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taradiddles 2018-09-28 18:24:58 +03:00
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docs/common-tasks/opening-urls-in-vms.md
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@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ A very powerful and convenient RPC policy rule is `ask`: in that case a dialog w
It is impossible to overstate how flexible this is and how much security it can add to one's workflow: while opening things in dispVMs is the most secure approach the problem is starting a dispVM for *each* URL/file takes far too much time and resources, leading people to open files/URLs in persistent VMs instead.
With the `ask` policy the VM selection dialog allows one to either start any new dispVM (not only default dispVMs but any other type of dispVM configured - see section "Considerations on dispVMs" below) or send the URL/file to an already running (disp)VM. So the first time an URL/file is open the (disp)VM will start if it wasn't running. The next time another URL/file is sent, there's no need start a new dispVM, one can instead select the already running (disp)VM. It is also possible to choose 'cancel' in the dialog and nothing will launch.
The `ask` policy's VM selection dialog allows one to start any type of VM or dispVM (see section "Considerations on dispVMs" below), or send the URL/file to an already running (disp)VM. The first time an URL/file is open the (disp)VM will start if it wasn't running. The next time another URL/file is sent, there's no need start a new (disp)VM, one can instead select the already running (disp)VM. It is also possible to choose 'cancel' in the dialog and nothing will launch.
This setup makes it possible to control if and on which network (eg. "clearnet", TOR, VPN) an URL is requested - always.
This setup makes it possible to control if and on which network (eg. "clearnet", TOR, VPN) an URL is requested - always. It also effectively mitigates the long starting times of dispVMs.
Note: when using the `ask` policy, the destination VM specified in `srcVM` by `qvm-open-in-vm` is ignored if no `allow` match exists for that given `srcVM`/`dstVM` combo.
@ -62,13 +62,13 @@ Considerations on dispVMs
### Re-using dispVMs ###
In the section above we've seen how using the 'ask' RPC policy allowed us to start a (disp)VM once and use it for opening subsequent URLs (or files). This effectively mitigates the long starting times of dispVMs, at the price of a loss in compartmentalization. It is thus up to the user to manage the lifecycle of a dispVM, killing it when necessary when a clean state is required.
In the section above we've seen how using the 'ask' RPC policy allowed us to start a (disp)VM once and use it for opening subsequent URLs (or files) to avoid having to wait insane amounts of time for dispVMs to start. Howecer this comes at the price of a loss in compartmentalization. It is thus up to the user to carefully pick destination VMs and to manage the lifecycle of dispVMs, killing it/them when necessary when a clean state is required.
### Managing changes ###
When opening and modifying a document in a dispVM the content is sent back to `srcVM` when the dispVM closes, before the dispVM's private volume is wiped. Other changes that were made to the VM are thus discarded - eg. updated add-on, tweaked browser preferences, ... ; The following ideas show how to cope with "deliberate" changes:
When opening and modifying a document in a dispVM the content is sent back to `srcVM` when the dispVM's process (eg. LibreOffice) closes. The the dispVM's private volume is then wiped and any change that was made to the VM are discarded - eg. automatically updated add-ons, blacklists, tweaked browser preferences, ... ; The following ideas show how to cope with those "deliberate" changes:
- inter-VM copy/paste is probably the easiest way to synchronize text between the (disp)VM and `srcVM` (or another dedicated secure VM like the oft-used 'vault' VM). Eg.:
- inter-VM copy/paste is probably the easiest way to synchronize small amount of data in text form from the dispVM to `srcVM` (or to another dedicated VM like the oft-used 'vault'). Eg.:
- passwords: copy/paste from/to KeepassX (or one of its forks).
- bookmarks: copy/paste from/to a plain text file, or an html file (like most browsers can export/import), or a dedicated bookmark manager like [buku](https://github.com/jarun/Buku) (command line manager, available in Fedora 28 repo - `dnf install buku`).
- other content/changes will have to be copied, usually to the (disp)VM templateVM. Care must be taken not to replicate compromised files: working with a freshly started (disp)VM and performing only the required update actions before synchronizing files with the templateVM is a good idea.
@ -148,7 +148,12 @@ Those browsers have an option to define programs associated to a file (MIME) typ
An alternative is to use Raffaele Florio's [qubes-url-redirector](https://github.com/raffaeleflorio/qubes-url-redirector) add-on, which provides a lot of flexibility when opening links without the hassle of having to write custom shell wrappers to `qvm-open-in-vm`. For instance links can be opened with a context menu and the add-on's default behavior can be configured, even with whitelist regexes.
Note: the qubes-url-redirector add-on will likely be included officialy in the next Qubes release (see [this](https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/3152) issue). The addon may also support Thunderbird in the future.
Notes:
- the qubes-url-redirector add-on will likely be included officialy in Qubes (see [this](https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/3152) issue).
- the add-on can actually be used with applications other than firefox/chrome/chromium, the only requirement is that URLs open in a browser in `srcVM`. It works like so:
- the application in `srcVM` opens an URL in the default browser in `srcVM` (eg. firefox)
- firefox starts on `srcVM`, the add-on processes the URL and according to its configuration "sends" the URL to the destination VM with `qubes.OpenURL`
- the URL opens in the destination VM's browser
#### Thunderbird ####
@ -170,7 +175,6 @@ Thunderbird will then ask which program to use the next time a link is opened. I
qvm-open-in-vm dstVM "$@"
~~~
#### Vi ####
Opening URLs: put the following in `$HOME/.vimrc`: