Error when trying to update Tor Browser in Whonix-Workstation-18

User Support
1

Anyone else get this error when running update-torbrowser in the whonix-workstation-18 template?

update-torbrowser (tb-updater) [QUESTION]: Download now?                                                                                                                                                          
y/n?                                                                                                                                                                                                              
Y                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
update-torbrowser (tb-updater) [NOTICE]: Canceled. Exit.                                                                                                                                                          
sandbox-update-torbrowser (root) [NOTICE]: Deleting contents of directory '/var/lib/tb-updater/work' using account 'tb-updater'.                                                                                  
setpriv-tb-updater [NOTICE]: Executing under account tb-updater: 'safe-rm --recursive --force --one-file-system -- /var/lib/tb-updater/work/.cache /var/lib/tb-updater/work/.tb'
sandbox-update-torbrowser (root) [NOTICE]: Deleting contents of directory '/run/user/113' using account 'tb-updater'.
setpriv-tb-updater [NOTICE]: Executing under account tb-updater: 'safe-rm --recursive --force --one-file-system -- /run/user/113/msgcollector'
sandbox-update-torbrowser (root) [ERROR]: END: Failed.
zsh: exit 10    update-torbrowser

This is preventing me from updating to the latest version 15.0.24 from 15.0.23

2

WHY did you do this -away from the usual install functions- ???
Update the browser, when an update for the anon-workstation template is available !!! Or just (pro-active) ask the dom0 update routine, if an update is available for the workstation template!
Never do updates by your own, just because you know tor-browser “should” have an update…

3

There always has been a manual step needed to update Tor Browser in Whonix workstation, no need to overly get dramatic.

update-torbrowser simply is the equivalent of “Tor Browser Downloader (AnonDist)” starter of wonix-workstation-18 template in Qubes app menu.

See also Tb-updater broken by upstream - Support - Whonix Forum .

4

Yes, I agree with the Thread-Opener. I see a relationship to the following posted by myself in the whonix-forum:

  1. the update function for the new Tor Browser update (15.024) does not work properly under Qubes-Whonix.

After the download, a window briefly appears with bold black text stating that the download cannot be verified. It may be because the Tor project has issued a new subkey (see blog).

  1. The Sdwdate-Gui icon in the taskbar on Qubes often cannot be operated properly, or the menu cannot be accessed, for example, when you want to restart Sdw-Date or access the log. It could also be a Qubes problem, but I’ll post it here anyway.

Thanks for your opinions!

5

We’re not alone …

6

I saw someones opened this issue yesterday on Whonix forum, so i waited to be fixed by dev. Tor updated signature, why the TB Updater still uses the old signature.

7

Check whether this is a temporary tb-updater issue rather than a problem with the Whonix template itself. The download appears to start but the updater fails during the cleanup stage with END: Failed and exit code 10. As it affects the jump from 15.0.23 to 15.0.24, also check the Whonix/torbrowser updater logs for a more specific error before trying to remove anything manually. If other users are seeing the same thing at the same time, it could also be an updater/package issue that needs to be fixed upstream. :kissing_face:

8

Welcome to the forum, @steve5 !

This is a Whonix issue, and hopefully the Whonix team will solve this by a whonix-team signed update to the tb-updater which … updates … (too many “updates”!) … the whonix-workstation-18 QubesOS template.

9

… which is now fixed, apparently. I ran tb-updater yesterday and it updated (replaced, actually) Tor Browser 15.0.23 with 15.0.24 .

10

It is not fixed for me, at least when updating from 15.0.24 to 15.0.25.

What versions are you using? Or are you actually using whonix on bare metal?

11

15.0.25 was just released and I didn’t try yet. Only tested with 23 → 24.