Recovered 70 prior commits from Gitea mirror and resolved divergent history using --allow-unrelated-histories. Integrated 16 recent local commits via patch. Applied targeted technical fixes: added explicit bash shell declaration in shellcheck YAML configuration (commit 693caff) and targeted SC2120 disables in modules/utils.sh (commit 3614b56). All verifications passed: shellcheck compliance, bash syntax check (bash -n), and BATS test suite passing cleanly. Symmetrically synchronized repository state across GitHub and Gitea.

docs/firmware.md

@@ -1,22 +1,22 @@
 # Option 5: Firmware, Wireless & Bluetooth
 
-## 1. The Hidden Debian "Problem"
+## 1. What the Debian Package Misses
 
-In standard Debian packaging, the meta-package `firmware-linux-nonfree` serves as a generic aggregator for hardware blobs. However, due to internal dependency resolution rules and conservative versioning strategies within the repository, this package often fails to automatically include vendor-specific firmware drivers for newer or niche network controllers (specifically Realtek Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and Intel Ethernet/Wi-Fi variants).
+In standard Debian packaging, the meta-package `firmware-linux-nonfree` collects hardware blobs from many sources. Its dependency rules and conservative versioning mean it often misses vendor-specific firmware for newer or niche network controllers (Realtek Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and Intel Ethernet/Wi-Fi variants in particular).
 
-This script acts as an intelligent injector to bridge that gap. It does not rely solely on the meta-package's `Recommends` field; instead, it actively scans the hardware topology to identify missing dependencies. By decoupling the detection from the installation logic, the architecture ensures that even if the base package is installed, specific vendor blobs (e.g., `firmware-iwlwifi`, `firmware-realtek`) are explicitly pulled in only when their corresponding hardware IDs are confirmed present on the system. This prevents "half-baked" network connectivity where the interface exists but lacks the necessary firmware to initialize.
+This script fills that gap. It scans the hardware itself instead of trusting the meta-package's `Recommends` field: detection is separate from installation, so a specific blob (e.g., `firmware-iwlwifi`, `firmware-realtek`) is pulled in only when its hardware ID is present, even if the base package is already installed. The result is no network interface that appears but cannot initialize because its firmware is missing.
 
 ## 2. Dual Scan Engine (PCI & USB)
 
-To ensure comprehensive hardware detection while minimizing false positives, the script utilizes a dual-scan engine that interrogates both PCI and USB buses with strict filtering logic:
+The script scans both the PCI and USB buses with strict filters, which catches more hardware while keeping false positives low:
 
-* **PCI Bus Scanning (`lspci`):** The engine parses `lspci -nn` output specifically targeting lines containing "network controller" or "ethernet controller". This captures both wireless adapters (e.g., Intel AX200) and wired NICs (e.g., Realtek RTL8125 2.5GbE), ensuring that Ethernet firmware requirements are also met during the process.
+* **PCI Bus Scanning (`lspci`):** The engine parses `lspci -nn` output specifically targeting lines containing "network controller" or "ethernet controller". This captures both wireless adapters (e.g., Intel AX200) and wired NICs (e.g., Realtek RTL8125 2.5GbE), so Ethernet firmware needs are covered too.
 * **USB Bus Scanning (`lsusb`):** The USB scan applies keyword filtering to ignore peripherals unrelated to networking, such as audio devices or card readers. It specifically looks for terms like "wireless", "wifi", "802.11", and "wlan". Bluetooth devices are also detected separately through `PCI_BT_DEVS` and `USB_BT_DEVS`.
-* **Deduplication:** The collected device lists are merged into a single array (`dev_list`) to prevent duplicate processing of the same hardware instance across different bus categories, ensuring a clean plan generation.
+* **Deduplication:** The collected device lists are merged into a single array (`dev_list`) so the same hardware is not processed twice across bus categories and the plan stays clean.
 
 ## 3. Dynamic Hardware Mapping Matrix
 
-The script employs an associative mapping strategy in `_detect_firmware_needs` to translate raw vendor strings from `lspci`/`lsusb` into specific Debian package names. This matrix is critical for handling the "Intel Split" and other vendor-specific requirements:
+The script employs an associative mapping strategy in `_detect_firmware_needs` to translate raw vendor strings from `lspci`/`lsusb` into specific Debian package names. This mapping handles the "Intel Split" and other vendor-specific requirements:
 
 * **Vendor Filtering:** The engine first filters out generic or unsupported vendors (e.g., non-Realtek, non-Intel, non-Atheros) to avoid unnecessary package pulls.
 * **Package Assignment Logic:**
@@ -26,26 +26,26 @@ The script employs an associative mapping strategy in `_detect_firmware_needs` t
   * **MediaTek / Ralink Hardware** ➔ `firmware-mediatek`.
   * **Atheros / Qualcomm Hardware** ➔ `firmware-atheros`.
 
