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Add dev FAQ entry on software verifiability requirements

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QubesOS/qubes-issues#3720
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Andrew David Wong 2018-03-20 20:39:19 -05:00
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@ -489,6 +489,18 @@ More examples can be found by searching for "Failed to synchronize cache for rep
## Developers
### Are there restrictions on the software that the Qubes developers are willing to use?
Yes.
In general, the Qubes developers will not use a piece of software unless there is an *easy* way to verify both its **integrity** and **authenticity**, preferably via PGP signatures (see [Verifying Signatures](/security/verifying-signatures/)).
Specifically:
* If PGP signatures are used, the signing key(s) should have well-publicized fingerprint(s) verifiable via multiple independent channels or be accessible to the developers through a web of trust.
* If the software is security-sensitive and requires communication with the outside world, a "split" implementation is highly preferred (for examples, see [Split GPG](/doc/split-gpg/) and [Split Bitcoin](/doc/split-bitcoin/)).
* If the software has dependencies, these should be packaged and available in repos for a [current, Qubes-supported version](/doc/supported-versions/#templatevms) of Fedora (preferred) or Debian (unless all the insecure dependencies can run in an untrusted VM in a "split" implementation).
* If the software must be built from source, the source code and any builders must be signed.
(Practically speaking, the more cumbersome and time-consuming it is to build from source, the less likely the developers are to use it.)
### Why does dom0 need to be 64-bit?
Since 2013 [Xen has not supported 32-bit x86 architecture](https://wiki.xenproject.org/wiki/Xen_Project_Release_Features) and Intel VT-d, which Qubes uses to isolate devices and drivers, is available on Intel 64-bit processors only.