qubes-doc/user/advanced-topics/standalones-and-hvms.md

---
lang: en
layout: doc
permalink: /doc/standalones-and-hvms/
redirect_from:
- /doc/standalones-and-hvm/
- /doc/standalone-and-hvm/
- /doc/hvm/
- /doc/hvm-create/
- /en/doc/hvm-create/
- /doc/HvmCreate/
- /wiki/HvmCreate/
ref: 130
title: Standalones and HVMs
---

A [standalone](/doc/glossary/#standalone) is a type of qube that is created by
cloning a [template](/doc/glossary/#template). Unlike templates, however,
standalones do not supply their root filesystems to other qubes. Examples of
situations in which standalones can be useful include:

- Qubes used for development (dev environments often require a lot of specific
  packages and tools)
- Qubes used for installing untrusted packages. Normally, you install digitally
  signed software from Red Hat/Fedora repositories, and it's reasonable that
  such software has non malicious *installation* scripts (rpm pre/post
  scripts). However, when you would like to install some packages from less
  trusted sources, or unsigned, then using a dedicated (untrusted) standalone
  might be a better way.

Meanwhile, a [Hardware-assisted Virtual Machine (HVM)](/doc/glossary/#hvm),
also known as a "Fully-Virtualized Virtual Machine," utilizes the
virtualization extensions of the host CPU. These are typically contrasted with
Paravirtualized (PV) VMs.

HVMs allow you to create qubes based on any OS for which you have an
installation ISO, so you can easily have qubes running Windows, \*BSD, or any
Linux distribution. You can also use HVMs to run "live" distros.

By default, every qube runs in PVH mode (which has security advantages over
both PV and HVM), except for those with attached PCI devices, which run in HVM
mode. See [here](https://blog.invisiblethings.org/2017/07/31/qubes-40-rc1.html)
for a discussion of the switch from PV to HVM and
[here](/news/2018/01/11/qsb-37/) for the announcement about the change to using
PVH as default.

The standalone/template distinction and the HVM/PV/PVH distinctions are
orthogonal. The former is about root filesystem inheritance, whereas the latter
is about the virtualization mode. In practice, however, it is most common for
standalones to be HVMs and for HVMs to be standalones. Hence, this page covers
both topics.

## Creating a standalone

You can create a standalone in the Qube Manager by selecting the "Type" of
"Standalone qube copied from a template" or "Empty standalone qube (install
your own OS)."

Alternatively, from the dom0 command line:

```
qvm-create --class StandaloneVM --label <YOUR_COLOR> --property virt_mode=hvm <NEW_STANDALONE_NAME>
```

(Note: Technically, `virt_mode=hvm` is not necessary for every standalone.
However, it makes sense if you want to use a kernel from within the qube.)

## Updating standalones

When you create a standalone from a template, the standalone is a complete
clone of the template, including the entire filesystem. After the moment of
creation, the standalone becomes completely independent from the template.
Therefore, the standalone will not be updated merely by updating the template
from which it was originally cloned. Rather, it must be updated as an
independent qube. See [How to Update](/doc/how-to-update/).

## Creating an HVM

### Using the GUI

In Qube Manager, select "Create new qube" from the Qube menu, or select the
"Create a new qube" button. In the "create new qube" dialog box set Type to
"Empty standalone qube (install your own OS)". If "install system from device"
is selected (which it is by default), then `virt_mode` will be set to `hvm`
automatically. Otherwise, open the newly-created qube's Settings GUI and, in
the "Advanced" tab, select `HVM` in the virtualization mode drop-down list.
Also, make sure "Kernel" is set to `(none)` on the same tab.

### Command line

Qubes are template-based (i.e., [app qubes](/doc/glossary/#app-qube) by
default, so you must set the `--class StandaloneVM` option to create a
standalone. The name and label color used below are for illustration purposes.

```
qvm-create my-new-vm --class StandaloneVM --property virt_mode=hvm --property kernel='' --label=green
```

If you receive an error like this one, then you must first enable VT-x in your
BIOS:

```
libvirt.libvirtError: invalid argument: could not find capabilities for arch=x86_64
```

Make sure that you give the new qube adequate memory to install and run.

