Qubes OS to Ship with Purism's Laptops

   Purism, a company we've mentioned here before, has a new partnership with Qubes OS.  Qubes OS is a security focused Linux OS that takes a unique approach to keeping you and your data safe.  Qubes OS uses compartmentalization under the assumption that your computer will be breached eventually.  Those in the military sector are quite familiar with this term and the benefits.  Qubes OS virtually segregates the different applications or tasks you do into different virtual spaces that can't communicate to each other.

   Using the hypervisor, Xen, Qubes OS will host different operating systems, or even the same ones, all one one machine.  Xen was chosen because it is a popular and robust hypervisor, as well as being open-source.  Using virtualization is like having several physical computers shoved into one, all controlled by software, the hypervisor.  Each hypervisor guest, or operating system, on the laptop are separate, they aren't able to talk to each other.  If one of those guests gets a nasty ransomware virus, the rest of the information on your computer won't be touched.  It's like how large ships can stay afloat even if there is a leak in part of it.  The doors are sealed up and the water (damage) can't spread.

   The reason for this partnership is that Qubes has had difficulties with hardware compatibility.  The Qubes team has tried to do their best to make it easier for their customers to find hardware that will work with their OS, but it's not perfect.  Even slight changes from one vendor can prevent the Qubes OS from running properly, and it needs to run properly to fully protect the one using it.

   Since Purism has been manufacturing their own laptops for a while now, it makes perfect sense they work together.  The two companies have been working together for a while now to "offer users a free-as-in-freedom laptop".  This is just the beginning though.  Yes, it's a lot of technical talk that the average consumer won't know about or even care, the goal is to provide security and privacy to everyone in an easy-to-use package.

"We have to be fighting for our freedoms today, so that we can pave the way for when devices are attached to ourselves, you're in control of your body." - Todd Weaver, Purism Founder.

    Since the terrible day of the Paris Attacks, encryption and privacy have been one of the main topics of debate for the world and for governments. There have been attacks on encryption, even though the leading theory is that they used un-encrypted SMS text messages.  I don't condone terrorist attacks and I'm all for governments and technology companies finding ways to make it easier to find those who wish to do harm to others, but how much privacy and freedom must we give up for that?  Technologies like what Purism and Qubes are wanting to provide to consumers will be a step in the right direction.

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”  - Benjamin Franklin

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About Jimmy R. Tassin

Jimmy Tassin is the IT Manager of Midwest Regional Bank and has been involved with the Technology field for over thirteen years. His two hobbies are overseeing the daily operations of OmniKraft, a Minecraft server community, and writing at Goblinbyte.com.