Galactic Mandate Linux v00 Documentation Library

Source edition: Galactic Mandate Linux v00 Birthday Edition. For the current v01 upgrade, use the terminal upgrade guide.

This reference was built from the complete project documentation set. Use the links below to jump to a topic.


Getting Started

Boot the live desktop, find the new controls, and get oriented without losing the normal Linux workflow underneath.

Booting The Live Desktop

  1. Download the Galactic Mandate Linux v00 Birthday Edition ISO.
  2. Write it to USB with a trusted image writer such as balenaEtcher or a compatible Ventoy release.
  3. Restart the computer and open the boot menu.
  4. Select the USB drive.
  5. Choose Try Galactic Mandate Linux v00 Birthday Edition.
USB warning: Writing an ISO to USB erases the selected USB drive. Double-check the selected device before flashing.

Installing To A Computer

The published v00 ISO is a live desktop release and does not contain the graphical installer. Installation from ISO begins with v01 Birthday Edition. Updating a running v00 system to v01 updates the installed desktop, but it does not rewrite the original v00 ISO.

First Things To Look For

ThingWhereWhat It Does
First-start tourOpens on first loginExplains the distro differences, apps, and important controls.
GM launcherBottom panelOpens Galactic Mandate apps and utilities.
Control CenterBottom panel or GM launcherSwitch themes, manage alerts, and launch FUI tools.
AI ToolsTop desktop controlOpens the AI Tools folder and launch buttons.
BUY BOOKTop desktop controlOpens the book page for the current theme.
YEL / REDBottom panel status areaManually rehearse yellow or red alert. Press the active state again to return to live.

Normal Linux Tasks

  • Open files through NF Files or the file icon. It uses the active FUI theme.
  • Open terminal through NF Terminal. It syncs terminal colors to the active theme.
  • Open Firefox from the launcher or app menu. Firefox is shipped as a Flatpak.
  • Install or update Flatpak apps through GNOME Software or the flatpak command.
  • Use Budgie Desktop Settings for normal Budgie panel, applet, and desktop settings.

Recommended First Session Test

  1. Open Control Center and switch from Resolute to WHTK, Security, and Blueprint.
  2. Open NF Files and confirm folder icons and colors follow the selected theme.
  3. Open NF Terminal and confirm the prompt and terminal colors follow the selected theme.
  4. Click YEL, click YEL again, click RED, click RED again.
  5. Disable alert effects in Control Center if you prefer a quieter desktop.
  6. Open AI Tools and check which tools are already installed versus first-run setup.

Features

The release changes the visible desktop, default apps, theme system, live session, and rebuild process.

Core Changes

FUI Desktop Shell

HUD rails, live telemetry, clock, theme identity, book identity, AI Tools, and Buy Book controls.

Book-Cover Themes

Nine hand-authored themes coordinate wallpaper, GTK, labwc chrome, icons, terminal, panel, Raven, and custom apps.

System Alerts

Yellow and red alert modes can follow live pressure or be triggered manually. Alert effects can be disabled.

Control Center

A dedicated command room for themes, previews, alerts, shell settings, and launch shortcuts.

eDEX Cockpit

A dense terminal and telemetry workspace with host, load, process, network, filesystem, and command data.

Space File Tools

NF Files, File Map, and Space Explorer create themed file workflows beyond a stock file manager.

First-Start Tour

New users get an in-desktop introduction to the distro, apps, upgrades, and important controls.

Flatpak Payload

Firefox, Discord, Steam, ONLYOFFICE, and LM Studio path support use system Flatpak where available.

Different From Normal Budgie Desktop

Budgie Desktop is the upstream desktop environment. Galactic Mandate Linux modifies and packages it into a full themed distribution.

  • New GSettings keys for FUI theme, alert state, alert enable, shell enable, and optional colorizer.
  • Custom Budgie panel layout and applets.
  • Modified Budgie menu, Raven, notification, dialog, and panel styling.
  • labwc FUI compositor themes.
  • GTK themes and live icon generation.
  • Custom FUI apps and launchers.

