Point package managers at China mirrors on cn installs

npm, PyPI and uv, Go, rustup and crates.io, RubyGems and Bundler,
and Maven reach their registries slowly or not at all from China.
On a cn install, link the profile's environment, cargo and gem
drop-ins into place. A regular file the admin wrote is never
replaced; the install fails instead.

AGENTS.md

@@ -96,6 +96,11 @@ Exceptions are allowed for migration and package-helper scripts where the helper
 - Do not add `aliases` to new menu entries. Aliases are reserved for
   established alternate names users already type, kept for compatibility.
 
+# Region
+
+- `/etc/omarchy/region` holds the region the installer derived from the timezone (`cn`); no file means Global. The profile lives in `default/regions/cn/`, its contract in `docs/regions.md`.
+- `install/config/region.sh` links the `cn` developer mirrors into `/etc` and `/.cargo` and refuses to replace a regular file it did not create.
+
 # Config Structure
 
 - `config/` - default configs copied to `~/.config/`

bin/omarchy-apply-pacman

@@ -53,21 +53,25 @@ else
   trap 'rm -rf "$staging"' EXIT
 fi
 cp "$OMARCHY_PATH/default/pacman/pacman-$channel.conf" "$staging/pacman.conf"
-cp "$OMARCHY_PATH/default/pacman/mirrorlist-$channel" "$staging/mirrorlist"
-if [[ $region != "global" ]]; then
+if [[ $region == "global" ]]; then
+  cp "$OMARCHY_PATH/default/pacman/mirrorlist-$channel" "$staging/mirrorlist"
+else
   profile="$OMARCHY_PATH/default/regions/$region/pacman"
   printf '\n' >> "$staging/pacman.conf"
   cat "$profile/pacman.conf.append" >> "$staging/pacman.conf"
-  cat "$profile/mirrorlist.append" >> "$staging/mirrorlist"
+  # pacman tries servers in order, so the regional mirror leads and the
+  # channel's own mirror stays as the fallback.
+  cat "$profile/mirrorlist-$channel.prepend" "$OMARCHY_PATH/default/pacman/mirrorlist-$channel" > "$staging/mirrorlist"
 fi
-[[ -z $render_dir ]] || exit 0
 
-mkdir -p "$etc/pacman.d"
-for file in pacman.conf pacman.d/mirrorlist; do
-  if [[ -e $etc/$file ]]; then
-    cp -f "$etc/$file" "$etc/$file.bak"
-  fi
-done
-# Copying over an existing file keeps its owner and mode, as refresh always has.
-cp -f "$staging/pacman.conf" "$etc/pacman.conf"
-cp -f "$staging/mirrorlist" "$etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist"
+if [[ -z $render_dir ]]; then
+  mkdir -p "$etc/pacman.d"
+  for file in pacman.conf pacman.d/mirrorlist; do
+    if [[ -e $etc/$file ]]; then
+      cp -f "$etc/$file" "$etc/$file.bak"
+    fi
+  done
+  # Copying over an existing file keeps its owner and mode, as refresh always has.
+  cp -f "$staging/pacman.conf" "$etc/pacman.conf"
+  cp -f "$staging/mirrorlist" "$etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist"
+fi

bin/omarchy-channel-set

@@ -55,10 +55,15 @@ validate_dev_region() {
   [[ -f $region_file ]] && region=$(<"$region_file")
   [[ $region == "global" ]] && return 0
 
-  # The refresh after linking needs a runnable helper and both fragments, not
-  # just a directory with the region's name.
-  local profile="$checkout/default/regions/$region/pacman"
-  if [[ ! -x $checkout/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman || ! -r $profile/pacman.conf.append || ! -r $profile/mirrorlist.append ]]; then
+  # The refresh after linking needs a runnable helper and every fragment, not
+  # just a directory with the region's name: dev refreshes edge, and leaving
+  # dev later refreshes stable or rc with this checkout's tools.
+  local profile="$checkout/default/regions/$region/pacman" fragment supported=true
+  [[ -x $checkout/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman ]] || supported=false
+  for fragment in pacman.conf.append mirrorlist-stable.prepend mirrorlist-rc.prepend mirrorlist-edge.prepend; do
+    [[ -r $profile/$fragment ]] || supported=false
+  done
+  if ! $supported; then
     fail "$checkout does not support the '$region' region, so switching would drop its package repositories. Check out a branch with default/regions/$region, or remove $region_file to use global defaults."
   fi
 }

bin/omarchy-provision-owner

@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ set -euo pipefail
 PROVISIONING_DIR=/var/lib/omarchy/provisioning
 OMARCHY_PATH="${OMARCHY_PATH:-/usr/share/omarchy}"
 LOG_FILE=/var/log/omarchy-provision-owner.log
-REGION_MARKER=/etc/omarchy/region
 
 if (( EUID != 0 )); then
   echo "Error: omarchy-provision-owner must run as root" >&2
@@ -651,21 +650,7 @@ user_form() {
   omarchy_prompt_hostname || return $?
 
