docs(design): add multi-user / profiles design (schema-of-record)

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

.cargo/audit.toml

@@ -5,8 +5,11 @@
 # means the audit job stops flagging it, so the reasoning must hold up.
 #
 # NOTE: `cargo audit` (no `--deny warnings`) fails only on *vulnerabilities*, not on the
-# `unmaintained` warnings (audiopus_sys / paste / rustls-pemfile). Those are left visible on purpose
-# so we keep getting the maintenance signal — they do not fail CI.
+# `unmaintained` warnings (audiopus_sys via opus, paste via utoipa-axum). Both are transitive, at
+# their latest published version with no successor, so there's nothing to bump — left visible on
+# purpose so we keep getting the maintenance signal; they do not fail CI. (rustls-pemfile was dropped
+# 2026-06-29 by removing axum-server's unused tls-rustls feature + moving our own PEM parsing to
+# rustls-pki-types; memmap2's unsoundness was fixed by the 0.9.11 bump.)
 
 [advisories]
 ignore = [

.dockerignore

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 # Root build context is used only by web/Dockerfile, which needs web/ and
-# docs/api/openapi.json. Allowlist those; keep everything else (target/, .git, crates)
+# api/openapi.json. Allowlist those; keep everything else (target/, .git, crates)
 # out of the context upload.
 *
 !web
-!docs/api/openapi.json
+!api/openapi.json
 web/node_modules
 web/.output
 web/dist

.gitea/workflows/android-screenshots.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+# Android client screenshots for the Play listing / marketing. Roborazzi renders the real Compose
+# UI with mock state on the host JVM via Robolectric — NO emulator, GPU, KVM, host, or JNI core
+# (`-PskipRustBuild` skips the cargo-ndk native build). The Android analogue of apple.yml's
+# `screenshots` job, gated to STABLE RELEASE tags only. Standalone + best-effort: a failure here
+# reds nothing else. PNGs land as a 30-day artifact; not committed or published.
+name: android-screenshots
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags: ["v*"]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  screenshots:
+    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 45
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: JDK 21 (AGP 9.2 + Robolectric's SDK-36 android-all jar both want 17–21)
+        uses: actions/setup-java@v4
+        with:
+          distribution: temurin
+          java-version: "21"
+
+      - name: Android SDK
+        uses: android-actions/setup-android@v3
+
+      # No NDK/CMake — the screenshot unit tests are pure JVM. compileSdk 37 auto-downloads via AGP
+      # if the platform channel lacks it (same note as android.yml).
+      - name: platform-tools + platform 36 + build-tools
+        run: sdkmanager "platform-tools" "platforms;android-36" "build-tools;37.0.0"
+
+      - name: Cache (gradle)
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            ~/.gradle/caches
+            ~/.gradle/wrapper
+          key: android-screenshots-${{ hashFiles('clients/android/**/*.gradle.kts') }}
+          restore-keys: android-screenshots-
+
+      # Roborazzi renders Compose on the JVM (Robolectric Native Graphics). `-PskipRustBuild` keeps
+      # the cargo-ndk native build out of the graph — the tests never load libpunktfunk_android.so.
+      - name: Capture screenshots (Roborazzi)
+        working-directory: clients/android
+        run: ./gradlew :app:testDebugUnitTest -PskipRustBuild --stacktrace
+
+      - name: Upload screenshots
+        if: always()
+        # v3: Gitea's API rejects upload-artifact@v4 (see apple.yml). Download is a zip.
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: punktfunk-android-screenshots
+          path: clients/android/app/build/outputs/roborazzi
+          retention-days: 30

.gitea/workflows/apple.yml

@@ -32,6 +32,25 @@ jobs:
           dirname "$RUSTUP" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
           "$RUSTUP" target add aarch64-apple-darwin x86_64-apple-darwin
 
+      # `punktfunk-core` now decodes Opus in-core for the Apple client (surround), pulling
+      # `audiopus_sys`, which builds a vendored static libopus via CMake when pkg-config can't find a
+      # system Opus — so the xcframework is self-contained (no runtime libopus.dylib on end-user Macs).
+      # CMake must be on PATH; install it self-healing on a fresh runner.
+      - name: CMake (for the vendored libopus audiopus_sys builds)
+        run: |
+          # Runner steps run with `bash --noprofile --norc`, so Homebrew's bin dir isn't on PATH —
+          # locate brew explicitly, install cmake if missing, and export its bin dir to GITHUB_PATH so
+          # the xcframework build step (audiopus_sys → vendored libopus) finds `cmake`.
+          for B in /opt/homebrew/bin/brew /usr/local/bin/brew; do [ -x "$B" ] && BREW="$B" && break; done
+          if [ -z "$BREW" ]; then echo "::error::Homebrew not found on the runner"; exit 1; fi
+          BREW_BIN="$(dirname "$BREW")"; export PATH="$BREW_BIN:$PATH"
+          command -v cmake >/dev/null || "$BREW" install cmake
+          echo "$BREW_BIN" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
+          # Homebrew's CMake 4 dropped compatibility with the vendored libopus's pre-3.5
+          # `cmake_minimum_required`; treat 3.5 as the policy minimum (the cmake crate's child cmake
+          # inherits this from the env during the xcframework build).
+          echo "CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
       - name: Build PunktfunkCore.xcframework
         run: bash scripts/build-xcframework.sh
 
@@ -71,6 +90,22 @@ jobs:
           "$RUSTUP" target add aarch64-apple-darwin x86_64-apple-darwin \
             aarch64-apple-ios aarch64-apple-ios-sim x86_64-apple-ios
 
+      # See the swift job: audiopus_sys (via the in-core Opus decode) builds vendored libopus with CMake.
+      - name: CMake (for the vendored libopus audiopus_sys builds)
+        run: |
+          # Runner steps run with `bash --noprofile --norc`, so Homebrew's bin dir isn't on PATH —
+          # locate brew explicitly, install cmake if missing, and export its bin dir to GITHUB_PATH so
+          # the xcframework build step (audiopus_sys → vendored libopus) finds `cmake`.
+          for B in /opt/homebrew/bin/brew /usr/local/bin/brew; do [ -x "$B" ] && BREW="$B" && break; done
+          if [ -z "$BREW" ]; then echo "::error::Homebrew not found on the runner"; exit 1; fi
+          BREW_BIN="$(dirname "$BREW")"; export PATH="$BREW_BIN:$PATH"
+          command -v cmake >/dev/null || "$BREW" install cmake
+          echo "$BREW_BIN" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
+          # Homebrew's CMake 4 dropped compatibility with the vendored libopus's pre-3.5
+          # `cmake_minimum_required`; treat 3.5 as the policy minimum (the cmake crate's child cmake
+          # inherits this from the env during the xcframework build).
+          echo "CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
       - name: Build PunktfunkCore.xcframework (mac + iOS slices)
         run: BUILD_IOS=1 bash scripts/build-xcframework.sh
 

.gitea/workflows/decky.yml

@@ -11,12 +11,18 @@
 #   punktfunk.zip
 #     punktfunk/                  <- single top-level dir == plugin.json "name"
 #       plugin.json   [required]
-#       package.json  [required]
+#       package.json  [required; CI stamps "version" — Decky reads the installed version here]
 #       main.py       [required: python backend]
 #       dist/index.js [required: rollup output]
+#       update.json   [CI-baked {channel, manifest}: where the plugin's self-update check polls]
 #       README.md     (recommended)
 #       LICENSE       [required by the plugin store]
 #
+# SELF-UPDATE (no Decky store): alongside the zip we also publish a tiny per-channel
+# `manifest.json` ({version, artifact=<immutable per-version zip URL>, sha256}). The installed
+# plugin polls it (main.py check_update), and the frontend drives Decky's own install RPC to
+# apply a newer build. See clients/decky/README.md "Updating".
+#
 # REGISTRY_TOKEN: repo Actions secret, a PAT with write:package scope (shared with deb/rpm/docker).
 name: decky
 
@@ -56,20 +62,26 @@ jobs:
           pnpm install --frozen-lockfile
           pnpm run build          # rollup -> clients/decky/dist/index.js
 
-      - name: Version + channel
-        # Tag vX.Y.Z -> X.Y.Z (stable `latest/` alias + Gitea Release); main push -> 0.3.0-ciN.g<sha>
-        # (`canary/` alias). Used for the registry version path + the zip name (the plugin.json
-        # version is the source of truth Decky reads after install — bump it in the release commit).
+      - name: Version + channel + stamp
+        # Tag vX.Y.Z -> X.Y.Z (stable `latest/` alias + Gitea Release); main push -> 0.3.<run>
+        # (`canary/` alias). Decky reads a plugin's INSTALLED version from package.json (NOT
+        # plugin.json), and the plugin's own update check (clients/decky/main.py check_update)
+        # compares against it — so the build version is STAMPED into package.json here (mirrored
+        # into plugin.json for store parity). Canary is a PLAIN numeric semver, never a
+        # `-ci<N>` prerelease: compare-versions orders prerelease identifiers lexically
+        # (ci10 < ci9), which would break update detection; the run number is monotonic.
         working-directory: ${{ gitea.workspace }}
         run: |
-          SHORT=$(echo "$GITHUB_SHA" | cut -c1-8)
           case "$GITHUB_REF" in
             refs/tags/v*) V="${GITHUB_REF_NAME#v}"; ALIAS=latest ;;
-            *)            V="0.3.0-ci${GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER}.g${SHORT}"; ALIAS=canary ;;
+            *)            V="0.3.${GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER}"; ALIAS=canary ;;
           esac
+          BASE="https://$REGISTRY/api/packages/$OWNER/generic/$PACKAGE"
           echo "VERSION=$V" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           echo "ALIAS=$ALIAS" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "BASE=$BASE" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
           echo "decky version $V -> alias '$ALIAS'"
+          VERSION="$V" node -e 'const fs=require("fs");for(const f of ["clients/decky/package.json","clients/decky/plugin.json"]){const j=JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(f,"utf8"));j.version=process.env.VERSION;fs.writeFileSync(f,JSON.stringify(j,null,2)+"\n");}'
 
       - name: Assemble store-layout zip
         working-directory: ${{ gitea.workspace }}
@@ -89,9 +101,20 @@ jobs:
           chmod 0755 "$DEST/bin/punktfunkrun.sh"
           # Store requires a LICENSE in the plugin root; the project is MIT OR Apache-2.0.
           cp LICENSE-MIT                 "$DEST/LICENSE"
+          # Self-update channel pointer the backend reads (main.py check_update). It points at
+          # THIS channel's manifest.json (published below); that manifest in turn points at the
+          # immutable per-version zip, so its sha256 stays valid across future alias re-uploads.
+          printf '{"channel":"%s","manifest":"%s/%s/manifest.json"}\n' "$ALIAS" "$BASE" "$ALIAS" > "$DEST/update.json"
           ( cd "$STAGE" && zip -r "$RUNNER_TEMP/punktfunk.zip" "$PLUGIN" )
           ls -lh "$RUNNER_TEMP/punktfunk.zip"
           unzip -l "$RUNNER_TEMP/punktfunk.zip"
+          # The update manifest the plugin polls: the immutable per-version artifact + its
+          # sha256 (Decky's installer verifies the download against this hash, aborting on
+          # mismatch — so it MUST be the per-version URL, never the mutable alias).
+          SHA=$(sha256sum "$RUNNER_TEMP/punktfunk.zip" | cut -d' ' -f1)
+          printf '{"version":"%s","artifact":"%s/%s/punktfunk.zip","sha256":"%s"}\n' \
+            "$VERSION" "$BASE" "$VERSION" "$SHA" > "$RUNNER_TEMP/manifest.json"
+          cat "$RUNNER_TEMP/manifest.json"
 
       - name: Publish to the Gitea generic registry
         working-directory: ${{ gitea.workspace }}
@@ -99,18 +122,26 @@ jobs:
           TOKEN: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
         run: |
           BASE="https://$REGISTRY/api/packages/$OWNER/generic/$PACKAGE"
-          # 1) Immutable, versioned URL.
+          # 1) Immutable, versioned URL + its update manifest (the manifest's `artifact` points
+          #    here, so the published sha256 keeps matching what Decky later downloads).
           curl -fsS --user "enricobuehler:$TOKEN" --upload-file "$RUNNER_TEMP/punktfunk.zip" \
             "$BASE/$VERSION/punktfunk.zip"
+          curl -fsS --user "enricobuehler:$TOKEN" --upload-file "$RUNNER_TEMP/manifest.json" \
+            "$BASE/$VERSION/manifest.json"
           echo "published $BASE/$VERSION/punktfunk.zip"
-          # 2) Channel alias (stable release -> latest/, canary main build -> canary/) — the link
-          #    to paste into Decky's "install from URL". The generic registry rejects re-uploading
-          #    an existing version/file (409), so delete the prior alias first (ignore 404 on run #1).
-          curl -fsS -o /dev/null --user "enricobuehler:$TOKEN" -X DELETE \
-            "$BASE/$ALIAS/punktfunk.zip" || true
+          # 2) Channel alias (stable release -> latest/, canary main build -> canary/) — the
+          #    zip is the "install from URL" link; manifest.json is what the installed plugin
+          #    polls for updates. The generic registry rejects re-uploading an existing
+          #    version/file (409), so delete the prior alias copies first (ignore 404 on run #1).
+          for f in punktfunk.zip manifest.json; do
+            curl -fsS -o /dev/null --user "enricobuehler:$TOKEN" -X DELETE "$BASE/$ALIAS/$f" || true
+          done
           curl -fsS --user "enricobuehler:$TOKEN" --upload-file "$RUNNER_TEMP/punktfunk.zip" \
             "$BASE/$ALIAS/punktfunk.zip"
+          curl -fsS --user "enricobuehler:$TOKEN" --upload-file "$RUNNER_TEMP/manifest.json" \
+            "$BASE/$ALIAS/manifest.json"
           echo "install-from-URL link: $BASE/$ALIAS/punktfunk.zip"
+          echo "update manifest:       $BASE/$ALIAS/manifest.json"
 
       - name: Attach zip to the Gitea release (stable tags only)
         if: startsWith(gitea.ref, 'refs/tags/v')

.gitea/workflows/flatpak.yml

@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ on:
   push:
     branches: [main]
     # The flatpak is the CLIENT — only rebuild when the client/core/manifest change, not on every
-    # docs/host push (this is a heavy flatpak-builder run). Tags (v*, the client release) build too.
+    # design/host push (this is a heavy flatpak-builder run). Tags (v*, the client release) build too.
     paths:
       - 'clients/linux/**'
       - 'crates/punktfunk-core/**'

.gitea/workflows/linux-client-screenshots.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+# Native Linux client screenshots for the app/marketing listings. The client renders
+# host-free mock scenes (PUNKTFUNK_SHOT_SCENE) under a virtual X display; the driver
+# (clients/linux/tools/screenshots.sh) grabs each one — no host, GPU, or Wayland. The
+# Linux analogue of apple.yml's `screenshots` job, gated to STABLE RELEASE tags only.
+# Standalone + best-effort: a failure here reds nothing else. PNGs land as a 30-day
+# artifact; they are not committed or published.
+name: linux-client-screenshots
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags: ["v*"]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  screenshots:
+    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    # Same image as ci.yml/deb.yml — already carries the Rust toolchain + GTK/SDL build deps.
+    container:
+      image: git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk-rust-ci:latest
+    timeout-minutes: 90
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      # Client link deps (baked into the image; kept here so the job is green across image
+      # rebuilds — a no-op once present) PLUS the headless-render extras: a virtual X server,
+      # software GL+Vulkan (llvmpipe/lavapipe), the icon theme + fonts the UI draws with, and a
+      # root-window grab tool.
+      - name: Client link + headless-render deps
+        run: |
+          apt-get update
+          apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+            libgtk-4-dev libadwaita-1-dev libsdl3-dev \
+            xvfb x11-utils imagemagick scrot \
+            libgl1-mesa-dri mesa-vulkan-drivers \
+            adwaita-icon-theme fonts-cantarell fonts-dejavu-core
+
+      # Reuse the workspace cargo caches (same keys as ci.yml/deb.yml).
+      - name: Cache keys
+        run: echo "rustc=$(rustc --version | cut -d' ' -f2)" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+      - uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            /usr/local/cargo/registry
+            /usr/local/cargo/git
+          key: cargo-home-${{ hashFiles('Cargo.lock') }}
+          restore-keys: cargo-home-
+      - uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: target
+          key: cargo-target-v3-${{ env.rustc }}-${{ hashFiles('Cargo.lock') }}
+          restore-keys: cargo-target-v3-${{ env.rustc }}-
+
+      - name: Build client
+        run: cargo build --release -p punktfunk-client-linux --locked
+
+      - name: Capture screenshots
+        run: bash clients/linux/tools/screenshots.sh
+
+      - name: Upload screenshots
+        if: always()
+        # v3: Gitea's API rejects upload-artifact@v4 (see apple.yml). Download is a zip.
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: punktfunk-linux-client-screenshots
+          path: clients/linux/screenshots
+          retention-days: 30

.gitea/workflows/release.yml

@@ -118,6 +118,23 @@ jobs:
           "$RUSTUP" toolchain install nightly --profile minimal
           "$RUSTUP" component add rust-src --toolchain nightly
 
+      # The in-core Opus decode (surround) pulls audiopus_sys, which builds a vendored static libopus
+      # via CMake — keep the xcframework self-contained (no runtime libopus.dylib on end-user devices).
+      - name: CMake (for the vendored libopus audiopus_sys builds)
+        run: |
+          # Runner steps run with `bash --noprofile --norc`, so Homebrew's bin dir isn't on PATH —
+          # locate brew explicitly, install cmake if missing, and export its bin dir to GITHUB_PATH so
+          # the xcframework build step (audiopus_sys → vendored libopus) finds `cmake`.
+          for B in /opt/homebrew/bin/brew /usr/local/bin/brew; do [ -x "$B" ] && BREW="$B" && break; done
+          if [ -z "$BREW" ]; then echo "::error::Homebrew not found on the runner"; exit 1; fi
+          BREW_BIN="$(dirname "$BREW")"; export PATH="$BREW_BIN:$PATH"
+          command -v cmake >/dev/null || "$BREW" install cmake
+          echo "$BREW_BIN" >> "$GITHUB_PATH"
+          # Homebrew's CMake 4 dropped compatibility with the vendored libopus's pre-3.5
+          # `cmake_minimum_required`; treat 3.5 as the policy minimum (the cmake crate's child cmake
+          # inherits this from the env during the xcframework build).
+          echo "CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM=3.5" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+
       - name: Build PunktfunkCore.xcframework (mac + iOS + tvOS)
         # tvOS is a tier-3 target (nightly -Zbuild-std): slow on the first build, then cached on
         # the self-hosted runner. Built on canary too so the tvOS archive/upload below runs on the

.gitea/workflows/web-screenshots.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Management-console screenshots for the app/marketing listings. Captured from the
+# built Storybook with headless Chromium (web/tools/screenshots.mjs) — the page
+# stories render from fixtures, so no live mgmt API, login, or GPU is needed. This
+# is the web analogue of apple.yml's `screenshots` job, but gated to STABLE RELEASE
+# tags only (the console has no release workflow of its own — it ships inside the
+# host packaging). Best-effort: a standalone workflow, so a failure here reds
+# nothing else. PNGs land as a 30-day artifact; they are not committed or published.
+name: web-screenshots
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags: ["v*"]
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+jobs:
+  screenshots:
+    if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    container:
+      image: oven/bun:1
+    timeout-minutes: 30
+    defaults:
+      run:
+        working-directory: web
+    steps:
+      # oven/bun ships neither git nor a real node (the driver runs under node), and
+      # the slim Debian base lacks a CA bundle — without it actions/checkout's HTTPS
+      # fetch dies with "Problem with the SSL CA cert" (same as ci.yml's web job).
+      - name: Install git + node + CA certs
+        working-directory: /
+        run: apt-get update && apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends ca-certificates git nodejs
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      # --ignore-scripts skips the prepare→codegen hook (mirrors ci.yml); run codegen
+      # explicitly since build-storybook has no prebuild hook of its own.
+      - name: Install dependencies
+        run: bun install --frozen-lockfile --ignore-scripts
+      - name: Generate API client + i18n messages
+        run: bun run codegen
+      # Pulls the matching Chromium build + the apt libs it needs (root in-container).
+      - name: Install Chromium
+        run: bunx playwright install --with-deps chromium
+      - name: Build Storybook
+        run: bun run build-storybook
+      - name: Capture screenshots
+        run: bun run screenshots
+      - name: Upload screenshots
+        if: always()
+        # v3: Gitea's API rejects upload-artifact@v4 (see apple.yml). Download is a zip.
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v3
+        with:
+          name: punktfunk-web-console-screenshots
+          path: web/screenshots
+          retention-days: 30

