Still new to Linux and trying t understand that as well as the monster known as qubes has been grueling, I think im just missing a few basic concepts that I need assistance with Can someone help me understand a few basics im not 100% sure about. Is each qube a VM in itself or do you still have to a VM program? How do you install various programs accessible to all qubes. The videos i can find seem to have the older version of qubes where there was an actual software section for settings. I think the new version has changed. Does anyone use Comfyui or something along those lines inside qubes? This is essentially my main goal and need to understand the VM qubes relationship. Thanks for your time!
1 Like
Hey, good to have you!
I get the feeling that you are looking into Qubes OS and it looks cool, but you don’t now if it’s practical for you. I actually know someone that went straight from Windows to Qubes OS without ever working with Linux before.
As you probably know there is a steep learning curve, so be prepared to read through a lot of manuals and posts here.
This forum and Qubes OS docs are your friends. I’d say start here, which answers a lot of your questions.
1 Like
About ComfyUI, I’ve used it in the past with other Linux distros, without any issues. I haven’t used it in Qubes OS. You certainly can, you’ll have to do a GPU pass-through (pass the hardware directly to the qube) and use it like in any other OS.
However, GPU pass-through doesn’t come out of the box in Qubes OS, and it’s a process for advance users. That been said, the guides to do it are actually laughably easy and many people have done it without any issues. The hard part is troubleshooting if something goes wrong.
1 Like
Each qube is a virtual machine, you don’t need a separate vm program. You generally use a conventional package manager (like apt or dnf) in a template if you want program to be accessible in many qubes, but other methods exist. Not sure what you mean by software section, check the docs to make it all clear:
Getting started - helps to wrap your head around qubes
Inheritance in Qubes OS - helps you decide where to install software
How to install software - official documentation, gives better explanation of how things work
Installing Software in Qubes (all methods) - more of a direct instruction
1 Like
QubesOS is highly modified Xen virtual system.
Any VM running on it is called qubes as they are separate/isolated boxes that have limited means of communication thru out Dom0.
Dom0 VM is for management.
sys-* VM’s are to separate various system services from Dom0. They take out various devices from machine and make them explicable its own - none other can take it. But it rent it’s services to other qubes.
Like sys-net provide networking services thru virtual network connections and sys-usb provide access not to usb itself but to usb devices that recognizes after plugin.
QubesOS for easy of management relies on template system. Template is a form on which you build your qubes for use. You can use one template for many qubes or make separate templates for separate qubes.
In general, you install apps in template and then this app is available on any working qube that is based on that template.
You can also install apps in particular qube but since its root file system is taken every start from template on which is based then the only way to install something in that one qube is to make separate template for it or install to user space. Like appimages or flatpak or snap.
By default any gfx cards are owned by Dom0. So if you want to use gfx card explicitly in other qube you need 2 gfx cards - one for display service offered by Dom0 and one to hide from Dom0 and passthru to one particular qube that you want to use it with. And that second gfx card will be owned by this one qube and can’t be used by any other one.
2 Likes