   step "Let's set your timezone..."
-  omarchy_prompt_timezone "$(region_timezone)" || return $?
-}
-
-# The zone a region profile preselects when there is no geo guess, which is
-# every offline first boot. Reads the marker omarchy-apply-pacman reads; global,
-# missing, or malformed regions offer nothing.
-region_timezone() {
-  local region=global profile
-  if [[ -r $REGION_MARKER ]]; then
-    region=$(<"$REGION_MARKER")
-  fi
-  profile="$OMARCHY_PATH/default/regions/$region/timezone"
-  if [[ $region =~ ^[a-z]{2}$ && -r $profile ]]; then
-    head -n 1 "$profile"
-  fi
+  omarchy_prompt_timezone || return $?
 }
 
 confirm_form() {

default/regions/cn/cargo.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[source.crates-io]
+replace-with = "aliyun"
+
+[source.aliyun]
+registry = "sparse+https://mirrors.aliyun.com/crates.io-index/"

default/regions/cn/environment.conf

@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+NPM_CONFIG_REGISTRY=https://registry.npmmirror.com
+PIP_INDEX_URL=https://mirrors.aliyun.com/pypi/simple/
+UV_DEFAULT_INDEX=https://mirrors.aliyun.com/pypi/simple/
+GOPROXY=https://mirrors.aliyun.com/goproxy/,direct
+RUSTUP_DIST_SERVER=https://mirrors.aliyun.com/rustup
+RUSTUP_UPDATE_ROOT=https://mirrors.aliyun.com/rustup/rustup
+BUNDLE_MIRROR__ALL=https://mirrors.aliyun.com/rubygems/
+MAVEN_ARGS=--global-settings /usr/share/omarchy/default/regions/cn/maven-settings.xml

default/regions/cn/gemrc

@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+---
+:sources:
+- https://mirrors.aliyun.com/rubygems/

default/regions/cn/maven-settings.xml

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<settings>
+  <mirrors>
+    <mirror>
+      <id>aliyun</id>
+      <mirrorOf>central</mirrorOf>
+      <url>https://maven.aliyun.com/repository/public</url>
+    </mirror>
+  </mirrors>
+</settings>

default/regions/cn/pacman/mirrorlist-edge.prepend

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Server = https://mirror.omarchy.cn/$repo/os/$arch

default/regions/cn/pacman/mirrorlist-rc.prepend

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Server = https://rc-mirror.omarchy.cn/$repo/os/$arch

default/regions/cn/pacman/mirrorlist-stable.prepend

@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Server = https://stable-mirror.omarchy.cn/$repo/os/$arch

default/regions/cn/pacman/mirrorlist.append

@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Server = https://mirrors.ustc.edu.cn/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch

default/regions/cn/timezone

@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Asia/Shanghai

default/regions/cn/timezones

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Installs in these timezones get this region. The installer's timezone list
+# includes tzdata's backward-compatible names, so they are listed too.
+Asia/Shanghai
+Asia/Urumqi
+Asia/Chongqing
+Asia/Chungking
+Asia/Harbin
+Asia/Kashgar
+PRC

docs/regions.md

@@ -1,36 +1,47 @@
-# Regional ISO defaults
+# Regional defaults
 
-Regions customize bootstrap defaults independently of update channels. Country identifiers are lowercase, officially assigned ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes. `global` is a reserved value for no country-specific additions. Only implemented profiles are accepted; currently `global` and `cn`.
+Regions customize bootstrap defaults independently of update channels and of the installer's language. Country identifiers are lowercase, officially assigned ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes. `global` is a reserved value for no country-specific additions. Only implemented profiles are accepted; currently `global` and `cn`.
 
