After a decade of use, I'm considering moving on from Qubes

General Discussion
13

My notebook has discreet graphics - it’s not just an iGPU. Yes, I can use it if I set up passthrough for AI, but I wish VirtIO was possible because that makes things a lot easier.

For example, I’d like to let the browser in each of my different domains use GPU acceleration. Even Joplin is now refusing to launch without specifying a --no-sandbox flag because it throws the error GPU process isn't useable. Goodbye. When even a basic note taking app is refusing to run properly, that’s massively frustrating.

Lastly, multiple monitors causes my system to crawl because all of the rendering is being done by the CPU from what I understand. What good is my Dell Precision laptop and docking station if I can’t use it to its full potential by connecting multiple monitors?

I did create a separate topic for VirtIO-GPU that I linked in my post:
https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/building-vmm-xen-with-virtio-gpu/

I also see that Marek made some comments about the CONFIG_XEN_VIRTIO kernel option in a GitHub patch:
https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-linux-kernel/commit/f6940588e19cd3c207f313108bb62da67609b91c.patch

Perhaps I should start a conversation over on Google Groups?

In conclusion, I suppose what I want to do with Qubes is:

  1. Keep different projects and parts of my life separate and isolated (Qubes does this well).
  2. Use local VMs for development work (Qubes stinks at this because of network isolation, so I don’t even bother).
  3. Be able to spin up disposable VMs when fresh environments are needed (Qubes does this well).
  4. Have everyday functionality available if I want to accept the security risks (Qubes has made progress on this front over the years, but it’s still lagging).

My frustrations with Qubes are:

  1. I can’t utilize my hardware (primarily GPU) to its fullest potential, so simple things like multiple monitors and programs that can use acceleration just crawl.
  2. Everyday functionality that requires accepting decreased security like Bluetooth, a wireless mouse, and printers don’t have obvious turnkey solutions.
  3. Networking between VMs when doing development work is such a pain that it’s almost not worth it.
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