We’re pleased to announce that the NitroPad V56 from Nitrokey is officially certified for Qubes OS Release 4!

Secure working in insecure environments thanks to unique hardware protection

Do you believe that your computer hardware is secure? Can you rule out the possibility that someone has tampered with your computer in your absence? In a world where most users have no real control over their hardware and must blindly trust manufacturers’ security promises, NitroPad offers a refreshingly new security experience. The NitroPad is significantly more secure than normal computers. NitroPad gives you more control over your hardware and data than ever before, while making it easy to use.

Photo of the NitroPad V56

Qubes-certified options

The configuration options required for Qubes certification are detailed below.

Processor and graphics card

  • Certified: Intel Core Ultra 5 Processor 125H, Intel Arc iGPU with AI Boost
  • Certified: Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 155H, Intel Arc iGPU with AI Boost
  • The Nvidia GPU options are not currently certified.

Memory (RAM) DDR5, 5600 MHz

  • Certified: All options 16 GB (2x8 GB) and higher

1st Hard Disk SSD NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4

  • Certified: Any of the available options in this section

2nd Hard Disk SSD NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4

  • Certified: Any of the available options in this section

Keyboard

  • Certified: Any of the available options in this section

Wireless interfaces

  • Certified: Wi-Fi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3, Intel AX-210/211 (non vPro) WLAN module 2.4 Gbps, 802.11ax
  • Certified: Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.42, Intel BE200 (non vPro) WLAN module 5.8 Gbps, 802.11be
  • Certified: No wireless

Webcam and microphone

  • Certified: Any of the available options in this section

Type

  • Certified: Any of the available options in this section

Firmware

  • Certified: Dasharo TianoCore UEFI without Measured boot, without Nitrokey
  • The option “Dasharo HEADS with Measured Boot, requires Nitrokey!” is not yet certified.

Operating system

  • Certified: Qubes OS 4.2.3 or newer (within Release 4).
  • Releases older than 4.2.3 are not certified.
  • You may choose either to have Nitrokey preinstall Qubes OS for you, or you may choose to install Qubes OS yourself. This choice does not affect certification.

Nitrokey

  • Certified: None – for TianoCore only!
  • The Nitrokey options are currently not applicable to Qubes hardware certification. (See the Firmware section above.)

Shipment of Nitrokey

  • This section does not affect Qubes hardware certification.

Tamper-evident packaging

  • This section does not affect Qubes hardware certification.

Disclaimers

  • In order for Wi-Fi to function properly, sys-net must currently be based on a Fedora template. The firmware package in Debian templates is currently too old for the certified Wi-Fi cards.
  • Currently requires kernel-latest: If you install Qubes OS yourself, you must select the Install Qubes OS RX using kernel-latest option on the GRUB menu when booting the installer. This non-default kernel option is currently required for the NitroPad V56 to function properly.
  • Due to a known bug, the bottom-right USB-C port is currently limited to USB 2.0 speeds.

What is Qubes-certified hardware?

Qubes-certified hardware is hardware that has been certified by the Qubes developers as compatible with a specific major release of Qubes OS. All Qubes-certified devices are available for purchase with Qubes OS preinstalled. Beginning with Qubes 4.0, in order to achieve certification, the hardware must satisfy a rigorous set of requirements, and the vendor must commit to offering customers the very same configuration (same motherboard, same screen, same BIOS version, same Wi-Fi module, etc.) for at least one year.

Qubes-certified computers are specific models that are regularly tested by the Qubes developers to ensure compatibility with all of Qubes’ features. The developers test all new major versions and updates to ensure that no regressions are introduced.

It is important to note, however, that Qubes hardware certification certifies only that a particular hardware configuration is supported by Qubes. The Qubes OS Project takes no responsibility for any vendor’s manufacturing, shipping, payment, or other practices, nor can we control whether physical hardware is modified (whether maliciously or otherwise) en route to the user.