 ## Runtime configuration
 
-The ISO installer writes the selected region to `/etc/omarchy/region` before target finalization. It is plain text, not executable configuration. A missing file means `global`; an unsupported value is an error.
+The ISO installer writes the region it derived to `/etc/omarchy/region` before target finalization. It is plain text, not executable configuration, owned by root and world-readable (`0644`), because refresh renders as the calling user. A missing file means `global`; an unsupported value is an error.
 
-`omarchy-apply-pacman <stable|rc|edge> [target-root]` restores the selected channel's two pacman templates and appends `default/regions/<region>/pacman/{pacman.conf.append,mirrorlist.append}`. Both files are generated before either live file is replaced. Existing files are backed up with `.bak`. Dev uses the edge pacman channel, as before.
+`omarchy-apply-pacman <stable|rc|edge> [target-root]` restores the selected channel's two pacman templates, appends the region's `pacman.conf.append` to `pacman.conf`, and puts the region's `mirrorlist-<channel>.prepend` ahead of the channel's mirrorlist. Both files are generated before either live file is replaced. Existing files are backed up with `.bak`. Dev uses the edge pacman channel, as before.
 
 Both installation finalization and `omarchy-refresh-pacman` use this command. Explicit refreshes and channel changes restore regional defaults; ordinary updates do not enforce them. The existing `pre-refresh-pacman` user hook runs after regeneration and before the update, so users can maintain overrides there. Switching to the dev channel refuses a checkout that lacks this machine's region profile, because that checkout's own refresh would otherwise drop the regional repositories. Users can edit the files directly or set the region to `global` before a refresh to stop applying regional repository defaults. This does not uninstall packages or rewrite anything in existing home directories.
 
-The China profile keeps the channel's Omarchy Arch mirror first, appends USTC's regular Arch mirror, and adds the USTC ArchLinuxCN community repository. It does not change the `[omarchy]` package repository. USTC's mirror, run by the University of Science and Technology of China, and ArchLinuxCN, a long-standing community repository, are a practical bridge until Omarchy runs its own mirror in China. USTC is not a stable/RC snapshot replica: missing old packages and newer fallback databases remain compatibility risks.
+Refresh renders both files as the calling user and gives root only the finished copies, so the sudo boundary stays command-scoped. That boundary does not defend against other code already running as the same user: such code could change the rendered files while refresh waits for the password, as it could alter that user's own environment in other ways.
 
-## ISO builder contract
+The China profile puts Omarchy's China replica of the channel's Arch mirror first (`stable-mirror.omarchy.cn`, `rc-mirror.omarchy.cn`, or `mirror.omarchy.cn` for edge and dev) and keeps the channel's `.org` mirror as the fallback. pacman tries servers in order and moves to the next one when a download fails, including a 404. After three failed downloads from one server, it skips that server for the rest of the transaction. It also takes the package databases from the first server that answers, without comparing them, so the China replicas must carry complete, current metadata. The profile also adds the ArchLinuxCN community repository from USTC's mirror, run by the University of Science and Technology of China. It does not change the `[omarchy]` package repository. ArchLinuxCN is rolling and built against current Arch, while stable and RC are snapshots, so its packages can need newer libraries than a stable machine has.
 
-The companion `omarchy-iso` repository accepts `--region global|cn`, passes `OMARCHY_REGION` into the build container, and records it in `/root/omarchy_region` on the ISO. Non-global artifact and offline-cache names gain a region suffix. Existing global names remain unchanged.
+## Profile layout
 
-Regional content comes from the same runtime used by the ISO: either the `--local-source` checkout or the downloaded runtime package. A China build against a runtime without regional support fails rather than silently producing a global installation.
+Each profile lives in `default/regions/<code>/`:
 
-- `packages`: additional target packages, one name per line, with blank lines and `#` comments allowed. The builder merges these into the ISO's copy of `omarchy-base.packages`, so they are both included in the offline repository and installed on the target. The source manifest is not modified.
-- `pacman/`: repository fragments used by the runtime finalizer. The builder also adds the community repository to its writable online config to obtain regional packages; it does not change its Arch channel mirrors.
-- `timezone` (optional): one zone name, such as `Asia/Shanghai`. The setup form preselects it in the timezone list when the network geo guess is unavailable, which is always the case offline. Both callers pass it: the ISO configurator from its copy of the profile, and first-boot setup from `default/regions/<region>/timezone` for the region in `/etc/omarchy/region`. A successful geo guess still wins, and the person can choose any other zone.
-- `skel/` (optional): new-user defaults. The ISO installer overlays these onto target `/etc/skel` after the base settings packages and before user creation, including installations that defer user creation until first boot. It never overlays existing home directories.
+- `timezones`: the timezones that select this region, one per line, with blank lines and `#` comments allowed. List tzdata's backward-compatible names too, since the installer's timezone list includes them. A timezone may belong to at most one profile.
+- `packages`: additional target packages, in the same format. Every ISO carries every profile's packages in its offline repository; the installer installs them only on targets in that region. A package named `<name>-keyring` is the profile's trust anchor: the builder installs it through Arch's existing trust chain, and a regional target populates the `<name>` keyring.
+- `pacman/`: `pacman.conf.append`, added after the channel's `pacman.conf`, and one `mirrorlist-<channel>.prepend` per channel (`stable`, `rc`, `edge`), placed ahead of the channel's mirrorlist so the regional mirror is tried first.
 
