mirror of
https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-doc.git
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322 lines
11 KiB
HTML
322 lines
11 KiB
HTML
---
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layout: default
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title: Introduction
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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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<h2>What is Qubes OS?</h2>
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<div class="row">
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<div class="col-lg-12 col-md-12">
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<p>
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Qubes OS is a free and open-source, security-oriented operating system for
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single-user desktop computing. Qubes OS leverages
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<a href="https://wiki.xen.org/wiki/Xen_Project_Software_Overview">
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Xen-based virtualization</a> to allow for the creation and management of
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isolated compartments called <a href="/doc/glossary#qube">qubes</a>.
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</p>
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</div>
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</div>
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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>
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These qubes, which are implemented as <a href="/doc/glossary#vm">virtual
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machines (VMs)</a>, have specific:
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<ul>
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<li class="more-bottom">
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<b>Purposes:</b> with a predefined set of one or many isolated
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applications, for personal or professional projects, to manage the
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<a href="/doc/networking/">network stack</a>,
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<a href="/doc/firewall/">the firewall</a>, or to fulfill other
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user-defined purposes.
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</li>
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<li class="more-bottom">
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<b>Natures:</b> <a href="/doc/standalone-and-hvm/">full-fledged</a> or
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<a href="/getting-started/#appvms-qubes-and-templatevms">
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stripped-down</a> virtual machines based on popular operating systems,
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such as <a href="/doc/templates/fedora">Fedora</a>,
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<a href="/doc/templates/debian">Debian</a>, and
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<a href="/doc/windows/">Windows</a>.
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</li>
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<li class="more-bottom">
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<b>Levels of trust:</b> from complete to non-existent. All windows are
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displayed in a unified desktop environment with
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<a href="/getting-started/">unforgeable colored window borders</a> so
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that different security levels are easily identifiable.
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</li>
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</ul>
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</p>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-9 col-md-9">
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<a href="/attachment/site/qubesosdiagram.png">
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<img src="/attachment/site/qubesosdiagram.png"
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class="center-block more-bottom" alt="Qubes system diagram">
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</a>
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</div>
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</div>
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<div class="alert alert-info more-bottom" role="alert">
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<i class="fa fa-question-circle"></i>
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<b>Note:</b> See our <a href="/doc/glossary/">glossary</a> and
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<a href="/faq/">FAQ</a> for more information.
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</div>
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<h2 class="more-bottom">Features</h2>
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<div class="row">
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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>
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Isolate different pieces of software as if they were installed on separate
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physical machines using <a href="/doc/glossary/#pv">PV</a> or
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<a href="/doc/glossary/#hvm">HVM</a> virtualization techniques.
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</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>
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Use <a href="/getting-started/#appvms-qubes-and-templatevms">AppVMs</a> to
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share a root file system without sacrificing security using the innovative
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<a href="/doc/templates/">Template system</a>.
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</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>
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Use multiple operating systems at the same time, including
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<a href="/doc/templates/fedora">Fedora</a>,
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<a href="/doc/templates/debian">Debian</a>, and
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<a href="/doc/windows/">Windows.</a>
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</p>
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</div>
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</div>
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<hr>
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<div class="row">
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<div class="col-lg-4 col-md-4 col-xs-12">
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<h3>DisposableVMs</h3>
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<p>
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Create <a href="/doc/disposablevm/">DisposableVMs</a> on the fly that
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self-destruct when shut down.
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</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>
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Run <a href="https://www.torproject.org/">Tor</a> securely system-wide
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using <a href="/doc/whonix/">Whonix with Qubes</a>.
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</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>Device isolation</h3>
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<p>
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Secure <a href="/doc/device-handling/">device handling</a> through
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isolation of network cards and USB controllers.
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</p>
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</div>
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</div>
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<hr>
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<div class="row">
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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>
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Utilize <a href="/doc/split-gpg/">Split GPG</a> to keep your private keys
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safe.
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</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>
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Operate <a href="/doc/u2f-proxy/">Qubes U2F proxy</a> to use your
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two-factor authentication devices without exposing your web browser to the
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full USB stack.
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</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>
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Users are free to use, copy, and modify Qubes OS and
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<a href="/doc/contributing/">are encouraged to do so!</a>
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</p>
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</div>
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</div>
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<div class="alert alert-info more-bottom" 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
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Linux can be helpful.
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</div>
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<h2 class="more-bottom">Why Qubes OS?</h2>
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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>
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Throughout our lives, we engage in various activities, such as going to
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school, working, voting, taking care of our families, and visiting with
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friends. These activities are spatially and temporally bound: They happen
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in isolation from one another, in their own compartments, which often
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represent an essential safeguard, as in the case of voting.
