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_This guide has been tested with Tails OS versions **6.0** and will not work on Tails 5.xx, so please make sure you are using an [**up to date Tails** OS](https://tails.net/doc/upgrade/)_.
*This howto uses [Flatpak](https://flatpak.org) to install Signal and keep it confined.*
**Notes**:
* Many steps happen in the _Terminal_. To paste content in the terminal, either right-click in the terminal and choose Paste, or use CTRL-SHIFT-V (not CTRL-V).
* **Do NOT use the _Root Terminal_** or instructions won't work!
* A working **internet connection is required** at every step of the howto.
## Configure Persistent Storage
_If you want to use Signal Desktop only once and lose everything after shutdown/reboot skip to section [Install](#install-flatpak)._
If you want to keep Signal Desktop persistent, we need to set up the persistent storage accordingly:
1. **Create** [**Persistent Storage**](https://tails.net/doc/persistent_storage/create/) and keep the default features enabled. You may enable other options for your other needs
2. **Start Tails** with an [administration password](https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/welcome_screen/administration_password/)
4. Choose _Applications ▸ Utilities ▸ **Terminal**_
5. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **setup persistent storage for Flatpak**:
~~~
sudo sed -i '$ a /home/amnesia/.local/share/flatpak source=flatpak\n/home/amnesia/.var/app source=var_app\n/home/amnesia/.local/share/applications source=applications' /live/persistence/TailsData_unlocked/persistence.conf
~~~
When asked, enter the Administration password set before.
6. **Restart** Tails with an [administration password set](https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/welcome_screen/administration_password/)
## Install Flatpak
1. Start your Tails with persistent storage unlocked and an [administration password set](https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/welcome_screen/administration_password/)
2. Choose _Applications ▸ Utilities ▸ **Terminal**_
3. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **install Flatpak**:
~~~
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y flatpak
~~~
When asked, enter the administration password set before (it will be asked twice).
4. When asked whether to add the packages to the persistent storage, choose **Install every time** [as explained here](https://tails.net/doc/persistent_storage/additional_software/#index3h2)
5. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **add the Flathub repository to Flatpak**:
~~~
torsocks flatpak remote-add --user --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
~~~
## Install Signal Desktop
0. If the Terminal is not open, choose _Applications ▸ Utilities ▸ **Terminal**_
1. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **install Signal Desktop**:
~~~
torsocks flatpak install -y flathub org.signal.Signal
~~~
_This step may take up to an hour on a slow connection._
2. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **tell Signal Desktop to use Tor**:
~~~
flatpak --user override --env=HTTP_PROXY=socks5://127.0.0.1:9050 org.signal.Signal && flatpak --user override --env=HTTPS_PROXY=socks5://127.0.0.1:9050 org.signal.Signal
~~~
3. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **make the Desktop launcher available** (it will not use the _Signal Desktop_ icon but a generic one):
~~~
ln -s ~/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/applications/org.signal.Signal.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/
~~~
4. If you haven't done it already while installing another Flatpak from this HowTo, create a Desktop shortcut for conveniently updating Flatpak managed applications, executing the following in the terminal:
~~~
echo -e '[Desktop Entry]\nType=Application\nName=Flatpak-Update\nExec=bash -c "/usr/bin/torsocks /usr/bin/flatpak update -y"\nTerminal=true\nCategories=Network\nMimeType=x-scheme-handler/element;\nStartupWMClass=flatpak\nKeywords=flatpak;update;' | tee ~/.local/share/applications/Flatpak-Update.desktop
~~~
A new application called **"Flatpak-Update"** is now visible in the [Activities Overview](https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/desktop/index.en.html#activities). You should run it regarly to update your Flatpak applications.
5. Close the terminal
## Start Signal Desktop
1. Start Tails with persistent storage unlocked
2. **Wait until additional software is installed** successfully
3. Go to [Activities Overview](https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/desktop/index.en.html#activities), type `Signal` and press Enter to start Signal Desktop. The icon is a generic one, not Signal official icon.
4. Link to a device or with [signal-cli](../messengers-on-tails-os/-/wikis/Signal/Registration-and-Provisioning-via-signal-cli) (terminal) and enjoy :)
### Enable Microphone and Camera
1. Open menu _Files ▸ Preferences_
2. Check _Allow access to the microphone_
3. Check _Allow access to the camera_
4. Close Signal Desktop Preferences window
### Provisioning
1. Starting signal-desktop for the first time or after it has been unlinked by master or after 1 month of inactivity, you need to link your Signal with the master device.
2. If your master Signal device is running Android or iOS, follow the official guide: https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007320551-Linked-Devices if the master is signal-cli, follow [the guide on linking signal-cli with signal-desktop on Tails](../Signal/Registration-and-Provisioning-via-signal-cli)
### Captcha Verification when rate limited
Using Signal Desktop via tor increases the chance of getting rate limited when sending messages to new contacts.
1. If you get asked for **Verify to continue messaging**, click on `Continue` and after a while Tor Browser comes up with a Captcha to solve
2. Solve the captcha. A link `Open Signal` appears. Right-click the link and choose "Copy Link"
3. Open a Terminal, paste the following, and **don't press enter** (note the trailing single-quote):
~~~
flatpak run org.signal.Signal '
~~~
Paste the previously copied link, and add a single-quote `'`, then press Enter.
4. The Signal Desktop window should show up and a message confirming the captcha should appear
_This guide has been tested with Tails OS versions **6.6** and will not work on Tails 5.xx, so please make sure you are using an [**up to date Tails** OS](https://tails.net/doc/upgrade/)_.
