docs: refresh Windows host page for new users; drop stale Status/NVIDIA-only/SudoVDA

Rewrite the Windows host docs page for first-time setup, on par with the
other host guides: remove the standout "Status:" banner, restructure into
Requirements / Install (web console + pairing + configure) / How it works /
Notes & limits.

Bring the content up to date with the shipping host:
- encode is all-vendor (NVENC/AMF/QSV + software fallback), not NVIDIA-only
- virtual display is punktfunk's own pf-vdisplay IDD (SudoVDA removed)
- gamepads need no prerequisite — UMDF drivers bundled; ViGEmBus is gone
- add HDR10 + Vulkan-game HDR layer coverage

Fix the same stale claims where other pages cross-reference the Windows host
(requirements, running-as-a-service, install, roadmap, status).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
2026-06-28 11:22:50 +00:00
parent 61aa1053e7
commit 04dd3e3a19
6 changed files with 102 additions and 54 deletions
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@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ signed installer — see [Windows Host](/docs/windows-host) for what it includes
```
3. Run `punktfunk-host-setup-<ver>.exe` (elevated). It installs to `C:\Program Files\punktfunk`,
optionally installs the bundled **SudoVDA** virtual-display driver, and registers + starts the
installs the bundled **pf-vdisplay** virtual-display driver, and registers + starts the
`LocalSystem` service (`/VERYSILENT` for an unattended install). Upgrades and uninstall go through
Add/Remove Programs.
You need an NVIDIA GPU + driver (the host is NVENC-only on Windows). More detail — including the CLI
`punktfunk-host service install` path — is in
For hardware encode you need a GPU — NVIDIA (NVENC), AMD (AMF), or Intel (QSV); there's a software
fallback without one. More detail — including the CLI `punktfunk-host service install` path — is in
[Running as a Service → Windows](/docs/running-as-a-service#windows).
## What the packages are
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@@ -19,9 +19,10 @@ environments it supports today, each with its own guide:
Other wlroots compositors (Sway/Hyprland) also work but aren't a primary target. If your desktop isn't
listed, the host still needs one of these compositor backends to create a virtual display.
> **Windows host:** punktfunk also runs as a native host on **Windows 10/11 (x64) with an NVIDIA GPU**
> — a signed installer that registers a service and bundles a virtual-display driver. It's NVIDIA-only
> and newer than the Linux host; see [Windows Host](/docs/windows-host).
> **Windows host:** punktfunk also runs as a native host on **Windows 10/11 (x64)** — a signed
> installer that registers a service and bundles a virtual-display driver. It encodes on NVIDIA
> (NVENC), AMD (AMF), or Intel (QSV), with a software fallback, and is newer than the Linux host; see
> [Windows Host](/docs/windows-host).
## GPU and driver
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@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ see [Status & Progress](/docs/status).
from one process.
- **Native-resolution virtual displays** on Linux across KWin, GNOME/Mutter, gamescope, and
Sway/wlroots, with a fully zero-copy GPU path to NVENC (stable 240 fps at 5120×1440).
- **A native Windows host** (NVIDIA, x64) — a signed installer with secure-desktop capture and a
- **A native Windows host** (x64; NVIDIA/AMD/Intel encode) — a signed installer with secure-desktop capture and a
bundled virtual-display driver, and the only host that can stream **HDR** (10-bit BT.2020 PQ,
captured from an HDR Windows desktop and encoded as HEVC Main10). See
[Windows Host](/docs/windows-host). *(Beta — newer than the Linux host.)*
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ see [Status & Progress](/docs/status).
- **Apple stage-2 presenter as the default.** The lower-latency `VTDecompressionSession`
`CAMetalLayer` path is live behind an opt-in flag and graduating to the default.
- **Web console parity.** Surfacing the speed test and bitrate picker the apps already have.
- **Windows host hardening.** Broader real-world testing, AMD/Intel encode (NVIDIA-only today), and
bundling the ViGEm gamepad driver.
- **Windows host hardening.** Broader real-world testing — especially on-glass validation of the
AMD (AMF) and Intel (QSV) encode paths, which are CI-green but newer than NVENC.
## 🔭 Planned
@@ -95,13 +95,14 @@ model Sunshine/Apollo use.
