Linux

Shadowfetch Linux

Installing Shadowfetch Linux

It’s the standard Debian live-install experience — boot the ISO, click through Calamares, reboot. Installation time depends on the computer, storage and USB media.

Time
Varies by hardware
Installer
Calamares
Filesystem
Btrfs by default
Encryption
LUKS, optional

Get the ISOVerify your download →

  1. Boot from the USB stick

    Plug in the USB, power on, hit your system’s boot-menu key (usually F12, F11, F2, or Del), select the USB device. You’ll land in a live session — you can try Shadowfetch before installing.

    Secure Boot: the Shadowfetch ISO isn’t Secure-Boot-signed yet. If the USB doesn’t appear in the boot menu or refuses to boot, enter your firmware (UEFI) setup and disable Secure Boot first.

  2. Launch the installer

    From the desktop, double-click “Install Shadowfetch Linux” (or run calamares from a terminal). Calamares walks you through region, keyboard, partitioning, user account, and a final summary.

  3. Partition

    For most users, pick “Erase disk” with default options. If you’re dual-booting, use “Manual partitioning” and shrink an existing partition. Shadowfetch defaults to Btrfs with a separate home subvolume for Phoenix recovery. To encrypt the system and personal files, tick “Encrypt system” and set a strong passphrase. The /boot partition and the UEFI system partition remain unencrypted. You’ll enter the passphrase at every boot (it’s LUKS; the keyboard at the unlock prompt uses your installer keyboard layout).

  4. Let the installation finish

    The installer copies the live system to disk, installs the bootloader (GRUB), and configures your user. Make a coffee.

  5. Reboot into your installed system

    Remove the USB when prompted, boot back up. On first login the Shadowfetch Welcome opens — choose Fire or Ice, review Element Workbench profiles, and optionally install apps, Grok Bot, Codex, Claude Code, Grok Build, or Cursor Agent. Every software plan is shown before it runs; no model, cloud account, or credential is bundled.

Calamares installer on Shadowfetch Linux 4.1.
The guided Calamares installer on Shadowfetch Linux 4.1, from live boot to a disk install (BIOS and UEFI).

First-boot notes

Mission Control
Create a project in Workbench, then queue a code, source-report or media mission. Review its connection, tests and output before acceptance.
Grok Bot
Welcome features the official native desktop beside other agents. Its download is explicit, requires administrator approval and adds its vendor update source. Sign in with an eligible account and plan. Ice pauses cloud installation and launch.
NVIDIA
Intel and AMD use Mesa. NVIDIA setup is an explicit, simulate-first workflow that refuses removals and can create Phoenix Points on Btrfs. VM rendering does not prove physical GPU performance, so check the hardware notes before depending on accelerated workloads.
Multi-GPU laptops
After installing and verifying an NVIDIA driver, test the laptop's offload behavior. For a working PRIME setup, run apps with __NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1 __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia <app> to use the discrete GPU.
Updates
Run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade, or use Discover (KDE’s app/update store). Shadowfetch updates flow from https://www.shadowfetch.com/linux/apt/; Debian updates flow from the usual mirrors.
Flathub
Pre-configured. Open Discover, search, install — works.

Add the Shadowfetch APT repo to an existing Debian system

If you already run Debian and just want the Shadowfetch metapackages without reinstalling, you can pull them via apt:

curl -fsSL https://www.shadowfetch.com/linux/apt/shadowfetch.gpg.asc \
  | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/shadowfetch.gpg

echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/shadowfetch.gpg] https://www.shadowfetch.com/linux/apt/ umbra main" \
  | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/shadowfetch.list

sudo apt update
sudo apt install shadowfetch-desktop      # full creative workstation
# or pick à la carte:
sudo apt install shadowfetch-themes shadowfetch-defaults
sudo apt install shadowfetch-creative-base

Hardware notes →Download shadowfetch-4.1.0-amd64.iso

Debian is a registered trademark of Software in the Public Interest, Inc. Shadowfetch Linux is an independent derivative and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Debian project.