New to Qubes OS - General questions

User Support General
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Hello Qubes community,
First week at Qubes os, and I’m new to Linux as well (another Windows and macOS refugee).

I have some general questions while reading, learning and trying Qubes os.

dom0
Total disk usage try icon shows volumes (Linux kernal - varlibqubes - vm-pool), so, these 3 were created by LVM?, any documentations about them?

Under vm-pool showing data and metadata, data is a what, partition or folder ? that has most of storage space !!, can I create a folder in that space to backup app qube to? for now, the back is inside each app qube backup folder !!! doesn’t look right for me. deleting one by mistake or whatsoever.

Can I create another partition to show under folder manager " as of now, I have only File System, and another one is like Hard drive type/model/serial, double click and nothing.

Is there a GUI app like disk manager on Windows that I can use to it explore the disk structure, many commands I tried to learn lvm structure which I got it on a linux system (demo online), on Qubes os , I was lost kinda with all printed data, like what many pools are( pool1, pool2, pool3 …etc) and nested things which are not clear. (couldn’t find any in documentations).

Clipboard
Sometime I copy some text then I don’t need to paste it, how to clear it as it keeps showing in the try icon? automatically after a minute or so even better.

sys-usb
sys-usb size is showing 200mb+ at updates, after restart is 1.8 then moved all the way up to 86mb??
Why it has an ip address?

Template update
Reading details of an update, does the update of a template update the packges as well, let’s say the default packages (applications) that come with each template (debian, fedora, whonix)

App qube settings
There is a “services” tab, Where I can read and learn more about them all?

Audio
I plug my headphones and I can listen to any audio from any App qube right away, if I check App qube settings, the audio device is not attached, so, it is by default in Qubes os design ? then if you need to dedicate it to a specific app qube you can do so ("from settings - devices - “add audio device to the app qube”)?!

App qube
I opened gpart GUI from one of the app qube just to have an idea, I have noticed a warning next to EFI xvda1 partition “unable to detect file system, some possibilities are …” is it normal ?

NOTE: next release of Qubes OS is so exciting, it would solve many things I was working on it manually and searching for it, you may have a look at Qubes OS 4.3 release note

https://qubes-doc--1504.org.readthedocs.build/en/1504/developer/releases/4_3/release-notes.html

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For this you may want to use the KDE Partition Manager or GParted. You’ll need to install them via qubes-dom0-update.

Yes.

Here, but the documentation is scarce:

Yes and this should be fixed with the new templates in R4.3.

I have to say that you picked a complicated OS to start with, without Linux knowledge :slight_smile: . I wish you luck, though!

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And here, for a definition:

And here, but you will learn about that while following other tutorials:

https://dev.qubes-os.org/projects/core-admin-client/en/latest/manpages/qvm-service.html

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Thank you all for the comments, I appreciate it.

@Atrate True, it is complicated Linux system, I had a little experience with Kali, Ubuntu and Mint, but I have deep experience with Windows, so if I will shift, I will shift for a serious OS that does serve the switching purpose :wink:

I’m learning Linux from scratch now, but I do have to ask things on here as I need to ditch my Windows OS ASAP. “If you know what I mean” :laughing:

@parulin that link is great, Thaaaaanks :smiley:

:saluting_face:

Any Idea about the Audio, Clipboard and the partition from LVM pool?

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With Qubes there is a normal clipboard and a global clipboard, the clipboard contents stay in the appVM until moved to global (and then to other qubes). Clearing it would be a local (for that appvm) setting. What is the “try icon” ?

LVM is a Linux thing so there’s a lot of Linux documentation for it, not just qubes. Qubes uses thin pools and it can be rather hard to get your head around. You can do a btrfs install if you don’t want to deal with thin pools (although they mostly manage themselves unless you go over the threshold % … Then you will have issues). I don’t recommend btrfs but it’s an option.

If I understand your backup question, that would involve messing around with the dom0 file manager which you generally don’t want to touch since it is the most security important area

You might appreciate installing and switching to kde as your environment. You can switch back to xfce easily if you don’t like it

sudo qubes-dom0-update kde-settings-qubes

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Perhaps, for an Template App Qube, Start Settings. Clone the original Template.
Then go to the Settings for that Qube, Several tabs to the right, Appllicatons.
There are several Apps, From the list, move the one named “Files” by the arrow, between the two boxes.
Bottom right. click Apply.
top center click refresh applications.

Now Files appears in all the Apps list for the Application
generated from this -cloned- Template.

You might have found already, the list of QVM Commands, and Documentation.

You might like to glance at one of the online guides, -like - 20 top Linux Commands. Which are for Terminal.

Then again, you might have learned all that all ready.

Have a good Sunday.

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Just to be clear there is no “template app qube”. There is either “app qube” or “template” (that you can maybe call “template qube”).

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Another good miss by me in words. I meant, use one of the Templates used for one of the general Application Qubes that is used later to create the child to that Template.

Such as the Template used for Work, or Personal.

Then generate an App Qube, from the Template that I added “Files” to.

I would clone the Template, to keep the original Template as it kept up by the Developers. For some that would seem like making work. As I could have just, from say, Personal Template Settings, added “Files.”

One can install Files in the App Qube, but it would not persist between re-starting that Qube. but do what seems best to you.

I think “Files” is the bit of software you would use to browse around from Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music. Or a level higher in Linux files, Above your “Home” folder. (Home similar to Account in Windows) It is a bit longer to explain above the Home Folder.

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@Atrate The link of service which you have sent me, did not mention anything about that ip address likned to the sys-usb :space_invader:

@corny Yes, I do know how Clipboard works, my question was, if I copied anything from dom0 then I don’t need it, on task bar “panel” the system try plugin would show some text are copied, but I can’t clear it.

Thanks for KDE thing, I would keep using xfce for now and figure out how to do things.

@catacombs That’s right, I could do that, playing around with apps to find out that if you install anything (app) to the app qube, it will be gone after a restart, so it has to be installed on the template then make it availibe to that app qube.

I’m reading and trying about almost any command needed to for now.

Thanks

So, My issue with available space to show it as a partition in File Manager, what I did was.

NOTE: after reading LVM from Red Hat Documentation

1- Creating a new linear logical volume.
Sudo lvcreate -L 2G

2- To list info about block devices, the new one should show in there.
lsblk

3- Format the new LV
Sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev//

4- Create a mount point
Sudo mkdir /mnt/

5- Link the new LV to the created mount point
mount /mnt/ /dev//

I can find a new partition in File Manager now, but I can’t use it for whatsoever, it is in read only, tried to create a new one and mount it to a folder inside the user home dir, again read only.

On dom0, it was showing under sys-usb that it is already mounted to dom0, I had to remove both new LVs. "you have to unmount then remove, if you get an error showing used by filesystem, just use -f to force unmounting.

Could do it , but it was a fun experience , I had to read more to get it done.

:saluting_face:

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You can set the size of the hard drive partition that you are using on the first page of Settings for that Qube. The xvda is the one where the home directory is set. A bit of difference between how much the setting is for, and what Gparted shows. or Files shows available for you to use.

The RAM can be set on the second Tab of Settings. Unless I again, miss-understanding what you are looking to do.