Quick Quality-of-Life Improvements

fiftyfourthparallel · January 2, 2024, 10:42am

VM Management

Reduce VM boot time - Debian 12 only - [TemplateVM] Enter sudo cp /lib/systemd/system/systemd-binfmt.service /etc/systemd/system, then delete After=local-fs.target from /etc/systemd/system/systemd-binfmt.service @renehoj

Shut down selected window’s VM - [dom0] Create /bin/halt-vm-by-window containing the code below, run chmod +x /bin/halt-vm-by-window, then map to shortcut @tasket

halt-vm-by-window

#!/bin/bash

CUR_WIN_ID=`xdotool getwindowfocus`
CUR_VM=`xprop _QUBES_VMNAME -id $CUR_WIN_ID |cut -d \" -f2`

qvm-run $CUR_VM 'xdotool search --name "Mozilla Firefox" key ctrl+q'
qvm-run $CUR_VM 'xdotool search --name "Mozilla Thunderbird" key ctrl+q'
sleep 4
/usr/bin/qvm-shutdown $CUR_VM  --wait --timeout=40

Memory warning notifications - [dom0] Create the files below as needed, then for each file: chmod +x [FILENAME], enter crontab -e, then add */5 * * * * [FILENAME] and save @ddevz

/bin/dom0-Memory-Notification

#!/bin/bash

FREE_MEMORY=$((`free -m | grep '^Mem' | awk '{print $7}'`))
if (( $FREE_MEMORY < 500 )); then
    notify-send  --expire-time=360000 --urgency=critical 'dom0: Low memory' "Remaining: $FREE_MEMORY MBs"
fi

/bin/Xen-Memory-Notification

#!/bin/bash

FREE_MEMORY=$((`xl info | grep free_memory | sed 's/^.*:\([0-9]*\)/\1/'` / 1000))
if (( $FREE_MEMORY < 8 )); then
    notify-send --expire-time=360000 --urgency=critical 'Xen: Low memory' "Remaining: 
$FREE_MEMORY GBs"
fi

Input Devices

Prevent loss of control from sys-usb shutdown - [dom0] crontab -e, then enter * * * * * qvm-start --skip-if-running sys-usb > /dev/null 2>&1 and save. Reverse the change by commenting out that line @SteveC

Create a toggle to hide the cursor - [dom0] Install unclutter, run the code below (expandable), then map toggle-unclutter.sh to a key @ludovic vecna13 from the 2676 issue

Hide cursor (dom0)

mkdir $HOME/bin
cat << 'EOF' | tee $HOME/bin/toggle-unclutter.sh

#! /bin/sh
if pgrep unclutter &> /dev/null 2>&1
then
   killall unclutter
else
   unclutter -idle 1 &
fi
EOF

chmod +x $HOME/bin/toggle-unclutter.sh

Trigger the QubesOS widgets via keyboard - [dom0] In dom0 create a script containing the code below (expandable), make it executable (chmod +x) and bind to keyboard shortcut @Bearillo
widget-click.sh

Call this script with either the argument devices (so widget-click.sh devices) or domains to open the respective widget.
```
#!/bin/bash
# call with argument 'devices' or 'domains'
sleep 0.1
eval $(xdotool search --onlyvisible --name "qui-$1" getwindowgeometry --shell)
xdotool mousemove $X $Y click 1 mousemove restore
```

Trigger the QubesOS app menu via keyboard - [dom0] In dom0 create a script containing the code below (expandable), make it executable (chmod +x) and bind to keyboard shortcut @Bearillo

qubes-menu.sh

Note that you may need to adjust the numbers if your screen is not 1080p.

#!/bin/bash
eval $(xdotool getmouselocation --shell)
xdotool mousemove 5 5
gdbus call --session --dest org.qubesos.appmenu --object-path "/org/qubesos/appmenu" --method org.freedesktop.Application.Activate "{}"
if [ $X -lt 720 ] && [ $Y -lt 775 ]; then
	X=720	# prevent the mouse from selecting items in the app menu when opening it with the keyboard
fi		# note that these values may need adjusting if using a screen with a resolution other than 1080p
xdotool mousemove $X $Y

Storage

Send files directly to external storage mounted in other qube - [AppVM] Run the code below (expandable), then copy/move your file(s) @SteveC
In destination qube:

In the following instructions [ORIGIN QUBE] is the qube name without brackets or slashes!
```
mkdir ~/QubesIncoming
mv ~/QubesIncoming/[ORIGIN QUBE] ~/QubesIncoming/[ORIGIN QUBE]_backup
ln -s [MOUNT POINT] ~/QubesIncoming/[ORIGIN QUBE]
```

