Whonix 18: Using sudo/getting permission

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Note:

I’m creating this to have something to easily link to when whonix 18 sudo/permissions questions are asked. Feel free to make corrections/suggestions especially for best practices.

The whonix documentation suggests sysmaint but that causes all kinds of issues when you want to make the change in user not sysmaint. Sysmaint seems to be for updating mostly. I’d like to know the best practice for when you want to install an application in a whonix 18 ws appVM, or mount a USB drive, or unlock luks drive.

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Whonix 18 has removed the previous behaviour where a user could sudo easily. Now you either need to start a terminal with root/sysmaint or change the boot mode in advanced settings or revert back to the old setting.

In dom0

qvm-run -u root (name of whonix VM) xterm

qvm-run -u sysmaint (name of whonix VM) xterm

Or

Open qube settings for the whonix appVM, go to the advanced tab and select PERSISTENT MODE - UNRESTRICTED Session

This seems the easiest option if you just want to use the qube the way it used to work in 17

Or

Use these instructions to revert back to the setting from 17.

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Links

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Quote Kicksecure root wiki page, chapter Qubes Root Console

Using qvm-console-dispvm might be more secure than qvm-run. [1]

related: Most secure way to briefly get sudo ability in Qubes-Whonix? - Qubes-Whonix - Whonix Forum

[1]

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