Problem while creating disposable template

gg11331 · February 5, 2022, 4:00pm

I am using this documentation Disposable customization | Qubes OS
when I write this comman

qvm-prefs fedora-26-dvm template_for_dispvms True

my output is

usage : qvm-prefs [--verbose]  [--quiet] [--help-properties]
[--hide-default] [--get] [--set]  [--default]
VNAME [PROPERTY] [VALUE]
qvm-prefs: error: no such property: 'template_for_dispvms'

How to solve this problem?

enmus · February 6, 2022, 12:03am

Sorry, I haven’t read it carefully! Do you use standalone VM for a template for dvm in Qubes 4.0.x maybe? If yes, it’s not possible.

necker · February 6, 2022, 12:50am

@gg11331
What type of VM is fedora-26-dvm? It needs to be an appVM that is based on a standard template VM. You can’t create a disposable VM template from a standalone VM or a standard template VM.

gg11331 · February 6, 2022, 1:43pm

I am using qubes 4.0.4
I have installed fresh template using this guide.

enmus · February 6, 2022, 4:33pm

Ok. When you create fresh template, named for instance fedora-26, now you have to create disposable template named for instance fedora-26-dvm:

[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-create --template fedora-26 --label red fedora-26-dvm
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-prefs fedora-26-dvm template_for_dispvms True
[user@dom0 ~]$ qvm-features fedora-26-dvm appmenus-dispvm 1

necker · February 7, 2022, 3:14am

@gg11331 To clarify… a disposable template is not an actual template. It’s an appVM that has certain properties that allow it to function in manner that is similar to a template.

In other words, you can’t use an actual template as the basis for a disposable template. You need to create a regular appVM (based on a template). Then configure the properties of that appVM so it functions as a “disposable template”. Hope that makes sense. Just follow @enmus’s advise. He’s got you covered.

fsflover · February 8, 2022, 2:46pm

There is no technical reason why you can’t do it in principle. I wish it was possible.

github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues

Allow disposable qubes to be based directly on regular templates

opened 05:31AM - 19 Jun 21 UTC

ninavizz

T: enhancement C: core P: default

**The problem you're addressing (if any)** Today a user must create a "Disposab…le Template" from an App VM. It is well understood why a user may _desire_ that, but it feels odd to be forcing it. **Describe the solution you'd like** Allow users to create Templates that are only to be used to spawn Disposable qubes from. **Where is the value to a user, and who might that user be?** 1. Users new to Qubes OS and learning its ecosystem 2. It feels a bit silly to _have to_ create at least one Template and one App Qube, to be able to have a Disposable Qube. Again, for the use-case where a user would desire having a Disposable Qube spawned from an App Qube for unusually sensitive things, it's awesome that this capability exists! It's just breaks an intuitive mental-model of how Qubes works, to shoehorn today's dependency on an App VM intermediary as a requirement. **Describe alternatives you've considered** Nope **Additional context** From a private conversation with @marmarek: > "One corner case (not a blocker for the idea) is what to do about template's private disk. Currently template's private disk is not share with anything based on it. On the other hand, DispVM does get snapshot of its template private disk (which is that intermediate app qube right now). If we're going to remove that intermediate qube, we need to decide: should DispVM get always clean private disk in this case, or should template's private disk be no longer that private?" **Relevant [documentation](https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/) you've consulted** Nope **Related, [non-duplicate](https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/reporting-bugs/#new-issues-should-not-be-duplicates-of-existing-issues) issues** Nope

gg11331 · February 8, 2022, 4:46pm

Solved Thanks …