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Changelog

All notable changes to PAI are documented here.

The format is based on Keep a Changelog 1.1.0, and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.

How to read this — each released version lists user-visible changes grouped by type. If you just want to know whether it's safe to flash a newer ISO, skim the Security and Removed sections and consult docs/src/MIGRATION.md for the version transition you're making.

Release process is documented in docs/src/RELEASE.md.

Unreleased

Added

  • Raspberry Pi Imager custom repository at https://pai.direct/imager.json. Users can now add PAI to Imager's OS picker and flash to a Pi SD/USB in three clicks — no manual .img.xz download required.
  • First-boot model picker (pai-model-picker, roadmap task 03): detects RAM, suggests a size-matched Ollama model (llama3.2:1b / llama3.2:3b / llama3:8b / mistral-nemo), checks connectivity to registry.ollama.ai up front, and offers a one-click download with a zenity progress dialog. Skippable, idempotent via ~/.config/pai/.model-picked, and offline-safe — shows a friendly message and falls back to the baked-in llama3.2:1b if there's no internet. Chosen model is written to ~/.config/pai/default-model for Open WebUI (and future logic) to consume. Invoked from pai-welcome on first boot; can be re-run any time.
  • Opt-in encrypted persistence (pai-persistence): first-boot wizard creates a LUKS2 (argon2id) partition on the USB stick that survives reboots. Persists Ollama models (/var/lib/ollama), Open WebUI history (/var/lib/open-webui), and WiFi credentials (/etc/NetworkManager/system-connections), with optional home-directory persistence. Setup is offered automatically at the end of the first-boot wizard and can be re-run any time with pai-persistence setup.
  • Waybar persistence indicator (pai-waybar-persistence): shows a badge when the encrypted persistence partition is active.
  • parted and zenity added to the ARM64 package list (required by pai-persistence setup).

Changed

Deprecated

Removed

Fixed

  • Login MOTD persistence indicator: previously probed /mnt/persistence (a path nothing ever mounts) and referenced a .last-save marker no tool writes, so it reported "NOT ACTIVE" even with persistence enabled and suggested a manual unlock command that is not needed (live-boot handles LUKS at boot). MOTD now uses the same /run/pai-persistence-active signal as the waybar indicator and reports usage from the bind-mounted /var/lib/ollama.

Security

0.1.0 — 2026-04-20

First public release of PAI — a bootable USB Linux distribution for private, offline AI. Flash the ISO to a USB stick, boot any recent amd64 or arm64 machine from it, and you have a self-contained Sway desktop with a local LLM stack that runs entirely on-device.

Added

  • Bootable live-USB ISO images for amd64 and arm64, built from Debian 12.
  • Ollama preinstalled with the llama3.2:1b model baked into the ISO so the system works end-to-end with zero network access on first boot.
  • Open WebUI as the default chat interface, with PAI branding and theming applied out of the box.
  • Sway (Wayland tiling compositor) as the desktop environment.
  • Waybar status bar with an app launcher and status widgets (network, audio, battery, clock).
  • pai-settings — a wofi-driven settings menu for quick access to common toggles and tools.
  • pai-shutdown — a shutdown helper that wipes memory (zeroing free RAM) before powering off, so no residual model/chat state survives in DRAM.
  • UFW firewall enabled by default with a default-deny inbound policy.
  • MAC address randomization for WiFi and Ethernet interfaces on every boot.
  • Optional Tor privacy mode — opt-in toggle that routes system traffic through Tor for users who need additional network-level privacy.
  • Documentation site under docs/src/ covering installation, USB flashing, privacy posture, known issues, roadmap, and the cloud-builder operational runbook.

Security

  • Ollama pinned to v0.21.0 with SHA256 verification during the ISO build, so builds are reproducible and tamper-evident against upstream changes.
  • Default-deny inbound firewall (UFW).
  • MAC address randomization enabled by default.

Known limitations

  • No persistence. Every boot starts from the image; downloaded models and chat history are lost on shutdown. An opt-in encrypted persistence layer is planned for v0.2 (see prompts/roadmap/04-persistence-layer.md).
  • No first-boot model picker. The ISO ships with llama3.2:1b regardless of host RAM. A hardware-aware picker is planned (see prompts/roadmap/03-model-picker-at-first-boot.md).
  • No signed shims for Secure Boot. Users on Secure Boot machines must either disable it or add a MOK manually.
  • Open WebUI authentication is disabled. PAI is designed as a single-user live system where the only person with access is the person holding the USB stick. Do not expose the Open WebUI port over a network.