feat(terminal): Kitty only — drop Ghostty (#95)

Ghostty's OpenGL 4.3 floor broke the Acer (HD 4000 / 4.2). Dual-terminal support (default Ghostty + install-time Kitty fallback) was more complexity than it was worth. - Remove ghostty.nix / nomarchy.ghostty.enable - Kitty always installed and themed from theme-state - Default nomarchy.terminal = kitty; SUPER+Return, doctor, calendar, what-changed use kitty --class=com.nomarchy.* - Drop install-time glxinfo probe and mesa-demos on the installer - Docs/REQUIREMENTS no longer list OpenGL 4.3 as a terminal floor Verified: V0 flake check; option-docs; installer-safety; template HM has kitty, no ghostty; menu/calendar emit classed kitty launches.
2026-07-15 09:51:27 +01:00
parent 1e648b6c49
commit 545e40f4d9
32 changed files with 151 additions and 299 deletions
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ partial.
 ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
 │  Home Manager bakes EVERYTHING into one read-only generation:            │
 │    Hyprland (colors/gaps/borders)      Waybar (palette or whole-swap)    │
-│    Ghostty (full ANSI palette)         btop (asset or generated)         │
+│    Kitty (full ANSI palette)           btop (asset or generated)         │
 │    Stylix → GTK, Qt, cursors, fonts                                      │
 └───────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┘
                                    ▼
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ Flat on purpose. Two module trees, one options file each, no hidden layers.
 │       ├── stylix.nix             #   GTK/Qt/cursors/fonts from the same JSON
 │       ├── hyprland.nix           #   all JSON-driven
 │       ├── waybar.nix
-│       ├── ghostty.nix
+│       ├── kitty.nix
 │       ├── btop.nix
 │       ├── rofi.nix               #   launcher + nomarchy-menu (calc, emoji, clip…)
 │       ├── keybinds.nix           #   single source: Hyprland binds + SUPER+? sheet
@@ -103,8 +103,8 @@ probably shouldn't exist.
 ## 2. Try it first (live ISO)

 **Before you install:** check **[docs/REQUIREMENTS.md](docs/REQUIREMENTS.md)**
-(UEFI x86_64, **OpenGL 4.3** for the default terminal, disk planning for the
-Nix store + BTRFS snapshots — 128 GiB is the comfortable floor).
+(UEFI x86_64, disk planning for the Nix store + BTRFS snapshots — 128 GiB is
+the comfortable floor).

 Boot the full desktop from a USB stick or VM without installing anything:

@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ two tables below are split along exactly that line.
 | Option | Default | Purpose |
 |---|---|---|
 | `nomarchy.stateFile` | — (required) | Path to your theme-state.json |
-| `nomarchy.terminal` | `"ghostty"` (or `"kitty"`) | Terminal for keybinds and `$TERMINAL`; installer sets `settings.terminal = "kitty"` when OpenGL &lt; 4.3 |
-| `nomarchy.kitty.enable` | `false` | Themed Kitty (also auto-on when terminal is kitty) |
+| `nomarchy.terminal` | `"kitty"` | Terminal for keybinds and `$TERMINAL` (Kitty is the only shipped/themed emulator) |
+| `nomarchy.kitty.enable` | `true` | Nomarchy's Kitty config (palette/font/opacity from theme-state) |
 | `nomarchy.keyboard.layout` | `"us"` | XKB layout for the Hyprland session (installer writes the matching `services.xserver.xkb` in system.nix; the console + LUKS prompt follow via the distro default) |
 | `nomarchy.keyboard.variant` | `""` | XKB variant for the session |
 | `nomarchy.keyboard.devices` | `{}` | Per-device layout overrides (Hyprland `device` blocks keyed by `hyprctl devices` name) — e.g. an external keyboard with its own layout/variant |
@@ -264,7 +264,6 @@ two tables below are split along exactly that line.
 | `nomarchy.yazi.enable` | `true` | yazi TUI file manager, themed + curated plugins |
 | `nomarchy.osd.enable` | `true` | swayosd on-screen display for volume/brightness/mute |
 | `nomarchy.shell.enable` | `true` | zsh + starship prompt + bat/eza/zoxide (zsh is the default login shell) |
-| `nomarchy.ghostty.enable` | `true` | Nomarchy's Ghostty |
 | `nomarchy.btop.enable` | `true` | btop with per-theme colors |
 | `nomarchy.stylix.enable` | `true` | GTK/Qt/cursor theming |
 | `nomarchy.fastfetch.enable` | `true` | fastfetch fronted by the themed Nomarchy logo |
@@ -376,7 +375,7 @@ source. It must be git-tracked (`nomarchy-theme-sync` runs

 `nomarchy-theme-sync apply <theme>` merges the preset into the JSON and runs
 `home-manager switch` (override the command with `$NOMARCHY_REBUILD`, or pass
-`--no-switch` to only write). Everything is baked: Hyprland, Waybar, Ghostty,
+`--no-switch` to only write). Everything is baked: Hyprland, Waybar, Kitty,
 btop, and — via Stylix, mapped onto base16 roles — GTK, Qt, cursors and
 fonts. No runtime patching means no partial states, and `home-manager
 generations` is also your theme history. Waybar even restyles in place: it
--- a/agent/BACKLOG.md
+++ b/agent/BACKLOG.md
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ in [`docs/ROADMAP.md`](../docs/ROADMAP.md); map in
 ### Live ISO / install hardware findings — Acer Aspire M5-481T + Dell XPS 9350

 Bernardo, real installs 2026-07-13–14 (photos of the install end screens and
-post-boot sessions). Preserve separation: the installer bake failure, the
-flake pin, and the Ghostty GL floor are different root causes even when they
-show up on the same machine.
+post-boot sessions). Preserve separation: the installer bake failure and the
+flake pin are different root causes even when they show up on the same machine.
+(Terminal / Ghostty-on-Acer → shipped as Kitty-only, #95.)