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</p>
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<p>
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In our digital lives, the situation is quite different: All of our
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activities typically happen on a single device. This causes us to worry
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about whether it's safe to click on a link or install an app, since being
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hacked imperils our entire digital existence.
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</p>
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<p>
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Qubes eliminates this concern by allowing us to divide a device into many
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compartments, much as we divide a physical building into many rooms.
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Better yet, it allows us to create new compartments whenever we need them,
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and it gives us sophisticated tools for securely managing our activities
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and data across these compartments.
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</p>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-6 col-md-6">
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<a href="/attachment/wiki/GettingStarted/r2b1-qubes-manager-2.png">
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<img src="/attachment/wiki/GettingStarted/r2b1-qubes-manager-2.png"
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class="center-block more-bottom" alt="Qube Manager">
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</a>
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</div>
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</div>
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<h3>Qubes allows you to compartmentalize your digital life</h3>
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<div class="row">
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<div class="col-lg-6 col-md-6">
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<a href="/attachment/site/qubes-partition-data-flows.jpg">
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<img src="/attachment/site/qubes-partition-data-flows.jpg"
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class="center-block more-bottom" alt="Compartmentalization example">
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</a>
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</div>
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<div class="col-lg-6 col-md-6 text-left center-block">
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<p>
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Many of us are initially surprised to learn that our devices do not
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support the kind of secure compartmentalization that our lives demand, and
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we're disappointed that software vendors rely on generic defenses that
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repeatedly succumb to new attacks.
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</p>
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<p>
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In building Qubes, our working assumption is that all software contains
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bugs. Not only that, but in their stampeding rush to meet deadlines, the
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world's stressed-out software developers are pumping out new code at a
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staggering rate — far faster than the comparatively smaller
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population of security experts could ever hope to analyze it for
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vulnerabilities, much less fix everything. Rather than pretend that we can
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prevent these inevitable vulnerabilities from being exploited, we've
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designed Qubes under the assumption that they <em>will</em> be exploited.
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It's only a matter of time until the next zero-day attack.
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</p>
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<p>
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In light of this sobering reality, Qubes takes an eminently practical
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approach: confine, control, and contain the damage. It allows you to keep
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valuable data separate from risky activities, preventing
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cross-contamination. This means you you can do everything on the same
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physical computer without having to worry about a single successful
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cyberattack taking down your entire digital life in one fell swoop. In
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fact, Qubes has
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<a href="https://invisiblethingslab.com/resources/2014/Software_compartmentalization_vs_physical_separation.pdf">
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distinct advantages over physical air gaps</a>.
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</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="row">
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<div class="col-lg-12 col-md-12 text-left">
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<p>
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Qubes provides practical, usable security to vulnerable and
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actively-targeted individuals, such as journalists, activists,
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whistleblowers, and researchers. Qubes is designed with the understanding
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that people make mistakes, and it allows you to protect yourself from your
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own mistakes. It's a place where you can click on links, open attachments,
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plug in devices, and install software free from worry. It's a place where
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<em>you</em> have control over your software, not the other way around.
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</p>
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</div>
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</div>
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<p>
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<a href="/attachment/wiki/GettingStarted/snapshot12.png">
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<img src="/attachment/wiki/GettingStarted/snapshot12.png"
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class="center-block" alt="Qubes desktop screenshot">
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</a>
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</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>
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Want to see Qubes OS in action? Sit back and watch a guided tour!
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</p>
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<a href="/video-tours/" class="btn btn-primary more-bottom">
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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>
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See what using Qubes actually looks like with these screenshots of various
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applications running in Qubes.
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</p>
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<a href="/screenshots/" class="btn btn-primary more-bottom">
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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>
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Ready to get started with Qubes? Here's what you need to know after
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installing.
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</p>
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<a href="/getting-started/" class="btn btn-primary more-bottom">
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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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<h2>More information</h2>
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<p>
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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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<ul>
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<li>
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If you're a current or potential Qubes user, you may want to check out the
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<a href="/doc/">documentation</a> and the
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<a href="/faq/#users">user FAQ</a>.
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</li>
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<li>
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If you're a developer, there's dedicated
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<a href="/doc/#developer-documentation">developer documentation</a> and a
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<a href="/faq/#developers">developer FAQ</a> just for you.
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</li>
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<li>
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Ready to give Qubes a try? Head on over to the
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<a href="/downloads/">downloads</a> page, and read the
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<a href="/doc/installation-guide">installation guide</a>.
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</li>
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<li>
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Need help, or just want to join the conversation? Learn more about
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<a href="/support/">help, support, the mailing lists, and the forum</a>.
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</li>
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</ul>
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</p>
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