Whonix is an operating system which is safe, secure and it focuses primarily on anonymity. The operating system is built on the same principle as Tor which provides complete privacy and anonymity to its users by isolation. It is impossible to find DNS leaks and even malware having root privileges cannot find out any vulnerability users’ real IP. This makes it an ideal partner while you surf or access the Deep Web as opposed to just using Tor on your current operating system. It is often discouraged to use Tor while you have a windows operating system because there is a deal that binds Microsoft of disclosing information to NSA as the latter possesses direct access to Microsoft’s systems.. Go through all the information that may concern the NSA and Microsoft on the internet.
Before you start using Whonix, it is imperative that you get to know about how the operating system actually works. The OS, is composed of two parts. The first part runs on Tor and acts as a gateway which is known as Whonix-Gateway. The second part is the one that the user uses and is called Whonix-Workstation. Both of the subsystems run in their own virtual machines on your computer and this keeps what you have contained within Whonix.
To start with how to go about using Whonix, you first have to download the VirtualBox. The purpose of installing VirtualBox is that it creates virtual machines on your system which is important for running Whonix. After you have downloaded VirtualBox, you have to download Whonix-Gateway and Workstation. There are a few options that are available for download and you might choose the option that best fits you. It is also important that you verify the images with the help of a Signing Key if you are aware of how to go about it. If you are ignorant about the process, you might want to learn with the guide on PGP encryption.
After you have installed the VirtualBox, start the program and follow the steps mentioned below:
- Go to the “File option” and “Import Appliance”.
- Select the “Choose” button and click on the downloaded Whonix-Gateway.ova file.
- Click “Next” and then “Import” without altering any of the setting options.
- It will take a few minutes before the import process is complete and wait till the progress bar is complete.
- Follow the above steps and repeat for the Whonix-Workstation.ova file.
- Now you can launch both the Whonix-Gateway and Whonix-Workstation.
Before you start using it, you have to complete the quick setup process and wait for any updates that the OS has in store. Make sure that you do not stop Whonix-Gateway as it is used for updating any updates that are available and you don’t use it for any other activities. All the work that you will do is done on the Whonix-Workstation virtual machine window. After the above steps are done, now you can use the OS to browse in a secure way and that too by not changing your computer system very much.
