Anyone Using Qubes OS? \ stacker news ~opensource

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2188 sats \ 15 comments \ @siggy47 28 Dec 2023 opensource

I am looking to find out whether anyone is using the Linux distro Qubes OS? It is self described as a "reasonably secure operating system." Qubes are like sandboxes, I guess, in a similar way that Graphene OS uses this idea on phones. I like the sound of this:

A 'dom0' qube is basically the 'admin qube', this is used to administer the entire operating system. It has been designed in a very security conscious manner like the rest of the OS, resulting in no network connectivity, and only being used to run the desktop environment, and the window manager.

I look forward to hearing from stackers with their impressions.

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305 sats \ 1 reply \ @petertodd 28 Dec 2023

I use Qubes for all my desktops/laptops that I do any real work on. Every developer involved in security critical stuff should be using it; if you're not doing this kind of isolation it's way too easy for an exploit to compromise your code/builds, eg via a web browser exploit.

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 OP 28 Dec 2023

Thank you for this reply. Your opinion is good enough for me.

246 sats \ 0 replies \ @DrewStern 28 Dec 2023 freebie

I installed it on my laptop (with the intent of running a full BTC node on it) but had some issues with it detecting my secondary external monitor. Unfortunately I had intended to route it through a KVM along with my desktop machine, so lack of external monitor support made me change my plans.

Seemed like a quite nice OS the little that I used it though. I'm hoping they keep making progress and it becomes viable vs the other mainstream OSs.

57 sats \ 1 reply \ @macarena 28 Dec 2023

Try https://tails.net

20 sats \ 0 replies \ @siggy47 OP 28 Dec 2023

I do use this once in a while. I don't think it's practical as a daily driver.

352 sats \ 2 replies \ @GrinSingularity 28 Dec 2023

I used Qubes OS for quite some time and was satisfied but it really is a very heavy operating system. Think of having a desktop on which you have a lot of isolated virtual machines running. It requires enough ram memory to run at a satisfactory rate as well as you have to look which laptop is compatible. It is a very secure operating system by default, but I find it stiff. I went with something different that really works everywhere and is if not the most secure system one of the most secure. OpenBSD and I really will never go back to linux ever again. I could write a lot but they have excellent documentation that is really worth studying. I suggest you try Qubes OS if you have a compatible laptop or computer. I see in previous comments that Tails were mentioned. Anonymity does not imply a secure and shielded operating system necessarily. Anonymity is one thing, security by default is other. In general, check what suits you best.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @siggy47 OP 28 Dec 2023

Thanks for the informative reply. I have never looked into OpenBSD, but I will now.

51 sats \ 0 replies \ @Malachi17 15 Jan

It's very picky about the graphics card you use.

352 sats \ 0 replies \ @shafemtol 28 Dec 2023

Qubes is basically the Xen hypervisor with a nice VM template system and near-seamless desktop integration for VMs.

In addition to the security provided by putting stuff in separate VMs, it's great for development and other cases where you need to fire up a clean OS install. The integration tools like clipboard and file transfer makes working across multiple VMs practical.

There are several cons and caveats, though:

No GPU acceleration inside VMs (except you may be able to pass a discrete GPU through to a single VM). Forget about 3D design software, games etc. Websites with lots of advanced CSS filter stuff will be slow.
Certain software is slow/buggy, including LibreOffice and Inkscape (probably partly related to the lack of GPU acceleration).
No hibernation (suspend to disk), only suspend to RAM. And suspend to RAM might be buggy or not work at all depending on your hardware.
Many running VMs means high memory requirements. If you use the same computer for lots of different tasks, I'd recommend a minimum of 32 GB, optimally 64 GB of RAM if you want full compartmentalization.
Bugs and poor UX in the Qubes-specific interfaces. A lot of it feels rather hacky. Some of these interfaces could allow for cross-VM exploits if vulnerable, so that is a concern.

229 sats \ 0 replies \ @npub1freed0m 29 Dec 2023

Yes, on desktop, daily / main driver

On laptop though, not so great as it affects battery and triggers fans

Qubes OS is the best OS, you can completely separate different areas of your digital life. If you're going to dive in, get a qubes certified machine for minimum hassles