diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 75dcc27..998213e 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: build via top-level Makefile (default target)
         # KDIR defaults to /lib/modules/$(uname -r)/build when there's no
-        # .kernel-cache/current, so this exercises the full prepare-build +
+        # kernel-cache/current, so this exercises the full prepare-build +
         # KCFLAGS pipeline against a real (the runner's) kernel.
         run: make modules
 
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index aa02f4b..7dbe701 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 lab.local.env
 
 # Per-target synced kernel headers, source, vmlinux.
-.kernel-cache/
+kernel-cache/
 
 # Generated GDB init files (regenerated by scripts/04 on every F5).
 .gdb/
diff --git a/.vscode/c_cpp_properties.json b/.vscode/c_cpp_properties.json
index 9065b7f..369e863 100644
--- a/.vscode/c_cpp_properties.json
+++ b/.vscode/c_cpp_properties.json
@@ -16,29 +16,30 @@
       ],
       "includePath": [
         "${workspaceFolder}/module/**",
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/include",
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/include/uapi",
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/include/generated",
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/include/generated/uapi",
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/ubuntu/include",
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/arch/x86/include",
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/arch/x86/include/uapi",
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/arch/x86/include/generated",
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/arch/x86/include/generated/uapi"
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/include",
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/include/uapi",
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/include/generated",
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/include/generated/uapi",
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/ubuntu/include",
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/arch/x86/include",
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/arch/x86/include/uapi",
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/arch/x86/include/generated",
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/arch/x86/include/generated/uapi"
       ],
       "browse": {
         "path": [
           "${workspaceFolder}/module",
-          "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/ubuntu/include",
-          "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/include",
-          "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/arch/x86/include"
+          "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/source",
+          "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/ubuntu/include",
+          "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/include",
+          "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/arch/x86/include"
         ],
-        "limitSymbolsToIncludedHeaders": true
+        "limitSymbolsToIncludedHeaders": false
       },
       "forcedInclude": [
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/include/linux/compiler-version.h",
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/include/linux/kconfig.h",
-        "${workspaceFolder}/.kernel-cache/current/build/include/linux/compiler_types.h"
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/include/linux/compiler-version.h",
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/include/linux/kconfig.h",
+        "${workspaceFolder}/kernel-cache/current/build/include/linux/compiler_types.h"
       ]
     }
   ]
diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
index 9503432..63a1f72 100644
--- a/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 {
-  "C_Cpp.default.configurationProvider": "",
   "C_Cpp.default.configurationName": "Linux kernel module - current",
   "C_Cpp.errorSquiggles": "enabled",
   "files.associations": {
@@ -8,7 +7,6 @@
     "Kbuild": "makefile"
   },
   "files.exclude": {
-    ".kernel-cache": true,
     ".gdb": true,
     "build": true
   }
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7c48b92..e38502c 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Top-level wrapper for the user's module under module/.
 #
 # Builds out-of-tree against a target-specific kernel header tree under
-# .kernel-cache/<target>/. Sources are staged into
+# kernel-cache/<target>/. Sources are staged into
 # build/intermediate/<target>/<kernel>/ before Kbuild runs from there,
 # and `-ffile-prefix-map=$(INTERMEDIATE_DIR)=$(MODULE_DIR)` is injected
 # via KCFLAGS so DWARF paths and `__FILE__` resolve back to module/ —
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 # with no knowledge of the staging.
 
 HOST_KERNEL    := $(shell uname -r)
-CURRENT_CACHE  := $(CURDIR)/.kernel-cache/current
+CURRENT_CACHE  := $(CURDIR)/kernel-cache/current
 CURRENT_TARGET := $(shell if [ -e "$(CURRENT_CACHE)" ]; then basename "$$(readlink -f "$(CURRENT_CACHE)")"; else printf local; fi)
 CURRENT_KERNEL := $(shell if [ -f "$(CURRENT_CACHE)/kernel.release" ]; then cat "$(CURRENT_CACHE)/kernel.release"; else printf '$(HOST_KERNEL)'; fi)
 
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ help:
 	@echo "  use-example NAME=chuck_norise    copy an example into module/"
 	@echo "  clean-module                     reset module/ to just README.md"
 	@echo ""
-	@echo "Vars (auto-resolved when .kernel-cache/current points at a target):"
+	@echo "Vars (auto-resolved when kernel-cache/current points at a target):"
 	@echo "  MODULE_DIR        $(MODULE_DIR)"
 	@echo "  KDIR              $(KDIR)"
 	@echo "  BUILD_ID          $(BUILD_ID)"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4dfabf5..3d8b330 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ $EDITOR lab.local.env                                       # TARGET_SSH_*, endp
 ./scripts/01-provision-target.sh server qemu --debug-symbols
 # ...reboot the target VM so new GRUB args take effect...
 
-# 2. host setup: sync everything to .kernel-cache/server/ (one-time)
+# 2. host setup: sync everything to kernel-cache/server/ (one-time)
 ./scripts/02-setup-host-build.sh server
 
 # 3. try the example (or skip and drop your own module under module/)
@@ -73,12 +73,12 @@ examples/chuck_norise/               worked example; `make use-example` copies i
 scripts/00-check-target.sh           preflight: ssh / sudo / headers / vmlinux / endpoint
 scripts/01-provision-target.sh       target-side: headers, vmlinux dbg, kernel source, GRUB args
                                      (`--uninstall` to undo the GRUB args)
-scripts/02-setup-host-build.sh       dev-host: sync headers + vmlinux + source into .kernel-cache/
+scripts/02-setup-host-build.sh       dev-host: sync headers + vmlinux + source into kernel-cache/
 scripts/03-build-module.sh           dev-host: build module/ against the synced headers
 scripts/04-deploy-and-prep-gdb.sh    dev-host: upload, insmod, write .gdb/<target>-<method>.gdb (does NOT attach gdb)
 scripts/lib/common.sh                shared helpers (lab_ssh, lab_ssh_sudo, lab_rsync_from, ...)
 
