[tbb-bugs] #16940 [Tor Browser]: Implement loading (only) local change notes after a Tor Browser update

[Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki]

#16940: Implement loading (only) local change notes after a Tor Browser update
-----------------------------+----------------------
     Reporter:  gk           |      Owner:  tbb-team
         Type:  enhancement  |     Status:  new
     Priority:  normal       |  Milestone:
    Component:  Tor Browser  |    Version:
   Resolution:               |   Keywords:  tbb-5.5
Actual Points:               |  Parent ID:
       Points:               |
-----------------------------+----------------------

Comment (by gk):

 Quoting ticket:13512:comment:32:

 Replying to [comment:31 gk]:
 > One final thing I am wondering is whether we really should contact the
 blog or an external resource after an update. If that goes wrong (mybe
 there is an issue with the server, or whatever) the users are seeing a
 weird error message instead of the site we want to show them and instead
 of the familiar about:tor page (which is now a backgounrd tab). And we put
 additional load on the Tor network (an on the server hosting the blog)
 instead of using the changelog we ship with the browser. These concerns
 might be for a follow-up bug, though (while we are testing the things we
 have so far in the alpha cycle).

 I am not sure how concerned we should be about the network load but if an
 error occurs while loading the page, that could be confusing.  We could
 create a local page (about:update or similar) that just said "An update
 has been applied" which also included a link (or an iframe) that pointed
 to a remote page.  We would need to figure out how to pass the remote link
 to the about:update page.

 Alternatively, we could create a local page that displayed the top part of
 ChangeLog.txt.  But doing that would take away a major benefit of loading
 a remote page:  no ability to inform the user about issues and/or
 workarounds we learn after release.

 Or we could combine both approaches.  Any approach that reads
 ChangeLog.txt would require us to standardize the format of that file
 (e.g., a blank line separates the info for one versions from the next).

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/16940#comment:1>
Tor Bug Tracker & Wiki <https://trac.torproject.org/>
The Tor Project: anonymity online