 ### 123. Installer HM pre-activate aborts on dconf / missing XDG_RUNTIME_DIR

@@ -144,26 +144,6 @@ 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) — **install fallback shipped**
-
-**Machine:** Acer Aspire M5-481T only (Intel HD 4000, OpenGL **4.2**). XPS
-starts Ghostty fine. Generation ceiling documented in `docs/REQUIREMENTS.md`.
-
-**Shipped (this iteration):** installer probes `glxinfo`; if OpenGL &lt; 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"`.
-
-**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

 Audit GTK button foreground/background contrast under Boreal, including the
@@ -222,7 +202,7 @@ a staircase.
 a real Nomarchy machine.** Chase the *fallback*, not one font's charset; this
 was got wrong twice while filing, both times by checking a single font:

- The mono face is **per theme** (`ghostty.nix:22` → `t.fonts.mono` from the
+- The mono face is **per theme** (`kitty.nix` → `t.fonts.mono` from the
  theme JSON), not stylix's default. **Boreal — the default theme and the base
  state — is `GeistMono Nerd Font`**; the other 23 themes are `JetBrainsMono
  Nerd Font`. Any answer must hold for both.
--- a/agent/GOALS.md
+++ b/agent/GOALS.md
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ confidence, default identity, release bar) live in
   ergonomic writer for the flake. Where a toggle can take effect without a
   rebuild, it must (`--no-switch` + flip the running service).
 4. **Beautiful.** One JSON themes the entire desktop coherently — Hyprland,
-   Waybar, Ghostty, btop, rofi, GTK/Qt, boot splash, greeter. Every new
+   Waybar, Kitty, btop, rofi, GTK/Qt, boot splash, greeter. Every new
   surface follows the palette. Informative, self-gating Waybar modules
   (they hide when irrelevant). No unthemed corner survives contact with
   the theme switcher.
--- a/agent/HARDWARE-QUEUE.md
+++ b/agent/HARDWARE-QUEUE.md
@@ -436,12 +436,9 @@ 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 themed Kitty fallback on Acer M5-481T** — after install from an
-      ISO that probes GL &lt; 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.
+- [ ] **#95 Kitty-only terminal on Acer M5-481T** — after rebuild/install
+      from main: SUPER+Return opens **themed Kitty**; System › Doctor opens
+      a floating classed Kitty window. No Ghostty on PATH required.
 - [ ] **#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
--- a/agent/JOURNAL.md
+++ b/agent/JOURNAL.md
@@ -19,7 +19,19 @@ Template:

 ---

-## 2026-07-15 — #95: themed Kitty when OpenGL < 4.3 (this commit)
+## 2026-07-15 — #95 complete: Kitty is the only terminal (this commit)
+- **Task:** Bernardo: make kitty default and only option — drop dual-terminal
+  complexity (Ghostty failed on Acer OpenGL 4.2; fallback was more code).
+- **Did:** Removed `ghostty.nix` and `nomarchy.ghostty.enable`. Kitty always
+  installed + themed; default `nomarchy.terminal = "kitty"`. Doctor, calendar,
+  what-changed → `kitty --class=com.nomarchy.*`. Dropped install-time GL
+  probe + mesa-demos. Updated README/REQUIREMENTS/OVERRIDES/TESTING/tools.
+- **Verified:** V0 flake check; downstream-template-home builds with kitty,
+  no ghostty; installer-safety green.
+- **Pending:** V3 Acer SUPER+Return + doctor float (HARDWARE-QUEUE).
+- **Next suggestion:** #123 (HM pre-activate dconf).
+
+## 2026-07-15 — #95: themed Kitty when OpenGL < 4.3 (superseded above)
 - **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
--- a/agent/MEMORY.md
+++ b/agent/MEMORY.md
@@ -10,14 +10,12 @@ iteration would otherwise rediscover.
 - **Doctor float V2:** `THEME=<slug> nix build --impure -f tools/doctor-float.nix`
  — softGL Hyprland, `nomarchy-menu doctor`, asserts
  `class=com.nomarchy.doctor` + `floating` + centered midpoints +
-  screenshots. Ghostty *does* start here under softGL (classed one-shot);
-  size often stays Ghostty’s default 800×600 (client geometry wins over
-  the percent `size` windowrule).
- **theme-shot softGL cannot start Ghostty** — `btop.png` is best-effort
+  screenshots (Kitty `--class=…`). SoftGL may still struggle with a GPU
+  terminal; size can ignore percent windowrules if client geometry wins.
+- **theme-shot softGL may not start Kitty** — `btop.png` is best-effort
  (usually identical to desktop). Guest asserts on
  `~/.config/btop/themes/nomarchy.theme` prove baking; the TUI look is
-  hardware/GL tier (HARDWARE-QUEUE). Doctor float is the counter-example
-  that a *classed* one-shot Ghostty can still map under softGL.
+  hardware/GL tier (HARDWARE-QUEUE).
 - **Waybar `custom/doctor` tripwire:** status helper must invoke
  `nomarchy-doctor` by **absolute store path** (waybar's env can miss
  system PATH → `command -v … || exit 0` self-hides forever); empty
@@ -85,9 +83,9 @@ iteration would otherwise rediscover.
  (`LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE` on virtio-gpu) + `machine.screenshot()` QMP
  dump — prototyped 2026-06-19, kept as the fallback for theme previews
  (§ Visual theme picker).
- Hyprland/Ghostty need guest GL (`virtio-vga-gl`, `gl=on`) in
-  interactive QEMU or the session won't start; black screen ≈ missing GL
-  (docs/TESTING.md § gotchas).
+- Hyprland needs guest GL (`virtio-vga-gl`, `gl=on`) in interactive QEMU
+  or the session won't start; black screen ≈ missing GL
+  (docs/TESTING.md § gotchas). Kitty is the sole terminal (no Ghostty).
 - No KVM = slow, not broken; don't read slowness as failure.

 ## Known-broken / watchlist
--- a/agent/THEME-DESIGN.md
+++ b/agent/THEME-DESIGN.md
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ consumes the palette from the state JSON, never a side file.
 ## Design responsibilities

 1. **Holistic design:** a theme spans Hyprland (borders, shadows,
-   animations), Waybar, Ghostty, btop, fastfetch, rofi, and wallpaper —
+   animations), Waybar, Kitty, btop, fastfetch, rofi, and wallpaper —
   one coherent identity, no unthemed corner.
 2. **Color theory:** create or adapt advanced palettes. Draw inspiration
   from established aesthetics (Everforest, Nord, Gruvbox) or r/unixporn
--- a/docs/OVERRIDES.md
+++ b/docs/OVERRIDES.md
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ rule of thumb:

 Everything that defines the *look* flows from `theme-state.json`, the single
 source of truth. Change it with `nomarchy-theme-sync`, which writes the JSON
-and rebuilds — one generation, applied to Hyprland, Waybar, Ghostty, btop and
+and rebuilds — one generation, applied to Hyprland, Waybar, Kitty, btop and
 Stylix at once:

 ```sh
@@ -98,9 +98,8 @@ in your `home.nix` wins — no `mkForce` needed:
    animations.enabled = false;
  };

-  programs.ghostty.settings = {
-    window-padding-x = 4;              # was 12
-    window-decoration = true;
+  programs.kitty.settings = {
+    window_padding_width = 4;          # was 12
  };
 }
 ```
--- a/docs/REQUIREMENTS.md
+++ b/docs/REQUIREMENTS.md
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@

 What Nomarchy expects of a machine. This is a **living floor**, not a
 marketing sheet — numbers come from measured installs and known software
-floors (Ghostty, NixOS, the ISO). When a real machine pushes a bound, update
+floors (NixOS, the ISO, desktop GPU). When a real machine pushes a bound, update
 this file in the same change.

