USB 3.0 to Ethernet adapter with QubesOS possible?

[gone]

Hello,

I've tried to use different USB to Ethernet adapters with QubesOS but
without success. Is there a chance to make them usable?

[awokd]

gone wrote on 1/11/19 9:01 PM:

> Hello,
>
> I've tried to use different USB to Ethernet adapters with QubesOS but
> without success. Is there a chance to make them usable?
>

I've seen some have been successful. Where is it not working? Have you
checked sys-usb's "ip addr" and journalctl after plugging one in?

[gone]

Sorry for my unprecise way of asking.

It's not working on a Dell XPS Laptop with QubesOS booted from USB.

So far I have only used external USB memory media as removable devices
in QubesOS, which can be listed with qvm-block and can be perfectly used
and assigned to appVMs with the Devices Widget.

After plugging in the USB to ethernet adapter the following is shown:


$ journalctl | grep usb | tail -8
Jan 12 16:18:33 dom0 kernel: usb 2-1: USB disconnect, device number 7
Jan 12 16:19:49 dom0 kernel: usb 2-6: new SuperSpeed USB device number 8
using xhci_hcd
Jan 12 16:19:49 dom0 kernel: usb 2-6: New USB device found,
idVendor=0bda, idProduct=8153
Jan 12 16:19:49 dom0 kernel: usb 2-6: New USB device strings: Mfr=1,
Product=2, SerialNumber=6
Jan 12 16:19:49 dom0 kernel: usb 2-6: Product: USB 10/100/1000 LAN
Jan 12 16:19:49 dom0 kernel: usb 2-6: Manufacturer: Realtek
Jan 12 16:19:49 dom0 kernel: usb 2-6: SerialNumber: 000001000000
Jan 12 16:19:50 dom0 kernel: usb 2-6: reset SuperSpeed USB device number
8 using xhci_hcd

$ qvm-usb
BACKEND:DEVID DESCRIPTION USED BY

So the adapter is recognized on usb 2-6. This also works with a second
adapter of a different brand. And it works on different USB slots. I
haven't tried that with external USB hubs so far. I plugged them
directly into the Laptop.

The Devices Widget only shows local harddisk's partitions and the camera
owned by dom0.

There is no VM called "sys-usb". I read at
https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/usb/ that creating and using a USB cube
could kill functionality of the USB keyboard in a LUKS install. As this
combination is the case here (internal keyboard is USB) I don't think
creating one would be a good idea.

[awokd]

gone wrote on 1/12/19 5:03 PM:

Thanks for the added detail! Not running a sys-usb is probably why you
are having trouble with the adapter. Dom0 has no networking by design,
so if your USB devices are getting connected to it networking won't
work. Does that laptop have another USB controller not used by the
keyboard? If it does, you could make a sys-usb with just that controller
and try again. If not, I think you might be stuck with the internal wifi.

[gone]

Thanks @awokd. I understand, that dom0 has no networking on purpose.
That's a good point. But even if it can't do it's networking job in
dom0, I still wonder why the adapter isn't visible in the Device Widget.
Shouldn't the USB part of it still be assignable to an appVM?

As I don't even know exactly the meaning of things like "usb 2-6", how
could I find out how many USB controllers the machine has and which one
the keyboard is assigned to? Is such an assignment static or somehow
dynamic? I'd really like to use LAN by cable but don't want to risk to
lock myself out.

[awokd]

gone wrote on 1/12/19 9:00 PM:

>>
> Thanks @awokd. I understand, that dom0 has no networking on purpose.
> That's a good point. But even if it can't do it's networking job in
> dom0, I still wonder why the adapter isn't visible in the Device Widget.
> Shouldn't the USB part of it still be assignable to an appVM?

Possibly the firmware and/or device driver isn't installed in dom0?
Thought you actually needed sys-usb for usb redirection to work, but
then I don't know how your camera is showing up in the widget.

> As I don't even know exactly the meaning of things like "usb 2-6", how
> could I find out how many USB controllers the machine has and which one
> the keyboard is assigned to? Is such an assignment static or somehow
> dynamic? I'd really like to use LAN by cable but don't want to risk to
> lock myself out.
>

See https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/assigning-devices/. qvm-pci or lspci
will list devices you can assign. Read further in there how to determine
to which one your keyboard's connected.

[gone]

On 1/12/19 10:07 PM, 'awokd' via qubes-users wrote:
> Possibly the firmware and/or device driver isn't installed in dom0?
> Thought you actually needed sys-usb for usb redirection to work, but
> then I don't know how your camera is showing up in the widget.
>

Sorry awokd, I was wrong. It's the Microphone shown in the Device
Manager, not the Camera.>

> See https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/assigning-devices/. qvm-pci or lspci
> will list devices you can assign. Read further in there how to determine
> to which one your keyboard's connected.
>

I'll do that. Thanks to you and have a nice weekend.