-For China, the builder installs `archlinuxcn-keyring` using the existing Arch trust chain before downloading other regional packages. Signature or keyring failures abort the build; no unverified keyserver trust or online signature bypass is added. The keyring is also installed on the target from the offline package set, then initialized and populated before online repositories are enabled. The ISO's existing offline repository verification policy is unchanged.
+## ISO installer contract
+
+There is one ISO for every region. The companion `omarchy-iso` repository reads the profiles from the runtime it bundles, so a region and its repository defaults can never disagree.
+
+- **Build:** every profile's `packages` go into the offline repository, but not into the base package list. The builder adds each profile's community repository to its writable online config to download them; it does not change its Arch channel mirrors.
+- **Install:** the installer maps the timezone the user picked to a region through the `timezones` files; a timezone no profile lists means `global`. It shows the result on the summary screen. Unattended installs can set the region explicitly instead. For a regional install it installs the profile's packages from the offline repository and writes `/etc/omarchy/region`; the runtime finalizer then applies the fragments.
+- **Deferred installs** have no timezone until first boot, so they are `global` unless the unattended configuration sets a region.
+
+For China, the builder installs `archlinuxcn-keyring` using the existing Arch trust chain before downloading ArchLinuxCN packages. Signature or keyring failures abort the build; no unverified keyserver trust or online signature bypass is added. On a China target the installer installs the keyring from the offline repository, then initializes and populates it before the online repositories are enabled. Global targets never populate ArchLinuxCN's keys. The ISO's existing offline repository verification policy is unchanged.
 
 ## Scope of the China profile
 
-The China profile provides repository defaults and preselects `Asia/Shanghai` as the timezone. System language (Simplified Chinese) and input-method defaults are planned as separate changes on top of this mechanism: `packages` and `skel/` carry them into the ISO, and the installer stages `skel/` before any user exists.
+The China profile provides repository defaults and developer mirrors. Language is a separate installer choice, not part of a region: a Chinese speaker outside China keeps global mirrors, and a China install in English still gets the regional ones.
+
+## Developer mirrors
+
+The `cn` profile also points the common package managers at mirrors inside China: `environment.conf` (npm, PyPI and uv, Go, rustup, Bundler, and Maven through `MAVEN_ARGS`), `cargo.toml` for crates.io, `gemrc` for RubyGems, and `maven-settings.xml`, which Maven reads in place. During installation `install/config/region.sh` links the first three to `/etc/environment.d/90-omarchy-china.conf`, `/.cargo/config.toml` and `/etc/gemrc` when the marker says `cn`. It refuses to replace a regular file it did not create. The environment reaches sessions started after login.
 
 ## Remaining release validation
 
-Unit tests cover region/channel independence, package-list augmentation, keyring failure handling, pre-user defaults, generated pacman contents, repeat application, and refresh ordering; refresh itself is exercised only inside the sudo-boundary sandbox. They do not establish live mirror availability, real package trust, or successful offline installation. Before distribution, build from matching local checkouts on an x86_64 builder and run the disposable-VM acceptance workflow in `agents/skills/acceptance-tests.md`.
+Unit tests cover region/channel independence, the timezone mapping, generated pacman contents, repeat application, and refresh ordering; refresh itself is exercised only inside the sudo-boundary sandbox. They do not establish live mirror availability, real package trust, or successful offline installation. Before distribution, build from matching local checkouts on an x86_64 builder and run the disposable-VM acceptance workflow in `agents/skills/acceptance-tests.md`.
 
