Long Wiki Edits Thread

I think this page should say off the shelf routers should not be considered trusted and leave it at that. This means deprecating these sections.

The whole router/Wifi hardening guide is kinda pointless considering this. FOSS firmware recommendations are welcome. Open Hardware DIY guides, even better.

Saving time, as the gnu page made with strict laws about what to include and from where.

Doing our own research will improve more for sure.

Hi Patrick

apt-get-update-plus should be documented in “Operating System Software Updates”. Yes?

https://forums.whonix.org//apt-get-update-plus-8-secure-combined-apt-get-update-and-apt-get-install-dist-upgrade/5974

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0brand:

apt-get-update-plus should be documented in “Operating System Software Updates”. Yes?

Once there is a new build of Whonix, yes. (Otherwise we have a messy
state where not everyone can be reasonably expected to have it.)

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Added “Spawning DispVMs from other AppVMs” to Qubes/DispVM. This TODO is not complete. Creating Named Whonix DispVM Based on Whonix-Workstation complicates this a bit.

For example, if the name-dispvm is not running it is possible to use (Qubes secure copy) qvm-copy some-file to the named-dispvm even if it is not running or defaut_dispvm for that AppVM. The named-dispvm will start just like a normal VM to receive the file. This is not normal DispVM behavior?

Also of concern if the name-dispvms have to be shut down like a normal AppVM. Meaning the following does not apply.

A DispVM automatically shuts down when the first user-launched process is terminated

I’ll be working on documenting named-dispvm next. And finishing the TODOs.

Opps almost forgot.

https://whonix.org/w/index.php?title=Qubes/DisposableVM&oldid=38822&diff=cur

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8 posts were split to a new topic: SecureDrop Journalist Workstation based on Qubes-Whonix

Could you give this unpublished draft a revision please? @torjunkie

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Mostly fixed (plus associated qubes pages).

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Tox - how to fix instructions.

  • So Tox can’t be downloaded simply as a package for Debian.

  • The GitHub instructions want you to build it from source for Debian (yeh, no thanks - too hard, too many steps).

  • That Opensuse guy stopped packaging it for Debian stretch (so that won’t work anymore).

But, I see there is a AppImage for qtox on the official download page: Download - Tox

Since this is a wonderful new thing e.g. see here:

I presume we can just fix the instructions to say:

  1. Download this thing into Whonix-Workstation (anon-whonix)

  2. Mark it as executable chmod a+x Some.Appimage

  3. Install fuse if necessary as a dependency

sudo apt-get install fuse

  1. Double-click on the file to run it.

While this will work, it’s not exactly safe i.e. downloading random thing from Internet and run compromised (?) AppImage without verification (how is verification done here, is it even possible?)

I think we just mark it as less-than-ideal security, but at least working instructions. Right now we have “current instructions don’t work”, which is pointless.

We can point advanced users to the GitHub build instructions to do it themselves.

Also, Retroshare is too large to be on the Chat page. Needs its own page, so I’ll go and split that off. Chat page should be general description (like the email one), with detailed stuff left to stand-alone pages.

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apparmor page needs an update as there is no more apparmor-profiles-whonix

http://www.dds6qkxpwdeubwucdiaord2xgbbeyds25rbsgr73tbfpqpt4a6vjwsyd.onion/wiki/AppArmor

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Please don’t alphabetically sort items on the Chat and perhaps some other pages. The rationale is: sort by highest order of recommendation.

The provider of the appimage (ideally same as developer of tox) could provide gpg signatures. People can gpg sign any kind of files.

Package doesn’t exist or just changed name? If it doesn’t exist, we just have to delete one section, easy.

OK. But we need to explicitly state that i.e. ranked in order.

Yes, but I was wondering about possibility with no advertised sig & key associated with that. Why don’t they put this on front page in an obvious place? Boggles the mind how uber-geeks lack common sense. No wonder their users are in the 100s or 1000s, because nobody can install it securely, 5 years after they started developing…

Anyway, this should work below and be easiest for Non-Qubes-Whonix? Reasonable?

