Invoke basic qubes without internet (sys-net)

Without internet (sys-net) is it possible to invoke basics Default System Qubes , Softwares, Templates?
I do not have non of it.
During Initial Setup, system never give me any options, like install Fedora/Debian, Whonix, sys-net and etc.

Moderator, I think move the preceding and this post to its own thread?

Quey, Your question seems different than OP. (Original Poster)

As I can not know your level of expertise. I will try to write this presuming you are inexperienced. We all have been there.

If you are not using the latest available download of Qubes (final) release, from the Qubes website. Get that, verify, install to USB. Documentation is on Qubes OS Webpage on verifying.

I likewise, the first time I tried to install Qubes, I did not realize that the Qubes install is a several step process. Well, put that differently, there are two different places for the user to make entries, that are accomplished some minutes apart.

The first stages are about what language, what time zone, disk partitioning questions, Asks you to enter, a disk encryption password, (unless you did not click that during disk partitioning) an account name, (computer name might be another way to speak of it) a password. Then the send it off to partition the disks, install the first stage of Qubes. then it will have a (as I recall, memory not being very good) something that looks like a splash screen with a Q in the middle. Click there and it will offer you options of what you want to install, I suggest you let it use its default, as the implications, complications of some of the options is not obvious, and could cause you a lot of problems later. It will not proceed, (lower left button) until you by that point of choices.

Qubes will then go off for some more minutes installing different VM’s, dom0, internet stuff.
Qubes install actually does not have a graceful end of install. The first reboot, depending on how the BIOS/EFI is set, might try to start the USB install again. (what language, then what time zone) I usually hard power off. Pull the USB, change boot in BIOS/UEFI to boot for primary drive. There is another point in the first start after install, where sometimes it shows the Qubes name, and asks for a password. What is missing is that it is, in my opinion, a partially restart where it did not ask for the Disk Password (Encryption, so I read is provided by LUKS) Little matter. I enter the account password. Let Qubes start up, Takes a minute of two to populate the different things to start. See it on the upper right hand side. I wait until after the two terminals show up. Then I go through a normal start up, where I enter a password for the disk, then it will open the disk encryption, Next box shows the account name, and asks for that password. Then, like before, wait until the programs populate.

If you click on (upper right, several icons in) the icon “two red Terminal -Screens” it brings up Network options. Where you would choose how to get online, "wired connection - ethernet) (Wireless connections WiFi sees) and VPN.

If you are in a situation, where you might not want your ISP to know if you are using Qubes (or where you go on the internet) You can use a VPN. If way back at the second install screen, if you chose to update with Tor. that is another possible set of considerations for what you want to do at this point. There is this other set of possibilities of choosing a DNS, (Domain Name Server) translate your requests of language entry, (https://www.xxxx) to an IP number. Choosing a particular Encrypted DNS. Beyond what this is about Just, this is the moment to stop and reflect on your needs.

As my computers are slower, that takes awhile. Qubes is a rolling release operating system. What you installed usually could use an “update.”

I go to upper left side, “Q”
Click on gear at bottom.
Mouse over to Qubes Tools,
Mouse down the column, “Update.”

As my computer is slow, I usually click off all the possible updates, to do only one at a time. For some odd reason, which makes no sense, I have discovered that if I 'Update" Debian first, everything else goes faster.

Updating Whonix, I have discovered that I should start Whonix, and start the Tor Browser, and the Tor Browser update. Takes a few minutes, Then restart Tor.
There are some other additional commands for updating Whonix. I have not needed to use them more recently. but??

Qubes, in order to be secure, is designed to be the only operating system on the computer. You might say it does not play well with others. Other Operating Systems installed. Then there is a whole topic of issues of boot sectors, UEFI. I mostly install to Legacy, BIOS/EFI. I know little. If you decide, perhaps for a good reason that you must use the computer for your other life interests, and you only want to learn about Qubes, Additional complexities may pop up. Start your own thread to ask about those.

I am not sure I addressed what causes your hang in installing Qubes??
Start your own thread on what you need. Some here will not answer a post on the back of someone else’s post. It is distracting, Makes it more difficult for everyone to use Forum.