-The China acceptance run must install without network access, boot to a new user, including deferred first-boot user creation, and keep the regional mirrors, repository, marker, and keyring trust through `stable`, `rc`, and `edge` refreshes.
+The acceptance run must install without network access in both directions: a non-China timezone must produce pacman files byte for byte identical to the channel templates, and `Asia/Shanghai` must produce the China profile, boot to a new user, and keep the regional mirrors, repository, marker, and keyring trust through `stable`, `rc`, and `edge` refreshes.

install/config/all.sh

@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+run_logged "$OMARCHY_INSTALL/config/region.sh"
 run_logged "$OMARCHY_INSTALL/config/theme-system.sh"
 run_logged "$OMARCHY_INSTALL/config/browser-policy.sh"
 run_logged "$OMARCHY_INSTALL/config/increase-lockout-limit.sh"

install/config/region.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+cn_links=(
+  "environment.conf /etc/environment.d/90-omarchy-china.conf"
+  "cargo.toml /.cargo/config.toml"
+  "gemrc /etc/gemrc"
+)
+
+# The installer writes the marker from the timezone.
+region=global
+if [[ -e /etc/omarchy/region ]]; then
+  region=$(</etc/omarchy/region)
+fi
+
+case $region in
+global) ;;
+cn)
+  for link in "${cn_links[@]}"; do
+    read -r _ target <<<"$link"
+    if [[ -e $target && ! -L $target ]]; then
+      echo "Refusing to replace $target, which Omarchy did not create" >&2
+      exit 1
+    fi
+  done
+  for link in "${cn_links[@]}"; do
+    read -r source target <<<"$link"
+    mkdir -p "${target%/*}"
+    ln -sfn "$OMARCHY_PATH/default/regions/cn/$source" "$target"
+  done
+  ;;
+*)
+  echo "Unknown region: $region" >&2
+  exit 1
+  ;;
+esac

install/provisioning/setup-form.sh

@@ -167,13 +167,10 @@ omarchy_prompt_hostname() {
 }
 
 # A fresh machine often hasn't joined a network yet, so the geo guess fails
-# often; guard it or a `set -e` caller dies before the filter fallback. Callers
-# may pass the zone to preselect when there is no guess (a region's default),
-# so an offline install does not open on the top of an alphabetical list.
+# often; guard it or a `set -e` caller dies before the filter fallback.
 omarchy_prompt_timezone() {
   local guess status
   guess=$(tzupdate -p 2>/dev/null) || guess=""
-  [[ -n $guess ]] || guess="${1:-}"
 
   if [[ -n $guess ]]; then
     timezone=$(timedatectl list-timezones | gum choose --height 10 --selected "$guess" --header "Timezone") && status=0 || status=$?

test/shell.d/channel-test.sh

@@ -213,7 +213,23 @@ if grep -Eq $'^(link|refresh)\t' "$log_file"; then
   fail "dev refuses an empty region profile before linking or refreshing pacman" "$(cat "$log_file")"
 fi
 mkdir -p "$checkout/default/regions/cn/pacman"
-touch "$checkout/default/regions/cn/pacman/pacman.conf.append" "$checkout/default/regions/cn/pacman/mirrorlist.append"
+cn_fragments=(pacman.conf.append mirrorlist-stable.prepend mirrorlist-rc.prepend mirrorlist-edge.prepend)
+for missing in "${cn_fragments[@]}"; do
+  for fragment in "${cn_fragments[@]}"; do
+    if [[ $fragment == "$missing" ]]; then
+      rm -f "$checkout/default/regions/cn/pacman/$fragment"
+    else
+      touch "$checkout/default/regions/cn/pacman/$fragment"
+    fi
+  done
+  if OMARCHY_TEST_REGION_FILE="$test_tmp/region" run_channel dev >"$test_tmp/region.out" 2>"$test_tmp/region.err"; then
+    fail "dev refuses a region profile without $missing"
+  fi
+  if grep -Eq $'^(link|refresh)\t' "$log_file"; then
+    fail "dev refuses a profile without $missing before linking or refreshing pacman" "$(cat "$log_file")"
+  fi
+done
+touch "${cn_fragments[@]/#/$checkout/default/regions/cn/pacman/}"
 chmod -x "$checkout/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman"
 if OMARCHY_TEST_REGION_FILE="$test_tmp/region" run_channel dev >"$test_tmp/region.out" 2>"$test_tmp/region.err"; then
   fail "dev refuses a checkout whose pacman helper cannot run"
@@ -221,7 +237,7 @@ fi
 if grep -Eq $'^(link|refresh)\t' "$log_file"; then
   fail "dev refuses incomplete region support before linking or refreshing pacman" "$(cat "$log_file")"
 fi
-pass "dev refuses an empty region profile or a helper that cannot run"
+pass "dev refuses a region profile missing any fragment or a helper that cannot run"
 
