Qubes OS

Reader supplied reviews for Qubes OS Average rating 8.8 from 33 review(s) Please specify which version of the distribtion you are reviewing. Please selecting a rating in the range of 1-10. Please write at least a few sentences about the distribution while limiting your review to 4080 characters. What are your thoughts on Qubes OS? Please include a few pros and a few cons, along with your overall impression of the operating system. Our FAQ page has tips on writing a good mini-review. Version: -- 4.1.23.2.121.0 Rating:    -- 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 out of 10 Your review (minimum 250 words): Past reviews - sort by: DateVotes Version: 4.1.2 Rating: 9 Date: 2023-11-28 Votes: 2 Title: A Dive into Qubes OS Qubes OS is a unique and intriguing operating system that caught my attention as a tech enthusiast and Linux aficionado. Here's my take on the system, highlighting a few pros and cons. Pros: Security Architecture: Qubes OS takes a commendable approach to security, employing a compartmentalized structure with the help of Xen-based virtualization. Each application runs in a separate virtual machine, enhancing overall system security. Privacy Control: The OS offers robust privacy features, allowing users to create distinct VMs for various tasks. This level of granularity ensures that personal and professional activities remain isolated, contributing to a more private computing experience. Flexibility and Customization: Qubes OS provides a high degree of flexibility, enabling users to tailor their computing environment to specific needs. The ability to run different operating systems in separate VMs adds an extra layer of customization. Cons: Learning Curve: Transitioning to Qubes OS can be challenging for users unfamiliar with the virtualization concept. The learning curve might deter those seeking a more straightforward, traditional operating system experience. Resource Intensive: Due to its security-focused design, Qubes OS can be resource-intensive, demanding a relatively powerful system to run smoothly. This could limit its accessibility for users with older or less powerful hardware. Overall Impression: Qubes OS stands out as a robust and secure operating system with a unique approach to system architecture. Its emphasis on security and privacy is admirable, making it an excellent choice for users who prioritize these aspects in their computing experience. However, the learning curve and resource requirements might pose challenges for those accustomed to more user-friendly and lightweight systems. In conclusion, Qubes OS is a compelling choice for individuals seeking a highly secure and customizable operating system, provided they are willing to invest the time to learn its intricacies and have the hardware to support its demands. Was this review helpful? Yes No Version: 4.1.2 Rating: 7 Date: 2023-10-23 Votes: 1 Qubes OS Isn't a distro, its mostly a Xen hypervisor that sits on top of Fedora and Debian. Qubes OS allows users to have a very secure computer by isolating each application for various purposes. Qubes OS creates qubes or virtual machines that can be used seamlessly. Qubes will sandbox networking and even USB drives. Qubes allows users to setup a VPN or a Whonix qube for added privacy. This OS is very good for anyone that needs extra security. Qubes OS works alright, but it does have some flaws. Qubes does require a high end machine to run, though it can run on decent hardware. Qubes cannot run games with a good fps. TF2 will run at 5fps on good hardware. It is possible to use GPU pass through with Qubes, but with the nature of Qubes this isn't generally supported. Qubes OS cannot run off of a portable ssd, so you must install Qubes on a dedicated machine. I have tried various ways to make Qubes OS boot off of a portable SSD. Qubes does have limited compatibility with hardware. They do have certified hardware for anyone that is looking to daily drive Qubes OS. Was this review helpful? Yes No Version: 4.1.2 Rating: 10 Date: 2023-09-16 Votes: 3 Extremely stable and good operating system, while it is not technically a distribution of Linux, instead being more accurately a distribution of the Xen Hypervisor, which explains the reason hardware compatibility is such an issue. The default Linux templates which can be used to make VM instances are Debian and Fedora both very stable distros. I've never had any issues ever when running it on hardware which was certified as compatible with. My daily driver is a X230 with a 3rd gen i7, and 16gb of DDR3 RAM But I'm considering upgrading to the (as far as I know most powerful certified laptop) which can be found on the offical qubes website, it is some laptop out of NovaCustoms, which has a 12th gen i7 and up to 64gb of DDR4 RAM, so it'll be a massive upgrade on that front. But I will miss the 13 inch form factor and thinkpad keyboard if I do swap over. Overall the best thing about Qubes is, if configured right your security level is exponentially higher than any other OS. And even with a poor configuration and bad practice you will still be more secure than most simply due the base OS being isolated from the internet, and usb system being sandboxed into its own VM by default. the only other OS I use for personal computing is Trisquel, but that is normally only for some basic functionally and as a toy cause its fully FOSS, but for all more reasonable use cases I prefer qubes. It simply provides security no other OS can. The only downside is it will likely take awhile to get used to how copy/pasting works across VMS and having to transfer files from one to the other, but that is more than made up for by the security features. I highly recommend trying it out if you have access to a x230, or really even anyone that is compatible on the HCL. Was this review helpful? Yes No See all 33 reader reviews of Qubes OS...