6 ms·

Qubes OS 4.2.0 has been released

sidkshatriya 3y ago
Looking at the release notes: Dom0 is now using fedora 37. Isn’t fedora 37 EOL (end of life) already?
- Irregular7959 3y ago
  In this context, Dom0 is completely disconnected from the internet. It is used for running the Xen hypervisor. Dom0 doesn't run any apps at all (except for the window manager). It does not process external untrusted input. The VM template is based on the most recent version.
- rannon 3y ago
  Yes. That is by design: https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/supported-releases/#note-on-dom0-and-eol https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/supported-releases/#note-on-dom...
aborsy 3y ago
Anyone using Qubes as a daily driver on laptops (for basic work, not gaming, GPU or video related tasks, etc). I worry that there will be issues with updates, and so on.
- fsflover 3y ago
  Which issues? I'm very happy with Qubes OS, using it as a daily driver for many years. It helps to organize your digital life and gives a great sense of security and control over your computer. I tried to list its advantages here: https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/how-to-pitch-qubes-os/4499/15 https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/how-to-pitch-qubes-os/4499/15 Another report from a user: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36267756 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36267756
  - aborsy 3y ago
    I installed Qubes OS last year. First, the installation was not smooth. I had to play with the UEFI BIOS settings to get the installer work. It can be picky with respect to hardware. That’s OK, but it’s unclear what works and what doesn’t, and you have to spend time searching the internet. If you look at their FAQs and forum, you will find all sorts of known problems that may arise just around the installation and booting. Then, the updates sometimes failed (and were slow, but that was OK). The main problem was that after a short while, one day it stopped booting, and I had to spend time in forums again. It felt unpredictable and fragile. For an operating system to be used as a daily driver, it has to be stable, and reliable. The laptop may be forced to shutdown, even during an update installation. Some functions should always work: boot, WiFi/ethernet, HDMI, etc. I would love to replace desktop Linux with Qubes. I work in Qemu VMs anyways. I would probably give 4.2 another go.
    - fsflover 3y ago
      I never experienced fragility of Qubes OS, it's been rock solid for me for years. You can find information on recommended hardware that works smoothly here: https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/community-recommended-computers/5560 https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/community-recommended-computers... And HCL lists all known hardware-related problems: https://qubes-os.org/hcl https://qubes-os.org/hcl
  - aborsy 3y ago
    I just installed 4.2, and it was indeed smooth. Impressive improvements, and I like the new interface! I probably test the battery usage and applications, see if I can switch my workflow to Qubes!
- ghgr 3y ago
  I've been using QubesOS for years, and I highly recommend it. Not only for security (which of course), but also for the cleanliness of not polluting your computer with a myriad of dependencies for projects you just tried once. And of course, the high-risk activities that we all have to do at some point (now at least their risk is limited to their virtual machine) : - curl|bash or similar - pip install, npm install etc - run any random github project - sudo install the drivers of my Brother printer - install zoom - plug random cheap USB devices to eg update their firmware
  - Always_Anon 3y ago
    Why not just do all that in a throwaway container?
    - fsflover 3y ago
      Hardware virtualization is much more secure.
      - Always_Anon 3y ago
        Not any more it isn't. Rootless non-root containers are about as secure as VMs today.
        fsflover 3y ago
        Last time VT-d virtualization was escaped was in 2006 and done by the Qubes founder herself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Pill_(software) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Pill_(software) How is it about the containers?
        Always_Anon 3y ago
        >Last time VT-d virtualization was escaped was in 2006 and done by the Qubes founder herself: Have you been living under a rock [0]? >How is it about the containers? Container security aka OS virtualization has been quite secure for a while now. [0] https://www.csoonline.com/article/551445/significant-virtual-machine-vulnerability-has-been-hiding-in-floppy-disk-code-for-11-years.html https://www.csoonline.com/article/551445/significant-virtual...
solene 3y ago
The biggest issue for people updating could be the switch from iptables to nftables, which may break many firewall scripts. There is a documentation update pending merging in the official documentation that covers how to do use the Firewall in 4.2. https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-doc/blob/86a6f12e2a882dfffbc04818458589655843514d/user/security-in-qubes/firewall.md https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-doc/blob/86a6f12e2a882dfffb...
- SushiHippie 3y ago
  Hopefully they ship iptables-nft now https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/using-iptables-nft-hybrid-linux-firewall https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/using-iptables-nft-hybrid-lin...
GabrieleR 3y ago
Is there any update on the archlinux templates? This is my only problem with Qubes as a daily driver
- fsflover 3y ago
  https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/arch-linux-template-r4-1/22946 https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/arch-linux-template-r4-1/22946

Looking at the release notes: Dom0 is now using fedora 37. Isn’t fedora 37 EOL (end of life) already?

