HowTo: Install the Stable Version of Qubes-Whonix 14

Introduction

Installation

Qubes R4.0 or above required!

Remove Old Versions

Users who are already running any version of Qubes-Whonix must uninstall it before performing a complete (re-)installation. This applies to:

• Users who selected Qubes-Whonix auto-configuration when Qubes was installed.
• Users who installed Qubes-Whonix after installing the Qubes platform.

Before re-installation, back up any existing data stored in Whonix VMs. This is unnecessary if users choose to upgrade Whonix 13 to 14 instead of following these instructions.

Update dom0

To launch a dom0 terminal, click the Qubes App Launcher (blue/grey "Q") and then open the Terminal Emulator (Xfce Terminal).

Upgrade Qubes dom0.

sudo qubes-dom0-update

sudo qubes-dom0-update

Download Whonix Templates and Configure sys-whonix and anon-whonix

The recommended approach is to use salt (wrapped by the command qubesctl in Qubes), as this one call automatically:

• Downloads both Whonix-Gateway and Whonix-Workstation TemplateVMs.
• Configures sys-whonix and anon-whonix safely.

In dom0, run:

sudo qubesctl state.sls qvm.anon-whonix

sudo qubesctl state.sls qvm.anon-whonix

For troubleshooting please see footnotes:

Optional Whonix DVM Template VM

In Qubes R4 and above, users can choose to set up a whonix-ws-14-dvm DVM Template as a base for Disposable VMs.

In dom0, run.

sudo qubesctl state.sls qvm.whonix-ws-dvm

sudo qubesctl state.sls qvm.whonix-ws-dvm

Optional Updates over Tor

TemplateVMs

To force all TemplateVM updates over Tor:

• R3.2: For each template, manually open VM settings and set NetVM to sys-whonix.
• R4: Use salt in dom0:

  • sudo qubesctl state.sls qvm.updates-via-whonix

    sudo qubesctl state.sls qvm.updates-via-whonix

In Qubes R4, this setting can be undone by modifying /etc/qubes-rpc/policy/qubes.UpdatesProxy.

dom0

To force dom0 updates over Tor, set Qubes dom0 UpdateVM to sys-whonix.

Qubes Manager -> System -> Global Settings -> Dom0 UpdateVM: sys-whonix -> OK

To revert this change, set Qubes dom0 UpdateVM to sys-firewall or any other VM of our choice.

Qubes Manager -> System -> Global Settings -> Dom0 UpdateVM: sys-firewall -> OK

Optional: Enable AppArmor

If you are interested, click on Expand on the right.

The following steps should be completed in dom0 for both whonix-gw-14 and whonix-ws-14 TemplateVMs. After these settings have been applied to the Whonix templates, the sys-whonix (ProxyVM) and anon-whonix (AppVM) will inherit the AppArmor kernel settings.

It is unnecessary to recreate the sys-whonix and anon-whonix TemplateBasedVMs to benefit from the new kernel parameters. It is also important for users to verify AppArmor is active in the sys-whonix and anon-whonix VMs after making these changes.

Whonix-Gateway

Open a dom0 terminal.

Qubes App Launcher (blue/grey "Q") -> System Tools -> Xfce Terminal

List the current kernel parameters.

qvm-prefs -g whonix-gw-14 kernelopts

qvm-prefs -g whonix-gw-14 kernelopts

Qubes R3.2 and later releases will show.

nopat

Keep the existing kernel parameters and add 'apparmor=1 security=apparmor'. For example.

qvm-prefs -s whonix-gw-14 kernelopts "nopat apparmor=1 security=apparmor"

qvm-prefs -s whonix-gw-14 kernelopts "nopat apparmor=1 security=apparmor"

qvm-prefs -s sys-whonix kernelopts "nopat apparmor=1 security=apparmor"

qvm-prefs -s sys-whonix kernelopts "nopat apparmor=1 security=apparmor"

List the current kernel parameters again (hit the up arrow key twice; it is unnecessary to type the command again).

qvm-prefs -g whonix-gw-14 kernelopts

qvm-prefs -g whonix-gw-14 kernelopts

The output should show AppArmor is part of the new kernel parameters. For example.

nopat apparmor=1 security=apparmor

Start the sys-whonix ProxyVM and confirm AppArmor is now active.

sudo aa-status --enabled ; echo $?

sudo aa-status --enabled ; echo $?

