QubesOS
VM "last started" date
Similar to the "last backup" column in Qubes Manager, allow the user to see when a VM was last started (if ever). This would be especially useful when trying to decide whether a VM needs to be included in a backup. (If the "last started" date is the same or earlier than the "last backup" date, then it probably doesn't need to be backed up again.)
As a workaround, you can get an approximate "last activity" for a VM by looking at the latest mtime of its associated log files.
For example:
changed_last_3_days () { [ "$(sudo find /var/log '(' -name "*.$1.log" -o -name "vm-$1.log" -o -name "guest-$1.log" ')' -mtime -3)" ] ; }
changed_last_3_days myvm && <run biweekly backup>
Another approach would be adding a property function to qubes.storage.Volume to return the last date changed of the volume (maybe even per snapshot/revision). Then a property function to QubesVM class to return last modification date of private volume.
Finally using the above helper functions in CLI & GUI tools to show the last started date.
This will need the minimum modifications. One issue would be that the modification date of volume will change on restore action.
That won't work for named disposables, as those are not really changed when started/stopped.
That won't work for named disposables, as those are not really changed when started/stopped.
Oh, Yes. sys-usb and sys-firewall. Printing unknown or N/A for them is not helpful. People actually need last startup of those.
Directory modification date within /var/lib/qubes/appvms is also updated for the named disposables. This could be mixed with private volume modification extraction.
Adding a new feature or a property to start start date directly is also a doable approach and is pretty simple.
And using the logs as was suggested earlier.