diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e8cfed4..19e9a1a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,17 +1,56 @@
-# Fruix
+# Fruix Bootstrap
 
-Fruix is a Guix-like system running on FreeBSD but not GNU, using Shepherd, building GNU packages, with a BSD userland, and a functional store similar to Nix but not Nix.
+`fruix-bootstrap` is the foreign-FreeBSD bring-up layer for Fruix.
 
-In Fruix, the FreeBSD platform is represented as foundational store artifacts and updated through the same generation mechanism as the rest of the system.
+Its job is to turn a plain FreeBSD installation into a **Fruix builder**: an environment capable of evaluating and materializing a pinned Fruix checkout.
 
-Fruix is a system where everything that exists on the machine exists for a reason that can be explained.
+## What belongs here
 
-Every Fruix system must remain fully understandable and recoverable using only text files, a shell, and standard system tools.
+Bootstrap-only responsibilities such as:
 
-- Every host has a local config repository.
-- Every host has a persistent system identity key.
-- Every applied change corresponds to a commit and a generation.
-- Secrets are declared in config but realized only at runtime.
-- Secrets are encrypted to explicit recipients derived from host/user identity.
-- Services explicitly declare their secret dependencies.
-- The orchestration layer operates only through these primitives.
+- host environment checks
+- locating or building bootstrap Guile / support bits
+- wrapper entrypoints that invoke a pinned Fruix checkout
+- validation of the path from vanilla FreeBSD to first Fruix artifact
+
+## What does not belong here
+
+Long-lived Fruix product logic should live in the canonical `fruix` repo/channel instead:
+
+- package definitions
+- system definitions
+- installer logic
+- deployment logic
+- installed-node lifecycle behavior
+- long-lived metadata semantics
+
+## Default channel checkout
+
+Bootstrap currently assumes a sibling canonical Fruix checkout at:
+
+- `../fruix`
+
+and bakes in the original channel repo URL as the default origin reference:
+
+- `https://git.teralink.net/self/fruix.git`
+
+Override the checkout location with:
+
+- `FRUIX_CHANNEL_DIR=/path/to/fruix`
+
+## Design docs
+
+- `docs/bootstrap.md` — boundary definition
+- `docs/PLAN_5.md` — migration plan
+
+## Intended lifecycle
+
+```text
+plain FreeBSD
+  -> fruix-bootstrap
+      -> Fruix builder
+          -> pinned fruix checkout
+              -> build installer ISO / VM image / system closure
+                  -> booted Fruix node
+                      -> future lifecycle managed by fruix
+```
diff --git a/bin/fruix b/bin/fruix
index 688bd9b..8274699 100755
--- a/bin/fruix
+++ b/bin/fruix
@@ -1,12 +1,32 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 set -eu
 
-project_root=$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)
+bootstrap_root=$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)
+default_channel_dir=$bootstrap_root/../fruix
+if [ -d "$default_channel_dir" ]; then
+  default_channel_dir=$(CDPATH= cd -- "$default_channel_dir" && pwd)
+fi
+
+fruix_channel_dir=${FRUIX_CHANNEL_DIR:-$default_channel_dir}
+fruix_channel_url=${FRUIX_CHANNEL_URL:-https://git.teralink.net/self/fruix.git}
 guix_source_dir=${GUIX_SOURCE_DIR:-"$HOME/repos/guix"}
 guile_bin=${GUILE_BIN:-/tmp/guile-freebsd-validate-install/bin/guile}
 guile_extra_prefix=${GUILE_EXTRA_PREFIX:-/tmp/guile-gnutls-freebsd-validate-install}
 shepherd_prefix=${SHEPHERD_PREFIX:-/tmp/shepherd-freebsd-validate-install}
-script=$project_root/scripts/fruix.scm
+script=$fruix_channel_dir/scripts/fruix.scm
+modules_dir=$fruix_channel_dir/modules
+
+if [ ! -d "$fruix_channel_dir" ]; then
+  echo "Fruix channel checkout not found: $fruix_channel_dir" >&2
+  echo "Set FRUIX_CHANNEL_DIR or clone $fruix_channel_url" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+if [ ! -f "$script" ] || [ ! -d "$modules_dir" ]; then
+  echo "Fruix channel checkout is missing scripts/ or modules/: $fruix_channel_dir" >&2
+  echo "Expected canonical Fruix content from $fruix_channel_url" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
 
