Improve installer UX regarding Whonix options

[yonjah]

Qubes OS version:

R4.0

Affected component(s):

fresh Install

---

Steps to reproduce the behavior:

Do a fresh install
After install is done in the configure qubes screen unselect the whonix / tor vm from being added. (leave all the other settings as they were)

Expected behavior:

Get qubes configure with all the default vms (sys-net sys-usb etc) but without whonix-gw or whonix-ws

Actual behavior:

vms whonix-gw and template-whonix-ws were created (packages qubes-template-whonix-gw and qubes-template-whonix-hw were installed)

[marmarek]

The option in configure screen is only about sys-whonix and anon-whonix VMs. If you don't want to install Whonix templates, you need to unselect them during installation - software selection dialog.

[marmarek]

The option in configure screen is only about sys-whonix and anon-whonix VMs. If you don't want to install Whonix templates, you need to unselect them during installation - software selection dialog.

[andrewdavidwong]

On second thought, are you sure this isn't a UX issue, @marmarek? For example, is it clear that deselecting the Whonix option will prevent only sys-whonix and anon-whonix from being created, and is it reasonable for us to expect someone installing to understand the difference between those and the Whonix templates without an explanatory tooltip (#2211)? Also, is it likely that someone who deselects that Whonix option will still want the Whonix templates?

[andrewdavidwong]

On second thought, are you sure this isn't a UX issue, @marmarek? For example, is it clear that deselecting the Whonix option will prevent only sys-whonix and anon-whonix from being created, and is it reasonable for us to expect someone installing to understand the difference between those and the Whonix templates without an explanatory tooltip (#2211)? Also, is it likely that someone who deselects that Whonix option will still want the Whonix templates?

[marmarek]

It might be a bit confusing that Whonix-related choices are split into two places. Maybe we should remove that option from firstboot and always create Whonix VMs if it was enabled during installation? And only leave the option to enable or not routing everything through Whonix. Ideally we could have all those choices in one place (during installation), but it's technically tricky, as it isn't possible to start VMs before reboot.

[marmarek]

It might be a bit confusing that Whonix-related choices are split into two places. Maybe we should remove that option from firstboot and always create Whonix VMs if it was enabled during installation? And only leave the option to enable or not routing everything through Whonix. Ideally we could have all those choices in one place (during installation), but it's technically tricky, as it isn't possible to start VMs before reboot.

[andrewdavidwong]

Reopened as a UX enhancement.

Maybe we should remove that option from firstboot and always create Whonix VMs if it was enabled during installation?

The options are fine. We just need a better descriptions of what they do. Here's what I currently see:

1. Software selection
2. Firstboot options if Whonix templates were not selected
3. Firstboot options if Whonix templates were selected

The text in 1 and 2 are fine, but the text in 3 does not make it clear that Whonix templates were selected during 1. That is the root of misunderstanding that caused this issue to be filed in the first place. We need some better text (some of which could go in a tooltip) like:

Whonix TemplateVMs were selected and installed. Using them requires Whonix Gateway
and Workstation qubes.

[ ] Create default Whonix Gateway and Workstation qubes (sys-whonix, anon-whonix)
    [ ] Route all system and TemplateVM updates over the Tor anonymity network using
        Whonix (sys-whonix)

This tells the user several things:

• You chose to install the Whonix templates earlier, so now they're installed. (If you didn't realize you made that decision, then now you do.)
• You can let the installer create the Gateway and Workstation for you, or you can create them yourself later, but either way, you'll need them in order to use the Whonix templates you installed.
• The "Create default Whonix Gateway and Workstation qubes" option creates the default Gateway and Workstation, just like the previous options in the list create the default system and application qubes. (The word "default" is currently present in the first two options but omitted from the third, suggesting it's somehow different.)
• Choosing to route updates over Tor relies on sys-whonix, which in turn requires that sys-whonix exists, which in turn requires that the Whonix TemplateVMs are installed. You're just selecting the last step in that chain with this particular option.

[andrewdavidwong]

Reopened as a UX enhancement.

Maybe we should remove that option from firstboot and always create Whonix VMs if it was enabled during installation?

The options are fine. We just need a better descriptions of what they do. Here's what I currently see:

1. Software selection
2. Firstboot options if Whonix templates were not selected
3. Firstboot options if Whonix templates were selected

The text in 1 and 2 are fine, but the text in 3 does not make it clear that Whonix templates were selected during 1. That is the root of misunderstanding that caused this issue to be filed in the first place. We need some better text (some of which could go in a tooltip) like:

Whonix TemplateVMs were selected and installed. Using them requires Whonix Gateway
and Workstation qubes.

[ ] Create default Whonix Gateway and Workstation qubes (sys-whonix, anon-whonix)
    [ ] Route all system and TemplateVM updates over the Tor anonymity network using
        Whonix (sys-whonix)

This tells the user several things:

• You chose to install the Whonix templates earlier, so now they're installed. (If you didn't realize you made that decision, then now you do.)
• You can let the installer create the Gateway and Workstation for you, or you can create them yourself later, but either way, you'll need them in order to use the Whonix templates you installed.
• The "Create default Whonix Gateway and Workstation qubes" option creates the default Gateway and Workstation, just like the previous options in the list create the default system and application qubes. (The word "default" is currently present in the first two options but omitted from the third, suggesting it's somehow different.)
• Choosing to route updates over Tor relies on sys-whonix, which in turn requires that sys-whonix exists, which in turn requires that the Whonix TemplateVMs are installed. You're just selecting the last step in that chain with this particular option.