Re: [Tails-dev] next big features: status update

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Autor: sajolida
Datum:  
To: The Tails public development discussion list
Betreff: Re: [Tails-dev] next big features: status update
intrigeri:
> hi,
>
> Preamble
> ========
>
> The known issues / todo lists for those Next Big Features are there:
>
> * https://tails.boum.org/todo/usb_install_and_upgrade/todo/
> * https://tails.boum.org/todo/persistence/
> * https://tails.boum.org/todo/TailsGreeter/issues/
>
> This is what I'm refering to when marking bugs as "duplicate" bellow.
>
> sajolida wrote (20 Mar 2012 11:15:05 GMT) :
>> Tails greeter
>> =============
>
>> 1. I'm glad to see that the "Other…" option is now available for the
>> keymap as well. But even if I choose a custom keyboard from there it's
>> not set in the session.
>
> Duplicate. Release blocker.
>
> Likely caused by merging feature/refactor_languages a bit too early :(


Ok.

>> Bootstrap and Configure
>> -----------------------
>
>> 2. There are still two minor display problems with the configuration
>> window, see scrolling.png in attachment:
>> - the horizontal scrolling bar that should be removed
>
> Duplicate. Do you agree this can wait until post-0.11 times?
>
>> - the window height should be maximized
>
> Agreed. Adding to todo.
> Do you agree this can wait until post-0.11 times?


Both ok. I'll fix that manually while doing the screenshots for the doc.

>> 4. The custom option "Source:" "Destination:" would need some
>> explanation. Maybe the UI could have a title "Add a custom storage"
>> before that and then some more explanation:
>> - What does it do? (mount a folder of the persistent storage on top of a
>> folder of the filesystem?)
>> - What format shall I use for the path?
>> - Maybe give a example that would be worth mentioned.
>> - If we think this feature is for expert users only we could hide it
>> behind an expandable section.
>
> Let's get back to this once the new "destination-only" UI is in place,
> that hopefully will make it simple enough not to warrant that much
> documentation, examples, etc.


Ok.

>> 3. I think that the items checked default (Personal Data and
>> Dotfiles) should appear first in the list.
>
> We've put the Dotfiles at the bottom because it's hard to explain
> and understand, to avoid scaring the user right from the beginning.
> Knowing this, do you still think Dotfiles should appear first,
> and why?
>
>> 5. Dotfiles. How do I access the dotfiles directory?
>
> $MOUNTPOINT/dotfiles
> (likely something like /live/persist/sdb2_unlocked/dotfiles)
>
> Yeah, that placed should be itself symlinked in $HOME or Places.
> Added to the todo list. Low-priority, as the dotfiles feature is
> mainly aimed at advanced users (.vimrc, etc.), while others are
> expected not to mess with random dotfiles, and put their data in the
> Persistent directory. If not fixed in time for 0.11, a few
> documentation lines should workaround that I think.


If we say that this option is mainly aimed at advanced users, and that
it requires extra manual actions, and reading the doc to be really used,
then maybe it shouldn't be enabled by default in the first place (and
could stay at the bottom of the list of course).

By the way, I never got a /dotfiles directory created in the persistent
storage even with this options enabled. I guess that helped me getting
confused.

>> Does it work only for files or for directories as well?
>
> Both. I've just changed the description to "Symlink into $HOME every
> file or directory found in the `dotfiles' directory" as an attempt to
> make this clearer. Any better suggestion to avoid repeating the
> "directory" word?


Your sentence is fine.

>> 6. Right after bootstrapping a persistent storage if I try to rerun the
>> configuration it fails:
>> - the GUI says "Error: Device /org/freedesktop/UDisk/devices/sdb already
>> has a persistent volume." which is true but shouldn't prevent me from
>> changing its configuration.
>> - the CLI (tails-persistence-setup --step configure) says "Error:
>> Persistence is not enabled."
>
> Added to the todo list. Release blocker.


Ok.

>> 7. To get out of this situation I tried to delete the persistent storage
>> I just created, but the deletion step hangs when doing this sequence:
>> - bootstrap & configure
>> - delete → hangs
>> - delete again → ok
>
>> With the GUI the spinner spins (forever?), and with the CLI I get:
>
>> Working on device /org/freedesktop/UDisks/devices/sdb
>> Running step delete
>> Entering main Gtk2 loop.
>> Deleting partition /org/freedesktop/UDisks/devices/sdb2
>> *** unhandled exception in callback:
>> *** org.freedesktop.UDisks.Error.Failed: Error locking luks device:
>> timeout (10s) waiting for cleartext device to be removed
>
> Aaaaah... *that* udisks bug :(
>
> Can you please check if it's been reported in Debian and/or upstream?
> I think that timeout may simply be too short for slow USB devices.


It's #563539, but it hasn't been tracked very deeply.

> I'll workaround it somehow in t-p-s. Low-priority though, as this may
> only happen when deleting just after bootstrapping.


I agreed that this is low priority, since closing the wizard and trying
to do the same operation again actually works.

>> 8. In the persistent storage utility the device name is called
>> /org/freedesktop/UDisk/devices/sdb. Since we sometimes try to
>> educate our users, in the documentation, to identify a device name
>> as something that looks like /dev/sda maybe, I think it would be
>> better (and shorter) to keep the same device name format in the GUI
>> as well.
>
> Duplicate. Do you agree this can wait to post-0.11 times?


We'll probably has to redo a few screenshots but that's ok.

>> 9. Can I use the persistence to save my language and keyboard
>> preferences? If so, how?
>
> No. I want to allow persisting every other tails-greeter setting at
> some point, but the keyboard one is chicken'n'egg -style: one
> generally wants their preferred keyboard layout to be set *before*
> their enter their persistence passphrase.


Indeed ;)

>> 10. It seems like you need to reboot after configuring
>>     (reconfiguring as well?)

>
> Yes, as well.
>
>>     the persistent storage. That should be made explicit.

>
> Duplicate. Release blocker.


Ok.

>> Rebooting
>> ---------
>
>> Now when I reboot I'm proposed to use persistence in TailsGreeter!
>
>> 11. The configuration GUI now shows a custom entry for /persistent, see
>> persistent.png in attachment.
>
> Duplicate.
>
>> 12. It would be nice to have a shortcut to the /persistent folder in
>> Places → Persistent.
>
> Agreed. Added to the todo list as "low-priority, would be nice for
> 0.11 though".


Ok.

>> 13. The volume TailsData shows up in the Places menu but when clicking
>> on it I get "Unable to mount TailsData /dev/dm-0 is mounted". I guess
>> that's no big surprise but then it should either be removed from the
>> Places menu or open the folder where it is mounted
>> (/live/persistent/sdb2_unlocked) if we think that makes sense.
>
> Agreed, added to the todo list.


Ok.

--
sajolida