diff --git a/assets/installer/colors.gum b/assets/installer/colors.gum
index 58b3630..17e6cf6 100644
--- a/assets/installer/colors.gum
+++ b/assets/installer/colors.gum
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export GUM_CHOOSE_HEADER_FOREGROUND="$VEILOR_FG"
 export GUM_CHOOSE_ITEM_FOREGROUND="$VEILOR_FG"
 export GUM_CHOOSE_SELECTED_FOREGROUND="$VEILOR_FG"
 export GUM_CHOOSE_SELECTED_BACKGROUND="$VEILOR_DIM"
-export GUM_CHOOSE_CURSOR="› "
+export GUM_CHOOSE_CURSOR="❯ "
 
 # ── gum input ──────────────────────────────────────────
 # Single-line text entry (hostname).
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export GUM_INPUT_PROMPT_FOREGROUND="$VEILOR_DIM"
 export GUM_INPUT_CURSOR_FOREGROUND="$VEILOR_FG"
 export GUM_INPUT_PLACEHOLDER_FOREGROUND="$VEILOR_MUTE"
 export GUM_INPUT_HEADER_FOREGROUND="$VEILOR_FG"
-export GUM_INPUT_PROMPT="› "
+export GUM_INPUT_PROMPT="❯ "
 
 # ── gum write (multi-line) ─────────────────────────────
 # Reserved for any longer-form prompts; not used in v0.5.1 yet.
diff --git a/overlay/etc/os-release.d/veilor b/overlay/etc/os-release.d/veilor
index 6946c2f..cfd5dc2 100644
--- a/overlay/etc/os-release.d/veilor
+++ b/overlay/etc/os-release.d/veilor
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ NAME="veilor-os"
 PRETTY_NAME="veilor-os 0.1"
 ID=veilor
 ID_LIKE=fedora
-VERSION="0.1"
-VERSION_ID="0.1"
+VERSION="0.5.8"
+VERSION_ID="0.5.8"
 HOME_URL="https://github.com/veilor-org/veilor-os"
 DOCUMENTATION_URL="https://github.com/veilor-org/veilor-os/tree/main/docs"
 BUG_REPORT_URL="https://github.com/veilor-org/veilor-os/issues"
diff --git a/overlay/usr/local/bin/veilor-installer b/overlay/usr/local/bin/veilor-installer
index 6a0d9aa..5e56dbc 100644
--- a/overlay/usr/local/bin/veilor-installer
+++ b/overlay/usr/local/bin/veilor-installer
@@ -54,23 +54,34 @@ fi
 
 banner() {
     clear
+    # Read version + date for version line. /etc/os-release has VERSION_ID.
+    local ver=""
+    [[ -r /etc/os-release ]] && ver=$(. /etc/os-release; echo "${VERSION_ID:-0.0}")
+    local d
+    d=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
+    local vline="veilor-os ${ver} · ${d} · live"
+
     if [[ -r $BANNER_FILE ]]; then
         if [[ $TUI == gum ]]; then
-            # gum style draws a rounded border + padding around the banner.
-            gum style --border rounded --margin "1" --padding "1 2" \
+            # gum style: rounded border, banner + blank line + version line.
+            gum style --border rounded --margin "0 2" --padding "1 3" \
                 --border-foreground "${VEILOR_DIM:-240}" \
                 --foreground "${VEILOR_FG:-15}" \
-                "$(cat "$BANNER_FILE")"
+                "$(cat "$BANNER_FILE")" \
+                "" \
+                "$vline"
         else
             cat "$BANNER_FILE"
             echo
+            echo "  $vline"
+            echo
         fi
     else
         # Fallback ASCII if banner.txt missing (older overlay).
-        cat << 'EOF'
+        cat << EOF
 
