Long Wiki Edits Thread

Tor Browser/Advanced Users: Difference between revisions - Whonix

un-template this section for better formatting (& only used on this page?

To answer this question…

On any template page (here: Template:TorBrowser Proxy Configuration - Whonix) upper right gearwheel drop down menu What links here

that page is also used here:

Agree the FAQ is a bit sloppy at present and needs lots of bits being cut and pasted to other pages with a “see here:” link to those relevant sections. Other priorities as I see it:

  1. Whonix 14 Updates & Whonix 15 release notes (should be 1-2 months and Whonix 15 will be available across all platforms). If you want to list a bunch (all) of the resolved bug links there, that would help (I’ll do the rest)
  2. A number of templates now have outdated links e.g. to the old mega large security guides → Needs a proactive manual check x250 templates or so. Yah!
  3. Encrypted email entry is pointing to dead VFEmail. Needs text changes and a lot of pic upgrades to account for that.
  4. Continual rephrasing, link checking, updates of instructions, updated output, updated info etc. from Anonymous Email section down - although we’ve achieved lots of fixes and improvements in various sections/areas further down the page already. (PS take mig5 off the current maintainer list?)

The first 9 sections up to and including Anonymous Browsing are now in a reasonable, functional, up-to-date state IMO.

Other observations - the text generally looks better when:

  • no abbreviated words e.g. “devs”
  • avoiding abbreviated forms e.g. “it’s”, “they’re” etc. Full form is better
  • avoiding # presentation e.g. [[Multiple_Whonix-Gateway#KVM]]
  • defining acronyms first before using them
  • avoiding ‘folksy’ language like the intro section here → http://www.dds6qkxpwdeubwucdiaord2xgbbeyds25rbsgr73tbfpqpt4a6vjwsyd.onion/wiki/VoIP (will fix that)
  • stating things affirmatively, rather than in third person i.e. avoiding “users” & passive language
  • avoiding personal pronouns in general (I, you, we, she/he, they, us etc.) e.g. “If you want to set a …” → “To set a …”, “If you are getting an error when …” → “If an error appears when …” etc.
  • consistency in boxing & numbering long instructions
  • consistency in spacing
  • info boxes generally at the top of each section it applies to

Just gives it a more professional feel IMO.

PS I think the Tor devs hiding away NoScript from taskbar is a mistake. Better to have visual confirmation and I have seen attacks in the wild that enable it automatically - you wouldn’t know if it was tucked away… which reminds me that moving NoScript icon into taskbar is probably fingerprintable(?).

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We can even try without “see here”. For example I doubt anyone is going to miss Whonix ™ Source Code Introduction which was never a FAQ to being with. We can add the “see here” when things actually become FAQ. The only way I see to clean sweep the FAQ.

Sorry, I am kinda overworked with stuff like server maintenance. Very invisible but also very important. So this won’t happen.

For that mass search replace could be used.

See you mostly fixed it already. +1

No problem. See you’re busy. Seeing this one still:

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module ‘Module:Namespace detect/data’ not found.

On lovely mboxes here and there still e.g. Email page.

The rest is generally looking much better with upgrades. No doubt various security fixes too.

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That is being tracked here: wiki issues June 2019

Could you please add to documentation and elsewhere where you see fit?

Frequently Asked Questions - Whonix ™ FAQ is done.

Only What is Clearnet? still looking for a new home.

Anyone come up with better ideas for naming Tor Browser without Tor. Almost finished writing Qubes doc enhancement. It would be good to at least append something to the name.

Tor Browser without Tor (Security focused clearnet browser)
Tor Browser without Tor (Hardened clearnet browser )

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Thanks for doing this, a refresh is a good idea. A scientific approach to repopulation might be: If forum comments on a solitary thread related to a reasonable FAQ issue >= 25 (30?) and comments are not just ignorant trolling (or related to existing entries), then seriously consider a new entry.

Doesn’t have to be war and peace. Some distro FAQ entries are a few lines and to the point. Otherwise the FAQ will become obese in size again later on.

