Changes in template VM's /etc/skel are not being picked up by disp VM

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I cloned a Debian 12 template VM and then created a disposable VM based on that template.

[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-create --template <TEMPLATE> --label red <DISPOSABLE_TEMPLATE>
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-prefs <DISPOSABLE_TEMPLATE> template_for_dispvms True
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-features <DISPOSABLE_TEMPLATE> appmenus-dispvm 1

Now I want to update the .bashrc to add an alias to the disposable VM. I tried this by adding the alias to /etc/skel/.bashrc in the template VM. But when I launch instances of the disposable VM, the .bashrc file hasnā€™t changed. I tried shutting down the template VM, shutting down my entire PC.

How can I update the .bashrc file for all new instances of the disposable VM?

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You can edit ~/.bashrc in the disposable template, and /etc/skel/.bashrc in the template VM for the disposable template.

I donā€™t know if /etc/skel can be used, itā€™s only used when the user is created, and I donā€™t think that happens when the DVM is started.

I would just edit the ~/.bashrc in the disposable template.

Edit: renamed the template vm

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Just to note that ā€œtemplate VMā€ that @renehoj is mentioning is ā€œdisposable templateā€ since ā€œtemplate VMā€ term is confusing:

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It cant, for the reason you give.
/etc/skel is only used when a qube is created from the template. In
this case, when the qube used as disposable template was created.
Subsequent changes in /etc/skel in the template are not seen by
existing qubes.
Make the change in the disposable template and it will be picked up by
all the disposables.

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

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No it happens in-qube as part of the initialization of its ā€˜privateā€™ volume by qubes-mount-dirs.service, usually during the qubeā€™s first startup. If you never start the disposable template (or if you deliberately revert the ā€˜privateā€™ volume back to empty contents after starting it) then the initialization has to happen during the DisposableVM startup, and in that case it will apply /etc/skel from the disposable templateā€™s TemplateVM.

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Thank you everyone. I modified the .bashrc in the disposable template and itā€™s being picked up disposable VMs.

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