diff --git a/user/advanced-topics/gui-domain.md b/user/advanced-topics/gui-domain.md index 6c18d51f..ae2b21b5 100644 --- a/user/advanced-topics/gui-domain.md +++ b/user/advanced-topics/gui-domain.md @@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ At this point, you need to shutdown all your running qubes as the `default_guivm Here, we describe how to setup `sys-gui-gpu` which is a GUI domain with *GPU passthrough* in [GUI domain](/news/2020/03/18/gui-domain/#gpu-passthrough-the-perfect-world-desktop-solution). +> Note: the purpose of `sys-gui-gpu` is to improve Qubes OS security by detaching the GPU from dom0, this is not intended to improve GPU related performance within qubes, and this will not improve performance. + [![sys-gui-gpu](/attachment/posts/guivm-gpu.png)](/attachment/posts/guivm-gpu.png) In `dom0`, enable the formula for `sys-gui-gpu` with pillar data: diff --git a/user/advanced-topics/secondary-storage.md b/user/advanced-topics/secondary-storage.md index c8b23e62..9554d91e 100644 --- a/user/advanced-topics/secondary-storage.md +++ b/user/advanced-topics/secondary-storage.md @@ -11,58 +11,98 @@ ref: 187 title: Secondary storage --- +# Storing qubes on Secondary Drives + Suppose you have a fast but small primary SSD and a large but slow secondary HDD. -You want to store a subset of your app qubes on the HDD. +You may want to store a subset of your qubes on the HDD. +Or if you install a second SSD, you may want to use *that* for storage of some qubes. +This page explains how to use that second drive. ## Instructions Qubes 4.0 is more flexible than earlier versions about placing different VMs on different disks. For example, you can keep templates on one disk and app qubes on another, without messy symlinks. -These steps assume you have already created a separate [volume group](https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/6/html/logical_volume_manager_administration/vg_admin#VG_create) and [thin pool](https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/6/html/logical_volume_manager_administration/thinly_provisioned_volume_creation) (not thin volume) for your HDD. +You can query qvm-pool to list available storage drivers: + +``` shell_session +qvm-pool --help-drivers +``` +qvm-pool driver explanation: + +``` + refers to using a simple file for image storage and lacks a few features. + refers to storing images on a filesystem supporting copy on write. + refers to a directory holding kernel images. + refers to LVM managed pools. +``` +In theory, you can still use file-based disk images ("file" pool driver), but they will lack some features: for example, you won't be able to do backups without shutting down the qube. + +Additional storage can also be added on a Btrfs filesystem. A unique feature of Btrfs is that data can be compressed transparently. The subvolume can also be backed up using snapshots for an additional layer of protection; Btrfs supports differents level of redundancy; it has parity checksum; Btrfs volumes can be expanded or shrunk. Starting or stopping a VM has less impact and less chance of causing slowdown of the system as some users have noted with LVM. Relevant information for general btrfs configuration will be provided after the section on LVM storage. + +### LVM storage + +These steps assume you have already created a separate [volume group](https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/6/html/logical_volume_manager_administration/vg_admin#VG_create) and [thin pool](https://access.redhat.com/documentation/en-us/red_hat_enterprise_linux/6/html/logical_volume_manager_administration/thinly_provisioned_volume_creation) (not thin volume) for your second drive.. See also [this example](https://www.linux.com/blog/how-full-encrypt-your-linux-system-lvm-luks) if you would like to create an encrypted LVM pool (but note you can use a single logical volume if preferred, and to use the `-T` option on `lvcreate` to specify it is thin). You can find the commands for this example applied to Qubes at the bottom of this R4.0 section. First, collect some information in a dom0 terminal: -``` +```shell_session sudo pvs sudo lvs ``` -Take note of the VG and thin pool names for your HDD, then register it with Qubes: +Take note of the VG and thin pool names for your second drive., then register it with Qubes: -```shell_session +``` # is a freely chosen pool name # is LVM volume group name # is LVM thin pool name