Tails Setup Progress Summary

$ cat table_of_contents.txt

Today I successfully configured and tested Tails OS on my ASUS desktop running Debian Linux as part of my preparation for a reconnaissance trip to Spain and France in October.

What I Accomplished

✅ Verified Tails Installation

  • Successfully booted Tails from a USB flash drive.
  • Confirmed the system was operating normally.
  • Familiarized myself with the Tails environment and workflow.

✅ Configured and Tested Persistent Storage

  • Verified that Tails Persistent Storage was properly created and mounted.
  • Confirmed the encrypted storage volume (TailsData_unlocked) was active.
  • Created a test file inside the Persistent Storage directory.
echo "Persistence works" > ~/Persistent/test.txt
  • Rebooted and confirmed the file remained available:
cat ~/Persistent/test.txt

Output:

Persistence works

This verified that encrypted Persistent Storage is functioning correctly.

✅ Examined Storage Configuration

Using:

lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,FSTYPE,MOUNTPOINT,MODEL

I confirmed:

  • My Tails USB is a 120 GB flash drive.
  • Approximately 111 GB is available for encrypted Persistent Storage.
  • The storage device is correctly recognized and mounted.

✅ Developed a Travel Strategy

Rather than replacing my Debian workflow, I decided to use Tails as an additional privacy-focused tool while traveling.

Planned usage:

Debian Linux

  • Software development
  • GitHub projects
  • Blogging
  • General productivity

Tails

  • Privacy-sensitive browsing
  • Public Wi-Fi usage
  • Secure document access
  • Travel-related privacy protection

✅ Planned Redundancy

To improve reliability while traveling, I decided to purchase a second identical USB flash drive and create a backup Tails installation using the built-in Tails Cloner.

This will provide:

  • A primary Tails USB
  • A backup Tails USB
  • Reduced risk from USB failure, loss, or corruption during travel

Current Status

Completed

  • Tails installation verified
  • Persistent Storage verified
  • File persistence tested
  • Travel workflow planned

Next Steps

  • Purchase second USB drive
  • Clone Tails to backup drive
  • Test backup USB
  • Continue practicing with Tails before departure

Key Takeaway

The biggest milestone was successfully confirming that Persistent Storage works as expected. Files stored in the encrypted Persistent volume survive reboots, giving me confidence that Tails can serve as a reliable privacy and security tool alongside Debian Linux during my upcoming European travel.

Project Status: On Track ✅
Primary OS: Debian Linux
Travel Privacy Platform: Tails OS
Target Travel Window: October 2026 (Spain & France) 🇪🇸🇫🇷