Networking

Toggle NetVM of qube in focus - [dom0] In dom0 create the following script, make it executable (chmod +x) and bind to keyboard shortcut (expandable) @Bearillo

vm-give-default-network

#!/bin/bash

CUR_WIN_ID=$(xdotool getwindowfocus)
CUR_VM=$(xprop _QUBES_VMNAME -id $CUR_WIN_ID | cut -d \" -f 2)

if [[ "$CUR_VM" != *"not found"* ]];then
	if ! qvm-prefs "$CUR_VM" netvm | head -c1 | grep -E '.';then
		
		TEXT="TOR"
		while read -r line
	       	do
			if [[ "$line" == "anon-vm" ]];then
				TEXT="TOR"
				break
			else
				TEXT="DEFAULT"
			fi
		done <<< $(qvm-tags "$CUR_VM")

		ANSWER=$(notify-send -A Y="Yes" -A N="No" "Grant $TEXT network access to $CUR_VM" "Do you want to grant $TEXT network access to $CUR_VM?")
		
		if [[ "$ANSWER" == "Y" ]];then
			if [[ "$TEXT" == "DEFAULT" ]];then
				qvm-start --skip-if-running $(qubes-prefs default_netvm) &&
				qvm-prefs "$CUR_VM" netvm -D &&
                		notify-send "Granted $CUR_VM $TEXT network access!" "The netvm of $CUR_VM was set to $(qvm-prefs "$CUR_VM" netvm)."
			else
				qvm-start --skip-if-running sys-whonix &&
				qvm-prefs "$CUR_VM" netvm sys-whonix &&
				notify-send "Granted $CUR_VM $TEXT network access!" "The netvm of $CUR_VM was set to $(qvm-prefs "$CUR_VM" netvm)."
			fi
		fi
	else
       	qvm-prefs "$CUR_VM" netvm None
		notify-send "Disconnected $CUR_VM from network!" "The netvm of $CUR_VM was set to None (n/a)."
	fi
fi

Keep WiFi off by default on boot - [TemplateVM] In sys-net’s template, create /var/lib/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.state containing the code below (expandable) @Bearillo
NetworkManager.state
```
[main]
WirelessEnabled=false
```
Soft toggle WiFi - [dom0] qvm-run sys-net -- "if nmcli radio wifi | head -c1 | egrep 'e'; then nmcli radio wifi off; else nmcli radio wifi on; fi" (can be mapped to shortcut) @Bearillo

Video playback

Reduce VLC’s CPU usage - [AppVM] In VLC’s preferences, open ‘Video’ and change ‘Output’ to ‘X11 video output (XCB)’ @solene
Reduce mpv’s CPU usage (link includes guide for YouTube too) - [TemplateVM] In /etc/mpv/mpv.conf, insert vo=x11 and profile=sw-fast as separate lines @Bearillo

Etc.

View dom0 update history - [dom0] Enter dnf history to view update events; enter dnf history info [EVENT ID] to view event details. Also works for Fedora in general @adw
Disable notifications per VM - Fedora-XFCE only - [AppVM] Run xfce4-notifyd-config, then xfconf-query -c xfce4-notifyd -p /do-not-disturb --set true @solene

This is a thread where we collect quick tips and tricks that can improve the Qubes experience.

Feel free to add your tip to this wiki post (anyone can edit this)

Guidelines

Your tip should contain as few words as possible
If your tip can’t be condensed into a few lines, it doesn’t belong here
If your tip is niche with regard to Qubes users, it doesn’t belong here*
Follow the established style convention
Give credit, even to yourself, and link to the original (if needed, also post your tip as reply so you have a link)

* ^{^{“What’s niche?” is going to spawn a lot of debate and angst, but this constraint is necessary to prevent the post from getting bloated and mostly irrelevant}}

solene · January 2, 2024, 10:43am

I’d add Disable notification per XFCE Qubes (do not disturb mode) because notifications can be really annoying at time, and knowing how to disable notifications per qube can be useful

fiftyfourthparallel · January 6, 2024, 12:45am

19 posts were split to a new topic: Send files directly to external storage mounted in other qube

Bearillo · January 2, 2024, 9:07pm

Command to soft switch WiFi on and off (bind to keyboard shortcut or put into a script):

qvm-run sys-net -- "if nmcli radio wifi | head -c1 | egrep 'e'; then nmcli radio wifi off; else nmcli radio wifi on; fi"

To keep WiFi off by default on boot, drop the file /var/lib/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.state with the following content in sys-net’s template:

[main]
NetworkingEnabled=true
WirelessEnabled=false
WWANEnabled=true

fiftyfourthparallel · January 4, 2024, 7:10am

@Bearillo @SteveC
I can see many people using these
Feel free to add them to the top post (it’s a wiki post, so anyone can update it)

fiftyfourthparallel · January 4, 2024, 2:44pm

@Deeplow
I just remembered from my CPU survey that there’s a limit to how many user mentions a single post can contain. This post should reach that limit quickly, but I want to see if there’s a way to get around that limit before I start removing them (i.e. “Does mod fairy dust fix this?”)

fiftyfourthparallel · January 4, 2024, 2:47pm

Thanks for updating the wiki
I reformatted your entries; please check for technical accuracy

deeplow · January 4, 2024, 5:30pm

It does. One can now mention up to 100 people. Thanks for bringing it up!

