Common Whonix CLI Commands

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Documentation Previous page: Language Index page: Documentation Next page: Anon Connection Wizard Common Whonix CLI Commands

There are a number of common command line operations that are performed by users of all skill levels in the Whonix environment. This wiki page is intended to serve as a quick and handy reference guide for locating these, but it is not a substitute for reading relevant wiki entries that provide detailed instructions for various activities. [1] Additional, useful commands will be added here over time.

Whonix-Gateway™

[edit]
Whonix-Gateway Common Commands
Category Commands
Change Keyboard Layout
  • To change the keyboard layout:
    • sudo set-system-keymap --interactive
  • Make the keyboard configuration change take effect in a text console (if needed):
    • sudo setupcon
  • Make the keyboard configuration change take effect in a GUI session (if needed):
    • labwc --reconfigure
Circumvent uwt Wrapper Use [2]
  • /usr/bin/apt-get.anondist-orig
  • /usr/bin/wget.anondist-orig
  • /usr/bin/curl.anondist-orig
  • /usr/bin/gpg.anondist-orig
  • /usr/bin/ssh.anondist-orig
Connection Wizard (Enable/Disable Tor)
  • anon-connection-wizard
  • sudo setup-wizard-dist
Default Username and Password [3]

Whonix default admin password is: No password required. (Passwordless login.)

  • Default username: user
  • Default password: No password required. (Passwordless login.) [4]
Important Configuration Files / Folders
  • Important configuration files:
    • sudoedit /usr/local/etc/torrc.d/50_user.conf
    • sudoedit /etc/whonix_firewall.d/50_user.conf
  • Important configuration folders:
    • /etc/whonix_firewall.d/
Important Logs
  • sudo journalctl -f
  • sdwdate-log-viewer
  • sudo journalctl -u tor@default.service -f
Nyx: Tor Command Line Monitor [5]
  • Launch Nyx:

nyx

OS Updates
  • upgrade-nonroot or
  • sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade
Switch to Clearnet User [6]
  • sudo su clearnet
systemcheck
  • System Health Check:

systemcheck

Time
  • Report the date in UTC:

date -u

  • Manually set the system clock:

sudo date -s "17 FEB 2019 24:00:00" && sudo hwclock -w

  • Randomize the time: [7] [8]
    • clock-random-manual-gui: a randomized clock setting (in UTC) is entered via a GUI.
    • clock-random-manual-cli: a randomized clock setting (in UTC) is entered on the command line. For example: echo "Wed Dec 04 06:20:13 UTC 2019" | /usr/bin/clock-random-manual-cli
Tor
  • Restart Tor:

sudo systemctl restart tor@default.service

  • Stop Tor:

sudo systemctl stop tor@default.service

  • Check the Tor version:

anon-info

  • Check the Tor configuration:
    • anon-verify
    • Or, use systemcheck, mentioned above.
Virtual Consoles
  • Text console: Press Alt + Ctrl + F1
    • Additional text consoles: Press Alt + Ctrl + F2 or F3 and so on.
  • Graphical console: Press Alt + Ctrl + F7
VM Operations
  • Reboot:

sudo reboot

  • Power off:

sudo poweroff

Whonix Version
  • Whonix version:

cat /etc/whonix_version

Whonix-Workstation

[edit]
Whonix-Workstation Common Commands
Category Commands
Change Keyboard Layout
  • To change the keyboard layout:
    • sudo set-system-keymap --interactive
  • Make the keyboard configuration change take effect in a text console (if needed):
    • sudo setupcon
  • Make the keyboard configuration change take effect in a GUI session (if needed):
    • labwc --reconfigure
Circumvent uwt Wrapper Use [2]
  • /usr/bin/apt-get.anondist-orig
  • /usr/bin/wget.anondist-orig
  • /usr/bin/curl.anondist-orig
  • /usr/bin/gpg.anondist-orig
  • /usr/bin/git.anondist-orig
  • /usr/bin/ssh.anondist-orig
Default Username and Password [3]

Whonix default admin password is: No password required. (Passwordless login.)

