i3 Generated config does not float Tor Browser by default

[BawdyAnarchist]

Qubes 4.0.3

Affected component: TorBrowser in i3wm
Summary: Default i3 config generated at first login does not set TorBrowser floating

Steps to Reproduce Undesired Behavior

1. Install i3wm, and then do first login where i3wm generates default config
2. Config file does not contain floating modifier for TorBrowser windows
3. TorBrowser, is forced to tile when launched
4. Undesireable because it causes unique window size to be reported to websites

Expected Behavior: i3 config on Qubes should make Tor Browser floating by default

Solution

vi /home/user/.config/i3/config
add line: for_window [title="Tor Browser"] floating enable;

Additional Context
The line is present in the config files in the qubes-desktop-linux-i3-settings-qubes repo, however, it doesn't seem to make it onto the config file generated by i3 at first logon. It is also present in the files in /etc/i3/ in dom0. I deleted my /home/user/.config/i3/config and regenerated the default, but line is still not present.

[h01ger]

On Tue, May 12, 2020 at 08:32:12PM -0700, BawydAnarchist wrote:

Expected Behavior: i3 config on Qubes should make Tor Browser floating by default

FWIW, I disagree. Because first I don't think we should differ from upstream defaults and second because I think torbrowser not floating is the right default when using i3.

-- cheers, Holger

---

           holger@(debian|reproducible-builds|layer-acht).org
   PGP fingerprint: B8BF 5413 7B09 D35C F026 FE9D 091A B856 069A AA1C

In Europe there are people prosecuted by courts because they saved other people from drowning in the Mediterranean Sea. That is almost as absurd as if there were people being prosecuted because they save humans from drowning in the sea.

[BawdyAnarchist]

Isn't it already the case that the default config generated by Qubes-i3 is different? I mean, the line is in the config files in the repo for a reason right? Upstream for Tor Browser has the window launch as floating, with a preset size.

This is a security feature, without which, users have a much more unique fingerprint.

[SvenSemmler]

On Wed, May 13, 2020 at 06:09:23AM -0700, Holger Levsen wrote:

On Tue, May 12, 2020 at 08:32:12PM -0700, BawydAnarchist wrote:

Expected Behavior: i3 config on Qubes should make Tor Browser floating by default

FWIW, I disagree. Because first I don't think we should differ from upstream defaults and second because I think torbrowser not floating is the right default when using i3.

+1 ... also the original concern is misguided. Tor Browser in its current iteration will not report a unique windows size unless the user explicitly disables that protection in the config. That's why there is a weired border around the website.

[BawdyAnarchist]

Oh, cool. I guess that's a somewhat recent change? In that case I retract my bug.