[tor-talk] torproject package repository

[James]

Duncan:

> 
> For future reference, Mint is based on Ubuntu. Find out the
> corresponding version that Mint is basing on, and use the Tor Project's
> Deb repository for that (this is almost certainly how it has been
> configured). I don't know what Mint's policy is but I'd be very
> surprised if this was default. Maybe you added it and forgot about it at
> an earlier date. I suppose it's possible they have it listed under
> additional repositories for the sake of convenience for Mint's users.
> 
> A word of warning I'd urge you to take heed of: Mint have had some
> severe security issues in the past, both in updating packages (by
> default they hold essential security updates such as to the kernel back
> for "stability") and issues on their server. In a nutshell, they have
> been running a large software project like amateurs and their servers
> were accordingly rooted.
> They had their servers compromised twice within the last two years, by
> means of outdated and ill-configured Wordpress plugins. Their forum
> contents, including user details and passwords, were compromised and put
> up for sale for a paltry sum on some dodgy website (if I remember the
> reporting at the time, this happened more than once); and downloads were
> replaced with malicious ISO images that included spyware.
> There is no evidence they changed their security practices, so it's
> reasonable to suggest that their servers are still compromised, or that
> it is so trivial to do so that it will happen again. I would recommend
> installing Debian or Ubuntu directly, as both these distributions have
> good security practices.
> 
>> But the only package that shows up in Mint's software manager is
>> "torbrowser-launcher", maintained by Ubuntu Developers
>> <ubuntu-devel-discuss at lists.ubuntu.com>.
>> I was curious if anyone used this torbrowser-launcher, or if
>> Torproject devs would highly frown on it?
>>
>> Its description:  "helps download & install torbrowser." Doesn't
>> mention anything about it verifying TBB signature, which I always do.
>>

> Best,
> Duncan
http://www.infoworld.com/article/3182824/linux/is-linux-mint-a-secure-distribution.html

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2016/02/22/worlds-biggest-linux-distro-infected-with-malware/

https://superuser.com/questions/882957/how-to-make-sure-that-repositories-added-to-linux-mint-are-safe-and-secure

https://www.linuxmint.com/rel_sarah_cinnamon_whatsnew.php

Duncan, I think you're trashing a distro based on what happened in 17.3
from overseas. the smart thing is to checksum the download. There are a
few articles above that talk about this. and there are two sets that
verify the downloads now. So, in fairness, I believe Mint isn't any
different than Ubuntu or Debian. Don't forget Debian was vulned a while
back too. All of these come from the same place and some of these repos
are interchangeable. I think your subjective ideas are simply out of
date and wrong now. (P.S., there are more links to prove what I am
saying here)