Whonix ™ for macOS: Download and Installation
From Whonix
Whonix ™ 
for Apple macOS 
inside VirtualBox 
.
1. Install VirtualBox
Download VirtualBox [archive] by clicking on 'OS X hosts' and when prompted decide to either open or save the Apple disk image file (e.g. VirtualBox-5.2.22-126460-OSX.dmg). After it mounts, install it by double-clicking on the blue VirtualBox logo.
2. Download Whonix ™ XFCE for macOS
FREE
By downloading, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to our Terms of Service and License Agreement.
Version: 15.0.1.3.4
| Whonix ™ |
Download Security without Verification |
Download Security with Verification | |
 |
Medium | High [1] | |
|
OpenPGP Signature ( sha512 , sig ) |
- | - |
|
Verify images using this Signing Key | - | |
Verify the Whonix ™ Images
Whonix ™ virtual machine images are cryptographically signed by Whonix developer Patrick Schleizer using OpenPGP. [2]
Digital signatures can increase security but this requires knowledge. Learn more about digital software signature verification.
If you know how to use an OpenPGP key, download the Whonix ™ Signing Key and the Whonix ™ signatures straight away.
Otherwise, use the following instructions:
3. Import Whonix ™ into VirtualBox
For Whonix ™ VirtualBox import instructions, please press on expand on the right.
Start VirtualBox
Click on Filethen choose Import Appliance...
Navigate and select the Whonix ™ image and press next
Do NOT change anything! Just click on Import
Then press Agree
Wait until Whonix-Gateway.ova has been imported
Repeat the import step for Whonix-Workstation.ova
Miscellaneous
Video Tutorials are also available.
If you still need help, please check the Support page.
After the Whonix ™ .ova files are imported they can be removed. VirtualBox will make a new directory with the live virtual machines Whonix-Gateway.vbox and Whonix-Workstation.vbox, and they are contained in directories of the same name. By default this is /Users/(yourusername)/VirtualBox VMs
4. Start Whonix
Starting Whonix ™ is simple. Start VirtualBox, and then double-click on Whonix-Gateway ™ and Whonix-Workstation ™.
Start both Whonix-Gateway ™ and Whonix-Workstation ™
5. VirtualBox Screen Resolution Bug
If the display presents like the image on the right-hand side, then you are affected by a screen resolution bug which only occurs in VirtualBox.
To correct the resolution, first apply the General VirtualBox Troubleshooting Steps.
If the issue still persists, to correct resolution, try the following workarounds.
VirtualBox Virtual Screen Menu Workaround
- Power off the VM.
- Restart the VM.
- Maximize the VM window after start of the VM as soon as possible.
VirtualBox VM Window→View→Virtual Screen 1→Choose any, resize to another resolutionVirtualBox VM Window→View→Auto-resize Guest Display
Desktop Resolution Settings Workaround
If the method above did not work, another option is the following. Inside the virtual machine:
XFCE Start Menu → Settings → Display → Resolution: → Choose a higher resolution resolution → Apply
VirtualBox VMSVGA Graphics Controller Setting Workaround
If it still does not work, a final option is the following.
Inside the virtual machine [3]:
On the host:
- Power off the VM.
VirtualBox→click a VM→Settings→Display→Graphics Controller→VMSVGA→OK(This is already the case in newer Whonix ™ versions.)VirtualBox→click a VM→Settings→Display→Graphics Controller→increase slider for Video Memory to 128→OK(This is already the case in newer Whonix ™ versions.)- Restart the VM.
- Maximize the VM window after start of the VM as soon as possible.
- If necessary, try again one of above workarounds.
VirtualBox Guest Additions Bugs Reporting
Occasionally screen resolution problems might still persist, see: VirtualBox Guest Additions Bugs Reporting.
First time user?
default username: user
default password: changeme
Warning:
- If you do not know what metadata or a man-in-the-middle attack is.
- If you think nobody can eavesdrop on your communications because you are using Tor.
- If you have no idea how Whonix works.
Then read the Design and Goals, Whonix ™ and Tor Limitations and Tips on Remaining Anonymous pages to decide whether Whonix is the right tool for you based on its limitations.
Miscellaneous macOS Advice
If the same VMs will be used on multiple systems like Boot Camp or even two different physical machines, then they can be moved to a shared or external hard drive:
- Copy the VirtualBox VMs folder mentioned earlier to the new location.
- Select the VMs you moved and then click remove.
- When prompted, select "Delete files".
- Re-add the VMs from their new location by selecting
Machine=>Add, then navigating to the new folder.
exFAT [archive] is the easiest format for cross platform file sharing with Windows and Linux. exFAT is an option built into Apple's "Disk Utility.app" when initializing or reformatting a storage device. Select exFAT from the drop down menu that appears when you click "Erase". The default option is HFS+ on 10.13 "High Sierra" and earlier and APFS on 10.14 "Mojave".
Note that with its POSIX [archive] kernel and BSD roots, many issues that arise on macOS hosts can be addressed using strategies similar to other Unix-like OSes.
Virtualization on non-Apple Hardware
Virtualization on osx86 aka "Hackintosh" machines with unmodified "vanilla" kernels works well, but some additional BIOS/UEFI settings need to be confirmed to ensure system stability. As of November 2018 Intel VT-d [archive] is not recommended, although some systems may function if it is enabled. Later BIOS revisions from American Megatrends Inc. (AMI) seem to have improved support compared to earlier releases.
AMD-Vi [archive] is not supported, since kernel modifications violating Apple Inc.'s End User License Agreement (EULA) are required to run macOS on platforms other than Intel. It is also recommended to disable the Integrated Graphics Processing Unit (IGPU) if PCIe graphics [archive] are in use, as well as disabling any SuperIO/Serial Port options if listed in BIOS. If virtualization problems related to unsupported architectures or features are encountered, please first consult appropriate community forums and wikis available on the Internet.
See Also
- ↑ It does not matter if the bulk download is done over an insecure channel if OpenPGP verification is used at the end.
- ↑ OpenPGP is a standard for data encryption that provides cryptographic privacy and authentication through the use of keys owned by its users.
- ↑ VirtualBox VMSVGA graphics controller is based on the VMware graphics controller.
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Copyright (C) 2012 - 2020 ENCRYPTED SUPPORT LP. Whonix ™ is a trademark. Whonix ™ is a licensee [archive] of the Open Invention Network [archive]. Unless otherwise noted, the content of this page is copyrighted and licensed under the same Freedom Software license as Whonix ™ itself. (Why?)
Whonix ™ is a derivative of and not affiliated with Debian [archive]. Debian is a registered trademark [archive] owned by Software in the Public Interest, Inc [archive].
Whonix ™ is produced independently from the Tor® [archive] anonymity software and carries no guarantee from The Tor Project [archive] about quality, suitability or anything else.
By using our website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood and agreed to our Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Terms of Service, and E-Sign Consent. Whonix ™ is provided by ENCRYPTED SUPPORT LP. See Imprint, Contact.
Footnotes