feat(host/gamescope): headless game mode that follows the box + matches the client

Make Steam game mode work on a display-less streaming host and stream it at the
client's resolution:

* Ship /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam (packaging/bazzite/
  gamescope-headless-session, installed by the RPM + Arch PKGBUILD): fall back to
  gamescope's headless backend when no display is connected, so "Switch to Game
  Mode" boots offscreen instead of crashing on the missing panel (and 5-striking
  back to desktop). No-op on display-attached boxes; only sets unset values so
  the host's per-client mode still wins.

* Default Bazzite/SteamOS to ATTACH (PUNKTFUNK_GAMESCOPE_ATTACH=1 in host.env):
  the box owns its session (Desktop<->Game, persistent), the host follows +
  captures it and never tears it down — so switching is rock-solid and a
  disconnect leaves the box in its mode (reconnect returns there).

* Resize-on-attach (gamescope.rs): on connect, ensure the box's own game-mode
  session runs at the CLIENT's resolution — reuse it when already matching (fast
  path, no restart), else reconfigure + restart the box's own autologin
  gamescope-session-plus@<client> at the client mode (cooperative: no competing
  unit, so no autologin-respawn fight). Detect the live gamescope's -W/-H via
  argv[0] in /proc (its /proc/<pid>/exe is unreadable for that process).

Validated live on a headless bazzite-deck-nvidia box: game mode boots headless +
stable (0 strikes); the host attaches + streams video/audio/EIS input; a
5120x1440 client reuses the matching session and streams at 5120x1440.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay/linux/gamescope.rs

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 //! `inject/libei.rs`) — wired and live-validated.
 
 use super::{Mode, VirtualDisplay, VirtualOutput};
-use anyhow::{anyhow, Context, Result};
+use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context, Result};
 use std::process::{Child, Command, Stdio};
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 
@@ -110,12 +110,11 @@ impl VirtualDisplay for GamescopeDisplay {
         // PUNKTFUNK_GAMESCOPE_NODE=<id|auto>; "auto" discovers the gamescope `Video/Source` node.
         if let Ok(id) = std::env::var("PUNKTFUNK_GAMESCOPE_NODE") {
             let node_id: u32 = if id.trim().eq_ignore_ascii_case("auto") {
-                find_gamescope_node().ok_or_else(|| {
-                    anyhow!(
-                        "PUNKTFUNK_GAMESCOPE_NODE=auto but no running gamescope Video/Source node \
-                         was found — is the headless gamescope/Steam session up?"
-                    )
-                })?
+                // Attach to the box-owned game-mode session, but FIRST make it run at the connecting
+                // client's resolution (the box is headless, so its game-mode mode is ours to set).
+                // Reuse if it already matches (fast, no restart); otherwise relaunch the box's own
+                // session at the client mode. Without this the client gets the box's default mode.
+                ensure_box_gamescope_mode(mode)?
             } else {
                 id.parse()
                     .context("PUNKTFUNK_GAMESCOPE_NODE must be a node id or 'auto'")?
@@ -368,6 +367,150 @@ fn create_managed_session_steamos(mode: Mode) -> Result<VirtualOutput> {
     })
 }
 
