Dom0 now failing to update (4.3)

TheMailman · March 9, 2026, 5:04pm

For the last few days, dom0 has failed to update. The console details show it downloading files (successfully) and then I see:

Checking for available updates for dom0...
Using sys-whonix as UpdateVM for Dom0
Checking for dom0 updates...
Available updates: 
Fedora 41 - x86_64                              315  B/s | 3.6 kB     00:11    
Fedora 41 - x86_64 - Updates                    165  B/s | 3.6 kB     00:22    
Qubes Host Repository (updates)                 238  B/s | 2.7 kB     00:11    

amd-gpu-firmware.noarch              1:20260221-1.fc41        qubes-dom0-current
amd-ucode-firmware.noarch            1:20260221-1.fc41        qubes-dom0-current
cirrus-audio-firmware.noarch         1:20260221-1.fc41        qubes-dom0-current
intel-audio-firmware.noarch          1:20260221-1.fc41        qubes-dom0-current
intel-gpu-firmware.noarch            1:20260221-1.fc41        qubes-dom0-current
linux-firmware-whence.noarch         1:20260221-1.fc41        qubes-dom0-current
nvidia-gpu-firmware.noarch           1:20260221-1.fc41        qubes-dom0-current
python3-qubesadmin.noarch            4.3.30-1.fc41            qubes-dom0-current
python3-xen.x86_64                   2001:4.19.4-4.fc41       qubes-dom0-current
qubes-core-admin-client.noarch       4.3.30-1.fc41            qubes-dom0-current
qubes-core-qrexec.x86_64             4.3.12-1.fc41            qubes-dom0-current
qubes-core-qrexec-dom0.x86_64        4.3.12-1.fc41            qubes-dom0-current
qubes-core-qrexec-libs.x86_64        4.3.12-1.fc41            qubes-dom0-current
qubes-gpg-split-dom0.noarch          2.0.83-1.fc41            qubes-dom0-current
qubes-usb-proxy-dom0.noarch          4.3.5-1.fc41             qubes-dom0-current
salt.noarch                          3007.13-1.fc41           qubes-dom0-current
salt-minion.noarch                   3007.13-1.fc41           qubes-dom0-current
xen.x86_64                           2001:4.19.4-4.fc41       qubes-dom0-current
xen-hypervisor.x86_64                2001:4.19.4-4.fc41       qubes-dom0-current
xen-libs.x86_64                      2001:4.19.4-4.fc41       qubes-dom0-current
xen-licenses.x86_64                  2001:4.19.4-4.fc41       qubes-dom0-current
xen-runtime.x86_64                   2001:4.19.4-4.fc41       qubes-dom0-current
There are dom0 updates available
Using sys-whonix as UpdateVM for Dom0
Downloading updates. This may take a while...
Fedora 41 - x86_64                              284  B/s | 3.6 kB     00:13    
Fedora 41 - x86_64 - Updates                    566  B/s | 3.6 kB     00:06    
Qubes Host Repository (updates)                 241  B/s | 2.7 kB     00:11    
Dependencies resolved.
================================================================================
 Package                  Arch    Version             Repository           Size
================================================================================
Upgrading:
 amd-gpu-firmware         noarch  1:20260221-1.fc41   qubes-dom0-current   29 M
 amd-ucode-firmware       noarch  1:20260221-1.fc41   qubes-dom0-current  614 k
 cirrus-audio-firmware    noarch  1:20260221-1.fc41   qubes-dom0-current  2.5 M
 intel-audio-firmware     noarch  1:20260221-1.fc41   qubes-dom0-current  3.8 M
 intel-gpu-firmware       noarch  1:20260221-1.fc41   qubes-dom0-current   13 M
 linux-firmware-whence    noarch  1:20260221-1.fc41   qubes-dom0-current   49 k
 nvidia-gpu-firmware      noarch  1:20260221-1.fc41   qubes-dom0-current  105 M
 python3-qubesadmin       noarch  4.3.30-1.fc41       qubes-dom0-current  705 k
 python3-xen              x86_64  2001:4.19.4-4.fc41  qubes-dom0-current   68 k
 qubes-core-admin-client  noarch  4.3.30-1.fc41       qubes-dom0-current   81 k
 qubes-core-qrexec        x86_64  4.3.12-1.fc41       qubes-dom0-current  302 k
 qubes-core-qrexec-dom0   x86_64  4.3.12-1.fc41       qubes-dom0-current   50 k
 qubes-core-qrexec-libs   x86_64  4.3.12-1.fc41       qubes-dom0-current   37 k
 qubes-gpg-split-dom0     noarch  2.0.83-1.fc41       qubes-dom0-current   29 k
 qubes-usb-proxy-dom0     noarch  4.3.5-1.fc41        qubes-dom0-current   58 k
 salt                     noarch  3007.13-1.fc41      qubes-dom0-current   11 M
 salt-minion              noarch  3007.13-1.fc41      qubes-dom0-current   33 k
 xen                      x86_64  2001:4.19.4-4.fc41  qubes-dom0-current   18 k
 xen-hypervisor           x86_64  2001:4.19.4-4.fc41  qubes-dom0-current   34 M
 xen-libs                 x86_64  2001:4.19.4-4.fc41  qubes-dom0-current  606 k
 xen-licenses             x86_64  2001:4.19.4-4.fc41  qubes-dom0-current   34 k
 xen-runtime              x86_64  2001:4.19.4-4.fc41  qubes-dom0-current  1.3 M
Installing dependencies:
 zstd                     x86_64  1.5.7-1.fc41        updates             483 k

