[Tails-dev] Hybrid ISOs: need to reconsider the plan (#8510)

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Author: intrigeri
Date:  
To: tails-dev
Subject: [Tails-dev] Hybrid ISOs: need to reconsider the plan (#8510)
Hi,

during our last monthly meeting, we've decided to:

1. We will do statistics on whether bug reports come from a DVD or
flash media: #8524.
2. We will test isohybrid DVD on Macs: #8525, #8526.
3. If our experiments are successful, then we will release an
isohybrid image, update the documentation, and see what happens.
4. Then if users and frontdesk hate us, revisit. Otherwise, forget it
and keep isohybrid images.

Now, as explained on https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/8524#note-5,
we won't be able to address #8524 before Tails 1.3 is released.
It's currently blocking the entire process according to what we
decided, so this means that unless we reconsider the plan a bit, we
won't have a hybrid Tails 1.3 ISO :(

So, I see three options:

A. Switch to hybrid ISO images in Tails 1.4
- address #8719 in Tails 1.3
- address #8524 between 1.3 and 1.4

B. Switch to hybrid ISO images in Tails 1.3.1
- address #8719 in Tails 1.3
- address #8524 between 1.3 and 1.3.1
- take the risk of moving to hybrid ISOs in a point-release

C. Switch to hybrid ISO images in Tails 1.3
- consider #8524 is not really blocking


I strongly dislike option A: IMO, the slight risks of regressions are
not worth postponing by 3 months (1.3..1.4) the benefits of shipping
a hybrid ISO image.

I could live with option B: we would already be postponing the move to
hybrid ISOs due to being extra careful and testing lots of cases
beforehand, so IMO it's OK to include this change in a point-release.

I prefer option C: #8524 won't tell us much anyway, it's merely here
to evaluate the size of the subset of Tails users who will have risks
of regressions a) they boot Tails from DVD; and b) their BIOS is buggy
enough to not boot properly from a DVD burnt from a ISO image.
It won't actually reduce that risk in any way, but will merely give us
more confidence that we're not potentially impacting tooooo
many people.

Thoughts?

Cheers,
--
intrigeri