 chmod +x "$checkout/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman"
 OMARCHY_TEST_REGION_FILE="$test_tmp/region" run_channel dev

test/shell.d/region-pacman-test.sh

@@ -27,12 +27,12 @@ pass "refresh keeps existing config file modes"
 printf 'cn\n' > "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/omarchy/region"
 for channel in stable rc edge; do
   case "$channel" in
-    stable) host=stable-mirror.omarchy.org ;;
-    rc) host=rc-mirror.omarchy.org ;;
-    edge) host=mirror.omarchy.org ;;
+    stable) host=stable-mirror.omarchy ;;
+    rc) host=rc-mirror.omarchy ;;
+    edge) host=mirror.omarchy ;;
   esac
   apply "$channel"
-  expected=$(printf 'Server = https://%s/$repo/os/$arch\nServer = https://mirrors.ustc.edu.cn/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch' "$host")
+  expected=$(printf 'Server = https://%s.cn/$repo/os/$arch\nServer = https://%s.org/$repo/os/$arch' "$host" "$host")
   [[ $(<"$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist") == "$expected" ]] || fail "$channel mirror order and variables"
   {
     cat "$ROOT/default/pacman/pacman-$channel.conf"
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ for channel in stable rc edge; do
   cmp "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf.bak" "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf"
   cmp "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist.bak" "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist"
 done
-pass "China keeps each channel first, appends only CN defaults, and is idempotent"
+pass "China puts its channel mirror first, keeps the global one as fallback, and is idempotent"
 
 cp "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf" "$scratch/before.conf"
 cp "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist" "$scratch/before.mirrors"
@@ -75,8 +75,8 @@ mkdir -p "$scratch/rendered"
 "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-apply-pacman" --render rc "$scratch/rendered" "$TARGET_ROOT"
 rg -qxF 'Server = https://pkgs.omarchy.org/rc/$arch' "$scratch/rendered/pacman.conf"
 rg -qxF '[archlinuxcn]' "$scratch/rendered/pacman.conf"
-[[ $(<"$scratch/rendered/mirrorlist") == $'Server = https://rc-mirror.omarchy.org/$repo/os/$arch\nServer = https://mirrors.ustc.edu.cn/archlinux/$repo/os/$arch' ]] ||
-  fail "render keeps the channel mirror first"
+[[ $(<"$scratch/rendered/mirrorlist") == $'Server = https://rc-mirror.omarchy.cn/$repo/os/$arch\nServer = https://rc-mirror.omarchy.org/$repo/os/$arch' ]] ||
+  fail "render puts the regional channel mirror first"
 cmp "$scratch/before.conf" "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf"
 pass "render builds the regional channel files without touching the target"
 
@@ -91,8 +91,8 @@ cmp "$ROOT/default/pacman/pacman-stable.conf" "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.conf"
 cmp "$ROOT/default/pacman/mirrorlist-stable" "$TARGET_ROOT/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist"
 pass "users can opt out of regional repository defaults"
 
-# The shipped China profile is repository scaffolding only. Locale, timezone,
-# and input defaults are separate changes built on the same mechanism.
+# The shipped China profile is repository defaults only. Language, locale, and
+# input methods follow the installer's language choice, not the region.
 python3 - <<'PY'
 import os
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -103,3 +103,39 @@ assert packages == {"archlinuxcn-keyring"}, packages
 assert not (region / "skel").exists()
 PY
 pass "China profile adds only its repository keyring"
+
+# The installer derives the region from the chosen timezone, so every profile
+# needs a mapping, and no timezone may select two regions.
+python3 - <<'PY'
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+
+zoneinfo = Path("/usr/share/zoneinfo")
+owners = {}
+for profile in sorted((Path(os.environ["ROOT"]) / "default/regions").iterdir()):
+    lines = (profile / "timezones").read_text().splitlines()
+    zones = [line.strip() for line in lines if line.strip() and not line.startswith("#")]
+    assert zones, f"{profile.name} maps no timezones"
+    for zone in zones:
+        assert zone not in owners, f"{zone} maps to {owners[zone]} and {profile.name}"
+        owners[zone] = profile.name
+        if zoneinfo.is_dir():
+            assert (zoneinfo / zone).is_file(), f"{profile.name} lists unknown timezone {zone}"
+
+# The installer offers tzdata's backward-compatible names too, so China
+# covers every name that links to its two zones and nothing else.
+# Without tzdata.zi (minimal containers) only the canonical zones can be
+# checked, so completeness is enforced where the host has the link table.
+china = {zone for zone, region in owners.items() if region == "cn"}
+expected = {"Asia/Shanghai", "Asia/Urumqi"}
+tzdata = zoneinfo / "tzdata.zi"
+if tzdata.is_file():
+    for line in tzdata.read_text().splitlines():
+        fields = line.split()
+        if len(fields) == 3 and fields[0] == "L" and fields[1] in {"Asia/Shanghai", "Asia/Urumqi"}:
+            expected.add(fields[2])
+    assert china == expected, (china, expected)
+else:
+    assert expected <= china, (china, expected)
+PY
+pass "region profiles map each timezone to at most one region"