Different From Normal Ubuntu Budgie

Ubuntu Budgie provides the general-purpose Ubuntu flavor. Galactic Mandate Linux replaces the default identity and adds a branded app and theme layer.

  • Galactic Mandate branding, wallpapers, live user, hostname, and first-run tour.
  • Snap removed from the distribution payload.
  • Flatpak-centered app payload and live Flatpak repair service.
  • NF Files and NF Terminal wrappers.
  • AI Tools workspace.
  • Custom ISO staging and cleanup rules.

v.3 To v00 Birthday Edition

Areav.3v00 Birthday Edition
ScopeBudgie-based practical distro payloadFull FUI desktop conversion plus practical payload
OfficeAnyOffice / ONLYOFFICE directionAnyOffice launcher backed by ONLYOFFICE Flatpak
AppsDiscord, Steam, Flatpak supportDiscord, Steam, Firefox, ONLYOFFICE, AI Tools, custom FUI apps
ThemesNot a deep theme engineNine coordinated book-cover themes and alert themes
OnboardingWebsite instructionsFirst-start tour inside the desktop

Birthday Edition

A visual and usability refinement release for the Galactic Mandate Linux desktop.

What Changed Since 0.3

Galactic Mandate Linux 0.3 established the practical Ubuntu Budgie base. v00 Birthday Edition turns that base into a coordinated desktop experience: the shell, panel, window chrome, themed applications, book artwork, first-run guidance, and live-system details now share one visual system.

Area0.3v00 Birthday Edition
Desktop identityBudgie-based distribution styling.A desktop-wide Galactic Mandate FUI shell with theme-linked backgrounds and app treatment.
ThemesGeneral distribution artwork.Hand-authored theme identities, including Ojoker, Echo, Blueprint, Biochamber, WHTK, and OS13.
Theme switchingConventional desktop change.Hyperspace departure, star-streak travel, and hard-arrival transition between theme backgrounds.
ApplicationsGeneral Linux application set.GM Launcher, Control Center, Cockpit, Space Explorer, File Map, NF Notepad, NF Browser, Media Player, Celebration, and themed utilities.
OnboardingWebsite documentation.An in-desktop tour, Control Center previews, and this static documentation site.
Live releaseEarlier ISO path.Clean staged root filesystem, galactic live user, NetworkManager defaults, Flatpak preparation, and a BIOS/UEFI hybrid live ISO. The graphical installer begins with v01.

Birthday Edition Highlights

  • Updated hyperspace theme change with a visible departure, star-streak travel, flash, and crisp destination arrival.
  • GM Launcher is pinned by default with a dedicated geometric beacon icon. It remains an ordinary Budgie launcher that users can unpin.
  • OS13 receives a dedicated author-page Buy Book route and its own display language, keyboard, and widget mode.
  • NF Browser has compact bookmark controls and a GML page-treatment toggle.
  • NF Media Player supports folder scans and file drops; Celebration triggers short full-screen desktop effects.
  • Theme integration is extended across custom apps, Files/NF Files wrappers, NF Terminal, window chrome, icons, HUD, and shell controls.

OS13 Desktop Mode

OS13 is a Birthday Edition desktop mode with a boardroom-display visual language, its own widgets, a dedicated author-page Buy Book route, and an on-screen keyboard built to work beside ordinary desktop applications.

  • Physical key feedback is readable during normal typing and shows the last detected key in the keyboard header.
  • OS13 keyboard keys send text to the active application rather than acting as a separate text editor.
  • The keyboard can be repositioned by dragging its header and releasing to place it; PIN locks its position.
  • The keyboard uses one non-focus layer surface, avoiding duplicate taskbar entries and application focus theft.

This is a real Linux desktop with an intentionally stylized surface. Standard Budgie and Ubuntu workflows remain available underneath the FUI layer. Themes change presentation, not ownership of user files or ordinary application behavior.

