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title: WikiStart
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Welcome to the Qubes OS Project
===============================

[![Qubes OS Architecture](/attachment/wiki/QubesArchitecture/qubes-arch-diagram-1.png)](/wiki/QubesArchitecture)

Qubes is an open-source operating system designed to provide strong security for desktop computing using **Security by Compartmentalization** approach. Qubes is based on Xen, the X Window System, and Linux, and can run most Linux applications and utilize most of the Linux drivers. Qubes **Release 1** was released in September 2012 and **Release 2** in September 2014. Qubes also supports Windows-based AppVMs beginning with Release 2 (currently in "Beta"). Qubes **Release 3** is coming soon and will introduce **Hypervisor Abstraction Layer (HAL)**, allowing easy porting to alternative virtualization systems.

-   [A Simple Introduction to Qubes](/wiki/SimpleIntro)
-   [Getting Started](/wiki/GettingStarted)
-   [​Qubes OS Tutorial slides by ITL](http://www.invisiblethingslab.com/resources/2014/LinuxCon_2014_Qubes_Tutorial.pdf) (LinuxCon October 2014)
-   [Screenshots](/wiki/QubesScreenshots)
-   [Architecture Overview](/wiki/QubesArchitecture), and also the more recent: [​Why Qubes OS is more than a bunch of VMs?](http://www.invisiblethingslab.com/resources/2014/Software_compartmentalization_vs_physical_separation.pdf)
-   [Security](/wiki/QubesSecurity)
-   [FAQ](/wiki/UserFaq)
-   [User Documentation](/wiki/UserDoc)
-   [​How is Qubes OS different from...?](http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2012/09/how-is-qubes-os-different-from.html)
-   Beyond Qubes R2 -- the [​Qubes Odyssey Framework](http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2013/03/introducing-qubes-odyssey-framework.html)

Recent News
-----------

-   `Mar 21, 2013` Introducing Qubes Odyssey Framework [​article](http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2013/03/introducing-qubes-odyssey-framework.html)
-   `Jun 21, 2013` Qubes OS R3 Alpha preview: Odyssey HAL in action! [​announcement](http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2013/06/qubes-os-r3-alpha-preview-odyssey-hal.html)
-   `Nov 26, 2013` Windows 7 seamless GUI integration coming to Qubes OS! [​article](http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2013/11/windows-7-seamless-gui-integration.html)
-   `Dec 11, 2013` Qubes OS R2 Beta 3 has been released! [​announcement](http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2013/12/qubes-r2-beta-3-has-been-released.html)
-   `Feb 16, 2014` Qubes OS selected as a finalist of Access Innovation Prize 2014 for Endpoint Security Solution [​announcement](https://www.accessnow.org/blog/2014/02/13/endpoint-security-prize-finalists-announced?utm_content=buffere803e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer)
-   `Mar 28, 2014` [​Article about Qubes OS](http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2014/03/computer-security) in The Economist
-   `Apr 12, 2014` [​Article about Qubes OS](https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/blog/2014/04/operating-system-can-protect-you-even-if-you-get-hacked) by the [​Freedom of the Press Foundation](https://pressfreedomfoundation.org/about/board)
-   `Apr 21, 2014` Qubes OS R2 rc1 has been released! [​announcement](http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2014/04/qubes-os-r2-rc1-has-been-released.html)
-   `Jul 03, 2014` ITL to present on Qubes OS at LinuxCon Europe: a keynote by Joanna Rutkowska and hands-on training by the core dev team! [​conference website](http://events.linuxfoundation.org/events/linuxcon-europe)
-   `Jul 16, 2014` Qubes Wiki now uses a CA-signed SSL cert (but you might also want to [​read](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/qubes-users/LsDpKnwN6w8) also why this is mostly irrelevant)
-   `Aug 06, 2014` Qubes OS R2 rc2 has been released! [​announcement](http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2014/08/qubes-os-r2-rc2-debian-template-ssled.html)
-   `Sep 26, 2014` **Qubes OS R2** has been released! [​announcement](http://theinvisiblethings.blogspot.com/2014/09/announcing-qubes-os-release-2.html)
-   `Oct 19, 2014` LinuxCon EU 2014 slides: [​keynote](http://www.invisiblethingslab.com/resources/2014/LinuxCon_2014_Qubes_Keynote.pdf) and [​tutorial](http://www.invisiblethingslab.com/resources/2014/LinuxCon_2014_Qubes_Tutorial.pdf)
-   `Nov 20, 2014` [​Article about Qubes OS](http://www.wired.com/2014/11/protection-from-hackers/) in Wired