+/// ATTACH at the CLIENT's resolution: ensure the box's own game-mode session is running at `mode`'s
+/// output size, then return its capture node. Reuses the running session if it already matches (no
+/// restart — the rock-solid fast path a stable client always hits); otherwise reconfigures + restarts
+/// the box's OWN autologin `gamescope-session-plus@<client>` unit at the client mode. Restarting the
+/// box's own unit (rather than spawning a competing one) avoids the autologin-respawn fight the old
+/// MANAGED path hit. A headless box has no physical panel, so its game-mode resolution is ours to set;
+/// Steam restarts only on an actual resolution CHANGE.
+fn ensure_box_gamescope_mode(mode: Mode) -> Result<u32> {
+    let target = (mode.width, mode.height);
+    // Fast path: already at the client's resolution — just attach to the live node.
+    if current_gamescope_output_size() == Some(target) {
+        if let Some(node) = find_gamescope_node() {
+            tracing::info!(
+                w = mode.width,
+                h = mode.height,
+                node,
+                "gamescope: box game-mode session already at the client's resolution — reusing"
+            );
+            return Ok(node);
+        }
+    }
+    let Some(unit) = running_autologin_gamescope_unit() else {
+        // No box-owned autologin session to reconfigure (a bare/foreign gamescope): attach to
+        // whatever node exists, accepting its resolution.
+        return find_gamescope_node().ok_or_else(|| {
+            anyhow!(
+                "no running gamescope Video/Source node — is the headless game mode up? \
+                 (put the box into Steam Game Mode)"
+            )
+        });
+    };
+    tracing::info!(
+        from = ?current_gamescope_output_size(),
+        to_w = mode.width,
+        to_h = mode.height,
+        hz = mode.refresh_hz,
+        %unit,
+        "gamescope: relaunching the box game-mode session at the client's resolution"
+    );
+    // The session reads SCREEN_WIDTH/HEIGHT (+ CUSTOM_REFRESH_RATES) from the user-manager
+    // environment; set them and restart the box's own unit.
+    systemctl_user(&[
+        "set-environment",
+        &format!("SCREEN_WIDTH={}", mode.width),
+        &format!("SCREEN_HEIGHT={}", mode.height),
+        &format!("CUSTOM_REFRESH_RATES={}", mode.refresh_hz.max(1)),
+    ]);
+    systemctl_user(&["restart", &unit]);
+    // Wait for the relaunched session to come up at the new size and publish its capture node. The
+    // node appears when gamescope is up (well before Steam finishes booting); the caller's
+    // first-frame retry absorbs Steam's cold start.
+    let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(45);
+    loop {
+        if current_gamescope_output_size() == Some(target) {
+            if let Some(node) = find_gamescope_node() {
+                tracing::info!(
+                    node,
+                    w = mode.width,
+                    h = mode.height,
+                    "gamescope: box game-mode session relaunched at the client's resolution"
+                );
+                return Ok(node);
+            }
+        }
+        if Instant::now() >= deadline {
+            bail!(
+                "box game-mode session did not come up at {}x{} within 45s after relaunch \
+                 (Steam may still be booting)",
+                mode.width,
+                mode.height
+            );
+        }
+        std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(500));
+    }
+}
+
+/// Output (capture) resolution `-W <w> -H <h>` of the running `gamescope` binary, parsed from its
+/// `/proc/<pid>/cmdline`. `None` if no gamescope is running or the flags aren't present.
+fn current_gamescope_output_size() -> Option<(u32, u32)> {
+    for entry in std::fs::read_dir("/proc").ok()?.flatten() {
+        let name = entry.file_name();
+        let Some(pid) = name.to_str() else { continue };
+        if !pid.bytes().all(|b| b.is_ascii_digit()) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        let Ok(raw) = std::fs::read(format!("/proc/{pid}/cmdline")) else {
+            continue;
+        };
+        let args: Vec<String> = raw
+            .split(|&b| b == 0)
+            .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
+            .map(|s| String::from_utf8_lossy(s).into_owned())
+            .collect();
+        // Match the gamescope BINARY by argv[0]'s basename — NOT /proc/<pid>/exe, which is commonly
+        // unreadable for the gamescope process (returns empty). The session wrapper scripts run as
+        // bash/sh (argv[0] != gamescope), so they're excluded; the -W/-H presence check below is the
+        // final filter.
+        let is_gamescope = args
+            .first()
+            .map(|a0| a0.rsplit('/').next().unwrap_or(a0) == "gamescope")
+            .unwrap_or(false);
+        if !is_gamescope {
+            continue;
+        }
+        let flag = |names: &[&str]| -> Option<u32> {
+            args.iter().enumerate().find_map(|(i, a)| {
+                names
+                    .contains(&a.as_str())
+                    .then(|| args.get(i + 1).and_then(|v| v.parse().ok()))
+                    .flatten()
+            })
+        };
+        if let (Some(w), Some(h)) = (
+            flag(&["-W", "--output-width"]),
+            flag(&["-H", "--output-height"]),
+        ) {
+            return Some((w, h));
+        }
+    }
+    None
+}
+
+/// The running autologin gaming-mode unit (`gamescope-session-plus@<client>.service`), if any — the
+/// box's own game-mode session, which [`ensure_box_gamescope_mode`] reconfigures + restarts.
+fn running_autologin_gamescope_unit() -> Option<String> {
+    let out = Command::new("systemctl")
+        .args([
+            "--user",
+            "list-units",
+            "--type=service",
+            "--state=running",
+            "--no-legend",
+            "--plain",
+            "gamescope-session-plus@*.service",
+        ])
+        .output()
+        .ok()?;
+    String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout)
+        .lines()
+        .filter_map(|l| l.split_whitespace().next())
+        .find(|u| u.starts_with("gamescope-session-plus@") && u.ends_with(".service"))
+        .map(|u| u.to_string())
+}
+
 /// Stop every running autologin gaming-mode session (`gamescope-session-plus@*.service`) so its
 /// single-instance Steam is free for our own host-managed session. Records the units so
 /// [`schedule_restore_tv_session`] can restart them on disconnect. Our own session is the transient

