Printing in Qubes the easy way (USB needed)

[deeplow]

If you’re new to Qubes and just want to print stuff, this is possibly the easiest way to do it, so long as you have a printer newer than 2015-ish and that has a USB port. If you don’t have one, see bellow for printer recommendations.

First Time Set Up

1. Create qube
   • name: print
   • template debian-13-xfce (Debian 12 should fine as well)
   • applications: Thunar File Manager, Xfce4 Terminal and Print Settings (optional)
   • Launch qube setting after creation:
2. Edit settings:
   • default disposable: none
   • services: cups and avahi (for this last one, you need to choose (custom) first)
3. Open “Qube Manager” (you can search for it in the menu)
   • find print qube » right-click » “Run command in qube”: sudo mousepad /rw/config/rc.local (a text editor should show up)
4. (In the text editor opened with the last command)
   • add to last line systemctl enable avahi-daemon
   • save
   • close window

Printing a File

1. Right-click file » copy to other qube » print qube (as destination)
2. Open file manager in print with: Q menu » print » Thunar File Manager
   • Choose Recents (left-hand side)
   • Double-click recently-copied file
   • Choose the print option OR Ctrl+p (may depend on viewer program)
3. Attach printer USB device to print qube using the devices widget (top-right corner)

Auto-attaching: On Qubes 4.3+ you can auto-attach the printer USB device to the print qube.

1. This is done in: Devices Widget » <YOUR_USB_PRINTER> » Device Settings » Auto-attach settings.

   

2 . “Device Assignment” » + Add new rule

3. Choose between:

• having a dedicated printer port (any other USB attached there will be auto-attached to the print qube) — generally safer, but can be more cumbersome if you have few ports
• Memorize device identity — This one device will always be auto-attached, but a malicious device could trick the system into thinking it’s your printer and thus get auto-attached to the print qube

TODO clarify section by simply pointing to docs, once these are updated with 4.3 device management.

Troubleshooting / FAQ

TODO

---

Improvements (optional)

• (TODO) Auto-open files when copied to print qube
• (TODO) Disposable sys-print
  • Disclaimer: you won’t be able to save the settings
    • But you can change them if you edit the disposable template
  • set as the disposable
• (Extra)
  • Shut down when idle

[shantyspruce]

@deeplow

3. Choose between:

• having a dedicated printer port (any other USB attached there will be auto-attached to the print qube) — generally safer, but can be more cumbersome if you have few ports
• Memorize device identity — This one device will always be auto-attached, but a malicious device could trick the system into thinking it’s your printer and thus get auto-attached to the print qube

Wouldn’t making a permanent print port be moreso, though? A device wouldn’t even have to pretend to be the printer to get auto-attached, and if it did pretend, this wouldn’t be somehow safer if someone sticks a USB pretending to be your printer into your machine.

Or, do you mean a user attaching something malicious himself that pretends to be a printer without him being aware? Wouldn’t the user, in that case, easily see that a printer device appears in the USB menu when he inserted a flash dirve (or other USB)?

Could you clarify what you meant here?

[deeplow]

Thanks for the feedback. I definitely need to clarify the text. You bring up some nuance that needs to be properly captured.

I think the best way is to just point to the docs on it, once they are updated for 4.3 and device handling.