The output should show.

0

Whonix-Workstation

Open a dom0 terminal.

Qubes App Launcher (blue/grey "Q") -> System Tools -> Xfce Terminal

List the current kernel parameters.

qvm-prefs -g whonix-ws-14 kernelopts

qvm-prefs -g whonix-ws-14 kernelopts

Qubes R3.2 and later releases will show.

nopat

Keep the existing kernel parameters and add 'apparmor=1 security=apparmor'. For example.

qvm-prefs -s whonix-ws-14 kernelopts "nopat apparmor=1 security=apparmor"

qvm-prefs -s whonix-ws-14 kernelopts "nopat apparmor=1 security=apparmor"

qvm-prefs -s anon-whonix kernelopts "nopat apparmor=1 security=apparmor"

qvm-prefs -s anon-whonix kernelopts "nopat apparmor=1 security=apparmor"

List the current kernel parameters again (hit the up arrow key twice; it is unnecessary to type the command again).

qvm-prefs -g whonix-ws-14 kernelopts

qvm-prefs -g whonix-ws-14 kernelopts

The output should show AppArmor is part of the new kernel parameters. For example.

nopat apparmor=1 security=apparmor

Start the anon-whonix AppVM and confirm AppArmor is now active.

sudo aa-status --enabled ; echo $?

sudo aa-status --enabled ; echo $?

The output should show.

0

Update and Launch Applications

Before starting applications in the Whonix-Workstation AppVM, update both Whonix-Gateway and Whonix-Workstation TemplateVMs.

To launch an application like Tor Browser:

Qubes App Launcher (blue/grey "Q") -> Domain: anon-whonix -> Tor Browser (AnonDist)

To learn about known bugs affecting this release, see here.

Additional Information

If you are interested, click on Expand on the right.

• Read and apply the Post Installation Security Advice.
• Stay tuned!

Known Bugs

All Platforms

"apt-get source package" will show "dpkg-source: warning: failed to verify signature"

This is not a security issue, but only a warning. Read the entire thread here for more information.

This warning message can be removed with the following workaround below.

1. Modify /etc/dpkg/origins/default

sudo unlink /etc/dpkg/origins/default

sudo unlink /etc/dpkg/origins/default

sudo ln -s /etc/dpkg/origins/debian /etc/dpkg/origins/default

sudo ln -s /etc/dpkg/origins/debian /etc/dpkg/origins/default

2. Download the source package.

apt-get source package

apt-get source package

3. Undo afterwards to prevent unexpected issues.

sudo unlink /etc/dpkg/origins/default

sudo unlink /etc/dpkg/origins/default

sudo ln -s /etc/dpkg/origins/whonix /etc/dpkg/origins/default

sudo ln -s /etc/dpkg/origins/whonix /etc/dpkg/origins/default

Proxychains Tor Browser Issue

Using Tor Browser in conjunction with proxychains for the connection scheme: User -> Tor -> Proxy -> Internet
does not currently work. For more information, see here.

VirtualBox

Screen Resolution Bug

If the display presents like the image on the right-hand side, then you are affected by a screen resolution bug which only occurs in the XFCE version of Whonix in VirtualBox. To correct the resolution, apply the following workaround.

1. Maximize the window.

2. VirtualBox VM Windows -> View -> Virtual Screen 1 -> choose any, resize to some other resolution

3. VirtualBox VM Windows -> View -> Auto-resize Guest Display

ATA Freeze

If you see the following error and freezing.

433.348893] mptscsih: ioc0: attempting target reset! (sc=ffff81021b950940)
433.348896] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] CDB: ATA command pass through(16): 85 08
0e 00 d5 00 01 00 09 00 4f 00 c2 00 b0 00
433.605026] mptscsih: ioc0: target reset: SUCCESS (sc=ffff81021b950940

It is a known issue.
VirtualBox upstream bug report: https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/10031
Cannot be fixed by the Whonix team. Patches required. Hardware specific.
It has been reported that running form internal hdd works better than running from external devices.
A workaround might be "avoid high load on your host operating system". If this bug causes a lot issues to you, your only option is to switch to another platform.

Non-Qubes-Whonix

Non-Qubes-Whonix means all Whonix platforms except Qubes-Whonix. This includes KVM, VirtualBox and Physical Isolation.

