Buzz
In addition to some popular operating systems today such as Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Android, and iOS, Qubes is free and open-source software (FOSS).
This means users can freely use, copy, and modify the software in any way. In other words, Qubes is open-source, publicly available, allowing users to inspect and enhance the operating system.
How to Install the Qubes Operating System
Before diving into the process of installing the Qubes operating system on your computer, you need to check if your computer meets the following hardware requirements.
Qubes 3.x
Minimum Hardware Requirements:
- Intel 64-bit or AMD processor (also known as x86_64, x64, or AMD64).
- 4 GB of RAM.
- 32 GB of available disk space.
- Legacy boot mode (required for version R3.0 and earlier, UEFI supported from R3.1 onwards).
Recommended Hardware:
- Fast SSD drive.
- Intel Integrated Graphics (preferred):
+ Nvidia GPU may require troubleshooting.
+ ATI GPU not officially tested (but you can check the hardware compatibility list).
- Intel VT-x or AMD-V (required to run HVM domains, such as Windows-based AppVMs).
- Intel VT-d or AMD-Vi (also known as AMD IOMMU) (necessary for effectively isolating network VMs).
- TPM support in the appropriate BIOS (required for Anti Evil Maid).
Qubes 4.x
Minimum Hardware Requirements:
- Intel 64-bit or AMD processor (also known as x86_64, x64, or AMD64).
- 4 GB of RAM.
- 32 GB of available disk space.
- Intel VT-x with EPT or AMD-V with RVI.
- Intel VT-d or AMD-Vi (also known as AMD IOMMU).
Recommended Hardware:
- Fast SSD drive (recommended).
- Intel Integrated Graphics (preferred):
+ Nvidia GPU may require significant troubleshooting.
+ ATI GPU not officially tested (but you can check the hardware compatibility list).
Hardware Selection
- Check the hardware compatibility list for different versions of Qubes.
- Additionally, to further explore hardware compatibility, you may consider checking Qubes certification for your laptop.
Some Important Notes
- Qubes can be installed on systems that do not meet all the requirements. Such systems will still provide significant security improvements compared to traditional operating systems because GUI and Kernel protection do not require special hardware.
- Qubes can be installed on a USB flash drive or an external drive, and tests have shown that it works very well. Installing Qubes on a USB flash drive 3.0, with a minimum capacity of 32 GB and fast speed, is most suitable. It's as simple as plugging the USB drive into the computer before booting into the Qubes installer environment, selecting the USB flash drive as the destination drive, and proceeding with the normal installation. Once Qubes is installed on the USB flash drive, you can use that USB drive to boot into Qubes on other computers.
In addition to the benefit of having a portable copy of Qubes, this allows users to test hardware compatibility on various computers before deciding to purchase a machine. Also, it's important to note to change the devices assigned to netvm and usbvm if you move between different machines.
- There is also a USB live option, which is easier to test.
- Installing Qubes on a virtual machine is not recommended because it uses a bare-metal hypervisor (Xen).
- Macintosh computers are currently not supported due to keyboard and mouse issues.
- Advice on searching for notebooks with VT-d capability.
Important Note:
The advice for you is not to install Qubes on a virtual machine as it will not work. However, you can install Qubes on a USB flash drive and boot the computer from there. And such USB drives typically have slower speeds compared to internal hard drives. There is also a USB live option available.
Proceed with installing the Qubes operating system
Download Qubes OS ISO
You can download the Qubes operating system ISO file here: Download Qubes OS
Note that you cannot trust servers, so you should assume that servers may be compromised, or only accept compromised ISOs because operators have decided so for any reason.
Always verify the digital signature on the downloaded ISO. You can find and refer to additional instructions on how to verify the signature for more information on downloading and verifying PGP keys and verifying the downloaded ISO.
Copy Qubes OS ISO to the installation environment
After verifying the authenticity of the ISO, the next step is to copy the ISO to the installation environment you desire, such as a USB drive or DVD (note that security considerations should be taken into account when selecting the Qubes installation environment).
If you choose to use a USB drive, the next step is to copy the ISO to the USB device, for example using dd:
dd if=Qubes-R3-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdX
Note, in the command above:
- Replace Qubes-R3-x86_64.iso with the filename of the version you are using, and change /dev/sdX to your target device (such as /dev/sda).
Warning:
Choosing the wrong device will result in the loss of all your data. Make sure you write to the entire device (e.g., /dev/sda) and not just a partition (e.g., /dev/sda1).
On Windows, you can use the Rufus tool. Ensure that you select the 'DD image' mode (you must do this after selecting the Qubes ISO).
Before proceeding with the installation process, you should search for and consult information online. When ready, boot your system from the installation source (e.g., Qubes installation USB drive, …) and follow the on-screen instructions. The installer is quite straightforward and asks very few questions.
The installer loads Xen first, so you may see the installer's graphical window; Qubes will be working on your system.
Install Qubes OS from a USB drive
- Using a USB drive to install the operating system is a convenient and secure solution to ensure your data is protected. However, note that the USB drive must have a minimum capacity of 32 GB. This installation process may take longer than installing on a standard hard drive.
The installation process on a USB drive is similar to the process of installing from a hard drive, except:
- Selecting the USB drive as the location to store the operating system.
- Uncheck the option “Automatically configure my Qubes installation to the disk(s) I selected and return me to the main menu”.
Installing the operating system from a USB drive is the most common method used by users today, requiring only the iso file, usb, and boot USB creation software. For example: if you want to install Win 7 using USB, you only need the Win 7 iso file, a USB with capacity over 4G, then installing Win 7 using USB is very simple.
To simplify the installation of the Qubes operating system from USB, you can refer to how to create a qubes boot usb, install Qubes OS with USB shared by Mytour. The method of creating a qubes boot usb is only applicable to installing the Qubes operating system.
Upgrade
To receive guidance on upgrading your current version, you can refer to the Release Notes of the version you wish to upgrade. All these release notes are available on the official download page.