SteveC · January 4, 2024, 7:46pm

Thanks for book-bossing this. I added just a bit more. If it’s too much feel free to cut.

And I’ve added one about how to protect against the rather obnoxious consequences of accidentally shutting down sys-usb.

ludovic · January 4, 2024, 10:34pm

I added the Cursor / Manual hide the mouse cursor procedure.

fiftyfourthparallel · January 5, 2024, 2:10am

fiftyfourthparallel:

sys-usb: how to protect yourself against accidentally shutting it down

(I’ve suggested this in other places but can’t find them right now, so no link). If you’ve ever found yourself in the situation where you accidentally shut down sys-usb AND you happen to be using a USB keyboard or mouse, you’re basically hosed. Your machine will be a brick until you reboot it, because dom0 doesn’t take things like your keyboard and mouse back after they’ve been assigned to sys-usb. (This is not a bug, it’s a deliberate design decision taken for security reasons.)On the other hand, it’s safe to restart sys-usb from the qui-domains tool, and that fact is going to help us here.How to solve this? Create a cron job that starts sys-usb if it isn’t already running, and set that job to run every minute. (For those new to unix/linux, cron jobs are tasks that are prescheduled and run in the background. In the old days of stone knives-and-bearskins computing, these were often called “batch” jobs.) Here’s how to do that: Open a terminal in dom0 and type crontab -e. This opens the vi editor which will show you a file that contains existing user crontabs (as opposed to ones run by root). The file may well be empty. Insert a line that reads:

* * * * * qvm-start --skip-if-running sys-usb > /dev/null 2>&1

The five stars denote every minute of every hour of every day of every year. The middle part of the command should be self explanatory. The stuff after the > redirects the output of the command to /dev/null, which is basically “nowhere” rather than the screen or some log file.The result should be that if you shut sys-usb down for whatever reason, sometime within the next minute it should start back up again and you have your keyboard and mouse back.This edit only needs to be done once; it will still be there after restarting your system.The bad news is that in order to work with this, you have to know how to use vi…which is actually a tool adapted from those stone-knives-and-bearskin days. You can (if the file is empty) type i to get into “insert mode”, type the line above (including the return/enter at the end of the line), then press the escape key and type :wq to write and exit. @SteveC

Posting the original to serve as a thread-splitting header before I summarize it.

fiftyfourthparallel · January 5, 2024, 2:26pm

Is there a Discourse/Markdown/HTML guru here? I need a way to indent the details tab/expander so that it’s flush or deeper than a level 1 bullet, making it clear that it’s part of the preceeding entry.

Subheader

Level 1 bullet
Uncooperative details tab
Please help me tame this rebellious tab (with code block)
Level 1 bullet

The challenge is to keep a code block inside the tab while indenting it. This would hugely improve the flow of the document. I’m this close to issuing a bounty for this since it’s driving me mad.

Edit: Forgot to include the code block condition
Edit 2: The solution: use two spaces, not four–Two extra spaces is the difference between breezing through life and looking like a dunce

apparatus · January 5, 2024, 2:38pm

This?

fiftyfourthparallel · January 5, 2024, 2:43pm

Er, I meant can you do it with a code block inside?

apparatus · January 5, 2024, 2:47pm

Like this?

fiftyfourthparallel · January 5, 2024, 2:51pm

Wow. Why does it fail so horribly when I try to do the exact same thing?
I’m saying this while looking at your reply’s source code since I have quasi-mod privileges and I’m just confused. Does Markdown have something against me?

Edit: The solution: use two spaces, not four–Two extra spaces is the difference between breezing through life and looking like a dunce

Anyways a big thank you!

fiftyfourthparallel · January 6, 2024, 12:49am

Moved posts for “Send files directly to external storage mounted in other qube” to its own thread

solene · January 8, 2024, 9:34am

May I suggest using */2 * * * * or even */5 * * * * to reduce the number of useless call by a factor 2 or 5?

I mean, this would save you when you accidentally stop sys-usb, I don’t think this is very common but very annoying when it happens. I think waiting 2 or 5 minutes instead of less than 60 seconds seems reasonable when it happens, so it wastes less CPU cycles trying every 60 seconds

That’s not really wasting that much, but still, the frequency is very high here and I don’t know how complex qvm-start code is behind that, it must call a lot of python code which is extremely CPU inefficient.

fiftyfourthparallel · January 8, 2024, 12:12pm

I don’t know the inner workings of qvm-start, but I think it’s safe to assume that the --skip-if-running parameter makes it check before doing anything, so the cost of running it every minute should be minimal.

solene · January 8, 2024, 12:53pm

It stills needs to run python3, evaluate all the required libraries and check the qube is started to abort.