[[!meta title="Download, verify and install"]] Tails is [[Free Software|doc/about/license]], you can download it, use it and share it without restriction.
Then, check first the [[about]] and [[warning|doc/about/warning]] pages to make sure that Tails is the right tool for you and that you understand well its limitations.
You will download Tails in the form of an [[!wikipedia ISO_image desc="ISO image"]]: a single file that you will later burn on a DVD or install onto a USB stick or SD card.
Tails [[!inline pages="inc/stable_i386_version" raw="yes"]] ISO image
If you're not sure what the cryptographic signature is, please read the part on [[verifying the ISO image|download#verify]].
If you're running a web server, you're most welcome to help us spread Tails by [[setting up a web mirror|contribute/how/mirror]].
Tails [[!inline pages="inc/stable_i386_version" raw="yes"]] torrent
The cryptographic signature of the ISO image is also included in the Torrent.
Additionally, you can verify the signature of the Torrent file itself before downloading it.
Seeding back the image once you have downloaded it is also a nice and easy way of helping spread Tails.
It is important to check the [[!wikipedia Data_integrity desc="integrity"]] of the ISO image you downloaded to make sure that the download went well.
Those techniques rely on standard HTTPS and [[!wikipedia Certificate_authority desc="certificate authorities"]] to make you trust the content of this website. But, [[as explained on our warning page|doc/about/warning#man-in-the-middle]], you could still be victim of a man-in-the-middle attack while using HTTPS. On this website as much as on any other of the Internet.
As a consequence, they don't provide you with a strong way of checking the ISO image [[!wikipedia Authentication desc="authenticity"]] and making sure you downloaded a genuine Tails. In a dedicated section, we will propose you some more advanced techniques to check the authenticity of the ISO image.
All Tails ISO image are cryptographically signed by our OpenPGP key. OpenPGP is a standard for data encryption that provides cryptographic privacy and authentication through the use of keys owned by its users. Checking this signature is the recommended way of checking the ISO image integrity.
If you already know how to use an OpenPGP key you can download it straight away:
[[!inline pages="lib/download_tails_signing_key" raw="yes"]]Otherwise, read our instructions to check the ISO image integrity:
The Tails signing key that you downloaded from this website could be a fake one if you were victim of a [[man-in-the-middle attack|doc/about/warning#man-in-the-middle]].
Finding a way of trusting better Tails signing key would allow you to authenticate better the ISO image you downloaded. The following page will give you hints on how to increase the trust you can put in the Tails signing key you downloaded:
If you already have an older version of Tails installed onto a USB stick or SD card, follow the [[upgrade instructions|doc/first_steps/upgrade]] from the documentation.
You can either burn Tails onto a DVD or install it onto a USB stick or SD card.
For detailed instructions on how to burn an ISO image under Linux, Windows or Mac OS X you can consult the corresponding Ubuntu documentation: just replace the Ubuntu ISO image by the Tails ISO image you downloaded and ignore the part on verifying the data integrity since you've already done that.
The content of the device will be lost in the operation.
[[See the corresponding documentation.|doc/first_steps/installation]]
It's very important to keep your version of Tails up-to-date, otherwise your system will be vulnerable to numerous security holes. The development team is doing its best to release new versions fixing known security holes on a regular basis.
New versions are announced on our news mailing-list. Drop your email address into this box, then hit the button to subscribe:
There also are RSS and Atom feeds that announce new available BitTorrent files.
Refer to our [[security announcements|/security]] feed for more detailed information about the security holes affecting Tails. Furthermore you will be automatically notified of the security holes affecting the version you are using at the startup of a new Tails session.
Since Tails is based on Debian, it takes advantage of all the work done by the Debian security team. As quoted from (http://security.debian.org/):
Debian takes security very seriously. We handle all security problems brought to our attention and ensure that they are corrected within a reasonable timeframe. Many advisories are coordinated with other free software vendors and are published the same day a vulnerability is made public and we also have a Security Audit team that reviews the archive looking for new or unfixed security bugs.
Experience has shown that "security through obscurity" does not work. Public disclosure allows for more rapid and better solutions to security problems. In that vein, this page addresses Debian's status with respect to various known security holes, which could potentially affect Debian.
Now that you have a Tails device you can shutdown your computer and start using Tails without altering your existing operating system.
If you are using a DVD: Put the Tails DVD into the CD/DVD-drive and restart the computer. You should see a welcome screen prompting you to choose your language.
If you don't get this menu, you can consult the Ubuntu documentation about booting from the CD for more information, especially the part on the BIOS settings.
If you are using a USB stick or SD card: Shutdown the computer, plug your device and start the computer. You should see a welcome screen prompting you to choose your language.
If your computer does not automatically do so, you might need to edit the BIOS settings. Restart your computer, and watch for a message telling you which key to press to enter the BIOS setup. It will usually be one of F1, F2, DEL, ESC or F10. Press this key while your computer is booting to edit your BIOS settings. You need to edit the Boot Order. Depending on your computer you should see an entry for 'removable drive' or 'USB media'. Move this to the top of the list to force the computer to attempt to start from your device before starting from the internal hard disk. Save your changes and continue.
For more detailed instruction on how to boot from USB you can read About.com: How To Boot your Computer from a Bootable USB Device
If you have problems accessing the BIOS, try to read pendrivelinux.com: How to Access BIOS