packaging/arch/PKGBUILD

@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ package_punktfunk-host() {
               'xdg-desktop-portal-wlr: portal for the headless Sway session helper'
               'punktfunk-web: browser management console (device pairing + status)')
   install=punktfunk-host.install
+  # User-editable config: the headless game-mode drop-in (see below) — don't clobber local edits.
+  backup=('etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam')
   local R; R="$(_repo)"; local T="$srcdir/target/release"
 
   install -Dm0755 "$T/punktfunk-host"                 "$pkgdir/usr/bin/punktfunk-host"
@@ -100,6 +102,11 @@ package_punktfunk-host() {
   install -Dm0644 "$R/scripts/host.env.example"              "$pkgdir/usr/share/punktfunk/host.env.example"
   install -Dm0644 "$R/packaging/bazzite/host.env"            "$pkgdir/usr/share/punktfunk/host.env.bazzite"
   install -Dm0644 "$R/packaging/kde/host.env"                "$pkgdir/usr/share/punktfunk/host.env.kde"
+  # Headless GAME-mode fix: gamescope-session-plus drop-in that uses the headless backend when no
+  # display is connected (so SteamOS/Bazzite "Switch to Game Mode" works on a display-less streaming
+  # host). No-op on display-attached boxes; sourced as /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam.
+  install -Dm0644 "$R/packaging/bazzite/gamescope-headless-session" \
+    "$pkgdir/etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam"
   install -Dm0644 "$R/api/openapi.json"                 "$pkgdir/usr/share/punktfunk/openapi.json"
   install -Dm0644 "$R/LICENSE-MIT"    "$pkgdir/usr/share/licenses/punktfunk-host/LICENSE-MIT"
   install -Dm0644 "$R/LICENSE-APACHE" "$pkgdir/usr/share/licenses/punktfunk-host/LICENSE-APACHE"

packaging/bazzite/gamescope-headless-session

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# punktfunk: headless game-mode fallback for gamescope-session-plus.
+#
+# Installed as /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam. The gamescope-session-plus launcher
+# SOURCES this (shell, with `set -a` so assignments auto-export) AFTER its /usr/share defaults, so it
+# can override the session's gamescope flags.
+#
+# Why: on a box with NO connected display (a dedicated streaming host), the stock Steam game mode runs
+# gamescope's DRM backend against a physical panel (`--prefer-output *,eDP-1`). With nothing to scan
+# out, gamescope crashes on launch; after 5 strikes Bazzite/SteamOS force-selects the desktop session
+# and "Switch to Game Mode" appears broken. Falling back to gamescope's HEADLESS backend makes game
+# mode render entirely offscreen and expose a PipeWire node, which the punktfunk host captures and
+# streams — full gamescope game mode (per-game res / FSR / HDR / VRR / frame-limit), no monitor needed.
+#
+# Safe by construction:
+#   * NO-OP when any display is connected -> the normal DRM game mode runs unchanged.
+#   * Only sets values that are still unset (`: "${VAR:=...}"`), so the punktfunk host's per-client
+#     mode (SCREEN_WIDTH/SCREEN_HEIGHT injected via systemd-run for a managed session) still wins.
+if ! grep -qx connected /sys/class/drm/*/status 2>/dev/null; then
+    : "${BACKEND:=headless}"
+    : "${SCREEN_WIDTH:=1920}"
+    : "${SCREEN_HEIGHT:=1080}"
+fi

