Consider reenabling host-vm clipboard copy paste

KVM
1

I know it has already been discussed somewhere.
But I would like to reopen the discussion concerning reenabling clipboard copy-paste between host and Whonix VMs (at least the Workstation).

Pro:

  • Expected feature, users will want to copy-paste stuff into the Workstation (think passwords, logins, etc. stored in another machine for example).
  • Can put first users off if they don’t find this feature readily accessible
  • Especially true for Whonix-Host ISO since the XML files have to be reedited on each boot, not convenient for quick live uses…
    …

Contra:

  • Security trumps user-friendliness in this one
  • KVM is for advanced users anyway, they won’t be scared away by a simple XML configuration change
  • …

Anything else?

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2

We’ve asked upstream libvirt to implement a secure clipboard like Qubes’ so we can have our cake and eat it too.

I think having shared folders enabled by default should make this restriction less of a problem.

It would be a serious info breach to have an untrusted guest able to read stuff you do with your host clipboard or other VMs. Also not having it on, has saved me from a number of serious mistakes.

It’s interesting to point out that even default VMs (not Whonix) don’t enable it.

2 Likes
3

KVM user here, personally we would like this option not be enabled by default for security reasons.

Even if frustrated at first, we came to really to appreciate the fact that it is not there as it saved us from several mistakes.

1 Like