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((short description|Anonymous Operating System))
((Multiple issues|
((Advert|date=December 2020))
((Primary sources|date=December 2020))
))
((Infobox OS
| name = Whonix
| logo = [[File:Whonix Logo.png|200px|Whonix Logo]]
| screenshot = [[File:Whonix-Workstation-XFCE 16 01 2021 11 00 00.png|200px]]
| caption = 
| developer = Whonix Developers
| family = [[Linux]] ([[Unix-like]])
| source_model = [[Open-source software|Open source]]
| released = ((Start date and age|2012|02|29|df=yes))
| latest_release_version = 17<ref>((cite web | url=https://forums.whonix.org/t/whonix-17-has-been-released-debian-12-bookworm-based-major-release/16922 | title=Whonix 17 has been Released! (Debian 12 bookworm based) - Major Release| date=20 July 2023))</ref>
| latest_release_date = ((release date and age|mf=yes|2023|07|20))
| repo = https://gitlab.com/whonix
| marketing_target = Personal Computing, Servers (onion service hosting)
| latest_test_version = 
| supported_platforms = [[x86]], [[arm64]] (RPi 3)
| kernel_type = [[Monolithic kernel|Monolithic]] ([[Linux kernel|Linux]])
| working_state = Active
| license = Mainly the [[GNU General Public License v3|GNU GPL v3]] and various other [[free software licenses]]
| website = ((plainlist|
* ((URL|https://www.whonix.org/))
))
))
'''Whonix''' (((IPAc-en|h|u:|n|ɪ|k|s)), ((respell|HOO|niks)))<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-02-22 |title=History |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/History |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref> is a [[Linux distribution]], based on Kicksecure OS, claimed to be [[Hardening (computing)|security hardened]] by its developers.<ref>((cite web|url=https://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20130708#feature|title=DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD.|website=distrowatch.com))</ref><ref name=":0">((Cite web |date=2020-10-17 |title=Kicksecure ™: A Security-hardened, Non-anonymous Linux Distribution |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Kicksecure |access-date=2020-12-11 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref> Its main goals are to provide strong [[privacy]] and [[anonymity]] on the Internet.<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-01-26 |title=Frequently Asked Questions - Whonix ™ FAQ |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/FAQ |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref> The operating system consists of two [[Virtual Machine|virtual machines]], a workstation and a [[Tor (network)|Tor]] gateway running [[Debian]]. All communications are forced through Tor.<ref>((cite web | url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/11/13/whonix/ | title=Devs cook up 'leakproof' all-Tor untrackable platform | publisher=The Register | date=13 Nov 2012 | access-date=10 July 2014))</ref><ref>((cite web | url=https://www.wired.com/2014/06/be-anonymous-online/ | title=How to Anonymize Everything You Do Online | publisher=Wired | date=17 June 2014 | access-date=10 July 2014 | author=Greenburg, Andy))</ref><ref>((cite web | url=http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/smb-technologist/whonix-adds-a-layer-of-anonymity-to-your-business-tasks/ | title=Whonix adds a layer of anonymity to your business tasks | publisher=TechRepublic | date=4 January 2013 | access-date=10 July 2014))</ref>

Both Whonix and Kicksecure have documentation that spans from basic operating system maintenance to more advanced topics.<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-03-15 |title=Whonix ™ Documentation |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Documentation |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref><ref>((Cite web |date=2022-02-21 |title=Kicksecure ™ Documentation |url=https://www.kicksecure.com/wiki/Documentation |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=Kicksecure |language=en))</ref>