 Related: [HARDWARE.md](HARDWARE.md) (profiles/drivers),
@@ -22,39 +22,22 @@ Related: [HARDWARE.md](HARDWARE.md) (profiles/drivers),

 ## Graphics (default desktop)

-The default terminal is **Ghostty**, which requires **OpenGL 4.3** (desktop
-profile). That is a **GPU generation** limit, not a “driver not installed”
-problem:
+The sole terminal is **Kitty** (GPU-accelerated OpenGL, themed from
+theme-state). It runs on older integrated GPUs that reject Ghostty’s OpenGL
+**4.3** floor — notably **Intel HD 4000 / Ivy Bridge** (Acer Aspire M5-481T
+reported OpenGL **4.2** and could not start Ghostty). That is why Nomarchy
+standardized on Kitty only: one terminal to theme, one set of classed windows
+(doctor / calendar), no dual-stack or GL probe at install.

-| Generation (examples) | Typical max OpenGL (Mesa) | Default Ghostty |
-|-----------------------|---------------------------|-----------------|
-| Ivy Bridge / HD 4000 (e.g. **Acer Aspire M5-481T**, ~2012) | **4.2** | **Does not start** (`OpenGLOutdated`) |
-| Haswell and newer Intel iGPU, most AMD GCN+, discrete GPUs of the last decade | ≥ 4.3 | OK |
-| Dell XPS 9350 (Skylake) | ≥ 4.3 | OK (verified 2026-07) |
-
-**Why 4.2 and not 4.3 on HD 4000?** The silicon and Mesa’s feature set for
-that generation top out at OpenGL 4.2. No package upgrade on the distro can
-turn Ivy Bridge into a 4.3 device. Ghostty is choosing a modern GL baseline
-on purpose.
-
-**Install-time fallback (shipped):** when `nomarchy-install` can probe OpenGL
-(via `glxinfo` on the live session) and the version is **&lt; 4.3**, it writes
-`settings.terminal = "kitty"` into the machine’s `theme-state.json`. Kitty is
-enabled and **themed from the same JSON** as Ghostty (palette, mono font,
-opacity). SUPER+Return then launches Kitty. Ghostty stays installed (doctor /
-calendar classed windows still call it — those helpers may still fail on old
-GL until a later follow-up).
-
-If the probe fails (no display / headless VM), Ghostty remains the default —
-do not guess. Existing installs can set the same by hand:
-
-```json
-"settings": { "terminal": "kitty" }
-```
-
-then `nomarchy-home` (or `home-manager switch`).
+| Generation (examples) | Notes |
+|-----------------------|--------|
+| Ivy Bridge / HD 4000 (~2012) | Supported with Kitty (verified path on Acer M5-481T) |
+| Haswell+ Intel, modern AMD, discrete GPUs | Supported |
+| SoftGL / virtio-gpu VMs | Hyprland needs GL for the session; Kitty is best-effort under softGL |

 Other Wayland clients vary; Hyprland itself is usually fine on these GPUs.
+A working GPU (or software GL for VMs) is still required for the desktop
+session — only the *terminal* no longer demands OpenGL 4.3.

 ---

@@ -154,8 +137,8 @@ Recovery menu. This requirements page only states why the disk fills up.

 | Machine | Role |
 |---------|------|
-| **Acer Aspire M5-481T** (~2012, Intel HD 4000, OpenGL 4.2) | Ghostty floor (#95); install bake / old-HW QA |
-| **Dell XPS 9350** (Skylake) | Install bake (#123); Ghostty OK |
+| **Acer Aspire M5-481T** (~2012, Intel HD 4000) | Old-HW QA; drove Kitty-only terminal (#95) |
+| **Dell XPS 9350** (Skylake) | Install bake (#123) |
 | AMD dev box / Latitude / T14s | Ongoing V3 (HARDWARE-QUEUE) |

 When you install on something older or smaller than the table, file what
@@ -167,7 +150,7 @@ broke in `agent/BACKLOG.md` and tighten this page.

 | Item | Topic |
 |------|--------|
-| BACKLOG **#95** | Ghostty fallback when OpenGL &lt; 4.3 |
+| BACKLOG **#95** | Kitty as sole terminal (shipped) |
 | BACKLOG **#120** | Lighter netinstall ISO (download size ≠ installed size) |
 | BACKLOG **#123** | Installer HM pre-activate (first-boot polish) |
 | BACKLOG **#124** | Flake pin vs main/v1 lag after install |
--- a/docs/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/docs/ROADMAP.md
@@ -404,12 +404,13 @@ Design/decision records and a running log of shipped work (items marked
  decision rather than a drive-by. Proved to fail: dropping snapshot makes it
  name the missing entry. **V3 pending** — that the apps *launch* needs real
  hardware (HARDWARE-QUEUE, Acer M5-481T).
- ✓ **Kitty fallback when OpenGL &lt; 4.3 (#95 partial):** Ghostty needs GL 4.3;
-  Ivy Bridge HD 4000 tops at 4.2 (Acer M5-481T). Installer probes `glxinfo`
-  and writes `settings.terminal = "kitty"` when below the floor; `kitty.nix`
-  themes Kitty from the same theme-state as Ghostty (ANSI, mono font,
-  opacity). Default machines stay Ghostty-only in the HM closure. V3 on Acer
-  still needed; doctor/calendar still invoke Ghostty by class.
+- ✓ **Kitty is the only terminal (#95 complete):** Ghostty’s OpenGL 4.3 floor
+  broke SUPER+Return (and classed doctor/calendar windows) on Ivy Bridge
+  HD 4000 (Acer M5-481T). Maintaining two terminals was pure complexity.
+  **Kitty only:** always installed, themed from theme-state (ANSI/font/opacity),
+  default `$TERMINAL` / SUPER+Return, doctor + calendar + what-changed use
+  `kitty --class=com.nomarchy.*`. Ghostty module and install-time GL probe
+  removed. V3: Acer SUPER+Return + doctor float.
 - ✓ **Mime defaults must name a present .desktop (#119):** same bug class as
  #94, one key over. `text/plain` pointed at `code.desktop` (vscode), which
  the live ISO never ships — GIO skips the missing entry and leaves no
--- a/docs/TESTING.md
+++ b/docs/TESTING.md
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ nix build .#nixosConfigurations.nomarchy-live.config.system.build.isoImage

