Whenever there is a new template version for a template I am already using I want to switch to the new template.
However this is very frustrating process right now. I have to reinstall all the applications I have in the previous template and a lot of times I don’t have a list of what those are.
Is there any automated way of migrating to a new version of a template? New templates come out every few months and so this results in an extra few hours of work to maintain Qubes optimally every month.
I think there should be a way to list dpkg a use cat to put it in a text file then use that text file to download everything in the new template. I don’t know how to do this. I wish there were a script to make this easier or even something embedded into a Qubes menu.
Also it is frustrating having to change tor browser javascript settings to disable javascript with each new download. Whonix provides ways to modify this but it is time intensive because it is needed with every update.
Can’t this be automated as part of qubes as an option? There are many people who do not wish to use javascript for many reasons.
why don’t you make a script/ just a texfile like this: sudo dnf install … you would just need to copy this in the new template…
In a script you could also add config files and repos etc…
You also don’t have to download new templates and just upgrade your template manually.
There currently is no automatic way to do this and probably never will…
But I mean fedora templates come out every 6 months and debian every 2 years… I really don’t think this is a huge issue.
You could use Salt to decoratively manage your Qubes configuration (think NixOS, but with YAML), but it’s quite an advanced topic. I used this tutorial to get started on my own configuration, and I think it could help you out too if you want to go down that route.
What about in place upgrades? You can upgrade a template to a newer version from the terminal, you have a documentation for both debian and fedora here:
There isn’t always a reason to upgrade right away. Newer is not automatically better. If your current template still meets your needs, it’s fine to stick with it (as long as it’s still supported and hasn’t reached EOL).
With in-place upgrades, you don’t have to do this.
I recommend keeping such a list regardless of your upgrade method.
No.
Not if you use only Debian templates.
That sounds like it would be a Whonix feature, so you might have better luck asking about this on the Whonix forum.
I would say either: write a script to run on each qube, that installs and configures everything, or use salt. Make sure, of course, you keep a copy of those scripts somewhere else (I actually had a qube based on debian minimal, with no apps installed [in other words, there’s nothing to install on that “install repository” qube] to do precisely that).
Scripts are about a dozen times easier than salt, but salt is a bit more flexible even if it’s a dozen times harder.
That doesn’t help you this time unfortunately, but with some effort you can be ready for the next time ten minutes from now when fedora drops version 4127 (or are they already on 4227)?