% Tails needs Debian  
  (and the other way around?)
% intrigeri
% August, 2014

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What Tails is
=============

What's in a name
----------------

**T**he **a**mnesic **i**ncognito **l**ive **s**ystem

<https://tails.boum.org/>

A Live operating system
-----------------------

* works on (almost) any x86 computer
* boots off a DVD, a USB stick, or a SD card
* based on Debian ♥

Preserving privacy and anonymity #1
-----------------------------------

* use the Internet anonymously, circumvent censorship:  
  all connections to the Internet are forced to go through the Tor network
* leave no trace on the computer you are using unless you ask it
  explicitly

Preserving privacy and anonymity #2
-----------------------------------

* desktop cryptographic tools:  
  encrypt files, email and instant messaging  
  metadata anonymization (<https://packages.d.o/mat>)
* media production tools:  
  sound, video, office publishing, graphics...

Usability = a security feature
------------------------------

> * yes, _you_ may be able to protect yourself
> * but privacy and security = collective matters
> * if only tech-savvy users can use our stuff,  
>   then the others will use something worse,  
>   and _collectively_ we've lost.

Other features
--------------

* first release in 2009
* translated into many languages
* Free Software, public and open development:  
  Git, Redmine, meetings and roadmap
* specs and design documentation: <https://tails.boum.org/contribute/design/>

And... it works?
----------------

> * According to the NSA, yes:  
>   _(S//REL) Tails: Complete Bootable OS on CD for anonymity - includes Tor  
>    (S//REL) Adds Severe CNE misery to equation_  
>   (Thanks to a famous Tails user for providing these documents.)
> * Bruce Schneier, December 2013:  
>   _What do I trust? I trust, I trust Tails, I trust GPG [...]_  
>   _I don't use Linux. (Shhh. Don't tell anyone.)  
>    Although I have started using Tails_

## Userbase

* broad and diverse

Challenges
==========

## Cadence

> - preparing a release takes 6-10 solid days of work
> - new release every 6 weeks + a RC 1-2 weeks before

## Popularity

in July:

- 11.5k boots a day  
  (doubles every 6-12 months, since years)
- 35k downloads of the OpenPGP signature of Tails ISO
- ⇒ increasing expectations

## Limited resources and time

- mostly volunteer work
- 2000 commits, by ~10 persons, on the last 6 months

## Roadmap

> * welcome more varied contributions
> * ... from more diverse people
> * make the project more sustainable
> * improve usability
> * better protect users against targeted attacks
> * more? <https://labs.riseup.net/code/projects/tails/roadmap>

Tails and its upstreams
=======================

## History lesson

* most distributions in this area have died quickly
* ⇒ focus on maintainability
* ⇒ avoid having a delta that grows too much, or too fast,  
  wrt. our upstreams

## Examples: what we did not do internally

... despite pressure:

* grsecurity
* compile-time hardening

## Examples: what we did internally

... and are in the process of sharing:

* OpenPGP applet
* erasing memory on shutdown

## Examples: what we're doing upstream

* AppArmor
* libvirt
* Seahorse
* various Debian things
* fix OTR downgrade → v1

Consequences #1
---------------

* little Tails-specific code: mostly glue work
* social work:  
  talk to upstreams  
  spread the word about our needs  
  find skilled people to do the work at the best place
* slow rhythm, despite backports

Consequences #2
---------------

And, above all...

. . .

*Tails is still alive!*

Tails needs Debian
==================

## Keep up the good work!

Debian is an awesome basis for derivatives.

Thank you ☺

## Many one-shot small tasks

* backports
* usertagged bugs (<tails-dev@boum.org>)

## Help us help Debian

* in August: 5 Tails contributors have had stuff uploaded
* more to come!
* already a few mentors and sponsors (thank you), need more

## Distro-wide improvements

* AppArmor (<https://wiki.d.o/AppArmor>)
* reproducible builds (<https://wiki.d.o/ReproducibleBuilds>)
* hardening build flags (PIE on amd64?)

## Packaging

* grsecurity kernel (Debian&#35;605090)
* packaging teams:  
  anonymity tools (<https://wiki.d.o/Teams/AnonymityTools>)  
  OTR (<https://wiki.d.o/Teams/OTR>)
* X.Org as non-root, Wayland
* systemd user sessions

## Infrastructure

* derivatives patches tracking tools
* continuous integration

## Where to start?

* <https://tails.boum.org/contribute/how/debian/>
* usertags on the Debian BTS
* tickets in our Redmine

Debian needs Tails?
===================

## How can Tails be better for Debian?

You tell me.

Contact
=======

## Talk to us

* I'm here.
* Development: **<tails-dev@boum.org>**
* Translation: **<tails-l10n@boum.org>**
* User experience:  **<tails-ux@boum.org>**
* Early testing: **<tails-testers@boum.org>**
* Project:  **<tails-project@boum.org>**
* Website: **<https://tails.boum.org/>**