[tbb-dev] So, about the Linux sandbox in the long term?

Georg Koppen gk at torproject.org
Wed Jun 7 13:35:00 UTC 2017


Hans-Christoph Steiner:
> 
> 
> Georg Koppen:
>> Yawning Angel:
>>> On Tue, 30 May 2017 20:22:09 +0200
>>> Hans-Christoph Steiner <hans at guardianproject.info> wrote:
>>> [snip]
>>>> Android is a very different OS than all the desktops.  GNU/Linux, OSX
>>>> and Windows are much more similar to each other than to Android.
>>>> Android is also the most popular computing platform in the world, so
>>>> its worth investing it.  More users and more page views than Windows.
>>>>
>>>> Given the desire for stronger sandboxing, it could make sense to keep
>>>> tor in something like Orbot, which is installed separately.  That
>>>> means its isolated from the browser part with all the Android
>>>> tricks.  Things like CopperheadOS make that sandboxing even stronger.
>>>>
>>>> As for Android apps updating their own code, it is possible, and it is
>>>> occasionally done.  It is considered a bad practice, and Google has
>>>> been gradually locking that down over time.  Android already provides
>>>> a solid install procedure, at best, I think it would be a waste of
>>>> time to build a custom in-app updater to replace that.  For example,
>>>> that will break nice security properties like the code being
>>>> installed read-only even to the app itself.
>>>
>>> The general gist I'm getting from this is:
>>>
>>>   Continue to treat Android like the red headed stepchild that it is,
>>>   because a tor-launcher deprecation/rewrite doesn't affect the one
>>>   platform that doesn't really even use tor-launcher in the first
>>>   place.
>>
>> FWIW the upcoming DRL work is supposed to change that: we promise to
>> give Android users with Tor Browser for Mobile the same safe experience
>> as we have on Desktop, including Tor Launcher.
>>
>> That said: let's have some discussion about how we can move forward work
>> in this area during the Tor Browser meeting on Monday next week. Isabela
>> will be there and help to keep the momentum going and the future work
>> organized.
>>
>> Georg
> 
> I'm happy to join in this meeting, if you think I can be useful.  Just
> let me know how.

I should have been more explicit about the date, sorry for that. With
"next week" I meant the meeting we had on Monday. But there are notes
thanks to meetbot (see
http://meetbot.debian.net/tor-dev/2017/tor-dev.2017-06-05-18.00.log.txt
for what we talked about and what the plan is to move this topic
forward) so not all is lost.

Georg


-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 833 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP digital signature
URL: <http://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tbb-dev/attachments/20170607/2676f05a/attachment.sig>


More information about the tbb-dev mailing list