How to install and use VeraCrypt on Tails

Requirements

• Tails USB flash drive or SD card

Caveats

• When copy/pasting commands that start with $, strip out $ as this character is not part of the command

Setup guide

Step 1: boot to Tails and set admin password (required to create optional exFAT partition)

Heads-up: if keyboard layout of computer isn’t “English (US)”, set “Keyboard Layout”.

Click “+” under “Additional Settings”, then “Administration Password”, set password, click “Add” and, finally, click “Start Tails”.

Step 2 (optional): create exFAT partition on Tails USB flash drive or SD card

Heads-up: partition used to move files between Tails and other operating systems such as macOS.

Click “Applications”, then “Utilities”, then “Disks”, select USB flash drive or SD card, click “Free Space”, then “+”, set “Partition Size”, click “Next”, set “Volume Name”, select “Other”, click “Next”, select “exFAT” and, finally, click “Create”.

Step 3: enable persistence

Click “Applications”, then “Favorites”, then “Configure persistent volume”, set passphrase, click “Create”, make sure “Personal Data” is enabled, click “Save” and, finally, click “Restart Now”.

Step 4: boot to Tails, unlock persistent storage and set admin password (required to mount VeraCrypt volumes)

Heads-up: if keyboard layout of computer isn’t “English (US)”, set “Keyboard Layout”.

Click “+” under “Additional Settings”, then “Administration Password”, set password, click “Add” and, finally, click “Start Tails”.

Step 5: establish network connection using ethernet cable or Wi-Fi and wait for Tor to be ready

Connected to Tor successfully

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Step 6: import “VeraCrypt Team (2018 - Supersedes Key ID=0x54DDD393)” PGP public key

$ torsocks curl https://www.idrix.fr/VeraCrypt/VeraCrypt_PGP_public_key.asc | gpg --import
  % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed   Time    Time     Time  Current
                                 Dload  Upload   Total   Spent    Left  Speed
100  5434  100  5434    0     0   4461      0  0:00:01  0:00:01 --:--:--  4461
gpg: key 0x821ACD02680D16DE: 1 signature not checked due to a missing key
gpg: key 0x821ACD02680D16DE: public key "VeraCrypt Team (2018 - Supersedes Key ID=0x54DDD393) <veracrypt@idrix.fr>" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg:               imported: 1
gpg: no ultimately trusted keys found

imported: 1

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Step 7: set VeraCrypt release semver environment variable

Heads-up: replace 1.25.4 with latest release semver.

VERACRYPT_RELEASE_SEMVER=1.25.4

Step 8: download VeraCrypt release

Click “Applications”, then “Tor Browser”, go to https://www.veracrypt.fr/en/Downloads.html and download latest release of “Linux Generic Installer” and associated PGP signature.

Step 9: verify VeraCrypt release (learn how here)

$ gpg --verify ~/Tor\ Browser/veracrypt-$VERACRYPT_RELEASE_SEMVER-setup.tar.bz2.sig
gpg: assuming signed data in '/home/amnesia/Tor Browser/veracrypt-1.25.4-setup.tar.bz2'
gpg: Signature made Fri 03 Dec 2021 05:57:28 PM UTC
gpg:                using RSA key 5069A233D55A0EEB174A5FC3821ACD02680D16DE
gpg: Good signature from "VeraCrypt Team (2018 - Supersedes Key ID=0x54DDD393) <veracrypt@idrix.fr>" [unknown]
gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
gpg:          There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
Primary key fingerprint: 5069 A233 D55A 0EEB 174A  5FC3 821A CD02 680D 16DE

Good signature

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Step 10: extract VeraCrypt release

cd ~/Tor\ Browser
tar --extract --file ~/Tor\ Browser/veracrypt-$VERACRYPT_RELEASE_SEMVER-setup.tar.bz2 veracrypt-$VERACRYPT_RELEASE_SEMVER-setup-gui-x64

Step 11: run installer, click “Extract .tar Package File”, accept license terms, click “OK” and, finally, click “OK” (again).

./veracrypt-$VERACRYPT_RELEASE_SEMVER-setup-gui-x64

Step 12: extract veracrypt binary to ~/Persistent

cd ~/Persistent
tar --extract --file /tmp/veracrypt_${VERACRYPT_RELEASE_SEMVER}_amd64.tar.gz --strip-components 2 usr/bin/veracrypt

Step 13: create veracrypt.AppImage

echo -n "./veracrypt" > veracrypt.AppImage
chmod +x veracrypt.AppImage

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Usage guide

Click “Places”, then “Persistent” and double-click “veracrypt.AppImage”.

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