== History ==
=== TorBOX (February ((En dash)) July 2012) ===
The initial concept was announced by Patrick Schleizer under the pseudonym ''Proper'', and later changed to ''Adrelanos'' in 2012 before revealing his identity in 2014''.<ref>((Cite web|url=https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/proper?version=6|title=doc/proper – Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki|date=March 16, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316004809/https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/proper?version=6 |archive-date=2014-03-16 ))</ref><ref>((Cite web|url=https://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-talk/2014-January/031741.html|title=[tor-talk] GnuPG key transition|date=April 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403085346/https://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-talk/2014-January/031741.html |archive-date=2014-04-03 ))</ref>''  His idea was to leverage a [[virtual machine]] acting as a [[transparent proxy]] to route all Internet traffic through the [[Tor (network)|Tor network]]. This would have allowed one to mask one's [[IP address]], prevent [[DNS leak]]s and avoid having to configure proxy settings for individual applications (or ones who do not support them)''.<ref name=":1">((Cite web |date=2022-02-22 |title=History |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/History#Initial_Concept |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref>''

TorBOX was at its beginning only a guide released on the [[The Tor Project|Tor Project]] [https://www.torproject.org/ website] which also provided some [[shell script]]s.<ref>((Cite web |date=2014-03-10 |title=doc/TorBOX – Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki |url=https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/TorBOX?version=1 |access-date=2022-03-20 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310224529/https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/TorBOX?version=1 |archive-date=10 March 2014 |url-status=dead))</ref> Other contributors provided more information as TorBOX became more popular.<ref name=":1" /><ref>((Cite web |date=2013-06-28 |title=doc/TorBOX (history) – Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki |url=https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/TorBOX?action=history |access-date=2022-03-20 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130628180922/https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/TorBOX?action=history |archive-date=28 June 2013 |url-status=dead))</ref>

As the project's complexity grew, leak tests became increasingly necessary. Some contributors developed utilities to automate many steps and improve [[Usability|user-friendliness]]. Nonetheless, maintaining the build instructions for TorBOX while simultaneously updating the shell scripts became too much of a burden for the developers, who decided to drop the manual creation instructions, migrating them and focusing exclusively on the shell scripts.<ref name=":2">((Cite web |date=2022-02-22 |title=History |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/History#TorBOX_Development |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref>

Even then, complexity was still growing due to additional features or changes in line with security research. On March 25, 2012 with the release of TorBOX's 0.1.3,<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-03-08 |title=Dev/Old Changelog |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Dev/Old_Changelog#older |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref> the programmers agreed to completely automate the build process and improve [[wiktionary:codability|codability]] with a change in the developing process, brought by a new website with better capabilities than the old project's wiki.<ref name=":2" />

The TorBOX/aos wiki listed seven released versions.<ref>((Cite web |date=2020-06-17 |title=doc/proper (history) – Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki |url=https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/proper?action=history |access-date=2022-03-21 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617225034/https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/proper?action=history |archive-date=17 June 2020 |url-status=dead))</ref> With the advent of the third release, Patrick Schleizer, acting under his pseudonym ''Proper'', released his [[GNU Privacy Guard|GPG]] [[Public-key cryptography|public-key]] containing his contact information,<ref>((Cite web |date=2014-03-16 |title=doc/proper – Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki |url=https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/proper?version=3 |access-date=2022-03-21 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316004546/https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/proper?version=3 |archive-date=16 March 2014 |url-status=dead))</ref>

The sixth version saw the first rename of the developer ''Proper'' to ''Adrelanos''.<ref>((Cite web |date=2014-03-16 |title=doc/proper – Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki |url=https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/proper?version=6 |access-date=2022-03-21 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316004809/https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/proper?version=6 |archive-date=16 March 2014 |url-status=dead))</ref> However, the former username was maintained on the Tor Website until the seventh and final version.<ref>((Cite web |date=2014-03-16 |title=doc/proper – Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki |url=https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/proper?version=7 |access-date=2022-03-22 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316004853/https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/proper?version=7 |archive-date=16 March 2014 |url-status=dead))</ref>

Development of TorBOX continued until version 0.2.1, release July 16, 2012. The project was renamed the following day.<ref>((Cite web |date=2021-12-02 |title=Old Project Versions and News |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Old_Project_Versions_and_News |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref>

