Tails

#1 Updated by sajolida 2015-11-27 04:39:32

• Target version changed from 246 to Tails_2.0

#2 Updated by Fransouwap 2015-11-30 01:10:29

• File 1.png added
• File 2.png added
• File 3.png added

Hello
Here’s the steps I worked on, and the comment that goes with them :
1. While leaving the USB stick plugged in, shut down the computer
2. Switch on the computer, pressing and holding the key(s) corresponding to the PC constructor. Hold it until start is complete.
3. the computer should be now boot on Tails

As you see, it’s a brief story, and it’s just roughs so far. Some steps need to be improved I think, especially when you need to see what’s on the screen. And the text is more your part so it’s purely suggestions.

#3 Updated by sajolida 2015-11-30 10:02:19

• related to Bug #10632: Improve troubleshooting section for restart added

#4 Updated by sajolida 2015-11-30 10:58:17

• QA Check set to Info Needed

Nice to see you on Redmine Fransouwap! As you might know already we’re still having a discussion with tchou on the proper method to document. I’ll summarize here my vision of it, I hope he’ll complete it. I prefer doing it on this ticket so that other people from the project can take part in this decision, as it’s not a pure UX question but has technical implications (what’s working and what’s not working). And I’m sorry to bring in more debates after you started working on this, but I think that this is a serious issue.

So, until now and as I personally always have been doing we’re documenting the “press repeatedly” method, which is:

• Shut down
• Identify the key
• Power on
• Repeatedly press the key until either Windows, Linux, or Tails starts

After the UX testing, tchou proposed another method, the “press-and-hold” method, which is the one you started working on:

• Shut down
• Press-and-hold the key
• Power on

Since then, I’ve discussing the “press-and-hold” with other developers and testing it. This lead me to identify two possible issues that I consider as blockers. I started documenting these on Bug #10632 but I’ll summarize my findings here:

1. Some BIOS models go into error mode when a key is pressed before powering on. It’s called the “key stuck” error, like discussed here for example: https://forums.lenovo.com/t5/ThinkPad-T400-T500-and-newer-T/When-booting-I-get-an-Error-0210-Stuck-Key-01-Lenovo-Thinkpad/td-p/1404855

2. Some computers don’t boot using “press-and-hold” and seem to completely ignore the pressed key. That’s the case of a Dell Inspiron I have access to.

In both of these cases the “press repeatedly” method would work.

I personally have no example of computers for which the “press repeatedly” method would not work or give blocking errors. But I admit that the complicated part is to press the key at the right time (that’s why we explain to press it repeatedly). The benefit of the “press-and-hold” method is to be easier to execute but it can lead to blocking issues on some machines.

I think that tchou is right now in favor of documenting both (I don’t know which one would come first).

I’m personally in favor of documenting only the “press repeatedly” method, which doesn’t lead to lead to BIOS errors though is harder to execute. But hey, that’s why we’re proposing to do a screencast in the first place, no? I’m not really convinced by documenting both as we’re trying to simplify things here and not introduce more “if … else …” clauses for the user to experiment with and debug mentally.

#6 Updated by tchou 2015-12-07 14:09:40

• Assignee changed from tchou to sajolida

Hey,

I’m in favor of documenting the both methods, but before going deeper, I need a clarification: you are talking about “blocking issues”. I’m not shure to understand. In the forum link I think that the difficult situation comes from the fact that the key is blocked (not just hold). If the user just reboot (without holding), it boot as normal no ? Do you have experienced tricky stuff to do to escape from a “press-and-hold method” ?

#8 Updated by tchou 2015-12-12 06:03:01

• QA Check deleted (Info Needed)

As always it’s a cost and benefit question, with some error anticipating UX issues.

For me the benefit on the “press-and-hold” method is obvious : otherwhise the user would have stop. And the cost is that maybe it will fail. But we can anticipate it and explain it: maybe it won’t work and boot windows, maybe there will be BIOS error message, but in any cases, he would just have to start again and try the “press repeatedly” method (or try first with other keys).

#11 Updated by sajolida 2016-01-16 16:27:37

• Target version deleted (Tails_2.0)

Let’s say this is a bonus and not a blocker for the first release.

#12 Updated by sajolida 2016-02-12 15:55:24

• related to Feature #11111: Be more careful when documenting the BIOS added

#13 Updated by sajolida 2016-04-01 10:58:33

• Assignee deleted (sajolida)

#14 Updated by Anonymous 2017-06-30 14:56:07

• related to Feature #7492: Explain graphically different steps of a typical use of Tails through photos or screencast added

#15 Updated by Anonymous 2018-01-16 15:48:25

• Assignee set to sajolida
• QA Check set to Info Needed

I think it would still be useful to just have an animated gif in the “Tails does not start at all” section of https://tails.boum.org/install/win/usb/index.en.html. What do you think?

Assigning to sajolida for comment. Otherwise I’d say let’s reject this ticket. Nothing happened since two years here.

