mirror of
https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-doc.git
synced 2024-12-16 03:04:29 -05:00
406 lines
19 KiB
Markdown
406 lines
19 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
layout: doc
|
|
title: Installation guide
|
|
permalink: /doc/installation-guide/
|
|
redirect_from:
|
|
- /en/doc/installation-guide/
|
|
- /doc/InstallationGuide/
|
|
- /wiki/InstallationGuide/
|
|
- /doc/InstallationGuideR1/
|
|
- /doc/InstallationGuideR2B1/
|
|
- /doc/InstallationGuideR2B2/
|
|
- /doc/InstallationGuideR2B3/
|
|
- /doc/InstallationGuideR2rc1/
|
|
- /doc/InstallationGuideR2rc2/
|
|
- /doc/InstallationGuideR3.0rc1/
|
|
- /doc/InstallationGuideR3.0rc2/
|
|
- /doc/live-usb/
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Installation guide
|
|
|
|
Welcome to the Qubes OS installation guide!
|
|
This guide will walk you through the process of installing Qubes.
|
|
Please read it carefully and thoroughly, as it contains important information for ensuring that your Qubes OS installation is functional and secure.
|
|
|
|
## Pre-installation
|
|
|
|
### Hardware requirements
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-danger" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-exclamation-triangle"></i>
|
|
<b>Warning:</b> Qubes has no control over what happens on your computer before you install it.
|
|
No software can provide security if it is installed on compromised hardware.
|
|
Do not install Qubes on a computer you don't trust.
|
|
See <a href="/doc/install-security/">installation security</a> for more information.
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
Qubes OS has very specific [system requirements].
|
|
To ensure compatibility, we strongly recommend using [Qubes-certified hardware].
|
|
Other hardware may require you to perform significant troubleshooting.
|
|
You may also find it helpful to consult the [Hardware Compatibility List].
|
|
|
|
Even on supported hardware, you must ensure that [IOMMU-based virtualization] is activated in the BIOS.
|
|
Without it, Qubes OS won't be able to enforce isolation.
|
|
For Intel-based boards, this setting is called Intel Virtualization for Directed I/O (**Intel VT-d**) and for AMD-based boards, it is called AMD I/O Virtualization Technology (or simply **AMD-Vi**).
|
|
This parameter should be activated in your computer's BIOS, alongside the standard Virtualization (**Intel VT-x**) and AMD Virtualization (**AMD-V**) extensions.
|
|
This [external guide][intel-guide] made for Intel-based boards can help you figure out how to enter your BIOS to locate and activate those settings.
|
|
If those settings are not nested under the Advanced tab, you might find them under the Security tab.
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-warning" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-exclamation-circle"></i>
|
|
<b>Note:</b> Qubes OS is not meant to be installed inside a virtual machine as a guest hypervisor.
|
|
In other words, <b>nested virtualization</b> is not supported.
|
|
In order for a strict compartmentalization to be enforced, Qubes OS needs to be able to manage the hardware directly.
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
### Copying the ISO onto the installation medium
|
|
|
|
Start by [downloading][downloads] a Qubes ISO.
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-danger" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-exclamation-triangle"></i>
|
|
<b>Warning:</b> Any file you download from the internet could be malicious, even if it appears to come from a trustworthy source.
|
|
Our philosophy is to <a href="/faq/#what-does-it-mean-to-distrust-the-infrastructure">distrust the infrastructure</a>.
|
|
Regardless of how you acquire your Qubes ISO, <a href="/security/verifying-signatures/">verify its authenticity</a> before continuing.
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
Once the ISO has been verified as authentic, you should copy it onto the installation medium of your choice, such as a dual-layer DVD, a Blu-ray disc, or a USB drive.
|
|
The size of each Qubes ISO is available on the [downloads] page by hovering over the download button.
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-warning" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-exclamation-circle"></i>
|
|
<b>Note:</b> There are important <a href="/doc/install-security/">security considerations</a> to keep in mind when choosing an installation medium.
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-danger" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-exclamation-triangle"></i>
|
|
<b>Warning:</b> Be careful to choose the correct device when copying the ISO, or you may lose data.
|
|
We strongly recommended making a full backup before modifying any devices.
