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I have corrected broken links, including the first to the Xen project wiki and the one mentioned by Marek. I reviewed other links as well to be sure they are working
195 lines
9.5 KiB
Markdown
195 lines
9.5 KiB
Markdown
---
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layout: intro
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title: An Introduction to Qubes OS
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permalink: /intro/
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redirect_from:
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- /tour/
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- /en/tour/
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- /tour/#what-is-qubes-os
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- /about/
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- /en/about/
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---
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What is Qubes OS?
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-----------------
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<div class="row">
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<div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3 text-left">
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<p>Qubes OS is a free and open-source security-oriented operating system meant for single-user desktop computing.</p>
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<p>Qubes OS leverages <a href="https://wiki.xen.org/wiki/Xen_Project_Software_Overview">xen-based virtualization</a> to allow for the creation and management of isolated virtual machines called <a href="/doc/glossary#qube">qubes</a>.
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Qubes, which are also referred to as <a href="/doc/glossary#domain">domains</a> or compartments, have specific :</p>
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<ul>
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<li><b>Purposes</b> : with a predefined set of one or many isolated applications, for personal or professional projects, to manage the <a href="/doc/networking/">network stack</a>, <a href="/doc/firewall/">the firewall</a>, or to fulfill other user-defined purposes.</li>
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<li><b>Natures</b> : <a href="/doc/standalone-and-hvm/">full-fledged</a> or <a href="/getting-started/#appvms-qubes-and-templatevms">stripped-down</a> virtual machines which are based on popular operating systems such as <a href="/doc/templates/fedora">Fedora</a>, <a href="/doc/templates/debian">Debian</a> or <a href="/doc/windows/">Windows</a>.</li>
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<li><b>Levels of trust</b> : from complete to non-existent. All windows are displayed in a unified desktop environment with <a href="https://www.qubes-os.org/getting-started/">unforgeable colored window borders</a> so different security levels are easily identifiable.</li>
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</ul>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9">
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<h3 class="text-center add-bottom">Qubes OS Overview Example</h3>
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<img src="/attachment/site/qubesosdiagram.png" height="600" class="center-block">
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</div>
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</div>
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<div class="alert alert-info" role="alert">
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<i class="fa fa-question-circle"></i>
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<b>Note : </b> Head over to the <a href="/doc/glossary/">glossary</a> or the <a href="/faq">FAQ</a> for more information.
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</div>
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<h2>Features</h2>
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<div class="row more-bottom">
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>Strong isolation</h3>
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<p>Isolate software as if they were installed on separate physical machines using <a href="/doc/glossary/#pv">PV</a> or <a href="/doc/glossary/#hvm">HVM</a> virtualization techniques</p>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>Template system</h3>
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<p> Allow qubes called <a href="/getting-started/#appvms-qubes-and-templatevms">AppVMs</a> to share a root file system without sacrificing security using the innovative <a href="/doc/templates/">Template system</a></p>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>Multiple operating systems</h3>
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<p> Use multiple operating systems at the same time, including <a href="/doc/templates/fedora">Fedora</a>, <a href="/doc/templates/debian">Debian</a>, or <a href="/doc/windows/">Windows</a></p>
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</div>
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</div>
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<hr class="add-top more-bottom">
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<div class="row more-bottom">
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>Disposable VMs</h3>
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<p>Create <a href="/doc/disposablevm/">disposable VMs</a> which are spawned quickly and destroyed when closed</p>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>Whonix integration</h3>
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<p> Run <a href="https://www.torproject.org/">Tor</a> securely system-wide using <a href="/doc/whonix/">Whonix with Qubes</a></p>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>Controller isolation</h3>
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<p>Secure <a href="/doc/device-handling/">device handling</a> through isolation of network cards and USB controllers</p>
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</div>
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</div>
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<hr class="add-top more-bottom">
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<div class="row more-bottom">
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>Split GPG</h3>
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<p>Utilize <a href="/doc/split-gpg/">Split GPG</a> to store private GPG keys in an AppVM</p>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>U2F proxy</h3>
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<p>Operate <a href="/doc/u2f-proxy/">Qubes U2F proxy</a> to use two-factor authentication</p>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>Open-source</h3>
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<p>Users are free to use, copy and modify Qubes OS and <a href="/doc/contributing/">are encouraged to do so!</a></p>
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</div>
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</div>
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<div class="alert alert-info" role="alert">
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<i class="fa fa-question-circle"></i>
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<b>Note : </b> Given the technical nature of Qubes OS, prior experience with a Linux distribution such as Ubuntu, Debian or Fedora is advisable.