=== Rename into AOS (July ((En dash)) September 2012) ===
Andrew Lewman (Then the Tor Project Executive Director<ref>((Cite web |title=Andrew Lewman ((!)) Personal Democracy Forum |url=https://personaldemocracy.com/andrew-lewman |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=personaldemocracy.com))</ref><ref>((Cite web |last=Campbell |first=Thomas |date=2014-08-29 |title=The sunnier side of Tor: Andrew Lewman, the Tor Project & the mother of all makeovers |url=https://broadbandworldforum.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/the-sunnier-side-of-tor-andrew-lewman-the-tor-project-the-mother-of-all-makeovers/ |access-date=2022-03-22 |language=en))</ref>) privately advised ''Adrelanos'' to rename the project, stating that even if TorBOX mentioned on its website about being unaffiliated with the Tor Project, it was still being mistaken by some people. ''Adrelanos'' renamed the project aos, acronym of "anonymous operating system".<ref name="History">((Cite web |date=2022-02-22 |title=History |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/History |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref>

The choice of the name aos was quickly regretted and described as "suboptimal" by adrelanos. He noted that search engines did not return relevant results due to the name being shared with many other acronyms. A secondary reason was the project's name being non-capitalized, which would have made it incompatible with the grammatical convention of capitalizing a word at the beginning of a sentence.<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-02-22 |title=History |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/History#Project_Renaming |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref>

No new releases were made under the name aos.

=== Whonix (September 2012 ((En dash)) present) ===
Adrelanos posted a request for suggestions on the tor-talk [[mailing list]]. His original idea was a name which would have made the purpose of the anonymous operating system clear and at the same time avoided confusion or [[Trademark infringement|trademark issues]].<ref>((Cite web |title=[tor-talk] please suggest a new project name for Anonymous Operating System |url=https://tor-talk.torproject.narkive.com/eEsZdVJG/please-suggest-a-new-project-name-for-anonymous-operating-system#post1 |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=tor-talk.torproject.narkive.com))</ref> [[Nick Mathewson]], Tor Project's co-founder debated the idea of having a self-explanatory name, stating that Tor was "doing okay" even without having a particularly descriptive name.<ref>((Cite web |title=[tor-talk] please suggest a new project name for Anonymous Operating System |url=https://tor-talk.torproject.narkive.com/eEsZdVJG/please-suggest-a-new-project-name-for-anonymous-operating-system#post11 |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=tor-talk.torproject.narkive.com))</ref>

While many suggestions were sent, Adrelanos concluded the post announcing the new name, Whonix, and publishing a signed message with his final decision on the project's website.<ref>((Cite web |title=[tor-talk] please suggest a new project name for Anonymous Operating System |url=https://tor-talk.torproject.narkive.com/eEsZdVJG/please-suggest-a-new-project-name-for-anonymous-operating-system#post18 |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=tor-talk.torproject.narkive.com))</ref><ref>((Cite web |date=2021-11-01 |title=TorBOX · Wiki · Legacy / Trac · GitLab |url=https://gitlab.torproject.org/legacy/trac/-/wikis/doc/TorBOX?version=1 |access-date=2022-03-22 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101194807/https://gitlab.torproject.org/legacy/trac/-/wikis/doc/TorBOX?version=1 |archive-date=1 November 2021 |url-status=dead))</ref> He reasoned that the name was unused and would have provided more results in search engines. Whonix is a [[Compound (linguistics)|compound]] of two words: who ("what person/s") and nix (a German word that means "nothing").<ref name="History"/>

