Bisq Install Failure

User Support
1

I attempted to install Bisq onto a debian 10 template using the following guide. I failed at the step where it asks to install the Bisq .deb package via the following command…

sudo dpkg -i Bisq-*.deb

I deleted the Qube and gave up, but hopefully someone here knows the solution. The error I got was something along the lines of the system not knowing the location parameter or directory parameter, which leads me to believe that the directory commands in the guide might be defunct.

Questions

  1. Can someone please help me find a solution to this?
  2. Why would someone start Bisq from dom0 like the guide says? Doesn’t this defeat the security model?

How to setup
In dom0

Execute the following steps in dom0.
Create qube

Create a new dedicated qube called bisq-vm based on the debian-10 template.

Q Menu > Create Qubes VM > Qube based on a template
Template: choose debian-10
Check "Launch settings after creation"
Press OK

Within a few seconds, the qube is created and the Qube Settings popup opens. Adjust it as follows:

Basic > Disk Storage
    Set "Private Storage max size" to at least 5000 MiB [1]
Advanced > Memory / CPU
    Set "Initial memory" to 6000 MB [2]
    Set "vCPUs no." to 4
    Uncheck "Include in memory balancing" [3]
Press OK

In dedicated qube

Execute the following steps in the bisq-vm qube.
Configure binding dirs

Setup the binding dirs mapping for the system folders needed for the Bisq installation:

sudo mkdir -p /rw/config/qubes-bind-dirs.d

Specify which system folders are mapped to binding dirs. To do that, create the configuration file:

sudo nano /rw/config/qubes-bind-dirs.d/50_user.conf

and populate it with the following lines [5] :

binds+=( ‘/opt/Bisq’ )
binds+=( ‘/usr/share/desktop-directories’ )

Create binding dirs

Create the binding dirs needed for the Bisq installation:

sudo mkdir -p /rw/bind-dirs/opt/Bisq
sudo mkdir -p /rw/bind-dirs/usr/share/desktop-directories

Restart the qube to apply the binding dir settings.
Install Bisq
Download Debian package

Go to the Bisq Downloads page and download the Debian package and the corresponding PGP signature.
Verify PGP signature

Check that the downloaded package matches the signature [4]. Assuming the files were downloaded in the Downloads folder:

Go to the folder where you downloaded the .deb package and the PGP signature

cd Downloads

Import the signing key of Christoph Atteneder

curl https://bisq.network/pubkey/29CDFD3B.asc | gpg --import

Verify the signature of the downloaded binary

gpg --digest-algo SHA256 --verify Bisq-*.asc

Install package

sudo dpkg -i Bisq-*.deb

Once this command finishes, Bisq is installed and ready to run.
How to run
From dedicated qube

Bisq can be started by running /opt/Bisq/Bisq in the bisq-vm qube.
From dom0

To start Bisq directly from dom0, a keyboard shortcut can be defined:

Q Menu > System Tools > Keyboard > Application Shortcuts
Add a shortcut where the command has the format qvm-run -q -a <qube-name> <command>
    For example, in our case: qvm-run -q -a bisq-vm /opt/Bisq/Bisq
Assign a system-wide key combination for starting Bisq
    For example Ctrl+Alt+B
Press OK

Now pressing the key combination anywhere in QubesOS will automatically start the Bisq application.

2

The error I got was something along the lines of the system not knowing the location parameter or directory parameter, which leads me to believe that the directory commands in the guide might be defunct.

From the debian-10 based vm you created,
download the *deb file from the link below.
By the way, you can also do this in whonix-ws vm.

When it’s saved in home Downloads directory,
you can address the directory parameter and install by

sudo dpkg -i ~/Downloads/Bisq-*.deb

or just go to the location of the deb file you downloaded and install:

cd ~/Downloads
sudo dpkg -i Bisq-*.deb

Why would someone start Bisq from dom0 like the guide says? Doesn’t this defeat the security model?

This is just an option for people who find turning on the vm and
executing /opt/Bisq/Bisq to be cumbersome. You can skip this step if you are not bothered with it.

Also, I don’t think it defeats any security for two reason:

  1. You are not installing anything in dom0. You are just customizing a short cut to autostart something inside of a vm.
  2. The chance of accidentally pressing Ctrl+Alt+B is quite low.