Aero7 Weekly Devlog — 2026-09-06

[memegeko]

Aero7 Weekly Devlog — 2026-09-06

Period: September 1–6, 2026

This week focused on preparing the source and package boundaries for Aero7 Beta 2. Major work landed across the installer, Aero7 Desktop, Control Panel, File Explorer, Device Manager, Computer Management, and Programs Center.

Beta 2 has not been released. The online and offline installer sources are prepared, but final packages, installation testing, graphical acceptance, ISO verification, checksums, and uploads remain gated.

Beta 2 installer preparation

The main aero7 repository gained separate preparation paths for two planned installation images:

• A recommended offline ISO with a checksum-pinned package repository and complete dependency set
• A smaller online ISO that downloads packages during installation
• Dependency-closure validation to detect missing embedded packages
• Package-download progress reporting
• Safer handling and reporting when online package installation fails
• Verification of local package manifests and checksums
• Release verification for both media variants

A physical-install diagnostic collector was also added. It preserves installer, boot, hardware, package, service, display-manager, and desktop-session evidence in a private folder on the installed user’s desktop. Passwords, network profiles, browser data, documents, and complete core-memory images are excluded.

The source explicitly continues to identify Beta 1 as the current public download.

Relevant commits:

• Prepare online and offline Beta 2 release source
• Make the source gate reproducible from a clean checkout
• Record the remaining File Explorer test gate

Control Panel expansion

The maintained Control Panel beta branch received its largest functional expansion so far.

Its All Control Panel Items view now mirrors the Windows 7 reference layout with 45 entries and stable destinations. Windows-style terminology is the default, while a persistent KDE Plasma naming option can update labels without changing the Linux backends.

New Aero7-owned pages and dialogs cover areas including:

• Display and screen configuration
• Taskbar and Start-menu settings
• Folder options
• Default programs
• Input and window behavior
• Startup and regional settings
• Search, networking, power, storage, and security
• Accessibility
• Bluetooth and printer setup
• Action Center
• Personalization and accounts

Administrative Tools now routes to Aero7 Computer Management, Device Manager routes to the renamed Aero7 application, and Desktop Gadgets opens the native Gadget Gallery.

Optional Features

A native Turn Aero7 features on or off interface was added. It reports real package and service state and supports installation, removal, repair, progress, cancellation, verification, partial states, and reboot or logout notices.

Privileged transactions use Polkit and are restricted to the invoking local administrator. Retained offline packages are checked by checksum and package identity before use.

Programs Center Beta is treated as optional and is absent on a fresh installation, but both planned media variants retain its verified package so it can be enabled without another download.

Relevant commits:

• Complete Windows 7 Control Panel parity and native settings
• Add native Aero7 Optional Features management
• Secure Optional Features and embed Aero7 icons

Aero7 Desktop reliability

Aero7 Desktop now reconciles its panel and appearance more safely after theme changes and keeps the Windows-style light and dark widget themes synchronized.

Other desktop changes include:

• Updated factory taskbar and Start-menu defaults
• A Recycle Bin shortcut on fresh desktops
• Corrected File Explorer and Internet Explorer pin handling
• Removal of the permanent brightness item from the notification area
• Expanded same-session shell recovery
• Improved file-operation and appearance-state coverage
• Updated KWin switcher defaults
• Removal of the retired File Explorer wrapper now that File Explorer has its own package

Desktop Gadgets and the Internet Explorer compatibility component now embed their required AeroThemePlasma icons. Their appearance therefore remains consistent even when the user changes the global icon theme.

Relevant commits:

• Harden desktop defaults and shell recovery
• Make companion application icons self-contained
• Test the separate File Explorer package boundary

Companion applications

File Explorer

File Explorer now consistently uses its stable name, desktop ID, Wayland application ID, window icon, and taskbar-grouping identity.

Navigation, actions, panes, dialogs, and settings use embedded AeroThemePlasma resources instead of depending on the host icon theme. Recycle Bin settings were expanded, and tests were added for application identity and icon independence.

View the File Explorer commit

Device Manager

The maintained fork was fully renamed from linux-devmgmt to aero7-device-manager, covering the executable, desktop entry, Nix output, release automation, and Arch packaging.

The old package identity remains available as an upgrade-compatibility provider. Device, toolbar, status, and application icons are now embedded.

View the Device Manager commit

Computer Management

Computer Management received embedded icons for its management console, navigation pages, storage tools, users, services, logs, and launchers.

Duplicate Device Manager desktop-file ownership was removed so the complete Beta 2 package set can install in one transaction without a file conflict.

View the Computer Management commit

Programs Center

Programs Center was prepared as an optional Aero7 feature. It now embeds its own application and action icons and documents the supported package-management safety model, current providers, and known beta limitations.

View the Programs Center commit

CI fixes and validation

The initial ISO source workflow failed because it attempted to inspect generated offline package-cache content that is not part of a clean source checkout. The corrected workflow now:

• Checks out the pinned Aero7 shell at the path recorded in sources.lock
• Skips dependency-closure inspection only when the ignored generated cache is absent
• Continues to perform full closure checks for prepared offline builds

The corrected source-check workflow passed, including 67 Python tests.

Two Aero7 Desktop pushes passed package construction but failed the staged-install smoke test because it still expected the retired File Explorer wrapper inside the desktop package. The test was updated to respect the separate File Explorer package boundary.

The final Aero7 Desktop workflow passed:

• Arch package build
• Static and QML validation
• Aero7 Desktop tests: 4/4
• Staged installation and startup smoke testing
• Desktop Gadgets tests: 3/3
• Internet Explorer compatibility tests: 4/4

Control Panel added twelve CTest cases and thirteen helper tests for Optional Features behavior. These are committed test capabilities; no separate Control Panel Actions run was recorded during this reporting window.

Remaining release gates

The rebuilt File Explorer currently passes 13 of its 16 CTest executables. Three upstream-derived cases remain unresolved:

• Search-popup behavior
• Extended-attribute fallback
• Accessibility behavior

Beta 2 also still requires:

• Fresh installation from the final online ISO
• Offline installation with networking unavailable
• Reboot, OOBE, SDDM, lock-screen, and second-login verification
• Taskbar, Start, File Explorer, Control Panel, screenshot, Optional Features, multi-monitor, and recovery acceptance
• Broader physical-hardware testing
• Final package-manifest and image verification
• ISO sizes, SHA-256 checksums, and release-page uploads

The source and current local test packages should not be presented as a completed Beta 2 release.

Release and website status

• No new repository was created.
• No pull request was merged.
• No issue was closed.
• No release or ISO was published.
• Aero7 Beta 1 remains the current public release.
• No new standalone announcement appeared on the official news feed.
• The official website continues to feature the Aero7 Desktop development announcement.

Development activity

Across the nine active public organization repositories:

• 13 commits across 7 repositories
• Approximately 17,887 additions and 1,777 deletions
• 9 recorded workflow runs
• 6 successful workflow runs
• 3 initial workflow failures, followed by corrections
• No canonical or maintained-branch commits in aerothemeplasma or .github

All weekly commits were contributed by @memegeko.