nbshell

nbshell is an independent desktop shell for the Umbriel Wayland compositor, with Niri retained as a recovery fallback. It is built with Quickshell and takes visual inspiration from Omarchy. It does not require a full desktop environment.

Umbriel is the recommended daily session. The compositor-neutral backend keeps the mature Niri integration installable and selectable from the greeter when a young Umbriel release needs recovery; see the compositor guide.

nbshell is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official part of Omarchy, Umbriel, Niri, or Quickshell. Project names are used only to describe inspiration and compatibility.

The project was created with AI-assisted development. Product decisions, testing, and the direction of the project remain human-led.

nbshell is still under active development. It already works as a daily desktop, but commands, configuration, and features may still change.

Current prerelease: 0.1.0-beta.1. See the changelog for user-facing changes.

Why nbshell?

• Two compositor workflows: use Umbriel's fast native scrolling/dwindle layouts for daily work, or select the Niri fallback for nbshell's specialized workspace-local two-window grid-scroll mode.
• One theme across the desktop: import compatible Omarchy themes or use the bundled independent collection; nbshell keeps the bar, menus, terminal, browser accents, lock screen, and wallpaper language coherent.
• Linux tools remain Linux tools: nbshell coordinates NetworkManager, PipeWire, systemd, grim, OBS, KDE Connect, and other existing components instead of replacing them with a closed desktop stack.
• Desktop and phone can work together: optional Android mirroring, phone webcam, nearby sharing, synchronized tasks, wallpapers, habits, and quick notes are available without making a phone mandatory.
• Inspectable extensions: bundled and third-party plugins expose their source, license, dependencies, and permissions; new plugins start disabled.
• Safe shell updates: the dashboard checks published nbshell releases, shows their notes, and verifies the release checksum before the normal, data-preserving installer runs in a visible terminal.
• Keyboard first, mouse friendly: the searchable menu reaches nested actions and installed applications, while every major surface remains directly addressable from a shortcut or CLI command.

Wallpaper library	Theme picker	Floating quick notes

Documentation

• Manual — setup, features, browser themes, and video trimming
• Getting started — install, first login, and checks
• Compatibility — supported baseline and beta limitations
• Beta testing — clean-machine and hardware checklist
• Join the public beta — tester profile, feedback, and media plan
• Troubleshooting — health checks and recovery
• Plugin development — manifest, lifecycle, safety, and publishing
• Plugin store — catalog format and review policy
• Feature guide — what each part of nbshell does
• Phone webcam — use an Android camera in OBS or calls

The manual is intentionally split into short pages so it can grow into a clear online guide without turning this README into a wall of text.

What does it include?

• Island, pill, or full-width bar with freely arranged modules
• Searchable menu, application launcher, dashboard, themes, and wallpapers
• Clipboard history, notification center, and system tray
• Audio mixer, media controls, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, batteries, power profiles, and persistent Umbriel/Niri display management
• Floating Picture-in-Picture controls for Zen Browser
• Theme-synchronized Hyprlock screen with PAM authentication and lock-before-suspend
• Calendar, tasks, quick notes, habits, KDE Connect, Android mirroring, and a phone webcam
• Screenshots, screen recording, OCR, QR scanning, and a screen saver
• AI usage for Codex, Claude, Antigravity, and other providers
• Curated plugin manager with optional modules, dependency details, update previews, and safe cleanup of external plugins
• Agent Center with a default-agent launcher, explicit approval profiles, project selection, Herdr sessions, and optional Ollama/OpenCode routing
• Umbriel-first key bindings, Niri fallback integration, terminal colors, and systemd autostart
• Optional herdr status inside the System & Plugins dashboard
• A release-based nbshell updater, kept separate from system and plugin updates

Requirements

You need:

• Arch Linux or an Arch-based distribution
• A working Arch Wayland session or TTY from which Umbriel can be installed
• Git and an internet connection
• A normal user account with sudo access for package installation

The setup script installs Quickshell, the Nerd Font, and the other packages used by the included modules. Optional hardware features only work when their matching services or devices are available.

