Desperately want Qubes, but can't install on Asus Sabertooth x79

[Mindus Amitiel Debsin]

I was reading through this thread:
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/qubes-users/nphUyv7Msow/Vs2TX8tjAwAJ

and I noticed some similarities, but also some differences between our two situations.

My system:
Asus Sabertooth x79 with Intel i7 3930k
32GB of quad-channel DDR3 RAM

I have tried two different installation methods:
by DVD: Loads fine and then gets to this point:
See two attached jpgs, IMG_0882b1000.jpg and IMG_0883b1000.jpg
by USB-boot (non-UEFI): Loads to the Q screen with a white progress-bar on the bottom and then freezes forever. This is before any installation or options or disk-choosing.
by USB-boot (UEFI): Just crashes and restarts as soon as it starts loading off of the USB-drive.

I have tried every major fix in the BIOS and still the problems persist.
My settings:
Intel VT-X: enabled
Intel VT-D: enabled
Sata config: Raid mode
Compatibility Support Module: enabled
Boot Device Control: UEFI and Legacy
Secure Boot: disabled, "Other OS", Platform Key State: Unloaded

Boot order: every combination.

I'm so frustrated with this. Have been trying to get it installed for a few weeks now, on and off. But I imagine that this community knows everything about the installation process, so I hope you can help me. If there's something that I missed, or any other information you'd like, please ask away!
I think that privacy and security are really important and I'd like very much to use Qubes, but I simply cannot find a way to get it installed.

Thanks for reading,
~Debsin

[john]

So, if it were me, I would go back and make sure I created a USB
installation media correctly, like maybe if of method ......

stick with legacy mode, enable any VT that you have ; secure boot
off ; compatibility enabled , Sata I have no idea, if you have
any onboard graphics choice, make sure discrete graphics is off ....

I did see one of your type on the HCL for version 3.1, maybe you'd be
happy with 3.2 or you don't say what version your installing ...

sadly your attachments probably may get ignored, I for one, can't get
them to open in Thunderbirds 'open in DVM' and I don't really want to
download them myself

I think your system is too old for UEFI install, though there is the
EFI troubleshooting guide, which part of the qubes docs have you
read or following ?


IF you must have qubes now, try 3.2 its supported for another 9
months, and then you'll have the qubes way more fluent I suppose
.... depending on your threat profile or whatever .....

[pixel fairy]

Another thing you could try, install it on a working system. then transfer the hard drive. ive had to do this for a couple laptops with older versions.

or, install linux on a different drive, maybe also hanging off usb, run the qubes installer in kvm from there. i havent tried getting qubes working on kvm, but others in the list have mentioned getting it to work. qemu/kvm can also be a fickle beast, so this would be a last resort.

[Frédéric Pierret (fepitre)]

Le vendredi 11 mai 2018 19:30:35 UTC+2, Mindus Amitiel Debsin a écrit :
> I was reading through this thread:
> https://groups.google.com/d/msg/qubes-users/nphUyv7Msow/Vs2TX8tjAwAJ
>
> and I noticed some similarities, but also some differences between our two situations.
>
> My system:
> Asus Sabertooth x79 with Intel i7 3930k
> 32GB of quad-channel DDR3 RAM
>
> I have tried two different installation methods:
> by DVD: Loads fine and then gets to this point:

Just to be sure, is it after or before the installation process?

[Mindus Amitiel Debsin]

Thanks John. What you suggested appears to be the key.
I redownloaded Qubes 4.0 via torrent, then loaded up a Fedora liveCD, then used the DD command to dump the iso to 2 different USB drives. This time, I got all the way to the installation screen which allows me to choose which drive to install Qubes on.

I still have to clone my current boot drive off to a 2nd hard drive before I'm ready to install Qubes as my primary OS, but I will clone it tonight and install Qubes tomorrow! I'm really excited now.
I'll let you know how it goes.

And @fepitre, everything I said is before the installation process.

[Mindus Amitiel Debsin]

OK, I got Qubes installed and it seems to be working fine. It's not on my primary SSD drive, but it is working fine on an external SATA drive I connected. I had to do a UTC time fix to make Whonix work, but I did and now it works.

So I have a couple questions now as to whether or not I can use Qubes as a primary OS:

1) Is it true that only Windows 7 can be installed as a qube?
2) I have a brand new GTX 1080 TI graphics card on the way: will there be any driver support on qubes for this, or will I suffer dramatically reduced performance?
3) Will Steam and it's games work on a Windows 7 qubes VM?

Thanks for reading,
~Debsin

[Tai...@gmx.com]

On 05/16/2018 03:35 PM, Mindus Amitiel Debsin wrote:

> OK, I got Qubes installed and it seems to be working fine. It's not on my primary SSD drive, but it is working fine on an external SATA drive I connected. I had to do a UTC time fix to make Whonix work, but I did and now it works.
>
> So I have a couple questions now as to whether or not I can use Qubes as a primary OS:
>
> 1) Is it true that only Windows 7 can be installed as a qube?

Nah you can use any windows.

> 2) I have a brand new GTX 1080 TI graphics card on the way: will there be any driver support on qubes for this, or will I suffer dramatically reduced performance?

You don't need nor benefit from any 3D acceleration in the host windows
but due to nvidias hate of linux and the nouveau project you would
probably be forced to install the *unsigned* proprietary drivers which
adds many security risks to get even just 2D acceleration of the window
manager.

If you can I would return it for an AMD card - they are much more
friendly when it comes to linux and of course playing games in a VM,
nvidia introduced a "bug" in their drivers to make it more difficult.

> 3) Will Steam and it's games work on a Windows 7 qubes VM?

Yeah you can probably do that.
I use qemu on another PC and play my games at max settings in a VM on my
libre firmware KGPE-D16 board, if done properly there will be no
stuttering or reduced performance vs bare metal.

Keep in mind most "consumer" boards have broken IOMMU and or IOMMU-GFX
due to firmware bugs, but you might be able to work around that by using
the coreboot sandybridge/ivybridge autoport utility to make a port for
your board if the hardware is supported - or of course just buying a
KCMA-D8 or KGPE-D16 and installing the very good
libreboot/coreboot-libre port.

[awokd]

On Wed, May 16, 2018 7:35 pm, Mindus Amitiel Debsin wrote:


> So I have a couple questions now as to whether or not I can use Qubes as a
> primary OS:
>
> 1) Is it true that only Windows 7 can be installed as a qube?

I think a couple have managed to get Win10 installed, but 7 is better
supported by the qubes windows tools.

> 2) I have a brand new GTX 1080 TI graphics card on the way: will there be
> any driver support on qubes for this, or will I suffer dramatically
> reduced performance?

To use the card for Qubes, you might have to follow
https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/install-nvidia-driver/.

> 3) Will Steam and it's games work on a Windows 7 qubes VM?

Here you are talking about pass-through. Nvidia cards in general won't
work for this. Haven't seen any recent reports of successfully passing
through a video card to Win7 in Qubes R4.0, but that doesn't mean it's
impossible. Will have a better chance of success with a GTX580 or earlier
AMD video card.