diff --git a/lib/functions/logging/runners.sh b/lib/functions/logging/runners.sh
index 8e5dbe78dd..925af27b0a 100644
--- a/lib/functions/logging/runners.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/logging/runners.sh
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ function chroot_sdcard_apt_get_install_dry_run() {
 	chroot_sdcard_apt_get --no-install-recommends --dry-run install "$@" "${logging_filter}"
 }
 
+function chroot_sdcard_apt_get_update() {
+	apt_logging="-q" chroot_sdcard_apt_get update
+}
+
 function chroot_sdcard_apt_get_remove() {
 	DONT_MAINTAIN_APT_CACHE="yes" chroot_sdcard_apt_get remove "$@"
 }
@@ -27,7 +31,7 @@ function chroot_sdcard_apt_get_remove() {
 function chroot_sdcard_apt_get() {
 	acng_check_status_or_restart # make sure apt-cacher-ng is running OK.
 
-	local -a apt_params=("-y" "-qq")
+	local -a apt_params=("-y" "${apt_logging:-"-qq"}") # super quiet by default, but can be tweaked up, for update for example
 	if [[ "${MANAGE_ACNG}" == "yes" ]]; then
 		display_alert "Using managed apt-cacher-ng" "http://localhost:3142" "debug"
 		apt_params+=(
diff --git a/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh b/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh
index c3099170db..46a4fd6d52 100644
--- a/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ function create_new_rootfs_cache() {
 
 	# stage: update packages list
 	display_alert "Updating package list" "$RELEASE" "info"
-	do_with_retries 3 chroot_sdcard_apt_get update
+	do_with_retries 3 chroot_sdcard_apt_get_update
 
 	# stage: upgrade base packages from xxx-updates and xxx-backports repository branches
 	display_alert "Upgrading base packages" "Armbian" "info"
diff --git a/lib/functions/rootfs/distro-agnostic.sh b/lib/functions/rootfs/distro-agnostic.sh
index f9f25cf970..1af06aca67 100644
--- a/lib/functions/rootfs/distro-agnostic.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/rootfs/distro-agnostic.sh
@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ function install_distribution_agnostic() {
 	fi
 
 	display_alert "Updating" "apt package lists"
-	do_with_retries 3 chroot_sdcard_apt_get update
+	do_with_retries 3 chroot_sdcard_apt_get_update
 
 	# install image packages; AGGREGATED_PACKAGES_IMAGE is produced by aggregation.py
 	# and includes the old PACKAGE_LIST_BOARD and PACKAGE_LIST_FAMILY
diff --git a/lib/functions/rootfs/rootfs-desktop.sh b/lib/functions/rootfs/rootfs-desktop.sh
index 288a16759d..a337f01ff2 100644
--- a/lib/functions/rootfs/rootfs-desktop.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/rootfs/rootfs-desktop.sh
@@ -1,23 +1,24 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 # a-kind-of-hook, called by install_distribution_agnostic() if it's a desktop build
-desktop_postinstall() {
+function desktop_postinstall() {
 
 	# disable display manager for the first run
 	disable_systemd_service_sdcard lightdm.service
 	disable_systemd_service_sdcard gdm3.service
 
-	# update packages index
-	chroot_sdcard_apt_get "update"
+	# @TODO: why? 
+	display_alert "Updating package lists" "for desktop" "info"
+	do_with_retries 3 chroot_sdcard_apt_get_update
 
-	# @TODO: rpardini: this is... missing from aggregation...?
-	# install per board packages
+	# @TODO: rpardini: this is... missing from aggregation...? it is used by 2 boards.
+	# install per board packages, desktop-only, packages.
 	if [[ -n ${PACKAGE_LIST_DESKTOP_BOARD} ]]; then
 		chroot_sdcard_apt_get_install "$PACKAGE_LIST_DESKTOP_BOARD"
 	fi
 
-	# install per family packages
-	if [[ -n ${PACKAGE_LIST_DESKTOP_FAMILY} ]]; then
+	# install per family packages (desktop only)
+	if [[ -n ${PACKAGE_LIST_DESKTOP_FAMILY} ]]; then # @TODO: used by 0 boards
 		chroot_sdcard_apt_get_install "$PACKAGE_LIST_DESKTOP_FAMILY"
 	fi