Veil of Vigilance: Tails 6.0’s New Frontiers in Surveillance Resistance

Linux Journal
1 month 2 weeks ago
by George Whittaker Opening the Curtain on Tails 6.0

On February 27, 2024, the Tails Project unveiled version 6.0, a milestone release built atop Debian 12 “Bookworm” and GNOME 43 . Tails, short for The Amnesic Incognito Live System, is engineered from the ground up to prevent data leakage, protect against targeted surveillance, and ensure that every use leaves no trace unless explicitly permitted . Version 6.0 refines this mission with a bold suite of features tailored to block modern surveillance tactics.

USB Integrity: Stopping Sneaky Hardware Threats Warnings for Persistent Storage Failures

Live USBs are critical lifelines for persistence in Tails. Now, Tails 6.0 alerts users when underlying storage suffers read/write errors. This early detection, prior to catastrophic data loss, allows users to back up their encrypted areas before disaster strikes .

Defense Against Rogue USB Devices

One of the stealthiest attack vectors involves plugging in malicious USB gear while a device is unattended. Tails now ignores any USB device connected while the screen is locked. Only when the screen is unlocked can new USB devices be activated, closing the door on rubber‑duckying-style malware delivery .

Usability Upgrades That Don’t Sacrifice Security Automatic Device Mounting with Safeguards

Plug in a flash drive or encrypted external disk while Tails is unlocked, and the system now instantly mounts the device and prompts for decryption (e.g. VeraCrypt volumes), smoothing workflow while preserving safeguards .

Ambient Display Options for Privacy-Conscious Use

GNOME 43 brings native support for dark mode, night‑light warm tones, or combinations thereof, all accessible via the system menu. These modes reduce eye strain and lower screen glare in sensitive situations, minimizing accidental disclosure in low-light settings .

Simplified Screenshots and Screencast Access

Through a redesigned system menu, users can now take screenshots or record screencasts with a few clicks—reducing reliance on external tools and minimizing exposure via unnecessary browser or app use .

Streamlined Gmail Setup in Thunderbird

Configuring a Gmail account is now smoother: Tails 6.0 allows direct sign‑in within Thunderbird using standard two-step verification, no manual IMAP or security adjustments required, eliminating error-prone manual steps .

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George Whittaker

How to Install and Use dig and nslookup Commands in Linux

Techmint
1 month 3 weeks ago
The post How to Install and Use dig and nslookup Commands in Linux first appeared on Tecmint: Linux Howtos, Tutorials & Guides .

If you’re working with networks, managing domains, or troubleshooting connectivity issues, two essential tools you’ll come across are dig and

The post How to Install and Use dig and nslookup Commands in Linux first appeared on Tecmint: Linux Howtos, Tutorials & Guides.
James Kiarie

[Testing Update] 2025-07-26 - Portmaster, Plymouth, Pipewire, Thunderbird

Manjaro Linux
1 month 3 weeks ago

Hello community, here we have another set of package updates.

Current Promotions Recent News Valkey to replace Redis in the [extra] Repository (click for more details) Previous News Finding information easier about Manjaro (click for more details) Notable Package Updates
  • Portmaster 2.0
  • Plymouth got updated to the latest git-snapshot
  • Pipewire 1.4.7
  • Thunderbird 141.0
Additional Info Python 3.13 info (click for more details) Info about AUR packages (click for more details)

Get our latest daily developer images now from Github: Plasma, GNOME, XFCE. You can get the latest stable releases of Manjaro from CDN77.

Our current supported kernels
  • linux54 5.4.296
  • linux510 5.10.240
  • linux515 5.15.189
  • linux61 6.1.147
  • linux66 6.6.100
  • linux612 6.12.40
  • linux615 6.15.8
  • linux616 6.16.0-rc7
  • linux61-rt 6.1.146_rt53
  • linux66-rt 6.6.99_rt58
  • linux612-rt 6.12.39_rt11
  • linux615-rt 6.15.0_rt2

Package Changes (Sat Jul 26 09:10:23 CEST 2025)

  • testing core x86_64: 3 new and 3 removed package(s)
  • testing extra x86_64: 386 new and 382 removed package(s)
  • testing multilib x86_64: 5 new and 5 removed package(s)

Overlay Changes

  • testing extra x86_64: 5 new and 5 removed package(s)

A list of all changes can be found here.

Click to view the poll.