Whonix 0.3.0, never released, was based on [[Ubuntu]].<ref>((Cite web |date=2021-12-02 |title=Old Project Versions and News |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Old_Project_Versions_and_News#Whonix_%E2%84%A2_0.3.0_(never_released) |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref> While Ubuntu was praised from a technical perspective, potential trademark issues would have complicated the distribution along the potential revocation of the license from [[Canonical (company)|Canonical]]. Complying with the terms requested by a rebranding<ref>((Cite web |title=Intellectual property rights policy ((!)) Terms and policies |url=https://ubuntu.com/legal/intellectual-property-policy |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Ubuntu |language=en))</ref> would have required work which was beyond the capability of the Whonix developers.<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-02-03 |title=Dev/Operating System |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Dev/Operating_System |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref> Moreover, the release of Ubuntu 12.10 was heavily criticized for the closer integration with the [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] ecosystem and other privacy issues.<ref>((Cite web |last=Lee |first=Micah |date=2012-10-29 |title=Privacy in Ubuntu 12.10: Amazon Ads and Data Leaks |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/10/privacy-ubuntu-1210-amazon-ads-and-data-leaks |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Electronic Frontier Foundation |language=en))</ref><ref>((Cite web |last=Leach |first=Anna |title=Fans revolt over Amazon 'adware' in Ubuntu desktop search results |url=https://www.theregister.com/2012/09/24/ubuntu_amazon_suggestions/ |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=www.theregister.com |language=en))</ref><ref>((Cite web |title=Now in Ubuntu Linux 12.10: Amazon search results |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/461425/now-in-ubuntu-linux-12-10-integrated-amazon-search-results.html |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=PCWorld |language=en-US))</ref><ref>((Cite web |title=Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) review |url=https://www.zdnet.com/product/ubuntu-12-10-quantal-quetzal/ |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=ZDNet |language=en))</ref>

The Whonix project recognized the privacy issues which would have caused a problem with the use of Ubuntu, and recommended against using it even on the [[Hypervisor|host machine]].<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-02-03 |title=Dev/Operating System |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Dev/Operating_System#Ubuntu_Introduction |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref>

The first release under the new name of Whonix happened with version 0.4.4, the first one since TorBOX 0.2.1.<ref>((Cite web |date=2021-12-02 |title=Old Project Versions and News |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Old_Project_Versions_and_News#Whonix_%E2%84%A2_0.4.4_(old,_released) |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref> It was rebased on Debian which is described by the project as being "a good compromise of security and usability".<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-02-03 |title=Dev/Operating System |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Dev/Operating_System#Why_don't_you_use_%3Cyour_favorite_most_secure_operating_system%3E_for_Whonix_%E2%84%A2? |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref>

The second release, Whonix 0.4.5 was the first to be announced by adrelanos on the tor-talk mailing list.<ref>((Cite web |last=adrelanos |date=2012-10-09 |title=[tor-talk] Whonix ALPHA 0.4.5 - Anonymous Operating System released |url=https://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-talk/2012-October/025921.html |access-date=2022-03-22))</ref>

In a blog post published on January 18, 2014 on the Whonix wiki, adrelanos decided to give up his [[Anonymity#Pseudonymity|pseudonymity]] and using for the first time his real name, Patrick Schleizer.

Schleizer, a German citizen<ref>((Cite web |title=adrelanos (Patrick Schleizer) ((!)) Keybase |url=https://keybase.io/adrelanos |access-date=2022-03-21 |website=keybase.io))</ref> stated the burden of maintaining his [[Operations security|operational security]]. Also, he mentioned that both the USA and Germany are not persecuting their citizens for criticizing the government, concluding with a remark on the importance of speaking out in public and taking action.<ref>((Cite web |date=2014-04-03 |title=giving up pseudonymity after collecting experiences with pseudonymous project development - Whonix |url=https://www.whonix.org/blog/giving-up-pseudonymity-after-collecting-experiences-with-pseudonymous-project-development |access-date=2022-03-21 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403111148/https://www.whonix.org/blog/giving-up-pseudonymity-after-collecting-experiences-with-pseudonymous-project-development |archive-date=3 April 2014 |url-status=dead))</ref>

