diff --git a/BUILD.md b/BUILD.md
index 67d85e8..ec6a384 100644
--- a/BUILD.md
+++ b/BUILD.md
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ once the desktop is proven stable on hardware:
Listed for completeness so the lean/full split stays honest:
- **Desktop session:** `xfce4-desktop`, `xfce4-panel`, `xfce4-session`,
- `xfce4-settings`, `xfce4-wm`, `xfce4-terminal`,
+ `xfce4-settings`, `xfce4-wm`, `kitty`,
`xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin`, `sddm`, `xinit`, `xterm`.
- **GTK / desktop integration:** `gsettings-desktop-schemas`,
`adwaita-icon-theme`, `adwaita-icon-theme-legacy`,
diff --git a/live/operator-session/clawdie-enable-mother.desktop b/live/operator-session/clawdie-enable-mother.desktop
index fa4f33b..fa7ee5f 100644
--- a/live/operator-session/clawdie-enable-mother.desktop
+++ b/live/operator-session/clawdie-enable-mother.desktop
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Type=Application
Version=1.0
Name=Enable Mother Link
Comment=Let this agent's Pi call mother's tools over MCP (opt-in)
-Exec=xfce4-terminal --title "Enable Mother Link" --geometry=90x28 --command "/usr/local/bin/clawdie-enable-mother"
+Exec=kitty -T "Enable Mother Link" -o initial_window_width=90c -o initial_window_height=28c /usr/local/bin/clawdie-enable-mother
Icon=network-transmit-receive
Terminal=false
Categories=System;Utility;
diff --git a/live/operator-session/clawdie-join-hive.desktop b/live/operator-session/clawdie-join-hive.desktop
index 2673284..ff0a24e 100644
--- a/live/operator-session/clawdie-join-hive.desktop
+++ b/live/operator-session/clawdie-join-hive.desktop
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Type=Application
Version=1.0
Name=Join Hive
Comment=Register this machine as a Colibri agent
-Exec=xfce4-terminal --title "Join Hive" --geometry=80x24 --command "/usr/local/bin/clawdie-join-hive"
+Exec=kitty -T "Join Hive" -o initial_window_width=80c -o initial_window_height=24c /usr/local/bin/clawdie-join-hive
Icon=network-server
Terminal=false
Categories=System;Utility;
diff --git a/live/operator-session/clawdie-xfce-session-inner b/live/operator-session/clawdie-xfce-session-inner
index e35619c..5884bc1 100644
--- a/live/operator-session/clawdie-xfce-session-inner
+++ b/live/operator-session/clawdie-xfce-session-inner
@@ -95,9 +95,15 @@ manual_xfce_desktop() {
if ! pgrep -U "$(id -u)" -x xfce4-panel >/dev/null 2>&1 || \
! pgrep -U "$(id -u)" -x xfwm4 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
echo "Panel or window manager missing after fallback startup; opening rescue terminal"
- if command -v xfce4-terminal >/dev/null 2>&1; then
- xfce4-terminal --title "Clawdie desktop rescue" \
- --command "sh -lc 'echo XFCE startup fallback. See ~/.xsession-errors.; exec sh'" &
+ # Kitty is GPU-accelerated; on a headless/bhyve surface with no GL
+ # it may fail to start. Fall back to xterm (always installed) so the
+ # rescue shell stays reachable even without a working GPU.
+ if command -v kitty >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+ kitty -T "Clawdie desktop rescue" \
+ sh -lc 'echo XFCE startup fallback. See ~/.xsession-errors.; exec sh' &
+ elif command -v xterm >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+ xterm -T "Clawdie desktop rescue" \
+ -e sh -lc 'echo XFCE startup fallback. See ~/.xsession-errors.; exec sh' &
fi
fi
) &
diff --git a/live/operator-session/colibri-dashboard.desktop b/live/operator-session/colibri-dashboard.desktop
index fc0277b..0c9b00f 100644
--- a/live/operator-session/colibri-dashboard.desktop
+++ b/live/operator-session/colibri-dashboard.desktop
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ Type=Application
Version=1.0
Name=Colibri Dashboard
Comment=Open the live Colibri operator dashboard in a terminal
-Exec=xfce4-terminal --title "Colibri Dashboard" --geometry=120x30 --command "/usr/local/bin/colibri-tui"
+Exec=kitty -T "Colibri Dashboard" -o initial_window_width=120c -o initial_window_height=30c /usr/local/bin/colibri-tui
Icon=utilities-terminal
Terminal=false
Categories=System;Utility;
diff --git a/live/operator-session/colibri-panel-indicator.sh b/live/operator-session/colibri-panel-indicator.sh
index 11465ef..6dc1150 100755
--- a/live/operator-session/colibri-panel-indicator.sh
+++ b/live/operator-session/colibri-panel-indicator.sh
@@ -36,4 +36,4 @@ HOST=$(echo "$STATUS" | python3 -c "import sys,json; print(json.load(sys.stdin)[
echo "๐ข ${AGENTS:-?} agents ยท ${TASKS:-?} tasks"
echo "Colibri: ${HOST:-?} | socket: ${SOCKET} | agents: ${AGENTS:-?} | started tasks: ${TASKS:-?}"
-echo "xfce4-terminal --title 'Colibri Status' --command 'colibri status'"
+echo "kitty -T 'Colibri Status' colibri status"
diff --git a/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/kitty/kitty.conf b/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/kitty/kitty.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b3e2cc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/kitty/kitty.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+# Clawdie operator USB โ Kitty terminal defaults
+# Ships at ~/.config/kitty/kitty.conf for the clawdie user.
