Kicksecure 17.2.0.1 - All Platforms - Point Release!

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Major Changes

  • Kicksecure Live ISO and Installer available for testers.
  • grub-live:
    • fix detection of initramfs-tools versus dracut
  • vm-config-dist:
    • /etc/profile.d/20_power_savings_disable_in_vms.sh: hide output in SSH login shell by no longer using subshell
  • desktop-config-dist:
    • improve livecheck symbols and output
      • Keep showing info symbol when using persistent mode.
      • Show green filled circle symbol and text “live” in grub-live mode but without read-only. No longer showing a scary warning symbol.
      • Show CD symbol and text “ISO” when using ISO but without read-only mode.
      • Show green checkmark symbol and text “read-only” if using read-only mode.
      • Fix icon resolution. (Thanks to Ben Grande!)
  • helper-scripts:
    • added new script append-once:

      • Usage: /usr/bin/append-once 'line to append' /path/to/file

  • kicksecure-meta-packages:
    • add to kicksecure-recommended-cli: pcmciautils, usbutils, eject
    • add to kicksecure-shared-host-xfce: laptop-detect, discover
    • Revert “install auditd by default” because it adds too many messages to systemd journal
    • add msgcollector-gui, icon-pack-dist to kicksecure-shared-host-xfce
  • kicksecure-network-conf:
    • install wireless-tools by default
  • KVM
  • live-config-dist:
    • change grub boot menu text “ISO” → “Live ISO”
    • remove sources-media module because this runs apt-get update which times out after 500 seconds if there is no network connection during the installer This is to speed up installation when no network has been set up.
    • added a configuration file comparison helper (diff-helper)
    • fix, no longer set efiBootloaderId: “debian” to avoid conflict with Debian installations on internal hard drive when installing Kicksecure to an external hard drive
    • add firmware menu entry to grub ISO boot menu on EFI systems
    • change Live ISO background image
    • Fix icon path not being recognized (Thanks to grass!)
    • Use lock icon for Calamares installer (Thanks to grass!)
    • Add ISO and version number to boot menu of ISO
    • allow running the Calamares Installer without password
  • ram-wipe:
    • fixed additional kexec based ram-wipe when Secure Boot is enabled
  • repository-dist:
    • improve error message in case of missing dependencies
  • sdwdate:
    • Update onion sources (Thanks to TNT BOM BOM!)
  • security-misc:
    • fix(etc): delete typo in /etc/apparmor.d tunables /etc/pam.d was present twice in a row (“/etc/pam.d//etc/pam.d”) in this file: /etc/apparmor.d/tunables/home.d/security-misc. (Thanks to Ashlen!)
    • add `/etc/gitconfig` for better git security · Issue #225 · Kicksecure/security-misc · GitHub
    • Update README.md (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • Update Copyright (C) to 2024 (Thanks to Raja Grewal!)
    • Disable firewire-net module (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • Disable GPS modules like GNSS (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • Revert logging of martians (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • RFDS mitigation on Intel Atom CPUs (including E-cores) (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • GDS mitigation for CPUs (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • Clarify use of mitigations=auto (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • Add reference for RETBleed (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • Add reference for SSB (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • Merge spectre mitigations (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • Update BHI mitigation reference (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • BHI mitigation on Intel CPUs (Thanks to raja-grewal!)
    • no longer disable MSR by default fixes allow MSR kernel module being load / move from security-misc to vm-config-dist · Issue #215 · Kicksecure/security-misc · GitHub
  • setup-wizard-dist:
    • change label from “Finish” got “OK”
    • do not run systemcheck if cancel button has been pressed
    • improve finish page to add default credentials
  • swap-file-creator:
    • skip output if live mode is detected and not creating a swap file
  • usability-misc:
    • Kicksecure VirtualBox Installer for Linux
      • fixed Debian sid support (Thanks to grass!)
      • fixed Kali support (Thanks to nyxnor!)
      • script improvements (Thanks to grass!)
      • add support for non-US system languages (Thanks to grass!)
      • improve Secure Boot enabled test
      • check if VMs exist before and after condition based VM deletion decision
      • Run CI with non-English locale (Thanks to grass!)
  • derivative-maker:
    • separate deletion step no longer needed by making derivative-maker build process idempotent
    • started use of safe-rm
    • build VirtualBox VMs under dedicated dm-vbox-temp user to avoid the user needing to delete VirtualBox VMs before building for simplification
    • introduce dist_build_redistributable=true (set by help-steps/dm-build-official)
      • Enable binary derivative repository by default for official builds. Same as: ‘–repo true’
    • add --target source to support creation of a xz source archive
    • --target windows: download VirtualBox Windows installer exe from virtualbox.org
    • create local /etc/hostname on build host if it does not exist because mmdebstrap file /etc/hostname to exist
    • remove version number from libvirt xml files for code simplification
    • remove no longer needed options --flavor kicksecure-xfce-host and --flavor kicksecure-cli-host selecting --flavor kicksecure-xfce and --flavor kicksecure-cli will suffice to choose the correct flavor_meta_packages_to_install based on the --target option
    • fix --target raw --flavor kicksecure-xfce-host
    • CI improvements (Thanks to Rob Stringer!)
    • install the firmware-nonfree (from kicksecure-meta-packages) by default
    • automate installation dependencies required for derivative-maker
    • add content files for apt-file

Full difference of all changes

https://github.com/Kicksecure/derivative-maker/compare/17.1.3.1-developers-only…17.2.0.1-developers-only