System files

System file structure, configuration files, custom scripts, and services in Zirconium

Zirconium includes a comprehensive set of system files that configure the desktop environment, enable custom scripts, and manage systemd services.

All system files are located in system_files/ in the source tree and are copied to the root filesystem during the build process via 00-base-post.sh.

Directory structure

System files are organized following the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS):

system_files/
├── etc/                    # System configuration
│   ├── containers/         # Container registry configuration
│   ├── greetd/             # Display manager configuration
│   ├── profile.d/          # Shell profile scripts
│   └── xdg/                # XDG configuration
├── usr/
│   ├── bin/                # Custom executables
│   ├── lib/
│   │   ├── pam.d/          # PAM configuration
│   │   ├── systemd/        # Systemd units and presets
│   │   ├── sysusers.d/     # System user definitions
│   │   └── tmpfiles.d/     # Temporary file management
│   └── share/
│       ├── flatpak/        # Flatpak configuration
│       ├── greetd/         # Greeter environment
│       ├── pki/            # Public key infrastructure
│       └── zirconium/      # Zirconium assets and tools

Configuration files

/etc/greetd/config.toml

Greetd display manager configuration:

[general]
service = "greetd-spawn"

[terminal]
vt = 1

[default_session]
command = "dms-greeter --command niri"
user = "greeter"

Launches DankMaterialShell greeter on VT1, which starts Niri after login.

/etc/containers/policy.json

Container image signature verification policy for secure container operations.

/etc/containers/registries.d/zirconium-dev.yaml

Container registry configuration for Zirconium development images with signature verification.

/etc/xdg/xdg-terminals.list

Defines the default terminal emulator for XDG terminal launching:

foot

/etc/profile.d/

Shell profile scripts executed for all users:

zmotd.sh

Displays the Zirconium message of the day on shell startup.

/usr/bin/zmotd

zirconium-font-settings.sh

Configures FreeType font rendering:

export FREETYPE_PROPERTIES="cff:no-stem-darkening=0 autofitter:no-stem-darkening=0"

Disables stem darkening for consistent font rendering.

zirconium-qt-override.sh

Sets Qt platform theme:

export QT_QPA_PLATFORMTHEME=qt6ct

Enables qt6ct for Qt application theming.

zfetch.sh

Automatically runs zfetch (system info display) on shell startup.

fcitx5.sh

Configures fcitx5 input method environment variables.

Custom scripts

Located in /usr/bin/, these scripts provide Zirconium-specific functionality.

zmotd

Displays the Zirconium welcome banner with helpful commands:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
if test ! -e "${XDG_CONFIG_HOME:-$HOME/.config}/zirconium/no-show-user-motd" ; then
  cat <<EOF
   Welcome to Zirconium!

   Command                          │ Description
 ─────────────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────────
   zjust toggle-user-motd           │ Toggle this banner on/off
   zjust zdots-update               │ Update your unmodified dotfiles
   zjust update-greeter             │ Update your greeter with modifications from your current user
   zjust reset-niri                 │ Reset niri to the default configuration
EOF
fi

Can be disabled by running zjust toggle-user-motd or creating:

~/.config/zirconium/no-show-user-motd

zjust

Wrapper for the Just command runner that uses Zirconium’s justfile:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
just -f /usr/share/zirconium/just/00-start.just "${@}"

Provides access to Zirconium-specific commands. See system_files/usr/share/zirconium/just/00-start.just:1 for available commands.

zfetch

Custom system information display using hyfetch:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
hyfetch --ascii-file=/usr/share/zirconium/zirconium.txt "${@}"

Displays system info with Zirconium ASCII art.

glorpfetch

Alternative fetch utility with custom ASCII art:

hyfetch --ascii-file=/usr/share/zirconium/glorp.txt

rechunker-group-fix

Fixes group database issues when rebasing from rechunked images. See system_files/usr/lib/systemd/system/rechunker-group-fix.service:1 for details.

Prevents black screen issues caused by corrupted /etc/group when migrating from images using nss-altfiles.

Systemd services

System services

Located in /usr/lib/systemd/system/:

flatpak-preinstall.service

Installs pre-configured Flatpak applications on first boot.

• Type: oneshot
• Runs after: network-online.target
• Creates: /var/lib/zirconium/preinstall-finished marker file
• Retry: 3 attempts with 30-second delay

flatpak-add-flathub-repos.service

Adds Flathub repositories to the system.

rechunker-group-fix.service

Fixes group database corruption from legacy rechunked images.

• Type: oneshot
• Runs before: systemd-user-sessions.service
• Actions:
  1. Recreates /etc/gshadow
  2. Runs systemd-sysusers
  3. Executes rechunker-group-fix
  4. Creates tmpfiles

User services

Located in /usr/lib/systemd/user/:

dms.service

DankMaterialShell compositor service.

chezmoi-init.service

Initializes chezmoi dotfile management on first login.

