Debian 13 templates available

alimirjamali · November 1, 2025, 8:56pm

Yes. For sure. The patch was made to qubes-core-agent-linux. It applies to Fedora and Debian templates as well:

otter2 · November 1, 2025, 9:00pm

debian-13 has full qubes integration, debian-13-minimal doesn’t, unless you set it up.

Speaking of which, @alimirjamali shouldn’t it be added to docs here:

In Qubes 4.0, additional packages from the qubes-core-agent suite may be needed to make the customized minimal template work properly. These packages are:

qubes-core-agent-nautilus: This package provides integration with the Nautilus file manager (without it, items like “copy to VM/open in disposable” will not be shown in Nautilus).

qubes-core-agent-thunar: This package provides integration with the thunar file manager (without it, items like “copy to VM/open in disposable” will not be shown in thunar).

qubes-core-agent-dom0-updates: Script required to handle dom0 updates. Any template on which the qube responsible for ‘dom0’ updates (e.g. sys-firewall) is based must contain this package.

qubes-menus: Defines menu layout.

qubes-desktop-linux-common: Contains icons and scripts to improve desktop experience.

alimirjamali · November 1, 2025, 9:07pm

Yes. That page is for sure outdated. It still mentions Qubes r4.0 which has been EOL for a long time. Its source is here:

github.com/QubesOS/qubes-doc

user/templates/minimal-templates.rst

main

=================
Minimal templates
=================

.. warning::

      This page is intended for advanced users.

The minimal :doc:`templates </user/templates/templates>` are lightweight versions of their standard template counterparts. They have only the most vital packages installed, including a minimal X and xterm installation. When properly configured and used, minimal templates can be less resource-intensive, reduce attack surface, and support more fine-grained compartmentalization. The sections below contain instructions for installing and configuring minimal templates, along with some examples of common use cases.

Important
---------


1. `The minimal templates are intended only for advanced users. <https://forum.qubes-os.org/t/9717/15>`__ Most things will *not* work out-of-the-box, and you *will* have to fix them yourself. If you are not prepared to do a lot of reading, searching, learning, and troubleshooting, then you should instead stick to the standard templates, which are perfectly suitable for the vast majority of users. In particular, if you are new to Qubes, you should not attempt to use minimal templates until you have gained more experience.

2. If something works with a standard template but not the minimal version, this is most likely due to user error (e.g., a missing package or misconfiguration) rather than a bug. In such cases, please do *not* file a bug report. Instead, please see :doc:`Help, Support, Mailing Lists, and Forum </introduction/support>` for the appropriate place to ask for help. Once you have learned how to solve your problem, please :doc:`contribute what you learned to the documentation </developer/general/how-to-edit-the-rst-documentation>`.

3. The minimal templates are intentionally *minimal*. :ref:`Do not ask for your favorite package to be added to the minimal template by default. <introduction/faq:could you please make my preference the default?>`

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tanky0u · November 1, 2025, 9:07pm

The patch was made to qubes-core-agent-linux.

Alright, this answers it. Thanks.

alimirjamali · November 1, 2025, 9:10pm

Just to clarify, I checked once more. If they did not show up (the menus). The exact package which should be installed is qubes-core-agent-pcmanfm-qt. Which will be available in stable repositories. I will personally double check and triple check to assure it is also packaged and available for Fedora and Archlinux templates.

otter2 · November 1, 2025, 9:18pm

Is it coming to stable soon? If it doesn’t we should probably hold the documentation changes off until then.

alimirjamali · November 1, 2025, 9:20pm

It is in this package:

github.com/QubesOS/updates-status

core-agent-linux v4.3.32 (r4.3)

opened 03:21PM - 04 Oct 25 UTC

closed 09:15PM - 20 Oct 25 UTC

qubesos-bot

r4.3-vm-bookworm-cur-test r4.3-vm-trixie-cur-test r4.3-vm-archlinux-cur-test r4.3-vm-jammy-cur-test r4.3-vm-fc41-cur-test r4.3-vm-noble-cur-test r4.3-vm-fc42-cur-test r4.3-vm-fc43-cur-test

Update of core-agent-linux to v4.3.32 for Qubes OS r4.3, see comments below for …details and build status. From commit: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-core-agent-linux/commit/bffc6e0d0df3874781c0feda8297be5063fabba1 [Changes since previous version](https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-core-agent-linux/compare/v4.3.31...v4.3.32): QubesOS/qubes-core-agent-linux@bffc6e0d version 4.3.32 QubesOS/qubes-core-agent-linux@267469e0 Merge remote-tracking branch 'origin/pr/609' QubesOS/qubes-core-agent-linux@4ff86033 Exclude ScreenSavers from available Applications QubesOS/qubes-core-agent-linux@5a3b7cc1 Add qubes-core-agent-pcmanfm-qt integration package Referenced issues: QubesOS/qubes-issues#10138 If you're release manager, you can issue GPG-inline signed command: * `Upload-component r4.3 core-agent-linux bffc6e0d0df3874781c0feda8297be5063fabba1 current all` (available 5 days from now) * `Upload-component r4.3 core-agent-linux bffc6e0d0df3874781c0feda8297be5063fabba1 security-testing all` You can choose subset of distributions like: * `Upload-component r4.3 core-agent-linux bffc6e0d0df3874781c0feda8297be5063fabba1 current vm-bookworm,vm-fc37` (available 5 days from now) Above commands will work only if packages in current-testing repository were built from given commit (i.e. no new version superseded it). For more information on how to test this update, please take a look at https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/testing/#updates.