test/shell.d/region-refresh-boundary-test.sh

@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ source "$SHELL_TEST_DIR/fixtures/sudo-boundary-test.sh"
 copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-refresh-pacman
 copy_boundary_file bin/omarchy-apply-pacman
 for file in default/pacman/pacman-rc.conf default/pacman/mirrorlist-rc \
-  default/regions/cn/pacman/pacman.conf.append default/regions/cn/pacman/mirrorlist.append; do
+  default/regions/cn/pacman/pacman.conf.append default/regions/cn/pacman/mirrorlist-rc.prepend; do
   copy_boundary_file "$file"
 done
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ PY
   printf '\n'
   cat "$ROOT/default/regions/cn/pacman/pacman.conf.append"
 } >"$boundary_tmp/expected-pacman.conf"
-cat "$ROOT/default/pacman/mirrorlist-rc" "$ROOT/default/regions/cn/pacman/mirrorlist.append" >"$boundary_tmp/expected-mirrorlist"
+cat "$ROOT/default/regions/cn/pacman/mirrorlist-rc.prepend" "$ROOT/default/pacman/mirrorlist-rc" >"$boundary_tmp/expected-mirrorlist"
 cmp -s "$boundary_tmp/expected-pacman.conf" "$SUDO_TEST_CAPTURE/etc/pacman.conf" ||
   fail "root installs the rendered China pacman.conf" "$(diff "$boundary_tmp/expected-pacman.conf" "$SUDO_TEST_CAPTURE/etc/pacman.conf" 2>&1)"
 cmp -s "$boundary_tmp/expected-mirrorlist" "$SUDO_TEST_CAPTURE/etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist" ||

test/shell.d/region-test.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+source "$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/base-test.sh"
+
+test_tmp=$(mktemp -d)
+trap 'rm -rf "$test_tmp"' EXIT
+
+region_setup="$test_tmp/region.sh"
+root="$test_tmp/root"
+sed -e "s|/etc/|$root/etc/|g" -e "s| /\.cargo/| $root/.cargo/|g" "$ROOT/install/config/region.sh" >"$region_setup"
+export OMARCHY_PATH="$ROOT"
+mkdir -p "$root/etc/omarchy"
+
+bash -e "$region_setup"
+[[ -z $(find "$root" -type l) ]] || fail "no marker links nothing"
+pass "no marker installs Global"
+
+echo cn >"$root/etc/omarchy/region"
+bash -e "$region_setup"
+for link in "environment.conf etc/environment.d/90-omarchy-china.conf" "cargo.toml .cargo/config.toml" "gemrc etc/gemrc"; do
+  read -r source target <<<"$link"
+  [[ $(readlink "$root/$target") == "$ROOT/default/regions/cn/$source" ]] || fail "China links /$target to the shipped $source"
+done
+bash -e "$region_setup"
+pass "the cn marker links the developer mirror drop-ins, again without error"
+
+rm "$root/etc/gemrc"
+echo ":sources: []" >"$root/etc/gemrc"
+if output=$(bash -e "$region_setup" 2>&1); then
+  fail "China refuses to replace an admin's /etc/gemrc" "$output"
+fi
+[[ $output == "Refusing to replace $root/etc/gemrc, which Omarchy did not create" && $(<"$root/etc/gemrc") == ":sources: []" ]] ||
+  fail "China names the file it refuses to replace and leaves it" "$output"
+rm "$root/etc/gemrc"
+pass "region setup never replaces mirror config Omarchy did not create"
+
+echo mars >"$root/etc/omarchy/region"
+if output=$(bash -e "$region_setup" 2>&1); then
+  fail "an unknown region fails" "$output"
+fi
+[[ $output == "Unknown region: mars" ]] || fail "region setup names the unknown region" "$output"
+pass "region setup rejects an unknown region"
+
+grep -qx 'run_logged "$OMARCHY_INSTALL/config/region.sh"' "$ROOT/install/config/all.sh" || fail "the install runs region setup"
+pass "the install runs region setup"

