Qubes is enough of a pain to use that another OS project started to try to take the concept and make it more usable:

https://spectrum-os.org/

Doing so has proved hard and slow so far, and Spectrum hasn't had a usable release for the masses yet.

> Initial versions of Spectrum will have the user be responsible for writing Nix code for each application and resource, and the combinations they make between them.

As a qubes user, I think this is interesting but it definitely does not sound more usable.

You would feel at home more as a cloud native, because everything runs in its own VM, spun up and down on demand.

All software runs in Linux VMs, so it is practically the same as running several Linux operating systems with a nice UI.

Mostly yes. Your applications run in a standard Linux environment and if you pop up a terminal, hey, it's your favorite distro and it works.

There's some learning curve for features which exist for valid reasons, especially around communicating between domains. For instance, copy-and-paste between qubes requires extra steps. Plugging in a USB keyboard or mouse doesn't just work - you have to authorize it first (just click the OK button using a PS/2 mouse, or laptop's touchpad). You have to learn how to move files between qubes. USB drives, cameras, and microphones aren't globally available to all applications - you have to attach them to a qube first. You can install software using apt-get inside a qube, but it won't persist across reboots - you have to update the OS template.

I want those extra steps and complications - they are features, not a bugs! The first few days you'll be looking things up in the FAQ. After that it's pretty easy.

There are a few sore points that don't go away. You don't get GPU acceleration in your web browser, so rendering is slower. Gaming is not an option. Your application qubes live behind a firewall qube, so things that require network broadcast like Chromecast won't work. Those are fine for me but not for everyone.

Please tell me the USB devices that were there at install time get authorized.

> You can install software using apt-get inside a qube, but it won't persist across reboots - you have to update the OS template.

> I want those extra steps and complications

Is it wrong of me to say that enabling persistence, with snapshots, on a qube should be a single toggle?

> Please tell me the USB devices that were there at install time get authorized.

Yes, if you only have a USB keyboard, it will work. Manual creation of a USB VM then is recommended for security: https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/usb-qubes/

> Is it wrong of me to say that enabling persistence, with snapshots, on a qube should be a single toggle?

Of course you are right. TemplateVMs provide /root partition to AppVMs and software should be installed normally to the former. At every AppVM reboot, their /root is reset to the one from TemplateVM. Ordinary, persistent VMs are also possible. Details: https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/getting-started/