FAQ

Pirate Linux is a live Linux distribution focused on privacy, anonymity, and freedom of information. It comes pre-configured with Tor, I2P, Bitcoin, and a hardened Firefox browser.

Pirate Linux 2.0 alpha is based on a minimal Linux base with a custom configuration layer. For Gentoo users, the Piratepack overlay provides the same features on top of your existing system.

No. Pirate Linux is a live distribution — boot from a USB drive or DVD and it runs entirely in RAM. Nothing is written to your hard drive unless you explicitly choose to.

Yes. All included software is legal in most jurisdictions. Tor, I2P, and Bitcoin are legal tools. You are responsible for complying with the laws of your country.

See the Tor guide. By default, web traffic from the included browser is routed through Tor. The system-wide transparent proxy is optional.

Piratepack is a Gentoo overlay that installs the Pirate Linux feature set on an existing Gentoo system. See the Piratepack documentation for installation instructions.

See the Contribute page. We welcome testers, documentation writers, packagers, and developers.

No software can guarantee absolute privacy. Pirate Linux provides strong tools and sane defaults, but your behaviour matters too. Read the guides to understand the limitations of each tool.

The project shares values with the Pirate Party movement — digital rights, open access, privacy — but is an independent project with no formal affiliation.

Pirate Linux is released into the public domain. No rights reserved. Individual included packages retain their own licenses.