 if [ ! -x "$guile_bin" ]; then
   echo "Guile binary is not executable: $guile_bin" >&2
@@ -20,11 +40,11 @@ ensure_built() {
        GUILE_EXTENSIONS_PATH="$guile_extra_prefix/lib/guile/3.0/extensions${GUILE_EXTENSIONS_PATH:+:$GUILE_EXTENSIONS_PATH}" \
        LD_LIBRARY_PATH="$guile_extra_prefix/lib:/tmp/guile-freebsd-validate-install/lib:/usr/local/lib${LD_LIBRARY_PATH:+:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH}" \
        "$guile_bin" -c '(catch #t (lambda () (use-modules (fibers)) (display "ok") (newline)) (lambda _ (display "missing") (newline)))' | grep -qx ok; then
-    METADATA_OUT= ENV_OUT= "$project_root/tests/shepherd/build-local-guile-fibers.sh"
+    METADATA_OUT= ENV_OUT= "$bootstrap_root/tests/shepherd/build-local-guile-fibers.sh"
   fi
 
   if [ ! -x "$shepherd_prefix/bin/shepherd" ] || [ ! -x "$shepherd_prefix/bin/herd" ]; then
-    METADATA_OUT= ENV_OUT= GUILE_EXTRA_PREFIX="$guile_extra_prefix" "$project_root/tests/shepherd/build-local-shepherd.sh"
+    METADATA_OUT= ENV_OUT= GUILE_EXTRA_PREFIX="$guile_extra_prefix" "$bootstrap_root/tests/shepherd/build-local-shepherd.sh"
   fi
 }
 
@@ -34,9 +54,9 @@ guile_prefix=$(CDPATH= cd -- "$(dirname "$guile_bin")/.." && pwd)
 guile_lib_dir=$guile_prefix/lib
 
 if [ -n "${GUILE_LOAD_PATH:-}" ]; then
-  guile_load_path="$project_root/modules:$guix_source_dir:$GUILE_LOAD_PATH"
+  guile_load_path="$modules_dir:$guix_source_dir:$GUILE_LOAD_PATH"
 else
-  guile_load_path="$project_root/modules:$guix_source_dir"
+  guile_load_path="$modules_dir:$guix_source_dir"
 fi
 