=== Porting to Qubes OS ===
In August 2014 a user called WhonixQubes announced on the qubes-users mailing list the first successful integration of [[Qubes OS]] version R2-rc2 and Whonix 8.2. [[Joanna Rutkowska]], founder of Qubes OS, publicly stated her praise about the efforts.<ref>((Cite web |title=New Announcement: Qubes + Whonix is now available! |url=https://groups.google.com/g/qubes-users/c/GhgWH5mHf2E |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=groups.google.com))</ref>

In June 2015, Rutkowska announced the reception of funding from the [[Open Technology Fund]] to further sponsor the porting work of Whonix to Qubes OS. The proposal to OTF was made initially in September 2014, after Rutkowska was approached by Michael Carbone, an employee of [[Access Now]]<ref>((Cite web |title=Michael Carbone |url=https://www.accessnow.org/profile/michael-carbone/ |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Access Now |language=en-US))</ref> and member of the Qubes OS team<ref>((Cite web |title=Team |url=https://www.qubes-os.org/team/#michael-carbone |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Qubes OS |language=en))</ref> who helped with the process.<ref>((Cite web |title=Qubes OS Project gets OTF funding to integrate Whonix, improve usability ((!)) The Invisible Things |url=https://blog.invisiblethings.org/2015/06/04/otf-funding-announcement.html |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=blog.invisiblethings.org))</ref>

At the same time, Patrick Schleizer wrote about wanting to personally focus on the development of Qubes-Whonix.<ref>((Cite web |date=2015-09-29 |title=Whonix Host Operating System, Announcing OTF Sponsorship |url=https://www.whonix.org/blog/host-and-sponsorship-by-otf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929084113/https://www.whonix.org/blog/host-and-sponsorship-by-otf |archive-date=2015-09-29 |access-date=2022-03-23 ))</ref>

With the release of Qubes OS R3.0 in October 2015,<ref>((Cite web |title=Qubes R3.0 release schedule |url=https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/releases/3.0/schedule/ |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Qubes OS |language=en))</ref> Whonix templates officially became available.<ref name=":3">((Cite web |title=Qubes R3.0 release notes |url=https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/releases/3.0/release-notes/#new-features-since-20 |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Qubes OS |language=en))</ref>

== Variants ==
=== Standalone ===
The standard version of Whonix can be used on many different platforms as host-machines, such as [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]], [[macOS]], [[Linux|GNU/Linux]] and Qubes OS. It is downloadable in formats compatible with the most common [[Hypervisor|hypervisors]] like [[VirtualBox]], [[QEMU]], [[Kernel-based Virtual Machine|KVM]] and [[Xen]].<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-03-18 |title=FREE Whonix ™ Download |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Download |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref> Whonix is reported to have experimental compatibility with [[VMware]] and [[Hyper-V]], though not officially supported.<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-01-13 |title=VMware |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/VMware#VMware_Whonix_%E2%84%A2_Support_Status |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref><ref>((Cite web |title=How to get Whonix running on Hyper-V - Support - Whonix Forum |url=https://forums.whonix.org/t/how-to-get-whonix-running-on-hyper-v/6741 |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=forums.whonix.org|date=26 January 2019 ))</ref>

The VirtualBox packages for both the Workstation and Gateway are distributed with the [[xfce]] [[desktop environment]] or in a [[Headless computer|headless]] "CLI" version.<ref>((Cite web |date=2021-12-02 |title=Whonix ™ for Windows, macOS, Linux inside VirtualBox |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/VirtualBox |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref> They can be seamlessly combined.<ref>((Cite web |title=Can I combine Whonix-Gateway CLI with Whonix-Workstation XFCE? Yes! - News - Whonix Forum |url=https://forums.whonix.org/t/can-i-combine-whonix-gateway-cli-with-whonix-workstation-xfce-yes/6308 |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=forums.whonix.org|date=14 November 2018 ))</ref>