.gitea/workflows/windows-drivers-provision.yml

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # One-shot provisioning of the WDK + cargo-wdk onto the persistent self-hosted windows-amd64 runner, so
-# the all-Rust UMDF drivers can build there (docs/windows-host-rewrite.md, M0). The runner has the base
+# the all-Rust UMDF drivers can build there (design/windows-host-rewrite.md, M0). The runner has the base
 # Windows SDK + MSVC + LLVM + Rust but NOT the WDK (no km/wdf/iddcx headers) or cargo-wdk.
 #
 # Dispatch manually (workflow_dispatch). Idempotent: re-running is a near no-op once provisioned. The

.gitea/workflows/windows-drivers.yml

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # Windows driver workspace CI — runs on the self-hosted Windows runner (home-windows-1, host mode;
-# label windows-amd64). Part of the Windows-host rewrite (docs/windows-host-rewrite.md, M0).
+# label windows-amd64). Part of the Windows-host rewrite (design/windows-host-rewrite.md, M0).
 #
 # Stage 1 (this file): PROBE the runner's driver toolchain (WDK / EWDK / cargo-make / LLVM / the
 # inf2cat/stampinf/devgen/signtool tools) so we know what's provisioned BEFORE writing driver code,
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ jobs:
           head "EWDK"
           Write-Host ("EWDKROOT = " + ($env:EWDKROOT ?? '<unset>'))
 
-          head "LLVM / clang (README pins 21.1.2 for wdk-sys bindgen)"
+          head "LLVM / clang (bindgen 0.72 builds on the runner default clang)"
           Write-Host ("LIBCLANG_PATH = " + ($env:LIBCLANG_PATH ?? '<unset>'))
           $clang = Get-Command clang -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
           if ($clang) { & clang --version } else { Write-Host "clang: NOT on PATH" }
@@ -119,12 +119,12 @@ jobs:
     env:
       # wdk-build otherwise picks 10.0.28000.0 (no km/crt) and bindgen fails — pin the WDK SDK version.
       Version_Number: '10.0.26100.0'
-      # wdk-sys bindgen layout tests overflow (E0080) on the runner's default LLVM (ToT/22-dev); point at
-      # the pinned LLVM 21.1.2 that windows-drivers-rs builds clean against (provisioned to C:\llvm-21).
-      LIBCLANG_PATH: 'C:\llvm-21\bin'
+      # No LIBCLANG_PATH pin: the vendored bindgen 0.72 builds clean on the runner's default clang 22
+      # (the shipping pack proves it). A 0.71-era layout-test overflow once needed LLVM 21; the 0.72 bump
+      # retired that — see design/windows-build-and-packaging.md.
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: Ensure WDK + cargo-wdk + LLVM 21.1.2 (idempotent self-provision)
+      - name: Ensure WDK + cargo-wdk (idempotent self-provision)
         # Run the provisioning script here too so driver-build is self-sufficient and never races a
         # separate provision run on the single runner. Path is relative to the job working-directory
         # (packaging/windows/drivers). Near-noop once the toolchain is present.

.gitea/workflows/windows-host.yml

@@ -24,8 +24,9 @@
 # GPU backends: the host builds with --features nvenc,amf-qsv = all three vendors in one installer.
 #  - NVENC (NVIDIA, direct SDK): the only link need is nvencodeapi.lib, synthesised from a 2-export
 #    .def with llvm-dlltool (no GPU/SDK at build time).
-#  - AMF/QSV (AMD/Intel, libavcodec): link-imports the FFmpeg libs from FFMPEG_DIR (the BtbN gpl-shared
+#  - AMF/QSV (AMD/Intel, libavcodec): link-imports the FFmpeg libs from FFMPEG_DIR (the BtbN lgpl-shared
 #    tree the client uses; includes the *_amf/*_qsv encoders) and bundles its DLLs into the installer.
+#    lgpl-shared (not gpl-shared) keeps those bundled DLLs LGPL (we never use the GPL-only x264/x265).
 # CI never launches the exe, so no GPU is needed here — this is build + Windows clippy coverage only.
 name: windows-host
 
@@ -56,6 +57,22 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
+      - name: Locale-safety gate (installer-run scripts must be ASCII)
+        shell: pwsh
+        # The installer runs these via powershell.exe (Windows PowerShell 5.1) and cmd.exe on the END
+        # USER's box. PS 5.1 reads a BOM-less script in the active ANSI codepage, so on a non-UTF-8 locale
+        # (e.g. German Windows-1252) a stray em-dash mis-decodes into a curly quote and the script aborts
+        # with "unterminated string" - exactly how the pf-vdisplay driver install silently failed in the
+        # field. Keep every installer-run script pure ASCII (matches install-gamepad-drivers.ps1).
+        run: |
+          $bad = Get-ChildItem packaging/windows/*.ps1, scripts/windows/*.ps1, scripts/windows/*.cmd -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
+            Where-Object { [IO.File]::ReadAllText($_.FullName) -match '[^\x00-\x7F]' }
+          if ($bad) {
+            $bad.FullName | ForEach-Object { Write-Output "::error::non-ASCII in installer-run script: $_" }
+            throw "installer-run scripts must be pure ASCII (PS 5.1 mis-parses them on non-UTF-8 locales)"
+          }
+          Write-Output "installer-run scripts are ASCII-clean"
+
       - name: Configure + version
         shell: pwsh
         run: |
@@ -64,7 +81,7 @@ jobs:
           # (pwsh Out-File utf8 = no BOM, unlike Windows PowerShell 5.1 — keeps the first line clean).
           "CARGO_TARGET_DIR=C:\t" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Append -Encoding utf8
           "CARGO_WORKSPACE_DIR=$env:GITHUB_WORKSPACE" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Append -Encoding utf8
-          # FFMPEG_DIR: the same BtbN gpl-shared x64 tree the Windows CLIENT links against (provisioned
+          # FFMPEG_DIR: the same BtbN lgpl-shared x64 tree the Windows CLIENT links against (provisioned
           # by scripts/ci/setup-windows-runner.ps1). The host's AMD/Intel AMF/QSV encode backend
           # (--features amf-qsv) link-imports avcodec/avutil/swscale from it; pack-host-installer.ps1
           # then bundles its bin\*.dll into the installer. LIBCLANG_PATH is in the runner daemon env.
@@ -96,6 +113,18 @@ jobs:
         # First-ever Windows lint coverage for the host (Linux CI never lints the windows-cfg code).
         run: cargo clippy -p punktfunk-host --features nvenc,amf-qsv -- -D warnings
 
+      - name: Build + lint the HDR Vulkan layer (pf-vkhdr-layer)
+        shell: pwsh
+        # Standalone cdylib (own [workspace]) the installer bundles + registers (it lets Vulkan games
+        # like Doom use HDR on the virtual display). Lint here so a regression fails CI instead of
+        # silently shipping the host without the layer (pack-host-installer.ps1 builds it non-fatally).
+        # Windows-only FFI (user32 + the vk_layer loader glue) → can't be linted on the Linux CI.
+        run: |
+          Push-Location packaging/windows/pf-vkhdr-layer
+          cargo fmt --check; if ($LASTEXITCODE) { throw "pf-vkhdr-layer rustfmt" }
+          cargo clippy --release -- -D warnings; if ($LASTEXITCODE) { throw "pf-vkhdr-layer clippy" }
+          Pop-Location
+
       - name: Ensure Inno Setup
         shell: pwsh
         run: |

.gitignore

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ clients/apple/PunktfunkCore.xcframework/
 clients/apple/.swiftpm/
 # Generated App Store screenshots (tools/screenshots.sh output; uploaded as a CI artifact)
 clients/apple/screenshots/
+clients/linux/screenshots/
 # Xcode per-user state
 xcuserdata/
 

CLAUDE.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 Low-latency desktop/game streaming stack, Linux-first, with a shared Rust protocol core
 (`punktfunk-core`) exposed over a C ABI and native clients per platform. Full design:
-[`docs/implementation-plan.md`](docs/implementation-plan.md). Status table: `README.md`.
+[`design/implementation-plan.md`](design/implementation-plan.md). Status table: `README.md`.
 
 ## Where the work stands
 
@@ -27,7 +27,15 @@ Low-latency desktop/game streaming stack, Linux-first, with a shared Rust protoc
   Input: mouse/keyboard (libei via RemoteDesktop portal on KWin/GNOME, gamescope's own EIS
   socket, wlr protocols on Sway) and **gamepads** (uinput X-Box-360 pads + rumble
   back-channel; validated live — pad created/destroyed with the session). Management REST API +
-  checked-in OpenAPI doc (`mgmt.rs`).
+  checked-in OpenAPI doc (`mgmt.rs`). **Web-console performance capture** (`stats_recorder.rs`,
+  design: [`design/stats-capture-plan.md`](design/stats-capture-plan.md)): the operator arms stats
+  recording from the web console, plays, stops, and reviews the run as graphs (per-stage latency
+  breakdown · fps new/repeat · goodput · loss/FEC). A shared `Arc<StatsRecorder>` ring (the hot-path
+  gate is a runtime `AtomicBool`, replacing the startup-only `PUNKTFUNK_PERF`) is fed by **both** the
+  native `virtual_stream` and the GameStream encode loop at their existing ~2 s/~1 s aggregation
+  boundary, and finished captures are saved as on-disk recordings
+  (`~/.config/punktfunk/captures/*.json`) browsable/exportable from the console's **Performance** page
+  (recharts). Endpoints `/api/v1/stats/*` (bearer-only). *Implemented; not yet on-glass validated.*
 - **Native protocol (`punktfunk/1`): full session planes, validated live.** QUIC
   control plane (`punktfunk-core` `quic` feature: Hello{mode}/Welcome{full Config}/Start), data
   plane = the hardened core `Session` over raw UDP with **GF(2¹⁶) Leopard FEC + AES-GCM**
@@ -104,9 +112,16 @@ Low-latency desktop/game streaming stack, Linux-first, with a shared Rust protoc
   captures the HDR desktop as FP16/Rgb10a2 (DDA FP16 for the secure desktop), the encoder forces HEVC
   Main10 + BT.2020 PQ (NVENC ABGR10/P010; AMF/QSV P010 + a swscale Rgb10a2→P010 fallback), the client
   auto-detects PQ from the HEVC VUI — gated by `PUNKTFUNK_10BIT` + client `VIDEO_CAP_10BIT`; **Windows
-  host only** (the Linux host stays 8-bit, blocked upstream). **AMF/QSV is CI-green but not yet
-  on-glass validated** (no AMD/Intel Windows box in the lab); NVENC is live-validated. Newer/less
-  battle-tested than the Linux host. Packaging: `packaging/windows/`.
+  host only** (the Linux host stays 8-bit, blocked upstream). **Vulkan-game HDR over the virtual
+  display**: NVIDIA/AMD Vulkan ICDs refuse to *advertise* an HDR color space for a surface on an IddCx
+  indirect display (so Vulkan games — Doom: The Dark Ages, id Tech, etc. — say "device does not support
+  HDR"), even though the ICD happily *accepts + presents* a forced HDR swapchain there. A tiny always-on
+  Vulkan **implicit layer** (`packaging/windows/pf-vkhdr-layer/`, `VK_LAYER_PUNKTFUNK_hdr_inject`)
+  injects the `HDR10_ST2084`/scRGB surface formats into `vkGetPhysicalDeviceSurfaceFormats[2]KHR`,
+  self-gated on the display's actual advanced-color state (no-op on SDR / real monitors); bundled +
+  HKLM-registered by the installer. **Live-validated: Doom: The Dark Ages enables HDR over the virtual
+  display.** **AMF/QSV is CI-green but not yet on-glass validated** (no AMD/Intel Windows box in the
+  lab); NVENC is live-validated. Newer/less battle-tested than the Linux host. Packaging: `packaging/windows/`.
 
