Tails

#1 Updated by intrigeri 2017-08-30 12:35:12

• Description updated

#2 Updated by intrigeri 2017-09-30 11:02:09

• Status changed from Confirmed to In Progress
• % Done changed from 0 to 10

I’ll start by dumping some thoughts about this topic in the hope it starts a discussion and helps building a suitable proposal later on.

I’d like this to have a dedicated time budget (both for developers & UX person), not mixed with the existing Foundations Team and UX core work budget lines: otherwise I don’t trust us much to prioritize this above the other many things that are in scope for these existing core work roles. I could elaborate if you want but I guess you get the idea.

I’m not sure if we should call this core work initially. I think this would be the first time we add improvements (as opposed to maintenance, fixing regressions and keeping relevant) to Core work:

• If we do that, then it opens a much broader discussion, i.e. why not add improvements in other areas such as security too?
• This year we were not able to fund all the core work, and some people had to do big parts of it as volunteers. If we add this new role to Core work, we’ll need to be extremely careful wrt. how we prioritize paying it vs. paying other (really really needed) jobs. Let’s take care of our team dynamics and do whatever we can to avoid frustration, especially when money is involved.

Ideally we would have data to select what actual improvement has the best cost/benefit. Thankfully we have initiated changes (in the Help Desk’s mission, in having some budget for UX research) that will help us estimate the benefit; our developers can guesstimate costs.

I think we need a team built of:

• one or two developers who are able to work on most of our code bases (i.e. proficiency in at least Python + shell + OS/desktop integration glue, and ideally Perl too although that can be delegated in an ad-hoc way); I think that restricts our realistic options to three individuals (I’ll go into details privately);
• one UX person.

Alternatively, the UX person could pick whatever developer has time and required skills, depending on the task. But I don’t see a good way to make this work in a fluid manner with the cost/benefit approach proposed above. A permanent team has the advantage that it increases the chances the developer is involved in the process of picking the tasks, feels like they own the tasks more, is more motivated & less frustrated, and has a more user-centric approach to the problems at hand.

If I’m one the main developer, then I don’t want this to be yet another set of WIP tasks that take months to complete: I don’t need this in my mental space. And even if I’m not on board, a more focused approach to this work will save lots of context switches, waiting time between round-trips, and bureaucratic overhead. So I would go for a sprint approach (maybe twice a year?), piggy-backing on other sprints if possible, with the entire team (dev + UX) present face-to-face. This fits well with the smallish aspect, i.e. it forces us to pick a set of tasks that fits in a 2-4 days sprint. And it makes my “time budget” proposal realistic even with team members who don’t clock their work usually.

#4 Updated by intrigeri 2017-09-30 11:24:00

• Assignee changed from intrigeri to sajolida

Also, in 2018 we want to work on Feature #11679. I doubt we can do both at the same time, and I’d rather bring Feature #11679 to the point where we know what we want to do exactly and how much it will cost, before we start this other area of UX improvements work => I would start this only in 2018Q4 + 2019Q1.

anonym, sajolida, what do you think?

#5 Updated by sajolida 2017-11-14 13:23:05

• Target version changed from Tails_3.3 to Tails_3.5

#6 Updated by sajolida 2018-01-21 14:07:17

• Assignee changed from sajolida to intrigeri

Yeap. I’ll also be myself quite busy with core + OTF UX work in the first part of 2018.

Maybe we should take advantage of the summit to decide on which improvements we want to work on. If so maybe 2018Q3 would be the time to identify candidates before the summit and prepare the coding work if we need to do some prototyping and testing before the actual coding.

So I agree with you, coding could start in 2018Q4 but UX work could start in 2018Q3.

Does that answer your question?

#7 Updated by intrigeri 2018-01-22 11:11:13

• Assignee changed from intrigeri to sajolida
• Target version changed from Tails_3.5 to Tails_3.9

sajolida.
> Maybe we should take advantage of the summit to decide on which improvements we want to work on. If so maybe 2018Q3 would be the time to identify candidates before the summit

Agreed ⇒ setting the target version accordingly. Do you want to lead this process?

