Integrate existing VirtualBox VM into Qubes

[Günter Zöchbauer]

Hi,

I used to work in a VirtualBox VM.

Now I got a new machine and on that occasion I started fresh with with Qubes OS (like it so far).

I want to keep using the existing Virtualbox VM in Qubes.

Perhaps I'll start with a new Qubes VM from scratch later if that provides any benefits,

but for now I just want to be productive again.

I was able to migrate the VM and have it running in Qubes already, but only the full desktop in a single host window. That's fine for now, but

    the max guest resolution I'm able to configure is 1920x1080 on a 4k host.

Is there a way to fix that?

Is there a way to make

- copy-paste between other AppVMs and this VM work?

- running individual apps in their own host windows work (like in other Qubes VMs) without creating the VM from scratch?

Art there other things to consider?

Thanks!

[unman]

What is the guest OS?
Did you read this page for Linux?
https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/linux-hvm-tips

Installing Qubes tools in to a HVM will work in some cases. Ubuntu works
fine for copy/paste, for example.

What you have now is an HVM. You *might* be able to install relevant
Qubes tools and run it is seamless mode. Depends on what OS.

[Günter Zöchbauer]

Thanks a lot!

The suggested changes broke X11,

but after removing the changes, the KDE display settings suddenly showed resolutions up to Full-HD which is alread a huge improvement.

When I tried to get higher I run into the same issue as https://tutel.me/c/unix/questions/505863/qubesos+install+qubes+support+tools+in+hvm+to+fix+screen+resolution+and+copy+paste

I have yet to try installing Qubes tools.

Do you mean https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/templates/minimal/#debian?

Guest OS is Debian 10.

[unman]

On Fri, Jan 31, 2020 at 03:40:31AM -0800, G??nter Z??chbauer wrote:
> Thanks a lot!
>
> The suggested changes broke X11,
> but after removing the changes, the KDE display settings suddenly showed
> resolutions up to Full-HD which is alread a huge improvement.
>
> When I tried to get higher I run into the same issue as
> https://tutel.me/c/unix/questions/505863/qubesos+install+qubes+support+tools+in+hvm+to+fix+screen+resolution+and+copy+paste
>
> I have yet to try installing Qubes tools.
> Do you mean https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/templates/minimal/#debian?
>
> Guest OS is Debian 10.
>
>

Please try not to top-post - scroll to the bottom of the message you are
replying to before starting typing.

If you are using Debian 10, you can add the repository to the qube,
update, and then select the qubes packages that you want. I suggest
using aptitude, as it should make the process somewhat clearer.

You can get the repository details from
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-r4.list
on any of your debian-10 based qubes.

There is *every* chance that you may bork your qube playing about with
packages, so I suggest you take a clone before you start, so you always
have a clean qube to fall back on.

unman

[Günter Zöchbauer]

If you are using Debian 10, you can add the repository to the qube,
update, and then select the qubes packages that you want. I suggest
using aptitude, as it should make the process somewhat clearer.

You can get the repository details from
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-r4.list
on any of your debian-10 based qubes.

Thanks, that was the info I was looking for.

 

There is *every* chance that you may bork your qube playing about with
packages, so I suggest you take a clone before you start, so you always
have a clean qube to fall back on.

I can recreate it from the original VM again anyway, but I found the clone feature handy already.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

unman

 

[unman]

Suggest you dont use any of the global packages like "recommended" -
pick and choose from the base packages instead.
At minimum you should have copy/paste working.

[Günter Zöchbauer]

On Friday, January 31, 2020 at 1:06:37 PM UTC+1, unman wrote:

Please try not to top-post - scroll to the bottom of the message you are
replying to before starting typing.

If you are using Debian 10, you can add the repository to the qube,
update, and then select the qubes packages that you want. I suggest
using aptitude, as it should make the process somewhat clearer.

You can get the repository details from
/etc/apt/sources.list.d/qubes-r4.list
on any of your debian-10 based qubes.

There is *every* chance that you may bork your qube playing about with
packages, so I suggest you take a clone before you start, so you always
have a clean qube to fall back on.

unman

For others who might stumble upon this post

I found https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/4212#issuecomment-420254317 very helpful for getting the qubes debian repo added.

[Günter Zöchbauer]

I tried that now but run into problems.

When I run an application from the dom0 menu, the window shows only weird patterns that change when I resize the window

like if the wrong driver for a graphics adapter were used.

When I start the VM the Debian boot screen with the console output about the boot progress is shown,

but when it's done booting this window disappears.

Is there a way to prevent this window from disappearing?

[Günter Zöchbauer]

 Ok, I found that one.

"Run in debug mode" does that. I thought I already tried that before.
Also qvm-start-gui --force-stubdomain showed that window.

X isn't started in that window anymore and it shows only the output from the boot progress, so this doesn't help.

[unman]

On Wed, Feb 05, 2020 at 02:52:03AM -0800, G??nter Z??chbauer wrote:

It would be helpful to know which packages you installed.
When I do this I install the minimum set of packages needed.
Fortunately, you do have a clone to fall back on.

[Günter Zöchbauer]

On Wednesday, February 5, 2020 at 4:55:54 PM UTC+1, unman wrote:

It would be helpful to know which packages you installed.
When I do this I install the minimum set of packages needed.
Fortunately, you do have a clone to fall back on.

I wasn't able to figure out yet what the minimum set of packages is.

The description of the individual packages is quite minimalistic and I haven't yet found any information about what packages are required for what functionality.

I already started building my work environment in a template based VM and I don't plan to invest more time into integrating my old VM.

Thanks for your support anyway.