_branch feature/persistent_printers
  desc="fixes"]] to the persistent printers feature were prepared
  and merged.
- A web browser resizing bug was [partially
  fixed](https://git-tails.immerda.ch/torbutton/tag/?id=debian/1.5.2-2)
  ([[!tails_ticket 6377]]).
- Now installing Linux 3.10.x [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  feature/linux-3.10.11 desc="from Debian testing"]].
- The [[!tails_gitweb_branch security/vidalia_in_its_own_user
  desc="branch"]] to run Vidalia as its own user was polished and
  merged. Too bad nobody detected at RC stage the regression it
  brought, that made its way into Tails 0.21. Did we mention you
  should test our release candidates?
- The branch [[!tails_gitweb_branch feature/consistent-peristence-path
  desc="branch"]] to have a consistent path to the persistent volume
  mountpoint was polished and merged ([[!tails_ticket 5854]]).
- The work towards MAC spoofing [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  feature/spoof-mac desc="went on"]].
- Various regressions detected in 0.21~rc1 were fixed in time for the
  0.21 final release. Not all, unfortunately.
- Some [[!tails_gitweb_branch feature/ff24 desc="initial work"]] was
  done towards the migration to Torbutton 1.6.x ([[!tails_ticket
  6371]]) and Firefox 24 ([[!tails_ticket 6370]]).
- A [[!debbug 725779 desc="plan"]] was proposed to fix OTR protocol
  downgrade in Debian Squeeze and Wheezy.
- Some build-dependencies for Tails software were uploaded to Debian,
  and accepted:
  [[!debpts libdist-zilla-plugin-test-notabs-perl]],
  [[!debpts libdist-zilla-plugin-test-perl-critic-perl]] and
  [[!debpts libdist-zilla-plugin-installguide-perl]].
- An initscript for Tahoe-LAFS has been [[!debbug 652003 desc="written"]].
- killyourtv volunteered to maintain I2P in Tails.
- Incremental updates were worked on.
- [[!debpts bilibop]] 0.4.17, 0.4.17~bpo70+1, 0.4.18 and 0.4.19 were
  uploaded to Debian.
- [[!debpts mat]] 0.4-1 and 0.4.2-1 were uploaded to Debian.
- A few patches for AppArmor profiles were submitted upstream.

Documentation and website
=========================

- The [[contribute]] section was significantly improved.
  [[!tails_ticket 6165 desc="More"]] is coming.
- The bug reporting workflow [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  doc/improve_bug_reporting_workflow desc="was improved"]].
- [The first round of cleaning the forum is over!](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003910.html).
- The Front Desk role [[was documented|contribute/working_together/roles/front_desk]].
- Public meetings notes are [[now online|contribute/meetings]].
- Drafts were proposed to:
  * [point to newbie-friendly Git
    documentation](https://git-tails.immerda.ch/mercedes508/tails/log/?h=doc/newbie_git_doc_links).
- Documentation was added to explain:
  * [[!tails_gitweb_branch doc/additional_software_and_tor
    desc="that (almost any) additional software cannot connect without Tor"]];
  * [[!tails_gitweb_branch doc/explain_why_Tor_is_slow desc="why Tor is slow"]]
    ([[!tails_ticket 5641]]);
  * [[!tails_gitweb_branch doc/explain_path_for_claws_mail_persistent desc="how to make Claws Mail persistence cover email retrieved over POP3"]];
  * [that OpenPGP keyring can be made persistent](https://git-tails.immerda.ch/mercedes508/tails/log/?h=doc/gpgapplet_gnupg_persistence)
    in the OpenPGP applet documentation ([[!tails_ticket 6332]]);
  * [[!tails_gitweb_branch doc/using_a_virtual_keyboard desc="how to use a virtual keyboard"]].
- Some [[!tails_ticket 5797 desc="logo proposals"]] were sent by
  Andrew Pilkington from Picasso Fish.
- A new team proposed to maintain the [translation in
  German](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-l10n/2013-October/000718.html).

Infrastructure
==============

- A pbuilder chroot to build Iceweasel 24 was prepared.
- A donation of UEFI hardware was proposed by
  [ThinkPenguin.com](https://www.thinkpenguin.com/) and should be
  finalized soon. Thank you!
- We now have a bot on IRC that displays the description of mentioned
  tickets. Thank you, weasel!
- All our tickets were looked at and triaged.

On-going discussions
====================

- Adding a [clock](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003762.html)
  [applet](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003992.html).
- [MAC address spoofing](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003835.html)
- [Installing caff or monkeysign](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003767.html)
  ([[!tails_ticket 6338]])
- [The future of TrueCrypt implementations in Tails](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003790.html)
  ([[!tails_ticket 5373]])
- [Bitcoin in Tails](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003773.html)
- [uVirtus design](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003828.html)
- [Making the system partition bigger](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003857.html)
- [Timing of the move to FF24](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003885.html)
- [Tor Launcher in Tails?](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003935.html)
- [Using version instead of release in APT preferences?](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003972.html)
- [Roles description for contribute section](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-October/003984.html)

Outreach
========

- A talk about Tails [was
  held](http://www.irill.org/events/tails-confidentialite-et-anonymat-pour-tous-et-partout)
  in Paris. Thanks to Stefano Zacchiroli for organizing it, and to
  IRILL for hosting it!

Funding
=======

- We have sent proposals to sponsors Echo and Hotel.
- We have been approached for a funding proposal by sponsor Golf.
- We read a lot and got in touch with various people to gather enough
  information to decide if we're going to create a dedicated
  non-profit organization for Tails, or use another existing one as
  our fiscal sponsor.

Press and testimonials
======================

* 2013-10-15: [CRYPTO-GRAM, October 15,
  2013](http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram-1310.html) —
  Bruce Schneier: "One thing I didn't do, although it's worth considering, is
  use a stateless operating system like Tails. You can configure Tails with a
  persistent volume to save your data, but no operating system changes are ever
  saved. Booting Tails from a read-only DVD -- you can keep your data on an
  encrypted USB stick -- is even more secure. Of course, this is not foolproof,
  but it greatly reduces the potential avenues for attack."