> and prepare the coding work if we need to do some prototyping and testing before the actual coding.
> So I agree with you, coding could start in 2018Q4 but UX work could start in 2018Q3.

I’m not sure that anything that requires enough prototyping and testing done in advance fits well with the “smallish” aspect of what I had in mind. At least to start with I’d rather pick tasks that can fit into a short sprint, all inclusive. But I feel it would be premature to discuss this in details right now, so whatever.

> Does that answer your question?

Yes, thank you.

@anonym: your input would be welcome but no pressure (no emergency anymore since this won’t make it into our budget for next year, and to be blunt: the fact you did not find time to answer here is already a partial answer).

intrigeri:
> I don’t think we have the means to recruit, onboard and get up to speed someone else.

Actually we’re going to try and onboard 2-3 new people on the Foundations Team. This job could be a good way to help do that :)

#8 Updated by intrigeri 2018-04-10 07:42:44

• related to Feature #15463: Remove "Downloads" shortcut added

#10 Updated by intrigeri 2018-04-10 08:11:30

• related to Feature #15131: Identify USB Wi-Fi adapters that are easily available and work with Tails added

#11 Updated by sajolida 2018-04-17 14:08:08

• related to Feature #7439: Decide whether to remove the "clock synchronization" notification added

#12 Updated by sajolida 2018-05-05 12:47:36

• related to Feature #11529: Save data to Persistence when it is created (no need to restart) added

#13 Updated by sajolida 2018-05-05 13:49:36

• related to Feature #15028: Rename "Tor Browser" shortcuts and folders added

#14 Updated by sajolida 2018-05-05 15:31:41

• related to Feature #9473: Improve "Unable to connect" error message from Tor Browser when accessing server on the LAN added

#15 Updated by sajolida 2018-05-05 15:42:11

• related to Feature #8061: Customize "Proxy is refusing connections" error messages in Tor Browser and remove the "Tor is not ready" popup added

#16 Updated by sajolida 2018-05-05 18:57:22

• related to Feature #15586: Instruct about the possibility of creating a persistent storage when there is none added

#17 Updated by sajolida 2018-05-05 18:57:44

• related to Feature #15573: Ask for confirmation when starting without unlocking the persistent storage added

#18 Updated by sajolida 2018-05-18 15:32:14

• related to Feature #15262: GNOME Software added

#19 Updated by intrigeri 2018-05-25 14:35:49

• related to Bug #15168: Improve UX when hardware clock is set to localtime in a timezone too far from UTC added

#20 Updated by intrigeri 2018-05-29 07:33:19

• related to Bug #10790: Too many non-Tails folders on Nautilus sidebar added

#21 Updated by sajolida 2018-06-01 18:12:40

• Description updated

#22 Updated by sajolida 2018-06-01 18:44:15

• related to deleted (Feature #15463: Remove "Downloads" shortcut)

#23 Updated by sajolida 2018-06-03 16:37:09

• related to Bug #15101: Add feedback when opening desktop launchers added

#24 Updated by sajolida 2018-06-04 12:40:06

• related to Feature #15268: Research explaining admin password in graphical polkit prompt added

#25 Updated by sajolida 2018-06-19 18:19:59

• related to Feature #15678: Improve UX of saving downloaded files from Tor Browser added

#26 Updated by sajolida 2018-07-03 17:10:59

• related to Feature #8447: Propose to delete data from a persistence feature when it is deactivated added

#27 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-17 17:50:00

• related to Feature #11643: Greeter revamp: Phase 1.1 added

#28 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-17 17:50:27

• related to Feature #12069: Greeter revamp: phase 1.2 added

#29 Updated by intrigeri 2018-08-20 10:16:35

• related to Bug #11628: Error message on not-enough-free-space in Tails Upgrader is confusing added

#30 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-21 12:54:57

• related to Feature #14534: Improve UX when Wi-Fi is not working added

#31 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-21 13:02:37

• related to Feature #10553: Add "Don't ask me again" option to notifications where appropriate added

