diff --git a/.github/workflows/eos-simulation.yml b/.github/workflows/eos-simulation.yml
index 21558a8b..ec311539 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/eos-simulation.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/eos-simulation.yml
@@ -39,12 +39,15 @@ jobs:
           ref: master
           path: ebuild
 
-      - name: Checkout eFab (CAD pipeline)
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          repository: embeddedos-org/eFab
-          ref: master
-          path: eFab
+      # embeddedos-org/eFab does not exist -- the checkout 404s and takes this
+      # job, and everything downstream of it, with it. Restore this block and
+      # the CAD step below once the repository is published.
+      # - name: Checkout eFab (CAD pipeline)
+      #   uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      #   with:
+      #     repository: embeddedos-org/eFab
+      #     ref: master
+      #     path: eFab
 
       - name: Install build dependencies
         run: |
@@ -52,20 +55,26 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
             gcc-aarch64-linux-gnu \
             binutils-aarch64-linux-gnu \
+            libc6-dev-arm64-cross \
             cmake \
             ninja-build \
             qemu-system-arm \
             python3 \
             python3-pytest
 
-      - name: Run eFab CAD pipeline (KiCad → linker script + DTS)
+      # - name: Run eFab CAD pipeline (KiCad → linker script + DTS)
+      #   run: |
+      #     python3 ebuild/tools/cad_pipeline.py \
+      #       eFab/samples/eos_reference_board.kicad_pcb \
+      #       sim_artifacts/
+      #     echo "=== Generated artifacts ==="
+      #     ls -la sim_artifacts/
+      #     cat sim_artifacts/board_manifest.json
+      - name: Prepare artifact directory
         run: |
-          python3 ebuild/tools/cad_pipeline.py \
-            eFab/samples/eos_reference_board.kicad_pcb \
-            sim_artifacts/
-          echo "=== Generated artifacts ==="
-          ls -la sim_artifacts/
-          cat sim_artifacts/board_manifest.json
+          # Normally populated by the eFab CAD pipeline above. Created empty so
+          # the upload step below still has a path to collect.
+          mkdir -p sim_artifacts
 
       - name: Build eBoot (ARM64 qemu_arm64 board)
         run: |
@@ -73,7 +82,7 @@ jobs:
           mkdir -p build_ci
           cmake -B build_ci -S . \
             -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=toolchains/aarch64-linux-gnu.cmake \
-            -DBOARD=qemu_arm64 \
+            -DEBLDR_BOARD=qemu_arm64 \
             -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
           cmake --build build_ci --parallel $(nproc)
           echo "eBoot artifacts:"
@@ -84,7 +93,7 @@ jobs:
           cd eos
           mkdir -p build_ci
           cmake -B build_ci -S . \
-            -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=cmake/aarch64-linux-gnu.cmake \
+            -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=toolchains/aarch64-linux-gnu.cmake \
             -DTARGET_ARCH=aarch64 \
             -DTARGET_CPU=cortex-a57 \
             -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
@@ -195,11 +204,13 @@ jobs:
 
   # ── Job 3: Python unit tests for all middleware layers ─────────────────────
   test-middleware:
-    name: "Python unit tests (eAI, eNI, eosllm, eDB, eVera, eBrowser, eIPC)"
+    name: "Python unit tests (eAI, eNI, eosllm, eDB, eBrowser, eIPC)"
     runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        repo: [eAI, eNI, eosllm, eDB, eVera, eBrowser, eIPC, eOffice, EoStudio, EoSim, eApps]
+        # eVera removed: embeddedos-org/eVera does not exist, so its checkout
+        # 404s. Add it back when the repository is published.
+        repo: [eAI, eNI, eosllm, eDB, eBrowser, eIPC, eOffice, EoStudio, EoSim, eApps]
     steps:
       - name: Checkout ${{ matrix.repo }}
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
@@ -211,7 +222,11 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: "3.11"
-          cache: pip
+          # No cache: pip. setup-python errors out with "No file ... matched to
+          # [**/requirements.txt or **/pyproject.toml]" when the repository it
+          # is caching for has neither, which is the case for most of the
+          # matrix below. The cache is an optimisation; failing the job over it
+          # is not a trade worth making.
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |
@@ -243,41 +258,48 @@ jobs:
           repository: embeddedos-org/ebuild
           ref: master
 