 exec env \
@@ -47,5 +67,8 @@ exec env \
   GUILE_EXTRA_PREFIX="$guile_extra_prefix" \
   SHEPHERD_PREFIX="$shepherd_prefix" \
   GUIX_SOURCE_DIR="$guix_source_dir" \
-  FRUIX_PROJECT_ROOT="$project_root" \
+  FRUIX_PROJECT_ROOT="$fruix_channel_dir" \
+  FRUIX_BOOTSTRAP_ROOT="$bootstrap_root" \
+  FRUIX_CHANNEL_DIR="$fruix_channel_dir" \
+  FRUIX_CHANNEL_URL="$fruix_channel_url" \
   "$guile_bin" --no-auto-compile -s "$script" "$@"
diff --git a/docs/PLAN_5.md b/docs/PLAN_5.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a4a8d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/PLAN_5.md
@@ -0,0 +1,357 @@
+# Plan 5: split Fruix bootstrap from canonical Fruix
+
+This plan turns the boundary from `docs/bootstrap.md` into a concrete migration sequence.
+
+The intended end state is:
+
+- `fruix-bootstrap` prepares a plain FreeBSD host to act as a **Fruix builder**
+- `fruix` is the canonical repo/channel for:
+  - packages
+  - systems
+  - installers
+  - deployment
+  - node lifecycle
+- a booted Fruix system no longer depends on `fruix-bootstrap`
+
+## Primary goal
+
+Reach the point where a plain FreeBSD machine can:
+
+1. use `fruix-bootstrap` to become a Fruix builder
+2. use that builder to evaluate a pinned `fruix` checkout or revision
+3. build a Fruix artifact from `fruix`
+   - installer ISO
+   - VM image
+   - system closure
+4. boot or install that artifact
+5. continue operating using only `fruix`
+
+## Guiding rules
+
+1. `fruix` is the only canonical home for long-lived Fruix logic.
+2. `fruix-bootstrap` may wrap `fruix`, but should not fork it.
+3. If a booted Fruix node should understand it, it belongs in `fruix`.
+4. Bootstrap-only foreign-host glue belongs in `fruix-bootstrap`.
+5. Prefer temporary wrappers over duplicated logic.
+
+## What should move to `fruix` first
+
+These are the highest-priority items to live in `fruix`, because they define the product rather than the bootstrap path.
+
+### 1. Package definitions
+
+Move first:
+
+- `modules/fruix/packages/...`
+
+Why:
+
+- package definitions are canonical Fruix content
+- they are part of the future channel story
+- booted Fruix systems should use these directly
+
+### 2. FreeBSD system model and system artifact logic
+
+Move early:
+
+- `modules/fruix/system/freebsd/model.scm`
+- `modules/fruix/system/freebsd/source.scm`
+- `modules/fruix/system/freebsd/build.scm`
+- `modules/fruix/system/freebsd/render.scm`
+- `modules/fruix/system/freebsd/media.scm`
+- `modules/fruix/system/freebsd/utils.scm`
+- `modules/fruix/system/freebsd/executor.scm`
+- the thin facade `modules/fruix/system/freebsd.scm`
+
+Why:
+
+- these define what a Fruix system is
+- they define build/promotion/deploy behavior
+- they must remain stable across bootstrap and post-bootstrap operation
+
+### 3. Fruix CLI semantics
+
+Move early:
+
+- `scripts/fruix.scm`
+- the long-lived CLI behavior it implements
+
+Why:
+
+- command semantics belong to Fruix, not bootstrap
+- installed nodes should match the host CLI model
+
+### 4. Installed-node lifecycle logic
+
+Move early:
+
+- node helper/module tree logic
+- `build`
+- `build-base`
+- `deploy`
+- `reconfigure`
+- `status`
+- `switch`
+- `rollback`
+
+Why:
+
+- these are core Fruix product actions after first boot
+
+### 5. Installer and future TUI installer
+
+Move early and keep there:
+
+- installer environment logic
+- installer ISO logic
+- future TUI installer application
+
+Why:
+
+- the installer is a Fruix product artifact
+- Fruix should be able to rebuild its own installer
+
+### 6. Metadata formats
+
+Move early and treat as canonical:
+
+- system generation metadata
+- deployment metadata
+- promoted native-build result metadata
+- any future Fruix revision/pin metadata
+
+Why:
+
+- metadata is part of Fruix identity
+- bootstrap should consume these formats, not redefine them
+
+## What can temporarily remain in `fruix-bootstrap`
+
+These items are allowed to remain here while the split is in progress.
+
+### 1. Bootstrap wrapper entrypoints
+
+Examples:
+
+- shell wrappers that locate the pinned `fruix` checkout
+- shell wrappers that set `GUILE_LOAD_PATH`, `GUILE_PREFIX`, etc.
+- entrypoints that invoke the real Fruix CLI from the foreign host
+
+These should become thin wrappers around `fruix`, not alternate implementations.
+
+### 2. Foreign-host dependency bring-up
+
+Examples:
+
+- locating or building Guile
+- locating or building Shepherd support pieces
+- preparing the host environment so the Fruix CLI can run
+
+This is bootstrap territory.
+
+### 3. Foreign-host validation harnesses
+