[Unit]
Description=Initializes Chezmoi if directory is missing
ConditionPathExists=!%h/.config/zirconium/chezmoi

[Service]
ExecStart=mkdir -p %h/.config/zirconium/chezmoi
ExecStart=touch %h/.config/zirconium/chezmoi/chezmoi.toml
ExecStart=chezmoi apply -S /usr/share/zirconium/zdots --config %h/.config/zirconium/chezmoi/chezmoi.toml
Type=oneshot

Applies zdots configuration from /usr/share/zirconium/zdots.

chezmoi-update.timer & chezmoi-update.service

Periodically updates dotfiles from zdots repository.

fcitx5.service

fcitx5 input method framework.

foot-server.service & foot-server.socket

Foot terminal server for fast terminal spawning.

gnome-keyring-daemon.service & gnome-keyring-daemon.socket

GNOME Keyring for credential storage.

gcr-ssh-agent.service & gcr-ssh-agent.socket

SSH agent using GNOME Crypto (gcr).

iio-niri.service

Automatic screen rotation based on accelerometer input.

udiskie.service

Automount daemon for removable media.

Systemd presets

System presets

/usr/lib/systemd/system-preset/01-zirconium.preset:

enable auditd.service
enable bootc-fetch-apply-updates.timer
enable brew-setup.service
enable firewalld.service
enable flatpak-preinstall.service
enable greetd.service
enable systemd-resolved.service
enable systemd-timesyncd.service
enable tailscaled.service
enable uupd.timer

/usr/lib/systemd/system-preset/91-resolved-default.preset enables DNS resolution.

User presets

/usr/lib/systemd/user-preset/01-zirconium.preset:

enable chezmoi-init.service
enable chezmoi-update.timer
enable dms.service
enable fcitx5.service
enable foot-server.service
enable foot-server.socket
enable gnome-keyring-daemon.service
enable gnome-keyring-daemon.socket
enable gcr-ssh-agent.service
enable gcr-ssh-agent.socket
enable iio-niri.service
enable udiskie.service

System user definitions

/usr/lib/sysusers.d/dms-greeter.conf

Creates the greeter system user for the DMS greeter service.

Tmpfiles configuration

/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/99-dms-greeter.conf

Configures temporary files and directories for the DMS greeter.

/usr/lib/tmpfiles.d/resolved-default.conf

Sets up systemd-resolved temporary files.

PAM configuration

/usr/lib/pam.d/greetd-spawn

PAM configuration for the greetd spawner. Modified in 01-theme-post.sh to fix GNOME Keyring authentication:

sed -i -e '/gnome_keyring.so/ s/-auth/auth/ ; /gnome_keyring.so/ s/-session/session/' /etc/pam.d/greetd

Quickshell PAM assets are also installed to /usr/lib/pam.d/ to fix long login times with fingerprint authentication.

Zirconium assets

/usr/share/zirconium/

zdots/

Default dotfiles cloned from https://github.com/zirconium-dev/zdots.git

Managed by chezmoi and applied to user home directories.

just/00-start.just

Zirconium justfile with user commands:

• zdots-update - Update dotfiles
• zdots-reset FILE - Reset specific file
• zdots-override-all - Reset all configuration
• toggle-user-motd - Enable/disable MOTD
• toggle-autorotation - Enable/disable screen rotation
• toggle-automatic-dotfiles - Enable/disable chezmoi auto-update
• toggle-fcitx5 - Enable/disable input method
• preinstalled-flatpaks - Reinstall Flatpak apps
• reset-niri - Reset Niri configuration
• update-greeter - Sync greeter with user config
• set-accent-color - Set GNOME accent color

Also imports Universal Blue justfiles:

• /usr/share/ublue-os/just/update.just
• /usr/share/ublue-os/just/shared.just
• /usr/share/ublue-os/just/default.just

shell/pure.bash

Pure bash prompt configuration sourced in /etc/bashrc.

zirconium.txt & glorp.txt

ASCII art files for zfetch and glorpfetch.

fastfetch.jsonc

Default fastfetch configuration.

skel/Pictures/Wallpapers/

Default wallpapers installed to skeleton directory.

pixmaps/logo-z.svg

Zirconium logo graphic.

/usr/share/greetd/greetd-spawn.pam_env.conf

Environment variables for the greeter spawn process.

/usr/share/pki/containers/

Container registry signing keys:

• jackrabbit.pub
• hawaii.pub

/usr/share/flatpak/preinstall.d/zirconium.preinstall

List of Flatpak applications to pre-install on first boot.

/usr/share/fish/vendor_conf.d/zmotd.fish

Fish shell configuration to display MOTD.

/usr/share/plymouth/themes/spinner/watermark.png

Custom Plymouth boot splash watermark installed from /ctx/assets/logos/watermark.png.

Shell completions

Generated in 01-theme-post.sh for the zjust command:

• Bash: /usr/share/bash-completion/completions/zjust
• Zsh: /usr/share/zsh/site-functions/_zjust
• Fish: /usr/share/fish/vendor_completions.d/zjust.fish

Completions are generated from just --completions and modified to work with the zjust wrapper.

Font cache

Font cache is rebuilt during build:

fc-cache --force --really-force --system-only --verbose

Ensures all installed fonts (including Maple Fonts from Terra) are available.