=== Qubes OS ===
Whonix can be configured directly from the Qubes OS' installation menu since version R3.0.<ref name=":3" /> Since at least Qubes OS R4.0 it can also be installed at a later time using the management software [[Salt (software)|Salt]] from [[Xen|dom0]].<ref>((Cite web |date=2022-02-16 |title=How-to: Install the Stable Version of Qubes-Whonix ™ 16 |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Qubes/Install#Download_Whonix_%E2%84%A2_Templates_and_Configure_sys-whonix_and_anon-whonix |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref>

==Design==

((more citations needed|section|date=August 2020))
((Cleanup rewrite|date=January 2023|this section uses lots of "Fancy" talk, and it may be difficult to for the average reader to understand|section=yes))
An "advanced" configuration uses two physically separate computers, with the Gateway running on the hardware of one of the computers, and the Workstation running in a VM hosted on the second. This protects against attacks on hypervisors at the cost of flexibility. Supported hardware platforms include the [[Raspberry Pi]] 3<ref>((Cite web|url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Dev/Build_Documentation/Physical_Isolation#How_To_Install_Whonix-Gateway_.E2.84.A2_on_the_Raspberry_Pi_3_B_.28RPI3.29|title = Build Documentation: Physical Isolation|date = 2 December 2021))</ref> and unofficial community efforts on the [[PowerPC]] workstation hardware, Talos, from [[Raptor Computing]].<ref>https://wiki.raptorcs.com/wiki/Whonix></ref>

On first startup, each VM checks to ensure that the software is up-to-date. On every boot, the date and time are set using the ''sdwdate'' secure time daemon that works over Tor's TCP protocol.<ref>((Cite web|date=2020-09-14|title=sdwdate: Secure Distributed Web Date|url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Sdwdate|access-date=2020-12-11|website=Whonix|language=en))</ref>

The Gateway VM is responsible for running Tor, and has two virtual network interfaces. One of these is connected to the outside Internet via [[Network address translation|NAT]] on the VM host, and is used to communicate with Tor relays. The other is connected to a virtual LAN that runs entirely inside the host.

The Workstation VM runs user applications. It is connected only to the internal virtual LAN, and can directly communicate only with the Gateway, which forces all traffic coming from the Workstation to pass through the Tor network. The Workstation VM can "see" only [[IP address]]es on the Internal LAN, which are the same in every Whonix installation.

User applications therefore have no knowledge of the user's "real" IP address, nor do they have access to any information about the physical hardware. In order to obtain such information, an application would have to find a way to "break out" of the VM, or to subvert the Gateway (perhaps through a bug in Tor or the Gateway's Linux kernel).
<!-- The following section will have to be reworked, as it doesn't mention what Tails is and description is too similar to what is currently present on Whonix Wiki -IrrationalBeing -->

Since version 15 Whonix supports an optional "amnesiac" live-mode, much like the similar security-focused operating system [[Tails (operating system)|Tails]].<ref>((Cite web|date=2020-09-28|title=VM Live Mode: Stop Persistent Malware|url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/VM_Live_Mode|access-date=2020-12-11|website=Whonix|language=en))</ref> This combines the best of both worlds by allowing Tor's entry guard system to choose long-lived entry points for the Tor network on the Gateway, reducing the adversaries' ability to trap users by running malicious relays, while rolling back to a trusted state. Some precautions on the host may be needed to avoid data being written to the disk accidentally. Grub-live, an additional separate project,<ref>((Cite web|date=2020-11-24|title=grub-live: Boot existing Host Operating System or VM into Live Mode|url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Grub-live|access-date=2020-12-11|website=Whonix|language=en))</ref> aims to allow bare-metal Debian hosts to boot into a live session, avoiding forensic remnants on disc.

For the best defense against malicious guards, it is recommended to boot up the gateway from a pristine state and have a unique guard paired to each user activity. Users would take a snapshot to be able to switch to, and use that guard consistently.<ref>((Cite web|date=2020-08-13|title=Tor Entry Guards|url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Tor_Entry_Guards|access-date=2020-12-11|website=Whonix|language=en))</ref> This setup guarantees that most activities of the user remain protected from malicious entry guards while not increasing the risk of running into one as a completely amnesiac system would.

