Usability of MacOS installation process
Usability of MacOS installation process
Consequence: User is unable to verify package signature
Steps to reproduce:
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Download Tor browser
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Go to https://www.torproject.org/docs/verifying-signatures.html.en for instructions.
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Read the block of text for MacOS and Linux.
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Follow the link at the bottom of that section to:
https://www.gnupg.org/documentation/
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Struggle with the information on that page.
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Try to go to the SourceForge link there for GPG Mac download.
uBlock Origin blockade: uBlock Origin has prevented the following page from loading:http://macgpg.sourceforge.net/
Because of the following filter
sourceforge.net^$other^ |
---|
Found in: uBlock filters – Badware risks
- Give up.
What should have happened:
Follow the GPGTools link at the top of the Tor page's Mac/Linux instruction block. https://www.torproject.org/docs/verifying-signatures.html.en
Suggested fixes:
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Divide the MacOS instructions from the Linux instructions.
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Add numbers to the procedures... something like this, for the MacOS:
- Download Tor Browser and save the signature.asc to your Desktop.
- Download and install GPGTools.
- Open a Terminal window (Terminal is in /Applications/Utilities or find it with search)
- Paste the following into the terminal: [... ...]
...adding links appropriately in the procedure
- Use link colors to help people visually scan through the pages. Take advantage of the human tendency to skim over text and just read the bold, colored stuff:
-Use a color with better contrast against black (the green is wonderful but too dark for good contrast) -Include more keywords in links
- Related installation issue that probably belongs somewhere else:
Opening the DMG and installing the Tor Browser: The application file shows a file modification date of Dec 31, 1999, so it's difficult to know whether the downloaded one is newer than one I have already. No version number is in the file name. Get Info (cmd-I) (which not every Mac user knows about) does show a version number, and it also shows the file has a creation date of Dec 31, 2000, which is before the mod date. The weird dates might cause version control issues but are also likely to worry people who see them.