[4.0] qvm-create --class StandaloneVM throws exception in qubesd

[alej.a...@gmail.com]

I've been using Qubes 4.0 for a week, everything working pretty much out of the box. Yesterday however, I encountered a problem when trying to create a fedora-26 template-based StandaloneVM. This happened after I messed up with dnf in a previous StandaloneVM erasing lots of important dependencies and qubes-related packages rendering the VM unusable. I ended up deleting that StandaloneVM and since then I can't create any StandaloneVMs anymore.

If I create it via Qube Manager, a StandaloneVM is created, but it's completely empty, it doesn't have any TemplateVM associated with it.

If I create it with qvm-create, I obtain the following output:

$ qvm-create vmname --class StandaloneVM --template fedora-26 --label orange
app: Error creating VM: Got empty response from qubesd. See journalctl in dom0 for details.

journalctl output:

Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: unhandled exception while calling src=b'dom0' meth=b'admin.vm.Create.StandaloneVM' dest=b'dom0' arg=b'fedora-2$
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: Traceback (most recent call last):
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: File "/usr/lib/python3.5/site-packages/qubes/api/__init__.py", line 262, in respond
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: untrusted_payload=untrusted_payload)
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: File "/usr/lib64/python3.5/asyncio/futures.py", line 381, in __iter__
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: yield self # This tells Task to wait for completion.
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: File "/usr/lib64/python3.5/asyncio/tasks.py", line 310, in _wakeup
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: future.result()
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: File "/usr/lib64/python3.5/asyncio/futures.py", line 294, in result
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: raise self._exception
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: File "/usr/lib64/python3.5/asyncio/tasks.py", line 240, in _step
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: result = coro.send(None)
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: File "/usr/lib64/python3.5/asyncio/coroutines.py", line 213, in coro
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: res = yield from res
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: File "/usr/lib/python3.5/site-packages/qubes/api/admin.py", line 960, in _vm_create
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: assert not self.arg
Apr 06 00:46:37 dom0 qubesd[13232]: AssertionError

I tried then to clone fedora-26 TemplateVM and I obtain the same result, an empty, unusable VM. I can create template-based AppVMs, but not clone them, create new TemplateVMs or StandaloneVMs. I can clone a Win7 VM with QWT that works beautifully, but not template-based ones.

I'm afraid I messed up with Qubes configuration or template handling, but I can't see how deleting a corrupt StandaloneVM is related to this problem. Any workaround would be much appreciated. I see a similar bug is reported in Issue 3341: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/3341

Thanks in advance. I was eagerly waiting for R4.0 and it works flawlessly in my daily driver, outstanding development work, I'm loving the experience.

[awokd]

On Fri, April 6, 2018 10:43 am, alej.a...@gmail.com wrote:

>
> $ qvm-create vmname --class StandaloneVM --template fedora-26 --label
> orange app: Error creating VM: Got empty response from qubesd. See
> journalctl in dom0 for details.

I see you got an answer in
https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/3793.