Whonix Documentation

Whonix ®

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• Introduction
• About
• Based on Kicksecure
• Documentation
• FAQ
• Advanced Documentation
• Support

This documentation is a crash course in anonymity and security on the Internet. Whonix is a technological means to anonymity, but staying safe necessitates complete behavioral change; it is a complex problem without an easy solution. The more you know, the safer you can be.

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Whonix Overview

• Anonymity Operating System Comparison
• Network, Browser and Website Fingerprint

• Overview of Design and Goals for First Time Visitors
  • Features and Advantages
  • Users of Whonix
  • What is Whonix-Gateway^™?
  • What is Whonix-Workstation^™?
  • Comparison of Whonix-Gateway and Whonix-Workstation
  • Whonix Variants

• Placing Trust in Whonix
• Whonix Track Record against Real Cyber Attacks
• Reliable IP Hiding - with Whonix - The All Tor Operating System
• IP Hiding is an Outdated Threat Model
• Screenshots
• Tor Myths and Misconceptions
• Why does Whonix use Tor?

Download Whonix

• Download and Install
• FAQ
• First Time Users

• Download Security
• Changelog

• System Requirements
• Uninstall

First Whonix Steps

• Change the Keyboard Layout
• Change the System or Tor Browser Language
• Common Whonix CLI Commands

• Anon Connection Wizard
  • Configure (Private) (Obfuscated) Tor Bridges
  • Network Obstacle
• Follow Whonix Developments
• Platform-specific Desktop Tips

• Post-installation Security Advice
  • KVM
  • Qubes
  • VirtualBox
• Whonix APT Repository

Modern Privacy and Security Threats

• Data Collection Techniques
• Internet Corporations and Privacy Concerns
• Social Engineering and (Spear) Phishing
• Surveillance Capabilities
• The Importance of Anonymity
• Tips on Remaining Anonymous
• VM Fingerprinting

Essential Security Guide

• Computer Security Introduction
• Invisible Malicious Unicode Risks
• AppArmor

• Essential Host Security
• Host Firewall
• Metadata
• Onionizing Repositories
• User Management
• Login Screen
• Timezone Settings

• Operating System Software and Updates
  • Point Release
  • Release Upgrade
  • Install Additional Software Safely
  • Avoid Non-Freedom Software
  • Safely Use Root Commands
  • sysmaint - System Maintenance User
  • unrestricted admin mode
  • Prevent Malware from Sniffing the Root Password
  • Defeat Login Spoofing
  • Verifying Software Signatures
• Passwords
  • KeePassXC Password Manager
• Printing and Scanning

• Secure Command Line / Tor Browser Downloads
• System Configuration and Access
  • Whonix on USB or other External Media
• System Hardening Checklist
  • Qubes-Whonix^™ Security
• Time Attacks
• Tor Versioning
• Virtualization Platform Security
• Whonix-Gateway Security
• Whonix-Workstation Security
• Warnings: Whonix and Tor Limitations

Advanced Security Guide

• Introduction
• Who is an advanced user?
• Advanced Deanonymization Attacks
• Advanced Host Security
• Chaining Anonymizing Gateways
• Encrypted Images
• Full Disk Encryption
  • Cold Boot Attack Defense
• Kernels
  • Install Newer Kernels

• Live Mode
  • Live Mode (Whonix documentation short mention)
  • Live Mode (Full Live Mode documentation in Kicksecure wiki)
    • Anti-forensics Precautions
    • Read-only Mode
• Network Time Synchronization
• Operating System Hardening
• Protection against Physical Attacks
• Qubes Disposables
• Sandboxed Application Launcher

• SUID Disabler and Permission Hardener
• Enhanced Security via Mount Options and Compiler Restrictions (Planned)]]
• System Audit
• systemcheck Hardening
• Tor
  • Tor Entry Guards
  • Tunnel UDP over Tor
  • tor-ctrl-observer - Tor Connection Destination Viewer
• Whonix-Gateway Hardening
  • Multiple Whonix-Gateway
• Whonix-Workstation Hardening
  • Multiple Whonix-Workstation

Computer Security Education

• Introduction
• Computer Security Mental Model
• Core Dumps
• Evil Maid Attack
• Firmware Security and Updates

