qfilexchgd is a daemon responsible for managing exchange of block devices ("virtual pendrives") between VMs. It is used for a) copying files between AppVMs b) copying a single file between an AppVM and a DVM qfilexchgd is event driven. The sources of events are: a) trigger of xenstore watch for the changes in /local/domain xenstore hierarchy - to detect start/stop of VMs, and maintain vmname->vm_xid dictionary b) triger of xenstore watch for a change in /local/domain/domid/device/qpen key - VMs write to this key to request service from qfilexchgd Copying files between AppVMs is implemented as follows: 1) AppVM1 user runs qvm-copy-to-vm script (accessible from Dolphin file manager by "right click on a file(s)->Actions->Send to VM" menu). It calls "/usr/lib/qubes/qubes_penctl new", and it writes "new" request to its device/qpen key. qfilexchgd creates a new 1G file, makes vfat fs on it, and does block-attach so that this file is attached as /dev/xvdg in AppVM1. 2) AppVM1 mounts /dev/xvdg on /mnt/outgoing and copies some files there, then unmounts it. 3) AppVM1 writes "send DestVM" request to its device/qpen key (calling "/usr/lib/qubes/qubes_penctl send DestVM"). After getting confirmation by displaying a dialog box in dom0 display, qfilexchgd detaches /dev/xvdg from AppVM1, attaches it as /dev/xvdh to DestVM. 4) In DestVM, udev script for /dev/xvdh named qubes_add_pendrive_script (see /etc/udev/rules.d/qubes.rules) mounts /dev/xvdh on /mnt/incoming, and then waits for /mnt/incoming to become unmounted. A file manager running in DestVM shows a new volume, and user in DestVM may copy files from it. When user in DestVM is done, then user unmounts /dev/xvdh. qubes_add_pendrive_script then tells qfilexchgd to detach /dev/xvdh and terminates. Copying a single file between AppVM and a DVM is implemented as follows: 1) User in AppVM1 runs qvm-open-in-dvm (accessible from Dolphin file manager by "right click on a file->Actions->Open in DVM" menu). qvm-open-in-dvm a) gets a new /dev/xvdg (just as described in previous paragraph) b) computes a new unique transaction seq SEQ, c) writes the requested file name (say, /home/user/document.txt) to /home/user/.dvm/SEQ. d) creates a dvm_header (see core.git/appvm/dvm.h) on /dev/xvdg, followed by file contents e) writes the "send disposable SEQ" to its device/qpen xenstore key. 2) qfilexchgd sees that "send" argument=="disposable", and creates the new DVM by calling /usr/lib/qubes/qubes_restore. It adds new DVM to qubesDB via qvm_collection.add_new_appvm. Then it attaches /dev/xvdg from AppVM1 as /dev/xvdh in DVM. 3) In DVM, qubes_add_pendrive_script sees non-zero "qubes_transaction_seq" key in xenstore, and instead processing it as in the case of normal copy, treats it as a request to DVM (because we run in DVM). It retrieves the body of the file passed in /dev/xvdh, copies to /tmp, and runs "mime-open" to open appropriate executable to edit it. When mime-open returns, if the file was modified, it is sent back to AppVM1 (by writing "send AppVM1 SEQ" to device/qpen). Then DVM destroys itself. 4) In AppVM1, a new /dev/xvdh appears (because DVM sent it). qubes_add_pendrive_script sees non-zero "qubes_transaction_seq" key, and treats it as response from DVM (because we run in AppVM, not DVM). It retrieves the filename from /home/user/.dvm/SEQ, and copies data from /dev/xvdh to it. qfilexchgd is started after first qubes_guid is started, so that it has access to X display in dom0 to present dialog messages.