Platform-specific Desktop Tips
All Platforms[edit]
Disable Terminal Emulator Banner[edit]
The following greeting banner appears when a terminal shell bash prompt is opened.
Welcome to Whonix!
Whonix Copyright (C) 2012 - 2021 ENCRYPTED SUPPORT LP Whonix is Freedom Software, and you are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions; type "whonix-license" <enter> for details. Whonix is a compilation of software packages, each under its own copyright and license. The exact license terms for each program are described in the individual files in /usr/share/doc/*/copyright.
Whonix GNU/Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by applicable law; for details type "whonix-disclaimer" <enter>.
Whonix is a derivative of Debian GNU/Linux and based on Tor.
Whonix is produced independently from the Tor (r) anonymity software and carries no guarantee from The Tor Project about quality, suitability or anything else.
Whonix is experimental software by means of concept and design. Do not rely on it for strong anonymity.
Type: "whonix" <enter> for help. uwt INFO: Stream isolation for some applications enabled. uwt / torsocks will be automatically prepended to some commands. What is that? See:
To disable the banner, follow these steps.
1. Open a terminal.
If you are using Qubes-Whonix ™, complete the following steps.
Qubes App Launcher (blue/grey "Q") → Whonix-Workstation ™ App Qube (commonly named anon-whonix) → Xfce Terminal
If you are using a graphical Whonix ™ with XFCE, run.
Start Menu → Xfce Terminal
2. Run the following command.
The process is now complete.
See also: Disable Virtual Console Banner.
Shut Down Whonix ™[edit]
To shut down Whonix ™, open a terminal and run.
Alternatively, use the menu option:
- Qubes-Whonix ™:
Blue Q button→sys-whonix→Shutdown - Non-Qubes-Whonix ™:
Start→Leave...
Virtual Consoles[edit]
On the Host[edit]
Virtual consoles
is a feature inherited from Debian GNU/Linux which is unfamiliar to many users. The following keyboard shortcuts activate the Debian (not Whonix ™) feature:
- Text console: Press
Alt + Crtl + F1- Additional text consoles: Press
Alt + Crtl + F2orF3and so on. Try these in caseF1is not functional.
- Additional text consoles: Press
- Graphical console: Press
Alt + Crtl + F7
Virtual Machines[edit]
Table: Virtual Console Activation
| Platform | Steps |
|---|---|
| KVM | The desired virtual console key shortcut can be selected under the Send Key option in a VM's graphical window.
|
| Qubes dom0 | Qubes dom0 inherited the same feature (Alt + Crtl + F1...).
|
| Qubes VMs | In order to access VMs in dom0, run: [1] sudo xl console vm-name. Replace "vm-name" with the name of the actual VM, for example.
sudo xl console sys-whonix
See also add Qubes host key to allow switching virtual console (ctrl + alt + F1) or SysRq for HVM |
| VirtualBox | The VirtualBox default is Right Ctrl + F2. [2]
|
Due to technical limitations, an easier to understand presentation like Whonix ™ username login: or something similar cannot be shown. [3]
- Enter your username (this is most likely
user) and press<enter>. - Enter your password and press
<enter>.
default username: user
default password: changeme
Banner Explanation[edit]
In the Whonix ™ case, the virtual console will show host login:. This can be confusing and has nothing to do with the actual host that Whonix ™ is running on. The string host is retrieved from file /etc/hostname which for privacy reasons is set to host in Whonix ™. Therefore do not enter your host (the system Whonix ™ is running on) username or host password.
Due to technical limitations, an easier to understand presentation like Whonix ™ username login: or something similar cannot be shown. [4]
Login Instructions[edit]
- Note the Banner Explanation.
- Enter your username (this is most likely
user) and press<enter>. - Enter your password and press
<enter>.
default username: user
default password: changeme
Disable Virtual Console Banner[edit]
This process is similar to Disable Terminal Emulator Banner.
1. Open a virtual console.
2. Run the following command to restore the original bashrc (untested). [5]
3. Done.
The procedure is complete.
Non-Qubes-Whonix[edit]
Disable Autologin[edit]
Not very useful inside VMs, see also Login Screen.
1. Open file /etc/gdm3/daemon.conf.dist in an editor with root rights.
(Qubes-Whonix ™: In Template)
This box uses sudoedit for better security. 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.
2. Search for the following.
AutomaticLoginEnable=true AutomaticLogin=user
3. Modify.
Out-comment, add a hash symbol ("#") in front of the two lines. Or replace the content, copy/paste the following which does the same.
4. Save.
5. Reboot.
6. Done.
Autologin should be disabled after reboot.
