[tor-talk] A 2nd Tor Browser (partial) profile?

[JoeB <joebtfsplk@xxxxxxx>]

In TorBrowser 10.0.7 why is there a 2nd (partial) "profile.default",
just above the original profile.default?  I thought TBB's auto update
function had gone hay wire, but a clean install also creates 2
profile.default folders.

Seems odd to create a 2nd profile w/ same name, so close to each other
in tree view.
The (partial or smaller) profile.default has *only 4* main folders:
cache2, safebrowsing, startupCache, thumbnails. Was there a serious need
to put those in a separate profile, same name, almost next to the
original profile.default?

In Linux, the smaller profile.default is at:
/.torbrowser/tor-browser_<my_country>/Browser/TorBrowser/Data/Browser/Caches/profile.default.


* BTW, during TBB's *auto update* process, does it verify the D/L update
package using PGP signatures or other method, or verify files & folders
after they're installed?
Meaning, verify with something other than checksums?

Another oddity after *auto updating* the existing TBB (10.0.6) to
10.0.7, was several folders & files showed modified dates = 1999-12-31. 
I'm not sure it hurt anything - I didn't test the auto updated v10.0.7
much, but it connected to the web.

Doing a full, clean install to an empty ~/.torbrowser folder with a D/L
full package fixed MOST of the 1999 modified dates.

So far I only see the NoScript package
({73a6fe31-595d-460b-a920-fcc0f8843232}.xpi) still showing the 1999
modified date.







There are a few other folders or files w/ 1999 modified dates. There's
nothing wrong w/ my system clock or time. I don't see this date issue
with other packages.

The *partial* profile's startupCache files were accessed on TBB restart
after updating (not the startupCache in full profile) - based on file dates.

I updated TBB by clicking "update now" button on the "update is
available" notification.





*****************************
I'm reporting this issue to see if others saw the same thing in the
update to TBB 10.0.7 (mine's in Linux). The 2nd partial profile didn't
exist until after updating today.

If no one else sees this after updating to 10.0.7, I'll just backup the
old installation & install a fresh D/L copy.

* BTW, during TBB auto update process, does it verify using PGP
signatures or other method, either the TBB downloaded package, or files
after they're installed?

The *partial* profile.default is at
/.torbrowser/tor-browser_<my_country>/Browser/TorBrowser/Data/Browser/Caches/profile.default.

The (partial) profile.default has only 4 main folders: cache2,
safebrowsing, startupCache, thumbnails, but none of the other normal
profile files.

The partial profile's *startupCache files* have newer modified dates
(2020-12-17) AND newer accessed dates than the files with same names, in
the full profile.

There are a few other folders or files w/ 1999 modified dates. There's
nothing wrong w/ my system clock or time. I don't see this date issue
with other packages.

The *partial* profile's startupCache files were accessed on TBB restart
after updating (not the startupCache in full profile) - based on file
dates.

I updated TBB by clicking "update now" button on the "update is
available" notification.



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