If I am incorrect in what I am writing. Or my memory is (again) failing. Then I hope the more knowledgeable should, uh, well, clarify.

Moderator, move these two posts to its own thread??

Cheers.

2 Likes

Done.

I don’t have splash screen with “Q” in a middle.
I don’t have basic options to choose, there is only qubes os (no even place for been seen to whonix, fedora, debian, sys-net and etc, there just “qubes os” on a left side of a screen and on a right side just “dom0”) if i go forward and continue initial setup and it will finished I will get empty system without any software, without any templates and even without chance to have wired or wifi internet connection, that’s how bad my situation are.

Does VPNs really helps? Moresome in situation when we using whonix/tor?
ISP will know that I use Qubes either I use vpn or not.

I may try your option today or tomorrow and let you know.
Thank you so much for your time and help, appreciate it :hugs:

Oh gosh, I have not seen an error like that.
Never heard of anyone actually get to the page seeming to have the OS, and no Qubes installed. One can guess it could happen if during the install, someone turned off all the possibilities of Qubes Templates to install.
Perhaps- what exactly is your hardware?
I am guessing you did enable the virtualization and such as described in the Qubes OS Documentation. Documentation | Qubes OS

Did you verify the download of Qubes you used?
At least, how big was the download.
How precisely, how did you create the USB you installed from? Did you format the USB drive before you used it?

When you did the boot to install, did you do the self-test option instead of just doing install?

If you want to proceed with this. Please describe what else is on computer prior to starting the install? Then you might describe the steps you took. What you saw, and a bit of an idea of how much time went by between steps.

I have been going by memory. I will install Qubes to one of my computers to get a sense of the same thing.

Most likely, there are videos on youtube that show someone doing an install, and the screens that came up during the install.

More likely, since I have never heard of this issue, I am out of my depth. Still, together we can create some information for someone more experienced than myself to solve this.

VPN question is more about after you get you OS going. Operational Security, Op-Sec. I am not certain the ISP can tell if you are using Qubes. At least not if you are careful. Is this important to you? There are some websites that talk about assessing your personal threat level. If that is important to you, then search, on the forum for info on how to evaluate for threat level? The only thing, If you feel you have a maximum threat level, that would change during the install, is when you are presented the options of what Qubes you might not want to install. Would be, choose download Updates over Tor. or does it say Whonix? It is obvious what that option means, whether I recall the exact wording.

To my mind, a VPN keeps the ISP from watching, and seeing where you go on the Internet. For a Maximum threat level, You might also look up how to set up using an Encrypted DNS, there are several possibilities. so your ISP does not see the information on the look up. If you have a high threat level, do not start using Qubes until you are satisfied that you have considered all these options, and whether you want to install them. In the short term, you could use Tails OS, which boots from USB drive. The website tails.net has lots of documentation as to how to use it. Tails uses Tor.

Did you see Whonix as an option when you did install? Did you see some Icons on the top right?

Cheers

I reinstalled Qubes on a laptop. The first part of the Install ran 12 minutes on a 7th generation laptop. After it rebooted, A screen comes up and the middle of the says, Qubes OS, (not Q, my fading memory) Which brings up the different options of which different Qubes (such asDebian, Fedora, Whonix, Networking) as to which you would not to be part of an auto install. There is one option, for ‘advanced users’ to not install any of those. Since you said you that you had never seen the second splash screen. Not important.

After you look at what you might want to not install, or to download updates with Tor. then upper left, goes back to the splash screen with Qubes OS on it. Which is now a different color. Then lower right again to proceed with auto install. for this 7th generation computer it took 39 minutes. I say this to give you an idea of how install should go along.

After the OS finally comes up. Clicking the upper left hand “Q” brings up list of ‘App Qubes’ which you can mouse through, and the other columns show up as well.

I may make this seem harder than it really is by writing too much detail. sorry. Also sorry, I may be giving you information you already know. I don’t try to judge your expertise/experience level. I try to write for a complete novice. so this thread can be useful to others later.

Cheers

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