## Installing an OS in an HVM

You will have to boot the qube with the installation media "attached" to it.
You may either use the GUI or use command line instructions. At the command
line you can do this in three ways:

1. If you have the physical CD-ROM media and an optical disc drive:

   ```
   qvm-start <YOUR_HVM> --cdrom=/dev/cdrom
   ```

2. If you have an ISO image of the installation media located in dom0:

   ```
   qvm-start <YOUR_HVM> --cdrom=dom0:/usr/local/iso/<YOUR_INSTALLER.ISO>
   ```

3. If you have an ISO image of the installation media located in a qube (the
   qube where the media is located must be running):

   ```
   qvm-start <YOUR_HVM> --cdrom=<YOUR_OTHER_QUBE>:/home/user/<YOUR_INSTALLER.ISO>
   ```

For security reasons, you should *never* copy untrusted data to dom0.

Next, the qube will start booting from the attached installation media, and you
can start installation. Whenever the installer wants to "reboot the system" it
actually shuts down the qube, and Qubes won't automatically start it. You may
have to restart the qube several times in order to complete installation (as is
the case with Windows 7 installations). Several invocations of the `qvm-start`
command (as shown above) might be needed.

## Setting up networking for HVMs

Just like standard app qubes, an HVM gets a fixed IP addresses centrally
assigned by Qubes. Normally, Qubes agent scripts (or services on Windows)
running within each app qube are responsible for setting up networking within
the qube according to the configuration created by Qubes (through
[keys](/doc/vm-interface/#qubesdb) exposed by dom0 to the qube). Such
centrally-managed networking infrastructure allows for [advanced networking
configurations](https://blog.invisiblethings.org/2011/09/28/playing-with-qubes-networking-for-fun.html).

A generic HVM such as a standard Windows or Ubuntu installation, however, has
no Qubes agent scripts running inside it initially and thus requires manual
configuration of networking so that it matches the values assigned by Qubes.

Even though we do have a small DHCP server that runs inside the HVM's untrusted
stub domain to make the manual network configuration unnecessary for many
qubes, this won't work for most modern Linux distributions, which contain Xen
networking PV drivers (but not Qubes tools), which bypass the stub-domain
networking. (Their net frontends connect directly to the net backend in the
[net qube](/doc/glossary/#net-qube).) In this instance, our DHCP server is not
useful.

In order to manually configure networking in a qube, one should first find out
the IP/netmask/gateway assigned to the particular qube by Qubes. This can be
seen, e.g., in the Qube Manager in the qube's properties:

![r2b1-manager-networking-config.png](/attachment/doc/r2b1-manager-networking-config.png)

Alternatively, one can use the `qvm-ls -n` command to obtain the same
information (IP/netmask/gateway).

The DNS IP addresses are `10.139.1.1` and `10.139.1.2`. There is [opt-in
support](/doc/networking/#ipv6) for IPv6 forwarding.

## Using template-based HVMs

Qubes allows HVMs to share a common root filesystem from a select template.
This mode can be used for any HVM (e.g., FreeBSD running in an HVM).

In order to create an HVM template, you use the following command, suitably
adapted:

```
qvm-create --class TemplateVM <YOUR_HVM_TEMPLATE_NAME> --property virt_mode=HVM --property kernel=''  -l <YOUR_COLOR>
```

Set memory as appropriate and install the OS into this template in the same way
you would install it into a normal HVM. Generally, you should install in to the
first "system" disk. (Resize it as needed before starting installation.)

You can then create a new qube using the new template. If you use this Template
as is, then any HVMs based on it it will effectively be disposables. All file
system changes will be wiped when the HVM is shut down.

Please see [this
page](https://github.com/Qubes-Community/Contents/blob/master/docs/os/windows/windows-tools.md)
for specific advice on installing and using Windows-based templates.

## Cloning HVMs

Just like normal app qubes, HVMs can also be cloned either using the command
`qvm-clone` or via the Qube Manager's "Clone VM" option in the right-click
menu.

The cloned qube will get identical root and private images and will essentially
be identical to the original qube, except that it will get a different MAC
address for the networking interface:

```
[joanna@dom0 ~]$ qvm-prefs my-new-vm
name              : my-new-vm
label             : green
type              : HVM
netvm             : firewallvm
updateable?       : True
installed by RPM? : False
include in backups: False
dir               : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm
config            : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm/my-new-vm.conf
pcidevs           : []
root img          : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm/root.img
private img       : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm/private.img
vcpus             : 4
memory            : 512
maxmem            : 512
MAC               : 00:16:3E:5E:6C:05 (auto)
debug             : off
default user      : user
qrexec_installed  : False
qrexec timeout    : 60
drive             : None
timezone          : localtime

[joanna@dom0 ~]$ qvm-clone my-new-vm my-new-vm-copy

/.../

[joanna@dom0 ~]$ qvm-prefs my-new-vm-copy
name              : my-new-vm-copy
label             : green
type              : HVM
netvm             : firewallvm
updateable?       : True
installed by RPM? : False
include in backups: False
dir               : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm-copy
config            : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm-copy/my-new-vm-copy.conf
pcidevs           : []
root img          : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm-copy/root.img
private img       : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm-copy/private.img
vcpus             : 4
memory            : 512
maxmem            : 512
MAC               : 00:16:3E:5E:6C:01 (auto)
debug             : off
default user      : user
qrexec_installed  : False
qrexec timeout    : 60
drive             : None
timezone          : localtime
```

