diff --git a/lib/common.sh b/lib/common.sh
index 219d35b..acfa991 100644
--- a/lib/common.sh
+++ b/lib/common.sh
@@ -143,19 +143,25 @@ ui_quiet_run() {
         cur=$(sed -n "$((before+1)),\$p" "$log" 2>/dev/null \
                 | grep -E '^(Installing|Upgrading|Downgrading|Removing|Verifying|Preparing|Cleanup):' \
                 | tail -n 1 || true)
+        # Compose ONCE, then clamp to the terminal width: a live line longer
+        # than the screen wraps on every redraw and floods the screen with
+        # duplicate partial lines (VM-proven on the 80-col TTY).
+        local cols line
+        cols=$(tput cols 2>/dev/null)
+        [[ "$cols" =~ ^[0-9]+$ ]] || cols=80
+        if [[ -n "$cur" ]]; then
+            line="$msg: $cur"
+        else
+            line="$msg"
+        fi
+        if (( ${#line} > cols - 2 )); then
+            line="${line:0:cols-4}.."
+        fi
         if (( depth >= 16 )); then
             local code="${bg[$(( f % ${#bg[@]} ))]}"
-            if [[ -n "$cur" ]]; then
-                printf '\r\033[%sm \033[0m %s: %s' "$code" "$msg" "$cur" >&2
-            else
-                printf '\r\033[%sm \033[0m %s' "$code" "$msg" >&2
-            fi
+            printf '\r\033[%sm \033[0m %s' "$code" "$line" >&2
         else
-            if [[ -n "$cur" ]]; then
-                printf '\r  %s %s: %s' "${ch[$(( f % ${#ch[@]} ))]}" "$msg" "$cur" >&2
-            else
-                printf '\r  %s %s' "${ch[$(( f % ${#ch[@]} ))]}" "$msg" >&2
-            fi
+            printf '\r  %s %s' "${ch[$(( f % ${#ch[@]} ))]}" "$line" >&2
         fi
         f=$(( f + 1 ))
         sleep "$tick"
diff --git a/setup.sh b/setup.sh
index d690993..235c5bb 100755
--- a/setup.sh
+++ b/setup.sh
@@ -376,15 +376,16 @@ ALWAYS_PACKAGES=(
     "ghostty ghostty-bash-completion zsh zsh-syntax-highlighting"
     # Utilities
     "fastfetch bash-completion hwinfo lshw duf chrony man-db tree xdg-user-dirs rsync bat hddtemp powertop inxi acpi plocate nm-connection-editor"
-    "python3-pylint qt6-qtsvg qt6-qtvirtualkeyboard qt6-qtmultimedia arandr catfish galculator NetworkManager network-manager-applet"
-    "numlockx pipewire pipewire-alsa pipewire-pulse wireplumber pavucontrol playerctl gparted"
+    "python3-pylint qt6-qtsvg qt6-qtvirtualkeyboard qt6-qtmultimedia catfish galculator NetworkManager network-manager-applet"
+    "pipewire pipewire-alsa pipewire-pulse wireplumber pavucontrol playerctl gparted"
     "system-config-printer system-config-printer-applet system-config-printer-libs ripgrep meld btop htop"
     # File Managers
     "thunar thunar-archive-plugin thunar-volman baobab gvfs-smb squashfs-tools"
     # Internet
     "wget"
     # Compression tools
-    "zip gzip p7zip unace unrar xarchiver"
+    # (p7zip was RETIRED in Fedora 44; '7zip' is the official replacement)
+    "zip gzip 7zip unace unrar xarchiver"
     # Office and Editors
     "libreoffice"
     # Multimedia
@@ -394,11 +395,21 @@ ALWAYS_PACKAGES=(
 step "6 Always-installed packages"
 rule
 
+always_failed=""
 for category in "${ALWAYS_PACKAGES[@]}"; do
     # shellcheck disable=SC2086
-    install_packages $category
+    if ! install_packages $category; then
+        color_red "  Failed: $category"
+        color_red "  (a package in this line has no match — the rest of the install continues)"
+        always_failed="yes"
+        pause_if_debug
+    fi
 done
-ok "Always-packages installed."
+if [[ -z "$always_failed" ]]; then
+    ok "Always-packages installed."
+else
+    warn "Always-packages finished with failures (see red lines above)."
+fi
 pause_if_debug
 
 #------------------------------------------