#32 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-21 15:34:11

• related to Feature #5722: Default to Mac keyboard layout on Mac hardware added

#33 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-21 15:35:30

• related to Feature #6254: Make it easy to empty Trash on persistent volume added

#34 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-21 15:41:35

• related to Feature #10064: Warn when persistent volume is getting full added

#35 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-21 15:43:21

• related to Bug #10559: MAC spoofing failure notification should point to the corresponding documentation added

#36 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-25 08:28:45

• related to Feature #5502: Next time we bump RAM requirements: notify user at runtime if RAM requirements are not met added

#37 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-25 08:44:24

• related to Bug #10114: Tails Installer should display accurate progress information instead for freezing on "Synchronizing data on disk..." added

#38 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-25 10:11:25

• related to Feature #10060: Warn when the in-memory filesystem is getting full added

#39 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-25 10:11:33

• related to Feature #7782: Warn the user when available RAM / memory is low added

#40 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-31 11:48:28

• related to Feature #15875: Make it possible to resume an IUK download from within Tails added

#41 Updated by sajolida 2018-08-31 11:49:13

• related to Bug #10976: persistence.conf lost, recoverable by reconfiguring added

#42 Updated by sajolida 2018-09-02 16:48:54

• related to Bug #15767: Inserting encrypted USB drive does not prompt for decryption added

#43 Updated by sajolida 2018-09-02 16:49:11

• related to Feature #15900: Consider mounting external drives automatically (enable automount) added

#44 Updated by sajolida 2018-09-02 16:49:22

• related to Bug #15902: No error message when saving to a volume that is not mounted added

#45 Updated by sajolida 2018-09-04 14:55:41

• related to Feature #15584: Wrap apt to download lists if there are none added

#46 Updated by intrigeri 2018-09-05 16:26:58

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

#47 Updated by sajolida 2018-09-06 08:55:38

• Target version deleted (Tails_3.10.1)

#48 Updated by intrigeri 2018-09-06 10:46:35

• related to Feature #15613: Prepare our 2019Q3 → 2020Q2 budget added

#50 Updated by sajolida 2018-09-10 17:41:16

• related to Feature #15766: Prevent accidental Tor Browser window maximizing added

#51 Updated by sajolida 2018-09-10 17:49:13

• related to Feature #15768: Use desktop background to warn users when their Tails needs to be updated added

#52 Updated by intrigeri 2018-10-09 10:31:38

• related to Bug #16030: SquashFS errors during boot lead to false-positives on graphics card error reports added

#53 Updated by intrigeri 2018-10-16 10:47:47

• related to Bug #13438: Parts of Greeter translations are not applied added

#54 Updated by sajolida 2018-10-21 20:46:04

• related to Feature #10048: Improve some terminology and phrasing of the Persistence wizard added

#55 Updated by sajolida 2018-10-21 20:46:16

• related to Feature #15109: Rename 'Persistence wizard' as 'Persistence assistant' added

#56 Updated by sajolida 2018-10-21 20:46:34

• related to Feature #15572: Redesign UI for the creation of the persistent storage added

#57 Updated by sajolida 2018-11-04 06:55:43

• related to Bug #11292: Bopomofo input for Chinese is not working added

#58 Updated by sajolida 2018-11-04 07:09:02

• related to Feature #16094: Have simplified and traditional Chinese in the list of languages in Tails Greeter added

#59 Updated by sajolida 2018-11-04 07:09:10

• related to Bug #16093: Remove untranslated Chinese languages from Tails Greeter added

#60 Updated by sajolida 2018-11-04 07:17:09

• related to Feature #16095: Curate the list of languages in Tails Greeter added

#61 Updated by intrigeri 2018-11-17 12:25:19

• related to Feature #12003: Set a warning message in RCs and alpha releases added

#62 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-05 16:21:50

• related to Bug #16293: Focus is on the "Enter" button in the first screen of Tor Launcher added