 ## What's left
 
@@ -245,8 +260,8 @@ bash crates/punktfunk-core/tests/c/run.sh   # standalone C-ABI link + round-trip
 ```
 
 Generated artifacts are **checked in** and CI fails on drift: `include/punktfunk_core.h`
-(cbindgen from `punktfunk-core/src/abi.rs`) and `docs/api/openapi.json` (regenerate with
-`cargo run -p punktfunk-host -- openapi > docs/api/openapi.json`; spec lives in `mgmt.rs`).
+(cbindgen from `punktfunk-core/src/abi.rs`) and `api/openapi.json` (regenerate with
+`cargo run -p punktfunk-host -- openapi > api/openapi.json`; spec lives in `mgmt.rs`).
 
 CI is Gitea Actions (`.gitea/workflows/`, guide: docs-site `ci.md`): `ci.yml` runs the
 workspace checks inside the `git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk-rust-ci` image plus web/docs-site
@@ -268,7 +283,7 @@ crates/punktfunk-host/
   zerocopy/{egl,cuda,vulkan}.rs         dmabuf → CUDA → NVENC (tiled via EGL/GL, LINEAR via Vulkan)
   inject/{libei,wlr,gamepad,dualsense}.rs   input backends (uinput xpad + UHID DualSense)
   encode/{nvenc,linux,vaapi,ffmpeg_win,sw}.rs   per-GPU encoders (NVENC · Linux NVENC/CUDA · VAAPI · AMF/QSV · openh264)
-  capture.rs · encode.rs · audio.rs · spike.rs · punktfunk1.rs · mgmt.rs · native_pairing.rs
+  capture.rs · encode.rs · audio.rs · spike.rs · punktfunk1.rs · mgmt.rs · native_pairing.rs · stats_recorder.rs
 clients/probe/    punktfunk/1 reference/probe client (headless test/measurement tool)
 clients/linux/    native Linux client (GTK4/libadwaita · FFmpeg · PipeWire · SDL3)
 clients/windows/  native Windows client (WinUI 3 via windows-reactor · D3D11 · WASAPI · SDL3)
@@ -276,7 +291,7 @@ clients/apple/    native macOS/iOS/tvOS client (Swift · VideoToolbox · GameCon
 clients/android/  native Android client (Kotlin app + native/ Rust JNI core over punktfunk-core)
 clients/decky/    Steam Deck Decky plugin
 crates/punktfunk-host/src/{capture/dxgi,vdisplay/sudovda,encode/ffmpeg_win,inject/gamepad_windows,audio/wasapi_*,service}.rs   Windows host backends
-web/                          TanStack web console over the mgmt API (status · devices · pairing)
+web/                          TanStack web console over the mgmt API (status · devices · pairing · performance graphs)
 packaging/                    apt(deb) · RPM/COPR · Arch/sysext · Flatpak · Bazzite bootc · Windows host installer (per-dir READMEs)
 tools/{loss-harness,latency-probe}/     measurement (plan §10)
 scripts/                  60-punktfunk.rules · punktfunk-host.service · host.env.example · headless/
@@ -331,7 +346,23 @@ FFI also link-needs `libGL`/`libgbm`/`libcuda` at build time). Env knobs: `PUNKT
 `PUNKTFUNK_COMPOSITOR=kwin|gamescope|mutter`, `PUNKTFUNK_ZEROCOPY=1`, `PUNKTFUNK_GAMESCOPE_APP=...`,
 `PUNKTFUNK_INPUT_BACKEND=...`, `PUNKTFUNK_PERF=1` (per-stage timing), `PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_DROP=N` (FEC
 test), `PUNKTFUNK_FEC_PCT=N`, `PUNKTFUNK_DSCP=1` (opt-in DSCP/SO_PRIORITY media QoS on the data +
-GameStream video/audio sockets; no-op on the wire on Windows without a qWAVE policy).
+GameStream video/audio sockets; no-op on the wire on Windows without a qWAVE policy),
+`PUNKTFUNK_444=1` (full-chroma HEVC 4:4:4, see below).
+
+**HEVC 4:4:4 (full chroma, Range Extensions)**: opt-in via `PUNKTFUNK_444`, negotiated like 10-bit —
+the host emits 4:4:4 only when the client advertised `VIDEO_CAP_444` (wire bit `0x04` + ABI
+`PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_CAP_444`), the codec is HEVC, the session is single-process, **and** a GPU probe
+(`encode::can_encode_444`, run before the Welcome) confirms support — else it resolves to 4:2:0 and
+`Welcome::chroma_format` reflects the real value (honest downgrade; the client reads it via
+`punktfunk_connection_chroma_format`). **punktfunk/1-native only** — GameStream/Moonlight stays 4:2:0
+(stock clients can't decode 4:4:4). **NVENC is the implemented path**: Linux `hevc_nvenc` feeds a
+swscale'd `yuv444p` (RGB-in is always 4:2:0 — verified on the RTX 5070 Ti — so the session forces CPU
+RGB capture for 4:4:4); Windows NVENC keeps ARGB input + FREXT profile + `chromaFormatIDC=3` and the
+DDA capturer delivers RGB. VAAPI / AMF / QSV **decline** (probe returns false — no validated 4:4:4
+hardware in the lab; they'd produce 4:2:0). Software (openh264) is 4:2:0-only. Test with
+`PUNKTFUNK_CLIENT_444=1 punktfunk-probe --out x.h265` then `ffprobe x.h265` (expect `pix_fmt yuv444p`).
+*Linux NVENC mechanism validated on the RTX 5070 Ti (ffmpeg CLI); Windows NVENC + 10-bit-4:4:4 not yet
+on-glass validated.*
 
 ## Conventions
 

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# Contributing to punktfunk
+
+Thanks for your interest in contributing!
+
+## Licensing of contributions (inbound = outbound)
+
+punktfunk is dual-licensed under **MIT OR Apache-2.0**.
+
+> Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally submitted for inclusion in
+> the work by you, as defined in the Apache-2.0 license, shall be dual licensed as **MIT OR
+> Apache-2.0**, without any additional terms or conditions.
+
+By opening a pull request you agree to license your contribution under these terms. This is the
+standard Rust-ecosystem "inbound = outbound" model; it keeps the project's licensing unambiguous
+(including the Apache-2.0 §5 contributor patent grant) and any future relicensing clean. You retain
+the copyright to your contributions.
+
+### Do not paste copyleft (or otherwise incompatibly-licensed) code
+
+The single thing that could poison the permissive license is **copied source from a copyleft
+project**. Several adjacent projects (Sunshine, Apollo, Moonlight) are GPL-3.0. You may study them
+and reimplement a *technique*, protocol, or wire format — those are not copyrightable — but **never
+paste their code**, and do not translate a GPL implementation line-by-line. When a comment credits
+prior art, make clear it is an independent reimplementation, not a copy. The same applies to any
+third party's code under a license incompatible with MIT/Apache.
+
+If you add a new third-party dependency, it must be permissive (MIT / Apache-2.0 / BSD / ISC / Zlib /
+Unicode-3.0 / etc.). `about.toml` holds the accepted-license allow-list; regenerate the attribution
+file with `scripts/gen-third-party-notices.sh` when the dependency tree changes.
+
+## Before you push
+
+```sh
+cargo fmt --all --check
+cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets -- -D warnings
+cargo test  --workspace
+```
+
+Generated artifacts are checked in and CI fails on drift: `include/punktfunk_core.h` (cbindgen) and
+`api/openapi.json` (`cargo run -p punktfunk-host -- openapi`). Match the surrounding code's comment
+density and naming. Commit messages end with the `Co-Authored-By` trailer (see `git log`).
+
+See [`CLAUDE.md`](CLAUDE.md) for the full build/test/run guide and design invariants.

Cargo.toml

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ members = [
 ]
 
 [workspace.package]
-version = "0.0.1"
+version = "0.3.0"
 edition = "2021"
 rust-version = "1.82"
 license = "MIT OR Apache-2.0"

README.md

@@ -1,13 +1,20 @@
-# punktfunk
+<p align="center">
+  <img src="assets/punktfunk-logo.svg" alt="punktfunk" width="320" />
+</p>
 
-**Low-latency desktop and game streaming, Linux-first.** Run the host on a Linux machine — or a
-Windows PC — with an NVIDIA GPU, connect from a Mac, PC, phone, tablet, or TV, and stream your desktop
-or games — each device at its **own native resolution and refresh rate**, over your local network.
+<p align="center"><b>Low-latency desktop and game streaming with first-class Linux and Windows hosts.</b></p>
+
+Run the host on a Linux machine or a Windows PC, connect from a Mac, PC, phone, tablet, or TV, and
+stream your desktop or games — each device at its **own native resolution and refresh rate**, over
+your local network.
 
 📖 **Documentation: [docs.punktfunk.unom.io](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io)** — start with
 [How It Works](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/how-it-works) or the
 [Quick Start](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/quickstart).
 
+💬 **Community: [Discord](https://discord.gg/kaPNvzMuGU)** — chat, support, and **Android beta
+access** · **[r/Punktfunk](https://www.reddit.com/r/Punktfunk/)**.
+
 punktfunk pairs a **virtual-display streaming host** with native clients on every platform. It speaks
 the existing **GameStream** protocol, so any [Moonlight](https://moonlight-stream.org/) client works
 day one — and adds its own faster **`punktfunk/1`** protocol that breaks the ~1 Gbps FEC wall with a
@@ -19,6 +26,11 @@ protocol, FEC, and crypto, linked into the host and every client over a stable C
 - **Your device's exact mode.** For each client that connects, the host spins up a virtual display
   sized to that device — 1080p60 to a laptop, 1440p120 to a desktop, 4K to a TV, all at once. No
   letterboxing, no scaling, no rearranging your real monitors.
+- **A real virtual display on Windows, too.** On Linux the host uses per-compositor virtual outputs;
+  on Windows you get the same on-the-fly virtual display — at the client's exact mode, no physical
+  monitor or dummy HDMI plug, even on the secure desktop (UAC / lock screen). It also has **its own
+  indirect display driver (IDD)** the host pushes finished frames straight into, rather than scraping
+  a screen — tight, push-based integration that's unusual for a Windows streaming host.
 - **Low latency, GPU end to end.** Frames go straight from the compositor to the NVENC encoder with
   zero CPU copies (dmabuf → CUDA/Vulkan → NVENC), over a transport tuned for responsiveness rather
   than throughput. Stable 240 fps at 5120×1440; sub-millisecond capture-to-reassembly on a LAN.
@@ -35,7 +47,7 @@ protocol, FEC, and crypto, linked into the host and every client over a stable C
 | **Core** — `punktfunk-core` + C ABI (protocol · FEC · crypto · QUIC) | ✅ Complete & hardened |
 | **GameStream host** → stock Moonlight | ✅ Live end-to-end: pairing, RTSP, audio, per-client virtual output at native resolution, GPU zero-copy NVENC, gamepads |
 | **Native protocol** — `punktfunk/1` | ✅ Validated live: QUIC control + GF(2¹⁶) FEC/AES-GCM data plane, PIN pairing, mDNS discovery, mid-stream mode renegotiation |
-| **Windows host** (NVIDIA, x64) | 🟡 Implemented & shipping as a signed installer (DXGI capture · SudoVDA virtual display · NVENC · WASAPI · ViGEm); NVIDIA-only, newer than the Linux host |
+| **Windows host** (x64) | 🟡 Implemented & shipping as a signed installer: DXGI/WGC capture · its own all-Rust IddCx **virtual display** (secure-desktop capable) · GPU encode (NVENC on NVIDIA, AMF/QSV on AMD/Intel) · WASAPI audio · bundled virtual-gamepad drivers (no ViGEmBus) · HDR incl. Vulkan-game HDR. NVIDIA live-validated; AMD/Intel CI-green |
 | **macOS / iOS / tvOS client** (`clients/apple`) | ✅ Streaming live: VideoToolbox decode, controllers incl. DualSense, discovery, pairing, speed test |
 | **Linux client** (`clients/linux`, GTK4) | ✅ Streaming live: FFmpeg + VAAPI zero-copy decode, PipeWire audio, SDL3 controllers; ships as Flatpak/apt/rpm/Arch |
 | **Android client** (`clients/android`, phone + TV) | ✅ Streaming live: AMediaCodec decode + HDR10, Oboe audio, controllers, discovery, pairing |
@@ -61,14 +73,14 @@ roadmap: **[/docs/roadmap](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/roadmap)**.
 
 Pick your platform and install from its package registry — the per-platform guide covers adding the
 repo, first run, and the web console. The Linux host is the primary, most battle-tested path; a
-Windows host (NVIDIA-only) also ships as a signed installer.
+Windows host also ships as a signed installer (all-vendor: NVIDIA, AMD, Intel).
 
 | Platform | Install | Guide |
 |--------|---------|-------|
 | **Ubuntu / Debian** (apt) | `sudo apt install punktfunk-host` *(after adding the repo)* | [Ubuntu — GNOME](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/ubuntu-gnome) · [KDE](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/ubuntu-kde) |
 | **Fedora / Bazzite** (rpm-ostree) | `rpm-ostree install punktfunk punktfunk-web` *(or the bootc image)* | [Fedora — KDE](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/fedora-kde) · [Bazzite](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/bazzite) |
 | **Arch / Steam Deck** (PKGBUILD / sysext) | `makepkg -si` *(Arch)* · sysext `.raw` *(SteamOS)* | [packaging/arch](packaging/arch/README.md) |
-| **Windows** (NVIDIA, x64) | signed `setup.exe` from the package registry | [Windows Host](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/windows-host) |
+| **Windows** (x64) | signed `setup.exe` from the package registry | [Windows Host](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/windows-host) |
 
 `punktfunk-host` is the streaming host; `punktfunk-web` is the browser console (pairing + status).
 After install, run `punktfunk-host serve` inside your desktop session (the secure native default;
@@ -113,7 +125,7 @@ and the [docs site](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io).
 ```
 crates/
   punktfunk-core/   protocol · FEC · pacing · crypto · QUIC control plane — the C ABI (lib + cdylib + staticlib)
-  punktfunk-host/   Linux host: virtual displays · capture · encode · input · GameStream · punktfunk/1 · mgmt
+  punktfunk-host/   the host (Linux + Windows): virtual displays · capture · encode · input · GameStream · punktfunk/1 · mgmt
 clients/
   apple/    macOS / iOS / tvOS app (Swift · VideoToolbox · Metal · GameController)
   linux/    Linux desktop app (Rust · GTK4/libadwaita · FFmpeg/VAAPI · PipeWire · SDL3)
@@ -124,7 +136,7 @@ clients/
 web/                         web console (TanStack) over the management API — status · devices · pairing
 packaging/                   apt · rpm / COPR · Arch · Flatpak · Bazzite bootc image
 docs-site/                   public documentation site (Fumadocs) — https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io
-docs/                        design notes & deep-dive plans
+design/                        design notes & deep-dive plans (index: design/README.md)
 include/punktfunk_core.h     cbindgen-generated C header (checked in)
 tools/                       latency-probe · loss-harness (measurement)
 ```
@@ -143,4 +155,31 @@ tools/                       latency-probe · loss-harness (measurement)
 
 ## License
 
-MIT OR Apache-2.0.
+Licensed under either of
+
+- Apache License, Version 2.0 ([LICENSE-APACHE](LICENSE-APACHE) or
+  <https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0>)
+- MIT license ([LICENSE-MIT](LICENSE-MIT) or <https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT>)
+
+at your option — `SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT OR Apache-2.0`.
+
+### Contribution
+
+Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally submitted for inclusion in
+the work by you, as defined in the Apache-2.0 license, shall be dual licensed as above, without any
+additional terms or conditions. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).
+
+### Third-party components
+
+punktfunk's own source is MIT/Apache-2.0. Shipped binaries additionally link third-party components
+under their own (permissive) licenses — see [`THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt`](THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt)
+(regenerate with `scripts/gen-third-party-notices.sh`). The Windows host and client builds also
+bundle FFmpeg under the **LGPL v2.1+** (dynamically linked, replaceable DLLs; the license text and
+notice ship in the installed `licenses/` folder).
+
+### Trademarks
+
+punktfunk is an independent project and is **not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by**
+NVIDIA, Microsoft, Sony, Valve, or the Moonlight project. "GameStream", "Moonlight", "Xbox",
+"DualSense", "DualShock", and "PlayStation" are trademarks of their respective owners and are used
+here only to describe interoperability.

about.hbs

@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+THIRD-PARTY SOFTWARE NOTICES
+============================================================================
+
+punktfunk (https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk) is licensed under MIT OR Apache-2.0.
+The binaries it ships statically/dynamically link the third-party Rust crates below.
+Each is distributed under its own permissive license; full texts follow.
+Generated by `cargo about generate about.hbs` (see about.toml) — do not edit by hand.
+
+Overview:
+{{#each overview}}
+  {{name}} ({{id}}): {{count}} crate(s)
+{{/each}}
+
+{{#each licenses}}
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+{{name}} ({{id}})
+Used by:
+{{#each used_by}}  - {{crate.name}} {{crate.version}}{{#if crate.repository}}  ({{crate.repository}}){{/if}}
+{{/each}}
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+{{text}}
+
+{{/each}}

about.toml

@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+# cargo-about config — full-fidelity third-party license harvest for CI.
+#
+#   cargo install cargo-about
+#   cargo about generate about.hbs > THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt   # (or use scripts/gen-third-party-notices.sh)
+#
+# `accepted` is the allow-list of SPDX licenses permitted in the dependency tree. CI fails if a crate
+# carries anything not listed here — which is exactly the regression guard we want against a copyleft
+# dependency silently entering the linked set. All entries
+# below are permissive / attribution-only; deliberately NO GPL/LGPL/AGPL/MPL-link/SSPL/EPL.
+#
+# The dependency-free fallback is scripts/gen-third-party-notices.py (reads the cargo registry cache),
+# which is what produced the committed baseline when cargo-about is unavailable offline.
+
+accepted = [
+    "MIT",
+    "MIT-0",
+    "Apache-2.0",
+    "Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception",
+    "BSD-2-Clause",
+    "BSD-3-Clause",
+    "ISC",
+    "Zlib",
+    "0BSD",
+    "BSL-1.0",
+    "Unicode-3.0",
+    "Unicode-DFS-2016",
+    "CDLA-Permissive-2.0",
+    "CC0-1.0",
+    "Unlicense",
+    "WTFPL",
+    "OpenSSL",
+]
+
+# cbindgen is MPL-2.0 but it is a BUILD-ONLY codegen tool that never links into a shipped artifact
+# (its generated header is not a derivative work), so it is excluded from the notices rather than
+# accepted as a linked license.
+ignore-build-dependencies = true
+ignore-dev-dependencies = true
+
+# r-efi offers an LGPL-2.1-or-later arm but is tri-licensed; take a permissive arm. (It is also
+# UEFI-target-gated out of every shipped build.)
+[r-efi.clarify]
+license = "MIT OR Apache-2.0"
+
+[ring.clarify]
+license = "MIT AND ISC AND OpenSSL"
+
+[aws-lc-sys.clarify]
+license = "ISC AND Apache-2.0 AND MIT AND BSD-3-Clause AND OpenSSL"

api/openapi.json

@@ -978,6 +978,309 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "/api/v1/stats/capture/live": {
+      "get": {
+        "tags": [
+          "stats"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Live in-progress capture",
+        "description": "The full sample time-series of the capture currently recording, for live graphing. `404` when\nnothing is armed.",
+        "operationId": "statsCaptureLive",
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "The in-progress capture (meta + samples so far)",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Capture"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "404": {
+            "description": "No capture is currently recording",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "/api/v1/stats/capture/start": {
+      "post": {
+        "tags": [
+          "stats"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Start a stats capture",
+        "description": "Arms a new performance-stats capture. Idempotent: if a capture is already running this returns\nthe current status unchanged. While armed, the streaming loops emit aggregated samples (~ every\n1–2 s) into the in-progress capture, readable live via `GET /stats/capture/live`.",
+        "operationId": "statsCaptureStart",
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "Capture armed (or already running)",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/StatsStatus"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "/api/v1/stats/capture/status": {
+      "get": {
+        "tags": [
+          "stats"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Stats capture status",
+        "description": "Whether a capture is armed, its sample count, and start time. Poll this (e.g. every 2 s) to\ndrive the capture-control UI.",
+        "operationId": "statsCaptureStatus",
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "In-progress capture status (idle when not armed)",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/StatsStatus"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "/api/v1/stats/capture/stop": {
+      "post": {
+        "tags": [
+          "stats"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Stop the stats capture",
+        "description": "Disarms the in-progress capture and writes it to disk atomically, returning its summary. If\nnothing was recording, returns `204 No Content`.",
+        "operationId": "statsCaptureStop",
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "Capture stopped and saved",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/CaptureMeta"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "204": {
+            "description": "Nothing was recording"
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "500": {
+            "description": "Could not write the recording to disk",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "/api/v1/stats/recordings": {
+      "get": {
+        "tags": [
+          "stats"
+        ],
+        "summary": "List saved recordings",
+        "description": "Every saved capture's summary (the `meta` head only — not the sample body), newest first.",
+        "operationId": "statsRecordingsList",
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "Saved capture summaries, newest first",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "type": "array",
+                  "items": {
+                    "$ref": "#/components/schemas/CaptureMeta"
+                  }
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "/api/v1/stats/recordings/{id}": {
+      "get": {
+        "tags": [
+          "stats"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Get a saved recording",
+        "description": "The full capture (meta + samples) for `id`, for graphing or download.",
+        "operationId": "statsRecordingGet",
+        "parameters": [
+          {
+            "name": "id",
+            "in": "path",
+            "description": "The recording id (its filename stem)",
+            "required": true,
+            "schema": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          }
+        ],
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "The full capture",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Capture"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "404": {
+            "description": "No recording with that id",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "500": {
+            "description": "The recording file is unreadable",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "delete": {
+        "tags": [
+          "stats"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Delete a saved recording",
+        "description": "Removes the recording `id` from disk. `404` if there is no such recording.",
+        "operationId": "statsRecordingDelete",
+        "parameters": [
+          {
