A keyboard-first desktop shell for Umbriel — with a bar that can become an island, coherent themes, and an optional live Work Desk.
Getting started · Features · Releases · Manual · Feedback
Current main UI in an isolated Umbriel session. Session names, projects, activity,
quotas and machine readings above are synthetic demonstration data, not real
accounts or performance measurements. The wallpaper is bundled with nbshell.
nbshell is an independent Quickshell desktop shell for Umbriel, aimed at Arch Linux users who like a compact, terminal-inspired interface. It brings everyday desktop controls, themes, window workflows and optional integrations together without replacing normal Linux tools.
nbshell is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an official part of Omarchy, Umbriel, or Quickshell. It takes visual and workflow inspiration from Omarchy; the optional Work Desk also takes layout inspiration from Infomarchy.
Current prerelease: 0.1.0-beta.13. This is active beta software, not a stable desktop release. Commands and configuration may change.
| Published beta 12 | Newer on main |
|---|---|
| OpenClaw setup, Theme Maker, Calendar app, Fork Updates, gaming setup improvements | Work dashboard, optional desktop Work Desk, shared session/Git data, compact daily activity grid, background Minecraft setup |
The screenshots show current main. To try the Work Desk now, use the source
checkout below; it is not included in the beta 12 release archive. See
CHANGELOG.md for the release boundary.
The project is developed with AI assistance. Product direction, testing and acceptance remain human-led. Wider hardware testing and feedback are welcome.
- Your bar, your shape. Full-width bar, pill or collapsible island, with rearrangeable modules. The desktop cards are optional and independently switchable.
- One visual language. Dark/light themes, bundled original wallpapers, compatible Omarchy color files, Theme Maker and shared UI components.
- A live Work Desk. OpenClaw and Herdr sessions, progress, read-only Git summaries, provider quotas, daily local CLI activity and machine status — above the wallpaper, below normal windows.
- Native Umbriel workflow. Scrolling, dwindle and master layouts, overview, workspace navigation and persistent display configuration.
- Everyday desktop tools. Launcher, dashboard, clipboard, tray, notifications, audio, network, Bluetooth, capture, calendar, notes and tasks.
- Optional extras, not requirements. Mail, music, phone integration, gaming helpers and coding-agent workflows are discoverable without requiring every service to be installed or an AI account to use the desktop.
| Work Desk · light theme | Searchable menu | Theme Library |
|---|---|---|
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Real rendered UI, not design mockups. See media provenance for the capture method and wallpaper attribution.
Baseline: current Arch Linux or an Arch-based system, a normal user with
sudo, Git, internet access and working Wayland graphics. Umbriel is the
supported compositor; nbshell is neither a distribution nor a compositor.
Use a test machine or keep TTY recovery and backups available while evaluating the beta. Third-party QML plugins run with your user permissions. See compatibility and known limitations.
git clone https://github.com/nerdislb/nbshell.git
cd nbshell
./setup.sh
nbshell switch onRun as your normal user, not root. Setup shows packages before invoking
sudo, installs the reviewed Umbriel/portal baseline, and deploys the shell.
Log out and select Umbriel. Existing personal nbshell configuration is
preserved on updates. ./setup.sh --full adds the optional tool set.
If you manage dependencies yourself, use ./install.sh to deploy files only.
Detailed setup, recovery and update instructions are in
Getting started.
Use a published release or the bootstrap described in the installation guide. Beta 12 includes the checksum and Sigstore bundle required by the bootstrap. The bootstrap verifies the release archive; it does not install the latest development checkout.
nbshell menu # Search the desktop's actions
nbshell modules # Arrange the bar
nbshell store # Themes, wallpapers and plugins
nbshell theme-maker # Create a theme with a live preview
nbshell dashboard # Overview, Calendar, Tools and Work
nbshell work on # Optional desktop cards (current main)
nbshell work off # Hide them and release their polling demand
nbshell work project /path/to/project
nbshell keys # Discover keyboard shortcuts
nbshell doctor # Read-only diagnostic reportMod+Alt+I toggles the Work Desk. Module switches and visibility persist across restarts. Missing OpenClaw/Herdr services are reported, not started implicitly; missing project directories are not guessed. Git probes never fetch, stage, commit or push. The compact activity view is daily local CLI usage, not an hourly heatmap or an OpenClaw conversation history.
Work Desk details · AI/agent modes
| Topic | Guide |
|---|---|
| Installation, updates and recovery | Getting started, Troubleshooting |
| Desktop and compositor features | Features, Umbriel |
| Themes and search | Library and launcher, Browser themes |
| Optional applications | Integrations, Phone webcam |
| Plugins | Store, Development |
| Safety and data | Privacy, Security, Compatibility |
| Contributing and testing | Contributing, Join the beta, Support |
I would especially like feedback on the desktop workflow, readable layouts at smaller sizes, multi-monitor behavior and clean-install experiences. For bugs, include the revision, Umbriel/Quickshell versions and a short reproduction. Review logs and screenshots before sharing them. Please report vulnerabilities privately through SECURITY.md.
MIT-licensed. See LICENSE, third-party notices and theme attribution. Bundled original wallpapers include owner-contributed AI-generated artwork with documented provenance.
If you enjoy the project, you can support its development:
