Well, I copy new fonts to:

TTF: /usr/share/fonts/truetype
OTF: /usr/share/fonts/opentype
ATM: /usr/share/fonts/type1, not really supported any more nowadays

and I create a new directory for them below that paths. Do the copy with root privileges, and make sure the directory has 755 as octal rights and the fonts have 644 as octal rights.

Works fine.

My two cents:
1.) The sudo issue
I am talking about the installer in expert mode. I am only using this mode since I am experienced enough to understand where the possible problems are, and I know what to expect and where I can tweak the installations.
The installer gives you the choice to enable the root account with an administrative password. Then sudo is not installed. When you think you need the sudo package, you have to add that package after first boot into the system.
If you deny a root password, sudo is getting installed, and you have to use it the Ubuntu way for admin tasks. When you do not like this, you can assign a password to root and then login as root or use su -.
2.) My experience with EFI
I have several modern PCs that partially have pure EFI bios like my laptop, some older ones (AMD X470/X570) still have CSM as backup. I am installing them in pure EFI mode, SB is disabled and the keys are getting deleted. I never had any trust in SB. CSM is off an all these machines. No other setting needs to be changed. My laptop was something special, an Acer Aspire5. To be able to modify the Bios settings, I had first of all to set an admin PW for the Bios.
Chimaera should be able to be installed with and without SB. You just have to boot the installer in EFI mode. Note: you will typically get the boot medium twice in the boot override: one is marked with the comment EFI, make sure you use this one. The other just shows the device name, thats for installation in legacy mode.
No idea about the HW in the Lifebook, and if some components are too new for stock Chimaera. If stock Chimaera does not satisfy, the first step would be to add kernel and firmware from backports.
3.) You are using the expert installer. Make sure you load the installer components. This is one of the first steps past selecting the language settings. If you skip that step you will get very limited install options, e.g. you ext2 as file system, no ext3/4 options.

Good luck.

Edith: just had a look at some test reports for this device. You should be fine with stock Chimaera.

Daedalus is testing, you will have to live with what you get. Its no different from Debian Testing = Bookworn. When it is released officially, you will get the full story.

I had some trouble with a 6700XT under Chimaera, refer to https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=5364, moved to Daedalus and the PC is working fine since then.

Your system is encrypted, so the /usr/share/... path isn't available to grub when booting.

The solution is to copy the /usr/share/desktop-base/grub-themes/desktop-grub-theme-files to /boot/grub/themes. This will provide the default layout in an unencrypted location. Every now and then the /etc/default/grub may get overwritten by updates. Then you have to fiddle again.

I have no idea what will happen if you simply comment the themes-line from /etc/default/grub. That may cause a real hickup...

You need to dig a bit deeper into the path on your selected server. The Daedalus directory it self was created in 2021, below you should find up to date previews, the latest seems to be dated March 27th.

BTW: basic non-free stuff is already integrated, there are no separate isos as with Debian.

With a Ventoj multiboot stick never use automated install! You will need to use manual partitioning to have full control where the system goes. This works perfectly.

Could it be that grub searches for the theme on the encrypted system device? Check /etc/default/grub.

When this is the case you may need to move the theme files to the unencrypted /boot.

Daedalus: rsyslog 8.2302.0-1devuan1 reads

#!/bin/sh

if [ -d /run/systemd/system ] && [ -x /usr/lib/rsyslog/rsyslog-rotate.real ]; then
    /usr/lib/rsyslog/rsyslog-rotate.real "$@"
elif [ -x /etc/init.d/rsyslog ]; then
    invoke-rc.d rsyslog rotate > /dev/null
fi

This is not the Chimaera backports package!!!

Edith: And logrotate does seem to work on my laptop.

Obviously this is an efi installation. When you removed the SSD with Devuan and put in another device, the Devuan boot entry in the efi flash was removed when booting. That's why you can't directly boot into the previously working Devuan system. This seems to be a built-in efi functionality.

As a fix, boot the installer medium again, call up the rescue mode, chroot into the Devuan installation on the SSD, and re-install grub. You may also use a life system, chroot is a bit more complicated than with the installer.

Good luck.

After some more unsystematic fiddeling I compared the two /etc/network/interfaces files and found that in Daedalus the initial eth0 wired connection still was enabled. Wired at home was no problem. Guess what, after reboot I got into the hotel's network.

This post is from my laptopn running Daedalus via wifi.

Thanks for the suggestion, rolfie