qubes-doc/developer/releases/4_2/release-notes.rst

==========================
Qubes OS 4.2 release notes
==========================


New features and improvements since Qubes 4.1
---------------------------------------------


- Dom0 upgraded to Fedora 37
  (`#6982 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/6982>`__)

- Xen upgraded to version 4.17

- Default Debian template upgraded to Debian 12

- Default Fedora and Debian templates use Xfce instead of GNOME
  (`#7784 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/7784>`__)

- SELinux support in Fedora templates
  (`#4239 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/4239>`__)

- Several GUI applications rewritten (screenshots below), including:

  - Applications Menu (also available as preview in R4.1)
    (`#6665 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/6665>`__),
    (`#5677 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/5677>`__)

  - Qubes Global Settings
    (`#6898 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/6898>`__)

  - Create New Qube

  - Qubes Update
    (`#7443 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/7443>`__)



- Unified ``grub.cfg`` location for both UEFI and legacy boot
  (`#7985 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/7985>`__)

- PipeWire support
  (`#6358 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/6358>`__)

- fwupd integration for firmware updates
  (`#4855 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/4855>`__)

- Optional automatic clipboard clearing
  (`#3415 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/3415>`__)

- Official packages built using Qubes Builder v2
  (`#6486 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/6486>`__)

- Split GPG management in Qubes Global Settings

- Qrexec services use new qrexec policy format by default (but old
  format is still supported)
  (`#8000 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/8000>`__)

- Improved keyboard layout switching



For a full list, including more detailed descriptions, please see
`here <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues?q=is%3Aissue+sort%3Aupdated-desc+milestone%3A%22Release+4.2%22+label%3A%22release+notes%22+is%3Aclosed>`__.
Below are some screenshots of the new and improved Qubes GUI tools.

The new Qubes OS Update tool:

|Screenshot of the Qubes OS Update tool|

The new Qubes OS Global Config tool:

|Screenshot of the Qubes OS Global Config tool| |image1|

The new Qubes OS Policy Editor tool:

|Screenshot of the Qubes OS Policy Editor tool|

Known issues
------------


- DomU firewalls have completely switched to nftables. Users should add
  their custom rules to the ``custom-input`` and ``custom-forward``
  chains. (For more information, see issues
  `#5031 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/5031>`__ and
  `#6062 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/6062>`__.)

- Templates restored in 4.2 from a pre-4.2 backup continue to target
  their original Qubes OS release repos. If you are using fresh
  templates on a clean 4.2 installation, or if you performed an
  :ref:`in-place upgrade from 4.1 to 4.2 <user/downloading-installing-upgrading/upgrade/4_2:in-place upgrade>`, then this does not
  affect you. (For more information, see issue
  `#8701 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/8701>`__.)



Also see the `full list of open bug reports affecting Qubes 4.2 <https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues?q=is%3Aissue+label%3Aaffects-4.2+label%3A%22T%3A+bug%22+is%3Aopen>`__.

We strongly recommend :doc:`updating Qubes OS </user/how-to-guides/how-to-update>`
immediately after installation in order to apply all available bug
fixes.

Notes
-----


- Qubes 4.2 does not support Debian 11 templates (see :ref:`supported template releases <user/downloading-installing-upgrading/supported-releases:templates>`). Please
  :ref:`upgrade your Debian templates <user/templates/debian/debian:upgrading>`
  to Debian 12.



Download
--------


All Qubes ISOs and associated :doc:`verification files </project-security/verifying-signatures>` are available on the
:doc:`downloads </user/downloading-installing-upgrading/downloads>` page.

Installation instructions
-------------------------


See the :doc:`installation guide </user/downloading-installing-upgrading/installation-guide>`.

Upgrading
---------


Please see :doc:`how to upgrade to Qubes 4.2 </user/downloading-installing-upgrading/upgrade/4_2>`.

.. |Screenshot of the Qubes OS Update tool| image:: /attachment/site/4-2_update.png
   

.. |Screenshot of the Qubes OS Global Config tool| image:: /attachment/site/4-2_global-config_1.png
   

.. |image1| image:: /attachment/site/4-2_global-config_2.png
   

.. |Screenshot of the Qubes OS Policy Editor tool| image:: /attachment/site/4-2_policy-editor.png