Qubes extraordinary flexibility

[Franz]

I wanted to install Mathematica for linux that is a 4 gb binary generic blob that comes as .sh file with no adaptations to usual distributions.

First tried created a new VM depending on archlinux template. It did not work with some errors not finding a folder or something. There is a mathematica AUR package, but did not tried it and wanted to use my .sh that has a possibility to install it where you want, so I can choose my home folder without dirtying my template with the blob.

Then tried a new VM depending on Debian and it did not work either for similar problems. Googling for some hint on the error message found that there is some rare unresolved bug in Debian.

Finally tried a new VM depending on Fedora and it worked out of the box, installing it in the home folder.

So which other system you can try three totally different linux distributions (desperately windows too) until you find one that works? And you can make your tests leaving everything clean as if you did nothing at the end. All that with a unique integration, speed and responsiveness.

Well I am in the mood of celebrating. But sometimes it is worth to do that too. We are not in this world only to solve problems.

Best

Fran

[podmo]

Franz wrote:
[snip]

>
> So which other system you can try three totally different linux
> distributions (desperately windows too) until you find one that works? And
> you can make your tests leaving everything clean as if you did nothing at
> the end. All that with a unique integration, speed and responsiveness.
>

I agree, Qubes makes for a great lab management system even if it didn't
have security benefits. Looking forward to 4.0 too with the HVM
improvements.

[Jean-Philippe Ouellet]

I absolutely agree!

I routinely run various engineering tools which are typically
"distributed" (to put it generously) as massive "untar this and run
some script as root -- up to you to resolve dependency hell", and
qubes makes this amazingly clean.

I used to have such hesitation at installing such software and resort
to horrible LXC hacks to try to keep some weak semblance of
self-containedness and safety. Qubes is *so* much better, and since
3.2 with USB passthrough (and a couple local wrappers and patches I
should really get around to upstreaming) even software which
interfaces with external hardware tools are so very nice.

Oh, you need to load some quite likely vulnerable kernel driver for
this crappy oscilloscope? Sure! Go right ahead!

Qubes is not only a security win, but IMHO genuinely a usability win too.