[[!meta title="Tails report for April, 2014"]]

Releases
========

Tails 1.0 was released on April 29.

Metrics
=======

- Tails has been started more than 292 595 times in April.
  This make 9 753 boots a day in average.
- 35 029 downloads of the OpenPGP signature of Tails ISO.
- 105 reports were received through WhisperBack.

Code
====

* Quite some work was put into adapting Tails to Debian 7 (Wheezy).
  The result will be released on June 10, as Tails 1.1.
  - Thanks to the amazing work done in Debian by Ulrike, we are
    [[!tails_gitweb_branch
    feature/6608-OpenPGP-signature-verification-in-Nautilus
    desc="almost there"]] when it comes to adding back support for
    OpenPGP signature verification in Nautilus ([[!tails_ticket
    6608]]).
  - The Vagrant setup was [[!tails_gitweb_branch
    bugfix/vagrant-ram-bump-for-wheezy desc="fixed"]] to allow
    building Tails/Wheezy images in RAM ([[!tails_ticket 7132]]).
  - Synaptic was made to [[!tails_gitweb_branch
    bugfix/7055-drop-default-APT-release desc="start again"]] on
    Wheezy ([[!tails_ticket 7055]]).
  - The Debian Mozilla team's repository used on the devel branch
    [[!tails_gitweb_branch bugfix/use-Wheezy-repo-for-debian-mozilla
    desc="was updated"]] for Wheezy ([[!tails_ticket 7063]]).
  - The latest version of the MAT [[!tails_gitweb_branch
    feature/mat-0.5.2 desc="is now installed"]] ([[!tails_ticket
    5792]]).
  - Initial progress [[!tails_gitweb_branch
    feature/6342-update-camouflage-for-gnome3 desc="was made"]] to
    update the Windows camouflage.
    [[!tails_ticket 6342]]
* The APT suite being used when building from the stable branch
  [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  bugfix/7022-use-stable-APT-suite-when-building-from-stable-branch
  desc="was corrected"]] ([[!tails_ticket 7022]]).
* The new logo [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  feature/7096-integrate-the-new-logo-in-about-tails desc="was
  integrated"]] in the *About Tails* dialog ([[!tails_ticket 7096]]).
* Some Vagrant compatibility issues [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  bugfix/fix-vagrant-compatibility-issues desc="were fixed"]]
  ([[!tails_ticket 7134]]).
* The blacklisting of directory authority keys that have been used
  with versions of OpenSSL affected by Heartbleed
  [[!tails_gitweb_branch feature/tor-0.2.4.21-1+tails1_d70.wheezy+1
  desc="was backported"]] into our Tor packages.
* Our modified Tor Launcher [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  feature/tor-launcher-0.2.5.3 desc="was updated"]] to avoid
  [[!tails_ticket 6934 desc="pretending that we ship a default set of bridges"]].
* I2P [[!tails_gitweb_branch bugfix/i2p_incoming desc="was explicitly
  told"]] that it cannot receive inbound connections ([[!tails_ticket 7070]]).
* An attempt at migrating our source tree to live-build 3.x
  [[!tails_gitweb_branch feature/live-build-3.x desc="was made"]]
  ([[!tails_ticket 5691]]). It is still entirely unclear whether the
  cost/benefit ratio is worth it, especially because live-build 4.x
  has already gone quite further in terms of incompatibilities, and is
  far from being ready for prime-time yet.
* A patch to make the Greeter's help window resolution-aware was
  [proposed](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005451.html)
  ([[!tails_ticket 7009]]).
* Another proposed patch aims at fixing the Tails Installer fonts size
  on Wheezy ([[!tails_ticket 5673]]).

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

* The [[support/FAQ]] was published.
* The [[logo|promote/logo]] that [[won|news/and_the_winner_is]] the
  contest [[!tails_gitweb_branch feature/logo desc="was integrated"]]
  in the website, and on the boot loader's splash screen
  ([[!tails_ticket 7090]]).
* Some initial steps [were
  walked](https://git-tails.immerda.ch/451f/tails/log/?h=websitemodernization)
  to modernize our website's markup and CSS, including moving to HTML5
  and better responsiveness ([[!tails_ticket 7021]]).
  Compatibility with older browsers is left to be tested before we can
  apply these changes to the live website.
* Many documentation pages were deeply reworked as part of [[!tails_ticket 5977]]:
  [[!tails_gitweb_branch doc/why_tor]],
  [[!tails_gitweb_branch doc/vidalia]],
  [[!tails_gitweb_branch doc/unsafe_browser]],
  [[!tails_gitweb_branch doc/network-manager]],
  and [[!tails_gitweb_branch doc/introduction]].
* The [[homepage|index]] now [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  doc/mention-Debian-on-the-homepage desc="makes it clear"]] that
  Tails is based on Debian, Tor, and is Free software.
* The MAC spoofing documentation [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  doc/7054-explain-why-not-randomising-oui-part-of-mac desc="now explains"]]
  why we do not randomize the OUI part of MAC addresses.
* The way to update our Tor Launcher is [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  doc/bridge-mode-design desc="now documented"]].
* The I2P documentation [[!tails_gitweb_branch_kytv bugfix/I2P-page
  desc="was slightly improved"]].
* The CSS of the boxed titles was improved ([[!tails_ticket 6323]]).

Translation
===========

* The German translation team has been making great progress, and we
  are not considering dropping this language from our website anymore.
* The French translation team got a new member.
* The Italian translation team has been reviewing strings in
  Transifex, and working on their internal workflow and processes.
  There is hope that they start translating the website soon.
* A list of glossaries used by translation teams [[!tails_ticket 6968
  desc="is being compiled"]].

