How to replace template to a fresh one

User Support Testing Release
1

Hello, I am using Qubes 4.3.rc2.

If I open “Qubes Template Manager”, in the list of “installed templates” I see my debian-13-xfce marked as

This template is a local template, not installed from a repository.

I am not exactly sure what I did (maybe I cloned the original template, deleted the original, and rename the copy or something like that).

The fact is, the original debian13-xfce template does not appear in the “Available templates” list.

My goal: I want to move back to an official template.

Question: What is the best way to achieve that?

I cannot download the original debian-13-xfce because it does not appear in the list of “available templates” in the template manager. Since my sys-net is based on my (altered) debian-13-xfce I am afraid I will lock myself out of the network if I just delete my altered debian-13-xfce template

Possible solution? I could:

  1. download from the list debian-12-xfce
  2. Set it as the template for sys-net
  3. delete my altered debian-13-xfce
  4. re-install the official debian-13-xfce
  5. set back debian-13-xfce as the template of sys-net

Is this safe to do?

Thanks

1 Like
2

You can shutdown your qubes, rename your current debian-13-xfce template, install the debian-13-xfce from repository and then switch the template of your qubes.

2 Likes
3

I just tried your suggestion @MellowPoison .
My altered debian is now called debian-13-xfce-new. And all is good.

However if I go to the Template Manager, I do not see any debian-13-xfce in the list of available templates.

It’s a bit weird, I only have:

  1. archlinux
  2. debian-12-minimal
  3. fedora-42-minimal
  4. fedora-42
  5. Kicksecure-17

There is no debian xfce (either 12 or 13).

EDIT: In the list of my installed templates, I see: fedora-42-xfce, whonix-gateway and whonix-workstation. In other words, my debian-13-xfce-new has disappeared from the list after changing its name.

1 Like
4

Do you have templates-itl-testing repo enabled?

1 Like
5

Thank you @MellowPoison , adding templates-itl-testing solved the issue. Somehow I was wrongly assuming that in 4.3 debian13 was included as stable.

Thanks!

1 Like
6

In fact a little issue emerged. I am describing it here just in case it is useful to others.

I have managed to:

  1. rename my old debian 13 to debian-13-xfce-new, which is now the template for several VMs
  2. Download the original debian-13-xfce
  3. Redefine the template for several VMs to be debian-13-xfce.

However there is an issue now.
If I try to delete debian-13-xfce-new, it gives me this error:

This qube cannot be deleted, it is used as template for default-mgmt-dvm

After a little search, I have found here that default-mgmt-dvm is a hidden VM. The last post (Dec 2024) proposes a solution to avoid issues, but I assume it has not been implemented yet in Qubes 4.3 rc2.

So I need to redefine the template for default-mgmt-dvm.
This cannot be done with the Qube Manager program, because it hides the default-mgmt-dvm. But it is possible using the terminal as follows:

qvm-pref default-mgmt-dvm template debian-13-xfce

Now I could finally delete debian-13-xfce-new and all is good.

1 Like
7

You can do it in Qubes Template Switcher.

2 Likes