+Examples:
+
+- tests for plain-FreeBSD -> Fruix-builder bring-up
+- tests that validate local bootstrap assumptions
+- docs for first-time setup on vanilla FreeBSD
+
+These stay useful here even after most Fruix logic moves out.
+
+### 4. Temporary compatibility glue
+
+Examples:
+
+- wrappers that still point from bootstrap into `../fruix`
+- temporary environment shims needed while the split settles
+
+These are acceptable if they are clearly transitional and do not redefine Fruix semantics.
+
+## What should not remain in `fruix-bootstrap`
+
+Do not let this repo become a second home for:
+
+- canonical package definitions
+- canonical system semantics
+- deployment semantics
+- installer semantics
+- long-lived metadata definitions
+- installed-node behavior after first boot
+
+If bootstrap needs those capabilities, it should invoke them from `fruix`.
+
+## Proposed migration sequence
+
+## Milestone 1: make `fruix-bootstrap` call `fruix`
+
+Goal:
+
+- this repo stops being the canonical implementation and becomes a launcher/bootstrap layer
+
+Deliverables:
+
+- define a pinned `fruix` checkout input for bootstrap
+  - initially a local path such as `../fruix` is acceptable
+- bootstrap wrappers invoke Fruix modules/scripts from that checkout
+- package/system logic is no longer edited here as the primary source of truth
+
+Success signal:
+
+- running the bootstrap entrypoint clearly uses `../fruix` as the canonical Fruix source
+
+## Milestone 2: move canonical modules into `fruix`
+
+Goal:
+
+- all long-lived package/system logic lives in `fruix`
+
+Deliverables:
+
+- `modules/fruix/packages/...` live in `fruix`
+- `modules/fruix/system/...` live in `fruix`
+- `scripts/fruix.scm` lives in `fruix`
+- this repo only wraps/invokes those files
+
+Success signal:
+
+- the same Fruix code is used both:
+  - from a foreign host via bootstrap
+  - from a booted Fruix node
+
+## Milestone 3: record a pinned Fruix identity in artifacts
+
+Goal:
+
+- built artifacts know which Fruix revision produced them
+
+Deliverables:
+
+- define minimal Fruix identity metadata, such as:
+  - checkout path for local development
+  - git commit when available
+  - optional dirty/clean marker
+- record that identity in:
+  - image metadata
+  - installer metadata
+  - deployed generation metadata
+  - installed-node metadata
+
+Success signal:
+
+- a system can answer: “which Fruix revision built me?”
+
+## Milestone 4: first self-contained Fruix install from bootstrap
+
+Goal:
+
+- prove that bootstrap is needed only to create the first Fruix artifact
+
+Deliverables:
+
+- from plain FreeBSD + bootstrap, build either:
+  - a Fruix installer ISO, or
+  - a Fruix VM image
+- boot/install the resulting system
+- validate that the running Fruix node can perform post-boot actions using `fruix` only:
+  - `fruix system build`
+  - `fruix system build-base`
+  - `fruix system reconfigure`
+  - `fruix system deploy`
+  - `fruix system rollback`
+
+Success signal:
+
+- no runtime dependence on the bootstrap checkout is required after first boot
+
+## Milestone 5: build the first TUI installer in `fruix`
+
+Goal:
+
+- the user-facing installation experience is defined by Fruix itself
+
+Deliverables:
+
+- minimal text/TUI installer application in `fruix`
+- built into the Fruix installer environment / installer ISO
+- opinionated input surface, for example:
+  - target disk
+  - hostname
+  - root SSH key or password
+  - optional operator user
+  - optional profile/template selection
+- generated declaration and install metadata recorded by Fruix
+
+Success signal:
+
+- bootstrap builds the installer, but Fruix defines the installer behavior
+
+## First split-validation milestone
+
+The first major proof should be this:
+
+### Bootstrap builds Fruix, then Fruix continues alone
+
+Concretely:
+
+1. start from plain FreeBSD
+2. use `fruix-bootstrap` to create a Fruix builder
+3. point it at pinned `../fruix`
+4. build a Fruix VM image or installer ISO from `fruix`
+5. boot the resulting Fruix system
+6. on the running Fruix system, perform at least:
+   - `fruix system build`
+   - `fruix system reconfigure`
+   - `fruix system rollback`
+7. verify none of those steps need the bootstrap checkout
+
+This is the first meaningful architectural victory of the split.
+
+## Recommended immediate tasks
+
+1. add a bootstrap configuration variable for the pinned Fruix checkout
+   - initially defaulting to `../fruix`
+2. change bootstrap wrappers to load Fruix code from that checkout
+3. stop treating this repo as the canonical edit location for Fruix modules
