windows 7 home premium sp1 install issue

[Raymond Rizzuto]

I have a running Qubes 3.1 system set up on a HP EliteBook 850G1.  I've been running that off and on for a few weeks with no issue.  However, I want to set up a windows VM for some applications that are windows specific, but am having issues.  This is what I have done so far:

• I created a hvm via the gui.  
  
• After increasing the disk space of the personal vm to 4G, I was able to download the .iso file from Microsoft for windows 7 home premium sp1 x64 (3.2G)
  
• I then issued this command to start the hvm from the iso:
  

qvm-start win7 --cdrom=personal:/home/user/Downloads/en_windows_7_home_premium_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_676549.iso

• I issued the same command several times to allow the install to "restart" to complete the install.  
  
• Once it was done, I tried launching the hvm from the gui, but it died and created a crash dump file.

I'm curious if anyone can see what I missed, or report success with this procedure. 

I also want to install the Qubes Tools for Windows once I get past this.  However, I ran "sudo qubes-dom0-update qubes-windows-tools" and it failed to install anything.  Is that package now part of the base download?

[J. Eppler]

Hello,

sadly windows is not 100% stable crash dumps can occur. Sometimes it is enough to start the VM
a second or third time.

After a crash windows normally shows a boot menu with several options (see http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/art_geier_fixwinbootcrash/elementLinks/geier4_fig01.jpg).
This menu is not visible in Qubes OS, but you can make it visible by setting the mark in "Right click -> VM Settings -> Run in Debug Mode".

I read in the specs that the HP EliteBook 850G1 has an SSD drive, so Windows should start in
60 seconds. This is the time for the qrexec service. It sometimes helps to increase the time to
for example 120 or 300 seconds.

For example:

qvm-prefs lab-win7 -s qrexec_timeout 120

Best regards
  J. Eppler

[Andrew David Wong]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
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On 2016-06-14 11:12, Raymond Rizzuto wrote:
> I also want to install the Qubes Tools for Windows once I get past
> this. However, I ran "sudo qubes-dom0-update qubes-windows-tools"
> and it failed to install anything. Is that package now part of the
> base download?
>

qubes-windows-tools is only available from the testing repository
right now because it is not yet stable.

To install it from the testing repository:

$ sudo qubes-dom0-update --enablerepo=qubes-dom0-current-testing \
qubes-windows-tools

- --
Andrew David Wong (Axon)
Community Manager, Qubes OS
https://www.qubes-os.org
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[Raymond Rizzuto]

I will give that a try, thanks! 

FWIW, I previously had an HP 8460p with SSD and Qubes 2.0, and had no issues with installing a Windows HVM, though adding QTW would destabilize it. 

Not sure it matters, but Qubes 3.1 is installed on a second SSD (M.2) in the 850G1 - I use the bios boot menu to choose eeither Windows 10 or Qubes as the base OS. 

[Raymond Rizzuto]

Considering my current issue installing windows without QTW, I will wait for a released QTW, assuming I do manage to get a stable Windows 7 HVM without it first. 

[Drew White]

On Wednesday, 15 June 2016 12:06:56 UTC+10, Raymond Rizzuto wrote:

Considering my current issue installing windows without QTW, I will wait for a released QTW, assuming I do manage to get a stable Windows 7 HVM without it first. 

My recommendation is having your ISOs on Dom0. It's the easiest way I know of to do these things.
I have never had an issue installing Windows 7 x64 SP1 in Qubes, ever. I jsut plug in my HDD with my ISOs on it, then
that automatically attaches to Dom0.
Then I just ..

qvm-start win7 --cdrom=/run/media/{username}/{drivelabel}/isos/win7x64_sp1.iso

If you find a resolution to the tools, please let me know, I'm having all sorts of issues.

[Andrew David Wong]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
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On 2016-06-14 19:24, Drew White wrote:
>
>
> On Wednesday, 15 June 2016 12:06:56 UTC+10, Raymond Rizzuto wrote:
>>
>>
>> Considering my current issue installing windows without QTW, I
>> will wait for a released QTW, assuming I do manage to get a
>> stable Windows 7 HVM without it first.
>>
>
> My recommendation is having your ISOs on Dom0. It's the easiest way
> I know of to do these things. I have never had an issue installing
> Windows 7 x64 SP1 in Qubes, ever. I jsut plug in my HDD with my
> ISOs on it, then that automatically attaches to Dom0. Then I just
> ..
>
> qvm-start win7
> --cdrom=/run/media/{username}/{drivelabel}/isos/win7x64_sp1.iso
>

Please note that this effectively renders the ISO-containing HDD equal
in trust to dom0. If malware on the HDD (or in the firmware, etc.)
manages to execute in dom0, it could have control over the entire
system (all VMs).

I'm sure that Drew is aware of this and has made a conscious choice to
trust his ISO-containing HDD, but other people reading this may not
have considered this.

- --
Andrew David Wong (Axon)
Community Manager, Qubes OS
https://www.qubes-os.org
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[Drew White]

On Wednesday, 15 June 2016 12:34:58 UTC+10, Andrew David Wong wrote:

Please note that this effectively renders the ISO-containing HDD equal
in trust to dom0. If malware on the HDD (or in the firmware, etc.)
manages to execute in dom0, it could have control over the entire
system (all VMs).

I'm sure that Drew is aware of this and has made a conscious choice to
trust his ISO-containing HDD, but other people reading this may not
have considered this.

 Hi andrew,

yes, I have taken many things into consideration.
Well, my ISO containing HDD is also an HDD that has guests on it.
Malware on the HDD? Only if it comes from another guest without my permitting it.

So yes you are right, but I'm not using a portable HDD that goes into any
machine. It's a portable HDD that only plugs into Dom0, nothing else.

It's only ever plugged into my PC here, and my identicle one at the other office.
So it just haas the guests that I need at both locations, and not have to send data across the internet from guest
on this machine to guest on that machine and vice versa.

So that is the security and precautions that I do take.

[Raymond Rizzuto]

I'm not sure that the location I mounted the .iso from is related to my problem.  I had no issues installing from the ISO, hosted from my personal vm.  The problem was post install.  I will try running the vm with debug, and possibly play with amount of memory and qrexec_timeout  tonight to see if I can find more information.