Full desktop of a standalone ? Seemingly no option

[Kriss3d]

Running Q4.2RC3
Ive installed archlinux template.
Ive made a standalone copied from that template.
Ive added the blackarch repo and installed the tools.
So far so good.
But what I need is to actually run the desktop that comes with blackarch. I cant install blackarch from scratch. What Im lacking here is how to let a standalone based on a template run in its own desktop like the kali template.

Anyone happen to know how to let it run as if it was a VM like youd do in vmware ? ( having its own desktop )

[solene]

I’m not sure how to turn a standalone into something non integrated into Qubes OS, maybe someone will come with a solution.

But you could totally create a new HVM qube and install archlinux in it, it will be contained in its window.

[gonzalo-bulnes]

@Kriss3d If you intend to follow @solene’s suggestion and install Arch Linux from an ISO, I linked some documentation in this post that you may find useful:

Standalone VM cannot be started after installation

Hi both, This page contains instructions to create an Ubuntu HVM that I know work for having used them in the past. It is not a direct answer to your questions, nor is it exactly troubleshooting help, but I believe and hope that you may find some useful inspiration in them. https://developers.securedrop.org/en/latest/qubes_staging.html

[balko]

@Kriss3d

What Im lacking here is how to let a standalone based on a template run in its own desktop like the kali template.

Set Run in debug mode settings in Advanced tab of qube’s settings dialog.

[apparatus]

@solene

I’m not sure how to turn a standalone into something non integrated into Qubes OS, maybe someone will come with a solution.

Open your StandaloneVM testqube console from dom0 terminal:

qvm-console-dispvm testqube

Run this command in testqube console:

sudo apt remove --purge qubes-gui-agent
sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target

Then enable debug mode for this testqube using GUI Settings → Advanced tab → “Run in debug mode” or using dom0 terminal qvm-prefs testqube debug True.
And also change Virtualization mode using GUI Settings → Advanced tab → Virtualization to HVM mode or using dom0 terminal qvm-prefs testqube virt_mode hvm.

But clipboard sharing won’t work since it’s handled by qubes-gui-agent.

[apparatus]

I’ve updated instructions since I’ve forgot some details:

Updated version

Open your StandaloneVM testqube console from dom0 terminal:

qvm-console-dispvm testqube

Run this command in testqube console:

sudo apt remove --purge qubes-gui-agent
sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target

Then enable debug mode for this testqube using GUI Settings → Advanced tab → “Run in debug mode” or using dom0 terminal qvm-prefs testqube debug True.
And also change Virtualization mode using GUI Settings → Advanced tab → Virtualization to HVM mode or using dom0 terminal qvm-prefs testqube virt_mode hvm.

But clipboard sharing won’t work since it’s handled by qubes-gui-agent.

[Ymo]

@apparatus

But clipboard sharing won’t work since it’s handled by qubes-gui-agent.

How difficult would it be to make the clipboard work without the qubes-gui-agent? To make the portability.

[AWhite]

Thanks, will have a look into this and see what can be handled. I will install the agent once I have everything configured and set up properly to see if it will work or not.

[apparatus]

@Ymo

How difficult would it be to make the clipboard work without the qubes-gui-agent? To make the portability.

It looked to me that it won’t be easy but I’m not really competent in this to answer the question.

[qn00r3]

@apparatus

I’ve updated instructions since I’ve forgot some details

Hello, is there a way to use this HVM in full screen mode?
Your instructions worked for me, but I was unable to achieve full screen mode. My maximum screen resolution is 1920x1080.

[apparatus]

You must change the display resolution inside HVM to match the size of resolution of your display in dom0 and then you can enter the fullscreen mode for your HVM window using Alt+F11.

[qn00r3]

I use Qube OS 4.2.1
I can’t change the screen resolution inside Linux HVM to more than 1920x1080.
I do not have a screen resolution greater than 1920x1080 inside Linux HVM, but I can add it using xrandr, after adding a new screen resolution I cannot activate it.

user@test-qube:~$ xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 8192 x 8192
Virtual-1 connected 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
   1024x768      60.00 +
   1920x1080     60.00* 
   1600x1200     60.00  
   1680x1050     59.95    59.88  
   1400x1050     59.98    59.95  
   1600x900      60.00  
   1280x1024     60.02  
   1440x900      59.89    59.90  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1366x768      59.79    60.00  
   1360x768      60.02  
   1280x800      59.81    59.91  
   1280x768      59.87    59.99  
   1280x720      60.00  
   800x600       60.32    56.25  
   848x480       60.00  
   640x480       59.94  

user@test-qube:~$ cvt 2560 1440
# 2560x1440 59.96 Hz (CVT 3.69M9) hsync: 89.52 kHz; pclk: 312.25 MHz
Modeline "2560x1440_60.00"  312.25  2560 2752 3024 3488  1440 1443 1448 1493 -hsync +vsync