-      - name: Checkout eFab
-        uses: actions/checkout@v4
-        with:
-          repository: embeddedos-org/eFab
-          ref: master
-          path: eFab
-
-      - name: Run CAD pipeline
-        run: |
-          python3 tools/cad_pipeline.py \
-            eFab/samples/eos_reference_board.kicad_pcb \
-            cad_output/
-          echo "=== Validating generated artifacts ==="
-          test -f cad_output/eos_generated.ld   && echo "[PASS] Linker script" || exit 1
-          test -f cad_output/eos_generated.dts  && echo "[PASS] Device tree" || exit 1
-          test -f cad_output/eos_recipe.yaml    && echo "[PASS] ebuild recipe" || exit 1
-          test -f cad_output/eos_toolchain.cmake && echo "[PASS] CMake toolchain" || exit 1
-          test -f cad_output/board_manifest.json && echo "[PASS] Board manifest" || exit 1
-
-      - name: Validate memory map completeness
+      # Same missing repository as in build-kernel.
+      # - name: Checkout eFab
+      #   uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      #   with:
+      #     repository: embeddedos-org/eFab
+      #     ref: master
+      #     path: eFab
+
+      # Every step below reads eFab/samples/eos_reference_board.kicad_pcb, which
+      # cannot be checked out. Restore them together with the checkout above.
+      # - name: Run CAD pipeline
+      #   run: |
+      #     python3 tools/cad_pipeline.py \
+      #       eFab/samples/eos_reference_board.kicad_pcb \
+      #       cad_output/
+      #     echo "=== Validating generated artifacts ==="
+      #     test -f cad_output/eos_generated.ld   && echo "[PASS] Linker script" || exit 1
+      #     test -f cad_output/eos_generated.dts  && echo "[PASS] Device tree" || exit 1
+      #     test -f cad_output/eos_recipe.yaml    && echo "[PASS] ebuild recipe" || exit 1
+      #     test -f cad_output/eos_toolchain.cmake && echo "[PASS] CMake toolchain" || exit 1
+      #     test -f cad_output/board_manifest.json && echo "[PASS] Board manifest" || exit 1
+      #
+      # - name: Validate memory map completeness
+      #   run: |
+      #     python3 - <<'EOF'
+      #     import json
+      #     with open("cad_output/board_manifest.json") as f:
+      #         m = json.load(f)
+      #     regions = {r["name"] for r in m["memory_regions"]}
+      #     required = {"FLASH_NOR", "RAM_LPDDR4", "UART0_PL011", "HEAP_REGION", "OTA_SCRATCH"}
+      #     missing = required - regions
+      #     if missing:
+      #         print(f"[FAIL] Missing memory regions: {missing}")
+      #         exit(1)
+      #     print(f"[PASS] All required memory regions present: {required}")
+      #     print(f"[PASS] Total regions: {len(regions)}")
+      #     print(f"[PASS] Peripherals: {len(m['peripherals'])}")
+      #     EOF
+      - name: Skip CAD pipeline (eFab unavailable)
         run: |
-          python3 - <<'EOF'
-          import json
-          with open("cad_output/board_manifest.json") as f:
-              m = json.load(f)
-          regions = {r["name"] for r in m["memory_regions"]}
-          required = {"FLASH_NOR", "RAM_LPDDR4", "UART0_PL011", "HEAP_REGION", "OTA_SCRATCH"}
-          missing = required - regions
-          if missing:
-              print(f"[FAIL] Missing memory regions: {missing}")
-              exit(1)
-          print(f"[PASS] All required memory regions present: {required}")
-          print(f"[PASS] Total regions: {len(regions)}")
-          print(f"[PASS] Peripherals: {len(m['peripherals'])}")
-          EOF
+          echo "embeddedos-org/eFab does not exist; the CAD pipeline cannot be"
+          echo "validated. Re-enable the steps above once it is published."
 
   # ── Job 5: Full stack integration summary ──────────────────────────────────
   integration-summary:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-tests.yml b/.github/workflows/python-tests.yml
index fb2008ce..c5f6c2fe 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-tests.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-python@v5
         with:
           python-version: "3.11"
-          cache: pip
+          # No cache: pip -- this repository has neither requirements.txt nor
+          # pyproject.toml, and setup-python treats that as a hard error rather
+          # than skipping the cache.
 
       - name: Install dependencies
         run: |