The final ISO checksum and boot-test record are published with the release artifact, rather than copied forward from an older image.


Release Architecture

How Galactic Mandate Linux v00 Birthday Edition was assembled, what it changed, and where it differs from its base systems.

How v00 Birthday Edition Was Made

  1. A Budgie Desktop source tree was used as the shell base.
  2. Custom FUI settings were added to Budgie panel schema and settings surfaces.
  3. Budgie panel, Raven, menu, notification, dialog, and OSD styling were modified.
  4. Nine GTK themes, matching labwc window themes, alert themes, wallpapers, and icons were added.
  5. Custom apps were added under src/fui-*.
  6. NF Files and NF Terminal wrappers were added so stock workflows can inherit the active FUI theme.
  7. The v.3 application payload was recreated and expanded with Flatpak, Firefox, ONLYOFFICE, Discord, Steam, and AI Tools support.
  8. A staged live root filesystem was built from the prepared VM state.
  9. The ISO builder cleaned build-user traces, created the galactic live user, enabled Flatpak live repair, and produced a hybrid BIOS/UEFI ISO.

Main Source Areas

PathPurpose
src/panelPanel layout, applets, settings, alert state classes, menu icon and behavior.
src/ravenRaven drawer and usage-monitor FUI behavior.
src/theme/commonBudgie theme CSS for panel, Raven, menu, notifications, dialogs, and OSD.
src/bridges/labwclabwc compositor window decoration themes.
data/themesGTK 3 and GTK 4 FUI themes.
data/backgroundsBook-cover wallpapers and background assets.
data/iconsGM icon, app icons, and FUI icon assets.
src/fui-shellDesktop HUD rails, telemetry, AI Tools and Buy Book controls.
src/fui-control-centerTheme and alert control room.
src/fui-cockpiteDEX-style terminal and telemetry cockpit.
src/fui-space-explorerSpace Explorer and visual file navigation.
src/fui-integrationsNF Files, NF Terminal, GTK theme sync, terminal theme sync.
toolsVerification, app payload, build, VM install, and ISO scripts.

Different From Upstream Budgie Desktop

Upstream Budgie Desktop is the desktop environment. Galactic Mandate Linux turns it into a branded distribution layer.

  • Adds Galactic Mandate themes, wallpapers, book links, and alert states.
  • Changes Budgie panel defaults and adds custom applets.
  • Restyles Raven, menu, notifications, dialogs, OSD, panel, and app surfaces.
  • Adds labwc FUI window decoration themes.
  • Adds a HUD shell overlay and custom FUI apps.
  • Adds NF Files and NF Terminal wrappers.
  • Adds live ISO user, Flatpak payload, app defaults, and release cleanup.

Different From Normal Ubuntu Budgie

Ubuntu Budgie is a general-purpose Ubuntu flavor. Galactic Mandate Linux keeps the Budgie/Ubuntu foundation but changes the identity and payload.

  • Uses Galactic Mandate branding instead of Ubuntu Budgie artwork and defaults.
  • Replaces the normal desktop look with a coordinated space-FUI visual system.
  • Uses a custom panel layout with GM launcher, Control Center, Space Explorer, and System Sentinel.
  • Uses Flatpak-first app choices for Firefox, Discord, Steam, and ONLYOFFICE.
  • Removes Snap from the distribution payload.
  • Adds live Flatpak repair for the live environment.
  • Adds AI Tools, eDEX Cockpit, Space Explorer, File Map, first-start tour, and Buy Book controls.