user@test-qube:~$ xrandr --newmode "2560x1440_60.00"  312.25  2560 2752 3024 3488  1440 1443 1448 1493 -hsync +vsync

user@test-qube:~$ xrandr --addmode Virtual-1 "2560x1440_60.00"

user@test-qube:~$ xrandr --output Virtual-1 --mode 2560x1440_60.00
xrandr: Configure crtc 0 failed

user@test-qube:~$ xrandr
Screen 0: minimum 320 x 200, current 1920 x 1080, maximum 8192 x 8192
Virtual-1 connected 1920x1080+0+0 (normal left inverted right x axis y axis) 0mm x 0mm
   1024x768      60.00 +
   1920x1080     60.00* 
   1600x1200     60.00  
   1680x1050     59.95    59.88  
   1400x1050     59.98    59.95  
   1600x900      60.00  
   1280x1024     60.02  
   1440x900      59.89    59.90  
   1280x960      60.00  
   1366x768      59.79    60.00  
   1360x768      60.02  
   1280x800      59.81    59.91  
   1280x768      59.87    59.99  
   1280x720      60.00  
   800x600       60.32    56.25  
   848x480       60.00  
   640x480       59.94  
   2560x1440_60.00  59.96

This problem only occurs in Qube OS 4.2. Previously I used Qube OS 4.1 and there was no such problem.
I installed Windows HVM and I can achieve the maximum screen resolution the same as in dom0 (2560x1600).
But I can’t get the same screen resolution in Linux HVM as in dom0 (2560x1600).

Please tell me, did you manage to achieve the same screen resolution in Linux HVM as in dom0 in Qube OS 4.2.1 ?

[apparatus]

I have 1920x1080 resolution in dom0 so I didn’t try to change the resolution in Linux HVM to be more than that.

[apparatus]

If you have multiple displays then maybe it’s this issue:

GUI configuration

But since it works in Windows HVM then maybe it’s not related.

[qn00r3]

@apparatus

If you have multiple displays then maybe it’s this issue

I don’t have an additional display, I use a laptop. I tried increasing the video memory buffer size, it didn’t help.
Please tell me, do you know how to command in dom0 how can I see the current amount of video memory allocated to a specific cube?

[apparatus]

It’s not set for a specific qube, it’s the minimum RAM that dom0 will allocate for any qubes.

The amount of memory allocated per qube is the maximum of:

• gui-videoram-min
• current display + gui-videoram-overhead

Default overhead is about 8 MiB, which is enough for a 1080p display (see above). So, the gui-videoram-overhead zeroing is not strictly necessary; it only avoids allocating memory that will not be used.

[qn00r3]

An interesting assumption was made by one of the users, he said that the maximum resolution in a cube cannot exceed a certain number of pixels, if I understood him correctly.
Here is his post on the forum:

Debian HVM - small screen resolution

I can get it to run to 2560x800. In general, can’t exceed a number of pixels. The largest resolution I can run is 2096688 pixels in size. As long as you are under that, it will work fine. 2560 x 819 has 209640 pixels. Currently building a script to calculate and accomodate these numbers in the system for setting. As for the details you are wondering about the details go into the ~/.xsessionrc in Debian to set after X is started fully. Increasing the available VRAM for the virtual did not …

I tried setting the screen resolution inside the Linux HVM cube to 2560x800 and it worked.
I tried adding a screen resolution inside a Linux HVM cube of 2560x900 and it didn’t work, so the person was right, the maximum screen resolution inside a cube cannot exceed a certain number of pixels.
But if this is so, it is not clear why Windows HVM has the maximum screen resolution as in dom0 ?
Perhaps it’s a driver issue ?
I don’t understand…

[apparatus]

I don’t know how it works as well.
But by following this guide (I had to also blacklist bochs kernel module) for debian with xfce installed in HVM:

Tips for Linux HVMs

How to fix bootup kernel error If the HVM pauses on boot and shows a series of warnings, visit HVM Troubleshooting for a fix. Screen resolution Some kernel/Xorg combinations use only 640x480 in HVM, which is quite small. To enable maximum resolution, some changes in the Xorg configuration are needed: Force “vesa” video driver Provide wide horizontal synchronization range To achieve it (all commands to be run as root): Generate XOrg configuration (if you don’t have it): X -configure :1 &…

I was able to set the display resolution to 3840x1080.
So it’s not related to dom0 but to some guest OS configuration.

[AWhite]

As I was explaining, yes, that is true.
In Debian 12 I could only go to 2560x800, but in Devuan I could go a little higher.
So 2096688 is the limit I got for Debian 12. Not the EXACT number, but a rough number. I didn’t play around to get it down to the pixel, but that number of pixels worked, and adding it to go to 2560x804 caused it to fail.

If I have the Qubes Tools installed I can do whatever I want to. But without them, that is the issue.

So is it a configration issue when the same configuration runs on my PC at (2560+1600+1920)x1080 desktop resolution?

Would this not mean that it’s something else in the system, such as XEN and the displays that it attaches to be the limitation?