+            "name": "id",
+            "in": "path",
+            "description": "The recording id (its filename stem)",
+            "required": true,
+            "schema": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          }
+        ],
+        "responses": {
+          "204": {
+            "description": "Recording deleted"
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "404": {
+            "description": "No recording with that id",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "500": {
+            "description": "Could not delete the recording",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "/api/v1/status": {
       "get": {
         "tags": [
@@ -1125,6 +1428,89 @@
           }
         }
       },
+      "Capture": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "A full capture: summary + the sample time-series. The wire + on-disk shape.",
+        "required": [
+          "meta",
+          "samples"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "meta": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/CaptureMeta"
+          },
+          "samples": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "items": {
+              "$ref": "#/components/schemas/StatsSample"
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "CaptureMeta": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "Capture summary — the filename stem plus the negotiated mode/codec/client. Stored at the head\nof each on-disk recording and listed standalone (without the sample body) by\n[`StatsRecorder::list`].",
+        "required": [
+          "id",
+          "started_unix_ms",
+          "duration_ms",
+          "kind",
+          "width",
+          "height",
+          "fps",
+          "codec",
+          "client",
+          "sample_count"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "client": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "Short label / fingerprint prefix, or `\"\"` if unknown."
+          },
+          "codec": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "`\"h264\" | \"hevc\" | \"av1\"`."
+          },
+          "duration_ms": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int64",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "fps": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "height": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "id": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "e.g. `\"2026-06-26T20-14-03Z_5120x1440\"` — also the filename stem."
+          },
+          "kind": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "`\"native\" | \"gamestream\"`."
+          },
+          "sample_count": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "started_unix_ms": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int64",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "width": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "minimum": 0
+          }
+        }
+      },
       "CustomEntry": {
         "type": "object",
         "description": "A user-added title, persisted in `~/.config/punktfunk/library.json`. Same shape the API\nreturns and the web console edits.",
@@ -1595,6 +1981,144 @@
           }
         }
       },
+      "StageTiming": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "One pipeline stage's latency in an aggregation window (microseconds).",
+        "required": [
+          "name",
+          "p50_us",
+          "p99_us"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "name": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "`\"capture\" | \"submit\" | \"encode\" | \"packetize\" | \"send\"` (path-dependent)."
+          },
+          "p50_us": {
+            "type": "number",
+            "format": "float"
+          },
+          "p99_us": {
+            "type": "number",
+            "format": "float"
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "StatsSample": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "One aggregated sample (~ every 2 s native, ~ every 1 s GameStream).",
+        "required": [
+          "t_ms",
+          "session_id",
+          "stages",
+          "fps",
+          "repeat_fps",
+          "mbps",
+          "bitrate_kbps",
+          "frames_dropped",
+          "packets_dropped",
+          "send_dropped",
+          "fec_recovered"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "bitrate_kbps": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "description": "Configured target bitrate.",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "fec_recovered": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "description": "FEC shards recovered this window (delta).",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "fps": {
+            "type": "number",
+            "format": "float",
+            "description": "Genuine NEW frames/s from the source."
+          },
+          "frames_dropped": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "description": "Frames dropped this window (delta).",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "mbps": {
+            "type": "number",
+            "format": "float",
+            "description": "Transmit goodput (Mb/s)."
+          },
+          "packets_dropped": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "description": "Packets dropped this window (receiver-side / reassembler, where known).",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "repeat_fps": {
+            "type": "number",
+            "format": "float",
+            "description": "Re-encoded holds/s (source-starvation indicator)."
+          },
+          "send_dropped": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "description": "Host send-buffer overflow / EAGAIN this window (delta).",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "session_id": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "description": "Disambiguates concurrent sessions (usually constant).",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "stages": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "items": {
+              "$ref": "#/components/schemas/StageTiming"
+            },
+            "description": "Ordered pipeline stages for this path."
+          },
+          "t_ms": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int64",
+            "description": "Milliseconds since capture start (monotonic; stamped by [`StatsRecorder::push_sample`]).",
+            "minimum": 0
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "StatsStatus": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "Snapshot of the in-progress capture for the management API.",
+        "required": [
+          "armed",
+          "sample_count",
+          "started_unix_ms",
+          "kind"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "armed": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "description": "Capture currently running."
+          },
+          "kind": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "Path of the in-progress capture (`\"\"` if idle)."
+          },
+          "sample_count": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "description": "Samples in the in-progress capture.",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "started_unix_ms": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int64",
+            "description": "Unix start time of the in-progress capture (`0` if idle).",
+            "minimum": 0
+          }
+        }
+      },
       "StreamInfo": {
         "type": "object",
         "description": "RTSP-negotiated stream parameters.",
@@ -1696,6 +2220,10 @@
     {
       "name": "library",
       "description": "Game library: installed-store titles (Steam) plus user-curated custom entries"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "stats",
+      "description": "Streaming performance-stats capture: arm/stop a recording, read the live + saved time-series for graphing"
     }
   ]
 }

assets/punktfunk-logo.svg

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?>
+<svg width="100%" height="100%" viewBox="0 0 579 298" version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xml:space="preserve" style="fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;stroke-linejoin:round;stroke-miterlimit:2;">
+  <style>
+    /* Theme-adaptive so the logo stays readable on both light and dark README
+       backgrounds: deep violet (the brand-mark palette) on light, the original
+       light violet on dark. Evaluated by the viewer's color scheme. */
+    .pf-wm   { fill: #6c5bf3; }
+    .pf-back { fill: #a79ff8; }
+    .pf-deep { fill: #6c5bf3; }
+    @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
+      .pf-wm   { fill: #cec9fb; }
+      .pf-back { fill: #f2f1fe; }
+      .pf-deep { fill: #8c7ef5; }
+    }
+  </style>
+  <g>
+    <g>
+      <path class="pf-wm" style="fill-rule:nonzero;" d="M21.144,176.635l0,102.687l31.253,0l0,-35.563l73.436,0l0,-23.555l-73.436,0l0,-19.398l77.285,0l0,-24.171l-108.537,0Z"/>
+      <path class="pf-wm" style="fill-rule:nonzero;" d="M136.148,176.635l0,47.264c0.154,16.627 0.154,16.627 0.308,20.014c0.77,15.087 2.463,21.4 7.544,26.634c7.698,8.16 20.014,10.315 59.272,10.315c23.863,0 34.178,-0.616 43.415,-2.463c11.7,-2.463 19.552,-10.623 21.246,-22.323c0.924,-7.236 1.078,-8.929 1.54,-32.176l0,-47.264l-31.253,0l0,47.264c0,2.155 -0.154,7.082 -0.308,10.623c-0.462,9.699 -1.232,12.47 -3.695,15.087c-3.387,3.695 -9.853,4.619 -31.407,4.619c-26.634,0 -32.638,-1.693 -34.332,-9.853c-0.77,-4.157 -0.77,-4.311 -1.078,-20.476l0,-47.264l-31.253,0Z"/>
+      <path class="pf-wm" style="fill-rule:nonzero;" d="M275.938,176.527l0,102.687l31.868,0l-0.77,-76.669l3.387,0l54.038,76.669l54.346,0l0,-102.687l-31.868,0l0.77,76.515l-3.233,0l-53.73,-76.515l-54.808,0Z"/>
+      <path class="pf-wm" style="fill-rule:nonzero;" d="M425.273,176.527l0,102.687l31.253,0l0,-39.258l17.089,0l46.032,39.258l47.418,0l-64.353,-52.344l59.426,-50.959l-47.88,0l-40.644,37.873l-17.089,0l0,-37.257l-31.253,0Z"/>
+    </g>
+    <path class="pf-back" style="fill-rule:nonzero;" d="M65.442,150.143c24.514,0 44.298,-19.784 44.298,-44.298c0,-24.514 -19.784,-44.298 -44.298,-44.298c-24.514,0 -44.298,19.784 -44.298,44.298c0,24.514 19.784,44.298 44.298,44.298Z"/>
+    <path class="pf-deep" style="fill-rule:nonzero;" d="M141.063,92.871c17.334,-17.334 17.334,-45.312 0,-62.647c-17.334,-17.334 -45.312,-17.334 -62.647,-0c-17.334,17.334 -17.334,45.312 0,62.647c17.334,17.334 45.312,17.334 62.647,-0Z"/>
+    <path style="fill:url(#_Linear1);" d="M121.228,104.359c-14.777,3.965 -31.187,0.136 -42.811,-11.488c-11.624,-11.624 -15.453,-28.034 -11.488,-42.811c14.777,-3.965 31.187,-0.136 42.811,11.488c11.624,11.624 15.453,28.034 11.488,42.811Z"/>
+  </g>
+  <defs>
+    <linearGradient id="_Linear1" x1="0" y1="0" x2="1" y2="0" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse" gradientTransform="matrix(31.323323,-31.323323,31.323323,31.323323,78.416832,92.870811)">
+      <stop offset="0" style="stop-color:#cec9fb;stop-opacity:0"/>
+      <stop offset="1" style="stop-color:#fcfcff;stop-opacity:1"/>
+    </linearGradient>
+  </defs>
+</svg>

clients/android/app/build.gradle.kts

@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ android {
 
     buildFeatures { compose = true }
 
+    // Roborazzi/Robolectric render Compose on the host JVM (the CI screenshot harness) and need the
+    // merged Android resources + the app's manifest/theme available to the unit tests.
+    testOptions { unitTests { isIncludeAndroidResources = true } }
+
     compileOptions {
         sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_21
         targetCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_21
@@ -99,4 +103,21 @@ dependencies {
     // Android TV components (we target phone + TV) land in the TV-UI milestone:
     //   implementation("androidx.tv:tv-material:1.1.0")
     // The manifest already declares leanback so the scaffold installs on TV.
+
+    // --- CI screenshot harness (Roborazzi on the JVM via Robolectric — no emulator/GPU). The
+    // screenshot tests render the real Compose UI with mock state; never load the JNI core, so the
+    // job runs `:app:testDebugUnitTest -PskipRustBuild` (see kit/build.gradle.kts). ---
+    testImplementation(composeBom)
+    testImplementation("androidx.compose.ui:ui-test-junit4")
+    debugImplementation("androidx.compose.ui:ui-test-manifest") // the ComponentActivity test host
+    testImplementation("junit:junit:4.13.2")
+    testImplementation("org.robolectric:robolectric:4.16.1")
+    testImplementation("io.github.takahirom.roborazzi:roborazzi:1.64.0")
+    testImplementation("io.github.takahirom.roborazzi:roborazzi-compose:1.64.0")
+}
+
+// Record (write) the screenshots when the unit tests run. These tests exist to GENERATE marketing
+// images, not to diff goldens, so always capture rather than verify.
+tasks.withType<Test>().configureEach {
+    systemProperty("roborazzi.test.record", "true")
 }

clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/ConnectScreen.kt

@@ -74,10 +74,31 @@ import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.security.KnownHostStore
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.security.obtainIdentity
 import io.unom.punktfunk.models.HostStatus
 import io.unom.punktfunk.models.PendingTrust
+import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean
 import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 import kotlinx.coroutines.withContext
 
+/** Handshake budget for a normal connect (the prior hardcoded value, now passed explicitly). */
+private const val CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS = 10_000
+
+/**
+ * Handshake budget for the no-PIN "request access" connect. Must exceed the host's approval-park
+ * window (~180 s) so a slow operator approval still lands on this same parked connection rather than
+ * timing the client out first. Mirrors the Linux client's 185 s.
+ */
+private const val REQUEST_ACCESS_TIMEOUT_MS = 185_000
+
+/**
+ * A no-PIN "request access" connect in flight — the host being requested (drives the cancelable
+ * "Waiting for approval…" dialog) and a per-attempt flag the Cancel button trips. The connect is a
+ * blocking call with no abort, so Cancel returns the UI immediately and a late result checks
+ * [cancelled] and tears the (possibly just-approved) session down silently rather than navigating.
+ */
+private class RequestAccessState(val target: PendingTrust) {
+    val cancelled = AtomicBoolean(false)
+}
+
 @OptIn(ExperimentalMaterial3Api::class)
 @Composable
 fun ConnectScreen(settings: Settings, onConnected: (Long) -> Unit) {
@@ -128,8 +149,11 @@ fun ConnectScreen(settings: Settings, onConnected: (Long) -> Unit) {
             .onSuccess { identity = it }
             .onFailure { status = "Identity unavailable: ${it.message} — re-pair may be required" }
     }
-    // A trust decision awaiting the user (first-connect TOFU / fp changed / PIN pairing).
+    // A trust decision awaiting the user (first-connect TOFU / fp changed / PIN pairing / the
+    // request-access-or-PIN choice).
     var pendingTrust by remember { mutableStateOf<PendingTrust?>(null) }
+    // A no-PIN "request access" connect in flight (the cancelable "Waiting for approval…" dialog).
+    var awaiting by remember { mutableStateOf<RequestAccessState?>(null) }
     // A saved host whose label is being edited (the Rename dialog).
     var renameTarget by remember { mutableStateOf<KnownHost?>(null) }
 
@@ -163,7 +187,7 @@ fun ConnectScreen(settings: Settings, onConnected: (Long) -> Unit) {
                     targetHost, targetPort, w, h, hz,
                     id.certPem, id.privateKeyPem, pinHex ?: "",
                     settings.bitrateKbps, settings.compositor, gamepadPref,
-                    hdrEnabled,
+                    hdrEnabled, settings.audioChannels, CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS,
                 )
             }
             connecting = false
@@ -182,10 +206,66 @@ fun ConnectScreen(settings: Settings, onConnected: (Long) -> Unit) {
         }
     }
 
-    // Decide pinned-reconnect vs fp-changed vs TOFU vs PIN pairing before connecting. Trust state is
+    // The no-PIN "request access" path (delegated approval): open a normal identified connect that
+    // the host PARKS until the operator clicks Approve in its console/web UI, showing a cancelable
+    // "Waiting for approval…" dialog meanwhile. The SAME connection is admitted on approval (no
+    // reconnect), so on success we record the host as PAIRED — the operator's approval IS the pairing.
+    // The connect can't be aborted, so Cancel returns the UI immediately and a late result is torn
+    // down silently via the per-attempt flag (mirrors the Linux client's request-access flow).
+    fun requestAccess(target: PendingTrust) {
+        val id = identity
+        if (id == null) {
+            status = "Identity not ready yet — try again in a moment"
+            return
+        }
+        val req = RequestAccessState(target)
+        awaiting = req
+        connecting = true
+        status = null
+        discovery.stop() // free the Wi-Fi radio before the (parked) stream session
+        scope.launch {
+            val hdrEnabled = displaySupportsHdr(context)
+            val gamepadPref = Gamepad.resolvePref(settings.gamepad)
+            // Pin the advertised fingerprint for a discovered host (defence against an impostor while
+            // we wait); a manually-typed host has none, so trust-on-first-use.
+            val pinHex = target.advertisedFp ?: ""
+            val handle = withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
+                NativeBridge.nativeConnect(
+                    target.host, target.port, w, h, hz,
+                    id.certPem, id.privateKeyPem, pinHex,
+                    settings.bitrateKbps, settings.compositor, gamepadPref,
+                    hdrEnabled, settings.audioChannels, REQUEST_ACCESS_TIMEOUT_MS,
+                )
+            }
+            // Cancelled while we were parked: tear the (possibly just-approved) session down and
+            // don't touch UI a fresh action may now own.
+            if (req.cancelled.get()) {
+                if (handle != 0L) withContext(Dispatchers.IO) { NativeBridge.nativeClose(handle) }
+                return@launch
+            }
+            awaiting = null
+            connecting = false
+            if (handle != 0L) {
+                // Approved — save the host as PAIRED, pinning the fingerprint it presented, so
+                // future connects are silent (exactly like after a PIN ceremony).
+                val fp = NativeBridge.nativeHostFingerprint(handle)
+                if (fp.isNotEmpty()) {
+                    knownHostStore.save(KnownHost(target.host, target.port, target.name, fp, paired = true))
+                    savedHosts = knownHostStore.all()
+                }
+                onConnected(handle)
+            } else {
+                status = "Request timed out — approve this device in the host's console, then retry."
+                discovery.start()
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Decide pinned-reconnect vs fp-changed vs TOFU vs pairing before connecting. Trust state is
     // keyed by address:port, so a discovered and a manually-typed connection to the same host share
     // one record. Trust-on-first-use is permitted ONLY when the host advertised pair=optional; a
-    // pair=required host, or a manual/unknown-policy host, must pair by PIN.
+    // pair=required host, or a manual/unknown-policy host, must pair — either by no-PIN request
+    // access (approve in the console) or by the SPAKE2 PIN ceremony.
     fun connect(
         targetHost: String,
         targetPort: Int,
@@ -208,9 +288,10 @@ fun ConnectScreen(settings: Settings, onConnected: (Long) -> Unit) {
             // clearly labeled, alongside PIN pairing). Smart-cast: this branch ⇒ dh != null.
             dh?.pairingRequired == false -> pendingTrust =
                 PendingTrust(targetHost, targetPort, name, dh.fingerprint, PendingTrust.Kind.TRUST_NEW)
-            // pair=required, or a manual/unknown-policy host → PIN pairing is mandatory.
+            // pair=required, or a manual/unknown-policy host → offer the two ways in: a no-PIN
+            // "request access" (approve in the console) or the SPAKE2 PIN ceremony.
             else -> pendingTrust =
-                PendingTrust(targetHost, targetPort, name, adv, PendingTrust.Kind.PAIR)
+                PendingTrust(targetHost, targetPort, name, adv, PendingTrust.Kind.REQUEST_ACCESS)
         }
     }
 
@@ -471,6 +552,33 @@ fun ConnectScreen(settings: Settings, onConnected: (Long) -> Unit) {
                     TextButton({ pendingTrust = null }) { Text("Cancel") }
                 },
             )
+            // A fresh pair=required (or manual/unknown-policy) host: offer the two ways in. "Request
+            // access" is the no-PIN path — connect and wait for the operator to click Approve in the
+            // host's console; "Use a PIN…" switches to the SPAKE2 ceremony.
+            PendingTrust.Kind.REQUEST_ACCESS -> AlertDialog(
+                onDismissRequest = { pendingTrust = null },
+                title = { Text("Pairing required") },
+                text = {
+                    Column {
+                        Text("${pt.host}:${pt.port} requires pairing before it will stream.")
+                        Text(
+                            "Request access and approve this device in the host's console (or web " +
+                                "UI) — no PIN needed. Or pair with the 4-digit PIN the host displays.",
+                        )
+                    }
+                },
+                confirmButton = {
+                    TextButton({ pendingTrust = null; requestAccess(pt) }) { Text("Request access") }
+                },
+                dismissButton = {
+                    Row {
+                        TextButton({ pendingTrust = pt.copy(kind = PendingTrust.Kind.PAIR) }) {
+                            Text("Use a PIN…")
+                        }
+                        TextButton({ pendingTrust = null }) { Text("Cancel") }
+                    }
+                },
+            )
             PendingTrust.Kind.PAIR -> {
                 var pin by remember(pt) { mutableStateOf("") }
                 var name by remember(pt) { mutableStateOf(Build.MODEL ?: "Android") }
@@ -537,6 +645,44 @@ fun ConnectScreen(settings: Settings, onConnected: (Long) -> Unit) {
         }
     }
 
+    // The no-PIN "request access" wait: the connect is parked on the host until the operator
+    // approves this device. Cancel returns the UI immediately — it trips the per-attempt flag so a
+    // late approval is torn down silently (see requestAccess) and resumes discovery.
+    awaiting?.let { req ->
+        fun cancel() {
+            req.cancelled.set(true)
+            awaiting = null
+            connecting = false
+            discovery.start() // the request may still be pending on the host; keep scanning
+        }
+        AlertDialog(
+            onDismissRequest = { cancel() },
+            title = { Text("Waiting for approval") },
+            text = {
+                val deviceName = Build.MODEL ?: "this device"
+                Column(verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(12.dp)) {
+                    Row(
+                        verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically,
+                        horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(12.dp),
+                    ) {