Transaction Summary
================================================================================
Install   1 Package
Upgrade  22 Packages

Total size: 202 M
DNF will only download packages for the transaction.
Downloading Packages:
[SKIPPED] zstd-1.5.7-1.fc41.x86_64.rpm: Already downloaded                     
[SKIPPED] amd-gpu-firmware-20260221-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded      
[SKIPPED] amd-ucode-firmware-20260221-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded    
[SKIPPED] cirrus-audio-firmware-20260221-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded 
[SKIPPED] intel-audio-firmware-20260221-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded  
[SKIPPED] intel-gpu-firmware-20260221-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded    
[SKIPPED] linux-firmware-whence-20260221-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded 
[SKIPPED] nvidia-gpu-firmware-20260221-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded   
[SKIPPED] python3-qubesadmin-4.3.30-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded      
[SKIPPED] python3-xen-4.19.4-4.fc41.x86_64.rpm: Already downloaded             
[SKIPPED] qubes-core-admin-client-4.3.30-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded 
[SKIPPED] qubes-core-qrexec-4.3.12-1.fc41.x86_64.rpm: Already downloaded       
[SKIPPED] qubes-core-qrexec-dom0-4.3.12-1.fc41.x86_64.rpm: Already downloaded  
[SKIPPED] qubes-core-qrexec-libs-4.3.12-1.fc41.x86_64.rpm: Already downloaded  
[SKIPPED] qubes-gpg-split-dom0-2.0.83-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded    
[SKIPPED] qubes-usb-proxy-dom0-4.3.5-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded     
[SKIPPED] salt-3007.13-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded                   
[SKIPPED] salt-minion-3007.13-1.fc41.noarch.rpm: Already downloaded            
[SKIPPED] xen-4.19.4-4.fc41.x86_64.rpm: Already downloaded                     
[SKIPPED] xen-hypervisor-4.19.4-4.fc41.x86_64.rpm: Already downloaded          
[SKIPPED] xen-libs-4.19.4-4.fc41.x86_64.rpm: Already downloaded                
[SKIPPED] xen-licenses-4.19.4-4.fc41.x86_64.rpm: Already downloaded            
[SKIPPED] xen-runtime-4.19.4-4.fc41.x86_64.rpm: Already downloaded             
Complete!
The downloaded packages were saved in cache until the next successful transaction.
You can remove cached packages by executing 'dnf clean packages'.
EOF
'/usr/lib/qubes/qrexec-client-vm dom0 qubes.ReceiveUpdates /usr/lib/qubes/qfile-agent /var/lib/qubes/dom0-updates/packages/*.rpm' failed with exit code 1!

This doesn’t contain useful information, but does anyone know what it means and how to fix?

Euwiiwueir · March 13, 2026, 6:05pm

What is the output of running this?

[user@dom0 ~]$ qubes-prefs updatevm

edit:

Nevermind, I see it is shown in your terminal output. I am glancing through /etc/qubes-rpc/qubes.ReceiveUpdates looking for logic paths that lead to an error exit but no error message, and an unset updatevm is one such.