  • Default username: user
  • Default password: No password required. (Passwordless login.) [9]
DNS Resolution Functionality Test
  • nslookup check.torproject.org
GnuPG (OpenPGP)
  • Retrieve keys (example):

sudo gpg --recv-keys EF6E286DDA85EA2A4BA7DE684E2C6E8793298290

  • Check file signatures (example):

gpg --verify tor-browser-linux-x86_64-15.0.3.tar.xz.asc tor-browser-linux-x86_64-15.0.3.tar.xz

Important Configuration Folders and Logs
  • Important configuration folders:
    • /etc/whonix_firewall.d/
  • Important logs:
    • sudo journalctl -f
    • sdwdate-log-viewer
Leak Test [10]
  • leaktest
OS Updates / Software Installation
  • upgrade-nonroot or
  • sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade
  • Install the package-name package.

sudo apt install package-name

  • Install the package-name package from Debian backports. Requires enabling backports repository.

sudo apt -t trixie-backports install package-name

systemcheck
  • System Health Check:

systemcheck

Time
  • Manually set the system clock:

sudo date -s "17 FEB 2025 24:00:00" && sudo hwclock -w

Tor Browser

Note: Tor Browser can only be started when a graphical desktop environment (DE) such as LXQt is running (Whonix LXQt). At time of writing Tor Browser cannot be run without a running DE (Whonix CLI without a custom installed DE). However, graphical applications such as Tor Browser can be started from the command line when a DE is running. [11]

  • Important folders:
    • ~/.tb/tor-browser
    • ~/.tb/tor-browser/Browser/TorBrowser/Data/Browser
  • Tor Browser Launcher:

torbrowser

  • Tor Browser in debugging mode:

~/.tb/tor-browser/Browser/start-tor-browser --debug

update-torbrowser

Virtual Consoles
  • Text console: Press Alt + Ctrl + F1
    • Additional text consoles: Press Alt + Ctrl + F2 or F3 and so on.
  • Graphical console: Press Alt + Ctrl + F7
VM Operations
  • Reboot:

sudo reboot

  • Power off:

sudo poweroff

Whonix Version
  • Whonix version:

cat /etc/whonix_version

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ↑ This entry has been inspired by the relatively unknown whonix command, which already lists common Whonix command line operations.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Experts / debugging only!
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 For both Whonix-Gateway and Whonix-Workstation™.
  4. ↑ Kicksecure logo Rationale for Change from Default Password changeme to Empty Default PasswordOnion network Logo
  5. ↑ This is a Tor Controller which runs as a console application.
  6. ↑ The whonix DNS notes state:

    Check if DNS resolution is functional:

    • Experts only!
    • This is only a summary.
    • You normally do not need to manually resolve DNS on Whonix-Gateway.
    • Whonix has by default a feature to hide the fact, that you are a Whonix user.

    - This will NOT hide the fact that you are a Tor user from your ISP! -- Hiding the fact, that you are a Tor user, is available as an optional configuration.

    • Whonix-Workstations traffic goes through Tors Socks-, Dns- or TransPorts.

    - Whonix-Gateway can only send traffic through Tor as well.
    -- Whonix-Gateway has no longer a Trans- or DnsPort.
    -- For example, APT will actually call the uwt wrapper /usr/bin/apt-get.
    -- The APT uwt wrapper will with help of uwt and torsocks force also Whonix-Gateways traffic through Tor.
    -- Thus hiding the fact, that you are a Whonix user.

    • Only as either,

    - as clearnet user or
    - after activation of transparent proxying for Whonix-Gateway
    - in /etc/whonix_firewall.d/ or
    - after allowing Whonix-Gateways root sending non-Tor traffic in /etc/whonix_firewall.d/

    • nslookup check.torproject.org
  7. ↑ A non-zero exit codes signifies an error, while 0 means it succeeded.
  8. ↑ Also see: man clock-random-manual-gui man clock-random-manual-cli
  9. ↑ Kicksecure logo Rationale for Change from Default Password changeme to Empty Default PasswordOnion network Logo
  10. ↑ See: Leak Tests
  11. ↑ https://forums.whonix.org/t/tor-browser-on-whonix-workstation-cli/10020/8archive.org iconarchive.today icon
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