Different From Galactic Mandate Linux 0.3

Area0.3v00 Birthday Edition
DesktopBudgie-based distro with practical software choices.Full FUI shell conversion on top of Budgie.
OfficeAnyOffice replacing LibreOffice.AnyOffice launcher backed by ONLYOFFICE Flatpak, LibreOffice removed by default.
SoftwareDiscord, Steam Flatpak, Flatpak support.Discord, Steam, Firefox, ONLYOFFICE, LM Studio path, AI Tools, custom FUI apps.
ThemesNot a deep desktop-wide theme engine.Nine book-cover themes with GTK, labwc, icons, terminal, apps, shell, panel, and Raven.
AlertsNot a central feature.Yellow/red live and manual alert states with opt-out.
OnboardingWebsite documentation.First-start in-desktop tour plus static docs.
BuildEarlier ISO lineage.Custom staged rootfs ISO builder with cleanup, live user setup, Flatpak repair, and NetworkManager defaults.

Release Verification

The release was documented against these local checks:

  • tools/verify-nf-fui.ps1 for static source invariants.
  • .vm/final-smoke.sh for runtime smoke checks.
  • QEMU boot testing for the final live ISO.
  • Checksum verification of the released ISO.

Themes and Alerts

Each theme is a deliberate Galactic Mandate visual identity, not a wallpaper color scrape.

Theme Identities

ThemeBook / MoodGTK ThemeWindow Theme
ResoluteGalactic Mandate: A Radical CauseNF-FUI-Resolutefui-resolute
WHTKGalactic Mandate: The ScreamNF-FUI-WHTKfui-whtk
EchoGalactic Mandate: Infinite DarknessNF-FUI-Echofui-echo
BlueprintGalactic Mandate: Trail of DestructionNF-FUI-Blueprintfui-blueprint
SecurityNo More SuperhumansNF-FUI-Securityfui-security
BiochamberTales from Room 10NF-FUI-Biochamberfui-biochamber
AgentInvoluntary LoveNF-FUI-Agentfui-agent
Cape TownGalactic Mandate: Trail of DestructionNF-FUI-Cape-Townfui-cape-town

Changing Themes

  1. Open NF Control Center.
  2. Select a theme card.
  3. The desktop updates wallpaper, shell, GTK, icons, terminal colors, file styling, window borders, and custom app palettes.

Buy Book Links

The BUY BOOK control opens the book page mapped to the current theme. The desktop also creates a theme-linked book launcher for the active theme.

Yellow And Red Alerts

The system has live pressure monitoring and manual alert rehearsal:

  • LIVE: normal telemetry-driven behavior.
  • YEL: warning state. Click YEL again to return to live.
  • RED: critical state. Click RED again to return to live.
  • Alerts disabled: turns off dramatic alert effects for users who prefer a quieter desktop.
Accessibility note: If flashing alert colors are distracting, disable alert effects in Control Center. The desktop remains usable without the cinematic alert wash.

Settings Keys For Maintainers

com.solus-project.budgie-panel fui-theme
com.solus-project.budgie-panel fui-alert-test-state
com.solus-project.budgie-panel fui-alerts-enabled
com.solus-project.budgie-panel fui-shell-enabled
com.solus-project.budgie-panel fui-colorizer-enabled

Apps and AI Tools

The distro ships both practical Linux software and Galactic Mandate themed tools.

Galactic Mandate Apps

AppPurpose
NF Control CenterTheme switching, alert controls, shell controls, previews, and launch shortcuts.
Galactic Mandate LauncherCentral launcher for custom apps and utilities.
NF eDEX CockpitDense sci-fi terminal and telemetry workspace.
NF FilesThemed file-manager wrapper.
NF TerminalThemed terminal wrapper and profile sync.
NF Space ExplorerVisual 3D-style file navigation.
File MapPractical visual file map.
First-Start TourExplains what changed and where to find features.

Small FUI Utilities

  • Calculator
  • Clock
  • Unit Converter
  • Sticky Notes
  • Search
  • Clipboard
  • Task Manager
  • Disk Usage

Flatpak Payload

The release uses Flatpak for several major desktop apps:

  • Firefox: org.mozilla.firefox
  • Discord: com.discordapp.Discord
  • Steam: com.valvesoftware.Steam
  • ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors: org.onlyoffice.desktopeditors
  • LM Studio when installed or available: ai.lmstudio.lm-studio

AI Tools

Open AI Tools from the top desktop control. The folder contains launch buttons, not a separate launcher app.