Will not work in Qubes-Whonix due to blocks on downloading random stuff into TemplateVM at steps 2 & 3 ie “can’t load uri” etc. So another solution is required or one could just bypass it by downloading in non-TemplateVM and just shift it between qubes.

== Installation ==

{{mbox
| type = notice
| image = [[File:Ambox_notice.png|40px|alt=Info]]
| text = Non-Qubes-Whonix only.
}}

As qTox is not currently available as a stand-alone Debian package, users have three choices in late-2018:

  • Build the package from source (difficult).
  • Rely on an unsigned, self-contained AppImage downloaded from the Tox homepage (insecure).
  • Install Flatpak from stretch-backports and then install Tox from the Flathub repository (easiest).

== Flatpak Method ==

Note: .flatpakrepo files generally include the base64-encoded version of the GPG key that was used to sign the repository.

Steps for the Flatpak method are outlined below.

‘’‘1.’‘’ Install Flatpak.

Note: It is recommended to create a separate Whonix-Workstation before installing addtional software. Also qTox is alpha software which has not been formally audited, therefore it is less trusted.

Flatpak must be installed in Whonix-Workstation from Debian backports.

{{Install Backport|package=
flatpak
}}

‘’‘2.’‘’ Add the Flathub repository.

Flathub is a common place to source Flatpak applications. To enable it, run.

{{CodeSelect|code=
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
}}

‘’‘3.’‘’ Restart and install qTox.

A restart of Whonix-Workstation is necessary for flatpak to finish setting up.

To install qTox from flathub, open a terminal (Konsole) and run. Install qTox on Linux | Flathub

{{CodeSelect|code=
flatpak install flathub io.github.qtox.qTox
}}

‘’‘4.’‘’ Start qTox.

To launch qTox, run.

{{CodeSelect|code=
flatpak run io.github.qtox.qTox
}}

1 Like

changed from apparmor-profiles-whonix to apparmor-profiles-hardened-debian.

also i dunno if these profiles are valid for whonix-gw , as i can see all of the profiles targeting the WS but i leave that answer to @Patrick

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Software signatures is a broken system that only at least somewhat-computer-geeks will get. At the same time these chase way regular users due to added complexity. They’d rather skip installing something with signatures available if they don’t know how and install something insecure instead that doesn’t mention it feeling more secure.

Fixing this mess could be metalink with OpenPGP support automating all of this:

Looks good.

Is that a secure system? @HulaHoop

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Point Release - Kicksecure - introduced this term for an upcoming Qubes-Whonix point release Qubes-Whonix 14 (4.0.1-201811040215) TemplateVMs Point Release for Qubes R4 -- Testers Wanted! and soon also Non-Qubes-Whonix 14 point release.

According to their lead dev, they do implement GPG signing (htough optional) of flatpak repos and code commits:

https://blogs.gnome.org/alexl/2017/02/10/maintaining-a-flatpak-repository/

I want to suggest they adopt TUF for their software repo code because it has defense in depth against so many other attacks than basic download poisoning.

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include keepassxc to the comparison

http://www.dds6qkxpwdeubwucdiaord2xgbbeyds25rbsgr73tbfpqpt4a6vjwsyd.onion/wiki/Dev/Password_Manager

very important as i think now its the best one in use from high tech ppl like micahlee

But how does it link the creator of the package with the package itself? If someone replaced the package on the website and resigned it, no one would notice that?

Imagine one day of the month Whonix downloads were signed by someone other than me. Key/signatures delivered the same way. Looks like with flatpak no one would notice?

One would need to add the dev key to their keyring for this process to go thru. Much the same way as adding an outside apt repo to Whonix.

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HulaHoop:

One would need to add the dev key to their keyring for this process to go thru. Much the same way as adding an outside apt repo to Whonix.

Then it sounds ok. I was missing that step in @torjunkie 's instructions
above or overlooked.

In any case, please proceed @torjunkie.

1 Like