The easy path is the **signed installer**: download `punktfunk-host-setup-<ver>.exe` from the package
registry ([`punktfunk-host-windows`](https://git.unom.io/unom/-/packages)) and run it. It drops the host
into `C:\Program Files\punktfunk`, optionally installs the bundled **SudoVDA** virtual-display driver,
and registers + starts the service for you (`/VERYSILENT` for unattended). Upgrades and uninstall are
into `C:\Program Files\punktfunk`, installs the bundled **pf-vdisplay** virtual-display driver, and
registers + starts the service for you (`/VERYSILENT` for unattended). Upgrades and uninstall are
handled through Add/Remove Programs.
Prefer the CLI? Run `punktfunk-host service install` from an elevated prompt — see
[Windows service](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/docs/windows-service.md). Either
way you need an NVIDIA GPU + driver (the host is NVENC-only on Windows).
[Windows service](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/docs/windows-service.md). For
hardware encode you need a GPU — NVIDIA (NVENC), AMD (AMF), or Intel (QSV); the host falls back to
software H.264 without one.
## Verifying
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@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ A high-level view of where punktfunk stands. The ordered plan of work is on the
| **Core**`punktfunk-core` + C ABI (protocol · FEC · crypto) | ✅ complete & hardened |
| **GameStream host** (Moonlight-compatible) | ✅ working end-to-end; HDR/surround-audio polish open |
| **Native protocol**`punktfunk/1` (QUIC control + UDP data, GF(2¹⁶) Leopard FEC + AES-GCM) | ✅ full session planes, validated live |
| **Windows host** (NVIDIA, x64) | 🟡 implemented & shipping as a signed installer; NVIDIA-only, newer than the Linux host |
| **Windows host** (x64) | 🟡 implemented & shipping as a signed installer; NVIDIA/AMD/Intel encode, newer than the Linux host |
| **macOS / iOS / iPadOS / tvOS client** | ✅ full client; on-glass stage-2 presenter behind an opt-in flag, becoming the default |
| **Linux client** (`punktfunk-client`, GTK4/libadwaita) | ✅ full client; VAAPI zero-copy decode + software fallback |
| **Windows client** (`punktfunk-client`, WinUI 3) | ✅ stage 1 complete; ships as signed MSIX; on-glass hardware validation pending |
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@@ -1,45 +1,78 @@
---
title: "Windows Host"
description: "Run the punktfunk streaming host on a Windows PC — a first-class, virtual-display host."
description: "Run the punktfunk streaming host on a Windows PC — a first-class, all-vendor, virtual-display host."
---
Set up a punktfunk host on a **Windows 10/11 PC** and stream its desktop or games to any punktfunk or
[Moonlight](/docs/moonlight) client. A signed installer registers a Windows service that streams at the
client's **exact resolution and refresh** via punktfunk's own **virtual display** — including
**HDR10** (10-bit BT.2020 PQ) when your Windows desktop is in HDR mode. The virtual display is created
on the fly, so you need **no second monitor and no dummy HDMI plug**, and capture keeps working even on
the secure desktop (UAC prompts, the lock screen).
**Status: implemented and shipping — x64-only.** Alongside the Linux host, punktfunk runs as a
first-class native **Windows host**: a signed installer registers a `LocalSystem` service that streams
your Windows desktop or games to any punktfunk or Moonlight client, at the client's exact resolution
via a **virtual display** — including **HDR10** (10-bit BT.2020 PQ) when your Windows desktop is in HDR
mode. punktfunk has its own **indirect display driver (IDD)** that the host pushes finished frames
straight into, so you get a real on-the-fly virtual display with no physical monitor or dummy HDMI
plug — even on the secure desktop (UAC / lock screen). The Windows host is newer and less
battle-tested than the Linux host. (The Linux host is 8-bit only — HDR there is blocked upstream.)
> New to this? Skim [Requirements](/docs/requirements) first.
> This page is about the Windows **host** (streaming *from* a Windows PC). To stream *to* a Windows
> PC, see the [Windows client](/docs/clients#windows-desktop-client).
> This page is about the Windows **host** streaming *from* a Windows PC. To stream *to* a Windows PC,
> see the [Windows client](/docs/clients#windows-desktop-client).