    veilor-os installer
-   hardened. branded. yours.
+   $vline
 
 EOF
     fi
@@ -180,10 +191,14 @@ prompt_error() {
 }
 
 main_menu() {
-    prompt_choose "Welcome" \
+    # Empty header — banner already provides context. `──────` line splits
+    # primary actions (top) from session controls (bottom). Cursor `❯` set
+    # via GUM_CHOOSE_CURSOR in colors.gum.
+    prompt_choose "" \
         "Install" \
-        "live - (KDE)" \
-        "live - shell" \
+        "live · KDE" \
+        "live · shell" \
+        "──────" \
         "Reboot" \
         "Power off"
 }
@@ -202,7 +217,7 @@ collect_answers() {
         prompt_error "No installable disks found."
         return 1
     fi
-    disk=$(prompt_choose_pairs "Select install disk (will be ERASED)" "${disks_pairs[@]}") || return 1
+    disk=$(prompt_choose_pairs "[1/4] Select install disk · WILL BE ERASED" "${disks_pairs[@]}") || return 1
 
     # ── Hostname ──
     # Hardcoded for branded consistency. Post-install: `hostnamectl set-hostname`.
@@ -231,27 +246,48 @@ collect_answers() {
     }
 
     # ── LUKS passphrase ──
-    luks_pw=$(prompt_password "LUKS passphrase (full-disk encryption)") || return 1
+    luks_pw=$(prompt_password "[2/4] Encryption · LUKS2 passphrase (min 8)") || return 1
     validate_pw "$luks_pw" "passphrase" || return 1
 
     # ── Admin password ──
-    admin_pw=$(prompt_password "Admin user password (login after install)") || return 1
+    admin_pw=$(prompt_password "[3/4] Admin user · password for 'admin'") || return 1
     validate_pw "$admin_pw" "password" || return 1
 
     # ── Locale ──
-    locale=$(prompt_choose "Choose locale" \
+    locale=$(prompt_choose "[4/4] Locale" \
         "en_GB.UTF-8" \
         "en_US.UTF-8") || return 1
 
     # ── Confirmation ──
-    prompt_confirm "About to install veilor-os:
+    # Render summary box + danger lines via gum style, then gum confirm.
+    # Whiptail fallback: simple yesno.
+    if [[ $TUI == gum ]]; then
+        clear
+        gum style --border rounded --margin "1 2" --padding "1 3" \
+            --border-foreground "${VEILOR_DIM:-240}" \
+            --foreground "${VEILOR_FG:-15}" \
+            "Confirm install" \
+            "" \
+            "  Disk     $disk  $(gum style --foreground 1 'WILL BE ERASED')" \
+            "  Locale   $locale" \
+            "  LUKS     ✓ set" \
+            "  Admin    ✓ set" \
+            "" \
+            "$(gum style --foreground 3 'This action is irreversible.')"
+        gum confirm --affirmative "Yes, install" --negative "Cancel" "Proceed?" || return 1
+    else
+        whiptail --title "Confirm install" --yesno \
+"About to install veilor-os:
 
-  Disk:       $disk (will be ERASED)
+  Disk:       $disk (WILL BE ERASED)
   Locale:     $locale
   LUKS:       set
   Admin pw:   set
 
-Proceed?" || return 1
+This action is irreversible.
+
+Proceed?" 16 60 || return 1
+    fi
 
