28allday
19fd794b6b
Single-script builder (nosignal.sh) that turns a stock Arch Linux ISO into a fully-offline installer for a themed Hyprland + caelestia (Quickshell) desktop: matching SDDM greeter, Btrfs/Limine bootable snapshots, chwd-style GPU detection, and a curated "os updates" layer (keybind cheatsheet, settings panels, system polish, on-box management skill). See README.md. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
202 lines
9.6 KiB
Markdown
202 lines
9.6 KiB
Markdown
# NoSignal OS
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A single-script builder that turns a stock Arch Linux ISO into a **fully
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offline installer** for a ready-to-use **Hyprland desktop**: Arch +
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[Hyprland](https://hyprland.org) + the
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[caelestia](https://github.com/caelestia-dots/caelestia) dotfiles/shell, with
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a themed [SDDM](https://github.com/sddm/sddm) login screen that matches the
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desktop.
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Everything needed for the install is bundled **on the ISO** — a complete
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pacman repo (every package incl. all GPU driver variants, with the caelestia
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stack pre-built from the AUR at ISO-build time), the pinned dotfiles, the
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theme. **No internet is needed to install or on first boot**: the machine
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boots straight into the themed login screen and a fully configured desktop.
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> NoSignal is the *ISO builder*. It bundles and installs the upstream caelestia
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> dotfiles; it is not affiliated with that project.
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> ⚠️ **Experimental — and built to be modified.** NoSignal OS is young and
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> opinionated; expect rough edges. It is designed to be reshaped by *you*: every
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> NoSignal tweak sits in a config-override layer on top of stock caelestia
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> (delete a file to revert one), and the installed system ships an **on-box AI
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> guide** so you can customise and fix it with
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> [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) — see
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> **[Customising the desktop](#customising-the-desktop-on-box-ai-guide)** below.
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## What you get on the installed system
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- **Hyprland + caelestia shell** (Quickshell), restyled with a restrained
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flat look (no blur/glassmorphism) and the OS's own Moebius-style wallpaper
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set (dynamic Material palette generated from the wallpaper).
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- **Themed SDDM login** that mirrors the desktop palette/wallpaper/font
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(`sudo sddm-theme-sync` re-syncs it after you change wallpaper).
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- **Omarchy-style keybindings** — `Super+K` opens a searchable cheatsheet of
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every bind. Universal `Super+C`/`Super+V` copy/paste, `Print` = region
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screenshot, `Super+Space` launcher, `Super+D` dashboard/calendar,
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`Super+Grave` workspace overview.
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- **Software story**: `yay` (AUR), the **Shelly** GUI store on `Super+I`
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(repos + AUR + Flathub), flatpak preconfigured.
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- **Btrfs + bootable snapshots**: every package transaction snapshots
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(snapper + snap-pac), and each snapshot appears as a bootable entry in the
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**Limine** menu (10-second timeout) — roll back a bad update from the boot
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screen.
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- **`nosignal-update`**: one command for snapshot → package upgrade → layer
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migrations; a Settings → Updates page shows pending counts.
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- **Gaming (opt-in)**: the `[multilib]` repo is enabled and Omarchy-installer
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shims are included, so
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[DeckShift](https://github.com/28allday/DeckShift)-style Steam gaming
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sessions can be added post-install — including a login fix that keeps a
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password on cold boots. Not active unless you set it up.
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- Bluetooth, printing (CUPS + network discovery), power-profiles, zram swap,
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ufw on, locale/timezone/keymap of your choice.
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## Customising the desktop (on-box AI guide)
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NoSignal OS is meant to be tinkered with, so nothing is locked down. Every
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NoSignal change lives in a **config-override layer** at `~/.config/caelestia/`
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on top of stock caelestia — edit a file to change behaviour, delete it to fall
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back to the default. Updates and rollbacks are safe: `nosignal-update` snapshots
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before every upgrade, and each snapshot is a bootable entry in the Limine menu.
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To make changes easy — even if you don't know the internals — the installed
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system ships an **on-box AI skill for [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)**.
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It explains exactly what's safe to edit, how to change keybinds / monitors /
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wallpaper / theme, how updates and snapshots work, how to install software, and
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how to recover the desktop if the shell ever fails to start.
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- **Just ask.** Run `claude` on a NoSignal machine and it **auto-discovers** the
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`nosignal` skill — say *"customise my NoSignal desktop"* or *"the bar didn't
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load, fix it"* and it reads the guide before touching anything.
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- **Point an assistant at the files directly** if you prefer:
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- `~/.claude/skills/nosignal/SKILL.md` — the Claude skill (guardrails + tasks)
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- `~/.local/share/nosignal/ONBOX-AI-NOTES.md` — the full system briefing
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- `~/.local/share/nosignal/NoSignal-keybindings.md` — the keybinding reference
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The skill is strictly for managing **your installed system** — it carries no
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build/release tooling, and it always reads the guardrails before editing config.
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## Build the ISO
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The builder runs on an **Arch Linux** (or Arch-based) host with an internet
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connection — it uses `pacman`, `makepkg`, and `devtools` to assemble the offline
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package set, so it can't run on a non-Arch distro.
