Anonymizing MAC Address when sys-net is Disposable?

oijawyuh · March 11, 2022, 9:38am

Hi. I made sys-net disposable in 4.1. Do I make the changes listed here in the Template on which the DVM is based, or in the DVM on which sys-net is based? (Specifically: "Write the settings to a new file in the /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/ directory, such as 00-macrandomize.conf")

github.com

Qubes-Community/Contents/blob/master/docs/privacy/anonymizing-your-mac-address.md


Anonymizing your MAC Address
============================

Although it is not the only metadata broadcast by network hardware, changing the default [MAC Address](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAC_address) of your hardware could be [an important step in protecting privacy](https://tails.boum.org/contribute/design/MAC_address/#index1h1).
Currently, Qubes OS *does not* automatically "anonymize" or spoof the MAC Address, so unless this gets implemented by default you can randomize your MAC Address with the following guide.


## Upgrading and configuring Network Manager in Qubes

Newer versions of Network Manager have options for randomizing MAC addresses, and can handle the entire process across reboots, sleep/wake cycles and different connection states.
In particular, versions 1.4.2 and later should be well suited for Qubes. Qubes R4.0's default sys-net should have 1.8.2-4 by default.  
However, use of the NetworkManager GUI to set these options is **unreliable** - there are numerous reports of changes not being saved for particular cards or interfaces.
You should check carefully that any settings you make in the GUI are saved, before relying on this method.
If the settings are not saved, you can use the method described below using a config file.


Network Manager 1.4.2 or later is available from the Fedora 25 repository as well as the Debian 10 repository.

Check that Network Manager version is now at least 1.4.2:

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deeplow · March 11, 2022, 9:55am

I’m also interested in the answer

unman · March 11, 2022, 10:34am

If you make the change in the disposable template, (what you call the
DVM), then (as it is a template based qube), the change will be lost
when you shut that qube down.
This is standard behaviour.

Make the change in the underlying template.
Then it will be inherited by the disposable template, and passed to the
disposable.

I never presume to speak for the Qubes team.
When I comment in the Forum or in the mailing lists I speak for myself.

enmus · March 11, 2022, 3:07pm

Or, bind dirs in dvm template and make changes in it persistent.

unman · March 11, 2022, 5:27pm

Or use rc.local in the disposable template.

For people who are starting out with Qubes, it’s better not to
invoke such mechanisms.
Get users familiar with templates, disposable templates, and disposables,
and the normal rules of inheritance, and later introduce bind-dirs and
the like.

I never presume to speak for the Qubes team.
When I comment in the Forum or in the mailing lists I speak for myself.

Insurgo · July 20, 2022, 1:57pm