Introduction

Our documentation reads "if you are using a computer in public you may want to avoid attracting unwanted attention by changing the way Tails looks into something that resembles Microsoft Windows 8." This is what we call the "Windows camouflage".

windows camouflage.jpg

The Windows camouflage will be broken in Debian Jessie based Tails (tails#8064 (closed)). This blueprint describes what should be done to update the Windows camouflage to Jessie.

Goals and non-Goals

The goal of the Windows camouflage is to "avoid attracting unwanted attention" when "using a computer in public". To achieve this goal, the display of a Tails system with the Windows camouflage should look similar to the display of a computer running a common operating system such as Microsoft Windows for a person seeing the computer from a few meters distance.

The goal of Windows camouflage is not to look exactly like Microsoft Windows. For example, it is acceptable for the icons not to be exactly the same.

The goal of Windows camouflage update is not to cover more versions of windows nor to implement an OS X camouflage. Even if those would be nice bonuses.

Requirements

Windows camouflage update MUST include:

• a Gtk 3 theme that looks like Windows 8.1 desktop interface compatible with the version of Gtk 3 shipped in Debian Jessie (3.14.5)
• a Gtk 2 theme that looks like Windows 8.1 desktop interface compatible with the version of Gtk 2 shipped in Debian Jessie (2.24.25)
• a Mutter/Metacity theme that looks like Windows 8.1 desktop compatible with the version of Mutter shipped in Debian Jessie (3.14.2)
• an icon theme that looks like Windows 8.1 desktop icons compatible with the version of GNOME shipped in Debian Jessie (3.14.2) and including all icons that might be displayed on the Tails desktop at startup.
• a GNOME Shell theme/extension that looks like Windows 8.1 desktop panel compatible with the version on GNOME Shell shipped in Debian Jessie (3.14.2)
• a way to enable all the required components to provide the camouflage mode that can be triggered by Tails Greeter

Windows camouflage MAY include:

• a GNOME Shell theme/extension that makes GNOME Shell activity view looks like the Windows 8.1 start screen, compatible with the version on GNOME Shell shipped in Debian Jessie (3.14.2)

Implementation

Pieces needing update

• gnome-theme-windows8 which should mostly need an update. It contains:
  • an icon theme based on Gnomeight GNOME Icon Theme by Ambiance 69
  • a Gtk 2 and 3 theme based on Windows 8 modern UI (metro) Gtk3 (+Gtk2) by Maxime D.
  • Windows 8 modern UI (metro) Metacity Theme by Maxime D.
  • Windows 8 cursors by David Farkas
• activation scripts, one run as root and one run in the GNOME session which should mostly need an update. They are triggered by the greeter

Pieces to drop

• GNOME Panel's Window Picker Applet which should not be used anymore as Debian Jessie based Tails don't use GNOME Panel anymore.

Missing pieces

The biggest and most exciting task is probably to implement the missing part of the puzzle which is an GNOME Shell theme/extension that mimic the Windows 8.1 desktop. This is probably about writing a custom shell theme and/or extension, inspired by GNOME's "classic" set of extensions.

Resources:

• the GNOME Shell's "Classic" set of extensions: windows list; apps-menu and places-menu
• a relevant cinnamon theme
• more ressources are listed in Wheezy, some are probably still useful :)