Tor browser failing to start

paxolin · 07-02-2017, 07:09 AM

I have been using the tor browser for a few months quite happily.

The last couple of days it failed to start up. Eventually I removed it and d/l it again (via Synaptic Package Manager). When I tried to run it for the first time, I kept seeing an error that the download (guessing it meant the browser d/l the first time?) had failed to verify, and I "might be under attack or it could just be a network error"

I then went to the Tor website and d/l and installed the Linux package there. That however doesn't put it in the start menu, but I need to run the tor browser setup in my download files, in order to start it.
That works fine and it tell me I'm running tor browser 7.0.1.
I can't tell you what version the tor browser installed by the Synaptic Package Manager is, as I can't get that far.

Any suggestions as to where I'm going wrong?

hydrurga · 07-03-2017, 03:31 AM

As per this site:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/8810...ication-failed

try:

Code:

gpg --homedir "$HOME/.local/share/torbrowser/gnupg_homedir/" --refresh-keys --keyserver pgp.mit.edu

paxolin · 07-03-2017, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga

As per this site:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/8810...ication-failed

try:

Code:

gpg --homedir "$HOME/.local/share/torbrowser/gnupg_homedir/" --refresh-keys --keyserver pgp.mit.edu

Hi hydrurga, long time no speak!

I followed your instructions, typed the instruction into terminal, downloaded tor via the synaptic package manager again and it works fine.

I don't know what caused the problem, as it says it's an outdated key for the launcher download, but it was when I ran it one day after having installed it months previously that the issue arose?

Thanks for your help again.

hydrurga · 07-03-2017, 05:05 AM

Long time no speak indeed.

As far as I can make out, the error was a bug which was resolved in Debian but the patch for which hasn't yet filtered through to Ubuntu/Mint. Perhaps it came into play when your system updated the tor package to a version that contained the bug. No idea to be honest.

Of course the advantage of downloading a copy directly from Tor, as you latterly did, is that you can then be sure that the package is bang up-to-date.

The Tor website itself (https://www.torproject.org/docs/debian.html.en) states:

Quote:

Do not use the packages in Ubuntu's universe. In the past they have not reliably been updated. That means you could be missing stability and security fixes.

and recommends that you add Tor's package repository to get up-to-date versions. I would suggest that is indeed the best course of action (assuming that you don't have their repository already set up).

If you would like to do that and are not successful following the instructions on the above page, I can walk you through it.

paxolin · 07-03-2017, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga

Long time no speak indeed.

As far as I can make out, the error was a bug which was resolved in Debian but the patch for which hasn't yet filtered through to Ubuntu/Mint. Perhaps it came into play when your system updated the tor package to a version that contained the bug. No idea to be honest.

Of course the advantage of downloading a copy directly from Tor, as you latterly did, is that you can then be sure that the package is bang up-to-date.

The Tor website itself (https://www.torproject.org/docs/debian.html.en) states:

and recommends that you add Tor's package repository to get up-to-date versions. I would suggest that is indeed the best course of action (assuming that you don't have their repository already set up).

If you would like to do that and are not successful following the instructions on the above page, I can walk you through it.

Yes please. Could you explain how to Tor to the repository?

hydrurga · 07-03-2017, 08:42 AM

First, let's see what you already have on your system so that we can purge it and have a clean install:

Code:

dpkg -l 'tor'

dpkg -l '*torbrowser*'

paxolin · 07-03-2017, 08:57 AM

I hope I've done this right:

Code:

~ $ dpkg -l 'tor'
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name           Version      Architecture Description
+++-==============-============-============-=================================
ii  tor            0.2.7.6-1ubu amd64        anonymizing overlay network for T
 
~ $ dpkg -l '*torbrowser*'
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name           Version      Architecture Description
+++-==============-============-============-=================================
ii  torbrowser-lau 0.2.4-1      amd64        helps download and run the Tor Br

hydrurga · 07-03-2017, 09:16 AM

Thanks.

Code:

sudo apt-get --purge autoremove tor torbrowser-launcher

There's no need to run the dpkg command again, but for the next time you'll find that if you maximise the terminal window before you run dpkg -l then you'll get more information in the available space, including the full names of the packages.

paxolin · 07-03-2017, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga

Thanks.

Code:

sudo apt-get --purge autoremove tor torbrowser-launcher

There's no need to run the dpkg command again, but for the next time you'll find that if you maximise the terminal window before you run dpkg -l then you'll get more information in the available space, including the full names of the packages.

OK, I stand (well sit) corrected. I assumed (dangerous, I know) that any text would wrap onto the next line.
So do I type the command above next?

hydrurga · 07-03-2017, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paxolin

OK, I stand (well sit) corrected. I assumed (dangerous, I know) that any text would wrap onto the next line.

dpkg -l works a bit awkwardly in that respect, preferring to truncate than to wrap.

Quote:

Originally Posted by paxolin

So do I type the command above next?

Yes.

paxolin · 07-03-2017, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga

dpkg -l works a bit awkwardly in that respect, preferring to truncate than to wrap.

Yes.

I did the next step, which triggered the removal of some packages, when I was asked if I wanted to continue.
I do hope that "Y" was the correct answer, and I haven't lost any team points for an incorrect response?
Please see I've pasted using the "new improved" maximised terminal window, ha ha!