qvm-pool --add lvm_thin -o volume_group=,thin_pool=,revisions_to_keep=2 ``` +### BTRFS storage +Theses steps assume you have already created a separate Btrfs filesystem for your second drive., that it is encrypted with LUKS and it is mounted. It is recommended to use a subvolume as it enables compression and excess storage can be use for other things. + + +It is possible to use an existing Btrfs storage if it is configured. In dom0, available Btrfs storage can be displayed using: +```shell_session +mount -t btrfs +btrfs show filesystem +``` +To register the storage to qubes: + +```shell_session +# is a freely chosen pool name +# is the mounted path to the second btrfs storage +qvm-pool --add file-reflink -o dir_path=,revisions_to_keep=2 +``` + +#### Using the new pool + Now, you can create qubes in that pool: -``` +```shell_session qvm-create -P --label red ``` It isn't possible to directly migrate an existing qube to the new pool, but you can clone it there, then remove the old one: -``` +```shell_session qvm-clone -P qvm-remove ``` -If that was a template, or other qube referenced elsewhere (NetVM or such), you will need to adjust those references manually after moving. +If that was a template, or other qube referenced elsewhere (netVM or such), you will need to adjust those references manually after moving. For example: -``` +```shell_session qvm-prefs template ``` -In theory, you can still use file-based disk images ("file" pool driver), but it lacks some features such as you won't be able to do backups without shutting down the qube. +#### Example setup of second drive. -### Example HDD setup - -Assuming the secondary hard disk is at `/dev/sdb` (it will be completely erased), you can set it up for encryption by doing in a dom0 terminal (use the same passphrase as the main Qubes disk to avoid a second password prompt at boot): +Assuming the secondary hard disk is at /dev/sdb , you can encrypt the drive as follows. Note that the drive contents will be completely erased, In a dom0 terminal run this command - use the same passphrase as the main Qubes disk to avoid a second password prompt at boot: ``` sudo cryptsetup luksFormat --sector-size=512 /dev/sdb @@ -71,46 +111,83 @@ sudo blkid /dev/sdb (The `--sector-size=512` argument can sometimes work around an incompatibility of storage hardware with LVM thin pools on Qubes. If this does not apply to your hardware, the argument will make no difference.) -Note the device's UUID (in this example "b209..."), we will use it as its luks name for auto-mounting at boot, by doing: +Note the device's UUID (in this example "b209..."), we will use it as its luks name for auto-mounting at boot, by editing `/etc/crypttab`, and adding this line to crypttab (replacing both "b209..." entries with your device's UUID taken from blkid) : -``` -sudo nano /etc/crypttab -``` - -And adding this line (change both "b209..." for your device's UUID from blkid) to crypttab: - -``` +```shell_session luks-b20975aa-8318-433d-8508-6c23982c6cde UUID=b20975aa-8318-433d-8508-6c23982c6cde none ``` -Reboot the computer so the new luks device appears at `/dev/mapper/luks-b209...` and we can then create its pool, by doing this on a dom0 terminal (substitute the "b209..." UUIDs with yours): +Reboot the computer so the new luks device appears at /dev/mapper/luks-b209... You can then create the new pool by running this command in a dom0 terminal (substitute the b209... UUIDs with your UID): -First create the physical volume +##### For LVM -``` +First create the physical volume: +```shell_session sudo pvcreate /dev/mapper/luks-b20975aa-8318-433d-8508-6c23982c6cde ``` Then create the LVM volume group, we will use for example "qubes" as the : -``` +```shell_session sudo vgcreate qubes /dev/mapper/luks-b20975aa-8318-433d-8508-6c23982c6cde ``` And then use "poolhd0" as the (LVM thin pool name): -``` +```shell_session sudo lvcreate -T -n poolhd0 -l +100%FREE qubes ``` -Finally we will tell Qubes to add a new pool on the just created thin pool +Finally we will tell Qubes to add a new pool on the just created thin pool: -``` +```shell_session qvm-pool --add poolhd0_qubes lvm_thin -o volume_group=qubes,thin_pool=poolhd0,revisions_to_keep=2 ``` +#### For Btrfs -By default VMs will be created on the main Qubes disk (i.e. a small SSD), to create them on this secondary HDD do the following on a dom0 terminal: +First create the physical volume: +```shell_session +#