RAM Adjusted Desktop Starter[edit]
When booting up, a prompt will appear offering to prevent Xfce from starting. Users can also manually press Ctrl + C for the same effect.
By default, Whonix-Gateway ™ VMs are configured with 1280 MB virtual RAM. This can be reduced on systems with low available resources.
- If total RAM is more than 512 MB, the default desktop environment (Xfce) is started.
- If total RAM is less than 512 MB (for example, the minimum 256 MB RAM requirement), Xfce is not started.
Users with low RAM resources should find this convenient because Whonix-Gateway ™ RAM can be reduced to 256 MB and still function.
Further, if something needs configuring or checking, 512 MB RAM can be assigned to automatically boot into the graphical Xfce desktop. Additional settings are available in folder /etc/rads.d to configure this feature: additional RAM can be added (but still not choosing to boot into a desktop environment), different display managers can be used and so on. See file /etc/rads.d/30_default.conf for configuration examples.
For more information, see RAM Adjusted Desktop Starter.
Use Full-screen Mode[edit]
It is recommended to work in full-screen; this feature is also inherited from VirtualBox. To activate and deactivate full-screen mode, press the VirtualBox Host Key + F. The current Host Key is visible in the bottom right corner of VirtualBox. The VirtualBox default is Right Ctrl + F.
Host key can be changed using VirtualBox → Global Settings → Input → Host Key.
Full-screen mode leads to the Whonix ™ (and Debian) default resolution and color depth of 1920x1080x24. Having a common value for these identifiers reduces the fingerprinting risk to the user. Full-screen mode also helps to prevent users from accidentally launching applications on the host (such as a clearnet browser), instead of within Whonix ™.
XFCE Scaling[edit]
A number of displays found in high-end laptops and desktops have High Dots Per Inch (HiDPI), providing a high resolution in a relatively small format. High-resolution mode can cause problems with certain software and the following adjustments may be necessary to improve HiDPI presentation in XFCE. [7]
Table: XFCE Scaling Options
| Configuration | Description |
|---|---|
| Fonts | Change the DPI parameter as follows: [7]
For example, it is reported that a value of |
| gtk2 Menus and Buttons | Follow these steps to change the default icon sizes of gtk2 menus, buttons and so on: [7]
gtk-large-toolbar=96,96:gtk-small-toolbar=64,64:gtk-menu=64,64:gtk-dialog=96,96:gtk-button=64,64:gtk-dnd=64,64
Note that the "gtk-dnd" parameter is for the icons during drag'n'drop, while the others are self-evident based on their name. Any value supported by the icon theme can be used.
|
| System Tray Icon Size | Follow these steps to enlarge icons in the system tray: [7]
|
| Task Bar Size | To change the size of the task bar:
|
| Window Manager Style | Xfwm has two hidpi themes: Default-hdpi and Default-xhdpi. Change the theme as follows: [7]
|
Default Home Folder Configuration Files Reset[edit]
Before following these instructions to wipe the whole Xfce settings folder and restore defaults, it is recommended to backup existing Xfce settings.
1. Open a virtual console.
2. Logout from and stop Xfce by halting Whonix ™ default login manager gdm3.
3. Delete folder ~/.config/xfce4.
4. Delete the first-boot-skel.done file.
5. Re-add Whonix ™ Xfce configuration files.
6. Restart lightdm to restart Xfce.
7. Done.
The process has been completed.
Qubes[edit]
Avoid VM Full Screen Mode[edit]
It is unrecommended to allow Qubes-Whonix ™ or other VMs to completely "own" the full screen. Overriding Qubes' GUI virtualization daemon restrictions means the colored decorations drawn by each VM window will not be visible. In this case, a malicious application might not actually release the full screen (while it appears normal), or the full desktop may be emulated so users are tricked into entering sensitive information inside false "trusted" domains. [8]
See Also[edit]
Footnotes[edit]
- ↑ This is not a real virtual console, but using login.
- ↑
Inside VirtualBox, the
Alt + Ctrlkeys are already registered by the host operating system. Host key can be changed usingVirtualBox→Global Settings→Input→Host Key. - ↑
The
loginprogram unfortunately does not provide this option. - ↑
The
loginprogram unfortunately does not provide this option. - ↑ Please leave feedback if this step works correctly.
- ↑
Run the following command.
sudo unlink /etc/motd
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/HiDPI#Xfce
- ↑ https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/full-screen-mode/
At
Whonix we believe in freedom and trust. That's why we fully support Open Source and Freedom Software.
Learn more.
Whonix ™ is supported by Evolution Host DDoS Protected VPS.
ENCRYPTED SUPPORT LP,
2022
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