[tor-talk] Tor Browser Bundle w Linux Packaging & TAILS improvements/new distribution

[Chris]

> On Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:34:03 -0500
> "Chris" <tmail299 at errtech.com> wrote:
>> While I would not suggest eliminating the tarball completely as there
>> is more to the world than just debian I do think the manual
>> installation is cumbersome and risky for the user. It make no sense
>> to recommend manual installation when there is a better system that
>> is already being used.
>
> There is no installation of TBB, there is only unzip/untar and run,
> preferably in the user's homedir. Please open an enhancement ticket and
> provide scripts to convert tbb into a deb/rpm and correctly do this if
> you are convinced a repo is a valid distribution method.
>

I might do this. I have a long way to go before I get to that point
unfortunately. I'm not the best person to do it either. I have briefly
attempted to figure out how to do it and failed. This is not saying I am
incapable. I just don't know how currently. The packaging itself might not
be an issue so much as figuring out how to modify the TBB. I also lack the
time to do it. There are many projects I've involved in related to free
software.

>> It has been mentioned elsewhere that the project needs other
>> distribution methods to help get Tor into countries where it is
>> banned. Here is a perfectly good one. Especially if it ended up in
>> debians main repository.
>
> And tor is blocked in these countries, even in the repositories. Your
> tcp connection will be reset if you try to install tor in China from a
> debian repo. You will not find Tor in the Chinese mirrors of the debian
> repos. At least, this is the experience of the people I've worked with,
> and my own, when trying to setup tor from either freebsd or debian shell
> servers inside China. deb.torproject.org is blocked in a few countries
> as well.
>
> Local repositories are not used to circumvent national policies, but
> rather enforce them.

Fair enough. I still think it is a good idea for security reasons though
in countries where blocking isn't an issue.