+                        CircularProgressIndicator(modifier = Modifier.size(20.dp), strokeWidth = 2.dp)
+                        Text("Approve this device on ${req.target.name}.")
+                    }
+                    Text(
+                        "Open the host's console (or web UI) and approve “$deviceName”. It connects " +
+                            "automatically once you approve — no PIN needed.",
+                        style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium,
+                        color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+                    )
+                }
+            },
+            confirmButton = {},
+            dismissButton = {
+                TextButton(onClick = { cancel() }) { Text("Cancel") }
+            },
+        )
+    }
+
     // Rename a saved host's label (discovered hosts are named by mDNS; this is how you give one a
     // friendly name like "Living Room" after pairing). Keyed by the host so reopening resets the field.
     renameTarget?.let { kh ->

clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/LicensesScreen.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+package io.unom.punktfunk
+
+import androidx.activity.compose.BackHandler
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Arrangement
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
+import androidx.compose.foundation.rememberScrollState
+import androidx.compose.foundation.verticalScroll
+import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
+import androidx.compose.material3.Text
+import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
+import androidx.compose.runtime.remember
+import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
+import androidx.compose.ui.platform.LocalContext
+import androidx.compose.ui.text.font.FontFamily
+import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
+
+/**
+ * Open-source licenses: punktfunk's own license (MIT OR Apache-2.0) plus the third-party software
+ * notices, read from the bundled `THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt` asset (generated by
+ * scripts/gen-third-party-notices.sh). Reached from [SettingsScreen]; Back returns there.
+ */
+@Composable
+fun LicensesScreen(onBack: () -> Unit) {
+    val context = LocalContext.current
+    BackHandler(onBack = onBack)
+
+    val notices = remember {
+        runCatching {
+            context.assets.open("THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt").bufferedReader().use { it.readText() }
+        }.getOrDefault("Third-party notices unavailable.")
+    }
+    val version = remember {
+        runCatching {
+            @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+            context.packageManager.getPackageInfo(context.packageName, 0).versionName
+        }.getOrNull()
+    }
+
+    Column(
+        modifier = Modifier
+            .fillMaxSize()
+            .verticalScroll(rememberScrollState())
+            .padding(horizontal = 20.dp, vertical = 24.dp),
+        verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(16.dp),
+    ) {
+        Text("Open-source licenses", style = MaterialTheme.typography.headlineMedium)
+        if (version != null) {
+            Text(
+                "punktfunk $version",
+                style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium,
+                color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+            )
+        }
+        Text(
+            "punktfunk is licensed under MIT OR Apache-2.0, at your option. It uses the open-source " +
+                "components below, each under its own license.",
+            style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium,
+        )
+        Text(
+            notices,
+            style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodySmall.copy(fontFamily = FontFamily.Monospace),
+        )
+    }
+}

clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/Settings.kt

@@ -16,9 +16,18 @@ data class Settings(
     val bitrateKbps: Int = 0,
     val compositor: Int = 0,
     val gamepad: Int = 0,
+    /** Requested audio channel count: 2 (stereo), 6 (5.1) or 8 (7.1). The host clamps to what it
+     * can capture; the resolved count drives the decoder + AAudio layout. */
+    val audioChannels: Int = 2,
     val micEnabled: Boolean = false,
     /** Show the live stats overlay (FPS / throughput / latency) during a stream. */
     val statsHudEnabled: Boolean = true,
+    /**
+     * Touch input model. `true` (default) = trackpad: the cursor stays put on touch-down and moves
+     * by the finger's relative delta (swipe to nudge, lift and re-swipe to walk it across), tap to
+     * click where it is. `false` = direct pointing: the cursor jumps to the finger (the old behaviour).
+     */
+    val trackpadMode: Boolean = true,
 )
 
 /** Loads/saves [Settings] in the app-private `punktfunk_settings` prefs. */
@@ -33,8 +42,10 @@ class SettingsStore(context: Context) {
         bitrateKbps = prefs.getInt(K_BITRATE, 0),
         compositor = prefs.getInt(K_COMPOSITOR, 0),
         gamepad = prefs.getInt(K_GAMEPAD, 0),
+        audioChannels = prefs.getInt(K_AUDIO_CH, 2),
         micEnabled = prefs.getBoolean(K_MIC, false),
         statsHudEnabled = prefs.getBoolean(K_HUD, true),
+        trackpadMode = prefs.getBoolean(K_TRACKPAD, true),
     )
 
     fun save(s: Settings) {
@@ -45,8 +56,10 @@ class SettingsStore(context: Context) {
             .putInt(K_BITRATE, s.bitrateKbps)
             .putInt(K_COMPOSITOR, s.compositor)
             .putInt(K_GAMEPAD, s.gamepad)
+            .putInt(K_AUDIO_CH, s.audioChannels)
             .putBoolean(K_MIC, s.micEnabled)
             .putBoolean(K_HUD, s.statsHudEnabled)
+            .putBoolean(K_TRACKPAD, s.trackpadMode)
             .apply()
     }
 
@@ -57,8 +70,10 @@ class SettingsStore(context: Context) {
         const val K_BITRATE = "bitrate_kbps"
         const val K_COMPOSITOR = "compositor"
         const val K_GAMEPAD = "gamepad"
+        const val K_AUDIO_CH = "audio_channels"
         const val K_MIC = "mic_enabled"
         const val K_HUD = "stats_hud_enabled"
+        const val K_TRACKPAD = "trackpad_mode"
     }
 }
 
@@ -124,6 +139,13 @@ val REFRESH_OPTIONS = listOf(
     240 to "240 Hz",
 )
 
+/** (channel count, label). 2 = stereo (default), 6 = 5.1, 8 = 7.1. */
+val AUDIO_CHANNEL_OPTIONS = listOf(
+    2 to "Stereo",
+    6 to "5.1 Surround",
+    8 to "7.1 Surround",
+)
+
 /** (kbps, label). `0` = host default. */
 val BITRATE_OPTIONS = listOf(
     0 to "Automatic",

clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/SettingsScreen.kt

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import android.content.pm.PackageManager
 import androidx.activity.compose.BackHandler
 import androidx.activity.compose.rememberLauncherForActivityResult
 import androidx.activity.result.contract.ActivityResultContracts
+import androidx.compose.foundation.clickable
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Arrangement
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.ColumnScope
@@ -44,6 +45,7 @@ import androidx.core.content.ContextCompat
 fun SettingsScreen(initial: Settings, onChange: (Settings) -> Unit, onBack: () -> Unit) {
     var s by remember { mutableStateOf(initial) }
     val context = LocalContext.current
+    var showLicenses by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
     fun update(next: Settings) {
         s = next
         onChange(next)
@@ -56,6 +58,11 @@ fun SettingsScreen(initial: Settings, onChange: (Settings) -> Unit, onBack: () -
         ActivityResultContracts.RequestPermission(),
     ) { granted -> update(s.copy(micEnabled = granted)) }
 
+    if (showLicenses) {
+        LicensesScreen(onBack = { showLicenses = false })
+        return
+    }
+
     Column(
         modifier = Modifier
             .fillMaxSize()
@@ -104,6 +111,12 @@ fun SettingsScreen(initial: Settings, onChange: (Settings) -> Unit, onBack: () -
         }
 
         SettingsGroup("Audio") {
+            SettingDropdown(
+                label = "Audio channels",
+                options = AUDIO_CHANNEL_OPTIONS,
+                selected = s.audioChannels,
+            ) { ch -> update(s.copy(audioChannels = ch)) }
+
             ToggleRow(
                 title = "Microphone",
                 subtitle = "Send your mic to the host's virtual microphone",
@@ -119,6 +132,16 @@ fun SettingsScreen(initial: Settings, onChange: (Settings) -> Unit, onBack: () -
             )
         }
 
+        SettingsGroup("Pointer") {
+            ToggleRow(
+                title = "Trackpad mode",
+                subtitle = "Relative cursor like a laptop touchpad — swipe to nudge, tap to click. " +
+                    "Off = the cursor jumps to your finger.",
+                checked = s.trackpadMode,
+                onCheckedChange = { on -> update(s.copy(trackpadMode = on)) },
+            )
+        }
+
         SettingsGroup("Overlay") {
             ToggleRow(
                 title = "Stats overlay",
@@ -127,6 +150,14 @@ fun SettingsScreen(initial: Settings, onChange: (Settings) -> Unit, onBack: () -
                 onCheckedChange = { on -> update(s.copy(statsHudEnabled = on)) },
             )
         }
+
+        SettingsGroup("About") {
+            ClickableRow(
+                title = "Open-source licenses",
+                subtitle = "Third-party notices and credits",
+                onClick = { showLicenses = true },
+            )
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -171,6 +202,24 @@ private fun ToggleRow(
     }
 }
 
+/** A title + subtitle on the left; the whole row is clickable (opens a sub-screen). */
+@Composable
+private fun ClickableRow(title: String, subtitle: String, onClick: () -> Unit) {
+    Row(
+        modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth().clickable(onClick = onClick),
+        verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically,
+    ) {
+        Column(Modifier.weight(1f)) {
+            Text(title, style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyLarge)
+            Text(
+                subtitle,
+                style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodySmall,
+                color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+            )
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /** A labelled read-only dropdown over [options] (value → label); calls [onSelect] on a pick. */
 @OptIn(ExperimentalMaterial3Api::class)
 @Composable

clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/StreamScreen.kt

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.NativeBridge
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean
 import kotlinx.coroutines.delay
 import kotlin.math.abs
+import kotlin.math.hypot
 import kotlin.math.roundToInt
 
 // Touch-gesture tuning (px / ms). TAP_SLOP: movement under this still counts as a tap, not a drag.
@@ -50,6 +51,15 @@ private const val TAP_SLOP = 12f
 private const val TAP_DRAG_MS = 250L
 private const val SCROLL_DIV = 4f
 
+// Trackpad-mode pointer ballistics (relative one-finger motion). POINTER_SENS: base finger-px →
+// host-px gain (~1:1, never twitchy). The rest is mild acceleration so a flick crosses the screen
+// while a slow drag stays precise: above ACCEL_SPEED_FLOOR px/ms the gain ramps by ACCEL_GAIN per
+// px/ms, capped at ACCEL_MAX (so a fast swipe can't fling the cursor uncontrollably).
+private const val POINTER_SENS = 1.3f
+private const val ACCEL_GAIN = 0.6f
+private const val ACCEL_SPEED_FLOOR = 0.3f
+private const val ACCEL_MAX = 3.0f
+
 @Composable
 fun StreamScreen(handle: Long, micEnabled: Boolean, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
     val context = LocalContext.current
@@ -68,8 +78,11 @@ fun StreamScreen(handle: Long, micEnabled: Boolean, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
     // Live decode stats for the HUD. Poll once a second for the whole stream (cheap, and each call
     // drains+resets the native window so it never grows unbounded even while the overlay is hidden);
     // `showStats` only gates rendering. A 3-finger tap toggles it live; the default comes from Settings.
+    val initialSettings = remember { SettingsStore(context).load() }
     var stats by remember { mutableStateOf<DoubleArray?>(null) }
-    var showStats by remember { mutableStateOf(SettingsStore(context).load().statsHudEnabled) }
+    var showStats by remember { mutableStateOf(initialSettings.statsHudEnabled) }
+    // Touch model is fixed per session (re-keys the gesture handler below if it ever changes).
+    val trackpad = initialSettings.trackpadMode
     LaunchedEffect(handle) {
         while (true) {
             delay(1000)
@@ -145,13 +158,18 @@ fun StreamScreen(handle: Long, micEnabled: Boolean, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
         if (showStats) {
             stats?.let { StatsOverlay(it, Modifier.align(Alignment.TopStart).padding(12.dp)) }
         }
-        // Touch → mouse, absolute "direct pointing" like the Apple client: the host cursor follows
-        // your finger (MouseMoveAbs, host-normalized against the overlay size — which fills the video,
-        // so finger position maps straight onto the remote screen). Gestures: tap = left click;
-        // two-finger tap = right click; two-finger drag = scroll; tap-then-press-and-drag = left-drag
-        // (text selection / moving windows); three-finger tap = toggle the stats HUD.
+        // Touch → mouse. Two models, chosen by the Trackpad-mode setting:
+        //  • trackpad (default): the cursor STAYS where it is on touch-down and moves by the finger's
+        //    relative delta (MouseMove) with mild pointer acceleration — swipe to nudge, lift and
+        //    re-swipe to walk it across, tap to click where it is. This is what makes the cursor
+        //    reachable on a small screen.
+        //  • direct (opt-out): the cursor jumps to the finger and follows it (MouseMoveAbs,
+        //    host-normalized against the overlay size), the old "direct pointing" behaviour.
+        // Both share the same gesture vocabulary: tap = left click; two-finger tap = right click;
+        // two-finger drag = scroll; tap-then-press-and-drag = left-drag (text selection / moving
+        // windows); three-finger tap = toggle the stats HUD.
         Box(
-            Modifier.fillMaxSize().pointerInput(handle) {
+            Modifier.fillMaxSize().pointerInput(handle, trackpad) {
                 var lastTapUp = 0L
                 var lastTapX = 0f
                 var lastTapY = 0f
@@ -176,7 +194,9 @@ fun StreamScreen(handle: Long, micEnabled: Boolean, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
                     val isDrag = down.uptimeMillis - lastTapUp < TAP_DRAG_MS &&
                         abs(startX - lastTapX) < TAP_SLOP && abs(startY - lastTapY) < TAP_SLOP
                     lastTapUp = 0L // consume the arming either way
-                    moveAbs(startX, startY) // cursor jumps to the finger immediately
+                    // Direct mode jumps the cursor to the finger; trackpad mode leaves it put (the
+                    // whole point — you nudge it with swipes instead).
+                    if (!trackpad) moveAbs(startX, startY)
                     if (isDrag) NativeBridge.nativeSendPointerButton(handle, 1, true)
 
                     var moved = false
@@ -185,6 +205,14 @@ fun StreamScreen(handle: Long, micEnabled: Boolean, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
                     var prevCx = startX
                     var prevCy = startY
                     var upTime = down.uptimeMillis
+                    // Trackpad relative-motion state: the tracked finger, its last position/time, and
+                    // the sub-pixel remainder so a slow drag isn't lost to Int truncation.
+                    var trackId = down.id
+                    var prevX = startX
+                    var prevY = startY
+                    var prevT = down.uptimeMillis
+                    var accX = 0f
+                    var accY = 0f
 
                     while (true) {
                         val ev = awaitPointerEvent()
@@ -217,15 +245,46 @@ fun StreamScreen(handle: Long, micEnabled: Boolean, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
                                 moved = true
                             }
                         } else if (!scrolling) {
-                            // One finger → the cursor follows it (skipped once a gesture turned into
-                            // a scroll, so dropping back to one finger doesn't jerk the cursor).
+                            // One finger (skipped once a gesture turned into a scroll, so dropping
+                            // back to one finger doesn't jerk the cursor).
                             val p = pressed.firstOrNull { it.id == down.id } ?: pressed.first()
                             if (abs(p.position.x - startX) > TAP_SLOP ||
                                 abs(p.position.y - startY) > TAP_SLOP
                             ) {
                                 moved = true
                             }
-                            moveAbs(p.position.x, p.position.y)
+                            if (trackpad) {
+                                // Relative: move by the finger delta × (sensitivity × acceleration),
+                                // carrying the sub-pixel remainder. Re-anchor (zero delta this frame)
+                                // if the tracked finger changed, so lifting one of several fingers
+                                // never jumps the cursor.
+                                if (p.id != trackId) {
+                                    trackId = p.id
+                                    prevX = p.position.x
+                                    prevY = p.position.y
+                                    prevT = p.uptimeMillis
+                                }
+                                val dx = p.position.x - prevX
+                                val dy = p.position.y - prevY
+                                val dt = (p.uptimeMillis - prevT).coerceAtLeast(1L)
+                                prevX = p.position.x
+                                prevY = p.position.y
+                                prevT = p.uptimeMillis
+                                val speed = hypot(dx, dy) / dt // finger px per ms
+                                val accel = (1f + ACCEL_GAIN * (speed - ACCEL_SPEED_FLOOR).coerceAtLeast(0f))
+                                    .coerceAtMost(ACCEL_MAX)
+                                accX += dx * POINTER_SENS * accel
+                                accY += dy * POINTER_SENS * accel
+                                val outX = accX.toInt() // truncates toward zero → remainder kept w/ sign
+                                val outY = accY.toInt()
+                                if (outX != 0 || outY != 0) {
+                                    NativeBridge.nativeSendPointerMove(handle, outX, outY)
+                                    accX -= outX
+                                    accY -= outY
+                                }
+                            } else {
+                                moveAbs(p.position.x, p.position.y) // direct: cursor follows the finger
+                            }
                         }
                         ev.changes.forEach { it.consume() }
                     }
@@ -239,7 +298,7 @@ fun StreamScreen(handle: Long, micEnabled: Boolean, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
                                 NativeBridge.nativeSendPointerButton(handle, 3, true)
                                 NativeBridge.nativeSendPointerButton(handle, 3, false)
                             }
-                            else -> { // tap → left click, and arm tap-and-drag
+                            else -> { // tap → left click (at the cursor's current spot), arm tap-drag
                                 NativeBridge.nativeSendPointerButton(handle, 1, true)
                                 NativeBridge.nativeSendPointerButton(handle, 1, false)
                                 lastTapUp = upTime
@@ -260,7 +319,7 @@ fun StreamScreen(handle: Long, micEnabled: Boolean, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
  * `[fps, mbps, latP50Ms, latP95Ms, latValid, skew, w, h, hz, dropped]`.
  */
 @Composable
-private fun StatsOverlay(s: DoubleArray, modifier: Modifier = Modifier) {
+internal fun StatsOverlay(s: DoubleArray, modifier: Modifier = Modifier) {
     if (s.size < 10) return
     val w = s[6].toInt()
     val h = s[7].toInt()

clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/Theme.kt

@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.platform.LocalContext
 
 // punktfunk brand violets (from the app icon: #6C5BF3 / #A79FF8 / #D2C9FB on a #16132A indigo).
 // Used as the fallback dark scheme on pre-Android-12 devices; on 12+ we defer to Material You.
-private val BrandDark = darkColorScheme(
+// `internal` (not private) so the CI screenshot tests can force the deterministic brand palette —
+// Material You dynamic colour has no wallpaper to seed from under the Robolectric JVM renderer.
+internal val BrandDark = darkColorScheme(
     primary = Color(0xFFA79FF8),
     onPrimary = Color(0xFF1B1442),
     primaryContainer = Color(0xFF4C3FB3),

clients/android/app/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/models/UiModels.kt

@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@ enum class Tab(val label: String, val icon: ImageVector) {
 /**
  * A trust decision awaiting the user before a connect proceeds. [name] is the label to save the
  * host under. Trust-on-first-use ([Kind.TRUST_NEW]) is only ever offered when the host ADVERTISED
- * pair=optional; a pair=required host or a manually-typed/unknown-policy host goes straight to PIN
- * pairing ([Kind.PAIR]), and a changed fingerprint forces re-pairing — never a silent re-trust.
+ * pair=optional; a pair=required host or a manually-typed/unknown-policy host is offered the
+ * two ways in ([Kind.REQUEST_ACCESS]): a no-PIN "request access" connect the operator approves in
+ * the host's console, or the SPAKE2 PIN ceremony ([Kind.PAIR]). A changed fingerprint forces
+ * re-pairing by PIN ([Kind.FP_CHANGED]) — never a silent re-trust.
  */
 data class PendingTrust(
     val host: String,
@@ -24,7 +26,7 @@ data class PendingTrust(
     val advertisedFp: String?,
     val kind: Kind,
 ) {
-    enum class Kind { TRUST_NEW, FP_CHANGED, PAIR }
+    enum class Kind { TRUST_NEW, FP_CHANGED, PAIR, REQUEST_ACCESS }
 }
 
 /** Trust state of a host, shown as a colored pill on its card. */

clients/android/app/src/test/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/screenshots/ScreenshotTest.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+package io.unom.punktfunk.screenshots
+
+import androidx.activity.ComponentActivity
+import androidx.compose.ui.test.junit4.createAndroidComposeRule
+import androidx.compose.ui.test.onRoot
+import com.github.takahirom.roborazzi.captureRoboImage
+import com.github.takahirom.roborazzi.captureScreenRoboImage
+import org.junit.Rule
+import org.junit.Test
+import org.junit.runner.RunWith
+import org.robolectric.RobolectricTestRunner
+import org.robolectric.annotation.Config
+import org.robolectric.annotation.GraphicsMode
+
+/**
+ * App-store / marketing screenshots of the native Android client, rendered on the JVM by Roborazzi
+ * (Robolectric Native Graphics) — no emulator, GPU, host, or JNI core. The scenes (ShotScenes.kt)