Which command/tool are you running to update dom0 and produce this output?

Something you could try, dnf clean packages and re-running the update, see if that magically resolves the issue.

TheMailman · March 20, 2026, 5:48am

I haven’t been online for a while, so haven’t replied. Thank you or helping.

The command I am using to update is the GUI updater in the taskbar. What I posted was from the GUI popup.

I ran sudo dnf clean packages and the output said:
Removed 0 files, 1 directories (total of 0 B). 0 errors occurred.

That seems weird, given the list of packages that should have been downloaded, if I was reading the console output (as presented thorugh the GUI) correctly.

Just now I ran qubes-dom0-upgrade and the result was this:

(26/28): xen-runtime-4.19.4-4.fc41.x86_64.rpm    75 kB/s | 1.3 MB     00:17    
(27/28): xen-hypervisor-4.19.4-4.fc41.x86_64.rp 243 kB/s |  34 MB     02:23    
(28/28): nvidia-gpu-firmware-20260221-1.fc41.no 212 kB/s | 105 MB     08:28    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total                                           339 kB/s | 341 MB     17:10     
Complete!
The downloaded packages were saved in cache until the next successful transaction.
You can remove cached packages by executing 'dnf clean packages'.
EOF
'/usr/lib/qubes/qrexec-client-vm dom0 qubes.ReceiveUpdates /usr/lib/qubes/qfile-agent /var/lib/qubes/dom0-updates/packages/*.rpm' failed with exit code 1!

It doesn’t mean anything to me. . Really it looks like it’s failing because it succeeded. I just don’t get it. Do you have any ideas?

Euwiiwueir · March 20, 2026, 4:31pm

Plausibly a case of:

github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues

Interrupting dom0 update results in uninstallable RPMs in RPM cache

opened 07:38AM - 24 Feb 26 UTC

crass

P: default needs diagnosis C: updates affects-4.3

### Qubes OS release Qubes OS 4.3 ### Brief summary I interrupted a dom0 upda…te with ctrl+c in dom0 and kill -9 of dnf-3.anondist-orig. This left a set of rpms in the rpm cache which can not be successfully installed. If I then try to install another set of packages into dom0, it will fail, even though all the rpm needed to satisfy the install are correctly downloaded. ### Steps to reproduce 1. While in the middle of downloading rpm packages to be installed in dom0, in the UpdateVM use `kill -9` to forcibly kill the dnf process. 2. Do an install of a different set of packages. ### Expected behavior Show help information on getting the update process working again. There is a clue in the second to last line that says `You can remove cached packages by executing 'dnf clean packages'`. However, this is not quite right as that command will only clear dom0's cache. It can be run on the UpdateVM directly to have the desired result. But even easier would be to run `sudo qubes-dom0-update --action clean packages`. It would be even nicer to detect this and automatically clear the cache and re-run the update. ### Actual behavior The `qubes-dom0-update` process will always fail with the last output line being: ``` '/usr/lib/qubes/qrexec-client-vm dom0 qubes.ReceiveUpdates /usr/lib/qubes/qfile-agent /var/lib/qubes/dom0-updates/packages/*.rpm' failed with exit code 1! ``` ### Additional information If the exact same install/update that was happening at the time the crash/kill happens is retried, it should succeed. The problem comes in when there are extra rpms in the cache dir which do not have all of their dependencies met. The issue stems from `qubes-download-dom0-updates.sh` where it copies all rpms with finds in the cache to dom0 to be installed. If there are rpms in the cache from a previous install attempt and that set of rpms is not enough to satisfy their dependencies, then the install will fail. See: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-core-agent-linux/blob/2e5866fdb23c49ffa78b871fe37bdf3aa77fddaf/package-managers/qubes-download-dom0-updates.sh#L204 It would be more robust to only copy over the rpms needed to satisfy the requested action, but that's probably overly complicated. Another option is to unconditionally clear the cache every time. But that's not nice for users with slow and flakey links that will want to maximally utilize their cached rpms.

Looks like the advice in the qubes-issue is:

sudo qubes-dom0-update --clean

(rather than what I suggested, dnf clean packages.) Does that work?

TheMailman · March 24, 2026, 4:18am

That worked! Thank you for finding and sharing that.