TAILS: please I need help

Discussion in 'privacy technology' started by Born23, May 2, 2016.

  1. Born23

    Born23 Registered Member

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    Hi everybody,

    I installed Tails on a USB stick using as mentioned on tails website two USB sticks, the first one to download and installed the software then switched the installation on the other USB stick.
    Everything was find.
    After two cessions I always have now two messages of mistake:
    - the first one when I start tails during synchronizing the system's clock: "failed to synchronize the clock!", following by different addresses (around 15) for downloading saying: no file could be download, and for only one "aborting as one pool could not be reloaded".

    -the second one is when I close tails, when tails is supposing to clean ll the data the last line I have "wipe mode is insecure (one passe with 0x00).

    I am on windows7 64 bits.
    How to resolve this security breach?
    Thank you for your time and answer.
    Have a good week.
    Born
     
  2. 1PW

    1PW Registered Member

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    Hello Born23:

    What version of Tails are you trying to use? Did you carefully verify the OpenPGP/hash of the original download? If so, what method did you use? What version software, within Windows 7, did you use to make the intermediate USB (#1) stick?

    It seems unlikely the computer's system clock will initially synchronize quickly, perhaps due to slowly developing Tor connections, and may require manual assistance for the correct time zone, etc.

    Thank you.
     
  3. Born23

    Born23 Registered Member

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    I'm using the last one 2.3, in fact I did all the installation following the steps on tails website (https://tails.boum.org/install/win/usb/index.fr.html#next)
    1/ Downloaded and verified the Tails ISO image (downloaded the ISO image via our Firefox add-on. The add-on has verified my download).
    2/ Downloaded Universal-USB-Installer-1.9.6.4.exe
    3/ Made the installation of tails on the first usb stick with Universal-USB-Installer-1.9.6.4.exe
    4/ Restarted from the intermediary usb stick.
    5/Installed the final stick by clowning tails installation from the first usb stick on the second one.

    When you wrote "did you carefully verify the OpenPGP/hash of the tails download", I did the following this morning: downloaded the new PGP signing key of tails (https://tails.boum.org/doc/about/openpgp_keys/index.en.html#index2h1) but something unusual happened when I saved the file it has the drawing of registry (inscription in the registry) and normally I think I should have a blank drawing, the same drawing that I had when I wanted to verify my gpg4win-2.3.1 file.
    So I just erased the PGP signing key afraid to do something wrong.
    Can you tell me if it is normal once you save the tails PGP signing key that it comes with the drawing inscription in the registry and If I can go further to verify tails signature and tails file using gpg4win?
    Any commentary on the way I installed tails?
    Can you recommend me a good software to verify the hash?
    Thank you for your time, help and answer.
    Have a pretty good day...
    Best regards.




     
  4. Born23

    Born23 Registered Member

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    Hi ComputerSaysNo

    Just two things:
    1/ I trust better Tails who recommends Universal-USB-Installer-1.9.6.4.exe through his web page to download and install tails.
    2/ Why do you come to me to make this comment This has nothing to do with my questions.It doesn't
    give more fuel for the fire!! (it isn't all grist to the mill...)
    It is a shame that on this kind of forum people just answer to a precise question by something else, this forum should helps people more than confuses them.
    Think about it.
    Good day
     
  5. 1PW

    1PW Registered Member

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    Hello Born23:

    I believe ComputerSaysNo has made a truly friendly suggestion and means no harm. I myself used UUI 1.9.6.4 (like you) for my upgrade to Tails 2.3 and had no trouble.

    For a Windows based hash calculator, I have become accustomed to MultiHasher 2.8.2.0 from http://www.abelhadigital.com/multihasher. I particularly like its feature that stores my personal VirusTotal.com API key.

    You may always use my string of posts at https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/tails-release-announcements.345122/page-3#post-2584205 as a quick reference to the most authentic hashes and sources.

    I am checking further into the latest OpenPGP verification process. In the meantime, you may wish to consider remaking the first and second USB sticks. When I shutdown a Tails 2.3 session, I do see a successful wipe of memory. I wonder if the comment you see is just an explanation of their erase definitions and that the technique should not be thought of as being government grade secure erasing. If your personal security needs are quite high, you might consider briefly running a memory diagnostic such as Memtest86+ after using Tails.

    I will get back to you when I know more. Thank you.
     
