feat(terminal): themed Kitty when OpenGL < 4.3 (#95)

Ghostty needs OpenGL 4.3; older GPUs (Intel HD 4000) top out at 4.2.
Installer probes glxinfo and writes settings.terminal=kitty into
theme-state when below the floor. modules/home/kitty.nix enables Kitty
with the same palette, mono font, and opacity as Ghostty so the fallback
still looks like Nomarchy.

Default machines stay Ghostty-only (no kitty in the HM closure). Doctor
and calendar still invoke Ghostty by class — V3 on Acer for SUPER+Return.

Verified: V0 flake check; installer-safety; HM with terminal=kitty builds
themed kitty.conf + TERMINAL=kitty; default template has no kitty bin.

agent/BACKLOG.md

@@ -144,66 +144,25 @@ template source. Pass = Chromium launches after installation and HTTP/HTTPS
 mime defaults resolve to `chromium-browser.desktop` (and the intended live-ISO
 browser posture is explicit).
 
-### 95. Live ISO/install: Ghostty does not open on Acer (old GL + two log shapes)
+### 95. Live ISO/install: Ghostty does not open on Acer (old GL) — **install fallback shipped**
 
-**Machine:** Acer Aspire M5-481T only. **Dell XPS 9350 starts Ghostty fine**
-(Bernardo clarified 2026-07-15 — do not treat XPS as a Ghostty failure).
+**Machine:** Acer Aspire M5-481T only (Intel HD 4000, OpenGL **4.2**). XPS
+starts Ghostty fine. Generation ceiling documented in `docs/REQUIREMENTS.md`.
 
-**Why this hardware fails:** the Aspire is Ivy Bridge–class (**Intel HD
-4000**, ~2012). Mesa’s max for that GPU is **OpenGL 4.2**; Ghostty requires
-**4.3**. That is a **generation ceiling**, not a missing package — no
-Nomarchy or Mesa tweak can make HD 4000 report 4.3 honestly. Documented in
-`docs/REQUIREMENTS.md`. The product response is a fallback terminal (or
-probe), not “fix Intel drivers.”
+**Shipped (this iteration):** installer probes `glxinfo`; if OpenGL < 4.3,
+writes `settings.terminal = "kitty"` into theme-state. `modules/home/kitty.nix`
+installs and **themes** Kitty from the same palette/font/opacity as Ghostty.
+Default HM keeps Ghostty only (no kitty package). Manual override:
+`settings.terminal = "kitty"` or `nomarchy.terminal = "kitty"`.
 
-On the Acer, Bernardo installed **kitty** by hand (worked) and launched
-Ghostty from that shell twice — **same box, two lifecycle points, two log
-shapes**:
-
-**1 — Before Home Manager was properly built** (partial first boot after
-#123 bake failure). Explicit GPU floor:
-
-```
-info(opengl): loaded OpenGL 4.2
-warning(opengl): OpenGL version is too old. Ghostty requires OpenGL 4.3
-warning(gtk_ghostty_surface): failed to initialize surface
-  err=error.OpenGLOutdated
-warning(gtk_ghostty_surface): surface failed to initialize
-  err=error.SurfaceError
-```
-
-**2 — After home was built** (full HM generation). Silent-ish exit:
-
-```
-warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DEBUG=
-warning(gtk_ghostty_application): setting GDK_DISABLE=gles-api,vulkan
-~ 9s )
-```
-
-No `info(opengl):` line, no `OpenGLOutdated`, no `SurfaceError` — process
-ends after ~9s with only the two `GDK_*` warnings. Same Ghostty 1.3.1, same
-machine; the difference is **session/config state after HM**, not a second
-GPU. Likely still the GL 4.2 floor (or the same surface path) with different
-verbosity once the full Ghostty/GTK/Stylix config is in place — confirm
-before inventing a second root cause. Re-run post-HM with extra logging
-(`GDK_DEBUG`, Ghostty verbosity, `WAYLAND_DEBUG=1`) if the quiet path is
-still opaque.
-
-**Product impact:** default terminal is Ghostty (`nomarchy.terminal`), so on
-this class of GPU SUPER+Return and the launcher entry are dead. Kitty as a
-manual workaround proved the session/Wayland path is fine.
-
-**Fix direction:** treat the **GL ≥ 4.3 requirement** as the primary Acer
-blocker (soft-fallback, alternate default terminal when GL < 4.3, or
-installer/hardware probe that swaps the default). Do not leave SUPER+Return
-bound to a terminal that cannot map a surface. Optionally make the post-HM
-failure mode print the OpenGL reason again so the quiet log is not a
-support trap.
-
-**Pass:** on the Acer (or a GL 4.2 / softGL stand-in), SUPER+Return opens a
-usable terminal without hand-editing `home.packages`; modern-GL machines
-(including the XPS) still get themed Ghostty by default. V2 softGL may cover
-the floor; V3 on the Acer is the real check.
+**Still open:**
+- **V3** on the Acer: fresh install (or hand-set terminal + `nomarchy-home`)
+  → SUPER+Return opens themed Kitty; Ghostty may still fail if launched by
+  name (expected).
+- Doctor / calendar classed windows still hardcode `ghostty` — may fail on
+  the same GL floor (separate small follow-up if they matter on old HW).
+- Live ISO session on HD 4000 still defaults to Ghostty until install (or a
+  live-side probe).
 
