A tutorial on how to install the Tails anonymous operating system on a Windows Pc and set up and use encrypted email. Click the above image for the video tutorial.
Installing Tails on a Windows Pc:
- Download the newest version of Tails https://tails.boum.org/download/index.en.html
Verify Tails (optional):
- Instructions on how to verify the signature can be found here: https://tails.boum.org/download/#index3h1
Burn a Disc image of Tails:
- Right click on the Tails image, select “Burn Disc Image”
Start up Tails:
- Shut down your computer and log into BIOS:
- If you don’t know the short cut to access Bios, search for “(name of manufacturer of your computer) Bios access keys”
- Press Bios access key on restart and change the boot sequence in the boot menu, so your disc drive is at the top.
- “Save and Exit” Bios.
- Tails should start up automatically from the DVD.
- Login to tails, for “more options” choose “no” (unless you want to install additional software.)
- You can now connect to the internet and surf anonymously.
Installing tails on a USB flash drive:
- Insert USB flash device (8gb or larger).
- Launch the Tails Installer (Applications/Tails/Tails Installer)
- Select “Clone and Install”.
- Select your USB flash device in the dropdown menu.
- Press “install Tails”.
- Restart Tails.
- Log back into Bios and change the boot sequence to your USB port.
- Save and Exit.
- Tails should start from the USB device.
- Login to Tails.
Create a persistent volume to save preferences etc:
- Launch Configure Persistent Volume (Applications/Tails/Configure Persistent Volume)
- Enter a password and select “create”.
- For a list of the persistent volume features see: https://tails.boum.org/doc/first_steps/persistence/configure/index.en.html
- Restart Tails.
- Enter your persistent volume password and login.
- Your configurations and passwords should now be saved to the USB device.
Adding your email account to Claws Mail:
- If you don’t have a safe email account, sign up to mykolab or torguard etc or see if you can get a riseup account.
- Open Claws mail (Icon is situated in the Debian toolbar)
- Add your name (or pseudonym) and your email address. Select “Forward”.
- Search for your email provider’s “client configuration”. Fill out the server address “imap.(email provider).com”, and your email address and password. Select your email clients encryption type. This should be specified on their client configuration page.
- Enter the server address again into the “IMAP server directory.” Select “Forward.”
- Enter the “SMTP server address” and SSL type. Select “Forward.”
- You should now be able to send and receive email.
If you can’t send emails try the following:
- Open your Email Account Preferences (Configuration/Preferences for current account)
- Select “Send” on the left hand pane, and in the “Authentication method” dropdown box select “Login”. Enter your email address and password.
- Go to “Advanced”, select the “SMTP port” and “IMAP port”. Make a note of the numbers.
- Open your web browser and search for “IMAP port (name of your email provider)”. Check the IMAP and SMTP ports correspond to the ones you just noted, if not change them.
- Press “Apply”, and “Ok”.
Set up PGP:
- Generate a new key pair, open your Account Preferences (Configuration/Preferences for current account). Select “GPG” on the left-hand pane under “Plugins”.
- Select “Generate a new key pair.” Enter a password for your PGP key. Generate the keys.
- If you want other people to be able to find your key pair online, select “Yes” to export your key to a keyserver.
- To add a contact’s public key to your key library open Passwords and Encryption Keys. (System/Preferences/Passwords and Encryption Keys)
- Select “Other Keys”, and press the “Search” icon.
- Enter your contacts email address and select “Search”.
- Highlight your contact and select the “Import” icon.
Using PGP encryption:
- Compose your email.
- Select the encryption type (Options/Privacy System/PGP Inline). (Only use PGP Mime if you know your recipients email client supports this.)
- Go to “Options” and highlight “Sign” and “Encrypt”.
- To send the email you need to enter the password for your key.
The End