+# Tweak freely; reload live with Ctrl+Shift+F5 (or restart kitty).
+# Pick a different look interactively: kitty +kitten themes
+# Full reference: man kitty.conf
+
+# โโ Font โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
+# Hack ships via the `hack-font` package on the live USB. Bumped above
+# kitty's 11pt default so operator dashboards (colibri-tui, tmux, pi) stay
+# legible on laptop panels.
+font_family Hack
+bold_font auto
+italic_font auto
+bold_italic_font auto
+font_size 13.0
+
+# โโ Window โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
+remember_window_size no
+initial_window_width 110c
+initial_window_height 30c
+window_padding_width 6
+hide_window_decorations no
+
+# โโ Scrollback / mouse โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
+scrollback_lines 10000
+copy_on_select yes
+url_style curly
+open_url_with default
+strip_trailing_spaces always
+
+# โโ Tab bar (only when more than one tab is open) โโโโโโโโโโ
+tab_bar_min_tabs 2
+tab_bar_edge bottom
+tab_bar_style powerline
+tab_title_template {title}
+
+# โโ Theme: quiet dark โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
+# A calm, high-contrast dark scheme tuned for long operator sessions.
+# Programs that use the 16 ANSI colors (ls, git, vim, syntax highlighters)
+# stay coherent with the foreground/background.
+foreground #c8d3f5
+background #1b1d2b
+cursor #c8d3f5
+selection_foreground #1b1d2b
+selection_background #3b3f54
+
+color0 #1b1d2b
+color8 #5b6078
+color1 #f7768e
+color9 #f7768e
+color2 #9ece6a
+color10 #9ece6a
+color3 #e0af68
+color11 #e0af68
+color4 #7aa2f7
+color12 #7aa2f7
+color5 #bb9af7
+color13 #bb9af7
+color6 #7dcfff
+color14 #7dcfff
+color7 #a9b1d6
+color15 #c0caf5
+
+# โโ Cursor โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
+cursor_shape beam
+cursor_blink_interval 0
diff --git a/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/tmux/tmux.conf b/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/tmux/tmux.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7891883
--- /dev/null
+++ b/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/tmux/tmux.conf
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Clawdie operator USB โ tmux defaults
+# Ships at ~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf (tmux 3.1+ reads the XDG path; the live
+# USB's tmux port is 3.5a). Reload after edits:
+# tmux source-file ~/.config/tmux/tmux.conf
+
+# โโ Modifier-key passthrough (the reason this file exists) โ
+# Kitty reports Shift/Ctrl/Alt-modified keys; tmux must forward them so TUIs
+# (pi, zot, colibri-tui) receive Shift-Enter, Ctrl-Arrow, Alt-Enter, etc.
+# csi-u is the most reliable format and needs tmux 3.5+ (we have 3.5a).
+set -g extended-keys on
+set -g extended-keys-format csi-u
+
+# โโ Responsiveness โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
+# Zero escape time so TUIs (ratatui, pi, vim) feel instant; forward focus
+# events so apps that track focus react promptly.
+set -s escape-time 0
+set -sg focus-events on
+
+# โโ History โโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโโ
+set -g history-limit 50000
+
+# โโ Window numbering matches the keyboard, renumber on close โ
+set -g base-index 1
+setw -g pane-base-index 1
+set -g renumber-windows on
+
+# โโ Mouse (operator convenience: select, scroll, resize) โโโโ
+set -g mouse on
+
+# โโ Don't let running apps rename windows out from under us โ
+set -g allow-rename off
diff --git a/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/xfce4/panel/launcher-4/xfce4-terminal.desktop b/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/xfce4/panel/launcher-4/kitty.desktop
similarity index 89%
rename from live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/xfce4/panel/launcher-4/xfce4-terminal.desktop
rename to live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/xfce4/panel/launcher-4/kitty.desktop
index 853e76e..aa6b530 100644
--- a/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/xfce4/panel/launcher-4/xfce4-terminal.desktop
+++ b/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/xfce4/panel/launcher-4/kitty.desktop
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
-Exec=xfce4-terminal
+Exec=kitty
Icon=utilities-terminal
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
diff --git a/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml b/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml
index e06c588..b01d77f 100644
--- a/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml
+++ b/live/operator-session/panel-skel/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
-
+
diff --git a/packages/pkg-list-xfce.txt b/packages/pkg-list-xfce.txt
index ad7c421..5f576ba 100644
--- a/packages/pkg-list-xfce.txt
+++ b/packages/pkg-list-xfce.txt
@@ -10,7 +10,10 @@ xfce4-panel
xfce4-session
xfce4-settings
xfce4-wm
-xfce4-terminal
+# GPU-accelerated terminal โ replaces xfce4-terminal.
+# Kitty: fast, keyboard-driven, respects terminal color themes,
+# supports modern escape codes ratatui uses (REVERSED, italic, true color).
+kitty
mousepad
# Keep runtime desktop caches/schemas explicit. These are dependencies of GTK
# and XFCE packages, but explicit entries make the live-session contract clear.