After having assigned an non-existing TemplateVM to an AppVM, Qubes VM Manager fails and does not allow to assign an existing TemplateVM

[Wikinaut]

Qubes OS version (e.g., R3.2):

R3.2

Affected TemplateVMs (e.g., fedora-23, if applicable):

Affected: Qubes VM-Manager

Dom0 OSError Errno 2 file not found: /var/lib/qubes/vm-templates/fedora-23/apps.templates

After having successfully

• added fedora-24 as explained on https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2016/11/15/fedora-24-template-available/ and
• removed fedora-23 as explained on https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/templates/

by performing these steps

$ sudo qubes-dom0-update qubes-template-fedora-24
(I now manually detached all AppVMs which were based on fedora-23 and assigned fedora-24)
$ sudo yum remove qubes-template-fedora-23
$ sudo rm ~/.local/share/applications/fedora-23-* (pls. fix the wrong number 21 in your example on https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/templates/ !)

How to reproduce:

I intentionally assigned fedora-23(remember: I deleted that intentionally) because this was still selectable in the Qubes VM Manager - to one of my AppVM "TestVM".

Now, of course, I cannot start that "TestVM".

Dom0 OSError [Errno 2] file not found: /var/lib/qubes/vm-templates/fedora-23/apps.templates
This is most likely a bug in the Qubes Manager.

line: template_file_list = os.listdir(template_dir)
func: fill_apps_list
line no.: 71
file: /usr/lib64/pythin2.7/site-packages/qubesmanager/appmenu_select.py
---
line: self.fill_apps_list()
func:__init__
line no.: 65
file: /usr/lib64/pythin2.7/site-packages/qubesmanager/appmenu_select.py
---
line: self.AppListManager = AppMenuSelectManager(self.vm, self.app_list)
func: __init__
line no.: 106
file: /usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/qubesmanager/settings.py
---
line: "basic")
func: action_settings_triggered
line no.: 1345
file: /usr/lib64/python2.7/site-packages/qubesmanager/main.py

Problem/Bug

Reassigning an existing template in Qubes VM Manager is impossible.

Suggested solution

Fix the error message and code behaviour, and let user allow to assign an existing TemplateVM.

[andrewdavidwong]

Ok, it sounds like the real problem is that fedora-23 was still selectable as a TemplateVM in Qubes Manager even after you removed it. AFAIK, that shouldn't be possible.

$ sudo rm ~/.local/share/applications/fedora-23-* (pls. fix the wrong number 21 in your example on https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/templates/ !)

It's not "wrong." It's just an example. You're not supposed to copy that command verbatim; rather, it's an instance serving to illustrate the command.

[andrewdavidwong]

Ok, it sounds like the real problem is that fedora-23 was still selectable as a TemplateVM in Qubes Manager even after you removed it. AFAIK, that shouldn't be possible.

$ sudo rm ~/.local/share/applications/fedora-23-* (pls. fix the wrong number 21 in your example on https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/templates/ !)

It's not "wrong." It's just an example. You're not supposed to copy that command verbatim; rather, it's an instance serving to illustrate the command.

[Wikinaut]

@andrewdavidwong

It's not "wrong." It's just an example. You're not supposed to copy that command verbatim; rather, it's an instance serving to illustrate the command.

This is clear to me, but in your examples on https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/templates/ , in the section directly above, you use "$ sudo yum remove qubes-template-fedora-23 [sic]". The two examples should use the same version number (in my view).

[Wikinaut]

@andrewdavidwong

It's not "wrong." It's just an example. You're not supposed to copy that command verbatim; rather, it's an instance serving to illustrate the command.

This is clear to me, but in your examples on https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/templates/ , in the section directly above, you use "$ sudo yum remove qubes-template-fedora-23 [sic]". The two examples should use the same version number (in my view).

[marmarta]

It should not be possible in R4.0 (assigning the template will just fail), and the documentation has already been improved. I'm closing this one.

[marmarta]

It should not be possible in R4.0 (assigning the template will just fail), and the documentation has already been improved. I'm closing this one.