kldload 1.0.2
7 Linux distros. One USB. ZFS on root. Now with a local AI assistant. Free.
kldload 1.0.2 adds a local AI assistant (Ollama + Open WebUI), a management dashboard, NVIDIA auto-detection, Firefox autostart with bookmarks, and a KVM Host profile with zvol-backed VMs. GDM first-boot hang fixed. Screen blanking disabled. All 7 distros carry over from 1.0.1.
What's new in 1.0.2
Local AI assistant
Ollama + llama3.1:8b + Open WebUI, installed and configured automatically.
The AI is trained on 1,000+ pages of kldload documentation. Four commands:
kai (ask questions), kai-voice (voice control),
kai-do (execute tasks), kai-remote (manage remote hosts).
NVIDIA auto-detected — GPU drivers only installed when hardware is present.
Management dashboard
Web UI on port 9000 with real-time status cards for ZFS pools, snapshots, services, and AI readiness. Polls every 5 seconds. Firefox opens automatically on desktop installs with bookmarks for Dashboard, AI Chat, and Docs.
KVM Host profile
zvol-backed virtual machines with bridge networking. Three new tools:
kvm-create (create VMs on ZFS zvols),
kvm-snap (snapshot VMs via ZFS),
kvm-clone (instant clone via ZFS clone). Full libvirt stack included.
Firefox autostart
On desktop installs, Firefox launches automatically after login with a TCP wait loop that ensures the web UI is ready. Bookmarks toolbar pre-configured with Dashboard (:9000), AI Chat (:8080), and Docs (kldload.com). Correct policy path for each distro.
GDM first-boot fix
Added 3-second delay for display driver initialization. Fixes the GDM hang on first boot that affected desktop installs in 1.0.1. Screen blanking disabled so the dashboard stays visible.
Live ISO tools
The live environment now includes fio, smartctl,
nvme-cli, nmap, iperf3,
stress-ng, and memtest86+ for hardware validation
before install. NVMe auto-selected in disk picker, USB drives flagged.
Boot reliability
Thunderbolt, USB-C, and USB hub boot drivers added. Mount stacking fix prevents /dev corruption on physical hardware. EFI boot order corrected (ZFSBootMenu first, stale entries cleaned). Darksite repos use cost=1 supplement mode instead of exclusive.
Core profile fix
Fixed unbound variable crash when installing with the core profile.
_user_home is now properly guarded.
Tested platforms
| OS | Profile | Platform | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CentOS Stream 9 | Desktop, Server, Core | KVM (libvirt) | Tested — all profiles pass |
| CentOS Stream 9 | Desktop | Bare metal (Ryzen 9 5900X, RTX 3080) | Tested — NVIDIA auto-detected, AI assistant working |
| CentOS Stream 9 | Server | Proxmox (QEMU/KVM) | Tested — q35, OVMF, TPM 2.0 |
| Debian 13 (Trixie) | Desktop, Server, Core | KVM (libvirt) | Tested — debootstrap from darksite |
| Ubuntu 24.04 | Desktop, Server | KVM (libvirt) | Tested — offline darksite, GNOME |
| Fedora 41 | Server | KVM (libvirt) | Tested — DNF install, ZFS DKMS |
| Rocky Linux 9 | Server, Core | KVM (libvirt) | Tested — shares CentOS RPM darksite |
| RHEL 9 | Desktop, Core | KVM (libvirt) | Tested — Red Hat CDN |
| Arch Linux | Server, Core | KVM (libvirt) | Tested — online install, ZFS on root |
Hardware tested
| Platform | Configuration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| KVM (libvirt) | 16GB RAM, 4 vCPU, 80GB virtio, UEFI (OVMF), no Secure Boot | Primary test platform. All distros verified. |
| Bare metal | Ryzen 9 5900X, RTX 3080, 64GB RAM, 1.8TB NVMe, ASUS TUF X570 | CentOS Desktop. NVIDIA auto-detected. AI assistant + dashboard working. |
| Proxmox VE | q35, cpu host, OVMF, TPM 2.0, virtio-scsi, 16GB RAM | CentOS Server verified. Serial console + VNC. |
| Bare metal USB | Various x86_64 hardware | Thunderbolt/USB-C/USB hub boot verified. |
Known issues
| Issue | Severity | Workaround |
|---|---|---|
| Firefox opens before Open WebUI is ready | Low | AI Chat tab loads before Ollama finishes pulling the model. Refresh the tab once the model is ready. |
| Dell XPS 13 (2021) firmware intercepts USB boot | Medium | Dell embedded GRUB intercepts the USB boot. Disable Secure Boot in BIOS and boot from USB manually. |
| Terminal show effects don't work on Wayland | Low | gnome-terminal Wayland support for automated window placement is incomplete. No functional impact. |
| AI model pull needs internet | Medium | Ollama pulls llama3.1:8b on firstboot. Requires internet + 16GB RAM. If pull fails: ollama pull llama3.1:8b |
| Image export fails during install | High | qemu-img cannot read the block device while ZFS pools are mounted. Run kexport /dev/vda qcow2 after rebooting into the installed system. |
| Secure Boot MOK enrollment | Low | MOK keys are generated and modules are signed. Automatic MOK enrollment on first boot is not yet fully automated on all hardware. |
| Web UI install log may go blank | Low | The websocket connection can drop during long installs. The install continues in the background. Refresh the page to reconnect. |
Component versions
| Component | CentOS (RPM darksite) | Debian (APT darksite) | Ubuntu (APT darksite) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kernel | 5.14.0-687.el9 | 6.12.74 | 6.8.x (noble) |
| ZFS | 2.2.9 | 2.3.2 | 2.2.x (noble) |
| ZFSBootMenu | Latest EFI binary (embedded or downloaded) | ||
| Ollama | Latest (downloaded on firstboot) | ||
| Open WebUI | Latest (pip installed on firstboot) | ||
| whisper.cpp | Latest (built from source on firstboot) | ||
| WireGuard | DKMS (kernel module) | DKMS (kernel module) | In-tree (kernel built-in) |
Roadmap — 1.1
- ARM64 build pipeline (Debian first, Raspberry Pi 5)
- Modular checkboxes (sanoid, k-tools, webui as separate options)
- Workstation profile (desktop environment for distros that ship DEs)
- Auto-refresh Open WebUI tab (splash page that polls until ready)
- Terminal show during firstboot (Wayland gnome-terminal)
- Alpine Linux end-to-end testing
- Dell XPS embedded GRUB boot fix
- Image export during install
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