#16 Updated by sajolida 2018-01-21 11:31:11

• Description updated

Yeap. That’s what I intented to write in the description of this ticket. Whether it’s an animated GIF or an inlined video is an implementation detail, right? But won’t fundamentally change the amount of work or the skills needed.

Animated GIT don’t have sound, but that might be good as it will avoid having to translate it. Maybe we should go for a video without voice anyway.

#17 Updated by sajolida 2018-06-04 12:52:03

• Target version set to Tails_3.8
• QA Check deleted (Info Needed)

I’ll contact some people I know who do animations and ask them for a quote.

#18 Updated by sajolida 2018-06-25 15:28:27

• Target version changed from Tails_3.8 to Tails_3.9

#19 Updated by sajolida 2018-07-05 15:49:30

• blocks Feature #15392: Core work 2018Q2 → 2018Q3: User experience added

#20 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-13 14:02:41

• Target version changed from Tails_3.9 to Tails_3.10.1

I contacted them but nothing will happen before September → 3.10.

#21 Updated by sajolida 2018-09-14 10:48:10

• Subject changed from Have a screencast to explain how to use the boot menu key to Have a video to explain how to use the boot menu key

My next step is to write to of a friendly web studio doing graphical design (and even Bootstrap stuff!).

#22 Updated by sajolida 2018-10-21 20:38:06

• Target version changed from Tails_3.10.1 to Tails_3.11

#23 Updated by sajolida 2018-10-29 14:21:21

• blocked by deleted (Feature #15392: Core work 2018Q2 → 2018Q3: User experience)

#24 Updated by sajolida 2018-10-29 14:21:30

• blocks Feature #16080: Core work 2018Q4 → 2019Q2: User experience added

#25 Updated by sajolida 2018-12-10 15:44:29

• Target version changed from Tails_3.11 to Tails_3.12

#26 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-28 18:45:33

• Target version changed from Tails_3.12 to Tails_3.13

#27 Updated by sajolida 2019-02-15 13:44:43

• Subject changed from Have a video to explain how to use the boot menu key to Have a video to explain how to start Tails (and use the boot menu key)

#29 Updated by sajolida 2019-03-10 20:54:45

• related to Bug #14835: Make the subtitle on our canonical logo optional added

#30 Updated by sajolida 2019-03-18 11:30:53

• Target version changed from Tails_3.13 to Tails_3.14

#31 Updated by CyrilBrulebois 2019-05-23 21:23:21

• Target version changed from Tails_3.14 to Tails_3.15

#32 Updated by sajolida 2019-06-12 09:42:49

• related to Feature #14788: Add anchors to the troubleshooting parts of the installation doc added

#33 Updated by sajolida 2019-06-12 09:48:12

• Status changed from Confirmed to In Progress

Here is the final video!

https://git.tails.boum.org/ux/plain/boot%20menu%20key/boot-menu-key.webm

Now I’ll integrate it in our installation instructions.

#34 Updated by sajolida 2019-06-13 18:13:34

• related to deleted (Feature #14788: Add anchors to the troubleshooting parts of the installation doc)

#35 Updated by sajolida 2019-06-13 19:28:53

• File Tails - Install from Windows.zip added
• File Tails - Install from Windows.zip added
• Status changed from In Progress to Needs Validation
• Assignee changed from sajolida to cbrownstein

Here is a branch! At the same time I’m tackling part of Feature #14788.

@cbrownstein: Please have a look!

Notes:

• I had to rewrite a bunch of Markdown into HTML so all translations were going to break anyway. It means that, for once, we can do all kind of smaller changes in the English text if we want :)
• Not improving the content much (eg. Secure Boot) on purpose. We can do that later and now it’s going to be better displayed to users. Yay!

emmapeel + goupille: This branch brings a big change in how people are referred to the troubleshooting sections and to your help desk. So please have a close look and tell me how you think all this will impact your work. It’s on purpose that I’m not changing the content much for now (eg. Secure Boot). But tell me if you see other small fixes that could fit here. I’m attaching a ZIP version of the compiled page if that’s easier for you to review.

@intrigeri: While working on this I think I found a bug in po4a. It was returning HTML errors when parsing the

Ah, something else I would like your opinion on: I added a note for people to report about the boot menu key that worked for them to sajolida@pimienta.org. Our list of possible boot menu keys hasn’t been improved since we wrote it in 2015 (by lack of data). The note I added on /doc/anonymous_internet/networkmanager/no-wifi.inline brought some useful information already. So I thought about trying out something similar to improve the list of boot menu keys. I was tempted to point to collective addresses but I’m anyway going to be the one processing them so I thought that my personal address was the most efficient point of contact. We can always change it later on in case I’m fired :)

#36 Updated by sajolida 2019-06-13 19:29:08

• Feature Branch set to doc/10649-boot-menu-animation

#38 Updated by sajolida 2019-06-14 11:22:10

• related to Feature #14788: Add anchors to the troubleshooting parts of the installation doc added