packaging/bazzite/host.env

@@ -20,13 +20,25 @@ PUNKTFUNK_ZEROCOPY=1
 #   PUNKTFUNK_COMPOSITOR=kwin|mutter|wlroots|gamescope
 #   PUNKTFUNK_INPUT_BACKEND=libei|wlr|gamescope|uinput
 #
-# In Gaming Mode the host MANAGES a gamescope-session-plus at the CLIENT's resolution by default
-# (tears the TV's autologin down on connect; restores it on a debounced idle, reused on a quick
-# reconnect). To instead ATTACH to the running TV session at its own mode (couch-on-TV — gaming
-# stays live on the panel, no Steam restart), set:
-#   PUNKTFUNK_GAMESCOPE_ATTACH=1
-#   PUNKTFUNK_GAMESCOPE_APP=steam -gamepadui   # only for an ad-hoc bare-spawn fallback
+# GAME MODE = ATTACH (the box owns its session; the host follows). The box decides whether it's in
+# Steam Gaming Mode or a Desktop — you switch with the normal Steam UI / "Switch to Desktop". The
+# host just ATTACHES to whatever's live and captures it; it never tears the session down or relaunches
+# it. So switching Desktop<->Game is rock-solid, and when you disconnect the box STAYS in its current
+# mode — reconnecting drops you right back where you were. The streamed resolution in game mode is the
+# box's gamescope mode (see SCREEN_WIDTH/HEIGHT in /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam).
+PUNKTFUNK_GAMESCOPE_ATTACH=1
+#
+# Opt OUT to the MANAGED model instead (host tears the box's gamescope down on connect and launches
+# its OWN at the CLIENT's exact resolution; restores on a debounced idle). Client-mode-following, but
+# it does not coexist with a box-owned game-mode session — pick one:
+#   PUNKTFUNK_GAMESCOPE_MANAGED=1   # (and remove PUNKTFUNK_GAMESCOPE_ATTACH above)
 #
 # Follow a Gaming<->Desktop switch MID-STREAM (rebuild the backend in place, no reconnect). This is
 # ON BY DEFAULT on Bazzite/SteamOS (the host detects the platform); set =0 to disable it:
 #   PUNKTFUNK_SESSION_WATCH=0
+#
+# HEADLESS GAME MODE: on a box with no display attached, Bazzite's "Switch to Game Mode" normally
+# crashes (gamescope's DRM backend has no panel to drive). The host package ships
+# /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam, which auto-falls-back to gamescope's HEADLESS backend
+# when no display is connected — so game mode boots offscreen and streams, with no config here. It's a
+# no-op on display-attached boxes. (The host then auto-detects Gaming and streams it.)

packaging/rpm/punktfunk.spec

@@ -233,6 +233,13 @@ install -Dm0644 packaging/kde/host.env                 %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/%
 # screencast/virtual-output grant ships as io.unom.Punktfunk.Host.desktop, installed above).
 install -d %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/%{name}/bazzite
 install -Dm0755 packaging/bazzite/kde-desktop-setup.sh %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/%{name}/bazzite/kde-desktop-setup.sh
+# Headless GAME-mode fix: a gamescope-session-plus sessions.d drop-in that falls back to gamescope's
+# headless backend when no display is connected (so "Switch to Game Mode" works on a display-less
+# streaming host instead of crashing + 5-striking back to desktop). No-op on display-attached boxes.
+# Sourced by gamescope-session-plus as /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam (after its
+# /usr/share defaults). Harmless on non-gamescope systems (the file is simply never read).
+install -Dm0644 packaging/bazzite/gamescope-headless-session \
+                %{buildroot}/etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam
 install -Dm0644 api/openapi.json                  %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/%{name}/openapi.json
 
 %if %{with web}
@@ -262,6 +269,9 @@ install -Dm0644 web/web.env.example                %{buildroot}%{_datadir}/punkt
 %{_userunitdir}/punktfunk-host.service
 %{_userunitdir}/punktfunk-kde-session.service
 %{_datadir}/applications/io.unom.Punktfunk.Host.desktop
+%dir /etc/gamescope-session-plus
+%dir /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d
+%config(noreplace) /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam
 %dir %{_datadir}/%{name}
 %{_datadir}/%{name}/*