Ticket [[!tails_ticket 8578]],

This page summarizes resources we provide, to aid in your research on Tails.

Based on Debian GNU/Linux, working on Tails is mostly glue work, based on research and existing software.

We'd like to work with the academic research community in order to solve some open research questions that exist for live distributions like Tails. This page consists of various open ended research problems we'd like to see resolved.

When you are working on a research problem that you think is interesting for the Tails project. Please talk to us. The *earlier* the **better** so we can help you make the *right* assumptions.

When you worked on a problem, please let us know and we'll list your work on a page on our website.

The best way to reach us is through the [tails-dev](https://mailman.boum.org/listinfo/tails-dev/) mailing list.

## Research ideas

 * [Randomness seeding](https://tails.boum.org/blueprint/randomness_seeding/)
 * [Persistent Tor state](https://tails.boum.org/blueprint/persistent_Tor_state/)
 * [Time syncing](https://tails.boum.org/blueprint/robust_time_syncing/)

If you have an idea yourself and would like to propose it, please write to us through the tails-dev mailing list.

## User interface

If you're an user interface designer you might be delighted to hear that we have a [mailing list](https://tails.boum.org/contribute/how/user_interface/) targeted at you!

Our page on [improving](https://tails.boum.org/contribute/how/user_interface/) the Tails user interface might also interest you.

## User experience

In the context of Tails, there are some interesting problems that touch upon user experience and usable security. The following points might be an interesting point to start from.

- [Tails Installer](https://tails.boum.org/install/)
- XXX find more projects



We have a mailing list dedicated to UX/UI that's called the [Tails-UX](https://mailman.boum.org/listinfo/tails-ux) mailing list. 

This is the place where you would want to subscribe, if you're interested in the process of reviewing and/or proposing changes in this area.

## How to get involved

You picked your project, you're ready to go, now, what do you do? 

Now would be the right time to create an account on the [bug tracker](labs.riseup.net/code/projects/tails) so you can update the ticket and assign it to yourself.

Sent an email to the [tails-dev](https://mailman.boum.org/listinfo/tails-dev/) mailing list with who you are, what you're going to work on. This is also the best medium to ask questions when you're stuck or to start discussions.

Here's an handy link with a start on how to start [hacking on Tails](https://tails.boum.org/contribute/how/code/#index6h1).

# Other communities

## Research on Tor

The Tor Project has a page dedicated to open open research questions that they face. Any problem that is solved at Tor, we benefit from and we very much welcome contributions to Tor.

[Tor project Research](https://research.torproject.org/) 

## Academic communities
The questions posed by Tails might me of interest for researchers from various fields. A list of potentially interested communities that we are aware of can be seen below.

 * Anonymity researchers - [PETS](http://petsymposium.org/)
 * Usable Privacy and Security - [SOUPS](https://cups.cs.cmu.edu/soups/index.html)
 * Computer science in various fields - [USENIX](https://www.usenix.org/conferences)

## Other reasonably secure operating systems
Often, the reasonably secure operating systems faces similar challenges. Maybe solutions that we can come up with and implement, are interesting for these other projects. We could share time and resources if they're willing.

An interesting platform to discuss this would be the [Secure OS](https://secure-os.org/) desktops mailing list.