Irregular7959 3y ago
In this context, Dom0 is completely disconnected from the internet. It is used for running the Xen hypervisor. Dom0 doesn't run any apps at all (except for the window manager). It does not process external untrusted input. The VM template is based on the most recent version.
rannon 3y ago
Yes. That is by design: https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/supported-releases/#note-on-dom0-and-eol https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/supported-releases/#note-on-dom...

Anyone using Qubes as a daily driver on laptops (for basic work, not gaming, GPU or video related tasks, etc). I worry that there will be issues with updates, and so on.

fsflover 3y ago
Which issues? I'm very happy with Qubes OS, using it as a daily driver for many years. It helps to organize your digital life and gives a great sense of security and control over your computer. I tried to list its advantages here: https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/how-to-pitch-qubes-os/4499/15 https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/how-to-pitch-qubes-os/4499/15 Another report from a user: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36267756 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36267756
- aborsy 3y ago
  I installed Qubes OS last year. First, the installation was not smooth. I had to play with the UEFI BIOS settings to get the installer work. It can be picky with respect to hardware. That’s OK, but it’s unclear what works and what doesn’t, and you have to spend time searching the internet. If you look at their FAQs and forum, you will find all sorts of known problems that may arise just around the installation and booting. Then, the updates sometimes failed (and were slow, but that was OK). The main problem was that after a short while, one day it stopped booting, and I had to spend time in forums again. It felt unpredictable and fragile. For an operating system to be used as a daily driver, it has to be stable, and reliable. The laptop may be forced to shutdown, even during an update installation. Some functions should always work: boot, WiFi/ethernet, HDMI, etc. I would love to replace desktop Linux with Qubes. I work in Qemu VMs anyways. I would probably give 4.2 another go.
  - fsflover 3y ago
    I never experienced fragility of Qubes OS, it's been rock solid for me for years. You can find information on recommended hardware that works smoothly here: https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/community-recommended-computers/5560 https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/community-recommended-computers... And HCL lists all known hardware-related problems: https://qubes-os.org/hcl https://qubes-os.org/hcl
- aborsy 3y ago
  I just installed 4.2, and it was indeed smooth. Impressive improvements, and I like the new interface! I probably test the battery usage and applications, see if I can switch my workflow to Qubes!
ghgr 3y ago
I've been using QubesOS for years, and I highly recommend it. Not only for security (which of course), but also for the cleanliness of not polluting your computer with a myriad of dependencies for projects you just tried once. And of course, the high-risk activities that we all have to do at some point (now at least their risk is limited to their virtual machine) : - curl|bash or similar - pip install, npm install etc - run any random github project - sudo install the drivers of my Brother printer - install zoom - plug random cheap USB devices to eg update their firmware
- Always_Anon 3y ago
  Why not just do all that in a throwaway container?
  - fsflover 3y ago
    Hardware virtualization is much more secure.
    - Always_Anon 3y ago
      Not any more it isn't. Rootless non-root containers are about as secure as VMs today.
      - fsflover 3y ago
        Last time VT-d virtualization was escaped was in 2006 and done by the Qubes founder herself: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Pill_(software) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Pill_(software) How is it about the containers?
        Always_Anon 3y ago
        >Last time VT-d virtualization was escaped was in 2006 and done by the Qubes founder herself: Have you been living under a rock [0]? >How is it about the containers? Container security aka OS virtualization has been quite secure for a while now. [0] https://www.csoonline.com/article/551445/significant-virtual-machine-vulnerability-has-been-hiding-in-floppy-disk-code-for-11-years.html https://www.csoonline.com/article/551445/significant-virtual...

solene 3y ago

The biggest issue for people updating could be the switch from iptables to nftables, which may break many firewall scripts. There is a documentation update pending merging in the official documentation that covers how to do use the Firewall in 4.2. https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-doc/blob/86a6f12e2a882dfffbc04818458589655843514d/user/security-in-qubes/firewall.md https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-doc/blob/86a6f12e2a882dfffb...

SushiHippie 3y ago
Hopefully they ship iptables-nft now https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/using-iptables-nft-hybrid-linux-firewall https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/using-iptables-nft-hybrid-lin...

GabrieleR 3y ago

Is there any update on the archlinux templates? This is my only problem with Qubes as a daily driver

fsflover 3y ago
https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/arch-linux-template-r4-1/22946 https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/arch-linux-template-r4-1/22946