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philm

How to Clear RAM Cache, Buffers, and Swap in Linux Without Reboot

Techmint
1 month 3 weeks ago
The post How to Clear RAM Cache, Buffers, and Swap in Linux Without Reboot first appeared on Tecmint: Linux Howtos, Tutorials & Guides .

Like any other operating system, GNU/Linux has implemented memory management efficiently and even more than that. However, if any process

The post How to Clear RAM Cache, Buffers, and Swap in Linux Without Reboot first appeared on Tecmint: Linux Howtos, Tutorials & Guides.
Ravi Saive

Securing Linux: Steady Momentum in AppArmor and SELinux Uptake

Linux Journal
1 month 3 weeks ago
by George Whittaker Introduction

In recent times, two critical Linux security frameworks, AppArmor and SELinux, have seen noteworthy acceleration in real-world deployment. As Linux continues to anchor enterprise, container, cloud, and desktop systems, these Mandatory Access Control (MAC) tools have crossed threshold events signaling broader acceptance. This article examines those pivotal inflection points, dives into why they matter, and offers reflections on the shifting landscape of Linux security.

A Swift Journey to Widespread Use SELinux’s Ascendancy

Originally conceived by the NSA and later shepherded by Red Hat, SELinux added powerful MAC controls to Linux by the early 2000s. Since being fully embedded into the Linux 2.6.x kernel, SELinux has steadily expanded its reach. It has become the default security layer on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Fedora, and their derivatives, and integrated into Debian 9+, plus Ubuntu from version 8.04. Android further embraced SELinux starting from version 4.3, marking its normalization in mobile devices.

But the most recent watershed occurred in early 2025: openSUSE Tumbleweed made SELinux the default MAC for new installations beginning with snapshot 20250211, accompanied by minimalVM images running in enforcing mode. Existing installations remain unaffected unless manually migrated, and AppArmor remains an installer option. Moreover, openSUSE Leap 16 will be shipping with SELinux in enforcing mode by default, affirming a full shift within SUSE ecosystems.

This chain of events reflects a conscious pivot in favor of SELinux across both SUSE and community platforms, aligning them more closely with enterprise-grade security policies.

AppArmor’s Established Reach

AppArmor, originally named SubDomain in the late '90s, emerged from Immunix and later became a core tool in SUSE distributions. It officially became part of the Linux kernel in version 2.6.36 around October 2010. Ubuntu began shipping it by default starting with 7.10; by 8.04, CUPS was protected. Over the following releases, its scope widened to include MySQL, libvirt, browser sessions, and more. In Debian 10 ("Buster"), released July 2019, AppArmor became enabled by default, anchoring its adoption across Debian-based ecosystems.

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George Whittaker

[Testing Update] 2025-07-24 - Kernels, Firefox, Nvidia, 0ad

Manjaro Linux
1 month 3 weeks ago

Hello community, here we have another set of package updates.

Current Promotions Recent News Valkey to replace Redis in the [extra] Repository (click for more details) Previous News Finding information easier about Manjaro (click for more details) Notable Package Updates Additional Info Python 3.13 info (click for more details) Info about AUR packages (click for more details)

Get our latest daily developer images now from Github: Plasma, GNOME, XFCE. You can get the latest stable releases of Manjaro from CDN77.

Our current supported kernels
  • linux54 5.4.296
  • linux510 5.10.240
  • linux515 5.15.189
  • linux61 6.1.147
  • linux66 6.6.100
  • linux612 6.12.40
  • linux615 6.15.8
  • linux616 6.16.0-rc7
  • linux61-rt 6.1.146_rt53
  • linux66-rt 6.6.99_rt58
  • linux612-rt 6.12.39_rt11
  • linux615-rt 6.15.0_rt2

Package Changes (Thu Jul 24 16:30:18 CEST 2025)

  • testing core x86_64: 6 new and 6 removed package(s)
  • testing extra x86_64: 1639 new and 1616 removed package(s)
  • testing multilib x86_64: 8 new and 8 removed package(s)

Overlay Changes

  • testing core x86_64: 16 new and 16 removed package(s)
  • testing extra x86_64: 137 new and 241 removed package(s)
  • testing multilib x86_64: 2 new and 2 removed package(s)

A list of all changes can be found here.

Click to view the poll.

Check if your mirror has already synced:

8 posts - 7 participants

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philm