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Qubes uses virtualization, sandboxing to deliver a more secure desktop OS
Qubes is a bit different from the desktop OSes most of us are familiar with, though it looks similar. It's built on Fedora and Xen and aims to deliver a more secure desktop through the use of sandboxing and "App VMs." Each VM is isolated, though you're still able to do pass data between them (via secure copy and paste).
There's a price to pay in terms of system resources for the added security, but it's reasonable. A typical App VM uses about 400MB of memory but can run a handful of apps in that space (e.g. Firefox, Thunderbird, and OpenOffice).
Qubes is currently in its alpha stage right now, but Rukowska say's it's very usable. To try it out, you'll need to follow the instructions posted on the wiki.
Makes me wonder...With XP mode already available in Windows 7 and the virtualization improvements coming to SP1 and sandboxing becoming more and more common, maybe we'll see something like this in Windows 8. Hey, it's a possibility.
Makes me wonder...With XP mode already available in Windows 7 and the virtualization improvements coming to SP1 and sandboxing becoming more and more common, maybe we'll see something like this in Windows 8. Hey, it's a possibility.
Comments
7
Subscribe to commentsAemonyApr 8th 2010 3:36PM
I understand the need for secure operating systems but... seriously? I though Linux was more than enough secure with it's secure kernel and the "don't trust the user" approach. Guess I was wrong.
JoePalmaApr 8th 2010 3:46PM
No, it is. It's kinda like what Linus Torvalds said about the openBSD people years back.
"Security people are often the black-and-white kind of people that I can't stand. I think the OpenBSD crowd is a bunch of masturbating monkeys, in that they make such a big deal about concentrating on security to the point where they pretty much admit that nothing else matters to them." (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Linus_Torvalds)
Sure, this is secure, and honestly pretty cool concept if you can run even a different OS entirely. But Just for that added small bit of security you're better off turning your routers firewall on and amending your host file.
lawrence hordyApr 8th 2010 7:36PM
We need a topological transformation with a prime number of secure socket layers and more than 10 changing variables in
relation .........to be continued
AnthonyApr 8th 2010 7:36PM
It would be awesome to see something like this in Windows 8. I would love to be able to natively sandbox Windows apps.
DavidApr 8th 2010 10:52PM
It should have been in Windows 7. MS owns app virtualization technology thanks to its SoftGrid acquisition a few years back. There's no reason why they couldn't have rolled it into the OS and allowed us to import pre-configured, optimized, sandboxed apps into Windows rather than dealing with the hassle of application installation, management, troubleshooting and eventual removal.
They could have further improved the security and reliability of the Windows platform by offering a streaming update service to application partners which would allow them to offer an Automatic Updates-style experience for common Windows apps like Adobe Reader/Flash/Air/Creative Suite, games by EA/Activision/Valve, etc.
Instead, they sell the product to enterprises almost completely unchanged from the original acquired version, and ignore the vast improvement in overall user experience they could have provided millions of OS users.
blasztaApr 8th 2010 11:56PM
I'm not sure about the security benefit, but from I read (correct me if I'm wrong) the main advantage is the isolation of the process. So if one app crash or goes berserk, it won't bring the down the whole system.
Makes me remember Microsoft Singularity OS Project ..
ValerieApr 9th 2010 4:10PM
Love the concept but the only thing is that like many other past systems is it really tangible for the real world. I think linux and I get a headache (unfortunately!)
Valerie J asib.org
What's the point of life said the guy up there? There is no point he said!