Random Usability Request

User Support
1

When Qubes menus are open, it’s not possible to attach devices for HVM VMs if the device is already running or alter memory. Many times I will have menu open and then shut down VM.

After VM is shut down, the menu options still aren’t accessible. This requires closing menu, finding Qubes VM setting again, and re-opening menu.

To do this, you go to “Q” and then find the VM to get the settings. However, during this process if the VM is shutting down, the VM name will often go from top of list to just completely disappear. You have to go then to “Q” again and find VM, now in different place, and find settings.

This isn’t hard to do. It’s just annoying. Sometimes I have multiple VMs and will use Nvidia device attached to one then move to Nvidia to another Qube. Sometimes use beta software and new version has problem, requires 5 restart when setting up.

Open Settings Window should query dom0 every 10 seconds to see if VM is shutdown and then change if VM has been closed. This requires negligable computing resource and some extra code.

If VM is at top of list because active, shouldn’t disappear when VM shuts down.

2

It doesn’t fulfill your request, but I hope it will improve the situation.

You don’t need to go to the qubes app menu to access settings. If you’re running xfce, you can use xfce4-appfinder (call it with alt+F3) and just search for it.

If that doesn’t fit your workflow, you can keep qube manager window open and call setting from there.

Another alternative would be to edit shutdown script from the quality of life guide to open settings after shutting down a qube, and assign it to a hotkey or alias, your imagination is the limit:

#!/bin/bash
# Thanks tasket!

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 && \
qubes-vm-settings $CUR_VM # Open settings if qvm-shutdown is successful

If qubes that need nvidia device passed to them are not going to run simultaneously, you can assign the device to all of them. Passthrough happens on start of a domain, so there will be no conflict.

Edit:

You can change this behaviour in Qubes Menu Settings.

3

That’s not what happens. This is a device, a NVIDIA GPU, that makes it impossible for me to run more than 1 Qube with it attached at a time.

Setting it up was hard. I had to go into dom0 and look up things and use some command involving immomu or something?

I like it when the running Qubes are at the top. I just wish they didn’t disappear when they Qube shuts down and went back to alphabetical. It disappears and I have to reopen the menu. Right?

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4

I know there are scripts I can make. This is just a usability suggestion. Some people are less willing to use Qubes because of usability. This is a small thing but is very annoying.

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5

Yeah, this is what I meant. You don’t need to edit the settings as long as only one domain that operate the device is running. Sorry for misunderstanding your problem.

On that note, it should be possible to make a script that automagically edits the settings. I will publish it if I make it.

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