What would you like to see improved in Qubes OS?

qubist · July 3, 2023, 5:42pm

@balko

Now it exists: GitHub - jamke/qubes-completion: Bash completion for Qubes OS

Why is that not part of the official Qubes OS?

fsflover · July 3, 2023, 6:32pm

github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues

[Contribution] qubes-completion

opened 06:19AM - 16 Nov 22 UTC

jamke

T: enhancement ux P: default community dev S: needs review C: contrib package

### The problem you're addressing (if any) The tab completion for `qvm-`, `qube…s-` and other Qubes OS specific commands is not working in Qubes OS. ### The solution you'd like I made a really advanced bash completion scrcipt for Qubes OS commands, it is available here: https://github.com/jamke/qubes-completion Anybody can install it from [Releases](https://github.com/jamke/qubes-completion/releases) section of github. Currently I would like somebody from the Team make some kind of code review or at least provide some feedback on code quality and information how well it works for you. Feedback from average users will also be appreciated. So, feel free to try. The proposal is to make it a part of the system out of the box (and add `bash-completion` that was missed probably by mistake (#7879). Some examples, more in [README](https://github.com/jamke/qubes-completion/blob/main/README.md) of the project: `qvm-ls --run` and `<tab>` => `qvm-ls --running` `qvm-ls --t` and `<tab>` => `qvm-ls --tags` `qvm-ls --tags` and `<tab><tab>` => shows the list of existing TAGs if possible `qvm-ls --` and `<tab>` => shows the list of possible arguments the usual bash-way And support of the list of **names of qubes (VMs)** - would be great! Imagine you type in `qvm-clone `, you press `<tab>` and get not the list of files in the current directory, but the list of VMs suitable for this place: `qvm-clone ` and `<tab>` => shows the list of existing VMs `qvm-clone pe` and `<tab>` => `qvm-clone personal` `qvm-clone sys-` and `<tab><tab>` => shows the list of existing VMs that start with `sys-`, because there is more than one. ### Problems The only downside of such improvement - the completion information should be kept updated with the commands, the same way as documentation and `--help` output now. ### The value to a user, and who that user might be It will **significantly** improve UX of Qubes OS users who uses terminal at least from time to time (almost everybody, I think).

balko · July 4, 2023, 1:49am

I hope it will be one day! Currently it has to be reviewed by the Team when they have time.
I use it everyday, you can try it, too.

procShield · July 4, 2023, 2:20am

There are obstacles to up dating that should be removed. Qubes updater sometimes gets hung up and no matter how long you wait it still doesn’t update.

sdwdate sometimes doesn’t synchronize as dependably as Tails htpdate.

Changing screen resolution and brightness is difficult. These can be adjusted in TAILS easily and dependably. Why not in Qubes?

SteveC · July 4, 2023, 4:14am

Many is the time I’ve banged on the tab key while typing a qube name. So I’m looking forward to this getting adopted.

arkenoi · July 5, 2023, 10:56am

Forgot a few more things:

integrated patches for “quick boot” and fully ephemeral disposable Qubes
sensible centralized logging architecture
A FIX OR WORKAROUND for the nasty “control queue full” kernel bug
simplified non-NM liteqube-based netvm for wired-only connections
better automatic disk space allocation and better diagnosis of out of space issues (I hope you all understand what I mean)
“health monitoring” for service Qubes
“recovery installation” (repair a broken systems keeping VMs)

mono · August 3, 2023, 8:28am

In no particular order:

incremental backups with dedub Borg style
Synchronizing Desktop and Laptop Qubes System (Sync-AppVM zfs send?)
Installer option to use mirrored install (ZFS on LUKS2 support)
Qube Manager, right click a qube, and have an option to ‘launch terminal in qube’
pci device/vendor id passthrough to AppVM
Easier handling of HiDPI displays (and multi-screen multi-DPI setups)
Reboot all VMs option in Qubes Manager, instead of manually shutting down all AppVMs (after template updates are done, usually after boot), great if no Dom0 update was done.
When letting the installer create the default VMs, I would like the sys-* ones to be based on a minimal image.
More qube colors
Probably newer XEN kernel
Easy switching for light and dark mode (darkmode default)
Easy mode setup wireguard / vpn during install
Qubes Farm / Network, many years ago i read that there was work being done to have qubes os on different devices controlled by a main qube, wonder what happened there.

