! SOLVED !
Your post is helpful, and helped me figure out the problem. I went to my original backup whonix-workstation-18 TemplateVM (which is essentially a Vanilla TemplateVM aside from updates), and did some investigation. In the backup TemplateVM, I used systemcheck app and got this:
INFO: user-sysmaint-split session detection result: SYSMAINT Session.
INFO: Whonix Login Security Check (Colors) :
+----------+--------------------------------------+
| Users | Password GUI Autologin |
+----------+--------------------------------------+
| root | Restricted (Absent) Disabled |
| user | Locked (Absent) Disabled |
| sysmaint | Absent Enabled |
+----------+--------------------------------------+
Notice that the original vanilla TemplateVM has an absent password for sysmaint user. So, then I used the systemcheck app on the old non-working whonix-workstation-18-broken TemplateVM, and got this:
INFO: user-sysmaint-split: Enabled
INFO: user-sysmaint-split session detection result: SYSMAINT Session.
INFO: Whonix Login Security Check (Colors) :
+----------+--------------------------------------+
| Users | Password GUI Autologin |
+----------+--------------------------------------+
| root | Restricted (Absent) Disabled |
| user | Locked (Absent) Disabled |
| sysmaint | Present Enabled |
+----------+--------------------------------------+
Notice the sysmaint password is marked as Present.
So then, in the broken TemplateVM, I used the System Maintenance Panel and clicked on “Manage Passwords --> User Password” and entered my password for the sysmaint user in the [sudo] password for sysmaint: entry. Then, in the “Enter the username whose password you want to change:” box I entered sysmaint. Then in the “Enter the new password for account 'sysmaint':” entry, i just pressed enter twice for a blank password, and then entered “Y” in the “WARNING: You are about to delete the password for account 'sysmaint'. Continue? [Y/N]” entry. After that I got this:
passwd: password changed.
/usr/sbin/pwchange: SUCCESS: Password for account 'sysmaint' has been deleted successfully.
terminal-wrapper-helper [NOTICE]: Command exited with exit code '0'. You may close this window safely.
Then again in my broken TemplateVM, I used the “Systemcheck” app, and it gave me this:
INFO: user-sysmaint-split: Enabled
INFO: user-sysmaint-split session detection result: SYSMAINT Session.
INFO: Whonix Login Security Check (Colors) :
+----------+--------------------------------------+
| Users | Password GUI Autologin |
+----------+--------------------------------------+
| root | Restricted (Absent) Disabled |
| user | Locked (Absent) Disabled |
| sysmaint | Absent Enabled |
+----------+--------------------------------------+
This is identical to the original Vanilla Backup whonix-workstation-18 template. So, then I decided to open up and test the Tor Browser Downloader (AnonDist) app in the broken whonix-workstation-18 TemplateVM, and voilà, Tor Browser Downloader (AnonDist) started working again. It opened up properly and started checking for new downloads. GREAT!
! So the Solution is… !
To remove any user passwords for sysmaint user in your whonix-workstation-18 TemplateVM. Then the Tor Browser Downloader (AnonDist) app will work again.
! This needs to be fixed !
So it seems that there is an issue, that when you have a password set for the sysmaint user, in the whonix-workstation-18 TemplateVM, the Tor Browser Downloader (AnonDist) app is unable to properly launch. I’m assuming this is a bug and needs to be reported, but I don’t know where to do so. What we want is for the Tor Browser Downloader (AnonDist) application to work properly when a password is set for the sysmaint user. Could someone direct me to a link where I can report this issue to the whonix developers?
Finally, I’m Glad I figured it out. Let me know if this solution also works for you after applying the above password-removal fix.