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

* Quite a lot of progress was made to make our automated test suite
  support Tails based on Debian Wheezy: [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  test/6559-adapt-test-suite-for-Wheezy]], [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  test/6559-adapt-test-suite-for-Wheezy-by-anonym]] ([[!tails_ticket
  6559]]).
* An automated test case [[!tails_gitweb_branch
  test/6275-boot-device-write-access-via-udisks desc="was written"]]
  to check write access to the boot device via udisks [[!tails_ticket
  6275]].
* Our Jenkins master configuration was migrated to
  a [[!tails_gitweb_repo puppet-tails desc="published module"]].
* We now install debomatic from wheezy-backports, for easier
  maintenance and a more stable infrastructure.
* Thanks to Alster's suggestion, the boum.org administrators could
  [add a few security-oriented HTTP
  headers](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005392.html)
  to our website.
* Jurre van Bergen has requested an audit by OpenITP's Peer Review
  Board ([[!tails_ticket 6889]]).
* For ethical reasons, we have renamed our *Broken Window* Redmine
  category to *Hole in the Roof*.

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

* [Improving our
  website](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005476.html)
  in various ways.
* [Making it easy to backup and restore a persistent
  volume](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005388.html)
  ([[!tails_ticket 5301]]).
* Jacob Appelbaum expressed interest in [getting a grsec-patched Linux
  kernel](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005413.html)
  into Tails. Of course, this requires doing the same in Debian, which
  is not a trivial mission.
* [Installing gimp-ufraw?](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005587.html)
* [Installing tcplay?](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005595.html)
* [Tracking Jessie-related tickets](https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2014-April/005429.html)

Funding
=======

- We are still the process of getting the contracts signed both for
  a grant we were awarded by OpenITP at the end of 2013, and for the
  Access Innovation Prize.

- We have been talking with Mozilla and Tor about supporting the Tails
  summit and hackfest, scheduled for July.

- Our proposal to the Knight Foundation News Challenge was not
  selected among the finalists. If you know why, please share your
  insight with us :)

- The [crowdfunding campaign](https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/) by
  the Freedom of the Press Foundation has made great progress. It is
  still time to donate.

Outreach
========

* A [[call for testing|news/test_UEFI]] for the upcoming UEFI support
  was published.

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

Dozens of [[press articles|press]] about Tails were written in April,
most notably:

* In [TAILS: Snowden's favorite anonymous, secure OS goes
  1.0](http://boingboing.net/2014/04/30/tails-snowdens-favorite-ano.html), Cory
  Doctorow writes "Effectively, this is the ParanoidLinux I fictionalized in my
  novel Little Brother."
* [Tails reaches 1.0](https://lwn.net/SubscriberLink/596765/380d4e75b17ea491/) by Nathan
  Willis in Linux Weekly News.
* [Anonymous OS reportedly used by Snowden reaches version 1.0](http://www.cnet.com/news/anonymous-os-reportedly-favored-by-nsa-whistle-blower-edward-snowden-reaches-version-1-0/)
  by Steven Musil in CNET.
* 2014-04-29: [This is the most secure computer you’ll ever
  own](http://www.theverge.com/2014/4/29/5664884/this-is-the-most-secure-computer-you-ll-ever-own)
  by Russell Brandom, in The Verge.
* 2014-04-23: Amaelle Guiton mentions Tails in the article [Chiffrer le Net pour
  retrouver notre vie privée en ligne: une bonne solution qui pose des
  problèmes](http://www.slate.fr/monde/86275/cyberespace-cypherspace-crypter-chiffrement-internet)
  in Slate (in French).
* 2014-04-17: Bruce Schneier writes "Nice article on the Tails
  stateless operating system. I use it." [in a blog
  post](https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2014/04/tails.html).
* 2014-04-14: In the [press
  conference](http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2014/4/11/video_glenn_greenwald_laura_poitras_q)
  she held after winning a Polk Award for her reporting on Edward Snowden and
  the NSA, Laura Poitras said "We just published a blog about a tool that's
  called Tails, which is a operating system that runs on either USB stick or SD
  disc, that is a sort of all-in-one encryption tool that you can use for PGP
  and encryption. And it's just really secure. [...] So, it's a really important
  tool for journalists."
* 2014-04-14: [Out in the Open: Inside the Operating System Edward
  Snowden Used to Evade the NSA](http://www.wired.com/2014/04/tails/)
  by Klint Finley, in Wired.
* 2014-04-02: In [Help Support the Little-Known Privacy Tool That Has
  Been Critical to Journalists Reporting on the
  NSA](https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/blog/2014/04/help-support-little-known-privacy-tool-has-been-critical-journalists-reporting-nsa)
  by Trevor Timm:
  - Laura Poitras says: "I've been reluctant to go into details about
    the different steps I took to communicate securely with Snowden to
    avoid those methods being targeted. Now that Tails gives a green
    light, I can say it has been an essential tool for reporting the
    NSA story. It is an all-in-one secure digital communication system
    (GPG email, OTR chat, Tor web browser, encrypted storage) that is
    small enough to swallow. I'm very thankful to the Tails developers
    for building this tool."
  - Glenn Greenwald says: "Tails have been vital to my ability to work
    securely on the NSA story. The more I've come to learn about
    communications security, the more central Tails has become to
    my approach."
  - Barton Gellman says: "Privacy and encryption work, but it's too
    easy to make a mistake that exposes you. Tails puts the essential
    tools in one place, with a design that makes it hard to screw them
    up. I could not have talked to Edward Snowden without this kind of
    protection. I wish I'd had it years ago."