Simple installation on Arch Linux

Open a terminal as your normal user. Starting from an existing Wayland session is convenient but not required. Do not run the script as root.

git clone https://github.com/nerdislb/nbshell.git
cd nbshell
./setup.sh

The script installs Umbriel and its screenshot/screencast portal from their official source repositories, deploys nbshell, and keeps Niri installed as a recovery session. It shows packages before calling sudo. Optional tools remain discoverable but disabled. Use ./setup.sh --full when you want the complete capture, calendar, sync, power, and hardware tool set in one pass.

Use ./setup.sh --niri-only when you deliberately want the lighter Niri-only fallback installation. ./setup-umbriel.sh remains available for adding the recommended compositor to an existing files-only or Niri installation.

When setup has finished, log out and choose Umbriel in the greeter. The Niri entry remains available for recovery. Refresh both shell autostart and the fallback integration with:

nbshell switch on

Then log out and back in. You can also start it immediately without logging out:

nbshell start -d

Check the installation with:

nbshell switch status

Install files only

If you manage packages yourself, use:

./install.sh
nbshell start

install.sh stages and validates the shell before an atomic runtime switch. A single-writer lock prevents concurrent updates; restart recovery and rollback keep an existing desktop usable if installation is interrupted or the new shell does not stay active. It reports missing programs but does not install packages.

The installer keeps an existing Niri configuration. If none exists, it creates a small valid ~/.config/niri/config.kdl. Existing personal nbshell settings are not overwritten during later installations.

First commands

nbshell menu             # Open the main menu
nbshell settings         # Change appearance and behavior
nbshell modules          # Arrange bar modules
nbshell plugin-manager   # Manage installed and optional plugins
nbshell plugin-store     # Browse the curated plugin catalog
nbshell keys             # Show key bindings
nbshell dashboard        # Open the dashboard
nbshell display          # Configure connected displays
nbshell ui-gallery       # Preview shared interface components
nbshell pip status       # Check Zen Picture-in-Picture
nbshell --help           # Show every command

Zen Browser opens its native Picture-in-Picture window with Ctrl+Shift+]. nbshell makes that window floating and remembers its size and corner. Use the PIP module or Mod+Alt+P to change its size. Use Mod+Alt+Shift+P to move it to another corner.

Wallpapers

Fresh installs include an original nbshell starter collection and enable the Tokyo Night default wallpaper. The picker searches every theme collection, so choosing a Gruvbox, Nord, or custom image never changes the active color theme:

nbshell wallpaper pick

Collections live below ~/.local/share/nbshell/wallpapers/<theme>/; synced personal collections may use ~/Sync/nbshell/wallpapers/<theme>/. An existing Omarchy installation is not copied automatically. To reuse its images without redistributing them, copy the desired files from /usr/share/omarchy/themes/ or ~/.config/omarchy/themes/ into an nbshell collection directory. The picker discovers them the next time it opens.

Use the visible CURRENT THEME / ALL switch, or press Tab, to alternate between the active theme's collection and the complete library. The picker remembers the selected scope.

Displays

Open Displays from the main menu, the Control Center, or run nbshell display. The panel uses modes reported by the active compositor and can change each output's resolution, scale, orientation, enabled state, and position relative to another display. Changes apply live through Niri or wlr-randr and are saved in compositor-specific generated includes; nbshell never rewrites the rest of your compositor configuration. It refuses to turn off the only active output.

The same backend is available without the shell UI:

nbshell display status
nbshell display set DP-1 scale 1.5
nbshell display set DP-1 transform 90
nbshell display place DP-1 right eDP-1

Grid-scroll layout

Press Mod+Backspace to toggle a workspace-local grid on top of Niri's scrolling layout. One or two tiled windows keep the normal Niri layout. The third window creates a vertically split column beside one full-height column; the fourth completes a 2x2 grid. The same progression repeats to the right in groups of four. Floating windows and other workspaces are left alone.

