Whonix

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.{{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 }}{{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 }} His idea was to leverage a virtual machine acting as a transparent proxy to route all Internet traffic through the Tor network. This would have allowed one to mask one's IP address, prevent DNS leaks and avoid having to configure proxy settings for individual applications (or ones who do not support them).{{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}}

TorBOX was at its beginning only a guide released on the Tor Project [https://www.torproject.org/ website], which also provided some shell scripts.{{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}} Other contributors provided more information as TorBOX became more popular.{{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}}

As the project's complexity grew, leak tests became increasingly necessary. Some contributors developed utilities to automate many steps and improve 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.{{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}}

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,{{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}} the programmers agreed to completely automate the build process and improve codability with a change in the developing process, brought by a new website with better capabilities than the old project's wiki.

The TorBOX/aos wiki listed seven released versions.{{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}} With the advent of the third release, Patrick Schleizer, acting under his pseudonym Proper, released his GPG public-key containing his contact information,{{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}}

The sixth version saw the first rename of the developer Proper to Adrelanos.{{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}} However, the former username was maintained on the Tor Website until the seventh and final version.{{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}}

Development of TorBOX continued until version 0.2.1, release July 16, 2012. The project was renamed the following day.{{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}}

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 issues.{{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}} 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.{{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}}

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.{{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}}{{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}} He reasoned that the name was unused and would have provided more results in search engines. Whonix is a compound of two words: who ("what person/s") and nix (a German word that means "nothing").{{Cite web |date=2022-02-22 |title=History |url=https://www.whonix.org/wiki/History |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=Whonix |language=en}}

Whonix 0.3.0, never released, was based on Ubuntu.{{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}} 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. Complying with the terms requested by a rebranding{{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}} would have required work which was beyond the capability of the Whonix developers.{{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}} Moreover, the release of Ubuntu 12.10 was heavily criticized for the closer integration with the Amazon ecosystem and other privacy issues.{{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}}{{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}}{{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}}{{Cite web |title=Ubuntu 12.10 (Quantal Quetzal) review |url=https://www.zdnet.com/product/ubuntu-12-10-quantal-quetzal/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102211610/http://www.zdnet.com/product/ubuntu-12-10-quantal-quetzal/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 2, 2015 |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=ZDNet |language=en}}

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 host machine.{{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}}

The first release under the new name of Whonix happened with version 0.4.4, the first one since TorBOX 0.2.1.{{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}} It was rebased on Debian, which is described by the project as being "a good compromise of security and usability".{{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}}

The second release, Whonix 0.4.5 was the first to be announced by adrelanos on the tor-talk mailing list.{{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}}

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.{{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}}

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{{Cite web |title=Michael Carbone |url=https://www.accessnow.org/profile/michael-carbone/ |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Access Now |language=en-US}} and member of the Qubes OS team{{Cite web |title=Team |url=https://www.qubes-os.org/team/#michael-carbone |access-date=2022-03-23 |website=Qubes OS |language=en}} who helped with the process.{{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}}

At the same time, Patrick Schleizer wrote about wanting to personally focus on the development of Qubes-Whonix.{{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 }}

With the release of Qubes OS R3.0 in October 2015,{{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}} Whonix templates officially became available.{{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}}

In August 2020, the Tor Project announced on their edited blog post stating that they can no longer endorse Whonix due to their concerns with patterns of "tolerance for sexism, racism, and other bigotry within the Whonix community" and discouraged the users from getting involved with them.{{Cite web |title=Tor at the Heart: Whonix {{!}} Tor Project |url=https://blog.torproject.org/tor-heart-whonix/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109001414/https://blog.torproject.org/tor-heart-whonix/ |archive-date=2021-11-09 |access-date=2024-10-18 |website=blog.torproject.org}}

• Tails (operating system)
• Qubes OS
• Linux Kodachi

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{official website|https://www.whonix.org/}}
• {{DistroWatch|whonix|Whonix}}

{{Linux-distro}}

Category:2012 software

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Category:Operating system security

Category:Tor onion services

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