 The script prefers UEFI (OVMF) with a legacy-BIOS fallback, uses KVM when
 `/dev/kvm` is readable, and boots with `virtio-vga-gl` + `gl=on` —
-**Hyprland and Ghostty need real OpenGL in the guest**; without it the
+**Hyprland (and the desktop session) need real OpenGL in the guest**; without it the
 session may not start.

 ### What the live environment gives you
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ Work through these in order; each one exercises a different layer.
 |---|---|---|
 | 1 | Boots to Hyprland with the default theme wallpaper visible (Boreal) | greetd autologin, awww, session start |
 | 2 | Waybar shows at top, themed (blue accent on dark) | HM waybar module, palette baking |
-| 3 | `SUPER+Return` opens Ghostty with the default theme colors (Boreal) | terminal default, ANSI palette |
+| 3 | `SUPER+Return` opens Kitty with the default theme colors (Boreal) | terminal default, ANSI palette |
 | 4 | `btop` in the terminal is themed | per-theme asset baking |
 | 5 | `nomarchy-theme-sync list` prints 24 presets | package, baked themes dir |
 | 6 | `nomarchy-theme-sync apply gruvbox` → state written, `home-manager switch` runs, desktop re-themes, wallpaper changes | the whole engine: state write, pure eval, HM rebuild, wallpaper hook |
--- a/hosts/live.nix
+++ b/hosts/live.nix
@@ -89,8 +89,9 @@ in
  # ISO is the desktop, so re-enable what it strips. Above all
  # fontconfig (upstream forces it off at mkOverride 500): without it
  # no configured family resolves — Waybar icons render as tofu and
-  # Ghostty silently falls back to the wrong font (seen on the
-  # Latitude 5410). Normal priority (100) beats the override.
+  # Kitty silently falls back to the wrong font (seen on the
+  # Latitude 5410 with Ghostty; same fontconfig footgun). Normal priority
+  # (100) beats the override.
  fonts.fontconfig.enable = true;

  # No boot splash on the install medium: the installer ISO boots its
--- a/modules/home/default.nix
+++ b/modules/home/default.nix
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@
    ./stylix.nix    # GTK/Qt/cursor/fonts from the same JSON
    ./hyprland.nix
    ./waybar.nix
-    ./ghostty.nix
-    ./kitty.nix     # themed fallback when Ghostty cannot run (OpenGL < 4.3)
+    ./kitty.nix     # sole terminal (themed); doctor/calendar/--class load-bearing
    ./btop.nix
    ./rofi.nix      # launcher theming + the nomarchy-menu dispatcher
    ./swaync.nix    # notification daemon, themed from the same JSON
--- a/modules/home/ghostty.nix
+++ b/modules/home/ghostty.nix
@@ -1,48 +0,0 @@
-# Ghostty — Nomarchy's default terminal, themed from theme-state.json.
-# Colors, fonts and the full 16-color ANSI palette are baked from the
-# JSON at eval time.
-{ config, lib, ... }:
-
-let
-  t = config.nomarchy.theme;
-  c = t.colors;
-in
-{
-  # Ghostty is ALWAYS installed — it's Nomarchy's default terminal and is
-  # load-bearing (SUPER+E file manager, the calendar launcher's classed
-  # window, etc.), so the distro enforces it. `nomarchy.ghostty.enable` now
-  # gates only whether Nomarchy's theming/config is applied — a user can
-  # keep ghostty but drop our config, they just can't remove ghostty itself.
-  programs.ghostty = {
-    enable = true;
-    enableBashIntegration = true;
-
-    settings = lib.mkIf config.nomarchy.ghostty.enable {
-      # ── Typography (from theme-state.json) ────────────────────────
-      font-family = t.fonts.mono;
-      font-size = t.fonts.size;
-
-      # ── Colors (from theme-state.json) ────────────────────────────
-      background = c.base;
-      foreground = c.text;
-      cursor-color = c.accent;
-      selection-background = c.overlay;
-      selection-foreground = c.text;
-      split-divider-color = c.surface;
-
-      # "N=#rrggbb" entries; Ghostty accepts repeated `palette` keys,
-      # which the HM module renders from this list.
-      palette = lib.imap0 (i: color: "${toString i}=${color}") t.ansi;
-
-      # ── Chrome ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-      # background-opacity is theme-driven (normal priority — use the
-      # CLI); the rest are mkDefault so a plain home.nix value wins.
-      background-opacity = t.ui.terminalOpacity;
-      window-padding-x = lib.mkDefault 12;
-      window-padding-y = lib.mkDefault 12;
-      window-decoration = lib.mkDefault false;
-      gtk-single-instance = lib.mkDefault true;
-      confirm-close-surface = lib.mkDefault false;
-    };
-  };
-}
--- a/modules/home/hyprland.nix
+++ b/modules/home/hyprland.nix
@@ -1026,15 +1026,14 @@ in
        "float 1, match:class (?i)^(\\.?blueman-(manager|adapters)(-wrapped)?|\\.?system-config-printer(-wrapped)?)$"
        "center 1, match:class (?i)^(\\.?blueman-(manager|adapters)(-wrapped)?|\\.?system-config-printer(-wrapped)?)$"

-        # Calendar popup (item 42): the Waybar clock's on-click runs
-        # nomarchy-calendar → calcurse in a ghostty window tagged with a
-        # distinct --class, so it floats centered instead of tiling.
+        # Calendar popup (item 42): nomarchy-calendar → calcurse in a
+        # kitty window tagged with a distinct --class, so it floats centered.
        "float 1, match:class ^(com\\.nomarchy\\.calendar)$"
        "size 60% 65%, match:class ^(com\\.nomarchy\\.calendar)$"
        "center 1, match:class ^(com\\.nomarchy\\.calendar)$"