Press Mod+Backspace again to return every tiled window on that workspace to its own 50% column. The mode is intentionally session-local and does not alter application data or Niri itself.

nbshell grid status
nbshell grid on
nbshell grid off
nbshell grid backend status

The controller follows Niri's event stream and only reacts to window or workspace changes. It waits for every compositor-confirmed layout transition, so opening and closing windows remains deterministic on slower systems too. Niri currently exposes these layout operations as individual IPC actions; a future atomic batch API would let nbshell remove the last intermediate frame from uncommon full regrouping operations.

An opt-in atomic backend and its compositor prototype are documented in Grid-scroll development. Stock Niri and the stable backend remain the default and recovery path.

AI agents and local models

Press Mod+Shift+A to open the default agent immediately in a focused floating terminal. It starts in ~/projects/nbshell when that checkout exists, so the installed nbshell skill can guide customization. The full Agent Center remains available through AI & Agents, a right-click on AI usage, Mod+Ctrl+Shift+A, or the CLI:

nbshell agent center
nbshell agent doctor
nbshell agent list
nbshell agent default codex
nbshell agent quick
nbshell agent launch --project ~/projects/my-project
nbshell agent install copilot
nbshell commands --json

Clicking the AI bar module opens a provider-focused dashboard for Codex, Claude, and configured Antigravity usage. It combines subscription windows and reset times with local seven-day and per-model token summaries. The local scanner reads token metadata from installed CLI session logs but never renders or exports prompt content. Switch providers with the tabs, arrow keys, mouse wheel, or middle click; right click launches the configured default agent.

The Agent Center discovers supported tools instead of requiring all of them. It currently recognizes Codex, Claude Code, Antigravity, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, and Pi. safe, balanced, and autonomous approval profiles map to each tool's native controls. The explicitly selected autonomous profile uses Codex's full approval-and-sandbox bypass; fresh installations therefore continue to start in the safer balanced profile.

Model profiles route a default launch without changing individual agent commands. local and private route through OpenCode, while fast and strong default to Codex and Claude. Advanced users can set a concrete OpenCode model in ~/.config/nbshell/agents.json, for example:

{
  "modelProfiles": {
    "local": { "agent": "opencode", "model": "ollama/qwen3.5:4b" }
  }
}

Ollama is optional and can be controlled after installation with nbshell agent ollama start|stop. nbshell does not store provider credentials or conversation history. The installer links the bundled nbshell system skill into the common Codex, Claude, and cross-agent skill directories.

To expose an Ollama model to OpenCode, add a local provider to ~/.config/opencode/opencode.jsonc:

{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "provider": {
    "ollama": {
      "npm": "@ai-sdk/openai-compatible",
      "name": "Ollama (local)",
      "options": { "baseURL": "http://127.0.0.1:11434/v1" },
      "models": {
        "qwen3.5:4b": { "name": "Qwen 3.5 4B (local)" }
      }
    }
  }
}

Then run ollama pull qwen3.5:4b and verify the route with opencode models ollama. Local models still need enough context for reliable tool use; 16K to 32K is a practical starting range.

The DEV, REVIEW, and PAIR buttons in Agent Center create a new Herdr tab for the selected project. From an existing Herdr pane, the same layouts are available as nbshell agent workspace dev|review|pair. DEV creates an editor, agent, and terminal layout. REVIEW adds a read-only review-agent pane. PAIR adds a deliberately started second agent: the configured default remains the lead and OpenCode uses the local route when available. The AI bar module shows compact RUN and WAIT counts. Finished background agents and sessions waiting for input create an actionable notification; its Open session action focuses the matching Herdr pane. Codex uses its native lifecycle hook for immediate completion and permission notifications, while other Herdr-supported agents use the shared session watcher.

Missing agents show INSTALL… in the Agent Center. Selecting it opens a terminal that displays the exact package command and asks for confirmation; merely opening the panel never downloads or executes anything.

nbshell commands --json exposes the documented CLI as a versioned JSON catalog so agents and scripts can discover supported commands without parsing the shell source.

Optional features

Gaming setup

Open Gaming from the main menu (Mod+Space) to install or remove Steam, RetroArch, Prism Launcher for Minecraft, NVIDIA GeForce NOW, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox controller support, Battle.net support through Lutris, Lutris, Heroic, and Moonlight. A RetroArch game can also be added to the application launcher.