• General Threats to User Freedoms
• Hardware Threat Minimization
• Hostnames
• Host Firewall Basics
• Host Operating System Selection
• MAC Address

• Malware and Firmware Trojans
• Mobile Devices Privacy and Security
• Open-source Hardware
• Out-of-band Management Technology
• Router and Local Area Network Security
• Disable TCP and ICMP Timestamps
• Two-factor Authentication (2FA)

Whonix Bugs and Troubleshooting

• Advice for Systems with Low RAM
• Bug Reports and Software Development
• Factory Reset
• Known Issues

• Recovery Options
  • Compromise Recovery
  • System Recovery using SysRq Key
• systemcheck

• Testing
  • Essential Whonix Functionality Tests
  • Testers Wanted!
• Troubleshooting
• I think I might have found a leak or something strange.

Secure and Anonymous Browsing

• Surfing, Posting and Blogging
• Geo-blocking

• Tor Browser
  • Essentials
  • Advanced Topics
  • Non-Whonix Tor Browser
  • Unsafe Tor Browser Habits
  • Verify Tor Browser in Microsoft Windows

• Other Browsers
• YouTube
  • Watching YouTube Videos
  • yt-dlp: Downloading YouTube Videos

Anonymous Email, Chat and Communications

• Email Overview
  • Encrypted Email with Thunderbird
• Email Alternatives
  • BitMessage

• Instant Messenger Chat
  • General Safety Advice
  • Dino
  • Gajim
  • Signal
  • Telegram

• Phone Calls and VoIP
  • Asterisk VoIP Server
  • Mumble
  • Wickr Me
• Physical One-time Pad

Anonymous Money, Filesharing and Other Services

• Anonymous Money and Payments
  • Bisq: Decentralized Bitcoin Exchange
  • Bitcoin (BTC)
    • Bitcoin Core
  • Cryptocurrency Hardware Wallet Security
  • Cryptocurrency Security Threats
  • Electrum
    • How-to: Use ElectrumX Personal Server in Whonix
  • Ethereum (ETH)
  • Ledger Hardware Wallet
  • Monero (XMR)
    • How-to: Use Monero with Wallet Isolation in Qubes-Whonix
• Filesharing and Torrenting
  • OnionShare
• Remote Administration
  • Secure Shell (SSH)
  • Remmina: Virtual Network Computing (VNC)
• RSS Reader and Website / Blog Updates Notification
• YaCy Decentralized Search Engine

Anonymous Internet Connections and Hosting

• Combine other Anonymizing Services with Tor
  • Freenet
  • I2P
  • RetroShare
  • ZeroNet: Censorship-resistant Network
• Gemini (protocol) / Geminispace

• Control and Monitor Tor
• corridor: Tor Traffic Whitelisting Gateway
• Host Location / IP Hidden Servers
  • Host Tor Onion Services / Webservers
  • Onion Services Guides

• Logging into Captive Portals, Hotspots, Unsafe Browser
• sdwdate: Secure Distributed Web Date
  • sdwdate-gui: sdwdate Graphical User Interface

Encryption and Privacy

• Encrypted Images
• Full Disk Encryption

• OpenPGP Overview
• OpenPGP Text Encryption
• Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQCrypto)

Whonix Software Tools

• Accessibility
• Audio, Image and Video
  • VLC Media Player

• Communications
• Encryption
• Entertainment

• Miscellaneous
• Orca Screen Reader
• Work on Sensitive Documents

Tunnel and Chaining Support

• Introduction
  • Combining Tunnels with Tor
  • Possible Configurations
• Free VPN Tunnel Setup Examples
• Lantern
• Whonix vs. VPN Comparison
• Tor vs. Proxies, Proxy Chains

• Tunnel Proxy / Proxychains / SSH / VPN through Tor
  • Connect to Tor before a VPN: User → Tor → VPN → Internet
  • Connect to Tor before a Proxy: User → Tor → Proxy → Internet
  • Connect to Tor before SSH: User → Tor → SSH → Internet

• Tunnel Tor Through a Proxy, VPN or SSH
  • Connect to a Proxy before Tor: User → Proxy → Tor → Internet
  • Connect to SSH before Tor: User → SSH → Tor → Internet
  • Connect to a VPN before Tor: User → VPN → Tor → Internet