+ * render the REAL Compose UI with mock state.
+ *
+ * `sdk = [36]` is mandatory: Robolectric ships android-all jars only up to API 36 (Android 16), and
+ * the app's compileSdk is 37. PNGs land in build/outputs/roborazzi/.
+ */
+@RunWith(RobolectricTestRunner::class)
+@GraphicsMode(GraphicsMode.Mode.NATIVE)
+@Config(sdk = [36], qualifiers = "w360dp-h800dp-xxhdpi")
+class ScreenshotTest {
+    @get:Rule
+    val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<ComponentActivity>()
+
+    private val out = "build/outputs/roborazzi"
+
+    // Pausing the animation clock before composing (then advancing once past the entrance animation
+    // and freezing) is what makes a text-field-bearing scene capturable: a focused field blinks its
+    // cursor via an infinite animation that otherwise keeps Compose perpetually "busy", so
+    // setContent's wait-for-idle never returns. Frozen, the capture is also deterministic.
+
+    /** Full-screen content scenes: the compose root fills the device, so a root capture is the shot. */
+    private fun shootRoot(name: String, content: @androidx.compose.runtime.Composable () -> Unit) {
+        compose.mainClock.autoAdvance = false
+        compose.setContent { ShotTheme(content) }
+        compose.mainClock.advanceTimeBy(800)
+        compose.onRoot().captureRoboImage("$out/phone-$name.png")
+    }
+
+    /** Dialog scenes: the AlertDialog is a separate window, so capture the whole screen (all windows). */
+    private fun shootScreen(name: String, content: @androidx.compose.runtime.Composable () -> Unit) {
+        compose.mainClock.autoAdvance = false
+        compose.setContent { ShotTheme(content) }
+        compose.mainClock.advanceTimeBy(800)
+        captureScreenRoboImage("$out/phone-$name.png")
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun hosts() = shootRoot("hosts") { HostsScene() }
+
+    @Test
+    fun settings() = shootRoot("settings") { SettingsScene() }
+
+    @Test
+    @Config(sdk = [36], qualifiers = "w800dp-h360dp-xxhdpi") // landscape — the stream is immersive
+    fun stream() = shootRoot("stream") { StreamScene() }
+
+    @Test
+    fun trust() = shootScreen("trust") {
+        HostsScene()
+        TrustDialog()
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun pair() = shootScreen("pair") {
+        HostsScene()
+        PairDialog()
+    }
+}

clients/android/app/src/test/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/screenshots/ShotScenes.kt

@@ -0,0 +1,195 @@
+package io.unom.punktfunk.screenshots
+
+import androidx.compose.foundation.background
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Arrangement
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Box
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Column
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Spacer
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxWidth
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.height
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
+import androidx.compose.foundation.lazy.grid.GridCells
+import androidx.compose.foundation.lazy.grid.GridItemSpan
+import androidx.compose.foundation.lazy.grid.LazyVerticalGrid
+import androidx.compose.foundation.lazy.grid.items
+import androidx.compose.material3.AlertDialog
+import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
+import androidx.compose.material3.Surface
+import androidx.compose.material3.Text
+import androidx.compose.material3.TextButton
+import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
+import androidx.compose.ui.Alignment
+import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
+import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.Brush
+import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.Color
+import androidx.compose.ui.text.style.TextAlign
+import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
+import io.unom.punktfunk.BrandDark
+import io.unom.punktfunk.Settings
+import io.unom.punktfunk.SettingsScreen
+import io.unom.punktfunk.StatsOverlay
+import io.unom.punktfunk.components.HostCard
+import io.unom.punktfunk.components.SectionLabel
+import io.unom.punktfunk.models.HostStatus
+
+// The CI screenshot scenes: the REAL app composables, fed embedded mock state, under the forced
+// brand palette (Material You has no wallpaper to seed from on the JVM). The stream-video surface
+// and ConnectScreen/App are intentionally absent — they require the live JNI core / a session.
+
+/** Forces the deterministic punktfunk brand scheme (see Theme.kt) instead of dynamic colour. */
+@Composable
+internal fun ShotTheme(content: @Composable () -> Unit) {
+    MaterialTheme(colorScheme = BrandDark, content = content)
+}
+
+private data class MockHost(val name: String, val address: String, val status: HostStatus)
+
+private val SAVED = listOf(
+    MockHost("Living Room PC", "192.168.1.42:9777", HostStatus.PAIRED),
+    MockHost("Office", "192.168.1.50:9777", HostStatus.TOFU),
+)
+private val DISCOVERED = listOf(
+    MockHost("studio-deck", "192.168.1.61:9777", HostStatus.PAIRING),
+    MockHost("HTPC", "192.168.1.70:9777", HostStatus.TOFU),
+)
+
+/** The connect screen's host grid, reconstructed from the real HostCard/SectionLabel components. */
+@Composable
+internal fun HostsScene() {
+    Surface(Modifier.fillMaxSize(), color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.background) {
+        LazyVerticalGrid(
+            columns = GridCells.Adaptive(minSize = 160.dp),
+            modifier = Modifier.fillMaxSize(),
+            contentPadding = androidx.compose.foundation.layout.PaddingValues(16.dp),
+            horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(8.dp),
+            verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(8.dp),
+        ) {
+            item(span = { GridItemSpan(maxLineSpan) }) {
+                Column(
+                    horizontalAlignment = Alignment.CenterHorizontally,
+                    modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth(),
+                ) {
+                    Spacer(Modifier.height(8.dp))
+                    Text("Punktfunk", style = MaterialTheme.typography.headlineLarge)
+                    Text(
+                        "stream a remote desktop",
+                        style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium,
+                        color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+                    )
+                    Spacer(Modifier.height(24.dp))
+                }
+            }
+            item(span = { GridItemSpan(maxLineSpan) }) { SectionLabel("Saved hosts") }
+            items(SAVED) { h ->
+                HostCard(h.name, h.address, h.status, enabled = true, onConnect = {}, onForget = {}, onRename = {})
+            }
+            item(span = { GridItemSpan(maxLineSpan) }) {
+                Spacer(Modifier.height(12.dp))
+                SectionLabel("Discovered on the network")
+            }
+            items(DISCOVERED) { h ->
+                HostCard(h.name, h.address, h.status, enabled = true, onConnect = {}, onForget = null)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/** The real SettingsScreen, fed a representative non-default Settings. */
+@Composable
+internal fun SettingsScene() {
+    Surface(Modifier.fillMaxSize(), color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.background) {
+        SettingsScreen(
+            initial = Settings(
+                width = 1920,
+                height = 1080,
+                hz = 120,
+                bitrateKbps = 50_000,
+                compositor = 1,
+                gamepad = 2,
+                micEnabled = true,
+                statsHudEnabled = true,
+                trackpadMode = true,
+            ),
+            onChange = {},
+            onBack = {},
+        )
+    }
+}
+
+/** The real TOFU AlertDialog (mirrors ConnectScreen's PendingTrust.Kind.TRUST_NEW), shown over the host grid. */
+@Composable
+internal fun TrustDialog() {
+    AlertDialog(
+        onDismissRequest = {},
+        title = { Text("Trust this host?") },
+        text = {
+            Column {
+                Text("First connection to 192.168.1.61:9777.")
+                Text("Fingerprint 9f8e7d6c5b4a3928…")
+                Text(
+                    "This host allows trust-on-first-use, but that can't tell an impostor " +
+                        "from the real host. Pairing with a PIN is stronger — it proves both sides.",
+                )
+            }
+        },
+        confirmButton = { TextButton({}) { Text("Trust (TOFU)") } },
+        dismissButton = { TextButton({}) { Text("Pair with PIN…") } },
+    )
+}
+
+/** The PIN-pairing AlertDialog (mirrors ConnectScreen's PendingTrust.Kind.PAIR). The live screen
+ *  uses OutlinedTextFields, but a TextField inside a Dialog window never reaches idle under
+ *  Robolectric (its focus/cursor machinery animates forever) — so the PIN is shown as a static
+ *  display here, which also reads better in a marketing shot. */
+@Composable
+internal fun PairDialog() {
+    AlertDialog(
+        onDismissRequest = {},
+        title = { Text("Pair with PIN") },
+        text = {
+            Column {
+                Text("Enter the 4-digit PIN shown on the host.")
+                Spacer(Modifier.height(16.dp))
+                Surface(
+                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.surfaceVariant,
+                    shape = MaterialTheme.shapes.medium,
+                    modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth(),
+                ) {
+                    Text(
+                        "4  8  2  7",
+                        style = MaterialTheme.typography.headlineMedium,
+                        textAlign = TextAlign.Center,
+                        modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth().padding(vertical = 16.dp),
+                    )
+                }
+                Spacer(Modifier.height(12.dp))
+                Text(
+                    "This device: Pixel 9 Pro",
+                    style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyMedium,
+                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+                )
+            }
+        },
+        confirmButton = { TextButton({}) { Text("Pair") } },
+        dismissButton = { TextButton({}) { Text("Cancel") } },
+    )
+}
+
+/** The live stats HUD (the real StatsOverlay) over a synthetic "streamed frame" gradient. */
+@Composable
+internal fun StreamScene() {
+    Box(
+        Modifier
+            .fillMaxSize()
+            .background(
+                Brush.linearGradient(listOf(Color(0xFF2A1E5C), Color(0xFF0E1B3D), Color(0xFF06122B))),
+            ),
+    ) {
+        // [fps, mbps, latP50, latP95, latValid, skew, w, h, hz, dropped]
+        StatsOverlay(
+            doubleArrayOf(238.0, 921.4, 1.3, 2.1, 1.0, 1.0, 5120.0, 1440.0, 240.0, 0.0),
+            Modifier.align(Alignment.TopStart).padding(12.dp),
+        )
+    }
+}

clients/android/kit/build.gradle.kts

@@ -99,6 +99,12 @@ val cargoNdkDebug = registerCargoNdk("cargoNdkDebug", release = false)
 val cargoNdkRelease = registerCargoNdk("cargoNdkRelease", release = true)
 
 afterEvaluate {
-    tasks.named("preDebugBuild").configure { dependsOn(cargoNdkDebug) }
-    tasks.named("preReleaseBuild").configure { dependsOn(cargoNdkRelease) }
+    // `-PskipRustBuild` skips the cargo-ndk native build — for JVM-only tasks (the Roborazzi
+    // screenshot unit tests render Compose on the JVM and never load libpunktfunk_android.so), so
+    // CI/local screenshot runs don't need the Rust toolchain or NDK. The native build stays wired
+    // for every normal APK/AAR build.
+    if (!project.hasProperty("skipRustBuild")) {
+        tasks.named("preDebugBuild").configure { dependsOn(cargoNdkDebug) }
+        tasks.named("preReleaseBuild").configure { dependsOn(cargoNdkRelease) }
+    }
 }

clients/android/kit/src/main/kotlin/io/unom/punktfunk/kit/NativeBridge.kt

@@ -29,8 +29,10 @@ object NativeBridge {
      * trust-on-first-use — read [nativeHostFingerprint] after; else 64-hex host SHA-256, mismatch →
      * `0`). [width]/[height]/[refreshHz] are the requested virtual-output mode (the host streams at
      * exactly this); [bitrateKbps] 0 = host default; [compositorPref]/[gamepadPref] are the
-     * `CompositorPref`/`GamepadPref` wire bytes (0 = Auto). Returns an opaque session handle, or `0`
-     * on failure. Pair with exactly one [nativeClose].
+     * `CompositorPref`/`GamepadPref` wire bytes (0 = Auto). [timeoutMs] is the handshake budget — the
+     * normal path passes a short value, the no-PIN "request access" path a long one (≥ the host's
+     * approval-park window) so a slow operator approval lands on this same parked connection. Returns
+     * an opaque session handle, or `0` on failure. Pair with exactly one [nativeClose].
      */
     external fun nativeConnect(
         host: String,
@@ -45,6 +47,8 @@ object NativeBridge {
         compositorPref: Int,
         gamepadPref: Int,
         hdrEnabled: Boolean,
+        audioChannels: Int,
+        timeoutMs: Int,
     ): Long
 
     /** 64-hex SHA-256 of the cert the host presented on [handle]; valid after a successful connect. */

clients/android/native/src/audio.rs

@@ -1,8 +1,21 @@
 //! Android audio playback (android-only): pull Opus packets from the connector, decode to
-//! interleaved f32 stereo, and feed AAudio (LowLatency) via its realtime data callback through a
-//! jitter ring. Mirrors [`crate::decode`]: one thread we own (the Opus decode producer) plus a
-//! shutdown flag; the realtime callback thread is owned by AAudio. Ring logic ported from
-//! `punktfunk-client-linux/src/audio.rs` (prime ~3 quanta, drop-oldest cap, re-prime on drain).
+//! interleaved f32 (stereo or 5.1/7.1 surround), and feed AAudio (LowLatency) via its realtime data
+//! callback through a jitter ring. Mirrors [`crate::decode`]: one thread we own (the Opus decode
+//! producer) plus a shutdown flag; the realtime callback thread is owned by AAudio.
+//!
+//! The layout is the host-RESOLVED channel count (`NativeClient::audio_channels`, negotiated at
+//! connect), so an older/clamping host that can only capture stereo is decoded + played as stereo.
+//! 2 = stereo / 6 = 5.1 / 8 = 7.1, in the canonical wire order FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR.
+//!
+//! The ring started as a port of `punktfunk-client-linux/src/audio.rs`, but AAudio — unlike
+//! PipeWire, which adaptively rate-matches the stream and absorbs a shallow buffer — hands us a raw
+//! realtime callback and makes us own the buffer. So this client diverges deliberately to stop the
+//! Android-only crackle: (1) the callback is allocation/free-free — decoded buffers are recycled to
+//! the producer via a free-list instead of being freed on the audio thread (Android's Scudo `free`
+//! has unbounded tail latency); (2) the jitter ring is deeper (~40 ms prime / ~150 ms hard cap) and
+//! decoupled from the tiny LowLatency burst size, with de-prime hysteresis so a transient drain
+//! doesn't manufacture a silence; (3) the AAudio HW buffer is primed above its 2-burst default and
+//! grown on XRuns (Google's anti-glitch technique).
 
 use ndk::audio::{
     AudioCallbackResult, AudioDirection, AudioFormat, AudioPerformanceMode, AudioSharingMode,
@@ -13,16 +26,75 @@ use punktfunk_core::error::PunktfunkError;
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
 use std::ffi::c_void;
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicU64, Ordering};
-use std::sync::mpsc::{sync_channel, SyncSender, TrySendError};
+use std::sync::mpsc::{sync_channel, Receiver, SyncSender, TrySendError};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
 
-const CHANNELS: usize = 2;
 const SAMPLE_RATE: i32 = 48_000;
 /// Decoded-chunk hand-off depth: 64 × 5 ms = 320 ms slack (matches the core's AUDIO_QUEUE).
 const RING_CHUNKS: usize = 64;
-/// Opus decode scratch: worst-case 120 ms stereo frame (5760 samples/ch × 2 ch).
-const PCM_SCRATCH: usize = 5760 * CHANNELS;
+
+// --- Jitter-ring depths, in MILLISECONDS (scaled to interleaved-f32 samples at runtime). --------
+// The channel count is negotiated, not a compile-time const, so these are kept in ms and multiplied
+// by `ms` (interleaved-f32 samples per millisecond at the resolved layout) inside `start`.
+// Unlike the Linux client (PipeWire adaptively rate-matches the stream to the graph clock, masking
+// host↔DAC drift + a shallow ring), AAudio hands us a raw callback and we own the buffer: drift and
+// WiFi power-save bunching land as underruns/overflows = crackle. So Android runs a deliberately
+// deeper, smoothly-managed ring than Linux — keep the two clients' depths intentionally divergent.
+/// Prime/target floor: fill to ~40 ms before playing (and after a sustained drain). Deep enough to
+/// ride out WiFi arrival jitter + clock drift; the dominant Android-only anti-crackle lever.
+const PRIME_FLOOR_MS: usize = 40;
+/// Ceiling for the burst-scaled target (so a large quantum can't push the prime depth too high).
+const PRIME_CEIL_MS: usize = 80;
+/// Drop-oldest headroom above the target before trimming — a ~80 ms band swallows an arrival burst
+/// without overflowing.
+const JITTER_HEADROOM_MS: usize = 80;
+/// Hard latency bound: never let the ring exceed ~150 ms (the only thing that caps added latency).
+const HARD_CAP_MS: usize = 150;
+/// Re-prime (go silent to refill) only after this many CONSECUTIVE empty callbacks, so one transient
+/// drain doesn't manufacture a fresh 40 ms silence (the old `if ring.is_empty()` re-primed instantly).
+const DEPRIME_AFTER_CALLBACKS: u32 = 5;
+/// Throttle the AAudio XRun-driven HW-buffer grow check (cheap, but no need to poll every quantum).
+const XRUN_CHECK_EVERY: u32 = 128;
+
+/// Opus decoder for the audio plane: a plain stereo decoder (the validated path) or a multistream
+/// decoder for 5.1/7.1, both behind one `decode_float`. Built from the host-RESOLVED channel count
+/// via the shared layout table. Mirrors the Linux client's `AudioDec`.
+enum AudioDec {
+    Stereo(opus::Decoder),
+    Surround(opus::MSDecoder),
+}
+
+impl AudioDec {
+    fn new(channels: u8) -> Result<AudioDec, opus::Error> {
+        if channels == 2 {
+            Ok(AudioDec::Stereo(opus::Decoder::new(
+                SAMPLE_RATE as u32,
+                opus::Channels::Stereo,
+            )?))
+        } else {
+            let l = punktfunk_core::audio::layout_for(channels, false);
+            Ok(AudioDec::Surround(opus::MSDecoder::new(
+                SAMPLE_RATE as u32,
+                l.streams,
+                l.coupled,
+                l.mapping,
+            )?))
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn decode_float(
+        &mut self,
+        input: &[u8],
+        out: &mut [f32],
+        fec: bool,
+    ) -> Result<usize, opus::Error> {
+        match self {
+            AudioDec::Stereo(d) => d.decode_float(input, out, fec),
+            AudioDec::Surround(d) => d.decode_float(input, out, fec),
+        }
+    }
+}
 
 /// Diagnostics — written by the decode thread + the realtime callback, logged periodically. The
 /// audio analogue of the video `fed`/`rendered` counters (we can't "screenshot" sound).
@@ -42,27 +114,57 @@ pub struct AudioPlayback {
 }
 
 impl AudioPlayback {
-    /// Open AAudio (LowLatency, 48 kHz/stereo/f32) with a realtime callback draining a jitter ring,
-    /// then spawn the Opus decode thread. `None` on failure (the caller leaves video streaming).
+    /// Open AAudio (LowLatency, 48 kHz/f32, the host-resolved channel layout) with a realtime
+    /// callback draining a jitter ring, then spawn the Opus decode thread. `None` on failure (the
+    /// caller leaves video streaming).
     pub fn start(client: Arc<NativeClient>) -> Option<AudioPlayback> {
+        // Build playback from the host-RESOLVED channel count (never the request): 2 = stereo /
+        // 6 = 5.1 / 8 = 7.1, canonical wire order FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR.
+        let channels = punktfunk_core::audio::normalize_channels(client.audio_channels) as usize;
+        // Interleaved f32 samples per millisecond at this layout (48 kHz × channels); the ms-
+        // denominated jitter-ring depths scale by it.
+        let ms = (SAMPLE_RATE as usize / 1000) * channels;
+        let prime_floor = PRIME_FLOOR_MS * ms;
+        let prime_ceil = PRIME_CEIL_MS * ms;
+        let jitter_headroom = JITTER_HEADROOM_MS * ms;
+        let hard_cap_max = HARD_CAP_MS * ms;
         let counters = Arc::new(Counters::default());
         let (tx, rx) = sync_channel::<Vec<f32>>(RING_CHUNKS);
+        // Recycle free-list: drained PCM buffers go BACK to the decode thread to be refilled, so the
+        // realtime callback never frees heap (Android's Scudo allocator has unbounded free() tail
+        // latency — a free on the audio thread is an XRun = a click) and the decode thread rarely
+        // allocates. Same depth as the data channel.
+        let (free_tx, free_rx) = sync_channel::<Vec<f32>>(RING_CHUNKS);
 
         // Realtime consumer state, owned by the callback (FnMut) — no lock: AAudio calls it from a
-        // single high-priority thread, and the decode thread only touches `tx`.
+        // single high-priority thread, and the decode thread only touches `tx`/`free_rx`.
         let cb_counters = counters.clone();
-        let mut ring: VecDeque<f32> = VecDeque::with_capacity(PCM_SCRATCH);
+        // Pre-reserve the ring so `extend` never reallocates on the realtime thread. Worst transient
+        // before the trim below = the hard cap plus one full channel of 5 ms (480-f32) frames — the
+        // punktfunk protocol always sends 5 ms Opus frames (host `audio_thread`); a larger frame
+        // would force a one-time realloc, asserted (not silently corrupted) in `decode_loop`.
+        let mut ring: VecDeque<f32> = VecDeque::with_capacity(hard_cap_max + RING_CHUNKS * 5 * ms);
         let mut primed = false;
-        let callback = move |_s: &AudioStream, data: *mut c_void, num_frames: i32| {
-            let want = num_frames as usize * CHANNELS;
+        let mut empties: u32 = 0; // consecutive empty callbacks (de-prime hysteresis)
+        let mut cb_count: u32 = 0; // callbacks since open (throttles the XRun grow check)
+        let mut last_xrun: i32 = 0; // last AAudio XRun count we grew the buffer for
+        let callback = move |s: &AudioStream, data: *mut c_void, num_frames: i32| {
+            let want = num_frames as usize * channels;
             // SAFETY: AAudio provides `num_frames * channel_count` F32 slots at `data`.
             let out = unsafe { std::slice::from_raw_parts_mut(data as *mut f32, want) };
-            while let Ok(chunk) = rx.try_recv() {
-                ring.extend(chunk);
+            // Drain decoded chunks into the ring WITHOUT freeing on the RT thread: `drain(..)` empties
+            // each Vec but keeps its capacity, then the empty buffer is handed back for reuse. The
+            // only RT-thread free is the rare case where the recycle channel is momentarily full.
+            while let Ok(mut chunk) = rx.try_recv() {
+                ring.extend(chunk.drain(..));
+                let _ = free_tx.try_send(chunk);
             }
-            // Prime to ~3 quanta (15 ms; floor 15 ms / ceiling 200 ms); drop OLDEST above the cap.
-            let target = (3 * want).clamp(720 * CHANNELS, 9600 * CHANNELS);
-            while ring.len() > target.max(want) + want {
