Re: [Tails-dev] Tails Server: Why not just an extensions to …

Delete this message

Reply to this message
Autor: intrigeri
Data:  
Para: adrelanos
CC: The Tails public development discussion list
Assunto: Re: [Tails-dev] Tails Server: Why not just an extensions to Tails Desktop?
Hi,

Thank you for these comments!

adrelanos wrote (03 Sep 2012 10:23:22 GMT) :
> SSH-only administration makes it much more difficult.


> - user needs to learn SSH


I have to make it clear that the main configuration interface is
a GUI, running in a "normal" Tails. So, no, the user does not need to
learn SSH.

SSH access is rather meant for advanced users who, without doubts,
will want root access on their server, if only to check "from the
inside" that things are running smoothly.

I'm sorry if that part is not clear in the published design.

> - Don't you think, a user running Tails Server doesn't wish to fire
> up a torified browser for a quick search?


I guess they want. But well, the fact that people might want to run
a torified web browser at the same time they run, say, their 24/7
fridge, is no reason to run a web browser within a fridge :)

> Maybe people start asking for a mix of Tails Desktop and
> Tails Server.


Not that I know of (yet?), but who knows :)

> SSH administration is a nice feature, but shouldn't be the only way for
> administrative tasks.


Fully agreed. This was not what we had in mind.

> I recommend to add the server features to the regular version. As a
> bonus you can simplify the design and get it done faster.


I acknowledge doing so might speed up development.
On the other hand, raising the hardware requirements seems bound to
make it harder to find early testers and adopters, which might slow
down development.
I guess the ones who will actually put days of work into this project
will decide :)

> That doesn't prevent you from adding a no-autostart-gui or
> minimalistic-gui feature to Tails. (To satisfy your requirements for
> compatibility with low RAM.)


Well, I think this is a matter of general vision.

I think the majority of personal computers sold these days (not
including smartphones) are laptops, and are not online 24/7, so not
suitable to be servers.

So, I still consider the original Tails server vision (using
decommissioned computers, that can be plugged anywhere and run 24/7)
makes sense. (Incidentally, this means the "no-GUI" thing is no bonus,
but a real basic requirement. While supporting some other kind of
no-GUI or light-GUI more general usecase is not something we have
considered yet, and clearly not on top of our priorities.)

In any case, anyone actually implements Tails server is likely to set
their own priorities.

Cheers,
--
intrigeri
| GnuPG key @ https://gaffer.ptitcanardnoir.org/intrigeri/intrigeri.asc
| OTR fingerprint @ https://gaffer.ptitcanardnoir.org/intrigeri/otr.asc