TapkicH-OS 1.0.3

Windows in the boot menu, and a new install choice for replacing another Linux. Installed systems get it with tapkich update.

Download

Get tapkich-os-1.0.3-x86_64.iso below and write it to a USB stick with Ventoy, Rufus or dd. Start the computer from the stick in UEFI mode with Secure Boot off; the installer starts on its own. Check the download against tapkich-os-1.0.3-x86_64.iso.sha256 if you like.

New

• The installer has a new choice, Erase everything except Windows: on a disk that holds Windows or its boot files next to something else (for example another Linux), it keeps Windows' partitions as they are and erases the rest of that disk. The summary lists every partition it erases.

Fixed

• Windows now shows in the TapkicH-OS boot menu after its boot files were repaired. The boot menu got its Windows entry only during the install, so a Windows whose boot files were missing then never appeared. sudo tapkich restore windows now adds it (and --check says when it is missing).
• tapkich help lists restore windows once and fits narrow terminal windows instead of running lines into each other.

Good to know

• The boot menu cannot list USB sticks as they are plugged in (Limine has no device scan). Start from a USB stick with your firmware's boot menu key (often F12, F8 or F11).
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10 series cards and older are not supported. Use a GTX 16 series or RTX card, or AMD or Intel graphics.

TapkicH-OS 1.0.2

A small release for computers with more than one screen. Installed systems get it with tapkich update.

Download

Get tapkich-os-1.0.2-x86_64.iso below and write it to a USB stick with Ventoy, Rufus or dd. Start the computer from the stick in UEFI mode with Secure Boot off; the installer starts on its own. Check the download against tapkich-os-1.0.2-x86_64.iso.sha256 if you like.

Fixed

• The installer shows on every connected screen, also on computers whose graphics driver takes a few seconds to load. Before, it could start on the basic firmware picture, which only reaches the laptop's own screen.
• tapkich install takes one app at a time and explains itself when given more.

Good to know

• The boot menu appears on the screens your computer's firmware switches on at startup. On most laptops that is only the built-in screen. Some firmware has a setting for the boot display (on many ThinkPads under Config, Display).
• On laptops with two graphics chips, a screen plugged into the second chip may stay dark in the installer. Use the laptop's own screen for the install there.
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10 series cards and older are not supported. Use a GTX 16 series or RTX card, or AMD or Intel graphics.

TapkicH-OS 1.0.1

A bug-fix release. Installed systems get the fixes with tapkich update.

Download

Get tapkich-os-1.0.1-x86_64.iso below and write it to a USB stick with Ventoy, Rufus or dd. Start the computer from the stick in UEFI mode with Secure Boot off; the installer starts on its own. Check the download against tapkich-os-1.0.1-x86_64.iso.sha256 if you like.

Fixed

• tapkich secureboot setup no longer stops with "File is immutable". When the firmware is not in Setup Mode it says how to get there (on a ThinkPad: F1, Security, Secure Boot, Reset to Setup Mode).
• tapkich install decky works, along with the short names brave, chatgpt, claude, google-chrome, telegram-desktop and 1pass.
• Re-signing the boot files after an update can no longer leave a half-written boot file. If something goes wrong, the old files stay.
• tapkich update keeps working when the TapkicH-OS update files cannot be reached. The rest of the system still updates.
• The installer cleans up after itself, saving about 5 GB of build files and downloaded packages.
• Pressing Ctrl-C during the install stops it cleanly and puts the disk back. The installer shows what happened.
• Disks that belong to an Intel RST RAID, or that are in use, are no longer offered for the install.
• On a non-English install the wallpapers are in the right Pictures folder, so the wallpaper switcher shows them.
• SSDs are trimmed once a week, including encrypted ones.
• SUPER+SHIFT+number moves a window to that workspace only once. The silent move is on SUPER+ALT+number.
• Wi-Fi names with spaces at the start or end, and passwords with backslashes, are saved correctly for the installed system.
• Running a game through gamescope on the desktop no longer confuses Gaming Mode's "Switch to Desktop".
• tapkich gamemode from a text console says where to start Gaming Mode instead of logging you out.
• Many smaller fixes to tapkich messages, help text and error handling.

New

• tapkich restore windows --remove-stale removes old "Windows Boot Manager" entries whose partition no longer exists.

Good to know

• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10 series cards and older are not supported. Use a GTX 16 series or RTX card, or AMD or Intel graphics.
• The installer downloads the system from the Arch Linux mirrors, so it needs an internet connection.

TapkicH-OS 1.0

The first public release of TapkicH-OS.

Download

Get tapkich-os-1.0-x86_64.iso below and write it to a USB stick with Ventoy, Rufus or dd. Turn Secure Boot off and start the computer from the stick in UEFI mode. The installer starts on its own. The ISO is for 64-bit Intel and AMD PCs.

Check the download against tapkich-os-1.0-x86_64.iso.sha256 if you like.

What you get

• A guided installer that keeps Windows working when you dual boot, with optional disk encryption
• Caelestia shell on Hyprland, with Waterfox as the browser
• Gaming Mode, which works like SteamOS: Steam's console interface in gamescope, one click from the power menu
• Steam, Lutris, ProtonUp-Qt, Proton-GE, Discord, Prism Launcher and LocalSend already installed
• Bazaar for Flathub apps, and tapkich install for apps like Chrome, 1Password or ChatGPT Desktop
• tapkich update, tapkich doctor, tapkich restore windows, tapkich bootloader timeout and the rest of the tapkich command

Good to know

• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10 series cards and older are not supported. Use a GTX 16 series or RTX card, or AMD or Intel graphics.
• The installer downloads the system from the Arch Linux mirrors, so it needs an internet connection.
• So far it has been tested in virtual machines and on a Lenovo ThinkPad. Gaming Mode has not been tried on a real NVIDIA card yet.

TapkicH-OS package repository

pacman repository [tapkich] used by tapkich update (Server = https://github.com/Tapuuk/TapkicH-OS/releases/download/repo). Not an installable release: the ISO is published separately.