Note that the MAC addresses differ between those two otherwise identical qubes.
The IP addresses assigned by Qubes will also be different, of course, to allow
networking to function properly:

```
[joanna@dom0 ~]$ qvm-ls -n
/.../
         my-new-vm-copy |    |  Halted |   Yes |       | *firewallvm |  green |  10.137.2.3 |        n/a |  10.137.2.1 |
              my-new-vm |    |  Halted |   Yes |       | *firewallvm |  green |  10.137.2.7 |        n/a |  10.137.2.1 |
/.../
```

If, for any reason, you would like to make sure that the two qubes have the
same MAC address, you can use `qvm-prefs` to set a fixed MAC address:

```
[joanna@dom0 ~]$ qvm-prefs my-new-vm-copy -s mac 00:16:3E:5E:6C:05
[joanna@dom0 ~]$ qvm-prefs my-new-vm-copy
name              : my-new-vm-copy
label             : green
type              : HVM
netvm             : firewallvm
updateable?       : True
installed by RPM? : False
include in backups: False
dir               : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm-copy
config            : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm-copy/my-new-vm-copy.conf
pcidevs           : []
root img          : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm-copy/root.img
private img       : /var/lib/qubes/appvms/my-new-vm-copy/private.img
vcpus             : 4
memory            : 512
maxmem            : 512
MAC               : 00:16:3E:5E:6C:05
debug             : off
default user      : user
qrexec_installed  : False
qrexec timeout    : 60
drive             : None
timezone          : localtime
```

## Assigning PCI devices to HVMs

HVMs (including Windows qubes) can be [assigned PCI
devices](/doc/how-to-use-pci-devices/) just like normal app qubes. For example,
you can assign a USB controller to a Windows qube, and you should be able to
use various devices that require Windows software, such as phones, electronic
devices that are configured via FTDI, etc.

One problem at the moment, however, is that after the whole system gets
suspended into S3 sleep and subsequently resumed, some attached devices may
stop working and should be restarted within the qube. This can be achieved
under a Windows HVM by opening the Device Manager, selecting the actual device
(such as a USB controller), 'Disabling' the device, and then 'Enabling' the
device again. This is illustrated in the screenshot below:

![r2b1-win7-usb-disable.png](/attachment/doc/r2b1-win7-usb-disable.png)

## Converting VirtualBox VMs to Qubes HVMs

You can convert any VirtualBox VM to a Qubes HVM using this method.

For example, Microsoft provides [free 90-day evaluation VirtualBox VMs for
browser
testing](https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/tools/vms/).

About 60 GB of disk space is required for conversion. Use an external hard
drive if needed. The final `root.img` size is 40 GB.

In a Debian app qube, install `qemu-utils` and `unzip`:

```
sudo apt install qemu-utils unzip
```

Unzip VirtualBox zip file:

```
unzip *.zip
```

Extract OVA tar archive:

```
tar -xvf *.ova
```

Convert vmdk to raw:

```
qemu-img convert -O raw *.vmdk win10.raw
```

Copy the root image file from the originating qube (here called `untrusted`) to
a temporary location in dom0, typing this in a dom0 terminal:

```
qvm-run --pass-io untrusted 'cat "/media/user/externalhd/win10.raw"' > /home/user/win10-root.img
```

From within dom0, create a new HVM (here called `win10`) with the root image we
just copied to dom0 (change the amount of RAM in GB as you wish):

```
qvm-create --property=virt_mode=hvm --property=memory=4096 --property=kernel='' --label red --standalone --root-move-from /home/user/win10-root.img win10
```

Start `win10`:

```
qvm-start win10
```

### Optional ways to get more information

Filetype of OVA file:

```
file *.ova
```

List files of OVA tar archive:

```
tar -tf *.ova
```

List filetypes supported by qemu-img:

```
qemu-img -h | tail -n1
```

## Further reading

Other documents related to HVMs:

- [Windows VMs](https://github.com/Qubes-Community/Contents/blob/master/docs/os/windows/windows-vm.md)
- [Linux HVM Tips](https://github.com/Qubes-Community/Contents/blob/master/docs/os/linux-hvm-tips.md)