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Re: [tor-talk] Tor check not working or recognize TBB?

Thanks Tortilla.
I don't see how your reply answers the question - maybe it wasn't intended to. It appears if the general.useragent.override string isn't the same as what ever / where ever check.torproject.org stores as a valid useragent.override value, it reports that you're not using TBB at all, which is not true.
Torproject of course wants everyone to report the same general.useragent.override sting - that's fine. To report that it doesn't look like TorBrowser (at all) is misleading to users and not helpful. Since they must be able to see the useragent string, they probably should report something about the useragent being wrong or not set to default settings.
Downloading & extracting the same version to the same path isn't going to fix the problem of the useragent string being accidentally changed.  AFAIK, it won't over write your prefs, unless you extract it to a different path. There's nothing helpful in the message, "It does not appear to be Tor Browser."
If it's smart enough to throw an error for a non-default useragent string, it should be able to tell you why it thinks you're not using ANY TBB version and give a clue about what to do, instead of the current message that doesn't help at all. 

On 07/02/2018 06:27 PM, Tortilla wrote:

You only replied to me, so I'm re-involving the list.

re: point (B) check.torproject.org doesn't look at your browser's
configuration settings - it can't inspect that kind of thing.  It's just
looking at the user agent string your browser sends *as a result of* how
that setting is set.  How it got that way is another question.


On Mon, July 2, 2018 11:13 pm, Joe wrote:

I just did check.torproject.org and as far as I can tell, the site is
working properly.
I'm using the same version as you are but Tor Browser for windows.

I tried in Linux after an auto-update:
8.0a9 (based on Mozilla Firefox 60.1.0esr) (64-bit)

I got the same warning on check.torproject.org that I'm not using Tor
Browser.  I would guess it might be an altered signature (user agent or
accept languages or other?)



Then there must be a specific setting(s) or pref or user agent or
something that check.torproject.org looks for, that isn't in my install.
*Does anyone know* exactly what check.torproject.org looks for to
determine if you're using TorBrowser?

Knowing that would shorten the search for why it's failing (never
until 7.5.6 update).
Every different assigned circuit - exit relay, check.torproject
verifies I'm using Tor network, but it doesn't appear to "be Tor
Browser."  All of the same exit IPa's entered into
https://exonerator.torproject.org show I am using a Tor address, but
that site doesn't comment whether or not you're using TBB.

In Help/About, it shows TorBrowser 7.5.6, (based on Mozilla Firefox
52.9.0)  (64 bit).
But the general.useragent.override shows: "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT
6.1; rv:52.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/52.8.1"
Does that match with everyone's useragent string for TBB 7.5.6?  I
didn't / don't touch that pref, but it shows "user set."  As I said, the
check site only started failing after last update.
I don't think I ever changed that in TBB, so there's no reason it should
show "user set." Seems like it should've changed to 52.9 after last
update, but maybe won't if it's marked as user set.

However, the ua.override doesn't mention Tor Browser, so I don't know
why that would be used as a check.
Everywhere else inAbout:config  that mentions browser name  or version,
it shows TorBrowser and 7.5.6.

APPARENT FIX: Resetting the general.useragent.override pref to default,
which changed the value to: "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; rv:52.0)
Gecko/20100101 Firefox/52.0"
seems to have fixed the false message on check.torproject.org: "However,
it does not appear to be Tor Browser".  I'm fairly sure I never altered
the useragent string, as that would *extinguish* me from the bulk of TBB
users.

There must be a better way than current to detect if the latest TBB is
in use.  Now, it gives false positives, as several people testified
under risk of perjury, they were using TBB but saw the mentioned false
message.

So what did we learn from this, boys and girls? (pick the best answer,
even if it seems undefiably wrong):
A) Since Tor is an acronym for The Onion Router, and most acronyms are
capitalized, it really should be written "TOR Browser."

B) check.torproject.org looks at the general.useragent.override pref
value and likely compares it to another value, somewhere, to decide if
you're using TBB - at all, not just if the latest version is being used.

C)  D. Trump is consulting with E. Snowden, Lt. Gen P. Nakasone and Kim
Jong-un to make TOR Browser the default browser in all public schools
and libraries in the U.S. and respective countries. (unconfirmed:
someone may or may not be a terrierist; we just don't know if they like
medium sized dogs).






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