## Requirements
- **Windows 10/11, x64.** ARM64 is not supported — both NVENC and the virtual-display driver are
x64-only.
- **An NVIDIA GPU + driver.** The host encodes with NVENC (`nvEncodeAPI64.dll`); there is no other
encoder backend on Windows.
- **(Optional) ViGEmBus** for virtual gamepads — a manual prerequisite for now
([releases](https://github.com/nefarius/ViGEmBus/releases)).
- **Windows 10 or 11, x64.** ARM64 is not built (no ARM64 NVIDIA driver, and the virtual-display
driver is x64-only).
- **A GPU for hardware encode** — the host auto-detects the vendor:
- **NVIDIA** → NVENC
- **AMD** → AMF
- **Intel** → QSV
No discrete GPU? The host falls back to a **software H.264** encoder (higher CPU use, lower quality —
fine for light desktop use).
- **No gamepad prerequisite.** The virtual gamepad drivers are bundled in the installer — there is
nothing else to download. (Earlier builds needed ViGEmBus; it is no longer used.)
## Install
Download the signed `punktfunk-host-setup-<ver>.exe` from the package registry and run it — it
installs the host into `C:\Program Files\punktfunk`, optionally installs the bundled **SudoVDA**
virtual-display driver, and registers + starts the service. Full steps (including the silent install
and the CLI `punktfunk-host service install` path) are in
[Running as a Service → Windows](/docs/running-as-a-service#windows); packaging internals live in
Download the signed `punktfunk-host-setup-<ver>.exe` from the
[package registry](https://git.unom.io/unom/-/packages) and run it. The installer:
- drops the host into `C:\Program Files\punktfunk` and registers + starts the **`PunktfunkHost`**
service,
- installs the bundled **virtual-display driver** (`pf-vdisplay`) so the host can create per-client
displays,
- installs the bundled **virtual gamepad drivers** (DualSense, DualShock 4, Xbox 360),
- registers the bundled **HDR Vulkan layer** so Vulkan games can enable HDR over the virtual display,
- sets up the **web management console** (see below).
For an unattended install, append `/VERYSILENT`. Upgrades and uninstall go through **Add/Remove
Programs**; your config and pairings are kept across upgrades. Prefer the CLI, or want the full
service/firewall details? See [Running as a Service → Windows](/docs/running-as-a-service#windows).
Packaging internals live in
[`packaging/windows`](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/windows/README.md).
### Web console & pairing
The installer also sets up the **web management console** (status, paired devices, the PIN pairing
flow): it bundles the console plus its own bun runtime and runs it as the **`PunktfunkWeb`** service
on **`http://<this-PC>:3000`**, starting at boot. During setup you choose the console **login
password** (pre-filled with a secure random default and shown again on the final page); change it
later in `%ProgramData%\punktfunk\web-password`. Open the console from any browser on the LAN and log
in — no extra install, and the host's management API stays loopback-only behind it.
flow): it bundles the console plus its own runtime and runs it as the **`PunktfunkWeb`** service on
**`http://<this-PC>:3000`**, starting at boot. During setup you choose the console **login password**
(pre-filled with a secure random default and shown again on the final page); change it later in
`%ProgramData%\punktfunk\web-password`.
The host **requires PIN pairing** by default (secure on a LAN). To connect the first time, open the
console from any browser on the LAN, log in, go to **Devices → arm pairing**, and enter the PIN on
your [client](/docs/clients). The host's own management API stays loopback-only behind the console.
### Configure
The service reads `%ProgramData%\punktfunk\host.env`. The defaults work out of the box; common knobs:
- `PUNKTFUNK_ENCODER=auto``auto` picks NVENC/AMF/QSV by GPU vendor. Force one with `nvenc`, `amf`,
`qsv`, or `sw` (software).
- `PUNKTFUNK_HOST_CMD` — the service runs `serve --gamestream` by default (native punktfunk/1 **plus**
the GameStream/Moonlight-compat planes). Set it to `serve` for a **secure native-only** host with no
GameStream surface (GameStream pairs over plain HTTP and uses weaker legacy encryption — trusted LAN
only).
Edit the file, then restart: `punktfunk-host service stop` / `punktfunk-host service start`. See the
[Configuration reference](/docs/configuration) for every option.