#63 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-05 19:04:26

• related to Feature #15827: Give feedback while the persistence setup is starting added

#64 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-18 15:35:20

• related to Bug #16260: Notification on MAC spoofing failure is truncated added

#65 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-22 18:14:49

• related to Bug #15169: Greeter: Text direction is not updated in password entries added

#66 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-22 18:21:03

• related to Bug #13447: Greeter: Password check doesn't work when changing first entry added

#67 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-22 18:23:58

• related to Bug #12638: Automatic language → keyboard selection is broken when selecting some languages added

#68 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-22 18:42:37

• related to Feature #5501: Persistence preset: locale and accessibility options (language, keyboard, and formats) in Greeter added

#69 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-22 18:52:32

• related to Feature #6284: Display time in local timezone added

#70 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-22 19:14:19

• related to Feature #12251: Clarify error message when the Unsafe Browser was launched without network connection added

#71 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-22 19:56:00

• related to Bug #15830: Use a username that makes more sense to our users added

#72 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-22 20:00:14

• related to Feature #5881: Add a "Restart now" button to persistence setup assistant added

#73 Updated by intrigeri 2019-01-23 11:32:52

• related to Bug #16384: Force restarting after creating persistent storage added

#74 Updated by intrigeri 2019-01-23 12:26:22

• related to deleted (Feature #15678: Improve UX of saving downloaded files from Tor Browser)

#75 Updated by sajolida 2019-01-24 08:46:42

• File <del>missing: small improvements.ods</del> added

Here’s the spreadsheet that we came up with together with intrigeri today. The value and cost estimated are super rough but that’s probably good enough to get a first list of candidates.

I put in bold the top 8 of the pile, without taking UX cost into account.

And here are some tickets that the Foundations Team could start looking into right now without having to wait for a lot of UX work (value/cost in parenthesis):

• Bug #13438: Parts of Greeter translations are not applied (6)
• Feature #16094: Have simplified and traditional Chinese in the list of languages in Tails Greeter (2)
• Feature #16095: Curate the list of languages in Tails Greeter (3)
• Bug #15169: Keyboard layout is not updated in Administration Password fields in Greeter (2)
• Bug #13447: Inconsistent administration password setting process at Greeter (2)
• Bug #12638: Automatic language → keyboard selection is broken when selecting some languages (3)
• Bug #15168: Improve UX when hardware clock is set to localtime in a timezone too far from UTC (2)

#77 Updated by intrigeri 2019-02-12 18:56:41

• related to Bug #16461: Backup persistence.conf before modifying it in t-p-s added

#78 Updated by intrigeri 2019-03-17 08:39:31

• related to Bug #16568: Make writing persistence.conf.bak more robust added

#79 Updated by sajolida 2019-03-27 09:29:20

• related to Bug #16611: Propose users to add relevant internationalization Debian packages added

#80 Updated by sajolida 2019-05-03 11:16:11

• related to Bug #16669: Inconsistent "Encrypted" (vs "Encrypted?") for locked VeraCrypt volumes in GNOME Files added

#81 Updated by sajolida 2019-05-06 18:54:12

• related to deleted (Bug #16260: Notification on MAC spoofing failure is truncated)

#82 Updated by sajolida 2019-06-03 19:16:35

• related to Feature #6502: Add download size and estimated time when downloading upgrades added

#83 Updated by sajolida 2019-06-12 09:53:05

• related to Feature #16796: Display the Tails version number during boot (Boot Loader Menu or Tails Greeter) added

#84 Updated by sajolida 2019-07-22 11:21:03

• related to Feature #15794: No feedback on failure to lock busy volume in "Unlock VeraCrypt Volumes" added

#85 Updated by sajolida 2019-07-22 18:22:05

• related to Feature #16906: Use USB images instead of ISO images in Tails Installer added

#86 Updated by sajolida 2019-07-22 18:22:13

• related to Feature #16907: Rename Tails Installer as Tails Cloner added

#87 Updated by sajolida 2019-07-22 18:22:34

• related to Feature #16905: Speed up the checksum computation in the verification extension added