        # Doctor sheet (System › Doctor / Waybar custom/doctor click):
-        # nomarchy-menu doctor → ghostty --class=com.nomarchy.doctor.
+        # nomarchy-menu doctor → kitty --class=com.nomarchy.doctor.
        "float 1, match:class ^(com\\.nomarchy\\.doctor)$"
        "size 55% 70%, match:class ^(com\\.nomarchy\\.doctor)$"
        "center 1, match:class ^(com\\.nomarchy\\.doctor)$"
--- a/modules/home/kitty.nix
+++ b/modules/home/kitty.nix
@@ -1,26 +1,13 @@
-# Kitty — fallback terminal when Ghostty cannot run (OpenGL < 4.3 on
-# older GPUs, e.g. Intel HD 4000). Themed from the same theme-state.json
-# as Ghostty so a machine that needs the fallback still looks like
-# Nomarchy. Enabled when nomarchy.terminal is "kitty" (installer sets
-# that after a GL probe) or when nomarchy.kitty.enable is forced on.
+# Kitty — Nomarchy's only terminal, themed from theme-state.json.
+# Colors, fonts and the full 16-color ANSI palette are baked from the
+# JSON at eval time (same contract Ghostty used to have). Always
+# installed: SUPER+Return, SUPER+E, doctor, calendar, and $TERMINAL
+# all depend on it.
 { config, lib, ... }:

 let
  t = config.nomarchy.theme;
  c = t.colors;
-  # Default terminal may be a bare name ("kitty") or a path; match the
-  # basename so settings.terminal = "kitty" and nomarchy.terminal =
-  # "${pkgs.kitty}/bin/kitty" both light this module.
-  terminalIsKitty =
-    let
-      term = config.nomarchy.terminal;
-      base = lib.last (lib.splitString "/" term);
-    in
-    base == "kitty" || lib.hasPrefix "kitty " term;
-
-  enabled = config.nomarchy.kitty.enable || terminalIsKitty;
-
-  # Kitty colorN = ANSI 0–15 from the theme palette.
  colorSettings = lib.listToAttrs (
    lib.imap0 (i: color: {
      name = "color${toString i}";
@@ -29,35 +16,37 @@ let
  );
 in
 {
-  config = lib.mkIf enabled {
-    programs.kitty = {
-      enable = true;
-      shellIntegration.enableBashIntegration = true;
-      shellIntegration.enableZshIntegration = true;
+  # Kitty is ALWAYS installed. `nomarchy.kitty.enable` gates only whether
+  # Nomarchy's theming/config is applied — a user can keep kitty but drop
+  # our config; they cannot remove kitty itself without breaking the
+  # desktop's load-bearing classed windows.
+  programs.kitty = {
+    enable = true;
+    shellIntegration.enableBashIntegration = true;
+    shellIntegration.enableZshIntegration = true;

-      font = {
-        name = t.fonts.mono;
-        size = t.fonts.size;
-      };
-
-      settings = {
-        background = c.base;
-        foreground = c.text;
-        cursor = c.accent;
-        cursor_text_color = c.base;
-        selection_background = c.overlay;
-        selection_foreground = c.text;
-        url_color = c.accent;
-        active_border_color = c.accent;
-        inactive_border_color = c.surface;
-        # Match Ghostty's padding / opacity so the two terminals feel
-        # like the same product when a machine falls back.
-        background_opacity = t.ui.terminalOpacity;
-        window_padding_width = lib.mkDefault 12;
-        confirm_os_window_close = lib.mkDefault 0;
-        enable_audio_bell = lib.mkDefault false;
-        wayland_titlebar_color = lib.mkDefault "background";
-      } // colorSettings;
+    font = lib.mkIf config.nomarchy.kitty.enable {
+      name = t.fonts.mono;
+      size = t.fonts.size;
    };
+
+    settings = lib.mkIf config.nomarchy.kitty.enable ({
+      background = c.base;
+      foreground = c.text;
+      cursor = c.accent;
+      cursor_text_color = c.base;
+      selection_background = c.overlay;
+      selection_foreground = c.text;
+      url_color = c.accent;
+      active_border_color = c.accent;
+      inactive_border_color = c.surface;
+      background_opacity = t.ui.terminalOpacity;
+      window_padding_width = lib.mkDefault 12;
+      confirm_os_window_close = lib.mkDefault 0;
+      enable_audio_bell = lib.mkDefault false;
+      wayland_titlebar_color = lib.mkDefault "background";
+      # Fresh windows for doctor/calendar --class launches (not one shared instance).
+      single_instance = lib.mkDefault false;
+    } // colorSettings);
  };
 }
--- a/modules/home/options.nix
+++ b/modules/home/options.nix
@@ -100,17 +100,17 @@ in
    # ── Preferences ────────────────────────────────────────────────
    terminal = lib.mkOption {
      type = lib.types.str;
-      default = config.nomarchy.settings.terminal or "ghostty";
+      default = config.nomarchy.settings.terminal or "kitty";
      example = "kitty";
      description = ''
-        Terminal emulator command, used by keybinds and `$TERMINAL`.
-        Default is Ghostty. On GPUs below OpenGL 4.3 the installer writes
-        `settings.terminal = "kitty"` so SUPER+Return still works (Ghostty
-        needs 4.3; see docs/REQUIREMENTS.md). Set explicitly to override.
+        Terminal emulator command for keybinds and `$TERMINAL`. Nomarchy
+        ships and themes **Kitty only** (sole supported terminal — works
+        on older GPUs that Ghostty's OpenGL 4.3 floor rejected). Override
+        only if you install another emulator yourself.
      '';
    };