*This howto uses [Flatpak](https://flatpak.org) to install Signal and keep it confined.*
**Notes**:
* Many steps happen in the _Terminal_. To paste content in the terminal, either right-click in the terminal and choose Paste, or use CTRL-SHIFT-V (not CTRL-V).
* **Do NOT use the _Root Terminal_** or instructions won't work!
* A working **internet connection is required** at every step of the howto.
## Configure Persistent Storage
_If you want to use Signal Desktop only once and lose everything after shutdown/reboot skip to section [Install](#install-flatpak)._
If you want to keep Signal Desktop persistent, we need to set up the persistent storage accordingly:
1. **Create** [**Persistent Storage**](https://tails.net/doc/persistent_storage/create/) and keep the default features enabled. You may enable other options for your other needs
2. **Start Tails** with an [administration password](https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/welcome_screen/administration_password/)
4. Choose _Applications ▸ Utilities ▸ **Terminal**_
5. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **setup persistent storage for Flatpak**:
~~~
sudo sed -i '$ a /home/amnesia/.local/share/flatpak source=flatpak\n/home/amnesia/.var/app source=var_app\n/home/amnesia/.local/share/applications source=applications' /live/persistence/TailsData_unlocked/persistence.conf
~~~
When asked, enter the Administration password set before.
6. **Restart** Tails with an [administration password set](https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/welcome_screen/administration_password/)
## Install Flatpak
1. Start your Tails with persistent storage unlocked and an [administration password set](https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/welcome_screen/administration_password/)
2. Choose _Applications ▸ Utilities ▸ **Terminal**_
3. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **install Flatpak**:
~~~
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y flatpak
~~~
When asked, enter the administration password set before (it will be asked twice).
4. When asked whether to add the packages to the persistent storage, choose **Install every time** [as explained here](https://tails.net/doc/persistent_storage/additional_software/#index3h2)
5. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **add the Flathub repository to Flatpak**:
~~~
torsocks flatpak remote-add --user --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
~~~
## Install Signal Desktop
0. If the Terminal is not open, choose _Applications ▸ Utilities ▸ **Terminal**_
1. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **install Signal Desktop**:
~~~
torsocks flatpak install -y flathub org.signal.Signal
~~~
_This step may take up to an hour on a slow connection._
2. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **tell Signal Desktop to use Tor**:
~~~
flatpak --user override --env=HTTP_PROXY=socks5://127.0.0.1:9050 org.signal.Signal && flatpak --user override --env=HTTPS_PROXY=socks5://127.0.0.1:9050 org.signal.Signal
~~~
3. Enter this line in the terminal and press Enter to **make the Desktop launcher available** (it will not use the _Signal Desktop_ icon but a generic one):
~~~
ln -s ~/.local/share/flatpak/exports/share/applications/org.signal.Signal.desktop ~/.local/share/applications/
~~~
4. If you haven't done it already while installing another Flatpak from this HowTo, create a Desktop shortcut for conveniently updating Flatpak managed applications, executing the following in the terminal:
~~~
echo -e '[Desktop Entry]\nType=Application\nName=Flatpak-Update\nExec=bash -c "/usr/bin/torsocks /usr/bin/flatpak update -y"\nTerminal=true\nCategories=Network\nMimeType=x-scheme-handler/element;\nStartupWMClass=flatpak\nKeywords=flatpak;update;' | tee ~/.local/share/applications/Flatpak-Update.desktop
~~~
A new application called **"Flatpak-Update"** is now visible in the [Activities Overview](https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/desktop/index.en.html#activities). You should run it regarly to update your Flatpak applications.
5. Close the terminal
## Start Signal Desktop
1. Start Tails with persistent storage unlocked
2. **Wait until additional software is installed** successfully
3. Go to [Activities Overview](https://tails.net/doc/first_steps/desktop/index.en.html#activities), type `Signal` and press Enter to start Signal Desktop. The icon is a generic one, not Signal official icon.
4. Link to a device or with [signal-cli](../messengers-on-tails-os/-/wikis/Signal/Registration-and-Provisioning-via-signal-cli) (terminal) and enjoy :)
### Enable Microphone and Camera
1. Open menu _Files ▸ Preferences_
2. Check _Allow access to the microphone_
3. Check _Allow access to the camera_
4. Close Signal Desktop Preferences window
### Provisioning
1. Starting signal-desktop for the first time or after it has been unlinked by master or after 1 month of inactivity, you need to link your Signal with the master device.
2. If your master Signal device is running Android or iOS, follow the official guide: https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007320551-Linked-Devices if the master is signal-cli, follow [the guide on linking signal-cli with signal-desktop on Tails](../Signal/Registration-and-Provisioning-via-signal-cli)
### Captcha Verification when rate limited
Using Signal Desktop via tor increases the chance of getting rate limited when sending messages to new contacts.
1. If you get asked for **Verify to continue messaging**, click on `Continue` and after a while Tor Browser comes up with a Captcha to solve
2. Solve the captcha. A link `Open Signal` appears. Right-click the link and choose "Copy Link"
3. Open a Terminal, paste the following, and **don't press enter** (note the trailing single-quote):
~~~
flatpak run org.signal.Signal '
~~~
Paste the previously copied link, and add a single-quote `'`, then press Enter.
4. The Signal Desktop window should show up and a small notification confirming the captcha should appear on the bottom left of the window.
5. Pending messages should end up being sent. You may be asked to solve a Captcha again… Sometimes restarting Signal Desktop helps as well.
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