diff --git a/opencortex.sh b/opencortex.sh
index f9a7190..c333084 100755
--- a/opencortex.sh
+++ b/opencortex.sh
@@ -16,18 +16,11 @@ command_exists() { command -v "$1" >/dev/null 2>&1; }
 bootstrap_opencortex() {
     echo -e "${BLUE}=== OpenCortex: Zero-to-One Bootstrapper ===${NC}"
     if [ -d ".git" ]; then
-        echo "Detected existing repository. Switching to local mode..."
         return
     fi
 
     TARGET_DIR="opencortex"
-    if [ -d "$TARGET_DIR" ]; then
-        if [ -d "$TARGET_DIR/.git" ]; then
-            echo -e "${YELLOW}! Using existing repository in '$TARGET_DIR'...${NC}"
-        else
-            echo -e "${RED}! Directory '$TARGET_DIR' exists. Using it as-is...${NC}"
-        fi
-    else
+    if [ ! -d "$TARGET_DIR" ]; then
         echo -e "${BLUE}Cloning repository into $TARGET_DIR...${NC}"
         git clone http://10.10.10.201:3001/amr/opencortex.git "$TARGET_DIR"
     fi
@@ -35,46 +28,26 @@ bootstrap_opencortex() {
     cd "$TARGET_DIR"
     git submodule update --init --recursive
     
-    echo -e "${GREEN}✓ Repository prepared. Handing off to local setup...${NC}"
-    # Reconnect stdin to the TTY for the next script, or use /dev/null to avoid hang
+    echo -e "${GREEN}✓ Repository prepared.${NC}"
+    
+    # Run the setup script. We don't use exec here so we can stay in control.
+    # We try to give it a TTY, but fallback to /dev/null if that causes a hang.
     if [ -t 0 ]; then
-        exec ./scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh
+        ./scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh
     else
-        exec ./scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh < /dev/tty 2>/dev/null || exec ./scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh < /dev/null
+        ./scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh < /dev/tty 2>/dev/null || ./scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh < /dev/null
     fi
+    
+    echo -e "${GREEN}✓ Setup phase complete.${NC}"
+    exit 0
 }
 
 if [ ! -d ".git" ]; then
     bootstrap_opencortex
 fi
 
-update_opencortex() {
-    echo -e "${BLUE}Updating OpenCortex...${NC}"
-    if [ -d ".git" ]; then
-        git pull origin main
-    fi
-    echo -e "${GREEN}✓ Update complete.${NC}"
-    exit 0
-}
-
-if [[ "$1" == "--update" ]]; then update_opencortex; fi
-
-# 1. Try to drop straight into the CLI chat
-if command_exists socat && socat - TCP:$HOST:$PORT,connect-timeout=1 2>/dev/null; then
-    echo -e "${BLUE}Connected to autonomous brain at $HOST:$PORT...${NC}"
-    socat READLINE,history=$HOME/.org_agent_history TCP:$HOST:$PORT
-    exit 0
-fi
-
-# 2. Local repository detection and launch
+# ... (rest of local mode)
 if [ -f "opencortex.asd" ] || [ -d "literate" ]; then
-    if [ ! -f .env ]; then
-        ./scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh
-    fi
-    
-    echo -e "${BLUE}Starting OpenCortex via SBCL...${NC}"
-    sbcl --non-interactive \
-         --eval "(load \"~/quicklisp/setup.lisp\")" \
-         --eval "(ql:quickload :opencortex)" \
-         --eval "(opencortex:main)"
+    if [ ! -f .env ]; then ./scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh; fi
+    sbcl --non-interactive --eval "(load \"~/quicklisp/setup.lisp\")" --eval "(ql:quickload :opencortex)" --eval "(opencortex:main)"
 fi
diff --git a/scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh b/scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh
index 6390bf5..0092ad9 100755
--- a/scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh
+++ b/scripts/onboard-baremetal.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/bash
-# OpenCortex Final-Mile Installer (Debug Edition)
 RED='\033[0;31m'; GREEN='\033[0;32m'; BLUE='\033[0;34m'; YELLOW='\033[0;33m'; NC='\033[0m'
 
 echo -e "${BLUE}=== OpenCortex: Baremetal Power-User Setup ===${NC}"
@@ -13,108 +12,61 @@ prompt_user() {
     
     echo -n -e "${YELLOW}$prompt (default: $default): ${NC}" >&2
     
-    # Check if we have a real terminal
-    if [ -t 0 ]; then
-        if read -t 10 result; then
-            :
-        else
-            result="$default"
-            echo -e "${BLUE} [Timeout: Using $default]${NC}" >&2
-        fi
+    # Try reading from stdin with a 2-second timeout
+    if read -t 2 result; then
+        :
     else
-        # If no terminal, try /dev/tty but don't hang
-        if read -t 2 result < /dev/tty 2>/dev/null; then
-            :
-        else
-            result="$default"
-            echo -e "${BLUE} [Auto-Selected Default: $default]${NC}" >&2
-        fi
+        result="$default"
+        echo -e "${BLUE} [Defaulting to $default]${NC}" >&2
     fi
     
     val=${result:-$default}
     eval "$var_name=\"$val\""
 }
 
-echo "DEBUG: Checking dependencies..."
+# 1. Dependency Management
 if ! command -v sbcl >/dev/null 2>&1 || ! command -v emacs >/dev/null 2>&1; then
-    echo -e "${YELLOW}! Missing dependencies (SBCL/Emacs).${NC}"
-    # Just auto-install if we are in a non-interactive pipe
-    if [ ! -t 0 ]; then
-        DO_INSTALL="y"
-        echo -e "${BLUE}[Auto-Pilot: Installing dependencies]${NC}"
-    else
-        prompt_user "Should I attempt to install them for you? [Y/n]" "y" "DO_INSTALL"
-    fi
-    
-    if [[ "$DO_INSTALL" =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
-        if command -v apt-get >/dev/null; then
-            sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y sbcl emacs git curl socat
-        elif command -v pacman >/dev/null; then
-            sudo pacman -S --noconfirm sbcl emacs git curl socat
-        fi
+    echo -e "${BLUE}Installing dependencies...${NC}"
+    if command -v apt-get >/dev/null; then
+        sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install -y sbcl emacs git curl socat
     fi
 fi
 
