QubesOS

Running RF Swift on QubesOS

We use Podman which is the preferred way for QubesOS, allowing rootless mode without any issues.

The setup is straightforward: create a TemplateVM (to install dependencies), then an AppVM (to hold RF Swift and images).

Step 1 – Create a TemplateVM

We need a TemplateVM where we install Podman and RF Swift dependencies. These dependencies will persist in the template and be inherited by AppVMs.

Go to: Menu > QubesOS Tools > Qube Manager > New qube

• Name it something recognizable (e.g. rfswift-template)
• Choose a color for this domain

• Provide network temporarily to this TemplateVM so we can install dependencies

Then open a terminal in the TemplateVM and run:

curl -fsSL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PentHertz/RF-Swift/refs/heads/main/get_rfswift.sh" | sh

Once done, switch the TemplateVM network back to “none” and shut it down.

Step 2 – Create an AppVM

Now create an AppVM that will hold the RF Swift binary and images:

Go to: Menu > QubesOS Tools > Qube Manager > New qube

• Name it properly (e.g. rfswift)
• Choose a color to recognize the domain
• Use the TemplateVM you just created as the template (to inherit the dependencies)
• Set networking to sys-firewall (needed to pull images)

Resize storage

Depending on the images you want, you may need more space. In dom0 terminal:

qvm-volume resize rfswift:private 90GB
qvm-volume resize rfswift:root 20GB

Adjust sizes depending on your needs – 90GB for private can hold all images comfortably.

Step 3 – Install RF Swift and pull images

Open a terminal in your new AppVM and install RF Swift:

curl -fsSL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PentHertz/RF-Swift/refs/heads/main/get_rfswift.sh" | sh

Then pull the image(s) you want:

rfswift images pull -i sdr_full

Other available images include sdr_light, rfid, bluetooth, wifi, etc.

Step 4 – Attach USB devices

Before running a container with a device, you need to attach the USB device to your AppVM.

Using the GUI

1. Plug in your SDR device
2. Left-click the Devices icon in the system tray
3. Find your device (e.g. HackRF, RTL-SDR)
4. Select Attach to rfswift (or your AppVM name)

Using the CLI (dom0)

# List available USB devices
qvm-usb list

# Attach to your AppVM
qvm-usb attach rfswift sys-usb:2-1

Step 5 – Run a container

Once the device is attached, run an image to create a container:

rfswift run

The TUI will guide you through options:

Key settings:

• Device mount: use /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb to pass all USB devices to the container

• Privileged mode: enable it to use X11 display and USB devices
• Realtime mode: optionally enable it to boost container processing performance

After that, you can fire up your tools inside the container:

sdrpp             # SDR++
urh               # Universal Radio Hacker
cyberether        # CyberEther
hackrf_info       # Test HackRF
rtl_test -t       # Test RTL-SDR

Here are some examples of tools running on QubesOS:

You can also install additional software later inside the same container, like Ghidra:

Troubleshooting

USB device not visible in container

1. Verify the device is attached to the AppVM: lsusb
2. Make sure you used /dev/bus/usb:/dev/bus/usb as device mount when creating the container
3. Try enabling Privileged mode

“No space left on device”

Increase storage in dom0:

qvm-volume resize rfswift:private 50G

Clean up unused images:

rfswift cleanup images

Container networking fails

Check your AppVM has a NetVM assigned:

# In dom0
qvm-prefs rfswift netvm

Related

• Using Podman – Podman-specific guidance
• Air-Gapped Installation – Offline image transfer
• Running RF Swift – General usage guide
• Container Management – Dynamic device/capability management