[tbb-bugs] #25012 [Applications/Tor Browser]: Tor Browser 7.5 doesn't have a Browser/TorBrowser/Docs/sources/versions file

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#25012: Tor Browser 7.5 doesn't have a Browser/TorBrowser/Docs/sources/versions
file
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 Reporter:  boklm                     |          Owner:  tbb-team
     Type:  defect                    |         Status:  closed
 Priority:  Medium                    |      Milestone:
Component:  Applications/Tor Browser  |        Version:
 Severity:  Normal                    |     Resolution:  wontfix
 Keywords:  tbb-rbm                   |  Actual Points:
Parent ID:                            |         Points:
 Reviewer:                            |        Sponsor:
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Comment (by gk):

 Replying to [comment:10 cypherpunks]:
 > Replying to [comment:2 gk]:
 > > I am not convinced yet this is a Tor Browser bug. If we don't need a
 versions file (which we apparently don't do) then just adding one because
 torbrowser-launcher depends on it does not make much sense to me.
 Especially as it is barely maintained anymore. I think the much better
 solution would be to get this fixed on torbrowser-launcher's end.
 >
 > With all due respect, gk (and much is due!), the very fact that TBL ever
 needed to be written (and the fact that many people still use it) is
 itself an egregiously longstanding Tor Browser bug.
 >
 > How many Debian developers have worked for Tor over the years without
 getting this fixed? I can think of at least five, but there are probably
 more. Why is it still not possible to apt-get install Tor Browser??! How
 many times has a Tor Browser non-bug broken Micah's hacky solution to
 Tor's failure to package Tor Browser for Debian/Ubuntu/etc? WTH?

 Let me add some thoughts to this comment:

 1) I did not mean to imply that we don't care about a broken Tor Browser
 shipped by torbrowser-launcher, especially if we could have prevented
 that. Quite to the contrary, I am sorry for that. But I think that we
 learned from the versions file being necessary for torbrowser-launcher
 basically with this bug report is at least part of the problem. IIRC all
 of the broken things that we caused for torbrowser-launcher in the past
 did not come over night. They were available in alpha releases weeks and
 months before to test different configurations and patches. Yet no one
 came up and filed a bug about torbrowser-launcher being broken. The
 reasons for that might manifold but, yes, I think torbrowser-launcher
 being barely maintained is at least one of them and not being any
 communication about what torbrowser-launcher needs and uses is another.

 2) Regarding the missing Tor Browser packaging let me add that I'd be
 happy to review and merge (sets) of patches that would make this easier or
 possible at all in the first place. But someone other than us has to step
 up to do the work as we won't do it. What we want to do is getting rid of
 Tor Browser as a Firefox fork: we should *not* be needed to develop such a
 fork in the first place. Getting their privacy stuff right should be the
 priority of browser developers/manufacturers. And, look, we get there
 https://medium.com/read-write-participate/leveraging-tor-technology-in-
 firefox-3e40288995c8 albeit slowly and it took us years with all the
 effort we could manage. But, finally, there is light at the end of the
 tunnel. So, yes, if someone wants to have Tor Browser in Debian, please
 stand up and grab that project, but we will continue to put our efforts
 into making our fork obsolete instead.

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/25012#comment:15>
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