Non-Qubes-Whonix Only

• Non-Qubes-Whonix includes KVM, VirtualBox and Physical Isolation
• Download the Whonix Signing Key
• RAM Adjusted Desktop Starter

• Verify Whonix Images
  • Linux
  • Windows or macOS

• VirtualBox-specific
  • Higher Screen Resolution without VirtualBox Guest Additions
  • Install the Recommended VirtualBox Version
  • Install Newer Versions of VirtualBox
  • VirtualBox Guest Additions and Shared Folders
  • VirtualBox Testers Only Version
  • VirtualBox Troubleshooting
• Live Mode

Qubes-Whonix Only

• Qubes-Whonix Overview
  • Why use Qubes over other Virtualizers?

• Qubes-Whonix App Qube / Template Operations
  • Backup, Restore and Migrate VMs
  • Install Qubes-Whonix
  • Install and Update Software in dom0
  • Reinstall Qubes-Whonix Templates
  • Uninstall Qubes-Whonix Templates
  • Update Qubes-Whonix
  • Qubes-Whonix Tor Connectivity and sdwdate Troubleshooting

• Security Topics
  • Disposables
  • Multiple Whonix-Workstation
  • Qubes-Whonix Security
  • Using Tor Browser in Qubes-Whonix
• Advanced Topics
  • Create Whonix-Gateway ProxyVMs
  • dom0 / Template Updates over Tor
  • Multiple Qubes-Whonix Templates
  • Multiple Whonix-Gateway

Whonix Development and License

• Contributors
• Credits and other Sources

• History
• License

• Why Whonix is Freedom Software

Support or Contact Whonix

• Contact
• Contribute
• Donate
• Donors Recognition
• Investors
• Official Whonix Online Profiles and Social Media
• Support
• Utilize Search Engines and Documentation

Appendix

• Backup Whonix
  • MediaWiki Markup
  • MediaWiki XML
  • Whonix Website and Source Code Backup
• Browsers
  • Browser Test Websites
• Documentation
  • Whonix Documentation Introduction, User Expectations, Footnotes and References
  • Whonix is Based on Kicksecure^™
  • Advanced Whonix Documentation
  • Offline Documentation
  • Whonix Page Index
  • Whonix Virtual FAQ
• Debian
  • Debian Host Operating System Tips
  • Boot an existing Debian Host into Live Mode
• Security Hardened Linux Distribution Kicksecure^™ (based on Debian)
• Edward Snowden on Whonix

• Feature Requests
  • Declined Feature Requests
  • Undocumented, Untested or Unsupported Features
• Forum
  • Whonix Forum Best Practices
  • Free Speech Limitations on Whonix Website and Whonix Chat
• Stream Isolation
  • Disable Stream Isolation: Easy
  • Stream Isolation: Easy
• Tor
  • ExoneraTor: a Website Tool to Check for Tor Relay Addresses
  • Tor Metrics Portal
  • Tor Network Status
  • Tor Project Onion Services List
  • Tor Project Forum
  • Why is Tor Slow?

• Whonix Website Policies
  • Policy of Whonix Website and Whonix Chat
  • Free Speech Limitations on Whonix Website and Whonix Chat
  • Transparency, Sponsors / Advertisement Policy
  • Imprint | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms of Service | E-Sign Consent | DMCA | Copyrights | Trademark Policy
• Whonix Website Technical
  • Whonix Website: Privacy Policy Technical Details
  • Forcing Onion Connections on whonix.org
  • Whonix Website and Server Tests
  • Whonix Website API (application programmable interface)
• Whonix-specific
  • Linux User Experience
  • Security Reviews and Feedback
  • Whonix Art Gallery
  • Whonix Census
  • Whonix Media Mentions
  • Whonix Packages for Debian Hosts and Whonix Host Enhancements
  • Whonix Project Activities: Innovation, Cooperation and Education
    • Wiki Enhancements.

Whonix The most watertight privacy operating system in the world.

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Supported by Power Up Privacy

Whonix is proudly supported until 2025 by Power Up Privacy, a privacy advocacy group that seeks to supercharge privacy projects with resources so they can complete their mission of making our world a better place. (Strictly subject to our sponsorship policy.)

At Whonix we value freedom and trust, supporting Open Source and Freedom Software

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