-.kernel-cache/<target>/              synced build/source/vmlinux (gitignored)
+kernel-cache/<target>/              synced build/source/vmlinux (gitignored)
 build/                               per-target intermediate + final .ko (gitignored)
 .gdb/                                generated GDB init files (gitignored, regenerated each F5)
 
diff --git a/scripts/00-check-target.sh b/scripts/00-check-target.sh
index 23551d5..c6dc443 100755
--- a/scripts/00-check-target.sh
+++ b/scripts/00-check-target.sh
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ esac
 live_kernel="$(lab_ssh 'uname -r' 2>/dev/null || echo unknown)"
 ok "kernel: $live_kernel"
 
-cache_dir="$repo_root/.kernel-cache/$target"
+cache_dir="$repo_root/kernel-cache/$target"
 cached_kernel="$(cat "$cache_dir/kernel.release" 2>/dev/null || echo)"
 if [[ -n "$cached_kernel" && "$cached_kernel" != "$live_kernel" ]]; then
 	warn "cached kernel ($cached_kernel) differs from live; re-run scripts/02-setup-host-build.sh $target"
diff --git a/scripts/02-setup-host-build.sh b/scripts/02-setup-host-build.sh
index c064a41..bc50e64 100755
--- a/scripts/02-setup-host-build.sh
+++ b/scripts/02-setup-host-build.sh
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
 # Sync the target's kernel build tree to the host so an out-of-tree module
 # can be cross-built against the target's exact kernel.
 #
-# Populates .kernel-cache/<target>/ with:
+# Populates kernel-cache/<target>/ with:
 #   build/                  -> synced linux-headers tree
 #   source/                 -> synced linux-source tree (if --debug-symbols was used in 01)
 #   vmlinux                 -> debug-symbol vmlinux from the target (if available)
 #   kernel.release          -> running kernel release
 #   remote.{build,header}.* -> bookkeeping
-# Also updates .kernel-cache/current -> <target> so plain `make` and the
+# Also updates kernel-cache/current -> <target> so plain `make` and the
 # IntelliSense config track the most recently synced target.
 set -euo pipefail
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ lab_check_connection
 kernel="$(lab_ssh 'uname -r')"
 echo "       target $target is running $kernel"
 
-cache_dir="$repo_root/.kernel-cache/$target"
+cache_dir="$repo_root/kernel-cache/$target"
 usr_src_dir="$cache_dir/usr-src"
 build_dir="$cache_dir/build"
 remote_vmlinux="/usr/lib/debug/boot/vmlinux-$kernel"
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ fi
 printf '%s\n' "$kernel" > "$cache_dir/kernel.release"
 printf '%s\n' "$build_real" > "$cache_dir/remote.build.path"
 printf '%s\n' "${remote_header_dirs[@]}" > "$cache_dir/remote.header.paths"
-ln -sfn "$target" "$repo_root/.kernel-cache/current"
+ln -sfn "$target" "$repo_root/kernel-cache/current"
 
 echo
 echo "synced $target kernel $kernel"
diff --git a/scripts/03-build-module.sh b/scripts/03-build-module.sh
index bf3b486..ff4d2b1 100755
--- a/scripts/03-build-module.sh
+++ b/scripts/03-build-module.sh
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ repo_root="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)"
 source "$repo_root/scripts/lib/common.sh"
 validate_target "$target" "usage: $0 <target>"
 
-cache_dir="$repo_root/.kernel-cache/$target"
+cache_dir="$repo_root/kernel-cache/$target"
 kernel_file="$cache_dir/kernel.release"
 kdir="$cache_dir/build"
 
diff --git a/scripts/04-deploy-and-prep-gdb.sh b/scripts/04-deploy-and-prep-gdb.sh
index c969337..6c790d3 100755
--- a/scripts/04-deploy-and-prep-gdb.sh
+++ b/scripts/04-deploy-and-prep-gdb.sh
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ insmod_wait_secs="${INSMOD_WAIT_SECS:-30}"
 
 # --- Locate artifact + vmlinux, verify target is on the cached kernel ----
 
-cache_dir="$repo_root/.kernel-cache/$target"
+cache_dir="$repo_root/kernel-cache/$target"
 kernel_file="$cache_dir/kernel.release"
 vmlinux="$cache_dir/vmlinux"
 
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ grep -vE '^(target remote |set mi-async |set target-async |set tcp connect-timeo
 
 ln -sfn "$target-$debug_method.gdb" "$gdb_dir/current-debug.gdb"
 ln -sfn "$target-$debug_method-attached.gdb" "$gdb_dir/current-debug-attached.gdb"
-ln -sfn "../.kernel-cache/$target/vmlinux" "$gdb_dir/current-vmlinux"
+ln -sfn "../kernel-cache/$target/vmlinux" "$gdb_dir/current-vmlinux"
 
 echo
 echo "ready. GDB endpoint: $debug_endpoint"