--- layout: doc title: Qubes R3.0 Release Notes permalink: /doc/releases/3.0/release-notes/ redirect_from: - /en/doc/releases/3.0/release-notes/ --- Qubes R3.0 Release Notes ======================== This Qubes OS release is dedicated to the memory of Caspar Bowden. New features since 2.0 ---------------------- * HAL (Hypervisor Abstraction Layer) - based on libvirt, opens a whole new possibilities of using different hypervisors. Currently Qubes OS uses Xen. * Xen 4.4 - many new features, but for us the most important is much more mature libxl toolstack. * Qrexec 3 - greatly improved performance by using direct VM-VM connections and bigger buffers. * Debian templates gets official support. * Whonix templates * Build system improvements - especially support for distribution-specific plugins (makes supporting multiple distributions much easier) and building templates using DispVM. * Automated tests - makes much easier to find bugs, before its even shipped to users Known issues ------------ * Windows Tools: `qvm-block` does not work * UEFI is not supported, you need to enable "legacy boot" in BIOS before installing Qubes OS * Some icons in the Qubes Manager application might not be drawn correctly when using the Xfce4 environment in Dom0. If this bothers you, please use the KDE environment instead. * If your GPU is not correctly supported by the Dom0 kernel (e.g. the 3D desktop effects do not run smoothly) then you might experience "heaviness" with Windows 7-based AppVMs. In that case, please solve the problem with your GPU support in Dom0 in the first place (by using a different kernel), or install Qubes OS on a different system. * For other known issues take a look at [our tickets](https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+milestone%3A%22Release+3.0%22+label%3Abug) It is advised to install updates just after system installation to apply bug fixes for (some of) the above problems. Downloads --------- See [Qubes Downloads](/doc/QubesDownloads/). Installation instructions ------------------------- See [Installation Guide](/doc/installation-guide/). Upgrading --------- ### From R3.0 release candidate If you are using Qubes R3.0rc1, R3.0rc2 or R3.0rc3, just install system updates, there is no special steps required. ### From R2.0 or earlier The easiest and safest way to upgrade to Qubes R3.0 is to install it from scratch and use [qubes backup and restore tools](/doc/backup-restore/) for migrating of all of the user VMs. Users of Qubes R2 can upgrade using [experimental procedure](/doc/upgrade-to-r3.0/).