Thanks, your information has been integrated into the top post.
Sorry, I accidentally hit control-Enter (which apparently sends the post) before I was ready. The full version follows. (I copied it below in case you only access this via email)
Summary of Current Version
First, if you don’t know what sys-gui is, you need to read this first: Qubes Architecture Next Steps: The GUI Domain | Qubes OS
Objective of this document:
Currently (2021-10-01) the best documentation for on how to install/use sys-gui appears to be here. When 4.1 is formally released this information should be all that’s needed.
However, If you attempt this at the current time (before the formal release), it’s easy to run into issues, so I’m going to document one install process that did work, and try to collect other sys-gui related information here
Current status of sys-gui
- One page that gives status information on the current state of sys-gui can be found at: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/4186
- Another method is that you can check on the status of the current and past issues relating to sys-gui at https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues?q=is%3Aissue+label%3A"C%3A+gui-domain"+
One installation method that worked:
First, check https://www.qubes-os.org/downloads/ to see if 4.1 has been formally released by the time you read this. If 4.1 has been formally released don’t use this, but try using that as it’s probably your best bet.
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Install Qubes-R4.1.0-beta1-x86_64.iso https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/qubes/iso/ using pretty much the standard installation procedure (allowing for some minor changes)
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Use installation defaults for most things (example: I left the default template as fedora as I didn’t know if the debian template was stable enough)
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IMPORTANT: After installing 4.1 beta1, do not update becuase updating causes a issue with the fedora-34?-xfce template being missing. This pull request supposedly fixes it, so do not update until this pull request has been merged and deployed: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-mgmt-salt-dom0-virtual-machines/pull/42
(Note: Without the pull reqest, if you install the fedora-34?-xfce template yourself then it seems to work, but then there is no qubes-related packages installed) (give link to conversation about this) -
Then just follow then steps in the guide listed above, which are:
qubesctl top.enable qvm.sys-gui
qubesctl top.enable qvm.sys-gui pillar=True
qubesctl --all state.highstate -
Give sys-gui access to sys-net, sys-firewall and the templates by doing:
qubes-prefs default_guivm sys-gui
(I believe this will be automatic in the formal 4.1 relrease) -
Shut down VM’s (I.E. sys-firewall, sys-usb, sys-net)
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Log out
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Click the things in the upper right corner to find a choice between “sys-gui” and “xfce”(I.E. dom0)
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Choose the “sys-gui” one
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Log in
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IMPORTANT: Do not let the screensaver (the lock screen) kick in, as the password will be unknown. Before the screensaver/lock screen kicks in, you must disable it.
(Note: resetting the password in sys-gui terminal does not seem to update the password needed by the lock screen) -
Open a terminal in sys-gui and add missing menus with things like:
qvm-sync-appmenus sys-net qvm-sync-appmenus sys-firewall
You should now be able to create new qubes from templates, start them, and add them to the left menu with the above qvm-sync-appmenus command
Other resources:
sys-gui related comments:
How to enable the (new) GUI VM? - #30 by zeroday-2023
Sys-gui in Qubes 4.1 - devel - #2 by adw
Feedback Qubes OS alpha with sys-gui
General issues trying to update in 4.1 beta1:
4.1beta upgrade: stage1 errors