ToolBehavior
AI Prompt ExtractorLaunches the bundled prompt extraction tool when available.
PBI2 Prompt StudioLaunches the bundled prompt studio when available.
LM StudioLaunches the Flatpak if installed; may require network or first-run setup.
ComfyUILaunches the local ComfyUI source setup when prepared.
ComfyUI SetupCreates the local Python environment for ComfyUI.
First-run expectation: AI tools can be large. Some launchers may install dependencies or ask for network access the first time.

Shell And Creative Extras

  • Starship prompt
  • zsh and common plugins
  • fzf, eza, bat, btop, CAVA, fastfetch
  • JetBrainsMono Nerd Font and CascadiaCode Nerd Font
  • EasyEffects Galactic Mandate preset

Troubleshooting

Common checks for boot, Flatpak, networking, themes, alerts, files, terminal, and AI Tools.

ISO Does Not Boot

  • Try the Safe Graphics boot entry.
  • Verify the ISO checksum before writing it again.
  • Use a known-good image writer. If using Ventoy, check current Ubuntu compatibility notes.
  • Try another USB port or another USB drive.
  • Disable Secure Boot only if your hardware requires it for this ISO.

Firefox Or Flatpak Apps Do Not Open

Run these checks in terminal:

systemctl status gmlinux-flatpak-live-fix.service --no-pager
sysctl kernel.unprivileged_userns_clone
sysctl kernel.apparmor_restrict_unprivileged_userns
flatpak list --system --app
flatpak run --system --command=true org.mozilla.firefox

If the live fix service failed, reboot the live session first. If the problem continues, check network and Flatpak metadata:

nmcli general status
flatpak repair --system --noninteractive

Network Does Not Work

nmcli general status
nmcli device
systemctl status NetworkManager --no-pager

Use the Budgie/Ubuntu network UI for Wi-Fi passwords. The distro expects NetworkManager, not systemd-networkd, for normal desktop networking.

Theme Did Not Update Everywhere

  1. Open Control Center and select the theme again.
  2. Close and reopen NF Files or NF Terminal.
  3. Log out and back in if an old app instance kept its previous environment.

Maintainer checks:

gsettings get com.solus-project.budgie-panel fui-theme
nfbudgie-sync-gtk-theme
nfbudgie-sync-terminal-theme

Yellow Or Red Alert Is Stuck

Click the active YEL or RED state again to return to live. You can also reset it manually:

gsettings set com.solus-project.budgie-panel fui-alert-test-state live

To disable alert effects:

gsettings set com.solus-project.budgie-panel fui-alerts-enabled false

OS13 Keyboard

The OS13 keyboard is a non-focus overlay. Click a key after focusing Terminal or another application and the text should arrive in that application. Physical key feedback remains visible briefly after each key release, and the header identifies the most recent physical key.

  • Drag the OS13 TOUCH header, then release to place the keyboard without compositor artifacts.
  • Use PIN to lock or unlock the current keyboard position.
  • If the keyboard is not visible, start OS13 widgets from the desktop shell and select the OS13 theme.

Maintainer check:

pgrep -af nfbudgie-encom-keyboard
pgrep -af nfbudgie-keyboard-monitor

AI Tool Button Does Not Launch

  • Open AI Tools from the top desktop control.
  • Check whether the tool requires first-run setup or network access.
  • Run ComfyUI Setup before ComfyUI.
  • LM Studio may require Flatpak installation or update before first launch.

Collecting Useful Debug Info

uname -a
cat /etc/os-release
gsettings get com.solus-project.budgie-panel fui-theme
gsettings get com.solus-project.budgie-panel fui-alert-test-state
flatpak list --system --app
nmcli general status
journalctl -b --no-pager | tail -200

Build and Rebuild

How the v00 Birthday Edition ISO was built and how to rebuild it if needed.

Safety rule: These instructions build an ISO only. Do not write to USB from project automation.