#88 Updated by sajolida 2019-08-07 11:06:08

• related to Feature #5461: Persistence preset: Tor configuration added

#89 Updated by intrigeri 2019-08-25 07:23:00

• Description updated

#90 Updated by sajolida 2019-08-28 09:20:59

• related to Feature #5521: Remove system tools menu duplicates added

#91 Updated by sajolida 2019-08-28 10:42:46

• related to Bug #16806: Formats from Greeter not respected added

#92 Updated by sajolida 2019-08-30 10:12:37

• related to Bug #16982: Can't start Synaptic from Additional Software that was itself started from tails-persistence-setup added

#93 Updated by intrigeri 2019-09-12 12:35:57

• related to Bug #17026: Long delay while rebooting after applying an automatic upgrade added

#94 Updated by sajolida 2019-09-19 00:33:50

• related to Feature #12493: Have Tails Upgrader automatically point to manual upgrade if running from an old version added

#95 Updated by sajolida 2019-09-19 00:53:33

• related to Bug #17069: Tails Upgrader advertize to do manual upgrades to deprecated versions added

#96 Updated by sajolida 2019-09-23 20:01:10

• related to Bug #17087: Greeter applies setting when user clicks "Cancel" or "Back" added

#97 Updated by sajolida 2019-10-05 15:31:48

• related to Bug #15103: The note about Tor bridges in Greeter should be closer to the actual option added

#98 Updated by sajolida 2019-11-08 12:07:01

• related to Feature #16990: Update our list of "Favorites" applications added

#99 Updated by sajolida 2019-11-14 18:03:23

• related to Bug #17212: KeePassXC dialog lists a default DB which does not exist added

#100 Updated by sajolida 2019-11-14 18:33:38

• related to Feature #17077: Consider replacing the "Applications" menu with a button to the "Activities" overview added

#101 Updated by sajolida 2019-11-21 18:21:19

• related to Feature #7495: Add a "Help" or README in the ISO image added

#102 Updated by sajolida 2019-11-21 18:23:24

• related to Feature #15122: Rename Tails Greeter to be more plain added

#103 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-04 11:22:18

• related to Feature #7878: Offer option to download automatic upgrades without Tor added

#104 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-04 11:34:28

• related to Feature #17310: Add a button to cancel the upgrade while it's downloading added

#105 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-04 12:11:51

• related to Feature #17312: Prevent users from closing Tails Upgrader while an upgrade is being applied added

#106 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-04 12:18:17

• related to Feature #17314: Add progress bar while applying upgrades added

#107 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-07 12:38:13

• related to Bug #16603: Buggy and confusing UI in the "Upgrading the system" dialog added

#108 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-11 14:18:39

• Description updated

#109 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-11 14:20:52

• File deleted (small improvements.ods)

#110 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-11 14:23:33

• Description updated

#111 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-11 14:24:15

• Description updated

#112 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-11 14:25:17

• Description updated

#113 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-11 15:13:59

• related to Feature #17330: Enable "bridge mode" by default added

#114 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-11 15:26:35

• related to deleted (Feature #9473: Improve "Unable to connect" error message from Tor Browser when accessing server on the LAN)

#115 Updated by sajolida 2019-12-11 19:06:36

• related to Feature #17331: Merge "Delete persistent volume" and "Configure persistent volume" added

#116 Updated by sajolida 2020-01-03 16:12:38

• related to Bug #17365: Additional Software is in English when launched from a notification added

#117 Updated by sajolida 2020-01-05 18:49:49

• related to Feature #15289: Make Tails Upgrader suggest a manual upgrade to decrease future IUK sizes added

#118 Updated by sajolida 2020-03-11 22:57:10

• related to Feature #17521: Add generic names to the applications in our menu who are only "branded names" added

#119 Updated by sajolida 2020-04-08 14:53:39

• related to Bug #16993: Circuit view broken after resuming from suspend or disconnecting+reconnecting to/from the network added