Code:

~ $ sudo apt-get --purge autoremove tor torbrowser-launcher
[sudo] password for watt: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED
  0ad-data* 0ad-data-common* bcrelay* fonts-texgyre* libenet7* libgloox13v5* libnvtt2* libsdl2-2.0-0* libsndio6.1* python-lzma* python-parsley* python-psutil*
  python-twisted* python-txsocksx* tex-common* tor* torbrowser-launcher*
0 to upgrade, 0 to newly install, 17 to remove and 37 not to upgrade.
After this operation, 1,556 MB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
(Reading database ... 239326 files and directories currently installed.)
Removing 0ad-data (0.0.20-1) ...
Removing 0ad-data-common (0.0.20-1) ...
Removing bcrelay (1.4.0-7ubuntu0.1) ...
Removing fonts-texgyre (20150923-1) ...
Purging configuration files for fonts-texgyre (20150923-1) ...
Removing libenet7:amd64 (1.3.12+ds-2) ...
Purging configuration files for libenet7:amd64 (1.3.12+ds-2) ...
Removing libgloox13v5:amd64 (1.0.13-3build1) ...
Removing libnvtt2:amd64 (2.0.8-1+dfsg-8) ...
Removing libsdl2-2.0-0:amd64 (2.0.4+dfsg1-2ubuntu2) ...
Removing libsndio6.1:amd64 (1.1.0-2) ...
Removing torbrowser-launcher (0.2.4-1) ...
Purging configuration files for torbrowser-launcher (0.2.4-1) ...
Removing python-lzma (0.5.3-3) ...
Removing python-txsocksx (1.15.0.2-1) ...
Removing python-parsley (1.2-1) ...
Removing python-psutil (3.4.2-1) ...
Removing python-twisted (16.0.0-1) ...
Purging configuration files for python-twisted (16.0.0-1) ...
Removing tex-common (6.04) ...
Purging configuration files for tex-common (6.04) ...
Removing tor (0.2.7.6-1ubuntu1) ...
Purging configuration files for tor (0.2.7.6-1ubuntu1) ...
dpkg: warning: while removing tor, directory '/etc/apparmor.d/abstractions' not empty so not removed
Processing triggers for man-db (2.7.5-1) ...
Processing triggers for fontconfig (2.11.94-0ubuntu1.1) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.23-0ubuntu9) ...
Processing triggers for desktop-file-utils (0.22-1ubuntu5.1) ...
Processing triggers for gnome-menus (3.13.3-6ubuntu3.1) ...
Processing triggers for mime-support (3.59ubuntu1) ...
Processing triggers for doc-base (0.10.7) ...
Processing 2 removed doc-base files...
Registering documents with scrollkeeper...

hydrurga · 07-03-2017, 07:55 PM

Wow, that was some purge! I assume that you haven't run autoremove in a while but have been deleting some packages (such as 0ad).

I notice that you have 37 packages "not to upgrade". You might be best sorting that out before it gets out of hand.

Can you run:

Code:

sudo apt-get update

and

Code:

sudo apt-get upgrade

P.S. Team points safe so far.

paxolin · 07-03-2017, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga

Wow, that was some purge! I assume that you haven't run autoremove in a while but have been deleting some packages (such as 0ad).

I notice that you have 37 packages "not to upgrade". You might be best sorting that out before it gets out of hand.

Can you run:

Code:

sudo apt-get update

and

Code:

sudo apt-get upgrade

P.S. Team points safe so far.

Right, I ran the two lines above, which generated pages of details. In fact there's so much (nine pages) I wouldn't want to put it all on here using space and be shouted at in caps by someone - unless instructed otherwise?
Instead here are some highlights - that's my idea of highlights anyway.

Code:

The following packages have been kept back:
  linux-kernel-generic
The following packages will be upgraded:
  dbus dbus-x11 grub-common grub-pc grub-pc-bin grub2-common libdbus-1-3 libdbus-1-3:i386 libegl1-mesa libegl1-mesa-drivers libgbm1 libgl1-mesa-dri:i386
  libgl1-mesa-dri libgl1-mesa-glx libgl1-mesa-glx:i386 libglapi-mesa:i386 libglapi-mesa libgles1-mesa libgles2-mesa libpam-systemd libsystemd0 libsystemd0:i386
  libudev1 libudev1:i386 libwayland-egl1-mesa libxatracker2 linux-firmware linux-libc-dev systemd systemd-sysv udev upstart xserver-common xserver-xorg-core
  xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu xserver-xorg-video-intel

Code:

Configuration file '/etc/grub.d/10_linux'
 ==> Modified (by you or by a script) since installation.
 ==> Package distributor has shipped an updated version.
   What would you like to do about it ?  Your options are:
    Y or I  : install the package maintainer's version
    N or O  : keep your currently-installed version
      D     : show the differences between the versions
      Z     : start a shell to examine the situation
 The default action is to keep your current version.
*** 10_linux (Y/I/N/O/D/Z) [default=N] ? n
update-rc.d: warning: start and stop actions are no longer supported; falling back to defaults

Code:

Warning: No support for locale: en_GB.utf8
Warning: No support for locale: en_GB.utf8
Warning: No support for locale: en_GB.utf8

Glad to hear I'm still in the running for championships, points-wise.

hydrurga · 07-03-2017, 08:34 PM

Did you go ahead with the upgrade? If so, restart your machine.

Don't worry about the "Warning: No support for locale: en_GB.utf8" messages.

"N" was indeed the safest option when presented by that Grub menu, if you don't have the know-how to compare the 2 files and decide if the changes are worthwhile.

paxolin · 07-03-2017, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hydrurga

Did you go ahead with the upgrade? If so, restart your machine.

Don't worry about the "Warning: No support for locale: en_GB.utf8" messages.

"N" was indeed the safest option when presented by that Grub menu, if you don't have the know-how to compare the 2 files and decide if the changes are worthwhile.

Yes, I did the upgrade and have restarted my machine.
I have a couple of other issues (not related, and nothing to do with the upgrade). I'll start new posts for those. As Arnie would say: I'll be back...
Thanks again for your help.
Edit: Just remembered: Do I need to do anything else about the repository for Tor?