New here and new to QubesOs and expected to receive a NitroPc1 next week. In that regard I am pretty nervous when it comes to using that Pc with my Logitech MX Key (combined keyboard and mouse) wireless USB dongle.
Since the pc comes with the hard drive encrypted, my USB dongle has to be able to be used when the pc boots, so I can type in the decryption password. Now is it so simple to as just plug in the USB dongle before initial startup or is there anything I have to do before I do that? I am absolutely a beginner and also not a cli or linux expert.
Any input or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
I use the Logitech MX device combination on one of my workstations. However, my plan is to switch to a different solution within the next 12 months. However, this migration will take me some time to learn and customise. The eventual solution is inspired by these sources:
Some thoughts on your question, as if I would ask myself:
AFAIK the Logitech dongle firmware, communication protocol and control software are not known to be always up to date and secure, see Logitech related CVEs;
These Logitech MX products work with Bluetooth and - in some cases - without special drivers. See Article on german language Logitech support forum on BT pairing. Whatch out, some of the functions can only be used with the manufacturer’s software and drivers, this is usually described within the docs;
But: why would I buy a high security PC, if I can’t even guarantee the security of my input into this device?
Regarding all your thought I couldn’t agree more but this is a trade off. My daily driver is a laptop with QubesOS and since I recently have only worked with Windows this is a steap learning curve. The pc is to replace the computer that both my wife and I use and I can tell you that this is a hard task to persuade your wife to switch to QubesOS. That is why we bought the pc from Nitrokey. They have made a Windows 11 Qube ( or should have but we will see when it arrives) for my wife. Also my wife enjoys the Logitech MX combo since she can easily switch between her work laptop and our personal computer.
Since this is a pc that will never leave the house I am not worried about bluetooth. I know it is old but I believe that it problably will work.
My goal is to be able to use the MX combo with the pc (connected to Dom0) but also be able to use the normal behavior of SYS-USB that will reject all other USB devices until I attach them to a qube of my choosing
I understand the ‘tradeoff’ aspect very, very well and congratulate you both on the willingness and ability to take this journey together.
My practical experience with QubesOS is not enough to be able to give concrete tips on your use case. But for the ‘Logitech USB Dongle’ use case, I assume that it is recognised as a ‘USB Device’ and passed on to the Windows OS, where it is recognised as an InputDevice.
What about Qubes OS? If I insert the dongle before powering on the pc, will it automaticly be attached to Dom0, so I am able to type in the hard drive encryption password?
