Qubes OS
Qubes OS splits a desktop into isolated virtual machines, so a compromised application cannot reach the rest of the system. It runs Xen under a dom0 based on Fedora, ships Xfce, and its newest release, 4.3.2, is dated 2 October 2026. Minimum RAM is 6 GB and the ISO is 8,068 MB; Wayland is not the default session.
Qubes OS's first release is dated 7 April 2010. It is versioned in a slow rhythm: 4.2.2 on 12 May 2024, 4.2.3 on 30 September 2024, 4.2.4 on 18 February 2025, then 4.3.0 on 3 September 2025, 4.3.1 on 19 March 2026 and 4.3.2 on 2 October 2026. The 4.3.2 snapshot records Xen 4.19 as the hypervisor, a dom0 on Fedora 41, glibc 2.40, systemd 256, Xfce 4.18 and kernel 6.18.51. Packaging is split by design: dom0 uses RPM with DNF, while the template systems that provide application environments use DEB, which is why the package-manager field names both. X11 is the session type, and the entry is not marked immutable, since the isolation lives in the virtual machines rather than in a read-only root. The distribution is corporate-funded and belongs to the security niche, and its memory floor of 6 GB reflects the cost of running several virtual machines at once rather than a heavyweight desktop.
Key facts
- First release: 7 April 2010.
- Release 4.3.2 dated 2 October 2026.
- Xen 4.19 hypervisor; dom0 on Fedora 41; kernel 6.18.51.
- Xfce 4.18, systemd 256 and glibc 2.40 in the 4.3.2 snapshot.
- Minimum RAM: 6 GB (6,144 MB); ISO 8,068 MB.
- RPM with DNF in dom0, DEB in the templates.
Best for: Users who need to keep work, personal and untrusted activity apart on one machine and are willing to pay for that separation in memory.
Recent releases
| Version | Released | Kernel |
|---|---|---|
| 4.3.2 | 2 October 2026 | — |
| 4.3.1 | 19 March 2026 | — |
| 4.3.0 | 3 September 2025 | — |
| 4.2.4 | 18 February 2025 | — |
| 4.2.3 | 30 September 2024 | — |
| 4.2.2 | 12 May 2024 | — |
Package snapshot (4.3.2)
| Component | Version |
|---|---|
| dom0 | Fedora 41 |
| glibc | 2.40 |
| Xen | 4.19 |
| Xfce | 4.18 |
| Package manager | APT (dpkg) (dom0: DNF (RPM)) |
| Init system | systemd 256 |
| Package format | RPM (dom0) · DEB (шаблоны) |
| Linux kernel | 6.18.51 |
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FAQ
How does Qubes isolate applications?
Through Xen virtual machines: each domain runs separately, and dom0 — recorded here on Fedora 41 with Xen 4.19 — controls the desktop. The memory floor of 6 GB follows from running several domains at once.
Which package manager does it use?
Both. dom0 uses RPM with DNF, while the templates that hold application software use DEB, so the dataset lists DNF/RPM as the primary manager.
Is Qubes immutable or Wayland-based?
Neither: the immutable field is false and Wayland is recorded as no, with Xfce 4.18 on X11. Isolation comes from virtualisation rather than from a read-only root.