  6. Born23

    Born23 Registered Member

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    Hi 1PG,
    Thank you for responding me.
    Just to warn you I am a simple user I am NOT a genius about computing, the problem is when you make a search on different forums it is plenty of stupid things that they advise you to do; and when you go on a forum like wilder security you just get lost... it is like Chinese. Sure people don't have time to explain but if it is not done the majority of the people will abort and not trying to protect their privacy...
    Before to go further I'm waiting you confirm me if it is normal when I saved on my computer the Open pgp public key of tails it comes with registry editor it sounds for me very curious and I downloaded it on another computer to make a test and it is a blank draw (and click on properties: Common DLL shell windows).
    " if the comment you see is just an explanation of their erase definitions and that the technique should not be thought of as being government grade secure erasing" what did you mean by that?( English is not my native language).
    I didn't find a tutorial for MultiHasher I hope it will be simple.
    For running a memory diagnostic such as Memtest86+ if you can help me after with the diagnostic it is okay but if you can't it will be Chinese for me.
    Thanks again for your time and your answer.
    Have a pretty nice evening.
    Best regards.
     
  7. Born23

    Born23 Registered Member

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    Hi 1PG,
    I have check the hash of tails using that method with MultiHasher:
    selected the file then the hash algorithms and I compared with your link it is the same.
    I did the same thing with Universal-USB-Installer-1.9.6.4.exe but curiously it didn't gave me the same thing:
    on the pendrivelinux website MD5 is: 9F0B479B18C4CD5E399C16912A897B05 and mine is 92EC01B3603FFB0971F51FAC98FDCBBB
    I made a research and found that: r.virscan.org/language/en/report/0a4b7062b083625d44b73280e724654e
    Curious for not having the same MD5 because I downloaded with the installation through tails website.
    Questions about MultiHasher:
    Is that hash text string (file then hash text string) the same thing I did?

    In tools what is compare digests?
    In preferences there is an option "add integration into shell context menu" what is that for and should I do select it?
    Thanks for your answer.
    Have a good day.
    Best regards
     
  8. 1PW

    1PW Registered Member

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    I personally do not use virscan.org. Since your MD5 hash for Universal-USB-Installer-1.9.6.4.exe did not successfully compare with the published value, you should delete it and download a copy that does compare correctly. This is why we should take the time to make these comparisons and it could later explain why your Tails USB sticks do not perform the way they should.
    Yes - I believe it is.

    It allows you to compare two hashes if you have difficulty doing it visually.
    You may add MultiHasher to the Microsoft Windows right-click context menu as a shortcut. Try it. You may like it. If not, it is easy to remove.
    You are welcome.
     
  9. 1PW

    1PW Registered Member

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    Hello Born23:

    If you are not already comfortable with the use of OpenPGP yet, I would would suggest that you practice with it first. Then, apply your knowledge at a later time. By using the Firefox extension (Tails Download and Verify), followed by a separate and independent successful verification/comparison of the published SHA-256 digest, a very high value of integrity can be assigned to the Tails download file. It is the following steps that may still be open to questions of integrity.

    The use of Memtest86+ would simply offer you the opportunity to overwrite the computer's RAM after using Tails. That step is likely un-necessary to all but a few. It would be educational if you learned how to make Memtest86+ bootable media, and learn how to use it.
     
  10. Born23

    Born23 Registered Member

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    Hi 1PW,
    Thanks for your answer, Sorry for the delay I was pretty busy.
    I will uninstall and reinstall everything soon as possible and I let you know the result.
    Thank you again for your help and patience.
    Best regards.
    Born23
     
  11. lotuseclat79

    lotuseclat79 Registered Member

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    5,390
    Hi Born23,

    You can get direct support from the Tails group by joining the Tails Support mailing group at the email address: tails-support@tails.boum.org

    To join the tails-support mailing list, subscribe to it at the following web page:
    https://mailman.boum.org/listinfo/tails-support
    To unsubscribe from this list, send an empty email to tails-support-unsubscribe@boum.org.

    To get support from the tails-support mailing list, simply send a request for help with a problem description of the Tails problem to the tails-support mailing list:
    tails-support@boum.org

    To unsubscribe from the tails-support email group, follow the direction below
    https://mailman.boum.org/listinfo/tails-support
    To unsubscribe from this list, send an empty email to tails-support-unsubscribe@boum.org

    -- Tom
     
  12. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

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    Speaking as a security influence on this thread: MD5 is not considered safe enough any more. All download verifications should step it up at least to sha256. I am not going to link here because there are numerous threads about this around here.

    1PW suggested this by inference above.
     
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