Qubes OS📢

2021-11-19 19:45:39 XSAs released on 2021-11-19
https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2021/11/19/xsas-released-on-2021-11-19/

The Xen Project has released one or more Xen Security Advisories (XSAs).
The security of Qubes OS is not affected.
Therefore, no user action is required.

XSAs that affect the security of Qubes OS (user action required)

The following XSAs do affect the security of Qubes OS:


(None)


XSAs that do not affect the security of Qubes OS (no user action required)

The following XSAs do not affect the security of Qubes OS, and no user action is necessary:


XSA-390 (affects only Xen versions >=4.15; Qubes currently uses 4.14 and 4.8)


Related links


Xen XSA list: https://xenbits.xen.org/xsa/
Qubes XSA tracker: https://www.qubes-os.org/security/xsa/
Qubes security pack (qubes-secpack): https://www.qubes-os.org/security/pack/
Qubes security bulletins (QSBs): https://www.qubes-os.org/security/qsb/ Open / Comment

2021-11-17 06:27:26 Qubes OS pinned «Qubes OS 4.1-rc2 has been released! https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2021/11/17/qubes-4-1-rc2/ We’re pleased to announce the second release candidate for Qubes 4.1! Qubes 4.1-rc2 contains fixes for bugs that were discovered in the first release candidate (4.1…» Open / Comment

2021-11-17 05:47:15 Qubes OS 4.1-rc2 has been released!
https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2021/11/17/qubes-4-1-rc2/

We’re pleased to announce the second release candidate for Qubes 4.1!

Qubes 4.1-rc2 contains fixes for bugs that were discovered in the first
release candidate (4.1-rc1). For existing Qubes 4.1-rc1 users, a regular
update (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/how-to-update/) is sufficient to upgrade to 4.1-rc2.

In case you haven’t heard, Qubes 4.1 includes several major new
features, each of which is explained in depth in its own article:


Qubes Architecture Next Steps: The GUI Domain (https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2020/03/18/gui-domain/)
Qubes Architecture Next Steps: The New Qrexec Policy System (https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2020/06/22/new-qrexec-policy-system/)
New Gentoo templates and maintenance infrastructure (https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2020/10/05/new-gentoo-templates-and-maintenance-infrastructure/)
Reproducible builds for Debian: a big step forward (https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2021/10/08/reproducible-builds-for-debian-a-big-step-forward/)


There are also numerous other improvements and
bug fixes listed in the release notes (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/releases/4.1/release-notes/) and in the issue
tracker (https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues?q=milestone%3A%22Release+4.1%22+is%3Aclosed+-label%3A%22R%3A+duplicate%22+-label%3A%22R%3A+invalid%22+-label%3A%22R%3A+cannot+reproduce%22+-label%3A%22R%3A+not+an+issue%22+-label%3A%22R%3A+not+our+bug%22+-label%3A%22R%3A+won%27t+do%22+-label%3A%22R%3A+won%27t+fix%22+).

Finally, Qubes 4.1 features the following updated default components:


Xen 4.14
Fedora 32 in dom0
Fedora 34 template
Debian 11 template
Whonix 16 Gateway and Workstation templates
Linux kernel 5.10


How to test Qubes 4.1-rc2

If you’re willing to test (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/testing/) this release candidate, you can help to
improve the stable release by reporting any bugs you encounter (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/issue-tracking/).
Experienced users are strongly encouraged to join the testing team (https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/joining-the-testing-team/5190)!

How to migrate to 4.1-rc2:


If you’re already on 4.1-rc1, simply perform a normal update (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/how-to-update/).
If you’re not on 4.1-rc1, you have two options:

Back up (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/how-to-back-up-restore-and-migrate/#creating-a-backup) your current installation, download (https://www.qubes-os.org/downloads/) 4.1-rc2, perform a
fresh install (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/installation-guide/), then restore (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/how-to-back-up-restore-and-migrate/#restoring-from-a-backup) from your backup.
Perform an in-place upgrade (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/upgrade/4.1/).




Release candidate planning

As with any release candidate, it’s possible that user testing will
reveal important bugs that we’ll want to fix before the stable release.
We plan to release the next release candidate in approximately five
weeks. As explained in our general release schedule (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/version-scheme/#release-schedule), this cycle will
continue until no major bugs are discovered, at which point the latest
release candidate will be declared the stable 4.1 release. Open / Comment

2021-11-15 01:37:53 Whonix 15 has reached EOL
https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2021/11/14/whonix-15-eol/

Whonix 15 has reached EOL (end-of-life). If you have not already done
so, we strongly recommend upgrading your Whonix 15 templates and
standalones to Whonix 16 (https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2021/09/30/whonix-16-template-available/) immediately. The Whonix Project provides
fresh Whonix 16 template packages through the Qubes community template
repositories, which you can install in dom0 by following the standard
installation instructions (https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Qubes/Install). Alternatively, the Whonix Project also
provides step-by-step instructions for performing an in-place upgrade (https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Release_Upgrade_Whonix_15_to_Whonix_16)
of an existing Whonix 15 template. After upgrading your templates,
please remember to switch all qubes that were using the old template
to use the new one (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/templates/#switching).

For a complete list of template releases supported for your specific
Qubes release, please see our supported template releases (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/supported-releases/#templates). Open / Comment

2021-11-13 09:55:03 Installing and running the application menu

As the menu is not yet part of Qubes by default, you have to install it yourself with:

[user@dom0 ~]$ sudo qubes-dom0-update --enablerepo=qubes-dom0-unstable qubes-desktop-linux-menu


The menu can then be added to the XFCE panel as a widget, with Panel -> Add New Items -> Launcher, and in the Launcher add the Open Qubes Application Menu option. Normally, the process that provides the menu with data will be running in the background, but it will only start on the next reboot. To avoid the need for a reboot, you can just run the following in a dom0 terminal:

[user@dom0 ~]$ qubes-app-menu &


There are also several helpful options in the command line for users who want more customization, like --keep-visible (if you want the menu to be always visible) or --page [N] to select the page at which the menu should be opened (0 for apps, 1 for favorites, and 2 for system tools). The entire option list is available, as usual, through qubes-app-menu --help.

Feedback and testing

As this is very much a first release, bugs are likely. Please report any issues you discover (https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/issue-tracking/).

We’d also very much welcome anonymous feedback on the new menu through our survey tool (https://survey.qubes-os.org/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=255277&lang=en).

The current plan is to have this menu become the default in Qubes 4.2, but of course compatibility with other menus will be maintained. Our current development status can be seen in the GitHub project for the new application menu (https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/projects/12).

Enjoy! Open / Comment

2021-11-13 09:55:03 Open / Comment

2021-11-13 09:55:03 You can right-click on any application in the qube menu and add it to your favorites. It will then appear in this menu. To remove it, simply right-click on the app within the Favorites tab and select “Remove from Favorites.”

System tools

The last tab is devoted to all sorts of configuration and system tools and, in practice, also “random things installed in dom0.” (It’s a bad idea to install random things in dom0, but if it happens, that’s where you will find them.) System tools can also be added to favorites. Some of us find it useful, for example, to have a dom0 terminal shortcut there. Open / Comment

2021-11-13 09:55:03 Open / Comment

2021-11-13 09:54:58 In order to make the use of disposable qubes more conveniently, now programs can be started in a running disposable qube from the menu. It works just like any other qube. There’s only one limitation: If the qube was started for a program (which is usually the case), it will shut down when that first program is closed.

Favorites

You asked, and we have delivered! Second in the primary menu, after qubes, is a completely new tab: Favorites. Open / Comment

2021-11-13 09:54:58 Open / Comment