Minecraft installation also creates a regular Minecraft app entry. It launches the instance last selected in Prism directly. On a fresh setup Prism opens once so you can sign in and create or import an instance; subsequent launches go straight into the game.

Every setup action opens a terminal, shows what it will change, and asks for confirmation. Package installs use the Arch repositories first and paru or yay only when an AUR package is required. Personal game data is kept during normal removal unless the terminal asks about a specific directory.

nbshell gaming status
nbshell gaming install steam
nbshell gaming remove steam

• Calendar data requires khal. Online calendar synchronization can be added with vdirsyncer.
• Task, quick-note, and wallpaper files can be synchronized with Syncthing. Mod+Shift+N opens the floating notes editor; Alt+S saves and closes it. Point notesFile at a synchronized directory with nbshell set notesFile '~/Sync/nbshell/notes.json'. nbOS reads the same notes.json from its existing shared data folder and merges entries by ID and update time, including deletion tombstones for offline-safe sync.
• Phone features require KDE Connect. Android mirroring and the optional phone webcam require ADB, scrcpy, and the separate nbphone tool. Webcam setup additionally installs v4l2loopback-dkms, matching kernel headers, and exposes the phone as /dev/video10 for OBS and conferencing apps. The Phone panel can open a low-latency floating preview through mpv while capture is active.
• Live streaming opens OBS Studio from the Capture menu and therefore requires the optional obs-studio package. Stream credentials stay in OBS, not nbshell.
• The herdr panel requires a separately configured read-only bridge. The shell works normally without it.
• AUR update counts require paru or yay.
• Umbriel and xdg-desktop-portal-umbriel are tracked separately from AUR packages. The Desktop updates panel compares clean local checkouts with the official noctalia-dev Git repositories, then builds, tests, and installs both below ~/.local. A compositor update takes effect after the next login.
• After a successful dashboard update, nbshell recommends a restart only when core components such as the kernel, systemd, glibc, firmware, or graphics drivers changed. The dashboard keeps the English Restart recommended notice until the machine actually boots again.
• Local dictation is optional. Install voxtype-bin from the AUR, download a model with voxtype setup --download --model small, and enable its user service. F9, nbshell dictate, and Capture → Toggle dictation then start or stop recording. While recording or transcribing, the AI bar module shows the live state and also acts as a stop button. nbshell uses compositor control, so Voxtype's evdev hotkey can remain disabled.
• Omamail is bundled but disabled by default. Enable it with nbshell plugin enable omamail, restart nbshell, and open it with Mod+Ctrl+Shift+G. Gmail uses the official Gmail API and its setup page guides you through creating your own Google OAuth client. IMAP/SMTP accounts work with Fastmail, iCloud, Outlook, Yahoo, Zoho, GMX, Proton Bridge, and custom servers. Refresh tokens and mail passwords stay in the desktop keyring. Runtime tools are curl, socat, openssl, xdg-open, and secret-tool from libsecret.
• The native YouTube Music player is also bundled and disabled by default. Install mpv and yt-dlp, enable it with nbshell plugin enable ytmusic, restart nbshell, then press Mod+Ctrl+Shift+M. First launch creates an unprivileged Python venv and a systemd user service that is not enabled at login. Zen, Chromium, Chrome, and Brave sessions can be imported directly; the built-in request-header paste flow remains a fallback. Authentication files are stored with mode 0600.

Updating

cd nbshell
git pull --ff-only
./setup.sh --no-packages
nbshell restart

Removing the integration

nbshell switch off

This disables nbshell autostart and removes its niri integration. It does not delete your personal configuration or themes.

Getting help

Run nbshell --help for command help. Bug reports and pull requests are welcome. Please read CONTRIBUTING.md before contributing. Report security problems privately as described in SECURITY.md.

Credits and license

nbshell takes visual and workflow inspiration from Omarchy, but it is an independent implementation for niri and Quickshell. Theme sources are listed in themes/ATTRIBUTION.md. Reused or adapted components are documented in THIRD_PARTY.md, with retained license texts under LICENSES/.

The remaining project is licensed under the MIT License.