Document Torified update checking

[andrewdavidwong]

https://forums.whonix.org/t/does-dom0-check-update-go-over-tor/2334/2

[unman]

I've pushed some changes to qubes-doc adding more information on update checking etc in 3.2 and 4.0.
dom0, and in qubes
Can you review please @adrelanos and @andrewdavidwong ?
If you're happy, close this.

[unman]

I've pushed some changes to qubes-doc adding more information on update checking etc in 3.2 and 4.0.
dom0, and in qubes
Can you review please @adrelanos and @andrewdavidwong ?
If you're happy, close this.

[andrewdavidwong]

Thank you, @unman. I gather that you're referring to QubesOS/qubes-doc@0366878. Correct?

1. Would you mind separating the 3.2 and 4.0 content as prescribed in our Documentation Guidelines?
2. I don't think this is an accurate description of how the UpdateVM works in 3.2. The UpdateVM is the VM in which dom0 updates are downloaded, not the VM that TemplateVMs use as their NetVM. Setting the UpdateVM to sys-whonix will not result in TemplateVMs downloading updates over Tor if those TemplateVMs still have sys-firewall as their NetVM. In fact, it will probably not even result in dom0's updates being downloaded over Tor, since traffic from sys-whonix itself is not Torified.

In the future, if you'd like to have a doc contribution reviewed, please consider submitting it as a PR so that we can leverage our established doc contribution workflow.

[andrewdavidwong]

Thank you, @unman. I gather that you're referring to QubesOS/qubes-doc@0366878. Correct?

1. Would you mind separating the 3.2 and 4.0 content as prescribed in our Documentation Guidelines?
2. I don't think this is an accurate description of how the UpdateVM works in 3.2. The UpdateVM is the VM in which dom0 updates are downloaded, not the VM that TemplateVMs use as their NetVM. Setting the UpdateVM to sys-whonix will not result in TemplateVMs downloading updates over Tor if those TemplateVMs still have sys-firewall as their NetVM. In fact, it will probably not even result in dom0's updates being downloaded over Tor, since traffic from sys-whonix itself is not Torified.

In the future, if you'd like to have a doc contribution reviewed, please consider submitting it as a PR so that we can leverage our established doc contribution workflow.

[andrewdavidwong]

I've reverted QubesOS/qubes-doc@0366878 for now, since the risk of deanonymization from following these instructions has the potential to be dangerous for some users. Perhaps we could take this opportunity to have the revised content submitted as a PR for further review?

[andrewdavidwong]

I've reverted QubesOS/qubes-doc@0366878 for now, since the risk of deanonymization from following these instructions has the potential to be dangerous for some users. Perhaps we could take this opportunity to have the revised content submitted as a PR for further review?

[unman]

@andrewdavidwong I wasn't actually expecting that to hit the site - in the past when I've pushed changes to qubes-docs they haven't automatically been applied. Apologies.

You're quite right, of course for 3.2 Templates, but not, I think, for dom0 - the existing page says that setting UpdateVM to sys-whonix will torify dom0 updates, so I think the addition to that section should be fine.

[unman]

@andrewdavidwong I wasn't actually expecting that to hit the site - in the past when I've pushed changes to qubes-docs they haven't automatically been applied. Apologies.

You're quite right, of course for 3.2 Templates, but not, I think, for dom0 - the existing page says that setting UpdateVM to sys-whonix will torify dom0 updates, so I think the addition to that section should be fine.

[andrewdavidwong]

You're quite right, of course for 3.2 Templates, but not, I think, for dom0 - the existing page says that setting UpdateVM to sys-whonix will torify dom0 updates, so I think the addition to that section should be fine.

I see that portion was added over two years ago in QubesOS/qubes-doc@6b8b0ec. However, given that traffic from sys-whonix itself is usually not Torified, I'd love to get confirmation from @marmarek that it actually works as described.

[andrewdavidwong]

You're quite right, of course for 3.2 Templates, but not, I think, for dom0 - the existing page says that setting UpdateVM to sys-whonix will torify dom0 updates, so I think the addition to that section should be fine.

I see that portion was added over two years ago in QubesOS/qubes-doc@6b8b0ec. However, given that traffic from sys-whonix itself is usually not Torified, I'd love to get confirmation from @marmarek that it actually works as described.

[marmarek]

However, given that traffic from sys-whonix itself is usually not Torified, I'd love to get confirmation from @marmarek that it actually works as described.

That was true about old TorVM. Whonix Gateway have appropriate handling to route dom0 updates through tor (uwt wrapper), when it's set as updatevm.

[marmarek]

However, given that traffic from sys-whonix itself is usually not Torified, I'd love to get confirmation from @marmarek that it actually works as described.

That was true about old TorVM. Whonix Gateway have appropriate handling to route dom0 updates through tor (uwt wrapper), when it's set as updatevm.

[andrewdavidwong]

Ok, great! Thanks, @marmarek!

[andrewdavidwong]

Ok, great! Thanks, @marmarek!

[adrelanos]

Andrew David Wong:

However, given that traffic from sys-whonix *itself* is usually not Torified

It it, always was and will be. :) What we're away from Qubes being 100% torified is sys-whonix being capable to act as a ClockVM. (Ticket exists on Whonix tracker.)

[adrelanos]

Andrew David Wong:

However, given that traffic from sys-whonix *itself* is usually not Torified

It it, always was and will be. :) What we're away from Qubes being 100% torified is sys-whonix being capable to act as a ClockVM. (Ticket exists on Whonix tracker.)

[andrewdavidwong]

However, given that traffic from sys-whonix itself is usually not Torified

It it, always was and will be. :)

My mistake! I was confusing sys-whonix with TorVM. Thank you for the correction!

[andrewdavidwong]

However, given that traffic from sys-whonix itself is usually not Torified

It it, always was and will be. :)

My mistake! I was confusing sys-whonix with TorVM. Thank you for the correction!