Important Local Paths

PathPurpose
E:\aiprojects\nfbudgieProject root on Windows.
tools\build-nf-fui-iso.shISO builder copied into the VM as /root/build-iso.sh.
tools\install-gmlinux-v3-apps.shFlatpak/app payload installer.
tools\verify-nf-fui.ps1Static release invariant checker.
.vm\final-smoke.shRuntime smoke checks in the VM.

Rebuild Sequence

  1. Start the VM.
  2. Run static verification.
  3. Build and install the project into the VM.
  4. Install the 0.3-era application payload and the current FUI build.
  5. Prepare the live user and defaults.
  6. Smoke-test the running VM.
  7. Build the ISO.
  8. Transfer the ISO back to Windows.
  9. Verify checksums.
  10. Boot-test the final ISO in normal and safe graphics modes.

Commands

cd E:\aiprojects\nfbudgie
powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .vm\start-vm.ps1
powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\verify-nf-fui.ps1
powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File tools\install-nf-fui-to-vm.ps1
wsl.exe -d Ubuntu -- bash -lc "cd /mnt/e/aiprojects/nfbudgie && .vm/vm-ssh.sh 'cd /home/codex/nfbudgie && sudo bash tools/install-gmlinux-v3-apps.sh'"
wsl.exe -d Ubuntu -- bash -lc "cd /mnt/e/aiprojects/nfbudgie && .vm/vm-ssh.sh 'bash -s' < .vm/sync/prepare-gmlinux-live.sh"
wsl.exe -d Ubuntu -- bash -lc "cd /mnt/e/aiprojects/nfbudgie && .vm/vm-ssh.sh 'bash -s' < .vm/final-smoke.sh"
wsl.exe -d Ubuntu -- bash -lc "cd /mnt/e/aiprojects/nfbudgie && .vm/vm-ssh.sh 'sudo cp /home/codex/nfbudgie/tools/build-nf-fui-iso.sh /root/build-iso.sh && sudo chmod +x /root/build-iso.sh && sudo systemd-run --unit=iso-build bash /root/build-iso.sh'"

What The ISO Builder Does

  • Creates Casper live boot structure.
  • Writes BIOS and UEFI boot configs.
  • Stages the root filesystem with cleanup excludes.
  • Removes build-user traces from the staged rootfs.
  • Creates the galactic live user and autologin settings.
  • Creates AI Tools on the live desktop.
  • Sets NetworkManager defaults.
  • Installs the Flatpak live repair service.
  • Builds squashfs with zstd compression.
  • Builds a hybrid BIOS + UEFI ISO with xorriso.

Release Checksums

sha256sum galactic-mandate-linux-v00-birthday-edition.iso
md5sum galactic-mandate-linux-v00-birthday-edition.iso

Record the resulting values with this release. Never copy a checksum from a prior ISO.

Release Acceptance

  • Normal boot reaches the Galactic Mandate desktop.
  • Safe graphics boot reaches the Galactic Mandate desktop.
  • Flatpak Firefox launches.
  • NetworkManager works.
  • Snap is absent.
  • GM launcher, AI Tools, Buy Book, Files, Terminal, Control Center, and alerts work.
  • No visible build-user or temporary test artifacts remain.

Budgie and Ubuntu Documentation

Galactic Mandate Linux inherits real Budgie, Ubuntu, Wayland, Flatpak, and desktop behavior. Use these official docs when you need upstream detail.

Why links instead of full copies? Upstream docs change over time. This page summarizes the parts that apply and links to the official source so users get the current details.

