--- layout: doc title: Qubes OS 4.2 release notes permalink: /doc/releases/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](/attachment/site/4-2_update.png)](/attachment/site/4-2_update.png) The new Qubes OS Global Config tool: [![Screenshot of the Qubes OS Global Config tool](/attachment/site/4-2_global-config_1.png)](/attachment/site/4-2_global-config_1.png) [![Screenshot of the Qubes OS Global Config tool](/attachment/site/4-2_global-config_2.png)](/attachment/site/4-2_global-config_2.png) The new Qubes OS Policy Editor tool: [![Screenshot of the Qubes OS Policy Editor tool](/attachment/site/4-2_policy-editor.png)](/attachment/site/4-2_policy-editor.png) ## 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 [in-place upgrade from 4.1 to 4.2](/doc/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 [updating Qubes OS](/doc/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 [supported template releases](/doc/supported-releases/#templates)). Please [upgrade your Debian templates](/doc/templates/debian/#upgrading) to Debian 12. - Qubes 4.2.2 includes a fix for [#8332: File-copy qrexec service is overly restrictive](https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/8332). As explained in the issue comments, a change was introduced in Qubes 4.2.0 that caused inter-qube file-copy/move actions to reject filenames containing, e.g., non-Latin characters and certain symbols. This was a backward-incompatible change that should not have been introduced in a minor release. The fix replaces the default file-copy qrexec service that exists in Qubes 4.2.0 and 4.2.1 (`qubes.Filecopy`) with a less restrictive file-copy qrexec service that restores the pre-4.2 behavior (`qubes.Filecopy+allow-all-bytes`). Users who wish to preserve the more restrictive 4.2.0 and 4.2.1 behavior can do so by modifying their RPC policy rules to use the more restrictive service. To switch a single rule to the more restrictive behavior, change `*` in the argument column to `+` (i.e., change "any argument" to "only empty"). To use the more restrictive behavior globally, add a "deny" rule for `qubes.Filecopy+allow-all-bytes` before all other relevant rules. For more information, see [RPC policies](/doc/rpc-policy/) and [Qube configuration interface](/doc/vm-interface/#qubes-rpc). ## Download All Qubes ISOs and associated [verification files](/security/verifying-signatures/) are available on the [downloads](/downloads/) page. ## Installation instructions See the [installation guide](/doc/installation-guide/). ## Upgrading Please see [how to upgrade to Qubes 4.2](/doc/upgrade/4.2/).