Suspend / Hibernate Issues

Short: Avoid suspending or hilbernating the computer or Whonix VMs while Whonix is running.

Long: Network Time Syncing, Troubleshooting#Clock Fix.

Mounting (CD / DVD) Devices

If the device auto mounter is broken, see if Start menu -> System Settings -> Removable Media helps.

The following workaround can be used.

sudo mkdir /mnt/cdrom

sudo mkdir /mnt/cdrom

sudo mount -o ro /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom/

sudo mount -o ro /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom/

Using the ro flag will mount the CD / DVD in read-only mode. If a CD / DVD is not being mounted, then drop the "-o ro" parameter.

Forum discussion:
https://forums.whonix.org/t/workstation11-doesnt-mount-hdds/1313

Help fixing this bug is welcome! (ticket)

VLC / Video Player Crash

The following workaround can be used.

(This is the default in recent builds, in Whonix 14. )

VLC -> Tools -> Preferences -> Video -> Output -> X11 -> Save

Network Manager Systray Unmanaged Devices

Short answer: Unmanaged devices are unrelated to Whonix functioning and should not concern the user.
Long answer:

Qubes-Whonix

Missing Qubes Appmenu Entries in anon-whonix

In Qubes R3.2, anon-whonix in Whonix 14 does not have Qubes appmenus (start menu) entries by default. These must be manually added:

Qubes appmenu -> anon-whonix -> Add more shortcuts

This issue has been fixed in Qubes R4.

Template Installation qubesctl Error

The following qubesctl error message can be safely ignored:

[user@dom0 ~]$ sudo qubesctl state.sls qvm.anon-whonix
[ERROR   ] Command ['dnf', '--quiet', 'clean', 'expire-cache', '--disablerepo=*', '--enablerepo=qubes-templates-community-testing'] failed with return code: 1                                                                                                                
[ERROR   ] output: Error: Unknown repo: 'qubes-templates-community-testing'

Stay Tuned

Introduction

It is important to read the latest Whonix news to stay in touch with ongoing developments. This way users benefit from notifications concerning important security vulnerabilities and improved releases which address identified issues, like those affecting the updater or other core elements.

Stay Tuned

Whonix News Forums

For user convenience, there are multiple avenues for receiving news. Choose the most suitable option below.

1. Whonix Important News Forum Tag (v3 onion) - Only critical information is reported. This includes security vulnerabilities and new stable Whonix versions. It is best suited for people with very limited time and interest in Whonix development and news.
2. Whonix News Forums (v3 onion) - This includes everything including important news and has a relaxed posting policy. Testers-only and developers Whonix versions are announced here, along with the publishing of news about updated articles, new features, future features, development, calls for testing, general project ideas and so on.
3. Other choices.

If time-constrained, users should at least read the Whonix Important News Forum Tag. Follow the Whonix News Forums if detailed anonymity / privacy / security-related issues are of interest, or to follow recent Whonix developments.

Operating System Updates

As strongly recommended in the Security Guide, it is necessary to regularly check for operating system updates on the host operating system, and both the Whonix-Workstation and Whonix-Gateway.

Social Media Profiles

There are some Whonix Social Media Profiles online, but please do not rely on them for the latest Whonix News or to contact Whonix developers (see Contact for contact information).

As some users will disregard this advice, messages from the Whonix Feature Blog are automatically mirrored to the Whonix Twitter Profile and the Whonix Facebook Profile. However, they are not mirrored to the Whonix Google+ Profile. Diaspora Whonix and Tumblr accounts have also recently been established.

If it is safe to inform others about Whonix, feel free to Contribute via an anonymous account that follows or likes these profiles. This page can be shared on: Twitter | Facebook.

Source Code

If Whonix source code updates are of interest, subscribe to code changes.

Tor Bootstrap

Tor bootstrap refers to the process of attempting to connect to the Tor network (successfully or unsuccessfully). Familiar output related to this process includes: "Tor connecting xx percent...", "Tor not connected", "Tor connected" and so on. Bootstrapping does not refer to related concepts, such as whether connections are "secure", "not secure", "anonymous" or "not anonymous".

Tor Browser

Tor Browser's built-in update check mechanism also works in Whonix, so use it whenever updates become available.

For additional information about Tor Browser updates see Tor Browser. Additionally, consider subscribing to https://blog.torproject.org for developments from The Tor Project.