+4. move package/system/CLI logic into `fruix`
+5. add minimal Fruix revision metadata recording to built artifacts
+6. then proceed to the Fruix-defined TUI installer
+
+## Temporary practical compromises
+
+The split does not require perfection on day one.
+
+Temporarily acceptable:
+
+- local-path pinning to `../fruix`
+- wrapper scripts in bootstrap that export environment variables for Fruix
+- some bootstrap-era host assumptions while the builder path stabilizes
+
+Not acceptable long-term:
+
+- duplicated package definitions in both repos
+- duplicated system semantics in both repos
+- booted Fruix nodes depending on bootstrap logic to keep operating
+
+## Open questions to resolve later
+
+These do not block the boundary itself:
+
+- exact Fruix channel/lock file format
+- exact user-facing `upgrade` policy
+- binary publication/substitution design
+- local `jail` executor for native base builds
+
+Those are important, but they should be built on top of the split rather than baked into the boundary prematurely.
+
+## Summary
+
+The migration priority is:
+
+1. make bootstrap a thin launcher for pinned `fruix`
+2. move canonical logic into `fruix`
+3. record Fruix identity in artifacts
+4. prove a booted Fruix node can continue without bootstrap
+5. build the TUI installer in `fruix`
+
+If this plan is followed, `fruix-bootstrap` stays small and generic, while `fruix` becomes the real long-term system source of truth.
diff --git a/docs/bootstrap.md b/docs/bootstrap.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41b09af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/bootstrap.md
@@ -0,0 +1,239 @@
+# Fruix bootstrap boundary
+
+This document defines the architectural boundary between:
+
+- `fruix`
+- `fruix-bootstrap`
+
+The goal is to keep Fruix itself small, self-hosting, and canonical, while isolating the foreign-host bring-up logic required to get the first Fruix-capable environment running on plain FreeBSD.
+
+## Short version
+
+- `fruix` is the canonical source of Fruix package, system, installer, deployment, and node-management logic.
+- `fruix-bootstrap` is a thin foreign-host layer that turns a plain FreeBSD installation into a **Fruix builder**.
+- A booted Fruix system must be able to continue operating from `fruix` alone, without depending on `fruix-bootstrap`.
+
+## Core concept: the Fruix builder
+
+`fruix-bootstrap` should not be thought of as a permanent alternate Fruix implementation or a long-lived compatibility layer.
+
+Its job is to create a **Fruix builder**: an environment capable of evaluating and materializing a pinned `fruix` revision on a non-Fruix FreeBSD host.
+
+A Fruix builder should be able to:
+
+- run the Fruix CLI and evaluator
+- load a pinned `fruix` checkout or channel revision
+- materialize Fruix package outputs
+- build Fruix system closures
+- build Fruix installer ISOs and VM images
+- install or deploy the first Fruix system
+
+That builder may run:
+
+- on a plain FreeBSD machine
+- in CI
+- in a jail
+- on a later Fruix node
+
+The important point is that the builder is generic. It is a build/evaluation environment for Fruix, not a second product identity.
+
+## Ownership boundary
+
+### `fruix` owns
+
+Anything that should still matter after first Fruix boot belongs in `fruix`.
+
+This includes:
+
+- package definitions
+- system definitions
+- source objects and source provenance logic
+- native-build and promotion logic
+- executor model
+- system artifact materializers:
+  - closures
+  - root filesystems
+  - disk images
+  - installers
+  - installer ISOs
+- installed-node management logic:
+  - build
+  - build-base
+  - deploy
+  - reconfigure
+  - switch
+  - rollback
+  - later upgrade
+- installer application / TUI logic
+- publication/substitution logic when added later
+- metadata formats that define Fruix identity and lifecycle
+
+Rule of thumb:
+
+> If a booted Fruix node should conceptually understand it, it belongs in `fruix`.
+
+### `fruix-bootstrap` owns
+
+Anything only required to turn plain FreeBSD into a Fruix-capable builder belongs in `fruix-bootstrap`.
+
+This includes:
+
+- host environment checks
+- locating or building bootstrap tool dependencies
+- foreign-host setup glue
+- wrapper entrypoints for invoking a pinned `fruix` revision
+- initial bootstrap documentation
+- tests for the path from vanilla FreeBSD to first Fruix-capable builder or first Fruix artifact
+
+Rule of thumb:
+
+> If it is only needed before Fruix exists as Fruix, it belongs in `fruix-bootstrap`.
+
+## Dependency direction
+
