Image on secondary disk, it's possible?

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Strak8

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Jan 26, 2017, 2:13:40 PM1/26/17
to qubes-users
Hello to all,
I'm using with happiness for a month the latest release of qubesOS, I'd like to know:

1. I have created several virtual disk (vmdk-to-img or new both with DD and with mkfs) to be attached to a StandaloneVM.

[For now, Qubes is installed on a 30GB SSD in the laptop, I had not read the specifications with automatic partition so much occupied space. I honestly do not understand why a hypervisor occupies so much space, but soon I will turn the disk with a larger one. The problem (in addition to money) is that the ssd is a Msata that I would not be replaced by a more capacious because I knew that Msata quite warm, so as soon as possible'll take one Sata]

I would install MS Windows on a virtual disk that I created on the secondary disk, this I attached a StandaloneVM. Unfortunately the installation fails in any way. But I doubt that he had done something wrong in creating the virtual disk.
I would like to know if I can install Windows on a virtual disk on the second disc?

2. In general I would like to know if you can install or run the OS on images on the secondary disk or as an alternative to a secondary physical disk (SATA or USB)?

3. On some Linux distributions install or even in Live mode, just imposed the native resolution of the primary display the video freezes. I have not found the Xrandr option to count down to return to the initial setting. In addition, for example, I can not set the full screen on installing Windows OS. There's a reason for this?

Thank you ;=)

Andrew

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Jan 26, 2017, 3:08:15 PM1/26/17
to qubes...@googlegroups.com
Strak8:
Hi,

Well, I am not an expert on this, so perhaps you want to wait for more
expert advice. But it seems to me that Windows probably does not have a
driver for the Xen virtual block device presented to the StandaloneVM.

I suggest you try an alternative approach. First, create an HVM
template for your Windows installation (do everything just as you would
normally). Then, obliterate what's on your second disk, luksFormat it
and mkfs.ext4 it (or whatever file system you want).

Now, in Dom0, navigate to /var/lib/qubes/vm-templates/[name of created
HVM template]. Inside this directory should be three .img files:
private.img, root.img, and volatile.img. It's OK if volatile.img
doesn't exist.

Now, just delete root.img, create a new root.img of the size you want
(dd if=/dev/zero bs=1M count=...) on your secondary drive, then make a
symlink (ln -s /mnt/second/windows/root.img
/var/lib/qubes/vm-templates/windows/root.img).

Then start the template and install normally (hopefully). You can then
create many Windows HVMs based on that Windows HVM template and enjoy :).

Andrew

Drew White

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Jan 26, 2017, 8:31:38 PM1/26/17
to qubes-users

I used to run Qubes on a 128 GB SSD, and I have my Guests on a completely separate HDD for some, primarily the appvms, and the templates on the primary drive.

If you want to have a Guest on a different drive...

1. Create it in Qubes.
2. Move the folder to the secondary drive.
3. create a link with folder name to folder name identicly.

done.

Andrew David Wong

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Jan 27, 2017, 3:10:43 AM1/27/17
to Strak8, qubes-users
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512

On 2017-01-26 11:13, Strak8 wrote:
> Hello to all, I'm using with happiness for a month the latest
> release of qubesOS, I'd like to know:
>
> 1. I have created several virtual disk (vmdk-to-img or new both
> with DD and with mkfs) to be attached to a StandaloneVM.
>
> [For now, Qubes is installed on a 30GB SSD in the laptop, I had not
> read the specifications with automatic partition so much occupied
> space. I honestly do not understand why a hypervisor occupies so
> much space, but soon I will turn the disk with a larger one. The
> problem (in addition to money) is that the ssd is a Msata that I
> would not be replaced by a more capacious because I knew that Msata
> quite warm, so as soon as possible'll take one Sata]
>
> I would install MS Windows on a virtual disk that I created on the
> secondary disk, this I attached a StandaloneVM. Unfortunately the
> installation fails in any way. But I doubt that he had done
> something wrong in creating the virtual disk. I would like to know
> if I can install Windows on a virtual disk on the second disc?
>
> 2. In general I would like to know if you can install or run the OS
> on images on the secondary disk or as an alternative to a secondary
> physical disk (SATA or USB)?
>

Yes, this is easy:

https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/secondary-storage/

- --
Andrew David Wong (Axon)
Community Manager, Qubes OS
https://www.qubes-os.org
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Strak8

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Jan 27, 2017, 9:33:15 AM1/27/17
to qubes-users, str...@gmail.com
I thank you all,
I thought I had trawled through all the documents, and yet it was not so.

There remains the question of how it can attach images or physical disks rather than symbolic links. If you can then use physical disks to install or load the guest systems.

I did not find the command to install from USB devices:

qvm-start NewOS --hdd =? or --hardisk =?

Since I can not attach USB devices to Dom0, how do I start the installation from USB?

A greeting

Andrew David Wong

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Jan 27, 2017, 10:24:06 PM1/27/17
to Strak8, qubes-users
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512

Yes, you can pass `qvm-start --hddisk=DRIVE_HD` or `qvm-start
- --cdrom=DRIVE_CDROM`. See `qvm-start --help` for details.

You can also go to Qubes Manager -> VM Settings (of an HVM) ->
Advanced tab -> [x] Additional drive -> Select the type, backend
domain, and path.

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