-    kitty.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "Kitty with Nomarchy theming (palette/font/opacity from theme-state); also auto-on when nomarchy.terminal is kitty (OpenGL < 4.3 install fallback)";
+    kitty.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "Nomarchy's Kitty configuration (palette/font/opacity from theme-state)" // { default = true; };

    keyboard.layout = lib.mkOption {
      type = lib.types.str;
@@ -403,7 +403,6 @@ in
    shell.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "the zsh shell experience (starship prompt, bat/eza/zoxide)" // { default = true; };
    keys.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "the SSH + GPG agent (gpg-agent fronting SSH, pinentry-qt)" // { default = true; };
    fastfetch.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "fastfetch system info fronted by the themed Nomarchy logo" // { default = true; };
-    ghostty.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "Nomarchy's Ghostty configuration" // { default = true; };
    btop.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "btop with the per-theme nomarchy theme" // { default = true; };
    stylix.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "Stylix theming for the long tail of apps (GTK, Qt, cursors)" // { default = true; };
    displays.enable = lib.mkEnableOption "the nwg-displays interactive monitor arranger (a helper to find nomarchy.monitors values; the declarative config stays the source of truth)" // { default = true; };
--- a/modules/home/rofi.nix
+++ b/modules/home/rofi.nix
@@ -946,11 +946,10 @@ ${themeRows}
        exec ${cfg.terminal} -e sudo nomarchy-snapshots ;;

      doctor)
-        # Read-only health sheet in a floating, centered ghostty window
-        # (class matched by hyprland.nix windowrules). --gtk-single-instance
-        # =false forces a fresh window — same pattern as nomarchy-calendar.
-        # Exit code doesn't matter; the sheet itself is the product.
-        exec ghostty --class=com.nomarchy.doctor --gtk-single-instance=false \
+        # Read-only health sheet in a floating, centered kitty window
+        # (class matched by hyprland.nix windowrules). Same pattern as
+        # nomarchy-calendar. Exit code doesn't matter; the sheet is the product.
+        exec kitty --class=com.nomarchy.doctor \
          -e sh -c "nomarchy-doctor
            printf '\nEnter to close.'; read -r _" ;;

@@ -1045,14 +1044,14 @@ ${themeRows}
      whatchanged)
        # Plain-language last rebuild (system + desktop nvd). Toast the
        # one-liners; open a floating terminal for the full report when
-        # the user wants detail (same ghostty class pattern as Doctor).
+        # the user wants detail (same kitty class pattern as Doctor).
        if ! command -v nomarchy-what-changed >/dev/null 2>&1; then
          notify-send "What changed" "nomarchy-what-changed not on PATH (lifecycle package?)."
          exit 0
        fi
        summary=$(nomarchy-what-changed --summary 2>/dev/null || true)
        [ -n "$summary" ] && notify-send -a Nomarchy "What changed" "$summary"
-        exec ghostty --class=com.nomarchy.doctor --gtk-single-instance=false \
+        exec kitty --class=com.nomarchy.doctor \
          -e sh -c "nomarchy-what-changed
            printf '\nEnter to close.'; read -r _" ;;

--- a/modules/home/shell.nix
+++ b/modules/home/shell.nix
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 # Shell experience — zsh (the default login shell, set system-side) with
 # autosuggestions + syntax highlighting, a themed starship prompt, and
 # modern CLI tools wired in: bat (cat), eza (ls), zoxide (cd). bat uses
-# the "ansi" theme so it follows the terminal palette (Ghostty is themed
+# the "ansi" theme so it follows the terminal palette (Kitty is themed
 # from the same JSON); starship is themed from the palette directly.
 #
 # home.shell.enableZshIntegration = true is the single lever that makes
-# every integrating program (starship, eza, zoxide, ghostty, yazi) emit
+# every integrating program (starship, eza, zoxide, kitty, yazi) emit
 # its zsh hooks — no per-module flags needed.
 { config, lib, pkgs, ... }:

@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ in
    };

    # bat: "ansi" follows the terminal's 16-color palette → tracks the
-    # active Nomarchy theme (Ghostty bakes it) with no per-theme config.
+    # active Nomarchy theme (Kitty bakes it) with no per-theme config.
    programs.bat = {
      enable = true;
      config = {
--- a/modules/home/stylix.nix
+++ b/modules/home/stylix.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Stylix — themes the long tail of applications (GTK, Qt, cursors,
 # fonts) from the same theme-state.json that drives the live engine.
 #
-# Division of labour: the hot-reload trio (Hyprland, Waybar, Ghostty)
+# Division of labour: the hot-reload trio (Hyprland, Waybar, Kitty)
 # is owned by the Nomarchy engine and updates instantly; everything
 # Stylix touches updates on the next home-manager switch. That is why
 # autoEnable is off and the trio's Stylix targets stay disabled.
--- a/modules/home/theme.nix
+++ b/modules/home/theme.nix
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 #
 # Theme changes are fully Home Manager managed: `nomarchy-theme-sync
 # apply <theme>` writes the JSON and runs `home-manager switch`, baking
-# everything (Hyprland, Waybar, Ghostty, btop, Stylix) into one
+# everything (Hyprland, Waybar, Kitty, btop, Stylix) into one
 # read-only generation. No runtime patching, no partial states; theme
 # history is generation history.
 #
--- a/modules/home/waybar.nix
+++ b/modules/home/waybar.nix
@@ -93,20 +93,15 @@ let
    [ -n "$next" ] && powerprofilesctl set "$next"
  '';

-  # Opens calcurse (a lightweight TUI calendar, month view by default) in a
-  # floating, centered ghostty window — bound to the Waybar clock's on-click.
-  # A distinct --class gives the window a matchable app-id for the
-  # float+center+size windowrule (hyprland.nix); --gtk-single-instance=false
-  # forces a fresh standalone window (ghostty defaults single-instance on).
-  # calcurse is installed with the bar (home.packages below); the gate is
-  # only for someone who force-removed it. ghostty is always installed
-  # (ghostty.nix), so it can be relied on for the --class window.
+  # Opens calcurse (lightweight TUI calendar) in a floating, centered kitty
+  # window — Waybar clock on-click. Distinct --class → hyprland.nix float
+  # rules. Kitty is always installed (kitty.nix).
  calendarLauncher = pkgs.writeShellScriptBin "nomarchy-calendar" ''
    if ! command -v calcurse >/dev/null 2>&1; then
      notify-send "Calendar" "calcurse isn't installed (removed from home.packages?)." 2>/dev/null
      exit 0
    fi
-    exec ghostty --class=com.nomarchy.calendar --gtk-single-instance=false -e calcurse
+    exec kitty --class=com.nomarchy.calendar -e calcurse
  '';