+The dependency direction must remain one-way.
+
+Allowed:
+
+- `fruix-bootstrap` depends on a pinned `fruix` revision
+- `fruix-bootstrap` invokes `fruix` to build packages, systems, installers, and images
+
+Not allowed:
+
+- `fruix` depending on `fruix-bootstrap`
+- a booted Fruix node needing `fruix-bootstrap` in order to keep building or upgrading itself
+
+This keeps `fruix` canonical and prevents the bootstrap repo from becoming a second source of truth.
+
+## Canonical source of truth
+
+`fruix` is the only canonical home for Fruix product logic.
+
+In particular, these should not be duplicated long-term in `fruix-bootstrap`:
+
+- canonical package definitions
+- canonical system logic
+- installer workflow semantics
+- deployment semantics
+- long-lived metadata definitions
+- installed-node lifecycle behavior
+
+`fruix-bootstrap` may temporarily wrap or seed those capabilities, but it should consume them from `fruix`, not fork them.
+
+## Pinning
+
+`fruix-bootstrap` should operate on a clear Fruix identity, not an ambient checkout with unclear provenance.
+
+Initially, that identity can be simple:
+
+- a local checkout path
+- a git commit
+- a tag
+- a branch plus locked commit
+
+Later, this can become a proper Fruix channel lock/update model.
+
+Whatever form is used, the important property is:
+
+> the first Fruix artifact is built from a known `fruix` identity.
+
+That identity should eventually be recorded in:
+
+- installer metadata
+- image metadata
+- deployed generation metadata
+- installed-node metadata
+
+## Product flow
+
+The intended lifecycle is:
+
+1. start from plain FreeBSD
+2. use `fruix-bootstrap` to create a Fruix builder
+3. point that builder at a pinned `fruix` revision
+4. materialize artifacts from `fruix`, such as:
+   - package outputs
+   - system closures
+   - installer ISOs
+   - VM images
+   - installed systems
+5. boot or install the resulting Fruix system
+6. from that point onward, use `fruix` alone to move the system forward
+
+In short:
+
+```text
+plain FreeBSD
+  -> fruix-bootstrap
+      -> Fruix builder
+          -> pinned fruix revision
+              -> build/install/deploy Fruix artifacts
+                  -> booted Fruix node
+                      -> future lifecycle managed by fruix
+```
+
+## Installer implication
+
+The installer UI and workflow belong to `fruix`, not `fruix-bootstrap`.
+
+Why:
+
+- the installer is part of the Fruix product surface
+- Fruix should be able to build its own installer artifacts
+- installed systems should be traceable to a pinned Fruix revision
+- later Fruix nodes should be able to rebuild the installer without returning to bootstrap-only logic
+
+So the split should be:
+
+- `fruix-bootstrap`: makes it possible to build the installer
+- `fruix`: defines the installer artifact and the TUI installer behavior
+
+## Success criteria
+
+The boundary is working when all of the following are true:
+
+1. a plain FreeBSD host can become a Fruix builder using `fruix-bootstrap`
+2. that builder can build a Fruix installer ISO or VM image from a pinned `fruix` revision
+3. the resulting Fruix system boots without requiring `fruix-bootstrap`
+4. the booted Fruix system can keep using `fruix` for:
+   - build
+   - build-base
+   - reconfigure
+   - deploy
+   - rollback
+   - later upgrade
+5. package and system evolution happens in `fruix`, not in duplicated bootstrap logic
+
+## Non-goals
+
+This split does not mean:
+
+- `fruix-bootstrap` becomes a permanent parallel Fruix distribution
+- booted Fruix nodes should keep consulting bootstrap state
+- bootstrap should own package or system semantics long-term
+
+It also does not require all historical bootstrap leakage to disappear immediately. Some transitional host assumptions may remain for a while, but they should be treated as technical debt against this boundary.
+
+## Working rule for future refactors
+
+When deciding where code belongs, ask:
+
+> Should a booted Fruix node still care about this?
+
+- If yes, it belongs in `fruix`.
+- If no, and it only exists to bring up Fruix from foreign FreeBSD, it belongs in `fruix-bootstrap`.
+
+## Current direction
+
+Near-term work should follow this boundary:
+
+- keep bootstrap generic and thin
+- move as much canonical logic as possible into `fruix`
+- make the first user-facing installer a Fruix-defined product artifact
+- ensure installed nodes record and operate from a pinned Fruix identity
+
+That gives Fruix a clean product story:
+
+- bootstrap creates a Fruix builder
+- Fruix builds Fruix
+- Fruix systems move forward using Fruix