The boot system

A single Limine menu with real superpowers — not just "boot".

Boot options

Every entry is a different kernel command-line mode.

🖥️

Live Desktop

uil.mode=live

Boot straight into the full desktop.

⚡

RAM Only

toram=1 uil.mode=live

The stick is copied into RAM and released — max speed, zero trace.

🔄

RAM+USB Hybrid

ramcache=1 uil.mode=live

Instant boot with a writable, persistent USB copy warming up in the background.

🗜️

Live Desktop (ZRAM Cached)

zram=1 uil.mode=live

RAM caching via zram instead of bcachefs replication — experimental and privacy tiers.

🛠️

Headless Installer

uil.mode=installer

Install over the network — SSH in.

🖼️

Kiosk Install

uil.mode=kiosk

Fullscreen single-app mode.

↕️

Resize to Full Disk

resize_disk=1

Grow the partition to use the whole stick.

🔐

Set Encryption Password

set_passphrase=1

Swap the default passphrase for your own.

RAM modes

Now shipping

Live Desktop (the default) boots straight into the full desktop — just try it. For more, these two RAM modes make the speed / persistence / trace tradeoff an explicit choice.

⚡

RAM Only

toram=1 uil.mode=live

The stick is mounted read-only and copied to a fresh bcachefs in RAM, then released — yank it. Once booted it runs entirely from RAM: fastest, zero trace, and the USB is only ever read. Costs a slower boot (full copy) and needs RAM ≈ image size + headroom.

Use it when

You want max speed after boot, plan to remove the USB, and want no trace left behind.

🔄

RAM+USB Hybrid

ramcache=1 uil.mode=live

Instant boot. RAM (ram0) is the fast foreground device while the USB stays a writable, persistent second copy that warms up in the background — bcachefs replication plus read promotion. Fast and persistent and yank-safe; expect a ~30–60s warm-up while RAM catches up.

Use it when

You want fast boot AND persistence AND yank-safety together — the everyday all-rounder.

Why these modes exist: “boot from RAM” and “RAM as a cache” are native bcachefs capabilities — device replication and foreground-promote targets — not hacks. The speed / persistence / trace tradeoff is yours to choose, per boot.

Why this layout

A GPT table with three partitions — the one choice that makes everything above possible.

🧩
ESP — FAT32
UEFI boot. The Limine EFI loader lives here.
🕰️
BIOS boot partition
Legacy/CSM boot — how a 20-year-old laptop boots.
💾
bcachefs root
The encrypted, persistent OS itself.

One image → UEFI and BIOS, encrypted and persistent, resizable to any stick size.