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
If you choose to use a USB drive, copy the ISO onto the USB device, e.g. using `dd`:
|
|
|
|
$ sudo dd if=Qubes-RX-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdY status=progress bs=1048576 && sync
|
|
|
|
Change `Qubes-RX-x86_64.iso` to the filename of the version you're installing, and change `/dev/sdY` to the correct target device e.g., `/dev/sdc`).
|
|
Make sure to write to the entire device (e.g., `/dev/sdc`) rather than just a single partition (e.g., `/dev/sdc1`).
|
|
|
|
On Windows, you can use the [Rufus] tool to write the ISO to a USB key.
|
|
MediaTest is not recommended.
|
|
Be sure to select "DD image" mode (*after* selecting the Qubes ISO):
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-warning" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-exclamation-circle"></i>
|
|
<b>Note:</b> If you do this on Windows 10, you can only install Qubes without MediaTest, which is not recommended.
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you are an advanced user, and you would like to customize your installation, please see [custom installation].
|
|
Otherwise, follow the instructions below.
|
|
|
|
## Installation
|
|
|
|
This section will demonstrate a simple installation using mostly default settings.
|
|
|
|
### Getting to the boot screen
|
|
|
|
Just after you power on your machine, make the Qubes OS medium available to the computer by inserting your DVD or USB drive.
|
|
Shortly after the Power-on self-test (POST) is completed, you should be greeted with the Qubes OS boot screen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-info" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-info-circle"></i>
|
|
<b>Note:</b> When installing Qubes OS 4.0 on UEFI, there is intentionally no boot menu.
|
|
It goes straight to the installer.
|
|
The boot menu will be back in Qubes OS 4.1.
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
From here, you can navigate the boot screen using the arrow keys on your keyboard.
|
|
Pressing the "Tab" key will reveal options.
|
|
You can choose one of three options:
|
|
|
|
* Install Qubes OS
|
|
* Test this media and install Qubes OS
|
|
* Troubleshooting
|
|
|
|
Select the option to test this media and install Qubes OS.
|
|
|
|
If the boot screen does not appear, there are several options to troubleshoot.
|
|
First, try rebooting your computer.
|
|
If it still loads your currently installed operating system or does not detect your installation medium, make sure the boot order is set up appropriately.
|
|
The process to change the boot order varies depending on the currently installed system and the motherboard manufacturer.
|
|
If **Windows 10** is installed on your machine, you may need to follow specific instructions to change the boot order.
|
|
This may require an [advanced reboot].
|
|
|
|
After the POST, you may have a chance to choose a boot device.
|
|
You may wish to select the USB drive or DVD drive as a temporary boot option so that the next time you boot, your internal storage device will be selected first.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### The installer home screen
|
|
|
|
On the first screen, you are asked to select the language that will be used during the installation process.
|
|
When you are done, select **Continue**.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Prior to the next screen, a compatibility test runs to check whether IOMMU-virtualization is active or not.
|
|
If the test fails, a window will pop up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Do not panic.
|
|
It may simply indicate that IOMMU-virtualization hasn't been activated in the BIOS.
|
|
Return to the [hardware requirements] section to learn how to activate it.
|
|
If the setting is not configured correctly, it means that your hardware won't be able to leverage some Qubes security features, such as a strict isolation of the networking and USB hardware.
|
|
|
|
If the test passes, you will reach the installation summary screen.
|
|
The installer loads Xen right at the beginning.
|
|
If you can see the installer's graphical screen, and you pass the compatibility check that runs immediately afterward, Qubes OS is likely to work on your system!
|
|
|
|
Like Fedora, Qubes OS uses the Anaconda installer.
|
|
Those that are familiar with RPM-based distributions should feel at home.
|
|
|
|
### Installation summary
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-success" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-check-circle"></i>
|
|
<b>Did you know?</b> The Qubes OS installer is completely offline.
|
|
It doesn't even load any networking drivers, so there is no possibility of internet-based data leaks or attacks during the installation process.
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
The Installation summary screen allows you to change how the system will be installed and configured, including localization settings.
|
|
At minimum, you are required to select the storage device on which Qubes OS will be installed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Localization
|
|
|
|
Let's assume you wish to add a German keyboard layout.
|
|
Go to Keyboard Layout, press the "Plus" symbol, search for "German" as indicated in the screenshot and press "Add".
|
|
If you want it be your default language, select the "German" entry in the list and press the arrow button.
|
|
Click on "Done" in the upper left corner, and you're ready to go!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The process to select a new language is similar to the process to select a new keyboard layout.
|
|
Follow the same process in the "Language Support" entry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
You can have as many keyboard layout and languages as you want.