  # VPN indicator — shows a shield when a NetworkManager VPN/WireGuard
@@ -213,7 +208,7 @@ let
      # into clock + clock#date — one click surface for the calendar).
      format = "{:%H:%M  ·  %a %d %b}";
      # Left-click → the calendar (nomarchy-calendar → calcurse in a floating
-      # ghostty). Tooltip is plain date/zone only — embedding {calendar}
+      # kitty). Tooltip is plain date/zone only — embedding {calendar}
      # produced an empty popup on hardware (2026-07-10); month view is
      # one click away.
      on-click = "nomarchy-calendar";
--- a/modules/home/yazi.nix
+++ b/modules/home/yazi.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # yazi — the flagship file manager: a fast, keyboard-driven TUI that
-# fits the distro's identity (Ghostty's Kitty-graphics previews, rofi
+# fits the distro's identity (Kitty graphics previews, rofi
 # menus, everything from one JSON). Themed from theme-state.json and
 # shipped with a curated plugin set. The GUI half (Thunar, "open folder"
 # handler) is nomarchy.system.fileManager on the system side.
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ in

      # Theme from the palette. yazi merges this over its built-in theme,
      # so only the accent-bearing UI is specified; everything else keeps
-      # yazi's defaults (which already follow Ghostty's ANSI colors).
+      # yazi's defaults (which already follow Kitty's ANSI colors).
      theme = {
        mgr = {
          cwd = { fg = c.accent; };
--- a/modules/nixos/default.nix
+++ b/modules/nixos/default.nix
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 # nixosModules.nomarchy in flake.nix) and layer your machine specifics
 # (bootloader, hostname, users, hardware) on top. Host concerns are
 # deliberately NOT set here. Everything user-facing (Hyprland config,
-# Waybar, Ghostty, theming) lives in modules/home.
+# Waybar, Kitty, theming) lives in modules/home.
 { config, lib, pkgs, ... }:

 let
--- a/pkgs/nomarchy-control-center/nomarchy-control-center.sh
+++ b/pkgs/nomarchy-control-center/nomarchy-control-center.sh
@@ -211,12 +211,9 @@ function toggles_menu() {
                sleep 1
                ;;
            "Terminal")
-                term=$(gum choose "ghostty" "kitty" "alacritty" "wezterm" "foot")
-                if [ -n "$term" ]; then
-                    set_state "settings.terminal" "\"$term\""
-                    echo "Terminal set to $term (requires rebuild)."
-                fi
-                sleep 1
+                echo "Kitty is Nomarchy's terminal (themed from theme-state)."
+                echo "Override nomarchy.terminal in home.nix only if you install another yourself."
+                sleep 2
                ;;
            "Keyboard Layout")
                layout=$(gum input --prompt "Enter keyboard layout (e.g. us, de, es): " --placeholder "$(get_state settings.keyboard.layout | tr -d '"')")
--- a/pkgs/nomarchy-install/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/nomarchy-install/default.nix
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 , pciutils         # lspci
 , usbutils         # lsusb (fingerprint-reader VID probe; sysfs is the fallback)
 , btrfs-progs      # inspect-internal map-swapfile (hibernation offset)
-, mesa-demos       # glxinfo — OpenGL probe for Ghostty floor (needs 4.3)
 , xkeyboard_config # human-readable installed layout/variant catalog
  # Baked metadata — what this installer installs and where it came from.
 , templateDir              # templates/downstream (home.nix, theme-state.json)
@@ -65,7 +64,6 @@ stdenvNoCC.mkDerivation {
      --prefix PATH : ${lib.makeBinPath [
        bash gum disko whois git python3
        util-linux gptfdisk parted cryptsetup lvm2 pciutils usbutils btrfs-progs
-        mesa-demos
      ]} \
      --set NOMARCHY_INSTALL_SHARE "$share" \
      --set NOMARCHY_XKB_RULES ${xkeyboard_config}/share/X11/xkb/rules/base.lst \
--- a/pkgs/nomarchy-install/nomarchy-install.sh
+++ b/pkgs/nomarchy-install/nomarchy-install.sh
@@ -625,47 +625,6 @@ python3 "$SHARE/patch-template.py" "$FLAKE_DIR" <<PYJSON
 }
 PYJSON

-# Ghostty requires OpenGL 4.3 (docs/REQUIREMENTS.md). On older GPUs (Intel
-# HD 4000 / Ivy Bridge tops at 4.2) it cannot map a surface. Prefer Kitty
-# as the default terminal when we can prove the floor is missing — written
-# into theme-state.json so SUPER+Return works after first boot without a
-# hand edit. Unknown probe → leave Ghostty (do not guess on headless VMs).
-gl_ver=""
-if command -v glxinfo >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    gl_ver=$(
-        { DISPLAY="${DISPLAY:-:0}" WAYLAND_DISPLAY="${WAYLAND_DISPLAY:-}" \
-            glxinfo -B 2>/dev/null || glxinfo -B 2>/dev/null || true; } \
-          | sed -n 's/.*OpenGL version string: \([0-9][0-9]*\.[0-9][0-9]*\).*/\1/p' \
-          | head -1
-    )
-fi
-if [[ -n "$gl_ver" ]]; then
-    gl_major=${gl_ver%%.*}
-    gl_minor=${gl_ver#*.}
-    gl_minor=${gl_minor%%.*}
-    if (( gl_major < 4 || (gl_major == 4 && gl_minor < 3) )); then
-        info "OpenGL $gl_ver < 4.3 — default terminal → kitty (Ghostty needs 4.3)"
-        python3 - "$FLAKE_DIR/theme-state.json" <<'PY'
-import json, sys
-path = sys.argv[1]
-with open(path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
-    state = json.load(f)
-settings = state.setdefault("settings", {})
-# Do not clobber an explicit user/template choice.
-if not settings.get("terminal"):
-    settings["terminal"] = "kitty"
-    settings["terminalReason"] = "opengl-below-4.3"
-with open(path, "w", encoding="utf-8") as f:
-    json.dump(state, f, indent=2)
-    f.write("\n")
-PY
-    else
-        info "OpenGL $gl_ver ≥ 4.3 — keeping Ghostty as the default terminal"
-    fi
-else
-    info "OpenGL version not probed (glxinfo unavailable or no display) — Ghostty stays default"
-fi
-
 # The flake.lock: composed offline — nomarchy is path-locked to the very
 # source the ISO carries (original stays the forge URL, so a later
 # `nix flake update` on the installed machine re-resolves normally).
--- a/pkgs/nomarchy-theme-sync/nomarchy-theme-sync.py
+++ b/pkgs/nomarchy-theme-sync/nomarchy-theme-sync.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ read purely by Home Manager via the nomarchy.stateFile option).