Tails FAQ can be an inspriation - brief, pretty and relevant.

Tails - Frequently asked questions

Hi 0brand,

Thanks for your work on this. I agree that “…without Tor” thing doesn’t look good.

I like the naming ideas. The only issue with “clearnet browser” might be the fact Tor Browser is not evident in the title i.e. some might confuse with another browser (?) when skimming the ToC.

How about “Clearnet Tor Browser”?

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I was thinking of something along the lines of https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/#privacy-guides

Specifically, the subheading “Reducing the fingerprint of the text-based web browser w3m”. The title gives that name of the app and a little information on the purpose of the tutorial. We could could do something similar with Tor Browser without Tor? Meaning "Tor Browser without Tor…something…something"

Would that work? Any ideas?

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without Tor sounds bad indeed. Sounds like something is missing. I’d drop the whole part before the parentheses, drop the parentheses.

Issue is “clearnet” is a not well defined term to begin with and unpopular outside the Tor sphere.
Frequently Asked Questions - Whonix FAQ


Ideas:

  • Security Focused Browser
  • Hardened Browser
  • Security Hardened Browser
  • Security Browser

Bonus point if we find an acronym which is still unused on the internet (which may be challenging).

What about creating a Clearnet Template and adding where needed.

For starters an entry could be added…

Have to brainstorm while Im finishing up.

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I’m a bit late but something like SecBrowser has a nice ring to it.

A post was merged into an existing topic: TODO research and document - How to use Tor Browser for security not anonymity? How to use TBB using clearnet?

That’s really the question. Let’s redirect that question here.

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With the exception of changing the name, the Tor Browser without Tor Qubes documentation enhancement is completed. Could anyone please review this before I make the pull request? I put it in a README.md temporary.

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Migrated “What is Clearnet?” to a template.

https://whonix.org/wiki/Template:What_is_Clearnet

And added to https://whonix.org/w/index.php?title=DoNot&oldid=48093&diff=cur

I’ll add it to Tor Browser without Tor once I get that page cleaned up.

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Dunno if Qubes wiki supports footnotes. Never seen.

Tor Browser without TorTor Browser

Looks strange.

is a fork of the Mozilla Firefox web browser with patches that enhance both security and privacy. It routes all traffic through the Tor network to conceal a users and usage from anyone conducting network surveillance or traffic analysis. Using Tor makes it very difficult to trace Internet activity to the user: this includes "visits to Web sites, online posts, instant messages, and other communication forms.[1]

But it is also possible (and easy!) to use Tor Browser without Tor and take advantage of its excellent enhancements for reducing linkability, which is, “the ability for a user’s activity on one site to be linked with their activity on another site without their knowledge or explicit consent.”[2] Even without routing traffic over the Tor network, Tor Browser offers better protection from online tracking than Firefox, Google Chrome/Chromium or Microsoft Edge, especially against fingerprinting, without any customization necessary.[3]

Could you please swap that? First say, what it really is. Not mentioning Tor. Better for attention. Then later say, that it is based on Tor Browser which gets reconfigured.

Privacy and Security Focused Browser

Would suggest to drop privacy from title only. Those who wants privacy would look into Whonix, I suppose. However, security focused browser is a strong thing. Privacy could be mentioned last since kinda the weaker argument, more of a bonus for that user group.

http://deb.whonix.org

qubes-core-agent (git master) depends on apt-transport-https. Default installed package already? Therefore possible in Qubes to use https by default? Qubes repos also https by default nowadays anyhow?

--clearnet

Perhaps better to use config option tb_clearnet=true so users don’t have to remember using --clearnet all the time?

While tb-updater package Recommends: tb-starter package, this isn’t reliable if someone only installed tb-updater.

sudo apt-get install tb-updater
sudo apt-get install tb-updater tb-starter

Not sure if also worth mentioning GitHub - Kicksecure/tb-default-browser: Configures system to use /usr/bin/torbrowser as default browser or leaving that open for further enhancement.