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**1. Install the build dependencies:**
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```bash
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sudo pacman -S --needed git libisoburn squashfs-tools coreutils devtools pacman-contrib
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```
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**2. Clone this repository and enter it:**
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```bash
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git clone https://github.com/28allday/NoSignal-OS.git
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cd NoSignal-OS
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```
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**3. Download a stock Arch Linux ISO into this folder.** The filename must start
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with `archlinux-`. Grab the latest from any mirror, e.g.:
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```bash
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curl -LO https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/iso/latest/archlinux-x86_64.iso
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```
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(or pick a mirror from <https://archlinux.org/download/>.)
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**4. Run the builder:**
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```bash
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./nosignal.sh
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```
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It downloads the full package closure and builds the AUR pieces in a clean
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chroot — allow roughly **15–40 minutes** on the first run (you'll be asked for
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`sudo`). Everything is cached in `./offline/`, so later rebuilds take a couple of
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minutes.
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**5. Done.** `nosignal-arch-YYYYMMDD.iso` (~4 GB) appears in the folder —
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Ventoy-compatible and `dd`-bootable. Write it to a USB stick and install (see
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**Install** below).
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## Install
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**1. Write the ISO to a USB stick.** Replace `/dev/sdX` with your USB device
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(check it with `lsblk` first — this erases the whole stick):
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```bash
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sudo dd if=nosignal-arch-YYYYMMDD.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync
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```
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(or just drop the `.iso` onto a [Ventoy](https://www.ventoy.net) USB.)
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**2. Boot the USB** on the target machine — **UEFI only** (no BIOS/MBR).
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**3. Follow the installer.** It is **fully offline** (no network questions) and
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asks for: hostname, user, password, your region (timezone / locale / keyboard),
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and the target disk. It then **wipes that disk** — 1G EFI + btrfs with
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`@`/`@home`/`@snapshots`/`@log` subvolumes and the Limine bootloader — and runs
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a clean, centred progress screen. **It erases the chosen disk — back up first.**
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**4. Reboot** into the themed SDDM login and your desktop. Connect Wi-Fi from the
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desktop's network panel; once you're online, run `sudo pacman -Syu` one time to
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sync the package databases.
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## GPU detection
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The installer auto-detects the GPU(s) and installs the right drivers,
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borrowing CachyOS [`chwd`](https://github.com/CachyOS/chwd)'s **method** (PCI
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display-class scan → vendor-id → driver set) but implemented natively, so the
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ISO stays vanilla Arch (no CachyOS repos / lib32 / cachyos-kernel deps).
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Multiple GPUs union their package sets (e.g. an Intel/AMD iGPU + an NVIDIA
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dGPU). All variants are bundled in the offline repo; only the matching subset
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is installed.
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| Detected | Packages |
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|----------|----------|
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| NVIDIA (`10de`) | `nvidia-open-dkms nvidia-utils egl-wayland libva-nvidia-driver nvidia-settings linux-headers` + DRM/KMS setup |
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| AMD (`1002`) | `mesa vulkan-radeon` |
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| Intel (`8086`) | `mesa vulkan-intel intel-media-driver` |
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| VM guest (`1af4`/`1b36`/`1234`/`15ad`/`80ee`) | `qemu-guest-agent spice-vdagent` |
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| Unknown | `vulkan-swrast` (software fallback) |
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For NVIDIA it also does the Wayland-critical bits (the same ones chwd does):
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early-loads `nvidia nvidia_modeset nvidia_uvm nvidia_drm` in the initramfs,
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drops the `kms` hook so nouveau doesn't grab the card, sets
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`nvidia_drm.modeset=1`, and writes the EGL/VA env to `/etc/environment`.
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## Notes / current limitations
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- **UEFI only.** No BIOS/MBR boot.
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- **No disk encryption** yet.
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- **NVIDIA uses the open kernel module** (`nvidia-open-dkms`), which is for
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Turing and newer (RTX 20-series+). Older Maxwell/Pascal cards would need
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the proprietary/legacy branch — not yet selected by generation.
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- The bundled packages are a snapshot from build day — run `sudo pacman -Syu`
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once online.
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## Credits
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NoSignal OS is a thin builder around excellent upstream work — it bundles,
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themes, and installs these projects rather than replacing them. Please support
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the originals. Each remains under its own licence.
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- **[Arch Linux](https://archlinux.org)** — the base system and live ISO.
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- **[Hyprland](https://hyprland.org)** — the Wayland compositor.
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- **[caelestia](https://github.com/caelestia-dots/caelestia)** — the desktop
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dotfiles and shell that define the look and most of the UX. The installed
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shell is a light soft-fork; the CLI / theming engine is upstream, unchanged.
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- **[Quickshell](https://quickshell.outfoxxed.me)** — the runtime the shell runs on.
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- **[SDDM](https://github.com/sddm/sddm)** — the login manager (themed to match).
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- **[Limine](https://github.com/limine-bootloader/limine)**, with **snapper** and
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**snap-pac** — bootloader and Btrfs snapshot tooling (bootable snapshots).
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- **[Omarchy](https://omarchy.org)** — keybinding layout and UX inspiration, and
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its prebuilt `[omarchy]` package repo for the Limine snapshot tools.
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- **[CachyOS `chwd`](https://github.com/CachyOS/chwd)** — the GPU-detection
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*method* (PCI scan → vendor-id → driver set), reimplemented natively here.
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- Fonts: **JetBrains Mono Nerd Font** and **Material Symbols**.
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## License
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MIT — see [LICENSE](LICENSE). The wallpaper art set is the project author's
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own original work and ships with the ISO under the same licence.
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