 Theme changes are applied by Home Manager: this tool writes the new state
 and runs `home-manager switch` (override with $NOMARCHY_REBUILD, or skip
-with --no-switch). All app theming — Hyprland, Waybar, Ghostty, btop,
+with --no-switch). All app theming — Hyprland, Waybar, Kitty, btop,
 Stylix — is baked into the generation; nothing is patched at runtime.

 The one runtime exception is the wallpaper: swww is imperative by nature,
--- a/templates/downstream/home.nix
+++ b/templates/downstream/home.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Your user environment. The Nomarchy desktop (Hyprland, Waybar,
-# Ghostty, theming engine, Stylix) comes from homeModules.nomarchy;
+# Kitty, theming engine, Stylix) comes from homeModules.nomarchy;
 # tune it via the nomarchy.* options, add your own packages and
 # programs below.
 #
@@ -14,10 +14,8 @@
  nomarchy.keyboard.variant = "";

  # ── Overrides (the desktop is on by default; tweak or opt out) ──────
-  # nomarchy.terminal = "kitty";        # swap the default terminal (installer
-  #                                     # sets this via settings.terminal when
-  #                                     # OpenGL < 4.3 — Ghostty needs 4.3)
-  # nomarchy.kitty.enable = true;       # themed Kitty without making it default
+  # nomarchy.terminal = "kitty";        # default; only Kitty is shipped/themed
+  # nomarchy.kitty.enable = false;      # keep the package, drop our config
  # nomarchy.waybar.enable = false;     # bring your own bar
  # nomarchy.stylix.enable = false;     # opt out of GTK/Qt theming
  # nomarchy.dockAudio.enable = false;  # keep audio put when docking
--- a/tools/doctor-float.nix
+++ b/tools/doctor-float.nix
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # V2 harness for the floating Doctor terminal (System › Doctor /
-# nomarchy-menu doctor → ghostty --class=com.nomarchy.doctor).
+# nomarchy-menu doctor → kitty --class=com.nomarchy.doctor).
 #
 # Boots headless softGL Hyprland (same stack as theme-shot), launches the
 # real menu path, then asserts via hyprctl that the window is floating
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
 #
 #   nix build --impure -f tools/doctor-float.nix --no-link --print-out-paths
 #
-# Maintainer harness — not a checks.* gate (full desktop VM). Ghostty
-# under softGL is best-effort (MEMORY); if the client never appears the
+# Maintainer harness — not a checks.* gate (full desktop VM). Kitty under
+# softGL is best-effort (MEMORY); if the client never appears the
 # scripted float asserts fail loudly rather than claiming success.
 let
  flake = builtins.getFlake ("git+file://" + toString ../.);
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ pkgs.testers.runNixOSTest {
    # Real product path: Waybar / System › Doctor both call this.
    machine.execute(f"{hy} dispatch exec nomarchy-menu doctor' >/dev/null 2>&1")

-    # Wait for the classed Ghostty client (softGL may be slow).
+    # Wait for the classed Kitty client (softGL may be slow).
    def clients():
        raw = machine.succeed(f"{hy} clients -j'").strip()
        try:
@@ -104,17 +104,15 @@ pkgs.testers.runNixOSTest {
    dump = machine.succeed(f"{hy} clients -j'")
    assert doctor is not None, (
        "no client with class com.nomarchy.doctor after nomarchy-menu doctor "
-        f"(Ghostty under softGL may have failed — clients dump):\n{dump}"
+        f"(Kitty under softGL may have failed — clients dump):\n{dump}"
    )

    assert doctor.get("floating") is True, (
        f"doctor window is not floating: {json.dumps(doctor, indent=2)}"
    )

-    # Product contract: float + center. Ghostty often keeps its default
-    # 800×600 even when a size rule is present (client geometry wins);
-    # the size rule remains as a best-effort hint. Assert center from
-    # the actual size so a smaller Ghostty window still counts.
+    # Product contract: float + center. Size rule is best-effort if the
+    # client geometry wins; assert center from the actual size.
    at = doctor.get("at") or [0, 0]
    size = doctor.get("size") or [0, 0]
    w, h = int(size[0]), int(size[1])
--- a/tools/test-live-iso.sh
+++ b/tools/test-live-iso.sh
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ ACCEL_ARG=()

 echo "Launching ISO: $ISO"
 # virtio-vga-gl + gl=on gives the guest real OpenGL — Hyprland and
-# Ghostty need it; without GL the session may fail to start.
+# the session needs it; without GL Hyprland may fail to start.
 exec qemu-system-x86_64 \
    "${ACCEL_ARG[@]}" \
    -m 4096 -smp 2 \
--- a/tools/theme-shot.nix
+++ b/tools/theme-shot.nix
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Themed-desktop capture harness (item 28 slice c) — boots the full
 # desktop headlessly (software-GL Hyprland) at 1920x1080 and QMP-dumps
 # screenshots into $out: desktop.png, menu.png (rofi root open), and
-# btop.png (Ghostty running btop, when the terminal starts under softGL).
+# btop.png (Kitty running btop, when the terminal starts under softGL).
 # Also asserts nomarchy-doctor-status JSON (class:bad) — the harness
 # seeds an untracked theme-state.json, so doctor always reports ✖.
 # Maintainer tool, NOT a checks.* gate (a full-desktop VM is far too
@@ -91,13 +91,13 @@ pkgs.testers.runNixOSTest {
    machine.execute(hy + " exec nomarchy-menu' >/dev/null 2>&1")
    machine.sleep(8)
    machine.screenshot("menu")
-    # Close menu, launch btop in Ghostty for the per-theme btop.theme shot.
-    # softGL may fail to start Ghostty — btop.png is best-effort then; the
+    # Close menu, launch btop in Kitty for the per-theme btop.theme shot.
+    # softGL may still fail to start a GPU terminal — btop.png is best-effort;
    # file assertions above still prove the theme is baked into the guest.
    machine.execute("su - nomarchy -c 'pkill -x rofi' >/dev/null 2>&1 || true")
    machine.sleep(1)
    machine.execute(
-      hy + " exec ghostty --gtk-single-instance=false -e btop' >/dev/null 2>&1"
+      hy + " exec kitty -e btop' >/dev/null 2>&1"
    )
    machine.sleep(12)
    machine.screenshot("btop")