Whonix Version Check and Whonix News

Whonix Version Check (first rectangle in black) and Whonix News (second rectangle in green)

whonixcheck can provide notifications about new Whonix versions and critical Whonix News updates.

Running whonixcheck

whonixcheck verifies that the Whonix system is up-to-date and that everything is in proper working order.

Users can manually run whonixcheck to check the system status by following the steps below.

How to Manually Run whonixcheck

If you are using Qubes-Whonix, complete the following steps.

Qubes App Launcher (blue/grey "Q") -> click on the Whonix VM you want to check -> whonixcheck / System Check

If you are using a graphical Whonix, complete the following steps.

Start Menu -> System -> whonixcheck

If you are using a terminal-only Whonix, complete the following steps.

whonixcheck

whonixcheck

Depending on the system specifications, whonixcheck may take up to a few minutes to run. Assuming everything is working as intended, the output should highlight each INFO heading in green (not red). A successful whonixcheck process results in output similar to the sample below.

Sample whonixcheck Output

[INFO] [whonixcheck] anon-whonix | Whonix-Workstation | {{whonix-ws}} TemplateBased AppVM | Thu Aug 9 18:09:23 UTC 2018
[INFO] [whonixcheck] Connected to Tor.
[INFO] [whonixcheck] Whonix APT Repository: Enabled.
When the Whonix team releases STRETCH-PROPOSED-UPDATES updates, they will be AUTOMATICALLY installed (when you run apt-get dist-upgrade) along with updated packages from the Debian team. Please read https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Trust to understand the risk.
If you want to change this, use:
    sudo whonix_repository
[INFO] [whonixcheck] Debian Package Update Check: Checking for software updates via apt-get... ( Documentation: https://www.whonix.org/wiki/Update )
[INFO] [whonixcheck] Debian Package Update Check Result: No updates found via apt-get.

Whonix Repository Testers

Whonix requires a critical mass of users to properly test planned updates by enabling the stable-proposed-updates or testers repository. Otherwise, bugs might go undiscovered and be inadvertently introduced into the stable repository.

To ensure a stable Whonix system is available at all times, willing testers should:

• Create new Whonix-Workstation and Whonix-Gateway TemplateVMs solely for testing.
• Enable the stable-proposed-updates or testers repository via the Whonix repository tool.
• Platform-specific advice:
  • Non-Qubes-Whonix: Create a clean snapshot or use Multiple Whonix-Workstations / Multiple Whonix-Gateways.
  • Qubes-Whonix: Use separate TemplateVMs and separate sys-whonix-test and anon-whonix-test TemplateBasedVMs.
• And perform normal user activities.

Please only report bugs after first searching relevant Whonix forums and developer portals for the problem.

Footnotes

---

Random News:

Did you know that Whonix could provide protection against backdoors? See Verifiable Builds. Help is wanted and welcomed.

---

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Share: Twitter | Facebook

This is a wiki. Want to improve this page? Help is welcome and volunteer contributions are happily considered! See Conditions for Contributions to Whonix, then Edit! IP addresses are scrubbed, but editing over Tor is recommended. Edits are held for moderation.

Whonix is a licensee of the Open Invention Network. Unless otherwise noted, the content of this page is copyrighted and licensed under the same Libre Software license as Whonix itself. (Why?)

Whonix is provided by ENCRYPTED SUPPORT LP. See Imprint.

Footnotes

on R4.0, After uninstalling old whonix templates, and attempting reinstallation via:

[user@dom0 ~]$ sudo qubesctl state.cls qvm.anon-whonix

[user@dom0 ~]$ sudo qubesctl state.cls qvm.anon-whonix

the result is

'state.cls' is not available.
DOM0 configuration failed, not continuing

'state.cls' is not available. DOM0 configuration failed, not continuing

Solution: Restarting after uninstalling old versions.

---

Random News:

Please help in testing new features and bug fixes in Whonix.

---

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Share: Twitter | Facebook

This is a wiki. Want to improve this page? Help is welcome and volunteer contributions are happily considered! See Conditions for Contributions to Whonix, then Edit! IP addresses are scrubbed, but editing over Tor is recommended. Edits are held for moderation.

Whonix is a licensee of the Open Invention Network. Unless otherwise noted, the content of this page is copyrighted and licensed under the same Libre Software license as Whonix itself. (Why?)

Whonix is provided by ENCRYPTED SUPPORT LP. See Imprint.