 ### 98. Boreal: button text renders black and is difficult to read
 

agent/HARDWARE-QUEUE.md

@@ -436,12 +436,12 @@ the **T14s** (webcam case).
       **without** running `home-manager switch` by hand. **Fail** = still
       need the recovery one-liner, or GTK/nm-applet still wrong until a
       manual switch (then the bake is still incomplete).
-- [ ] **#95 Ghostty on Acer M5-481T only** — XPS is fine (clarified
-      2026-07-15). On the Acer after the fix: SUPER+Return opens a usable
-      terminal without hand-adding kitty. Today both attempts fail: (1)
-      pre-HM → explicit `OpenGL 4.2` / `OpenGLOutdated`; (2) post-HM →
-      quiet exit after `GDK_DISABLE=gles-api,vulkan`. Confirm post-fix
-      both lifecycle points open a window. Modern-GL default remains Ghostty.
+- [ ] **#95 themed Kitty fallback on Acer M5-481T** — after install from an
+      ISO that probes GL < 4.3 (or set `settings.terminal = "kitty"` +
+      `nomarchy-home`): SUPER+Return opens **Kitty** with Boreal (or current
+      theme) colors/font — not unthemed stock. `theme-state.json` should
+      show `"terminal": "kitty"`. Ghostty may still refuse if launched by
+      name (expected on HD 4000). XPS / modern-GL machines keep Ghostty.
 - [ ] **#124 flake pin after main-ISO install** — on a machine installed
       from a **main-built** ISO (post-fix): `~/.nomarchy/flake.nix`
       nomarchy input must not re-resolve to a lagging `v1` that lacks

agent/JOURNAL.md

@@ -19,6 +19,19 @@ Template:
 
 ---
 
+## 2026-07-15 — #95: themed Kitty when OpenGL < 4.3 (this commit)
+- **Task:** Bernardo: when GL &lt; 4.3 automatically add kitty — and theme it.
+- **Did:** `modules/home/kitty.nix` themes Kitty from theme-state (same
+  palette/font/opacity as Ghostty); enables when `nomarchy.terminal` is
+  kitty or `nomarchy.kitty.enable`. Installer runs `glxinfo` (mesa-demos on
+  PATH) and, if OpenGL &lt; 4.3, writes `settings.terminal = "kitty"` (+
+  `terminalReason`) into theme-state. Docs/REQUIREMENTS + README rows.
+- **Verified:** V0 flake check; HM gen with `settings.terminal=kitty` builds
+  — kitty.conf has Boreal colors, `TERMINAL=kitty`, Hyprland `$terminal=kitty`;
+  default template HM has ghostty and **no** kitty package.
+- **Pending:** V3 Acer install; doctor/calendar still hardcode ghostty.
+- **Next suggestion:** #123 (HM pre-activate dconf) — still highest install pain.
+
 ## 2026-07-15 — docs/REQUIREMENTS.md (OpenGL floor + disk planning)
 - **Task:** Bernardo: why Acer lacks OpenGL 4.3; start documenting minimum
   system requirements including storage (Nix store + snapshots).