-This mapping ensures that if a system contains an Intel Wi-Fi 6 card, the script explicitly queues `firmware-iwlwifi` regardless of whether the base meta-package claims to cover it. The output is rendered as a deduplicated plan with visual indicators (e.g., `[+] package ← hardware`) for user clarity.
+So a system with an Intel Wi-Fi 6 card gets `firmware-iwlwifi` queued explicitly, whether or not the base meta-package claims to cover it. The output is rendered as a deduplicated plan with visual indicators (e.g., `[+] package ← hardware`) for user clarity.
 
 ## 4. Installation Execution Flow (Atomic Pipeline)
 
-The installation process follows a strict atomic pipeline defined in `install_firmware`, ensuring system stability and version consistency:
+The installation runs through the atomic pipeline in `install_firmware`:
 
 1. **Repository Validation:** The script first verifies that `/etc/apt/sources.list` or `.d/` contains the `non-free` component. If absent, it halts to prevent installation failures.
 2. **Plan Rendering & Confirmation:** A diagnostic tree is generated showing detected controllers and planned packages. The user must explicitly confirm ("Apply the network & firmware plan?") before proceeding.
 3. **Base Meta-Package Selection (Backports vs. Stable):**
     * If `firmware-linux-nonfree` is already installed, the script checks for a newer version in backports (`${DEBIAN_CODENAME}-backports`). It prompts to upgrade if available, as backports often contain firmware for very recent hardware not yet in stable.
-    * If not installed, it presents a choice between Stable (Ultra-tested) and Backports (Recommended for modern hardware).
+    * If not installed, it presents a choice between Stable (thoroughly tested) and Backports (Recommended for modern hardware).
 4. **Sequential Injection:** After the base package is secured, the script iterates through `_DETECTED_FW_PKGS`. It uses `apt-cache policy` to validate availability before installing specific vendor packages (`firmware-realtek`, etc.), skipping those already present or unavailable in repositories.
 
 ## 5. Broadcom Wireless Support (DKMS Single-Path)
 
-Broadcom chipsets require proprietary handling because no open-source driver covers most `14e4:*` devices on modern kernels. The current implementation in `firmware.sh:_handle_wireless` uses a **single-path DKMS flow** (`broadcom-sta-dkms` + `wl` module) — not a 3-tier fallback:
+Broadcom chipsets require proprietary handling because no open-source driver covers most `14e4:*` devices on modern kernels. The current implementation in `firmware.sh:_handle_wireless` uses a **single-path DKMS flow** (`broadcom-sta-dkms` + `wl` module) instead of a 3-tier fallback:
 
-1. **Device detection** — Iterates `PCI_NET_DEVS` (parsed from `lspci -nn` by the on-demand detection battery) and extracts the Broadcom ID `14e4:XXXX`. Non-Broadcom devices are skipped.
-2. **Dependency guard** — Verifies `linux-headers-amd64` and `dkms` are available via `apt-cache show`. If missing, shows: `"linux-headers-amd64 or dkms are not available in your repositories."`
-3. **User confirmation** — `whiptail --yesno "Install broadcom-sta-dkms, dkms, and wireless-tools?"`
+1. **Device detection**: Iterates `PCI_NET_DEVS` (parsed from `lspci -nn` by the on-demand detection battery) and extracts the Broadcom ID `14e4:XXXX`. Non-Broadcom devices are skipped.
+2. **Dependency guard**: Verifies `linux-headers-amd64` and `dkms` are available via `apt-cache show`. If missing, shows: `"linux-headers-amd64 or dkms are not available in your repositories."`
+3. **User confirmation**: `whiptail --yesno "Install broadcom-sta-dkms, dkms, and wireless-tools?"`
 4. **Step-by-step install** (allows partial failure without aborting the whole module):
 
    ```bash
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ Broadcom chipsets require proprietary handling because no open-source driver cov
    _run_cmd "Broadcom Driver" "sudo DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt install -y broadcom-sta-dkms" || true
    ```
 
-5. **Blacklist persistence** — Writes `/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-broadcom.conf`:
+5. **Blacklist persistence**: Writes `/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-broadcom.conf`:
 
    ```
    blacklist b43
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ Broadcom chipsets require proprietary handling because no open-source driver cov
    blacklist ssb
    ```
 