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</div>
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Why Qubes OS ?
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--------------
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<h3>Physical isolation is a given safeguard that the digital world lacks</h3>
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<div class="row">
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<div class="col-lg-6 col-md-6 text-left">
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<p>Throughout their lives, individuals engage in various activities such as going to school, working, voting, taking care of their families or visiting with friends. </p>
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<p>These activities are spatially and temporally bound : they happen in isolation of one another, in their own compartments, which often represent an essential safeguard, such as in the case of voting.</p>
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<p>In one's digital life, the situation is quite different : each activity, often intertwined with its real-life counterpart, tends to happen on a single computing device.</p>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-6 col-md-6">
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<img src="/attachment/wiki/GettingStarted/r2b1-qubes-manager-2.png" height="300" class="center-block">
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</div>
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</div>
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<h3>Qubes OS compartmentalizes one's digital life</h3>
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<div class="row">
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<div class="col-lg-3 col-md-3">
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<img src="/attachment/icons/128x128/apps/qubes-logo-icon.png" height="128" class="center-block">
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9 text-left">
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<p> Surprisingly, personal computing devices are not designed to offer means to enforce the same kind of isolation that people enjoy in the physical world.</p>
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<p>What if there were an operating system that provided a kind of digital compartmentalization almost as strong as physical isolation?</p>
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<p>Qubes OS allows users to compartmentalize various parts of their digital lives into well-isolated compartments.</p>
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</div>
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</div>
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<h3>Made to support vulnerable users</h3>
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<div class="col-lg-12 col-md-12 text-left">
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<p>Thanks to Qubes OS, vulnerable or actively targeted individuals such as journalists, political activists, whistleblowers or researchers can enjoy the same benefits of using multiple computing devices at a fraction of the cost and without the associated loss of usability.</p>
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<p> It allows users to do everything on the same physical computer without having to worry about a single successful cyberattack taking down their entire digital life in one fell swoop.</p>
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<p>Computing should remain an activity where mistakes can be made and where users can explore the web freely, downloading attachments and clicking on links without having to constantly evaluate a myriad of risk factors.</p>
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<p>Qubes OS strives to bring back this experience. It creates a place where users can feel safe.</p>
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</div>
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</div>
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<p><img src="/attachment/wiki/GettingStarted/snapshot12.png" alt="snapshot12.png"/></p>
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<hr class="add-top more-bottom">
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<div class="row more-bottom">
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>Video Tours</h3>
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<p>Want to see Qubes OS in action? Sit back and watch a guided tour!</p>
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<a href="/video-tours/" class="btn btn-primary">
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<i class="fa fa-play-circle"></i> Video Tours
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</a>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>Screenshots</h3>
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<p>See what using Qubes actually looks like with these screenshots of various applications running in Qubes.</p>
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<a href="/screenshots/" class="btn btn-primary">
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<i class="fa fa-picture-o"></i> Screenshots
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</a>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>Getting Started</h3>
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<p>Ready to get started with Qubes? Here's what you need to know after installing.</p>
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<a href="/getting-started/" class="btn btn-primary">
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<i class="fa fa-cubes"></i> Getting Started
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</a>
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</div>
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</div>
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More information
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----------------
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This page is just a brief introduction to what Qubes is all about, and many
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technical details have been omitted here for the sake of presentation.
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* If you're a current or potential Qubes user, you may want to check out the
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[documentation][doc] and the [FAQ][user-faq].
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* If you're a developer, there's dedicated [documentation][system-doc]
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and an [FAQ][devel-faq] just for you.
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* Ready to give Qubes a try? Head on over to the [downloads] page or the [installation guide].
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[disposable qube]: /doc/disposablevm/
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[networking]: /doc/networking/
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[firewalls]: /doc/firewall/
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[USB]: /doc/usb/
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[file]: /doc/copying-files/
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[clipboard]: /doc/copy-paste/
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[Template]: /doc/templates/
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[Qubes-Whonix]: /doc/whonix/
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[Whonix]: https://www.whonix.org/
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[Tor]: https://www.torproject.org/
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[Anti Evil Maid]: /doc/anti-evil-maid/
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[Tails]: https://tails.boum.org/
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[Xen]: https://www.xenproject.org
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[paper-compart]: https://invisiblethingslab.com/resources/2014/Software_compartmentalization_vs_physical_separation.pdf
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[doc]: /doc/
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[user-faq]: /faq/#users
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[system-doc]: /doc/system-doc/
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[devel-faq]: /faq/#developers
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[downloads]: /downloads/
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[getting started]: /getting-started/
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[installation guide]: /doc/installation-guide/
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