=== Documentation ===
The [https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Documentation Whonix wiki] includes a collection of operational security guides for tips on preserving anonymity while online. Additionally, a number of original content guides on which security tools to use, and how to use such tools, have been added over time. This includes how to access the [[I2P]]<ref>((Cite web |date=2020-11-26 |title=Invisible Internet Project (I2P) |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/I2P |access-date=2020-12-11 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref> and [[Freenet]]<ref>((Cite web |date=2020-08-08 |title=Freenet |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Freenet |access-date=2020-12-11 |website=Whonix |language=en))</ref> networks over Tor.

==Scope==
<!-- I will merge this information under a new category "features", which will also take consideration of the Qubes OS version of Whonix. -->

Anonymity is a complex problem with many issues beyond IP address masking that are necessary to protect user privacy. Whonix focuses on these areas to provide a comprehensive solution. Some features include:
* [[Kloak]] ((En dash)) A keystroke anonymization tool that randomizes the timing between key presses. [[keystroke biometrics|Keystroke biometric]] algorithms have advanced to the point where it is viable to fingerprint users based on soft biometric traits with extremely high accuracy. This is a privacy risk because masking spatial information—such as the IP address via Tor—is insufficient to anonymize users.
* [[Tirdad]] ((En dash)) A Linux kernel module for overwriting TCP ISNs. TCP Initial Sequence Numbers use fine-grained kernel timer data, leaking correlatable patterns of CPU activity in non-anonymous system traffic. They may otherwise act as a side-channel for long running crypto operations.<ref>((Cite web|title=Add research idea for Linux TCP Initial Sequence Numbers may aid correlation (#16659) · Issues · Legacy / Trac|url=https://gitlab.torproject.org/legacy/trac/-/issues/16659|access-date=2020-12-11|website=GitLab|date=24 July 2015 |language=en))</ref>
* Disabled TCP Timestamps ((En dash)) TCP timestamps leak system clock info down to the millisecond which aids network adversaries in tracking systems behind NAT.<ref>((Cite web|date=2017-02-01|title=[Tails-dev] Risks of enabled/disabled TCP timestamps?|url=https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-December/004520.html|access-date=2020-12-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201160732/https://mailman.boum.org/pipermail/tails-dev/2013-December/004520.html|archive-date=2017-02-01))</ref>
* [[sdwdate]] ((En dash)) A secure time daemon alternative to NTP that uses trustworthy sources and benefits from Tor's end-to-end encryption. NTP suffers from being easy to manipulate and surveil. RCE flaws were also discovered in NTP clients.<ref>((Cite web|title=Don't update NTP – stop using it - Hanno's blog|url=https://blog.hboeck.de/archives/863-Dont-update-NTP-stop-using-it.html|access-date=2020-12-11|website=blog.hboeck.de))</ref>
* [[MAT 2]] ((En dash)) Software and file systems add a lot of extraneous information about who, what, how, when and where documents and media files were created. MAT 2 strips out this information to make file sharing safer without divulging identifying information about the source.
* [[LKRG]] ((En dash)) Linux Kernel Runtime Guard (LKRG) is a Linux security module that thwarts classes of kernel exploitation techniques. Hardening the guest OS makes it more difficult for adversaries to break out of the hypervisor and deanonymize the user.

== See also ==
* [[Tails (operating system)]]
* [[Qubes OS]]

==References==
((reflist|30em))

== External links ==
* ((official website|https://www.whonix.org/))
* ((DistroWatch|whonix|Whonix))
((Linux-distro))

[[Category:2012 software]]
[[Category:Linux distributions]]
[[Category:Operating system security]]
[[Category:Tor onion services]]
[[Category:X86-64 Linux distributions]]

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