If you look at the labels, it does not have stable labels yet.

otter2 · November 1, 2025, 9:25pm

But it’s superseded by core-agent-linux v4.3.33 (r4.3) · Issue #6084 · QubesOS/updates-status · GitHub, and it is in stable, but in 4.3 stable (which is testing?)

p.s. what I mean is neither is accessible from 4.2, otherwise we should have core-agent-linux 4.3.33 (.34 in fact, it’s the latest one) in the templates right now, if I understood everything correctly

tanky0u · November 1, 2025, 9:28pm

The exact package which should be installed is
qubes-core-agent-pcmanfm-qt. Which will be available in stable
repositories.

Yep, this is the answer I wanted to hear. I was guessing that there has
to be a qubes-specific package/software/etc that puts those “Move to
qube” options on the right click menu on file managers, and that simply
installing lxqt on debian-13-minimal template wouldn’t be enough. I
guess it would be enough if I installed lxqt on the debian-13
template, though? Since I am quessing the debian-13 template already
contains this package?

alimirjamali · November 1, 2025, 9:33pm

No. Minimal template (which could be morphed to a LXQt template if one wishes to do so). Does not have it by default. It should be individually installed.

And I looked again. It is not yet packaged for Fedora and Archlinux. I will look after it.

SteveC · November 1, 2025, 11:09pm

Meanwhile, I still have no idea why my desktop system cannot see templates (other than the two already installed on it).

minion · November 2, 2025, 12:04pm

Too early. SaltStack is broken, I am affected by this issue and can’t copy dotfiles to my AppVM based on Debian 13.

github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues

`qubesctl` fails when targeting a `Deb13` VM together with `saltenv=user`

opened 02:16PM - 30 Oct 25 UTC

neoniobium

C: Salt C: Debian/Ubuntu P: default needs diagnosis affects-4.2

### Qubes OS Release `4.2` and `4.3` might also be affected. ### Brief Summary… When trying to apply a Salt state using `qubesctl [...] saltenv=user`, targeting a `debian-13` VM (Gnome, Xfce, or minimal) and specifying a file path (`salt://<path>`) inside the Salt file, the file cannot be found. ### Steps to Reproduce In `dom0`, run: 1. Create and configure `user_salt` using `qubesctl state.apply qubes.user-dirs`. 2. Put the Salt file `manage-file.sls` and the file to be managed, `managed-file.txt`, inside `/srv/user_salt`. ``` # manage-file.sls /etc/foo.conf: file.managed: - source: - salt://managed-file.txt [...] ``` 3. Run `sudo qubesctl --skip-dom0 --show-output --targets=debian-13 state.apply manage-file saltenv=user`. ### Expected Behavior Salt runs without failures and replaces the file. ### Actual Behavior File not found in saltenv 'user'. ### Additional Information This issue only occurs when targeting a `debian-13` VM; targeting `fedora` or `whonix-17` works fine. Target VM & MGMT-VM salt version: `3007.1` Possibly related: - #9916 - #8491 - #9129

otter2 · November 2, 2025, 1:58pm

It works with fedora default-mgmt-dvm for me. You’re likely affected by #10375

SteveC · November 2, 2025, 11:11pm

minion’s issue 10370 seems to be an issue with an old debian12 manager, not just a new debian 13 one–I know this because it just bit me. The thing that changed was trying to target a Debian13 vm. The issue is not with his manager, it’s with the Debian 13 target.

otter2 · November 2, 2025, 11:14pm

I does work if I target minimal debian 13 with fedora management qube

alfonsius · November 4, 2025, 4:41pm

It looks like the software repositories are not updated ? I’m on R4.2.4

murdock · November 4, 2025, 5:17pm

I’m on 4.2.4 also and i can see and download the debian-13-minimal, debian-13-xfce and debian-13 templates from repository “qubes-templates-itl”
And inside the debian-13 templates, the correct repositories for debian-13 are referenced also.

user@debian-13-xfce:~$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list
deb https://deb.debian.org/debian trixie main contrib non-free-firmware
#deb-src https://deb.debian.org/debian trixie main contrib non-free-firmware

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian-security trixie-security main contrib non-free-firmware
#deb-src https://deb.debian.org/debian-security trixie-security main contrib non-free-firmware

tanky0u · November 4, 2025, 6:30pm

And inside the debian-13 templates, the correct repositories for

tanky0u · November 4, 2025, 6:35pm

And inside the debian-13 templates, the correct repositories for
debian-13 are referenced also.

user@debian-13-xfce:~$ cat /etc/apt/sources.list
deb Index of /debian trixie main contrib non-free-firmware
#deb-src Index of /debian trixie main contrib non-free-firmware

deb Index of /debian-security trixie-security main contrib non-free-firmware
#deb-src Index of /debian-security trixie-security main contrib non-free-firmware

Why’s debian-13 templates not using the new standard debian.sources
file spec? See here:
https://www.debian.org/releases/trixie/release-notes/upgrading.en.html#preparing-apt-sources-files

murdock · November 4, 2025, 6:48pm

Hmm, good question. but inside /etc/apt is no debian.sources.

user@debian-13-xfce:/$ ls /etc/apt/
apt.conf.d   keyrings       sources.list    trusted.gpg.d
auth.conf.d  preferences.d  sources.list.d
user@debian-13-xfce:/$ ls /etc/apt/sources.list.d/
qubes-r4.list