I’m still relatively new to Qubes, and I’m trying to create a Windows bootable USB to use on a work rig. I get the USB mounted into a Fedora 32 VM and move the files over from the ISO like I do on a normal fedora rig.
When I open it manually on any computer, all the files are there, but it only goes to a black blinking cursor when booting from USB.
I’m almost certain I’m missing a step as it is Qubes… Ideas?
Thank you in advance!
I don’t know what a “Windows bootable USB” is. Is it a bootable USB that
has Windows installed on it? A Windows installer on a USB?
In either case, simply copying files from an iso will not be
sufficient. You need to configure the USB so that it is bootable.
Can you say what it is you are trying to create?
(I doubt that here is anything Qubes specific here, except for the fact
that you will be passing through the whole device from your sys-usb
qube. But let’s see.)
its hard to see another user goes back to windows. but its understandable!
anyways here’s a video which probably will work (i have not tested it in qubes os). the only difference is your in qubes and you need to mount the usb into the qube that your working on it.
I don’t understand how you concluded the original OP is going back to windows.
It’s certainly useful to be able to go into windows when absolutely necessary (though my preference is via a virtual machne, not a system reboot!).
I have a couple of very infrequently used apps that simply have no Linux equivalent, one that does have such an equivalent but a totally incompatible file format (and no way to convert betwen them), and also my Windows qube is the only one my printer will recognize as being a computer it can send scans to.
But there’s one factor that means I won’t be going back as a daily driver: It’s Windows 7. No way will I ever connect that VM to the internet.
Thank you for the responses so far.
At the moment, I am trying to install a windows installer onto a USB stick to boot into and install windows onto another computer.
I am intending to utilize a laptop for certain work purposes as Qubes does not provide me the ability to utilize certain hardware necessary for my job.
I am assuming that you have a sys-usb qube, and have downloaded the
installer image to a qube, QUBE_A, in /home/user/Downloads
Insert the USB stick.
Use qui-devices to attach the whole usb stick to QUBE_A.
Open a terminal in QUBE_A
Check that the device has appeared as /dev/xvdi - run dmesg and
ls /dev/xvd*
sudo dd if=PATH_TO_IMAGE of=/dev/xvdi status-=progress
Replace PATH_TO_IMAGE with the actual path to the image you downloaded.
Adjust /dev/xvdi as appropriate.
Once dd has done its work, remove the device from QUBE_A using
qui-devices , and remove from the machine.
You should now have a boot able Windows installer on the USB stick.
Is there a way to do this without sys-usb?
I cannot use my built-in laptop keyboard to type in the LUKS password, half the keyboard does not work and I haven’t had the finances to replace it yet.
If you do not have a sys-usb, then the USB devices will be attached to
dom0.
You will have to transfer the downloaded image in to dom0.
If you have downloaded the installer image to a qube, QUBE_A, in
/home/user/Downloads:
Insert the USB stick.
Run dmesg in dom0, and you will see the device attached as
/dev/sdX. Be absolutely sure that you have the device name right.
(Take out the stick, reinsert it, and check dmesg again .)
Transfer the installer image to dom0:
qvm-run -p QUBE_A cat PATH_TO_IMAGE > INSTALLER_NAME
Replace PATH_TO_IMAGE with the actual path to the image you downloaded
dd if=INSTALLER_NAME of=/dev/sdX