Qubes OS

Overview

Qubes OS is a free, open-source operating system focused on security, privacy, and isolation. Based on Fedora Linux and utilizing the Xen hypervisor, it allows users to run applications and services in separate virtual machines (called Qubes), thus implementing the concept of "security by isolation." Developed by the Polish company ITL and the community, Qubes OS supports the x86_64 architecture and is suitable for desktops and laptops. It ships with the XFCE desktop environment by default, but also supports KDE Plasma and GNOME. It uses the yum or dnf package managers, comes pre-installed with software such as Firefox, Thunderbird, and LibreOffice, and supports multiple languages (including Chinese). Qubes OS emphasizes a template virtual machine mechanism, allowing users to create templates based on Fedora or Debian to run isolated applications (such as browsers, network, and USB). The latest version is Qubes OS 4.3.0 (released in March 2025), featuring Xen 4.17 and Linux kernel 6.6, with support for Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) and USB/IP.

History and Development

• Origins:
  • 2010: Founded by Joanna Rutkowska and Rafal Wojtczuk of the Polish company Invisible Things Lab (ITL), with the goal of building a secure operating system based on virtualization isolation to address security vulnerabilities in traditional operating systems.
  • Inspired by the Xen project, it was initially based on Fedora 14.
• Development History:
  • 2012: Qubes OS 1.0 was released, based on Xen 4.1 and supporting Fedora templates.
  • 2014: Qubes OS 3.0 introduced Debian templates and Windows support (beta).
  • 2018: Qubes OS 4.0 optimizes GUI virtualization, supports USB/IP, and HVM.
  • 2022: Qubes OS 4.1 supports more templates (such as Windows 10 and Whonix).
  • March 2025: Qubes OS 4.3.0 will be released, based on Xen 4.17 and Fedora 41 templates, with support for ARM beta and HSM.
• Community and Support:
  • Maintained by the ITL and the community, hosted at qubes-os.org, GitHub, and the forum (forum.qubes-os.org). - Supports English and multiple languages (Chinese via community translation), and comprehensive documentation (qubes-os.org/doc).
  • A Reddit user called Qubes OS "a model of a secure operating system."
• Open source licenses:
  • GPL v2 (core), MIT (some tools).

Key Features

Qubes OS focuses on isolation, virtualization, and security, making it suitable for privacy-sensitive scenarios. Here are its key features:

1. Isolated Virtual Machines (Qubes)
   • Use the Xen Hypervisor to create virtual machines (Qubes) and isolate applications (such as AppVM, Network VM, and USBVM).
   • Support for Template VMs (TemplateVM), based on Fedora or Debian, with a shared root file system.
2. Template Mechanism
   • Template VMs provide shared software packages, and updates are propagated to AppVMs.
   • Support for Windows templates (beta).
3. Graphical Management Tools
   • Qubes Manager and the Qubes Admin API provide a GUI for managing VMs.
4. Privacy and Security Tools
   • Built-in Tor and Whonix templates support anonymous browsing.
   • Support for USB/IP and HSM.
5. Performance and Hardware Support
   • Minimum requirements: 4GB RAM, 32GB disk, Intel VT-x/AMD-V (8GB RAM, 100GB disk recommended).
   • Support for virtualization hardware acceleration (VT-d/AMD-Vi).
6. Development Support
   • Support for Qubes Builder, custom templates.

Advantages and Limitations

Advantages

• Isolation and Security:
  • Xen virtualization provides strong isolation, superior to GhostBSD's ZFS.
  • X post claims, "Qubes OS is the ultimate solution for privacy."
• Template Mechanism:
  • Shared packages reduce redundancy, superior to Mageia's standalone installation.
• Privacy:
  • Tor and Whonix templates, better than KaOS's standard privacy.
• Community-Driven:
  • Active forums and documentation, better than Slackware's limited resources.
• Flexibility:
  • Supports templates for Fedora, Debian, Whonix, and Windows.

Limitations

• High Hardware Requirements:
  • Requires virtualization support (VT-x/AMD-V), not suitable for older CPUs.
• Learning Curve:
  • Complex VM configuration, not suitable for beginners.
• Performance Overhead:
  • Virtualization consumes more resources and is slower than native Rocky Linux.
• Software Compatibility:
  • Some Windows software requires template adjustments.

Summary

Qubes OS is a free, open-source, secure operating system based on Fedora. The latest version 4.3.0 (March 2025) runs Xen 4.17 and Linux kernel 6.6, supporting the x86_64 architecture. It is centered around isolated virtual machines (Qubes), template mechanisms, and privacy tools. Qubes OS offers outstanding isolation and security, but has high hardware requirements and a steep learning curve.