mark platform string red (or in some other obvious way) if recommended_version field is not true

Goal: make it obvious to tor relay ops that they run an outdated version

'recommended_version' boolean is provided by onionoo (details document).

added component::metrics/relay search owner::RaBe priority::medium resolution::fixed severity::normal status::closed type::enhancement labels

Good idea!

Please flag not recommended relays in the search results table as red entries + tooltip text.

Use case: "show me my outdated relays"

https://lists.torproject.org/pipermail/tor-relays/2017-February/011921.html

Relays running a not recommended software version are now flagged, and in the detail view, also the software version is colored red:

https://github.com/RaphaelBergmann/atlas/commit/3844568c5e279cbd8fabed26f4fb9b407468f348

Trac:
Username: RaBe
Status: new to needs_review

Coloring the software version red is redundant as there is already a bright red icon in the flags. Also the grammar of the tooltip could be improved (see the inline patch for my suggestion).

diff --git a/js/models/relay.js b/js/models/relay.js
index 2a4fe17..f4ea7c6 100644
--- a/js/models/relay.js
+++ b/js/models/relay.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ define([
                     output.push([flag,"cloud_download_"+size[0], "This relay is more useful for building general-purpose exit circuits than for relay circuits."]);
                 }
                 if (flag == "Not Recommended") {
-                    output.push([flag,"not_recommended_"+size[0], "This relay is running a not recommended software version."]);
+                    output.push([flag,"not_recommended_"+size[0], "This relay is running a software version that is not recommended by the directory authorities."]);
                 }
             });
             return output;

Allright, here's the new version:

https://github.com/RaphaelBergmann/atlas/commit/56ba13194eb10ad196abb1cdcfc2163953a02a0f

Trac:
Username: RaBe

LGTM

Merged, thanks. (:

Trac:
Resolution: N/A to fixed
Status: needs_review to closed

Thanks for implementing this feature request.

Some minor suggestions: is: "This relay is running a software version that is not recommended by the directory authorities."

better: "This relay is running a tor version that is not recommended by the directory authorities. If you are the operator of this relay please update tor."

Trac:
Resolution: fixed to N/A
Status: closed to reopened

Not sure if URLs are possible but giving the (potential) operator specific information on how to get rid of this red warning, like "What version is recommended?" is certainly good.

https://consensus-health.torproject.org/#recommendedversions

As the flag description in the tooltip, I think I do like "This relay is running a tor version that is not recommended by the directory authorities." but I don't think this is the place to give an extended recommendation to the operator.

I've played with the idea of a "Help" page before: https://irl.github.io/atlas/#/help

Do you think this could be a good place for recommendations for relay operators if we make sure it's prominent enough? This would probably be related to #6787 (moved).

Ok lets change it to (as you suggested) "This relay is running a tor version that is not recommended by the directory authorities."

"...software version..." is a bit to generic I think.

On the relay page I would change "Not Recommended" to "Not Recommended Version" (hoping that this is not to long)

"Not recommended" might suggest that people blacklist this relay in their client torrc - which is not what we are trying to say.

On the relay page: Red sign would fit better next to the "Platform" string, since this is technically not a flag, that would make it also more obvious to understand what is wrong with this relay.

might suggest that people blacklist this relay in their client torrc

This is a scary enough thought to consider changing this. What about "NoRecVer"? It's a little cryptic but the tooltip is still there to explain and it's then a similar length to the others. I don't think this is any worse than V2Dir or HSDir.

Replying to irl:

might suggest that people blacklist this relay in their client torrc

This is a scary enough thought to consider changing this. What about "NoRecVer"? It's a little cryptic but the tooltip is still there to explain and it's then a similar length to the others. I don't think this is any worse than V2Dir or HSDir.

Please do not make this more cryptic.

Moving the sign to the platform string and changing it from "not recommended" to "runs not recommended version" should be fine.

Unlike V2Dir and HSDir this is not a flag and this information is actual actionable information to relay ops.

Ok, how about this?

https://gitweb.torproject.org/user/irl/atlas.git/patch/?id=d2ff11c76cde78c6aea2b6c132a818ee5e465529

Removing the psuedoflag and instead adding the warning next to the platform string.

Trac:
Status: reopened to needs_review

Replying to irl:

Ok, how about this?

https://gitweb.torproject.org/user/irl/atlas.git/patch/?id=d2ff11c76cde78c6aea2b6c132a818ee5e465529

Removing the psuedoflag and instead adding the warning next to the platform string.

I actually found the pseudoflag really useful, because it shows up in the relay table, so I can search all my relays at once and check if any are out of date.

Replying to teor:

Replying to irl:

Ok, how about this?

https://gitweb.torproject.org/user/irl/atlas.git/patch/?id=d2ff11c76cde78c6aea2b6c132a818ee5e465529

Removing the psuedoflag and instead adding the warning next to the platform string.

I actually found the pseudoflag really useful, because it shows up in the relay table, so I can search all my relays at once and check if any are out of date. Maybe we can append the flag to the nickname in the search results?

Also I'm in favor of replacing the flag icon with a label. Labels are text with some styling which scale better than images and prevents the introduction of another instance of #19538 (moved).

Lastly, i noticed Onionoo doesn't add the recommended_version field to bridge details documents. Should i open another ticket for this or is this intentional?

Trac:
0001-Highlight-not-recommended-Tor-versions-with-labels.patch

I've uploaded a patch which reflects what i said in comment:16.

Replying to cypherpunks:

Lastly, i noticed Onionoo doesn't add the recommended_version field to bridge details documents. Should i open another ticket for this or is this intentional?

The reason is that the bridge authority does not recommend versions, so that we'd have to take version recommendations from relay network status consensuses and apply that to bridges. There may be other issues. But I see how this would be potentially useful. Please open an Onionoo ticket for this if you want this feature to be added to Onionoo.

I think the icon should remain red (like the "down" dot), rather than being black.

By moving this icon to its own column in #21635 (moved), I think it's quite noticeable even in black :) We don't want the red = bad = blacklisting thing we talked about starting in comment:11...

Trac:
Username: RaBe

Replying to RaBe:

By moving this icon to its own column in #21635 (moved), I think it's quite noticeable even in black :) We don't want the red = bad = blacklisting thing we talked about starting in comment:11...

OK, let's see how it goes :-)

Trac:
Username: RaBe
Status: needs_review to assigned
Owner: irl to RaBe

With the merge of #21635 (moved) to master commit 251ba71de9ce116f8380f61fdcf3937038acabb6 is now live thus this ticket can be closed as fixed.

Replying to cypherpunks:

With the merge of #21635 (moved) to master commit 251ba71de9ce116f8380f61fdcf3937038acabb6 is now live thus this ticket can be closed as fixed.

Agreed.

Trac:
Status: assigned to closed
Resolution: N/A to fixed

closed

mentioned in issue #21635 (moved)