[tbb-dev] Tor Browser version strategy

[Georg Koppen]

Hi,

Mark Smith:
> We already have patches for #4234 that modify our Firefox build process
> to pass the TBB version through and use it inside all of the
> updater-related code (and to use the 24.x Firefox version when we need
> to do so).  However, the patches are messy and I don't think Mozilla
> could ever accept them; Mozilla has no need for a bundle version that is
> separate from the Firefox version.

while that is true, would Mozilla have a need to modify its Firefox
updater at all and should it? I mean, we only patch the updater as not
all our other Tor Browser patches are merged upstream yet. So, I expect
Mozilla to say: "Look, neither you nor we need that modified updater as
it only exists due to all your other fixes not being upstreamed. Let's
fix the latter then." And this position is quite reasonable IMO.
Especially as they have to deal with the Tor Project related updater
code if there is some time in the future where all our patches are
indeed merged upstream (Granted, that will still take quite some time :).).
Or do/did you implement some hardening features that Mozilla might be
interested in taking? That might change the game...

> If we used a version number for TBB that was close to the Firefox
> version number, we would not need to patch anything; we would just use
> our version number as THE version number.  Doing this would also allow
> us to eliminate the torbrowser.version hidden preference.  And it might
> help end-users who want to figure out what version of Firefox the Tor
> Browser is based on.

Sounds good to me for the reasons you gave in the last paragraph. So,
yes, I am happy to take the Firefox ESR versions as our Tor Browser
versions. We might want to fix that while we are switching away from
"Tor Browser Bundle" to "Tor Browser" (which is #11193) (although in a
new ticket).

Georg



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