[Todo] Wiki page regarding Qubes Filesystem Persistence

[entr0py]

[imho qubes info related to basic usage should be replicated on whonix wiki - to serve new users who find qubes through whonix. Advanced concepts should be left on the qubes pages… After whonix homepage is done, wiki needs a major facelift in terms of usability… to call the table of contents overwhelming, intimidating, bewildering would be major understatement. No normal user would browse that, and new users can have trouble figuring out search terms…]

Intro: general concept of templates, mostly duplicated from Qubes docs.

• description of appvms (and servicevms, proxyvms, etc) and how they inherit files from the template
• description of standalone vms

Bind directories: how to make directories persist after reboot

• /usr/lib/qubes-bind-dirs.d/
• /rw/config/qubes-bind-dirs.d ?
• some usage examples: firewalls, proxies, untrusted apps, etc
• limitations with respect to which directories can be included? can the entire vm be made persistent with sufficient entries?

default:

• directories that are persistent in all Qubes VMs
• directories that are persistent in Whonix VMs

Related wiki pages (that may need revisions):
https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Whonix_Configuration_Files

I don’t know enough to write this. In fact, somewhat confused.

Why is whonix_firewall.d not configured as a bind directory? but instead required to be added to /rw/config/? Other examples like this?

EDIT: From https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Tunnels/Connecting_to_Tor_before_a_VPN#Qubes_specific, it seems /rw/config/whonix_firewall.d/ is a temporary workaround until /usr/lib/qubes/bind-dirs.sh is ready?

[entr0py]

Didn’t realize when posting that bind.dirs.sh is still under development. Post is more confusing than helpful - moved.

[Patrick]

TemplateBasedVMs: make selected files and folders located in the root image persistent- review bind-dirs.sh

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I’ve been asked by @mfc to move Whonix bridges documentation to Qubes documentation. I’ve been asked to deprecate Whonix Qubes/Install in favor of Qubes Whonix install. I don’t think I will win a proverbial flower pot by adding more Qubes-Whonix specific documentation to whonix.org.

Why is whonix_firewall.d not configured as a bind directory? but instead required to be added to /rw/config/? Other examples like this?

I want to use this confusing and half broken mechanism as little as required.

/usr/lib/qubes-bind-dirs.d/

Global config. Edit in TempalteVM.

/rw/config/qubes-bind-dirs.d ?

Per VM config.

can the entire vm be made persistent with sufficient entries?

Not at this half broken stage. In an ideal world one day in future yes.

EDIT: From https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Tunnels/Connecting_to_Tor_before_a_VPN#Qubes_specific, it seems /rw/config/whonix_firewall.d/ is a temporary workaround until /usr/lib/qubes/bind-dirs.sh is ready?

/rw is not temporary. It is permanent and prefered.

wiki needs a major facelift in terms of usability… to call the table of contents overwhelming,

Yes --> TODO --> https://forums.whonix.org/t/splitting-whonix-documentation-into-a-short-and-long-edition-for-better-usability

[adw]

I’ve been asked to move Whonix bridges documentation to Qubes documentation. I’ve been asked to deprecate Whonix Qubes/Install in favor of Qubes Whonix install. I don’t think I will win a proverbial flower pot by adding more Qubes-Whonix specific documentation to whonix.org.

Since one of those links is to my comment, I just want to point out that I was quoting someone else’s comment (as you can see for yourself) because that comment was more appropriate to the current issue instead of the other issue. (In other words, it was purely to keep the conversations on GitHub organized, not an endorsement of the view being expressed) I have never asked Patrick (or anyone) to move any documentation from an external site to to the Qubes website or documentation. (In fact, I have often suggested that it would be fine to leave documentation on external sites and link to it from the Qubes website.)

[Patrick]

Yes. Sorry about that. I’ll make sure in such cases to highlight authorship. Will edit above posting.