+            // Jitter buffer: prime to ~40 ms (prime_floor) before playing and after a sustained drain;
+            // drop-oldest only above a wide ~120 ms band. Decoupled from the AAudio burst `want` (tiny
+            // on the LowLatency MMAP path) so the depth doesn't collapse to a single quantum.
+            let target = (3 * want).clamp(prime_floor, prime_ceil);
+            let hard_cap = (target + jitter_headroom).min(hard_cap_max);
+            while ring.len() > hard_cap {
                 ring.pop_front();
             }
             if !primed && ring.len() >= target {
@@ -79,12 +181,34 @@ impl AudioPlayback {
                 out.fill(0.0);
                 cb_counters.underruns.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
             }
+            // Re-prime only after a RUN of empty callbacks, not a single transient one — otherwise
+            // every momentary drain costs a fresh 40 ms silence (the old behaviour, self-inflicted
+            // crackle on any jitter spike).
             if ring.is_empty() {
-                primed = false; // re-prime after a genuine drain (avoids sustained crackle on loss)
+                empties += 1;
+                if empties >= DEPRIME_AFTER_CALLBACKS {
+                    primed = false;
+                }
+            } else {
+                empties = 0;
             }
             cb_counters
                 .ring_depth
                 .store(ring.len() as u64, Ordering::Relaxed);
+            // Google's AAudio anti-glitch technique: when the device reports new XRuns, grow the HW
+            // buffer by one burst (up to capacity). getXRunCount + setBufferSizeInFrames are both
+            // callback-safe / non-blocking, and set clamps to capacity so it self-limits. Throttled.
+            cb_count = cb_count.wrapping_add(1);
+            if cb_count % XRUN_CHECK_EVERY == 0 {
+                let xr = s.x_run_count();
+                if xr > last_xrun {
+                    last_xrun = xr;
+                    let burst = s.frames_per_burst().max(1);
+                    let grown =
+                        (s.buffer_size_in_frames() + burst).min(s.buffer_capacity_in_frames());
+                    let _ = s.set_buffer_size_in_frames(grown);
+                }
+            }
             AudioCallbackResult::Continue
         };
 
@@ -93,7 +217,11 @@ impl AudioPlayback {
             .ok()?
             .direction(AudioDirection::Output)
             .sample_rate(SAMPLE_RATE)
-            .channel_count(CHANNELS as i32)
+            // The wire order (FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR) is the standard AAudio/Android channel
+            // order, so this is an IDENTITY mapping — no permute. AAudio infers the 5.1/7.1 mask
+            // from `channel_count` (the ndk crate's builder exposes no setChannelMask); the host
+            // captures + Opus-encodes in exactly this order.
+            .channel_count(channels as i32)
             .format(AudioFormat::PCM_Float)
             .performance_mode(AudioPerformanceMode::LowLatency)
             .sharing_mode(AudioSharingMode::Shared)
@@ -109,19 +237,31 @@ impl AudioPlayback {
             log::error!("audio: request_start: {e}");
             return None;
         }
+        // Lift the AAudio HW buffer off its brittle ~2-burst LowLatency default so a single late
+        // callback doesn't immediately underrun; the in-callback XRun loop grows it further if the
+        // device still glitches. set_buffer_size_in_frames clamps to capacity.
+        let burst = stream.frames_per_burst().max(1);
+        let _ =
+            stream.set_buffer_size_in_frames((burst * 3).min(stream.buffer_capacity_in_frames()));
+        // perf != LowLatency or rate != 48000 means AAudio silently fell to a resampled legacy path
+        // (different burst behaviour) — surface it so the field can tell that apart from plain jitter.
         log::info!(
-            "audio: AAudio started rate={} ch={} fmt={:?} burst={}",
+            "audio: AAudio started rate={} ch={} fmt={:?} perf={:?} share={:?} burst={} buf={}/{}",
             stream.sample_rate(),
             stream.channel_count(),
             stream.format(),
+            stream.performance_mode(),
+            stream.sharing_mode(),
             stream.frames_per_burst(),
+            stream.buffer_size_in_frames(),
+            stream.buffer_capacity_in_frames(),
         );
 
         let shutdown = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
         let sd = shutdown.clone();
         let join = std::thread::Builder::new()
             .name("pf-audio".into())
-            .spawn(move || decode_loop(client, tx, sd, counters))
+            .spawn(move || decode_loop(client, tx, free_rx, sd, counters, channels))
             .ok();
 
         Some(AudioPlayback {
@@ -143,31 +283,53 @@ impl Drop for AudioPlayback {
 }
 
 /// Producer: `next_audio` → Opus `decode_float` → push interleaved f32 into the ring channel.
+/// Buffers come from (and return to) the realtime callback's recycle free-list so the steady state
+/// is allocation-free on both threads.
 fn decode_loop(
     client: Arc<NativeClient>,
     tx: SyncSender<Vec<f32>>,
+    free_rx: Receiver<Vec<f32>>,
     shutdown: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     counters: Arc<Counters>,
+    channels: usize,
 ) {
-    let mut dec = match opus::Decoder::new(SAMPLE_RATE as u32, opus::Channels::Stereo) {
+    // Interleaved f32 samples per millisecond at this layout — the ring's 5 ms reserve check below.
+    let ms = (SAMPLE_RATE as usize / 1000) * channels;
+    // Opus decode scratch: worst-case 120 ms frame (5760 samples/ch) × channels.
+    let pcm_scratch = 5760 * channels;
+    let mut dec = match AudioDec::new(channels as u8) {
         Ok(d) => d,
         Err(e) => {
             log::error!("audio: opus decoder init: {e} — audio disabled");
             return;
         }
     };
-    let mut pcm = vec![0f32; PCM_SCRATCH];
+    let mut pcm = vec![0f32; pcm_scratch];
     let mut window_peak = 0f32; // loudest |sample| since the last log — tells a tone from silence
     while !shutdown.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
         match client.next_audio(Duration::from_millis(5)) {
             Ok(pkt) => match dec.decode_float(&pkt.data, &mut pcm, false) {
                 Ok(samples) => {
-                    let n = samples * CHANNELS;
+                    let n = samples * channels;
                     for &s in &pcm[..n] {
                         window_peak = window_peak.max(s.abs());
                     }
+                    // The ring's pre-reservation in `start` assumes the protocol's 5 ms (≤480-f32/ch)
+                    // frames; a larger frame would force a one-time realloc on the RT thread. Catch a
+                    // future host frame-size change here in debug, not as a silent audio glitch.
+                    debug_assert!(
+                        n <= 5 * ms,
+                        "audio frame {n} f32 exceeds the 5 ms ring reserve"
+                    );
                     let count = counters.opus_decoded.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed) + 1;
-                    match tx.try_send(pcm[..n].to_vec()) {
+                    // Reuse a recycled buffer if the callback handed one back; only allocate when the
+                    // free-list is momentarily empty (startup / after a backpressure drop).
+                    let mut buf = free_rx
+                        .try_recv()
+                        .unwrap_or_else(|_| Vec::with_capacity(pcm_scratch));
+                    buf.clear();
+                    buf.extend_from_slice(&pcm[..n]);
+                    match tx.try_send(buf) {
                         Ok(()) | Err(TrySendError::Full(_)) => {} // drop-newest under backpressure
                         Err(TrySendError::Disconnected(_)) => break,
                     }

clients/android/native/src/session.rs

@@ -140,11 +140,15 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeGenerateIde
 }
 
 /// `NativeBridge.nativeConnect(host, port, w, h, hz, certPem, keyPem, pinHex, bitrateKbps,
-/// compositorPref, gamepadPref): Long`. `certPem`/`keyPem` empty = anonymous, else presented as the
-/// persistent identity. `pinHex` empty = TOFU (read `nativeHostFingerprint` after), else 64-hex
-/// SHA-256 to pin the host (mismatch → 0). `bitrateKbps` 0 = host default. `compositorPref`/
-/// `gamepadPref` are `CompositorPref`/`GamepadPref` wire bytes (0 = Auto; unknown → Auto).
-/// Returns an opaque handle, or 0 on failure (logged).
+/// compositorPref, gamepadPref, hdrEnabled, audioChannels, timeoutMs): Long`. `certPem`/`keyPem`
+/// empty = anonymous, else presented as the persistent identity. `pinHex` empty = TOFU (read
+/// `nativeHostFingerprint` after), else 64-hex SHA-256 to pin the host (mismatch → 0). `bitrateKbps`
+/// 0 = host default. `compositorPref`/`gamepadPref` are `CompositorPref`/`GamepadPref` wire bytes
+/// (0 = Auto; unknown → Auto). `audioChannels` is the requested surround layout (2/6/8; normalized,
+/// anything else → stereo) — the host clamps it and the resolved count drives playback. `timeoutMs`
+/// is the handshake budget: the normal path passes a short value, the no-PIN "request access" path a
+/// long one (≥ the host's approval-park window) so a slow operator approval lands on this same parked
+/// connection rather than timing the client out first. Returns an opaque handle, or 0 on failure.
 #[no_mangle]
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
 pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeConnect<'local>(
@@ -162,6 +166,8 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeConnect<'lo
     compositor_pref: jint,
     gamepad_pref: jint,
     hdr_enabled: jboolean,
+    audio_channels: jint,
+    timeout_ms: jint,
 ) -> jlong {
     let host: String = match env.get_string(&host) {
         Ok(s) => s.into(),
@@ -213,10 +219,17 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeConnect<'lo
         } else {
             0
         },
+        // Requested surround layout (2 = stereo / 6 = 5.1 / 8 = 7.1). The host clamps to what it can
+        // capture and echoes the resolved count in `connector.audio_channels`, which drives the
+        // decoder + AAudio layout (read in `crate::audio::AudioPlayback::start`). Anything else
+        // normalizes to stereo here.
+        punktfunk_core::audio::normalize_channels(audio_channels.clamp(0, u8::MAX as jint) as u8),
         None,     // launch: default app
         pin,      // Some → Crypto on host-fp mismatch
         identity, // owned (cert, key) PEM, or None (anonymous)
-        Duration::from_secs(10),
+        // Handshake budget from Kotlin: ~10 s for a normal connect, ~185 s for "request access"
+        // (the host parks the connection until the operator approves the device — see ConnectScreen).
+        Duration::from_millis(timeout_ms.max(0) as u64),
     ) {
         Ok(client) => {
             let handle = SessionHandle {

clients/apple/Package.swift

@@ -16,6 +16,15 @@ let package = Package(
         .target(
             name: "PunktfunkKit",
             dependencies: ["PunktfunkCore"],
+            // OSS attribution shown by the app's Acknowledgements screen. Bundled here (not in the
+            // app target) so it rides along via Bundle.module in both `swift build` and the Xcode
+            // app, which links the PunktfunkKit product. Refresh with
+            // scripts/gen-third-party-notices.sh (it copies the generated file into Resources/).
+            resources: [
+                .copy("Resources/THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt"),
+                .copy("Resources/LICENSE-MIT.txt"),
+                .copy("Resources/LICENSE-APACHE.txt"),
+            ],
             linkerSettings: [
                 // Rust staticlib system deps.
                 .linkedFramework("Security"),

clients/apple/README.md

@@ -361,4 +361,4 @@ ever switched to a logged-in GUI session, re-adding macOS to the job's capture s
 - Mid-stream renegotiation (resolution change without reconnect) is designed-for but not
   implemented (the Welcome is one-shot today).
 - Host-side gamepad injection needs `/dev/uinput` access on the box (udev rule from
-  `docs/linux-setup.md`).
+  `design/linux-setup.md`).

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/AcknowledgementsView.swift

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import PunktfunkKit
+import SwiftUI
+
+/// Open-source acknowledgements: punktfunk's own license (MIT OR Apache-2.0) followed by the
+/// third-party software notices. Used as a pushed view on iOS/tvOS and a preferences tab on macOS.
+struct AcknowledgementsView: View {
+    private var version: String? {
+        Bundle.main.infoDictionary?["CFBundleShortVersionString"] as? String
+    }
+
+    var body: some View {
+        ScrollView {
+            VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 18) {
+                Text("punktfunk")
+                    .font(.title2).bold()
+                if let version {
+                    Text("Version \(version)")
+                        .font(.caption)
+                        .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                }
+                Text(Licenses.appLicense)
+                    .font(.caption.monospaced())
+                    .modifier(SelectableText())
+
+                Divider()
+
+                Text("Third-party software")
+                    .font(.headline)
+                Text(
+                    "punktfunk uses the open-source components below, each under its own license. "
+                        + "On some platforms FFmpeg is additionally bundled under the LGPL v2.1+ "
+                        + "(dynamically linked, replaceable)."
+                )
+                .font(.caption)
+                .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                Text(Licenses.thirdPartyNotices)
+                    .font(.caption2.monospaced())
+                    .modifier(SelectableText())
+            }
+            .frame(maxWidth: 900, alignment: .leading)
+            .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading)
+            .padding()
+            #if os(tvOS)
+                .padding(40)
+            #endif
+        }
+        .navigationTitle("Acknowledgements")
+    }
+}
+
+/// `textSelection(.enabled)` is unavailable on tvOS, so apply it only where it exists.
+private struct SelectableText: ViewModifier {
+    func body(content: Content) -> some View {
+        #if os(tvOS)
+            content
+        #else
+            content.textSelection(.enabled)
+        #endif
+    }
+}

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/ContentView.swift

@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@
 // (HomeView/HostCards), the trust prompt (TrustCardView), and the HUD (StreamHUDView) live in
 // their own files.
 //
-// Two ways to establish trust on first contact: the TOFU prompt (host fingerprint over the
-// live-but-blurred stream, compared with the host's log) or the PIN pairing ceremony — pairing
-// verifies both sides at once and is the only way into hosts running --require-pairing. Once
-// pinned, reconnects are silent and a changed host identity refuses to connect.
+// Ways to establish trust on first contact: the TOFU prompt (host fingerprint over the
+// live-but-blurred stream, compared with the host's log; only for a host advertising pair=optional),
+// the PIN pairing ceremony (verifies both sides at once), or — for a host that requires pairing —
+// delegated approval ("Request Access": a plain identified connect the host parks until the operator
+// approves this device in its console, no PIN). Once pinned, reconnects are silent and a changed
+// host identity refuses to connect.
 
 #if os(macOS)
 import AppKit
@@ -25,11 +27,18 @@ struct ContentView: View {
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.compositor) private var compositor = 0
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.gamepadType) private var gamepadType = 0
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.bitrateKbps) private var bitrateKbps = 0
+    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.audioChannels) private var audioChannels = 2
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.fullscreenWhileStreaming) private var fullscreenWhileStreaming = true
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.hudEnabled) private var hudEnabled = true
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.hudPlacement) private var hudPlacement = HUDPlacement.topTrailing.rawValue
     @State private var showAddHost = false
     @State private var pairingTarget: StoredHost?
+    /// A fresh `pair=required`/unknown host the user tapped: drives the choice between no-PIN
+    /// delegated approval ("Request Access") and the SPAKE2 PIN ceremony (rule 3b).
+    @State private var approvalChoice: ApprovalRequest?
+    /// A delegated-approval connect is in flight (host parks it until the operator approves):
+    /// drives the cancelable "Waiting for approval" prompt and the pin-as-paired on success.
+    @State private var awaitingApproval: ApprovalRequest?
     @State private var speedTestTarget: StoredHost?
     @State private var libraryTarget: StoredHost?
     #if !os(macOS)
@@ -54,10 +63,27 @@ struct ContentView: View {
             autoConnectIfAsked()
         }
         .onChange(of: model.phase) { _, phase in
-            // A session actually started — remember it on the card ("Connected … ago"
-            // plus the accent ring on the most recent host).
-            if case .streaming = phase, let host = model.activeHost {
+            switch phase {
+            case .streaming:
+                // A session actually started — remember it on the card ("Connected … ago"
+                // plus the accent ring on the most recent host).
+                guard let host = model.activeHost else { break }
                 store.markConnected(host.id)
+                // Delegated approval just succeeded: the operator let this device in, so pin the
+                // host's observed fingerprint and remember it as paired — future connects are then
+                // silent (rule 1), exactly like after a PIN/TOFU success. Dismisses the wait prompt.
+                if awaitingApproval?.host.id == host.id {
+                    if let fp = model.connection?.hostFingerprint {
+                        store.pin(host.id, fingerprint: fp)
+                    }
+                    awaitingApproval = nil
+                }
+            case .idle:
+                // The delegated-approval connect failed, timed out, or was cancelled — drop the
+                // wait prompt (SessionModel surfaces any error via `errorMessage`).
+                if awaitingApproval != nil { awaitingApproval = nil }
+            default:
+                break
             }
         }
         .onDisappear { model.disconnect() } // window closed mid-session (Cmd+N spawns more)
@@ -89,6 +115,47 @@ struct ContentView: View {
             }
         }
         #endif
+        // Fresh pair=required / unknown host: offer the two ways in. An action sheet (not an
+        // alert) so it never collides with the wait alert below. "Request Access" is the no-PIN
+        // delegated-approval path; "Pair with PIN…" runs the SPAKE2 ceremony. The follow-on
+        // presentation is deferred a tick so this dialog is fully dismissed first.
+        .confirmationDialog(
+            "Pairing required",
+            isPresented: Binding(
+                get: { approvalChoice != nil },
+                set: { if !$0 { approvalChoice = nil } }),
+            titleVisibility: .visible,
+            presenting: approvalChoice
+        ) { req in
+            Button("Request Access") {
+                DispatchQueue.main.async { requestAccess(req) }
+            }
+            Button("Pair with PIN…") {
+                DispatchQueue.main.async { pairingTarget = req.host }
+            }
+            Button("Cancel", role: .cancel) {}
+        } message: { req in
+            Text("\(req.host.displayName) requires pairing. Request access and approve this "
+                + "device in the host's web console (port 3000 → Pairing) — no PIN needed. Or "
+                + "pair with the 4-digit PIN it can display.")
+        }
+        // The delegated-approval wait: the host holds the connection open until the operator
+        // approves it. Cancel returns the UI at once; the in-flight connect is left to time out
+        // and its late result is discarded by SessionModel's connect guard (disconnect resets the
+        // phase/host it checks).
+        .alert(
+            "Waiting for approval",
+            isPresented: Binding(
+                get: { awaitingApproval != nil },
+                set: { if !$0 { awaitingApproval = nil } }),
+            presenting: awaitingApproval
+        ) { _ in
+            Button("Cancel", role: .cancel) { model.disconnect() }
+        } message: { req in
+            Text("Approve \u{201C}\(localDeviceName)\u{201D} in \(req.host.displayName)'s web "
+                + "console (port 3000 → Pairing). This device connects automatically once you "
+                + "approve it — no need to reconnect.")
+        }
     }
 
     private var home: some View {
@@ -229,19 +296,32 @@ struct ContentView: View {
         // A pinned host connects on its stored fingerprint; an unpinned host may only TOFU when
         // the host's LIVE advert says `pair=optional` (rule 3a). When the caller doesn't already
         // know the policy (a saved-card tap / manual entry), resolve it from the current mDNS set:
-        // an unpinned host with no matching `pair=optional` advert routes to PIN pairing instead
-        // of silently entering the trust prompt (rules 3b + 4). A pinned host ignores all of this.
+        // an unpinned host with no matching `pair=optional` advert routes to the approval choice
+        // (request access / pair with PIN) instead of silently entering the trust prompt (rules
+        // 3b + 4). A pinned host ignores all of this.
         if host.pinnedSHA256 == nil {
             let tofuOK = allowTofu ?? discovery.hosts.contains {
                 host.matches($0) && $0.allowsTofu
             }
             if !tofuOK {
-                pairingTarget = host
+                // pair=required / unknown policy / manual entry (rule 3b): never a silent
+                // connect — offer no-PIN delegated approval or the PIN ceremony.
+                approvalChoice = ApprovalRequest(
+                    host: host, advertisedFingerprint: advertisedFingerprint(for: host))
                 return
             }
         }
-        // The gamepad-type setting resolves NOW (Automatic → match the active physical
-        // controller): the host's virtual pad backend is fixed per session.
+        startSession(host, launchID: launchID, allowTofu: host.pinnedSHA256 == nil)
+    }
+
+    /// Resolve the @AppStorage stream mode + input prefs and hand off to the session model. The
+    /// gamepad-type setting resolves NOW (Automatic → match the active physical controller): the
+    /// host's virtual pad backend is fixed per session. `requestAccess` opens the no-PIN
+    /// delegated-approval connect (host parks it until the operator approves).
+    private func startSession(
+        _ host: StoredHost, launchID: String? = nil,
