How to Use Almost Any Computer Without Leaving a Trace
Lifehacker • • technology
Key Points:
- Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a privacy-focused Linux distro based on Debian that runs from a USB drive, leaving no trace on the host computer after use.
- It includes built-in anonymous internet browsing via the Tor network, which reroutes online activity to conceal user identity and location from websites, ISPs, and surveillance.
- Tails comes preloaded with essential applications like LibreOffice, GIMP, and Inkscape, but by default does not save data permanently unless a persistent storage space is manually created.
- To use Tails, download the 2GB image from its website and install it on an 8GB+ USB drive using tools like Rufus (Windows) or Etcher (macOS); it can boot on most PCs but currently lacks full support for Apple Silicon Macs.
- Tails is ideal for maximizing online privacy, evading tracking, and bypassing censorship, making it suitable for users needing strong security and anonymity.
