The latest update of the operating system, Qubes 4.2.1, has been released, introducing the concept of using a hypervisor to strictly isolate the OS, with each application class and system service running in separate virtual machines. It is recommended to have a system with 16 GB of RAM (minimum of 6 GB) and a 64-bit CPU Intel or AMD with technology support VT-X, EPT/AMD-V, RVI, and VT-D/AMD IMMU. The installation image size is 6 GB (x86_64). More details can be found here.
Applications in Qubes are categorized based on the importance of processed data and tasks to be solved. Each application class and system service operate in separate virtual machines launched through the Xen hypervisor. Applications within the same desktop are distinguished by different colored window frames. Each environment has limited access to the basic root FS and local repository to prevent interference with other environments’ storage. The interaction of applications is organized through a special service.
The virtual environment in Qubes can be based on Fedora and Debian templates, with community support for Ubuntu, Gentoo, and Arch Linux templates. Users can also create virtual machines with Windows or based on Whonix for anonymous access via Tor. The user interface is XFCE-based, and applications are launched in specific virtual machines from the menu. The content of virtual environments is determined by a set of templates.
The update includes new versions of programs in the basic systemic environment (DOM0) and a new Fedora 39 template for virtual environment creation. The default involvement of the Linux 6.6 core reduces the need to install Kernel-Latest on systems with new hardware. More information can be found here.