## How it works
@@ -58,23 +91,36 @@ pipeline orchestration are all shared with the Linux host. The Windows host is a
| Subsystem | Linux backend | Windows backend |
|---|---|---|
| **Capture** | xdg ScreenCast portal → PipeWire (dmabuf) | **Windows.Graphics.Capture** (+ Desktop Duplication for the secure desktop) → D3D11 texture; FP16/10-bit when the desktop is HDR |
| **Virtual display** | KWin / Mutter / Sway / gamescope | **SudoVDA** signed IDD — create a `WxH@Hz` monitor per session, capture it, tear it down |
| **Encode** | `ffmpeg-next` NVENC (CUDA hwframes) | **NVENC** with a D3D11 device (`--features nvenc`); HEVC Main10 / BT.2020 PQ for HDR |
| **Capture** | xdg ScreenCast portal → PipeWire (dmabuf) | **Windows.Graphics.Capture** + **Desktop Duplication** (secure desktop), with a zero-copy path straight from the virtual-display driver; FP16/10-bit when the desktop is HDR |
| **Virtual display** | KWin / Mutter / Sway / gamescope | **pf-vdisplay** signed IDD — create a `WxH@Hz` monitor per session, capture it, tear it down |
| **Encode** | NVENC (CUDA) / VAAPI (AMD·Intel) / software | **NVENC** (NVIDIA) · **AMF** (AMD) · **QSV** (Intel) · software H.264; HEVC Main10 / BT.2020 PQ for HDR |
| **Input — mouse/keyboard** | libei / wlr protocols | **SendInput** (Win32 VK + absolute mouse) |
| **Input — gamepads** | uinput Xbox 360 pad + rumble | **ViGEm** virtual pad + rumble back-channel |
| **Input — gamepads** | uinput Xbox 360 + UHID DualSense/DS4 | **UMDF** virtual pads — DualSense, DualShock 4, Xbox 360 (XUSB) + rumble |
| **Audio capture** | PipeWire sink-monitor | **WASAPI loopback** |
| **Virtual mic** | PipeWire `Audio/Source` | WASAPI virtual mic |
The virtual display uses **[SudoVDA](https://github.com/VirtualDrivers)** (the Sunshine Virtual
Display Adapter) — a pre-built, signed Indirect Display Driver — so there is **no kernel driver to
author or WHQL-sign**. The installer bundles and stages it; if it's absent, the host falls back to
capturing an existing monitor (losing the per-client native-resolution output).
The virtual display uses **pf-vdisplay**, punktfunk's own all-Rust **Indirect Display Driver (IDD)**
the host pushes finished frames straight into it, so you get a real virtual display with no physical
monitor or dummy plug. The installer bundles and stages the (self-signed) driver; if it isn't
installed, the host falls back to capturing an existing monitor, losing the per-client native-resolution
output.
## Limitations
### HDR
- **NVIDIA-only.** NVENC is the only encoder backend — there is no AMD / Intel / software encode path
on Windows.
- **x64-only.** No ARM64 build (no ARM64 NVIDIA driver, and SudoVDA is x64-only).
When your Windows desktop is in **HDR** mode, the host captures it as 10-bit, encodes **HEVC Main10 /
BT.2020 PQ**, and the client auto-detects HDR from the stream. A small always-on **Vulkan layer**
(bundled and registered by the installer) also lets **Vulkan games** enable HDR over the virtual
display — something the NVIDIA/AMD drivers otherwise refuse on an indirect display. The layer is
self-gating: it's a no-op on SDR and on real monitors. HDR is **Windows-only** (the Linux host is
8-bit, blocked upstream).
## Notes & limits
- **AMD / Intel encode is newer.** The NVENC path is the most exercised; AMF (AMD) and QSV (Intel) are
built and tested in CI but less battle-tested on real hardware. Software H.264 is the GPU-less
fallback.
- **x64-only.** No ARM64 build — no ARM64 NVIDIA driver, and the virtual-display driver is x64-only.
- **Newer than the Linux host.** The Linux host is the most battle-tested path; the Windows host is
more recent, with the virtual-mic and gamepad backends the youngest pieces.
more recent, with the virtual-mic and AMD/Intel encode backends the youngest pieces.
Trouble? See [Troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting) and [Pairing](/docs/pairing).