Usability of MacOS installation process

Usability of MacOS installation process

Consequence: User is unable to verify package signature

Steps to reproduce:

  1. Download Tor browser

  2. Go to https://www.torproject.org/docs/verifying-signatures.html.en for instructions.

  3. Read the block of text for MacOS and Linux.

  4. Follow the link at the bottom of that section to:

https://www.gnupg.org/documentation/

  1. Struggle with the information on that page.

  2. Try to go to the SourceForge link there for GPG Mac download.

uBlock Origin blockade: uBlock Origin has prevented the following page from loading:http://macgpg.sourceforge.net/

Because of the following filter

sourceforge.net^$other^

Found in: uBlock filters – Badware risks

  1. Give up.

What should have happened:

Follow the GPGTools link at the top of the Tor page's Mac/Linux instruction block. https://www.torproject.org/docs/verifying-signatures.html.en

Suggested fixes:

  • Divide the MacOS instructions from the Linux instructions.

  • Add numbers to the procedures... something like this, for the MacOS:

  1. Download Tor Browser and save the signature.asc to your Desktop.
  2. Download and install GPGTools.
  3. Open a Terminal window (Terminal is in /Applications/Utilities or find it with search)
  4. Paste the following into the terminal: [... ...]

...adding links appropriately in the procedure

  • Use link colors to help people visually scan through the pages. Take advantage of the human tendency to skim over text and just read the bold, colored stuff:

-Use a color with better contrast against black (the green is wonderful but too dark for good contrast) -Include more keywords in links

  • Related installation issue that probably belongs somewhere else:

Opening the DMG and installing the Tor Browser: The application file shows a file modification date of Dec 31, 1999, so it's difficult to know whether the downloaded one is newer than one I have already. No version number is in the file name. Get Info (cmd-I) (which not every Mac user knows about) does show a version number, and it also shows the file has a creation date of Dec 31, 2000, which is before the mod date. The weird dates might cause version control issues but are also likely to worry people who see them.