Budgie Desktop

TopicUse ForOfficial Link
Budgie overview Budgie Menu, Raven, panel customization, and Budgie design philosophy. Buddies of Budgie
Budgie FAQ What Budgie is, Raven basics, panel/app customization, Budgie 10 vs Budgie 11, and support channels. Budgie FAQ
Budgie 10.10 build docs Wayland-only details, labwc bridge, layer shell, supplemental tools, build dependencies, and runtime dependencies. Building Budgie Desktop
Budgie source Issues, upstream code, and reference behavior. BuddiesOfBudgie/budgie-desktop

Ubuntu Budgie

TopicUse ForOfficial Link
Ubuntu Budgie 26.04 release notes Wayland-only transition, labwc default compositor, applet limitations, desktop icons behavior, and Ubuntu Budgie defaults. Ubuntu Budgie 26.04 LTS Release Notes
Ubuntu Budgie support forum Ubuntu Budgie issues that are not specific to Galactic Mandate customizations. Ubuntu Budgie Discourse
Ubuntu Budgie website Flavor downloads, community, and general project information. Ubuntu Budgie

Ubuntu Desktop

TopicUse ForOfficial Link
Ubuntu Desktop Guide Networking, files, software, user settings, hardware, drivers, accessibility, and general desktop help. Ubuntu Desktop Guide
Ubuntu Desktop documentation Ubuntu installation, live USB, desktop usage, and current Ubuntu documentation hub. Ubuntu Desktop Docs
Create a bootable USB Official Ubuntu guidance for USB writers, including Ventoy and balenaEtcher notes. Create a bootable USB stick

How These Upstream Docs Map To Galactic Mandate Linux

  • Use Budgie docs for panel, Raven, applets, Wayland/labwc, and source-level build concepts.
  • Use Ubuntu Budgie docs for flavor-specific Wayland behavior, desktop icons, and applet availability.
  • Use Ubuntu Desktop docs for networking, files, software management, hardware, drivers, accessibility, and live USB basics.
  • Use Galactic Mandate docs for FUI themes, alerts, custom launchers, AI Tools, ISO rebuilds, and distro-specific behavior.

Important Upstream Notes For This Release

  • Budgie 10.10 is Wayland-only and recommends labwc for the compositor path.
  • Budgie panels, Raven, and popovers rely on layer-shell positioning.
  • Ubuntu Budgie 26.04 is Wayland-only and uses labwc by default.
  • Ubuntu Budgie 26.04 uses Wayland-era desktop icon behavior, so some older X11/Nemo desktop expectations do not apply.
  • Ubuntu general desktop docs still apply for most hardware, networking, software, files, and accessibility topics.

Next Version Roadmap

The next release should focus on reproducibility, polish, performance choices, and making the strongest custom ideas feel complete.

Highest Impact

Reproducible Builder

Move from a prepared VM staged into an ISO toward a pinned, logged, one-command release builder.

Debian Packages

Package shell, themes, apps, AI tools, and live defaults so installed systems can update cleanly.

Visual QA Grid

Automatically capture every theme, Files, Terminal, Raven, menu, Control Center, Cockpit, and alerts before release.

First-Run Setup

Turn the tour into a setup assistant for theme, alert behavior, AI Tools setup, performance profile, and help links.

Visual And UX Work

  • Make each theme more distinct in typography, grid density, menu feel, Raven composition, and icon coverage.
  • Improve eDEX Cockpit density, animation, terminal handling, and performance.
  • Rebuild Space Explorer around clearer 3D navigation, breadcrumbs, keyboard control, and a useful inspect panel.
  • Keep File Map as the practical file visualization mode.
  • Add low-power, balanced, full-FUI, and accessibility profiles.

Technical Work

  • Pin Flatpak refs or record exact Flatpak versions in release manifests.
  • Create `docs/releases/` with checksums, package manifests, screenshots, test logs, and known issues per release.
  • Make Flatpak, networking, Files, Terminal, alert toggles, and AI Tools launch tests part of the release gate.
  • Build a package installer for people already running Ubuntu Budgie.
  • Decide whether v.100 is an ISO-only release, an installable package layer, or both.

Public Docs To Add

  • Install guide with screenshots.
  • Hardware compatibility notes.
  • Flatpak first-run notes.
  • AI Tools setup guide.
  • Theme gallery.
  • Known issues page.
  • Release history page.

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