|
|
Post-install, you will be able to switch between them and install others.
|
|
|
|
Don't forget to select your time and date by clicking on the Time & Date entry.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Software
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On the software selection tab, you can choose which software to install in Qubes OS.
|
|
Two options are available:
|
|
|
|
* **Debian:** Select this option if you would like to use [Debian] qubes in addition to the default Fedora qubes.
|
|
* **Whonix:** Select this option if you would like to use [Whonix] qubes.
|
|
Whonix allows you to use [Tor] securely within Qubes.
|
|
|
|
Whonix lets you route some or all of your network traffic through Tor for greater privacy.
|
|
Depending on your threat model, you may need to install Whonix templates right away.
|
|
|
|
Regardless of your choices on this screen, you will always be able to install these and other [TemplateVMs] later.
|
|
If you're short on disk space, you may wish to deselect these options.
|
|
|
|
By default, Qubes OS comes preinstalled with the lightweight Xfce4 desktop environment.
|
|
Other desktop environments will be available to you after the installation is completed, though they may not be officially supported (see [advanced configuration]).
|
|
|
|
Press **Done** to go back to the installation summary screen.
|
|
|
|
### Installation destination
|
|
|
|
Under the System section, you must choose the installation destination.
|
|
Select the storage device on which you would like to install Qubes OS.
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-danger" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-exclamation-triangle"></i>
|
|
<b>Warning:</b> Be careful to choose the correct installation target, or you may lose data.
|
|
We strongly recommended making a full backup before proceeding.
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
|
|
Your installation destination can be an internal or external storage drive, such as an SSD, HDD, or USB drive.
|
|
The installation destination must have a least 32 GiB of free space available.
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-warning" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-exclamation-circle"></i>
|
|
<b>Note:</b> The installation destination cannot be the same as the installation medium. For example, if you're installing Qubes OS <em>from</em> a USB drive <em>onto</em> a USB drive, they must be two distinct USB drives, and they must both be plugged into your computer at the same time. (Note: This may not apply to advanced users who partition their devices appropriately.)
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
Installing an operating system onto a USB drive can be a convenient way to try Qubes.
|
|
However, USB drives are typically much slower than internal SSDs.
|
|
We recommend a very fast USB 3.0 drive for decent performance.
|
|
Please note that a minimum storage of 32 GiB is required.
|
|
If you want to install Qubes OS onto a USB drive, just select the USB device as the target installation device.
|
|
Bear in mind that the installation process is likely to take longer than it would on an internal storage device.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-success" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-check-circle"></i>
|
|
<b>Did you know?</b> Qubes OS uses full-disk AES encryption (FDE) via LUKS by default.
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
As soon as you press **Done**, the installer will ask you to enter a passphrase for disk encryption.
|
|
The passphrase should be complex.
|
|
Make sure that your keyboard layout reflects what keyboard you are actually using.
|
|
When you're finished, press **Done**.
|
|
|
|
<div class="alert alert-danger" role="alert">
|
|
<i class="fa fa-exclamation-triangle"></i>
|
|
<b>Warning:</b> If you forget your encryption passphrase, there is no way to recover it.
|
|
</div>
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When you're ready, press **Begin Installation**.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Create your user account
|
|
|
|
While the installation process is running, you can create your user account.
|
|
This is what you'll use to log in after disk decryption and when unlocking the screen locker.
|
|
This is a purely local, offline account in dom0.
|
|
By design, Qubes OS is a single-user operating system, so this is just for you.
|
|
|
|
Select **User Creation** to define a new user with administrator privileges and a password.
|
|
Just as for the disk encryption, this password should be complex.
|
|
The root account is deactivated and should remain as such.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When the installation is complete, press **Reboot**.
|
|
Don't forget to remove the installation medium, or else you may end up seeing the installer boot screen again.
|
|
|
|
## Post-installation
|
|
|
|
### First boot
|
|
|
|
If the installation was successful, you should now see the GRUB menu during the boot process.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just after this screen, you will be asked to enter your encryption passphrase.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
### Initial Setup
|
|
|
|
You're almost done.
|
|
Before you can start using Qubes OS, some configuration is needed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By default, the installer will create a number of qubes (depending on the options you selected during the installation process).
|
|
These are designed to give you a more ready-to-use environment from the get-go.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Let's briefly go over the options:
|
|
|
|
* **Create default system qubes:**
|
|
These are the core components of the system, required for things like internet access.
