Re: [Tails-testers] Request for JavaFX on Tails 3.0

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Autor: Collin Sullivan
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Dla: tails-testers
Nowe tematy: [Tails-ux] Running programs from the files manager [Was: Request for JavaFX on Tails 3.0]
Temat: Re: [Tails-testers] Request for JavaFX on Tails 3.0
On 1/7/17 1:32 AM, intrigeri wrote:
> I'll assume that the package Martus needs is either libopenjfx-java
> or libopenjfx-jni.


I'll need to confirm with some of the devs on my side. When we were
experimenting with custom Tails builds that included Martus (where we
did make some progress but ultimately didn't end up making a fully
workable build), we included openjfx, libopenjfx-java and
libopenjfx-jni. I don't know if all of them were necessary, and don't
remember how large the resulting ISO was -- will look into that.

You can look at the project here and see the other packages we
included while testing: https://github.com/benetech/mtails/


> This seems to be exactly the kind of use cases for which we've
> created the Additional Software Packages feature. So I'm curious:
>
> 1. Assuming we would ship the requested package by default: what's
> the Martus setup process? Feel free to point me to you current
> end-users documentation, I'll be happy to read it myself.


Sure. The Martus User Guide is available at our documentation page:
https://martus.org/resources/documentation.html

The Tails-specific section is on page 70 (FAQ #42). Do note that some
of the information in that section is outdated and needs updating (it
was written long ago, before Tails was working reliably on Macs, for
example), but the broad strokes are correct.

In short, though, if you were to ship the requested packages by
default, I assume the setup process would be something like:

1. Visit Martus.org, download the latest version of Martus for Linux
(.zip file) to your Persistent folder and unarchive.

2. Either use a Terminal to cd into the Martus folder and run a
certain command (which specifies Martus use the system Tor, saves all
records in a Persistent subfolder, etc.); or run an executable text
file including the command.

This is off the top of my head but I believe that would be about it.
Right now there are many more steps, including installing a non-system
(and non-libre :P ) Java to the Persistent folder and pointing the
Martus jar to that, which causes a lot of pain for users.


> 2. What are the blockers for you folks to use the Additional
> Software Packages feature to ensure the requested package is
> installed in Tails?


Good questions. There are a couple of things:

1) Our ultimate goal is to make the process of using Martus on Tails
as easy as possible for our users. They tend to be somewhat
intimidated by Tails as it is. Long lists of steps, including steps
about installing additional packages, give them lots of opportunity to
quit during setup, lots of ways things can go wrong, etc. We want to
minimize frustration as much as possible.

2) I could look again, but the libraries we need (I think) were not
available in the Tails default repositories, so we needed to add new
ones. That's another step for the user.

3) The less our partners/users need to use root / su / sudo, the
better. Both for security and ease of use.


> Note that we have plans to greatly improve the Additional Software
> Packages feature in 2017-2018: we want to give it a GUI, to
> eliminate the "long delay with no feedback during the GNOME session
> startup" UX problem, and to make that feature work even when
> offline.


That's great to know, thanks! Offline would be amazing.

Cheers,
Collin


PS - Apologies to ask a support question here, but, is there an easy
way for the user to change the default in Tails' file manager
preferences to ensure that it asks every time an executable text file
is double clicked? I think the default is just to open the text file
and not execute, which is great for security, but asking seems
similarly safe, no?



- --
Collin Sullivan
Human Rights Outreach Associate
Benetech Human Rights Program

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