Build Configuration

Note: All of the following build configuration steps are optional.

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Introduction

Usually the build configuration does not need to be changed. Whonix ™ built from source code comes with safe defaults. Whonix's APT Repository will not be used.

The most interesting build configurations (Terminal-Only, NoDefaultApps etc.) are documented in the following chapters.

If you are interested, click on Expand on the right.

If build configurations were used earlier, it might be better to delete the build configuration folder. A few example filenames may have changed since the last build.

sudo rm -r /etc/whonix_buildconfig.d

Alternatively, experts can manually examine the /etc/whonix_buildconfig.d folder and change its contents to suit their preferences.

/etc/whonix_buildconfig.d is a modular flexible .d style configuration folder.

Less popular build configurations are documented in the buildconfig.d folder and on the Dev/Source_Code_Intro#Build_Configuration page, but it is less user-friendly.

To avoid typos, it is best to copy and paste text when creating build configuration files. Take care that editors do not capitalize variable names which are supposed to be lower case during copy and paste procedures.

Platforms Choice

Advanced users can create 32-bit instead of 64-bit builds.

If you are interested, click on Expand on the right.

• Whonix ™ 14 and above is 64-bit by default.

To build Whonix ™ 14 32-bit, add the following build parameter.

--arch i386

• kFreeBSD is entirely untested and most likely needs additional work (see footnotes).

• Whonix ™ for arm64 development discussion:
  

https://forums.whonix.org/t/whonix-for-arm64 ^[archive]

• Generally speaking, 64-bit builds cannot be created if running a 32-bit host kernel. See footnotes.

Whonix ™ APT Repository

Non-Qubes-Whonix ™:
Whonix's APT Repository is disabled by default since Whonix 7.3.3 for reasons of Trust. Later on, users can decide to update Whonix Debian packages by building them from source code (greater security). Alternatively, Whonix's APT repository can be enabled right after building or after booting the build for the first time (greater convenience). To use the latter method which sacrifices security for convenience, click on Expand on the right side.

Do you want to opt-in for Whonix's APT Repository? This is set using an environment variable or build configuration. Below is an example using an environment variable.

WHONIX_APT_REPOSITORY_OPTS='--enable --repository stable'

WHONIX_APT_REPOSITORY_OPTS='--enable --repository stable'

WHONIX_APT_REPOSITORY_OPTS='--enable --repository testers'

WHONIX_APT_REPOSITORY_OPTS='--enable --repository testers'

WHONIX_APT_REPOSITORY_OPTS='--enable --repository developers'

WHONIX_APT_REPOSITORY_OPTS='--enable --repository developers'

WHONIX_APT_REPOSITORY_OPTS='--enable --codename buster'

WHONIX_APT_REPOSITORY_OPTS='--enable --codename buster'

Add an environment variable as one normally does on that specific Linux platform. For example, to enable the Whonix stable repository during build, you could set WHONIX_APT_REPOSITORY_OPTS by interjecting it between sudo and the ./whonix_build command. Below is an example. Do not use [...]. Replace it with other chosen build parameters (such as --build, --target etc.) after ./whonix_build.

sudo WHONIX_APT_REPOSITORY_OPTS='--enable --repository stable' ./whonix_build [...]

sudo WHONIX_APT_REPOSITORY_OPTS='--enable --repository stable' ./whonix_build [...]

APT Onion Build Sources

For better build security, you can also use onions apt sources for building Whonix ™.

If you are interested, click on Expand on the right.

This does not ensure all of Whonix's build process will be torified!

Whonix ™ 14 and above only:

--connection onion

APT Cache

Using an apt cache will greatly improve build speed when building several times in a row (e.g. when debugging, during development).

If you are interested, click on Expand on the right.

torified apt-cacher-ng

The following torified apt-cacher-ng setup only has to be applied, if you are building using onion apt sources using --connection onion.

However, if you are building behind a Tor transparent proxy such as Whonix-Gateway ™, you can use the simpler clearnet apt-cacher-ng instructions below instead.

If you skip these steps of setting up a torified apt-cacher-ng, you must below drop and not use REPO_PROXY=http://127.0.0.1:3142 [archive].

Note, this neither torifies all of the build script's connections nor hides Tor from your ISP!

Install apt-cacher-ng-, torsocks and tor.

sudo apt-get install apt-cacher-ng torsocks tor

Create folder apt-cacher-ng systemd drop-in folder /lib/systemd/system/apt-cacher-ng.service.d.

sudo mkdir -p /lib/systemd/system/apt-cacher-ng.service.d

Open file /lib/systemd/system/apt-cacher-ng.service.d/50_user.conf in an editor with root rights.

(Qubes-Whonix ™: In TemplateVM)

This box uses sudoedit for better security ^[archive]. This is an example and other tools could also achieve the same goal. If this example does not work for you or if you are not using Whonix, please refer to this link.

sudoedit /lib/systemd/system/apt-cacher-ng.service.d/50_user.conf

sudoedit /lib/systemd/system/apt-cacher-ng.service.d/50_user.conf

Add.

[Service]
ExecStart=torsocks /usr/sbin/apt-cacher-ng SocketPath=/run/apt-cacher-ng/socket -c /etc/apt-cacher-ng ForeGround=1

Save.

Reload systemd.

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Restart apt-cacher-ng.

sudo systemctl apt-cacher-ng restart

clearnet apt-cacher-ng

sudo apt-get install apt-cacher-ng

Be sure to have a firewall, so the whole internet can not use the apt-cacher-ng service.

Prepend REPO_PROXY=http://127.0.0.1:3142 [archive] before the build command.

sudo REPO_PROXY=http://127.0.0.1:3142 ./whonix_build ...

When building inside a non-Whonix VM, an apt cache can be used on the host. In that case, adjust the IP accordingly and manually test that it is reachable. When building inside a (Whonix ™) VM, just install the apt cache inside the VM and point to a localhost apt cache.

From 14.0.1.0.7-developers-only and above Whonix automatically uses apt-cacher-ng.

VM Settings

This is only relevant for VM builds.

Several examples are below. Values can be changed to suit user preferences.

VirtualBox's --vmsize option (virtual RAM).

--vmram 128

VirtualBox's --vram option (virtual video RAM).

--vram 12

grml-debootstrap's --vmsize option.

--vmsize 200G

grml-debootstrap's --filesystem option.

--file-system ext4

grml-debootstrap's --hostname option.

--hostname host

grml-debootstrap's --password option.

--os-password changeme

grml-debootstrap's --debopt option.

--debopt "--verbose"

Skip Steps

--sanity-tests false

Source Code Changes

This is only required if changes were made to the Whonix source folder! In that case click on Expand on the right.
This is not required if only a customized build configuration was added to the /etc/whonix_buildconfig.d folder.

If changes were made to the Whonix source code, it is the easiest to use the following build parameter.

--allow-uncommitted true

Or if not building from a git tag, it is the easiest to use the following build parameter.

--allow-untagged true

Otherwise, changes must be committed to git first, before creating a git tag.