|
|
* **Create default application qubes:**
|
|
These are how you compartmentalize your digital life.
|
|
There's nothing special about the ones the installer creates.
|
|
They're just suggestions that apply to most people.
|
|
If you decide you don't want them, you can always delete them later, and you can always create your own.
|
|
* **Create Whonix Gateway and Workstation qubes:**
|
|
If you want to use Whonix, you should select this option.
|
|
* **Enabling system and template updates over the Tor anonymity network using Whonix:**
|
|
If you select this option, then whenever you install or update software in dom0 or a TemplateVM, the internet traffic will go through Tor.
|
|
* **Create USB qube holding all USB controllers:**
|
|
Just like the network qube for the network stack, the USB qube isolates the USB controllers.
|
|
* **Use sys-net qube for both networking and USB devices:**
|
|
You should select this option if you rely on a USB device for network access, such as a USB modem or a USB Wi-Fi adapter.
|
|
* **Do not configure anything:**
|
|
This is for very advanced users only.
|
|
If you select this option, you'll have to set everything up manually afterward.
|
|
|
|
When you're satisfied with you choices, press **Done**.
|
|
This configuration process may take a while, depending on the speed and compatibility of your system.
|
|
|
|
After the configuration is done, you will be greeted by the login screen.
|
|
Enter your password and log in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Congratulations, you are now ready to use Qubes OS!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
## Next steps
|
|
|
|
### Updating
|
|
|
|
Next, [update] your installation to ensure you have the latest security updates.
|
|
Frequently updating is one of the best ways to remain secure against new threats.
|
|
|
|
### Backups
|
|
|
|
It is extremely important to make regular backups so that you don't lose your data unexpectedly.
|
|
The [Qubes backup system] allows you to do this securely and easily.
|
|
|
|
### Get Started
|
|
|
|
[Get Started] with Qubes, and read more about [Common Tasks] and [Managing Operating Systems within Qubes].
|
|
|
|
## Getting help
|
|
|
|
* We work very hard to make the [documentation] accurate, comprehensive useful and user friendly.
|
|
We urge you to read it! It may very well contain the answers to your questions.
|
|
(Since the documentation is a community effort, we'd also greatly appreciate your help in [improving] it!)
|
|
|
|
* If you don't find your answer in the documentation, please see [Help, Support, Mailing Lists, and Forum] for places to ask.
|
|
|
|
* Please do **not** email individual members of the Qubes team with questions about installation or other problems.
|
|
Instead, please see [Help, Support, Mailing Lists, and Forum] for appropriate places to ask questions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
[QSB #46]: /news/2019/01/23/qsb-46/
|
|
[system requirements]: /doc/system-requirements/
|
|
[Qubes-certified hardware]: /doc/certified-hardware/
|
|
[Hardware Compatibility List]: /hcl/
|
|
[live USB]: /doc/live-usb/
|
|
[downloads]: /downloads/
|
|
[verifying signatures]: /security/verifying-signatures/
|
|
[security considerations]: /doc/install-security/
|
|
[Custom Installation]: /doc/custom-install/
|
|
[Upgrade Guides]: /doc/upgrade/
|
|
[Rufus]: https://rufus.akeo.ie/
|
|
[documentation]: /doc/
|
|
[improving]: /doc/doc-guidelines/
|
|
[Help, Support, Mailing Lists, and Forum]: /support/
|
|
[update]: /doc/updating-qubes-os/
|
|
[Qubes backup system]: /doc/backup-restore/
|
|
[Common Tasks]: /doc/#common-tasks
|
|
[Managing Operating Systems within Qubes]: /doc/#managing-operating-systems-within-qubes
|
|
[installation security]: /doc/install-security/
|
|
[IOMMU-based virtualization]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Input%E2%80%93output_memory_management_unit#Virtualization
|
|
[intel-guide]: https://web.archive.org/web/20200112220913/https://www.intel.in/content/www/in/en/support/articles/000007139/server-products.html
|
|
[advanced reboot]: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4026206/windows-10-find-safe-mode-and-other-startup-settings
|
|
[hardware requirements]: #hardware-requirements
|
|
[Debian]: /doc/templates/debian/
|
|
[Whonix]: /doc/whonix/
|
|
[Tor]: https://www.torproject.org/
|
|
[TemplateVMs]: /doc/templates/
|
|
[advanced configuration]: /doc/#advanced-configuration
|
|
[Get Started]: /getting-started/
|
|
|