Reader supplied reviews for Tails
Average rating
5.0 from 17 review(s)
Version: 5.17
Rating: 8
Date: 2023-10-20
Votes: 15
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I used Tails periodically, over the past few years, but mostly as a portable system I could carry around with me. I'm retired, so I rarely use public wifi or do anything outside of paying bills and shopping or some light gaming on my desktop or laptops.
There was a time, just a few years ago,when Tails appeared to be developing nicely, but the last three releases have all presented problems of one kind or another, all related to persistent storage. It seems to be headed in the current direction a lot of systems are, i.e., it's a black box, and you have no business configuring anything. (We've already done that for you.
Sound familiar?) With three consecutive releases, despite the newness of the USBs I used each time, after about three or four boots, it fails to recognize the password to unlock persistent storage. It won't let me in, but I can plug that same Tails USB into my desktop, which runs Pop OS, enter the appropriate pass phrase to unlock the persistent storage, and I'm there.
And the other really weird thing, I downloaded half a dozen wallpapers to take the place of that horrible blue background, only to discover nothing had been downloaded. Really. Not a single picture to be found. Twilight Zone Linux.
And, honestly, why use a huge, bloated piece of software like Gnome, (Gnome's fine, I just fail to see why they chose that particular DE) knowing how slow TOR can be at times.
Last, but not least, Tails gets released frequently enough, but the tone of the new release announcement is disturbing. Why? Because there's this sense of urgency, because "Critical" security patches and improvements have been made since the last release. Does this imply I wasn't as safe on the WWW as I thought I was the last month or so? With every release, upgrading is apparently critical, if you wish to maintain a bit of a shield against surveillance. This very reason is why I abandoned Windows years ago.
The whole idea of Tails is great, and it's got HUGE potential, and maybe others have had a different experience than I have; after all, here in the Linux universe, not all flavors work for everyone. I'll give the next release a go, and it'll be better, I'm sure. If there's a lesson we should all learn, it's get yourself current on security issues, no matter what OS you're running. At the end of the day, you're the only one who's gonna keep you safe.
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Version: 5.11
Rating: 8
Date: 2023-04-06
Votes: 7
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Some of the aspects I like:
Privacy and Anonymity: Tail OS routes internet connections through the Tor network by default, which helps users maintain their privacy and anonymity online. It prevents websites from tracking user activities and location, and it encrypts all internet traffic, making it difficult for third parties to intercept or monitor online activities.
Security: Tail OS is designed with a strong focus on security, as it is built on a Linux foundation and incorporates various security measures, such as kernel-level firewall, automatic data encryption, and secure file deletion. It also provides a hardened environment for browsing, email, and other online activities, reducing the risk of malware and other cyber threats.
Portable and Live System: Tail OS is a live system, which means it can be run from a USB drive or DVD without installation on the computer's hard drive. This makes it easy to carry and use on any computer, while leaving no traces of user activity on the host system. It's particularly useful for users who need to use public computers or want to protect their data while using a borrowed or shared device.
Free and Open Source Software (FOSS): Tail OS is free to use and is based on open source software, which means that its source code is publicly available for inspection and auditing by the community. This enhances transparency, security, and trust in the software, as it can be independently verified for any backdoors or vulnerabilities.
User-Friendly Interface: Tail OS comes with a user-friendly interface that makes it accessible even for users with limited technical expertise. It provides pre-configured applications for secure browsing, email, messaging, and file management, making it easy for users to adopt secure practices without extensive technical knowledge.
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Version: 5.11
Rating: 6
Date: 2023-03-21
Votes: 0
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Tor Browser is great for private/anonymous browsing and to have it combined with an OS on a bootable USB seemed like a really interesting idea. Well, the OS is clunky and outdated, and the Persistent Storage feature just doesn't work. Nothing ever gets saved into it. I spent a couple of hours fiddling with the configuration and rebooting and trying again. Persistent Storage is essential, otherwise you have to set your configuration every time you start and you can't retain bookmarks and file downloads from session to session.
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See all 17 reader reviews of Tails...
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