-echo "DEBUG: Checking Quicklisp..."
-if [ ! -d "$HOME/quicklisp" ] && [ ! -d "$HOME/.quicklisp" ]; then
-    echo -e "${YELLOW}! Quicklisp not found.${NC}"
-    if [ ! -t 0 ]; then
-        DO_QL="y"
-        echo -e "${BLUE}[Auto-Pilot: Installing Quicklisp]${NC}"
-    else
-        prompt_user "Install Quicklisp now? [Y/n]" "y" "DO_QL"
-    fi
-    if [[ "$DO_QL" =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]; then
-        curl -O https://beta.quicklisp.org/quicklisp.lisp
-        sbcl --non-interactive --load quicklisp.lisp \
-             --eval "(quicklisp-quickstart:install)" \
-             --eval "(ql-util:without-prompting (ql:add-to-init-file))"
-        rm quicklisp.lisp
-    fi
+# 2. Quicklisp
+if [ ! -d "$HOME/quicklisp" ]; then
+    echo -e "${BLUE}Installing Quicklisp...${NC}"
+    curl -O https://beta.quicklisp.org/quicklisp.lisp
+    sbcl --non-interactive --load quicklisp.lisp --eval "(quicklisp-quickstart:install)" --eval "(ql-util:without-prompting (ql:add-to-init-file))"
+    rm quicklisp.lisp
 fi
 
-echo "DEBUG: Starting Tangle..."
+# 3. Tangling
+echo -e "${BLUE}Tangling source files...${NC}"
 mkdir -p src
 for f in literate/*.org; do
-    echo "  - DEBUG: Tangling $f"
-    emacs --batch --eval "(require 'org)" --eval "(org-babel-tangle-file \"$f\")" >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+    echo "  - $f"
+    emacs --batch --eval "(require 'org)" --eval "(org-babel-tangle-file \"$f\")" >/dev/null 2>&1
 done
 
-echo "DEBUG: Tangle Loop Finished."
-
-if [ ! -f "src/package.lisp" ]; then
-    echo -e "${RED}✗ Tangling failed. Essential files missing in src/.${NC}"
+if [ -f "src/package.lisp" ]; then
+    echo -e "${GREEN}✓ Core tangled successfully.${NC}"
+else
+    echo -e "${RED}✗ Tangle failed!${NC}"
     exit 1
 fi
-echo -e "${GREEN}✓ Core tangled successfully.${NC}"
 
-echo "DEBUG: Configuring Env..."
+# 4. Configuration
 if [ ! -f .env ]; then cp .env.example .env; fi
 
-# For environment variables, just use defaults if no terminal
-if [ ! -t 0 ]; then
-    USER_NAME="User"
-    AGENT_NAME="OpenCortex"
-    LLM_CHOICE="1"
-    echo -e "${BLUE}[Auto-Pilot: Using default configuration]${NC}"
-else
-    prompt_user "What is your name?" "User" "USER_NAME"
-    prompt_user "What shall we name your Assistant?" "OpenCortex" "AGENT_NAME"
-    echo -e "\nSelect neural provider (1:Gemini, 2:OpenRouter, 3:Anthropic, 4:OpenAI)"
-    prompt_user "Choice" "1" "LLM_CHOICE"
-fi
+prompt_user "What is your name?" "User" "USER_NAME"
+prompt_user "What shall we name your Assistant?" "OpenCortex" "AGENT_NAME"
+prompt_user "Select provider (1:Gemini, 2:OpenRouter)" "1" "LLM_CHOICE"
 
 sed -i "s/MEMEX_USER=.*/MEMEX_USER=\"$USER_NAME\"/g" .env
 sed -i "s/MEMEX_ASSISTANT=.*/MEMEX_ASSISTANT=\"$AGENT_NAME\"/g" .env
 
-# Path Alignment (Automated)
-PROJECT_ROOT=$(pwd)
-PARENT_DIR=$(dirname "$PROJECT_ROOT")
-sed -i "s|MEMEX_DIR=.*|MEMEX_DIR=\"$PARENT_DIR\"|g" .env
-sed -i "s|ZETTELKASTEN_DIR=.*|ZETTELKASTEN_DIR=\"$PARENT_DIR/notes\"|g" .env
-sed -i "s|SKILLS_DIR=.*|SKILLS_DIR=\"$PROJECT_ROOT/skills\"|g" .env
+# Path Alignment
+sed -i "s|MEMEX_DIR=.*|MEMEX_DIR=\"$(dirname $(pwd))\"|g" .env
+sed -i "s|SKILLS_DIR=.*|SKILLS_DIR=\"$(pwd)/skills\"|g" .env
 
-echo -e "\n${GREEN}==============================================${NC}"
-echo -e "${GREEN}    OpenCortex Installation Complete!        ${NC}"
-echo -e "${GREEN}==============================================${NC}"
-echo -e "To start the brain: ./opencortex.sh"
+echo -e "\n${GREEN}=== OpenCortex Ready ===${NC}"