Use Ricochet Refresh IM on qubes os

Ricochet-Refresh on Qubes OS – Full Guide

This guide covers setting up Ricochet-Refresh on Qubes OS with:

• Persistent .onion address
• Using sys-whonix only (avoiding Tor-over-Tor)
• Changing your identity safely

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Step 1: Decide Your Qubes Architecture

Component	Qube Type	Notes
Tor network	sys-whonix	Whonix Gateway handles all Tor traffic
Ricochet-Refresh App	AppVM based on Whonix or Debian Template	Isolated from other AppVMs
Persistent storage	Dedicated Data Qube (e.g., ricochet-data)	Stores profile folder to preserve .onion address

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Step 2: Create a Ricochet AppVM

1. Open Qube Manager → “Create Qube”.
2. Set:
   • Name: ricochet-app
   • Template: whonix-ws-XXX (or Debian)
   • Networking: sys-whonix
   • Storage: default
3. Create the Qube.

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Step 3: Create a Persistent Data Qube

1. Open Qube Manager → “Create Qube”.
2. Set:
   • Name: ricochet-data
   • Type: Standalone or Persistent AppVM
   • Storage: default
3. This Qube will store your Ricochet-Refresh profile folder, keeping your identity persistent.

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Step 4: Download & Prepare Ricochet-Refresh

1. Open ricochet-app VM.
2. Download the Ricochet-Refresh AppImage from ricochetrefresh.net.
3. Make it executable and run:

chmod +x Ricochet-Refresh-*.AppImage
./Ricochet-Refresh-*.AppImage

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Step 5: Disable Embedded Tor (Avoid Tor-over-Tor)

1. Locate the config folder:

   ~/.local/share/ricochet-refresh/

2. Edit (or create) ricochet-refresh.conf and add:

   [tor]
   embedded=false
   proxy=socks5://127.0.0.1:9050

   - embedded=false disables Ricochet's internal Tor - proxy=socks5://127.0.0.1:9050 uses sys-whonix Tor

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Step 6: Set Up Persistent Profile Storage

1. Create a folder in the persistent Qube:

   qvm-run ricochet-data 'mkdir -p ~/ricochet-refresh'

2. Move the profile folder after first run:

   qvm-copy-to-vm ricochet-data ~/.local/share/ricochet-refresh/

3. Delete the AppVM’s local copy:

   rm -rf ~/.local/share/ricochet-refresh

4. Create a symlink so Ricochet always reads from persistent storage:

   ln -s /home/user/ricochet-data/ricochet-refresh ~/.local/share/ricochet-refresh

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Step 7: Launch Ricochet-Refresh

./Ricochet-Refresh-*.AppImage

Your .onion address and contacts are preserved. All traffic goes through sys-whonix Tor only.

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Step 8: Changing Your Identity

Option A: Fresh Identity (New .onion address)

1. Quit Ricochet-Refresh.
2. Delete or move the profile folder:

   rm -rf ~/.local/share/ricochet-refresh
   # or backup
   mv ~/.local/share/ricochet-refresh ~/.local/share/ricochet-refresh-backup

3. Restart Ricochet-Refresh — a new .onion address is generated.
4. If using a persistent Qube, copy the new profile into it and update the symlink:

   qvm-copy-to-vm ricochet-data ~/.local/share/ricochet-refresh
   ln -sf /home/user/ricochet-data/ricochet-refresh ~/.local/share/ricochet-refresh

Option B: Keep Contacts but Change Identity

1. Back up contacts:

   cp ~/.local/share/ricochet-refresh/contacts.json ~/contacts-backup.json

2. Delete the profile folder to generate a new identity (see Option A).
3. Copy back contacts:

   cp ~/contacts-backup.json ~/.local/share/ricochet-refresh/

4. Restart Ricochet-Refresh. Contacts remain, but your new .onion address is active.

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Step 9: Backup Recommendations

• Backup the persistent folder externally (USB encrypted or secure storage).
• VM snapshots can add extra safety.
• Never expose the private key — anyone with access can impersonate your .onion address.

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Step 10: Security Notes

• Always route Ricochet traffic through sys-whonix.
• Never connect the AppVM directly to sys-net.
• Persistent Qube isolation keeps your identity safe even if the AppVM is compromised.
• Disabling embedded Tor prevents Tor-over-Tor.

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Result: A secure, persistent Ricochet-Refresh setup on Qubes OS, using only sys-whonix Tor, preserving your .onion address and contacts, and allowing safe identity changes.