Wanted to look into sys-gpu and where we are right now with qubes, so i cannot comment on that but i do miss my gpu speed. I bet will be needing 2 GPUs for that to work

oijawyuh · August 3, 2023, 8:52am

seamless updated across versions so that there’s no need to reinstall Qubes OS after every major new version
easier and incremental backup
sleep on modern laptops

solene · August 3, 2023, 10:36am

seems a lot better in the coming 4.2

I think the new 4.2 will allow this from what I remember from the update GUI

in 4.2 it will be newer than in 4.1

dalaylapka · August 3, 2023, 10:53am

If you have MUX switch and Nvidia dGPU, then you need to install Nvidia kernel and Xorg drivers into dom0 to make external monitor work.

nona · August 8, 2023, 11:28am

Qubes is amazing, but an ability to change tray icons, application icons and booting screen would make it more cool to customize
Also there’s a huge issue with supporting new hardware… but I guess it’s due to finance/limited work force?

catacombs · August 8, 2023, 12:27pm

Since Qubes 2.4xx wants to update every day.

I wonder if we can make it easier to see what update(s) we have already accomplished, and those the thing wants to do.

The latest download of weekly 4.2xx (August 5,2023) has the templates set online. I
thought Templates were to install offline.

star · August 9, 2023, 6:07pm

Start gnome-terminal (or other) from qubes manager. Every time print “gnome-terminal” in run command is annoying

catacombs · August 9, 2023, 8:48pm

I used, Index of /qubes/iso/

but update Fedora 38, afterward, three days in a row?

it is like update did not set, I have updated.
Perhaps, I shut down computer after update, rather than shutting down the other Qubes, needed to be restarted first. I felt the power up would cover that.

JB123 · August 10, 2023, 1:05am

OpenBSD sys-net supported out of the box. Perhaps FreeBSD PVH that would behave basically like Fedora and Debian templates from QubesOS innards perspective but with FreeBSD kernel.

fsflover · August 10, 2023, 7:23am

github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues

Use OpenBSD as NetVM

opened 12:29PM - 04 Sep 19 UTC

tetrahedras

T: enhancement C: other security P: default

**The problem you're addressing (if any)** The NetVM is exposed to a wide varie…ty of attacks, and it's the first line of defense in hostile local network environments. (e.g there is evidence certain Middle Eastern countries have been building infrastructure to automatically attempt exploiting every device connected to public WLAN networks) There is demand (see #4551) for running OpenBSD as a VM but efforts are stalled due to OpenBSD's lack of PV support. Since the NetVM is run in HVM mode, PV support is not necessary in this application. **Describe the solution you'd like** OpenBSD offers well-reviewed driver code, high code quality, innovative exploit mitigations, excellent hardware support, low resource consumption, and a much smaller attack surface than Linux. OpenBSD also offers a [much simpler](https://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq6.html#Wireless) approach to connecting to wireless networks than does Linux. **Where is the value to a user, and who might that user be?** Adding it as a NetVM would likely increase resistance to attackers on the local network, and increase the diversity of the system (from the current-best MirageFW+Linux to OpenBSD+MirageFW+Linux). **Related, [non-duplicate](https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/reporting-bugs/#new-issues-should-not-be-duplicates-of-existing-issues) issues** https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/4551

nona · August 10, 2023, 11:06am

If it’s more secure to use OpenBSD for sys-net, maybe it should be the default then? Or is there some issues with it compare to the regular Fedora/Debian?

solene · August 11, 2023, 7:34am

I had a similar issue, I used vlc from rpmfusion, there is currently a conflict between live555 pulled by vlc, between the Updates repository and rpmfusion-free, so the update process always had something to report, and Qubes OS thinks there is an update pending.

I didn’t find a solution so I removed vlc.

You could check in any fedora-38 VM what’s pending using dnf check-update

Sycamore · August 11, 2023, 8:18am

– Incremental backups with the Qubes Backup tool.
Currently a backup of 100 GB of data in qubes from my system SSD to an external SSD takes an hour, and a lot of CPU power.

– Ability to change performance modes (power save, balanced…) from a GUI

– Make the Super key launch the application menu by default

– Bluetooth support, but disabled by default, with a warning message to users about the possible security risks of enabling it

I’d personally like to keep Xfce as default DE. I prefer KDE, but it gives me slightly lower total performance, especially during video playback. I’ve yet to test R4.2 to see if the newer KDE versions are lighter on CPU usage.

solene · August 11, 2023, 9:07am

You could use GitHub - alols/xcape: Linux utility to configure modifier keys to act as other keys when pressed and released on their own. to use super to do something just when typing on it.

In addition, for a more gnome style “super” key, you could use xfdashboard