     # Export to caller via globals
     SEL_DISK=$disk
@@ -524,36 +560,59 @@ KSEOF
 }
 
 run_install() {
-    prompt_message "Installing veilor-os to $SEL_DISK ...
-This will take 10-30 minutes.
-Logs: /var/log/veilor-installer.log + /tmp/anaconda.log"
-    sleep 1
-    # Hand off to anaconda. --kickstart runs unattended.
-    # LANG / LC_ALL must be set — anaconda's keyboard.activate_keyboard()
-    # raises AnacondaError: 'LANG' if missing. tty1 inherits no locale by
-    # default. Use the locale the user picked (or fall back to en_GB).
+    # Anaconda env setup (see comments below).
     export LANG="${SEL_LOCALE:-en_GB.UTF-8}"
     export LC_ALL="$LANG"
-    # XDG_RUNTIME_DIR must exist — anaconda's display.setup_display()
-    # tries os.getenv("XDG_RUNTIME_DIR") + constants.WAYLAND_SOCKET_NAME
-    # and crashes with TypeError on None. We're running unattended so
-    # no graphical display is needed, but the env var still has to exist.
+    # LANG / LC_ALL: anaconda's keyboard.activate_keyboard() raises
+    # AnacondaError: 'LANG' if missing. tty1 inherits no locale by default.
+    # XDG_RUNTIME_DIR: anaconda's display.setup_display() probes
+    # os.getenv("XDG_RUNTIME_DIR") + Wayland socket and crashes with
+    # TypeError on None. We're running unattended so no display needed,
+    # but env var still has to exist.
     export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR="/run/user/$(id -u)"
     mkdir -p "$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR"
     chmod 0700 "$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR"
-    # --cmdline: fully unattended text-only mode. No Wayland setup, no
-    # graphical/text TUI. Reads kickstart, executes, reboots. Right mode
-    # for our gum-driven flow where ks is fully self-contained.
-    if anaconda --cmdline --kickstart=/run/install/veilor-generated.ks; then
-        prompt_message "Install complete. System will reboot.
-Remove the install media after shutdown."
-        sleep 3
-        systemctl reboot
-    else
-        prompt_error "Anaconda exited non-zero.
+
+    if [[ $TUI == gum ]]; then
+        clear
+        # gum spin runs anaconda as subprocess. --show-output forwards
+        # stdout/stderr to /tmp/anaconda-cmdline.log so we can debug.
+        # --title shows live-updating header. --spinner dot is minimal.
+        local rc=0
+        gum spin --spinner dot \
+            --title "Installing veilor-os to $SEL_DISK · this takes 10-30 min · logs on tty2" \
+            --show-output \
+            -- bash -c 'anaconda --cmdline --kickstart=/run/install/veilor-generated.ks 2>&1 | tee /tmp/anaconda-cmdline.log' || rc=$?
+        if [[ $rc -eq 0 ]]; then
+            gum style --foreground 2 --border rounded --margin "1 2" --padding "1 3" \
+                "✓ Install complete" \
+                "" \
+                "System will reboot in 5 seconds." \
+                "Remove the install media."
+            sleep 5
+            systemctl reboot
+        else
+            prompt_error "Anaconda exited non-zero (status $rc).
 Logs at /tmp/anaconda.log + /var/log/veilor-installer.log.
 Press OK to drop to shell."
-        return 1
+            return 1
+        fi
+    else
+        prompt_message "Installing veilor-os to $SEL_DISK ...
+This will take 10-30 minutes.
+Logs: /var/log/veilor-installer.log + /tmp/anaconda.log"
+        sleep 1
+        if anaconda --cmdline --kickstart=/run/install/veilor-generated.ks; then
+            prompt_message "Install complete. System will reboot.
+Remove the install media after shutdown."
+            sleep 3
+            systemctl reboot
+        else
+            prompt_error "Anaconda exited non-zero.
+Logs at /tmp/anaconda.log + /var/log/veilor-installer.log.
+Press OK to drop to shell."
+            return 1
+        fi
     fi
 }
 
@@ -595,10 +654,12 @@ while true; do
                 run_install || continue
             fi
             ;;
-        "live - (KDE)") launch_desktop ;;
-        "live - shell") drop_to_shell ;;
+        "live · KDE") launch_desktop ;;
+        "live · shell") drop_to_shell ;;
+        "──────") banner ;;  # separator clicked: redraw, no-op
         "Reboot") systemctl reboot ;;
         "Power off") systemctl poweroff ;;
-        *) drop_to_shell ;;
+        "") banner ;;  # ESC/cancel from menu: redraw
+        *) banner ;;
     esac
 done