Make upstream integrations version-adaptive to stop cross-component regressions #249

Problem

#240 and the Tails 7.13 testing in #230 exposed one architectural problem: CipherStick integration code was coupled to incidental details of particular upstream releases, so a Tails/Debian/GNOME/Python update broke several unrelated-looking flows.

Examples include hard-coded Python minor-version paths, assumptions about desktop executables, duplicated Tails policy, brittle GUI/layout assumptions, and scattered Bitcoin Core/codex32 compatibility logic.

This conflicts with the maintenance model we want from Tails:

• https://tails.net/contribute/how/code/ — keep the smallest practical delta with upstreams and avoid reinventing maintained functionality;
• https://tails.net/contribute/design/ — PELD updates should remain maintainable, scripted, reviewable, and reproducible.

Goal

Keep CipherStick a thin, version-adaptive integration layer so routine releases of Bitcoin Core, Tails, GNOME, Debian, Python, python-codex32, and JoinMarket do not require whack-a-mole fixes across unrelated scripts.

This is a meta issue. Implementation belongs in the focused canonical issues below; avoid adding another symptom issue when one of these boundaries already owns the fix.

Canonical workstreams

Tails / desktop / persistence

• Persistent Storage setup: make required features explicit and stop stale UI #251 — required Persistent Storage feature-state/reminder flow
• Persistent Storage: present and close the Tails frontend reliably #270 — Persistent Storage frontend presentation/re-presentation/cleanup lifecycle
• Separate passphrase training from Persistent Storage setup #267 — separate optional passphrase training from storage setup
• Passphrase training: verify through Tails without exposing the secret #291 — remove CipherStick from the passphrase-verification secret path where Tails can own it
• Menu: use Tails-compatible launchers and keep Help actions usable #252 — Tails-compatible menu/Help/Donate launching
• Tor reminder: check Tails connectivity and open Tor Connection reliably #274 — Tor-state reminder and Tor Connection launcher
• Installer: leave checkout before deleting it #278 — installer checkout/cwd lifetime

Bitcoin Core integration

• Bitcoin Core: adaptive dbcache without writing settings.json #253 — adaptive launch-time dbcache without persisting policy in Core dynamic settings
• Bitcoin Core: keep Bails policy out of settings.json #263 — keep CipherStick static policy out of settings.json
• Remove wrapped and launch applications directly #264 — remove the broad wrapped launch layer
• Replace ibd-progress backup wizard with a Core RPC notification #265 — remove the obsolete ibd-progress/backup-wizard watcher
• Core updater: fail when installation writes fail #269 — fail visibly on extraction/persistence/install write failures
• Reuse Bitcoin Core assets from the authenticated release source archive #268 — reuse authenticated Bitcoin Core release assets instead of maintaining duplicates

codex32 integration

• codex32: hand off first install directly to create-or-restore flow #254 — first-install handoff into upstream codex32 create/restore UI
• codex32: detect Bitcoin Core RPC through CipherStick's configured datadir #255 — Core RPC/datadir capability detection
• codex32: automatically prepare prerequisites when launched #266 — automatically prepare verified codex32 launch prerequisites

Focused UI regressions

• UI: fix Bitcoin Core setup dialog sizing and copy #256 — Bitcoin Core install/setup dialog sizing and copy
• Setup: replace post-install modal/countdown with concise completion #280 — post-install completion/countdown/terminal behavior
• Chainstate preload: make status UI non-disruptive #281 — chainstate preload status UI

Other compatibility-facing cleanup

• Clicking Backup or Clone in the menu may break the installation #42 — hide unfinished Backup/Clone actions until a supported replacement exists
• docs: write codex32 in lowercase everywhere users see it #239 — lowercase codex32 naming sweep once overlapping branches land

Externally opened tester reports remain open and can be referenced by the canonical implementation issue/PR without being closed as duplicates.

Acceptance criteria

• Remove hard-coded Python minor-version package paths; resolve Python code through the running interpreter/package/source layout.
• Replace direct assumptions about desktop applications with stable interfaces or centralized runtime capability detection.
• Centralize unavoidable compatibility probes/adapters so each upstream contract has one place to change.
• Prefer feature/capability detection over version comparisons; document unavoidable version bounds and the contract they protect.
• Remove duplicated policy/validation/UI already owned by Tails or another upstream when upstream behavior is sufficient.
• Keep failures at dependency boundaries visible and actionable.
• Maintain a lightweight compatibility/smoke-test checklist for the latest supported Tails release covering bootstrap, Persistent Storage, Bitcoin Core install/update/launch, codex32 install/launch/restore handoff, and JoinMarket integration when present.
• Prefer deleting obsolete compatibility code after upstream transitions instead of accumulating branches indefinitely.

Design rule

When several regressions appear after an upstream release, identify and repair the shared dependency boundary first. Keep one canonical issue per coherent fix/PR and close maintainer-opened symptom duplicates into it.

Refs #230, #240.