Tails 7.0 is almost ready for prime time. The first release candidate, version 7.0~rc1, is now available to download and test ahead of the official launch on October 16.
This is a big step for the privacy-focused Linux distro. Tails 7.0 is the first version to be built on Debian 13 “Trixie”, and it also brings in GNOME 48, making the whole experience feel fresher.
If you’re curious or just like helping squash bugs, this is your moment. The developers say 7.0~rc1 has already been run through their full suite of manual and automated tests. But it’s still pre-release, so don’t expect perfection. The good news? You’ll still get automatic security updates while testing it, just like you would with stable builds.
There are some changes longtime users will notice right away. For example, GNOME Terminal has been swapped out for GNOME Console. This change broke the old Root Terminal shortcut, but you can still get root access by typing this in Console:
sudo -iThey also replaced GNOME Image Viewer with GNOME Loupe, and Kleopatra was removed from the Favorites menu. Don’t worry, folks, it’s still there under Apps > Accessories > Kleopatra.
One less thing on the Welcome Screen: the outdated Network Connection option has been removed.
There’s a long list of app updates too:
- Tor updated to 0.4.8.17
- Thunderbird upgraded to 128.13.0esr
- Kernel now at 6.1.14, which improves support for new Wi-Fi cards and graphics chips
- Electrum bumped to 4.5.8
- KeePassXC, OnionShare, GIMP, Inkscape, Kleopatra, Audacity, and more have also been refreshed
A few tools didn’t make the cut this time. unar, aircrack-ng, and sq were all removed. Bug fixes? Yeah, a few. There’s now better detection for keyboard layouts in certain languages, for example.
Just keep in mind this release has a couple of caveats. You’ll need 3GB of RAM instead of 2GB for it to run well, which could be an issue on older machines. Also, it boots slower than previous versions, but the team says that will be fixed in the final 7.0 build.