-6. **SSH Warning + Module Switch** — Before unloading current WiFi modules, the script warns about SSH disconnection. Then removes conflicting modules and loads the Broadcom driver:
+6. **SSH Warning + Module Switch**: Before unloading current WiFi modules, the script warns about SSH disconnection. Then removes conflicting modules and loads the Broadcom driver:
 
    ```bash
    _msg "Network Warning" "The script is about to unload current WiFi kernel modules to load the Broadcom driver.
@@ -74,30 +74,30 @@ If you are connected via SSH over WiFi, YOUR CONNECTION WILL DROP. Please reconn
 
    ```
 
-7. **Initramfs** — Rebuilds the initramfs to include the new `wl` module:
+7. **Initramfs**: Rebuilds the initramfs to include the new `wl` module:
 
    ```bash
    _run_cmd "Initramfs" "sudo update-initramfs -u" || true
    ```
 
-1. **Combo BT handling** — If a Broadcom Bluetooth device is also present (`PCI_BT_DEVS` grep `broadcom`), writes `softdep wl post: btusb` to `/etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-combo.conf`
+1. **Combo BT handling**: If a Broadcom Bluetooth device is also present (`PCI_BT_DEVS` grep `broadcom`), writes `softdep wl post: btusb` to `/etc/modprobe.d/broadcom-combo.conf`
 
-2. **Post-DKMS verification** — Checks for `/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/updates/dkms/wl.ko*`. If missing, shows the last 20 lines of `dmesg` and offers `dpkg-reconfigure broadcom-sta-dkms`. On success, verifies `lsmod | grep ^wl` and reports `Broadcom WiFi activated (wl module loaded)` or `driver installed but wl module did not load — reboot required`.
+2. **Post-DKMS verification**: Checks for `/lib/modules/$(uname -r)/updates/dkms/wl.ko*`. If missing, shows the last 20 lines of `dmesg` and offers `dpkg-reconfigure broadcom-sta-dkms`. On success, verifies `lsmod | grep ^wl` and reports `Broadcom WiFi activated (wl module loaded)` or `driver installed but wl module did not load — reboot required`.
 
-USB Broadcom (`0a5c` vendor, `lsusb`) is detected but **not auto-installed** — the script shows a message that Linux lacks native drivers for most USB Broadcom WiFi chips and that `ndiswrapper` may be needed.
+USB Broadcom (`0a5c` vendor, `lsusb`) is detected but **not auto-installed**: the script shows a message that Linux lacks native drivers for most USB Broadcom WiFi chips and that `ndiswrapper` may be needed.
 
 > **Historical note:** Earlier drafts of this document described a 3-tier system (`firmware-brcm80211` → `firmware-b43-installer` → `broadcom-sta-dkms`). The current script has consolidated to the DKMS path only. The other firmware packages are still available via the base `firmware-linux-nonfree` metapackage and vendor-specific packages (`firmware-realtek`, etc.).
 
 ## 6. Bluetooth Stack Integration
 
-Bluetooth support is handled through a dedicated module (`bluetooth.sh`) that integrates seamlessly with the firmware detection process:
+Bluetooth support is handled through a dedicated module (`bluetooth.sh`) that reuses the firmware module's device detection:
 
-* **Hardware Detection:** The script identifies both PCI and USB Bluetooth controllers using `PCI_BT_DEVS` and `USB_BT_DEVS` arrays, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all Bluetooth hardware types.
+* **Hardware Detection:** The script identifies both PCI and USB Bluetooth controllers via the `PCI_BT_DEVS` and `USB_BT_DEVS` arrays, covering all Bluetooth hardware types.
 * **Base Stack Installation:** When Bluetooth hardware is detected, the system installs the core stack (`bluez`, `bluez-utils`, `bluez-obexd`) if not already present.
 * **Desktop Environment Optimization:** Based on the detected desktop environment:
   * **KDE:** Installs `bluedevil` and optionally `pipewire-pulse` + `wireplumber` for Pipewire audio server integration.
   * **GNOME:** Uses built-in GNOME Bluetooth support in `gnome-control-center`.
   * **XFCE/Other:** Installs `blueman` as the GTK Bluetooth manager.
-* **Service Management:** The script ensures the Bluetooth service is enabled and started automatically on boot, with session restart or reboot recommendation for desktop applets to load properly.
+* **Service Management:** The script enables and starts the Bluetooth service on boot, and recommends a session restart or reboot so desktop applets load properly.
 
-This modular approach keeps Bluetooth handling separate from network firmware while maintaining tight integration through shared device detection arrays and coordinated installation flow.
+Bluetooth handling stays separate from network firmware; both share the same device detection arrays.