I am trying to install QubesOS on a spare laptop without using an external installation medium. I know it is much simpler to just use a usb stick, but I simply do not want to.
I was able to launch the installer iso from a partition on the internal storage, but the anaconda installer refused to allow me to partition the disk that the installer is on. What do I need to do to continue? Can I modify the anaconda installer’s config at runtime to allow it to continue? Do I have to recompile the QubesOS project with some modificiations? Also what should the partitioning scheme look like?
Thanks
P.S. I am mainly writing this due to the line in the install docs that says:
The installation destination cannot be the same as the installation medium. For example, if you’re installing Qubes OS from a USB drive onto a USB drive, they must be two distinct USB drives, and they must both be plugged into your computer at the same time. (Note: This may not apply to advanced users who partition their devices appropriately.)
Well it is hard for qubes to read the files it needs to install itself AFTER overwriting the disk where those files come from
I think you can PXE boot it.
Qubes is not great at “there is another OS on this disk”. You can setup a custom partitioning scheme, but that never really worked for me.
If its “I don’t trust this usb stick” → go to any computer store, buy a usb stick and say “hey can you pls dd me this iso onto my new stick”. Then you have a reasonably trustworthy installer that doesn’t come from your possibly considered comporomised old laptop.
As for “iso comes from disk I install to” - you’d need to get a bit more complicated than just dd’ing that iso directly to disk, you’d need to setup grub in a way that it lets you choose if you want to launch the iso or after the installation Qubes.
I wouldn’t say impossible, but utterly impractical.
May I ask why? Depending on what issue you are trying to solve, maybe there is a simpler solution.
The main issue is that I am unreasonably stubborn and have already wasted a few hours trying to install without a usb stick.
Ill see if I can setup PXE boot, but the laptop doesnt have an ethernet port so I would have to do PXE over wifi if its at all possible.
Regardless, I’m fine with an utterly impractical solution since the pragmatic solution is to just go borrow a usb stick from someone and be done with it.
I’ve never heared of anyone doing PXE over wifi but I’m pretty sure thats a thing.
I’d honestly just borrow a USB stick. If the only reason for not using one is what you wrote, and not a security thing you are trying to fix or so - go get a USB stick. Rather invest your time into messing with Qubes security itself rather than installing it in the weirdest way possible
Btw one option would be to have two disks in the computer I just thought.
