Why do I have to reinstall software after every start in a persistant AppVM?

User Support General
1

Hi,

I installed the VPN package from Proton called "proton-vpn-gnome-desktop
" using the command “sudo apt install proton-vpn-gnome-desktop” in a PERSISTANT AppVM.

Everything works fine, but after shutting down the AppVM and restarting it, the “software is gone”.

bash error message is: “bash: protonvpn-app: command not found”

“which protonvpn-app” yields nothing

after a fresh install protonvpn-app runs just fine until I shutdown and restart the AppVM.

This is reproducable.

Isn’t the software supposed to be persistant as well?

If not, how can I ensure it’s there after the next shutdown / restart?

Thx in advance!

rando

2

AppVMs are based on their respective Templates and nothing that changes within their root directories is persistent. That’s a feature not a bug.

You may want to create a Standalone.

3

Interesting!

4

No. The documentation is very clear.
You can clone the template used for your AppVM, install the desired software there, then use this updated clone of the template for your AppVM.

2 Likes
5

“Persistent” sppVM means persistent home folder only.
Only standalone HVM qubes are fully persistent, but they are outside template system.

6

A standalone is not necessarily a HVM qube.

7

Yes, but for standalone, hvm gives less troubles, isn’t?

8

Not really.

9

I’m pretty sure there is a good portion of users and potential users who would be immediately lost on seeing the mystic incantations of “inheritance” and “persistence”…

The getting started page is in plainer language, but it still doesn’t really spell it out.