test/shell.d/region-timezone-test.sh

@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash
-
-set -euo pipefail
-source "$(cd -- "$(dirname -- "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)/base-test.sh"
-
-scratch=$(mktemp -d)
-trap 'rm -rf "$scratch"' EXIT
-
-zone=$(<"$ROOT/default/regions/cn/timezone")
-[[ $zone == "Asia/Shanghai" ]] || fail "China profile names Asia/Shanghai"
-[[ -f /usr/share/zoneinfo/$zone ]] || fail "China profile timezone exists in tzdata"
-pass "China profile defaults to an existing Asia/Shanghai zone"
-
-# Load the real region_timezone() from the first-boot command.
-OMARCHY_PATH="$ROOT"
-REGION_MARKER="$scratch/region"
-eval "$(sed -n '/^region_timezone() {/,/^}/p' "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-provision-owner")"
-
-[[ -z $(region_timezone) ]] || fail "missing region marker offers no timezone"
-for region in global CN ../cn zz ""; do
-  printf '%s\n' "$region" >"$REGION_MARKER"
-  [[ -z $(region_timezone) ]] || fail "region '$region' offers no timezone"
-done
-pass "global, unknown, and malformed regions offer no timezone"
-
-printf 'cn\n' >"$REGION_MARKER"
-[[ $(region_timezone) == "Asia/Shanghai" ]] || fail "cn region offers Asia/Shanghai"
-pass "cn region offers its profile timezone"
-
-grep -qF 'omarchy_prompt_timezone "$(region_timezone)"' "$ROOT/bin/omarchy-provision-owner" ||
-  fail "first-boot setup passes the region timezone to the prompt"
-pass "first-boot setup preselects the region timezone"

test/shell.d/setup-form-test.sh

@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ fi
 
 trap 'if [[ ${FUNCNAME[0]:-} == "$PROMPT_FN" ]]; then printf "returned\n" >>"$MARKER"; fi' RETURN
 
-"$PROMPT_FN" ${PROMPT_ARG:+"$PROMPT_ARG"}
+"$PROMPT_FN"
 
 printf 'keyboard=%s\n' "${keyboard:-}"
 printf 'keyboard_label=%s\n' "${keyboard_label:-}"
@@ -225,19 +225,6 @@ assert_status 0 "timezone prompt survives a failed geo guess"
 [[ $(head -n 1 "$GUM_ARGS") == filter* ]] || fail "timezone prompt filters when there is no geo guess"
 pass "timezone prompt falls back to filtering when the geo guess fails"
 
-# A region's default stands in for the missing guess, so an offline China
-# install opens on Asia/Shanghai instead of the top of the list
-PROMPT_ARG=Asia/Shanghai run_prompt omarchy_prompt_timezone "0:Asia/Shanghai"
-assert_status 0 "timezone prompt accepts the caller's fallback"
-[[ $(field timezone) == "Asia/Shanghai" ]] || fail "timezone prompt keeps the preselected fallback"
-grep -qF -- '--selected Asia/Shanghai' "$GUM_ARGS" || fail "timezone prompt preselects the caller's fallback"
-[[ $(head -n 1 "$GUM_ARGS") == choose* ]] || fail "timezone prompt chooses from the list when it has a fallback"
-pass "timezone prompt preselects the caller's fallback when the geo guess fails"
-
-TZ_GUESS=Europe/Copenhagen PROMPT_ARG=Asia/Shanghai run_prompt omarchy_prompt_timezone "0:Europe/Copenhagen"
-grep -qF -- '--selected Europe/Copenhagen' "$GUM_ARGS" || fail "a geo guess outranks the caller's fallback"
-pass "timezone prompt prefers the geo guess over the caller's fallback"
-
 run_prompt omarchy_prompt_timezone "0:"
 assert_status 0 "timezone prompt accepts an empty selection"
 [[ $(field timezone) == "UTC" ]] || fail "timezone prompt falls back to UTC"