The latest update is a milestone. For the first time in a long time, the following issues are resolved:
- cryptsetup password entry works properly
- USB devices enabled after boot
- Function keys reliably sticky between cold restarts
But the “Dash to Panel” Gnome shell extension needed an update, which froze. A reboot got it working again. Always a spin of the wheel of fortune when installing updates. 
Now that I have posted, one of the above will break again. Sorry.