I am pretty sure in most cases we don’t want reinstall the very same version. What we want is:
- reinstall very same version if no newer version is available
- upgrade to newer version if available
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Problem is --action=upgrade will not reinstall if already the latest version. So I am looking for some kind of combined command.
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Documented this in Reinstall Qubes-Whonix Templates and opened:
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There’s a saying. Who writes, sticks. Meaning the once who starts writing something will always have a huge influence in the end result even if everyone else is invited to make edits. Sometimes not good.
When we write documentation based on upstream such as Redirecting… we should have that in mind and not necessarily copy non-ideal descriptions such as Automated Reinstallation Method and Manual Reinstallation Method. We don’t necessarily need both.
I could
have sworn --action=reinstall works only with Fedora based UpdateVM.
(But even if that was the case, that UpdateVM could use sys-whonix as its NetVM.)
Even if they did, as I grow older I stop trying make everyone happy. Someone, somewhere, will always find a reason to complain. To turn it around, having these extra instructions would actually blow up the page size and make it look more complicated, therefore offend laymen users. So either way not everyone will be happy. So let’s rather do one thing and do it well.
Sure thing, I do it now. I just tried to mimic another page I don’t know much about copyright laws other than violating them is expensive.
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There is my mistake. I was thinking reinstall because template is broken, misconfigured, compromised. Not upgrade to the latest template (point release etc.) At the beginning I was having a lot of trouble writing the page because I was trying to copy, use same format, terminology as Qubes reinstall page. For the most part we write Whonix documentation a little differently. It made for a lot of confusion.
--action=reinstall works with torified UpdateVM
But it looks like:
--action=upgrade only works with a Fedora base UpdateVM.
Including upgrade-to and downgrade
This is why Qubes has manual reinstall, which is really, uninstall the target template, then install newest template. We already have an Qubes Uninstall and Qubes Install wiki page. I should have realized that.
About --action=upgrade. You want short instruction to set a fedora based UpdateVM and use sys-whonix as NetVM for UpdateVM? Wouldn’t see why there would be an issue.
I’d also like to test --action=upgrade using torified UpdateVM to see if it works. Maybe? All my templates are latest point release. Might have to wait until next point release to test or try debian-8 upgrade-to debian-9.
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For Whonix for macOS: Download and Installation perhaps better mimick Whonix for Windows, macOS, Linux inside VirtualBox (Template:VirtualBox - Whonix), i.e. boxes, steps, stub steps, screenshots.
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Yes.
Yes.
Not possible because one is named qubes-template-debian-8 and the other one qubes-template-debian-9. Therefore no an upgrade from technical perspective of dnf. It’s a different package.
Have this complete a little later on today.
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Done! Please let me know if any changes need to be made.
https://whonix.org/w/index.php?title=Qubes/Reinstall&oldid=39601&diff=cur
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Yes please - if you can check with later versions, we might have to change the order there for IMs if problems persist.
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Maybe better (?):
Whonix Overview. Online Anonymity via Tor and Security by Isolation. Based on Debian.
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I improved Reinstall Qubes-Whonix Templates a bit. Made it less theoretic and more hands-on. While all information was correct, by reading the qubes-users mailing list I concluded that most users would be simply lost. Most users need hands-on instructions. Examples which they can simply copy. So I made creation of the a Fedora dom0-updatevm “mandatory” in documentation. (Doesn’t say “mandatory” but documentation assumes this step was done.)
It’s not perfect and doesn’t cover all wishes of everyone but much more straight forward for an already lengthy process. Of course, there could be a few users who don’t mind to --action=upgrade might like to avoid a Fedora based UpdateVM and use --action=reinstall and then update but documenting this would try to make everyone happy while making no one happy.
Text starting with If the dom0 UpdateVM is based on a template that is broken or no longer trusted is currently a footnote only and unfinished. Not sure how to combine it with what is said above.
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Took that. 
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Uninstall Qubes-Whonix could use some testing. From a “maxmium Whonixified” situation (Whonix DVM, NetVM of other VMs, UpdatesProxy for TemplateVMs, dom0 UpdateVM, salt, i.e. all steps from Qubes/Install) to a “zero-Whonix” situation and How-to: Install Qubes-Whonix.
I’ll work on that.
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User “have a problem, can I got back to earlier version?” This could use a new FAQ why this is unsupported.
Going back to older (stable) versions is unsupported.
Why? See:
Is the Linux User Experience Comparable to Commercial Operating Systems?Would be a waste of developer time if we supported that because older versions of other issues which would add overhead. So your only chance is to contribute by asking for support, help debugging issues and perhaps receiving workarounds and/or fixes.
Have this complete. Have my edits complete later on today.
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Done!
https://whonix.org/w/index.php?title=Qubes/Uninstall&oldid=39728&diff=cur
The only real problem was with removal of the TemplateVMs. That being I was unable to remove 1 due to a Qubes specific issue that was resolved using these workaround.
https://qubes-os.org/doc/remove-vm-manually/#r40
I had recently repurposed a laptop for testing and had just installed Qubes. However, the installer failed to fully install whonix-gw template the first time around. On the second try I was left with 2 whonix-gw templateVMs. The first template was the one that i had the issue with.
Other than that everything went Ok. I didn’t touch the technical terminology because if figure it was written like that due to Qubes mailing list people complaining? I can try and simplify it if you’d like?
I’m also going to make a pull request for Qubes/doc/glossary
Add:
sys-whonix
anon-whonix
TemplateBasedProxyVMs
TemplateBasedAppVMs
Not sure if they will go for its but worth trying. Any other glossary terms I can add?
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Up next.
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