Release Notes

Version: 0.9 Founders Preview
Base: openSUSE Leap 16.0
Arch: x86_64-v2 only
1

Defining the Founders Preview

AXEM-SX 0.9 is a near-complete look at our vision for a sovereignty-oriented workstation. It is built on the developing code of openSUSE Leap 16.0.

Purpose

Test the Boot-to-Studio workflow and Cockpit-based management.

Stability

Enterprise-grade core with some Beta edges from upstream.

Feedback

Specifically seeking reports on local AI and Wayland on NVIDIA hardware.

2

Desktop Architecture — Strict Wayland

AXEM-SX 0.9 is a pure Wayland system. We have aligned fully with the upstream decision to remove legacy display servers.

  • Xorg is Gone: No fallback X11 session at the login screen.
  • Legacy App Support: Older applications run transparently via XWayland.
  • NVIDIA Boot-to-Studio: Open kernel driver and user-space drivers install automatically on supported GPUs.
Tip:If you experience black screens during installation, boot with the nomodeset kernel option.
3

The Civic-Minded Console (Boh-IO)

AXEM-SX introduces Boh-IO — Bridge Our Humanities with Input & Output. A specialized console with a Bash terminal on the left and a local AI Sidecar on the right.

  • Local & Private: phi3:mini (3.8B) via Ollama. No data leaves your machine. History exists only in RAM.
  • Meta-Commands: boh explain · boh safer · boh teach · boh dry-run
  • Status in 0.9: Active preview — tuned for AXEM-SX and Linux command guidance.
4

System Administration — Cockpit

Unlike most distributions that have dropped YaST entirely in favor of generic web tools, AXEM-SX preserves and curates YaST through the AXEM-SX Control Hub — giving you the power of a proven administration layer with a refined, workstation-focused interface alongside Cockpit.

  • Access: localhost:9090 in your browser.
  • Modules: Storage · Networking · Logs — curated for workstation tasks.
Known Issue:A “gray line” visual glitch may appear in the storage menu when activating certain disks. This is cosmetic and does not affect data.
5

Workstation Optimizations & Pre-Applied Fixes

These are currently manual steps in base Leap 16.0 — AXEM-SX applies them for you out of the box.

  • Container Networking Fixed: Docker and KVM (libvirt) work side-by-side immediately. Firewall backend forced to iptables to prevent the known upstream conflict.
  • Audio: PipeWire is the default sound server — PulseAudio fully replaced.
  • Networking: NetworkManager only — the legacy wicked tool suite is removed.
6

Security & Privacy Defaults

  • Root Login Disabled: Cannot log in as root via SSH using a password. SSH key required.
  • SELinux Enforcing: Strict security policy enforced — AppArmor is not the default.
  • No Phone Home: All remote services are disabled by default.
7

Hardware Requirements

  • CPU: x86-64-v2 required (approximately post-2009).
  • 32-bit: Not supported — AXEM-SX is strictly 64-bit.
  • /tmp: RAM disk (tmpfs) — cleared on every reboot.
Warning:Running AXEM-SX in a Virtual Machine on an older host will cause a kernel crash. Set the VM CPU type to host-passthrough or host-model.
8

Known Issues in Preview

Known Issue:Installer Network Config: Complex network setups (bonding) are limited during install. Use DHCP for installation, configure via Cockpit after.
Known Issue:Zypper Repository: A bad repository source may be added after install. If zypper complains, remove it with zypper rr 1.