Possible issue with salt and debian13

SteveC · November 2, 2025, 10:45pm

Over on my laptop, which can download the debian 13 templates (unlike my desktop–I’ve started another thread about that), salt chokes when I try to copy files from dom0 to the template. (using file.managed.)

Before, I could simply put the files in a subdirectory of /srv/user_salt and essentially give the relative path to that file in the salt state and the file would end up in the right place on the template I’m trying to configure–that has always worked until now. Now salt is simply claiming the files don’t exist.

otter2 · November 2, 2025, 10:50pm

Try fedora default-mgmt-dvm

github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues

qubesctl fails when using a Deb13 based management VM together with saltenv=user

opened 07:47AM - 31 Oct 25 UTC

neoniobium

C: Salt C: Debian/Ubuntu P: default needs diagnosis affects-4.2

[How to File a Helpful Issue](https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/issue-tracking/) ###… Qubes OS Release `4.2` and possibly `4.3` ### Brief Summary Salt files are not found when using a `debian-13` based management VM in conjunction with `saltenv=user`. ### Steps to Reproduce In dom0, run: ```bash sudo qubesctl --skip-dom0 --show-output state.apply <some salt state> saltenv=user ``` ### Expected Behavior Salt runs without failures. ### Actual Behavior Fails with "No matching sls files found." ### Additional Information This issue only occurs when using a `debian-13` based Management VM; `debian-12` works fine. Target VM & Management VM salt version: 3007.1 Possibly Related: - #9916 - #8491 - #9129 - #10370 `qubesctrl` also raises deprecation warning: ```bash /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/salt/utils/jid.py:19: DeprecationWarning: datetime.datetime.utcnow() is deprecated and scheduled for removal in a future version. Use timezone-aware objects to represent datetimes in UTC: datetime.datetime.now(datetime.UTC). return datetime.datetime.utcnow() /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/salt/client/ssh/__init__.py:1595: DeprecationWarning: 'maxsplit' is passed as positional argument stdout = re.split(RSTR_RE, stdout, 1)[1].strip() ```

github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues

`qubesctl` fails when targeting a `Deb13` VM together with `saltenv=user`

opened 02:16PM - 30 Oct 25 UTC

neoniobium

C: Salt C: Debian/Ubuntu P: default needs diagnosis affects-4.2

### Qubes OS Release `4.2` and `4.3` might also be affected. ### Brief Summary… When trying to apply a Salt state using `qubesctl [...] saltenv=user`, targeting a `debian-13` VM (Gnome, Xfce, or minimal) and specifying a file path (`salt://<path>`) inside the Salt file, the file cannot be found. ### Steps to Reproduce In `dom0`, run: 1. Create and configure `user_salt` using `qubesctl state.apply qubes.user-dirs`. 2. Put the Salt file `manage-file.sls` and the file to be managed, `managed-file.txt`, inside `/srv/user_salt`. ``` # manage-file.sls /etc/foo.conf: file.managed: - source: - salt://managed-file.txt [...] ``` 3. Run `sudo qubesctl --skip-dom0 --show-output --targets=debian-13 state.apply manage-file saltenv=user`. ### Expected Behavior Salt runs without failures and replaces the file. ### Actual Behavior File not found in saltenv 'user'. ### Additional Information This issue only occurs when targeting a `debian-13` VM; targeting `fedora` or `whonix-17` works fine. Target VM & MGMT-VM salt version: `3007.1` Possibly related: - #9916 - #8491 - #9129

p.s. also this thread: Debian 13 templates available - #32 by minion

SteveC · November 2, 2025, 11:04pm

Thanks. I’ll try that but it’s going to take time (I have no fedora templates to use for this, so I have to get them, set them up, etc)

It may or may not matter, but on my laptop the management dvm is still debian-12 based!

Edit: This is the same issue as the second one you linked (10370). As such it doesn’t look like a Fedora manager will help…so that saves me some time.

otter2 · November 2, 2025, 11:10pm

Yep, but I suspect its the same problem as 10375. I can reproduce 10375, and I can use file.managed with fedora default-mgmt-dvm

SteveC · November 2, 2025, 11:13pm

What type of manager were you using when you ran into 10375? I was using a debian 12 minimal based manager when I hit this.

otter2 · November 2, 2025, 11:15pm

I reproduced it with minimal debian 13 both as the target and as the management qube

SteveC · November 2, 2025, 11:25pm

So (just making sure we’re on the same page), you can do file.managed with a source on dom0, onto a debian-13 target, provided that your manager is fedora based?

otter2 · November 2, 2025, 11:30pm

Yes, I used minimal fedora 41 for testing to be more specific

debian-13-minimal manager ( with qubes-core-agent-passwordless-root and qubes-mgmt-salt-vm-connector installed among other things) to debian-13-minimal fails,
fedora-41-minimal manager to debian-13-minimal works

SteveC · November 3, 2025, 12:04am

And, apparently from my experience, a debian-12-minimal manager to debian-13-minimal target does not.

OK maybe this will help someone find the problems (I’m not convinced they’re exactly the same but could certainly be wrong about that!)

I should have waited a while before attempting to use debian-13 on my systems!

minion · November 4, 2025, 4:49pm

Confirmed on my end too. I am surprised unman did not catch this as he is a known Debian and Salt user.

I will try.