Whonix VirtualBox 14.0.1.4.4 - Unified OVA Downloads - Point Release

This is a point release.

This release introduces unified ova downloads. Rather than a separate Whonix-Gateway ova and Whonix-Workstation ova download, from now, there is only a single Whonix ova which includes both Whonix virtual machines (VMs), Whonix-Gateway and Whonix-Workstation.

This will reduce the steps users are required to apply (one download less / only one instead of two downloads), improve usability, make Whonix downloads more standardized compared to other software downloads, and simplify our infrastructure maintenance work. The Whonix split VM design (separate Whonix-Gateway and Whonix-Workstation) is remains unmodified. Only the process of setting up Whonix was simplified.

Instructions for import and verification of Whonix VMs are not yet updated but remain very, very similar.

Due to issues, downloads are now hosted on sourceforge.net.


Download Whonix for VirtualBox:

Does it mean that if I want to add another workstation, and I want to to be from the last point release, I need to use a new gateway as well?

No, you can skip importing the Whonix-Gateway and import the Whonix-Workstation only during the VirtualBox import screen. Just maximize the window, look around a bit and remove the [:heavy_check_mark:] (arrow check mark) from Whonix-Gateway. Then only Whonix-Workstation would be imported.

Already existing Whonix-Workstation VMs do not conflict with this process either. You can give any newly imported Whonix-Workstation a distinctive name during the same VirtualBox import screen.

Unfortunately VM selection while importing is not available in VirtualBox 5.2 branch, there is no any check mark for VMs in Import wizard.
So in that cause if someone needs a single VM from a VM collection (e.g. to achieve configuration Gateway-CLI + Workstation-XFCE), he has to either import all machines and then remove unnecessary ones, which is time and storage space consuming, or go the other way like I did:

  1. Extract OVA image file (since it’s a regular tar archive, so even 7-zip can handle it);
  2. Edit OVF file (XML structure):
    • either remove <VirtualSystem ...> section(s) about unnecessary VM(s), e.g. <VirtualSystem ovf:id="Whonix-Workstation-CLI"> till (including) its end tag </VirtualSystem>;
    • or just rename both tags (opening/closing) to any invalid name here, e.g. by replacing first letter: <XirtualSystem ...></XirtualSystem>;
  3. Edit MF file (checksums): just remove the whole line about ovf file.

Now import your new OVF file in VirtualBox.

Also these operations are possible without extracting OVA image, just by using any hex editor directly on it: replace letters for both tags in the beginning of image, then scroll down till the end and fill block of line about ovf checksums with zero bytes (0x00), or just put one zero byte instead of first letter of SHA1 word of that line.

Just checked 6.0 branch, I don’t see any check marks for VM selection in Import wizard there as well !
This is frustrating and creates inconvenience for people who need either updated version of a single VM, or unpopular setup like Gateway-CLI + Workstation-XFCE.
Though I understand that for most users it’s much easier to download new single XFCE image and import both VMs at once.

2 posts were split to a new topic: permalink download links

Hi, I installed Whonix new version and it works great.
I only don’t know why, when I go to Sourceforge download page it states: “Status: Alpha”?