Re: [Tails-testers] Tails3.0-Beta3 feedback#1

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Author: intrigeri
Date:  
To: Tails list for early testers
Subject: Re: [Tails-testers] Tails3.0-Beta3 feedback#1
Hi,

Pavel Chuchkalov:
> I installed Tails3.0-Beta3, here is my input:


Thanks!

> 1) cloning into second usb key - I faced a common problem mentioned on ubuntu forums
> "initial wipe timeout"


OK. If you want to help us debug this further, please try to reproduce
and start the cloning process this way:

export DEBUG=1 ; tails-installer-launcher

… then report to us the entire output of that command.

> 2) the partition tool in Tails didnt allow me to greate a new partition table on
> a second usb disk. GPT / MBR both failed, by showing first that the disk was clean
> but next second I saw my partitions again.


Please describe all the steps that would allow us to reproduce the
problem, or at least to understand what exactly you've tried.

> 3) my usb key is a tf card inserted into a usb-plug sized usb reader. booting both tf
> cards inserted into the tf reader of cume mix plus ends up with "initramfs: can not
> find the media" (tails 2.11 iso booted perfectly and initramfs was found)


What are "both cards"?

FYI starting a computer with two sticks that contain two different
versions of Tails is known to be buggy. I hope our Installation
Assistant explains that one should not do that, but didn't check.

> 4) Universal usb installer didnt work to create a bootable usb; cube mix plus was
> saying "configuration not found" for tails 2.11; and "boot: <bla bla bla i dont
> remember>" for tails 3.0 beta 3


It would be nice if you could reproduce this and tell us exactly how
you proceeded, and with which version of Universal USB Installer:
we've heard such reports numerous times but we never got enough info
to reproduce it :/

> 5) the right way for me was to use rufus. Using "MBR partitioning
>    for BIOS and UEFI" did the trick - usb key created from
>    tails3-beta3 iso booted on my kaby lake


Good. I *hope* this creates something that behaves like Tails, but
nobody has verified this carefully yet.

> 6) I like new login window, but could you please add adminitstrator password into
> main controls?


There are now keyboard shortcuts to do that (ctrl-alt-a or alt-shift-a
IIRC) for those who need fast access to this option :)

> Pls dont hide it under "most likely you wont need the additional
> features like administrator passwd"; we all will boot tails on a computer with a hard
> drive; and to access documents on NTFS partition of a hard drive I will need an admin
> passwd.


The thing is, everyone has one such option they want to enable every
time they start Tails, while most users don't need it. We can't add
them all to the main screen.

> 7) please include the UI config tool from GNome.


Do you mean GNOME Tweak Tool?

> I hate windows animations of any kind and there is no way to turn
> them off.


Yes: you can use gsettings or dconf to turn them off.

> 8) please leave a debian repository in APT


What do you mean exactly? Last time I checked, Tails shipped with the
Debian repositories configured. Maybe you need to run "apt update" or
use Synaptic to reload/update packages lists?

> 9) usb key might represent 120Gb msata USB 3.0 ssd drive in an enclosure, right?...
> Do you have any strategy for the users how they should split
> the drive?


FYI we do *not* support custom partition schemes.

> 2.6Gb should
> be dedicated for tails (upgradeable from ISO); probably 10Gb for Synaptics-installed
> packages into /usr/local; probably 10Gb for my encrypted /home redirecred to an
> encrypted partition, and probably /home/unencrypted for some useless garbage like
> mysql source code or whatever I consider my regular linux daily stuff


I believe that our current partition scheme (2.5 GB for the system,
and everything else for the persistent volume) supports most of these
use cases: Additional Software Packages will be installed at startup
time from the persistent volume, the bits of $HOME you made persistent
will be stored there and will appear in /home/amnesia.

If you want to access other, cleartext data, then I recommend storing
it on another storage medium. But perhaps it's simpler to put it on
the Tails persistent volume :)

Cheers,
--
intrigeri