+        allowTofu: Bool, requestAccess: Bool = false
+    ) {
         model.connect(
             to: host,
             width: UInt32(clamping: width), height: UInt32(clamping: height),
@@ -252,8 +332,24 @@ struct ContentView: View {
                 setting: PunktfunkConnection.GamepadType(
                     rawValue: UInt32(clamping: gamepadType)) ?? .auto),
             bitrateKbps: UInt32(clamping: bitrateKbps),
+            audioChannels: UInt8(clamping: audioChannels),
             launchID: launchID,
-            allowTofu: host.pinnedSHA256 == nil)
+            allowTofu: allowTofu,
+            requestAccess: requestAccess)
+    }
+
+    /// The no-PIN delegated-approval flow: open an identified connect the host parks until the
+    /// operator approves it in the console, showing the cancelable "Waiting for approval" prompt
+    /// meanwhile. On success the SAME connection is admitted (no reconnect) and the host is pinned
+    /// as paired (see the `.streaming` branch of `onChange`).
+    private func requestAccess(_ req: ApprovalRequest) {
+        guard !model.isBusy else { return }
+        awaitingApproval = req
+        // Pin the advertised certificate for a discovered host (impostor defence during the long
+        // wait); a manually-typed host has no advertised fingerprint, so trust-on-first-use.
+        var host = req.host
+        host.pinnedSHA256 = req.advertisedFingerprint
+        startSession(host, allowTofu: false, requestAccess: true)
     }
 
     /// Picked a title in the (experimental) library: dismiss the browser and start a session that
@@ -266,8 +362,9 @@ struct ContentView: View {
     /// Tap a discovered host: save it (so the session has a stored identity and the trust pin
     /// persists), then connect or pair per the host's advertised policy. The host is the policy
     /// authority — TOFU is offered ONLY when it explicitly advertised `pair=optional` (rule 3a);
-    /// a `pair=required` host, or one with no/unknown `pair` field, goes straight to the PIN
-    /// pairing ceremony (rule 3b). (A pinned discovered host connects silently inside `connect`.)
+    /// a `pair=required` host, or one with no/unknown `pair` field, gets the approval choice
+    /// (request access / pair with PIN) (rule 3b). (A pinned discovered host connects silently
+    /// inside `connect`.)
     private func connectDiscovered(_ d: DiscoveredHost) {
         guard !model.isBusy else { return }
         let host = StoredHost(name: d.name, address: d.host, port: d.port)
@@ -275,7 +372,9 @@ struct ContentView: View {
         if d.allowsTofu {
             connect(host, allowTofu: true)
         } else {
-            pairingTarget = host
+            // pair=required / unknown policy (rule 3b): offer no-PIN delegated approval or PIN.
+            approvalChoice = ApprovalRequest(
+                host: host, advertisedFingerprint: pinFingerprint(d.fingerprintHex))
         }
     }
 
@@ -289,6 +388,30 @@ struct ContentView: View {
         connect(pinned)
     }
 
+    /// The certificate fingerprint a live mDNS advert carries for this saved host (advisory — see
+    /// `HostDiscovery`), to pin during a delegated-approval wait. nil if the host isn't currently
+    /// advertising or advertised no/invalid `fp`.
+    private func advertisedFingerprint(for host: StoredHost) -> Data? {
+        pinFingerprint(discovery.hosts.first { host.matches($0) }?.fingerprintHex)
+    }
+
+    /// Parse an advertised cert fingerprint (lowercase hex) into the 32-byte pin the connect
+    /// expects; nil unless it's exactly a 32-byte (SHA-256) value, so a malformed advert falls
+    /// back to trust-on-first-use rather than failing the connect closed.
+    private func pinFingerprint(_ hex: String?) -> Data? {
+        guard let hex, let data = Data(hexString: hex), data.count == 32 else { return nil }
+        return data
+    }
+
+    /// How the host lists this device in its approval prompt (matches PairSheet's client name).
+    private var localDeviceName: String {
+        #if os(macOS)
+        Host.current().localizedName ?? "Mac"
+        #else
+        UIDevice.current.name
+        #endif
+    }
+
     // MARK: - First-run + dev hooks
 
     /// First run on iOS: default the stream mode to this device's native screen so the
@@ -351,6 +474,7 @@ struct ContentView: View {
             compositor: pref,
             gamepad: pad,
             bitrateKbps: bitrate,
+            audioChannels: UInt8(clamping: audioChannels),
             autoTrust: true)
     }
 }
@@ -375,3 +499,31 @@ private struct FullscreenController: NSViewRepresentable {
     }
 }
 #endif
+
+/// A fresh `pair=required`/unknown host pending a trust decision: drives both the "request access
+/// vs. pair with PIN" choice and the subsequent approval wait. `advertisedFingerprint` is the
+/// discovered host's advertised cert (nil for a manually-typed host → trust-on-first-use).
+private struct ApprovalRequest {
+    let host: StoredHost
+    let advertisedFingerprint: Data?
+}
+
+private extension Data {
+    /// Parse an even-length hex string into bytes; nil on any non-hex character or odd length.
+    /// Used to turn an mDNS-advertised cert fingerprint into a connect pin.
+    init?(hexString: String) {
+        let chars = Array(hexString)
+        guard chars.count.isMultiple(of: 2) else { return nil }
+        var bytes = [UInt8]()
+        bytes.reserveCapacity(chars.count / 2)
+        var i = 0
+        while i < chars.count {
+            guard let hi = chars[i].hexDigitValue, let lo = chars[i + 1].hexDigitValue else {
+                return nil
+            }
+            bytes.append(UInt8(hi << 4 | lo))
+            i += 2
+        }
+        self = Data(bytes)
+    }
+}

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/SessionModel.swift

@@ -95,14 +95,23 @@ final class SessionModel: ObservableObject {
     /// field — TOFU is forbidden (rule 3b): the connect refuses rather than offering trust, and
     /// the user is routed to PIN pairing by the caller. (A pinned host connects regardless: its
     /// stored fingerprint is the trust decision.)
+    ///
+    /// `requestAccess` is the no-PIN delegated-approval path: open an identified connect the host
+    /// PARKS until the operator clicks Approve in its console, then admits the SAME connection (no
+    /// reconnect). The handshake budget is widened to exceed the host's park window, and a
+    /// successful connect streams directly (the approval IS the trust decision) — the caller pins
+    /// the observed fingerprint as paired. `host.pinnedSHA256`, when set, pins the advertised cert
+    /// for the wait; nil = trust-on-first-use.
     func connect(to host: StoredHost, width: UInt32, height: UInt32, hz: UInt32,
                  compositor: PunktfunkConnection.Compositor = .auto,
                  gamepad: PunktfunkConnection.GamepadType = .auto,
                  bitrateKbps: UInt32 = 0,
+                 audioChannels: UInt8 = 2,
                  hdrEnabled: Bool = true,
                  launchID: String? = nil,
                  allowTofu: Bool = false,
-                 autoTrust: Bool = false) {
+                 autoTrust: Bool = false,
+                 requestAccess: Bool = false) {
         guard phase == .idle else { return }
         phase = .connecting
         activeHost = host
@@ -137,7 +146,11 @@ final class SessionModel: ObservableObject {
                 width: width, height: height, refreshHz: hz,
                 pinSHA256: pin, identity: identity, compositor: compositor,
                 gamepad: gamepad, bitrateKbps: bitrateKbps, videoCaps: videoCaps,
-                launchID: launchID) }
+                audioChannels: audioChannels, launchID: launchID,
+                // Delegated approval: the host holds this connect open until the operator approves
+                // it (~180 s) — outwait that window so a slow approval still lands here. Normal
+                // connects keep the snappy default.
+                timeoutMs: requestAccess ? 185_000 : 10_000) }
             await MainActor.run { [weak self] in
                 guard let self else { return }
                 // The user may have abandoned this attempt (window closed, another host
@@ -151,7 +164,9 @@ final class SessionModel: ObservableObject {
                 }
                 switch result {
                 case .success(let conn):
-                    if pin != nil || autoTrust {
+                    if pin != nil || autoTrust || requestAccess {
+                        // requestAccess: the operator approved this device on the host, so the
+                        // session is trusted — stream directly (the caller pins it as paired).
                         self.connection = conn
                         self.startStatsTimer()
                         self.beginStreaming()
@@ -173,16 +188,25 @@ final class SessionModel: ObservableObject {
                 case .failure:
                     self.phase = .idle
                     self.activeHost = nil
-                    self.errorMessage = pin != nil
-                        ? "Could not connect to \(host.displayName) — host unreachable, "
-                            + "not running, its identity no longer matches the pinned "
-                            + "fingerprint, or it requires pairing and no longer "
-                            + "recognizes this Mac (right-click the host card to pair "
-                            + "again)."
-                        : "Could not connect to \(host.displayName) — is punktfunk-host "
-                            + "running on \(host.address):\(host.port)? If it requires "
-                            + "pairing, right-click the host card and pair with its PIN "
-                            + "first."
+                    if requestAccess {
+                        // The delegated-approval connect ended without being admitted: the
+                        // operator didn't approve it before the host's park window elapsed (or
+                        // the host was unreachable).
+                        self.errorMessage = "\(host.displayName) didn't let this device in. "
+                            + "Approve it in the host's web console (port 3000 → Pairing), then "
+                            + "request access again — the request expires after a few minutes."
+                    } else {
+                        self.errorMessage = pin != nil
+                            ? "Could not connect to \(host.displayName) — host unreachable, "
+                                + "not running, its identity no longer matches the pinned "
+                                + "fingerprint, or it requires pairing and no longer "
+                                + "recognizes this Mac (right-click the host card to pair "
+                                + "again)."
+                            : "Could not connect to \(host.displayName) — is punktfunk-host "
+                                + "running on \(host.address):\(host.port)? If it requires "
+                                + "pairing, right-click the host card and pair with its PIN "
+                                + "first."
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/SettingsView.swift

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.libraryEnabled) private var libraryEnabled = false
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.fullscreenWhileStreaming) private var fullscreenWhileStreaming = true
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.micEnabled) private var micEnabled = true
+    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.audioChannels) private var audioChannels = 2
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.hudEnabled) private var hudEnabled = true
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.hudPlacement) private var hudPlacement = HUDPlacement.topTrailing.rawValue
     @ObservedObject private var gamepads = GamepadManager.shared
@@ -97,6 +98,9 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
             }
             .formStyle(.grouped)
             .tabItem { Label("Advanced", systemImage: "slider.horizontal.3") }
+
+            AcknowledgementsView()
+                .tabItem { Label("About", systemImage: "info.circle") }
         }
         .frame(width: 480, height: 460)
     }
@@ -114,6 +118,9 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
             statisticsSection
             experimentalSection
             controllersSection
+            Section {
+                NavigationLink("Acknowledgements") { AcknowledgementsView() }
+            }
         }
         .formStyle(.grouped)
         .onAppear {
@@ -173,6 +180,10 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
                 TVSelectionRow(title: "Stream mode", options: options, selection: modeTag)
                 TVSelectionRow(
                     title: "Bitrate", options: bitrateOptions, selection: $bitrateKbps)
+                TVSelectionRow(
+                    title: "Audio channels",
+                    options: [("Stereo", 2), ("5.1 Surround", 6), ("7.1 Surround", 8)],
+                    selection: $audioChannels)
                 if bitrateKbps > 1_000_000 {
                     Label(Self.gigabitWarning, systemImage: "exclamationmark.triangle.fill")
                         .font(.caption)
@@ -212,6 +223,8 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
                     .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
                     .multilineTextAlignment(.center)
                     .padding(.top, 8)
+                NavigationLink("Acknowledgements") { AcknowledgementsView() }
+                    .padding(.top, 8)
             }
             .frame(maxWidth: 1000)
             .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
@@ -271,6 +284,11 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
 
     @ViewBuilder private var audioSection: some View {
         Section {
+            Picker("Audio channels", selection: $audioChannels) {
+                Text("Stereo").tag(2)
+                Text("5.1 Surround").tag(6)
+                Text("7.1 Surround").tag(8)
+            }
             #if os(macOS)
             Picker("Speaker", selection: $speakerUID) {
                 Text("System default").tag("")

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/DefaultsKeys.swift

@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ public enum DefaultsKey {
     public static let gamepadType = "punktfunk.gamepadType"
     public static let gamepadID = "punktfunk.gamepadID"
     public static let bitrateKbps = "punktfunk.bitrateKbps"
+    /// Requested audio channel count: 2 (stereo), 6 (5.1) or 8 (7.1). The host clamps to what it
+    /// can capture; the resolved count drives the in-core decode + AVAudioEngine layout.
+    public static let audioChannels = "punktfunk.audioChannels"
     public static let micEnabled = "punktfunk.micEnabled"
     public static let speakerUID = "punktfunk.speakerUID"
     public static let micUID = "punktfunk.micUID"

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/Licenses.swift

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+import Foundation
+
+/// Open-source license / attribution text bundled with PunktfunkKit (see `Resources/`).
+///
+/// Exposed from the kit so the app shell can show an Acknowledgements screen. The text files are
+/// bundled as SwiftPM resources and read via `Bundle.module`, which works both for `swift build`
+/// and for the Xcode app (it links the PunktfunkKit product, so the resource bundle rides along).
+public enum Licenses {
+    private static func resource(_ name: String) -> String {
+        guard let url = Bundle.module.url(forResource: name, withExtension: "txt"),
+            let text = try? String(contentsOf: url, encoding: .utf8)
+        else { return "" }
+        return text
+    }
+
+    /// punktfunk's own license — MIT OR Apache-2.0, at your option.
+    public static var appLicense: String {
+        let mit = resource("LICENSE-MIT")
+        let apache = resource("LICENSE-APACHE")
+        if mit.isEmpty && apache.isEmpty {
+            return "punktfunk is licensed under MIT OR Apache-2.0, at your option."
+        }
+        return "punktfunk is licensed under MIT OR Apache-2.0, at your option.\n\n"
+            + "================================ MIT ================================\n\n"
+            + mit
+            + "\n\n============================== Apache-2.0 ==============================\n\n"
+            + apache
+    }
+
+    /// Third-party software notices for the linked Rust crates (generated by
+    /// `scripts/gen-third-party-notices.sh`).
+    public static var thirdPartyNotices: String {
+        let text = resource("THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES")
+        return text.isEmpty ? "Third-party notices unavailable." : text
+    }
+}

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/PunktfunkConnection.swift

@@ -235,6 +235,12 @@ public final class PunktfunkConnection {
     /// drain `nextHdrMeta`.
     public var isHDR: Bool { colorTransfer == 16 || colorTransfer == 18 }
 
+    /// The audio channel count the host resolved for this session (the Welcome's echo of the
+    /// requested `audioChannels`, clamped to what the host can capture): `2` (stereo), `6` (5.1)
+    /// or `8` (7.1). Build the playback layout from THIS, never the request. `2` for an older host.
+    /// PCM from `nextAudioPcm` is interleaved in the canonical wire order FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR.
+    public private(set) var resolvedAudioChannels: UInt8 = 2
+
     /// Connect and start a session at the requested mode (the host creates a native virtual
     /// output at exactly this size/refresh). Blocks up to `timeoutMs`.
     ///
@@ -264,6 +270,7 @@ public final class PunktfunkConnection {
         gamepad: GamepadType = .auto,
         bitrateKbps: UInt32 = 0,
         videoCaps: UInt8 = 0,
+        audioChannels: UInt8 = 2,
         launchID: String? = nil,
         timeoutMs: UInt32 = 10_000
     ) throws {
@@ -279,16 +286,16 @@ public final class PunktfunkConnection {
                     withOptionalCString(launchID) { launch in
                         if let pin = pinSHA256 {
                             return pin.withUnsafeBytes { p in
-                                punktfunk_connect_ex5(
+                                punktfunk_connect_ex6(
                                     cs, port, width, height, refreshHz, compositor.rawValue,
-                                    gamepad.rawValue, bitrateKbps, videoCaps, launch,
+                                    gamepad.rawValue, bitrateKbps, videoCaps, audioChannels, launch,
                                     p.bindMemory(to: UInt8.self).baseAddress, &observed,
                                     cert, key, timeoutMs)
                             }
                         }
-                        return punktfunk_connect_ex5(
+                        return punktfunk_connect_ex6(
                             cs, port, width, height, refreshHz, compositor.rawValue,
-                            gamepad.rawValue, bitrateKbps, videoCaps, launch,
+                            gamepad.rawValue, bitrateKbps, videoCaps, audioChannels, launch,
                             nil, &observed, cert, key, timeoutMs)
                     }
                 }
@@ -320,6 +327,9 @@ public final class PunktfunkConnection {
         colorMatrix = mtx
         colorFullRange = fullRange != 0
         bitDepth = depth
+        var ac: UInt8 = 2
+        _ = punktfunk_connection_audio_channels(handle, &ac)
+        resolvedAudioChannels = ac
     }
 
     /// A bandwidth speed-test measurement (see `startSpeedTest`). Partial until `done`.
@@ -468,6 +478,50 @@ public final class PunktfunkConnection {
         }
     }
 
+    /// One decoded audio frame from `nextAudioPcm`: interleaved 32-bit float at 48 kHz, in the
+    /// canonical wire channel order FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR (the first `channels`).
+    public struct AudioPCM: Sendable {
+        /// Interleaved f32 samples (`frameCount * channels` long), wire channel order.
+        public let samples: [Float]
+        /// Samples per channel.
+        public let frameCount: Int
+        /// Channel count (2/6/8) — `resolvedAudioChannels`.
+        public let channels: Int
+        public let ptsNs: UInt64
+        public let seq: UInt32
+    }
+
+    /// Pull the next audio frame, **decoded in-core** to interleaved f32 PCM — Apple's AudioToolbox
+    /// Opus path is stereo-only, so surround (and, for uniformity, stereo too) is decoded by the
+    /// Rust core (libopus multistream) and handed back as PCM. nil on timeout, throws `.closed` once
+    /// the session ended. Drain from a dedicated audio thread (do NOT also call `nextAudio` — they
+    /// share the underlying queue). The returned `samples` are copied out, so the buffer is owned.
+    public func nextAudioPcm(timeoutMs: UInt32 = 100) throws -> AudioPCM? {
+        audioLock.lock()
+        defer { audioLock.unlock() }
+        guard let h = liveHandle() else { throw PunktfunkClientError.closed }
+
+        var out = PunktfunkAudioPcm()
+        let rc = punktfunk_connection_next_audio_pcm(h, &out, timeoutMs)
+        switch rc {
+        case statusOK:
+            let channels = Int(out.channels)
+            let total = Int(out.frame_count) * channels
+            guard let base = out.samples, total > 0 else { return nil }
+            // Copy: the pointer borrows connection memory only until the next PCM call.
+            let samples = Array(UnsafeBufferPointer(start: base, count: total))
+            return AudioPCM(
+                samples: samples, frameCount: Int(out.frame_count),
+                channels: channels, ptsNs: out.pts_ns, seq: out.seq)
+        case statusNoFrame:
+            return nil
+        case statusClosed:
+            throw PunktfunkClientError.closed
+        default:
+            throw PunktfunkClientError.status(rc)
+        }
+    }
+
     /// Pull the next force-feedback update for the GCController haptics engine:
     /// `(pad, lowFrequency, highFrequency)` with 0...0xFFFF amplitudes, (0, 0) = stop.
     /// Drain from the (single) feedback thread, alongside `nextHidOutput`.

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/Resources/LICENSE-APACHE.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,201 @@
+                                 Apache License
+                           Version 2.0, January 2004
+                        http://www.apache.org/licenses/
+
+   TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE, REPRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION
+
+   1. Definitions.
+
+      "License" shall mean the terms and conditions for use, reproduction,
+      and distribution as defined by Sections 1 through 9 of this document.
+
+      "Licensor" shall mean the copyright owner or entity authorized by
+      the copyright owner that is granting the License.
+
+      "Legal Entity" shall mean the union of the acting entity and all
+      other entities that control, are controlled by, or are under common
+      control with that entity. For the purposes of this definition,
+      "control" means (i) the power, direct or indirect, to cause the
+      direction or management of such entity, whether by contract or
+      otherwise, or (ii) ownership of fifty percent (50%) or more of the
+      outstanding shares, or (iii) beneficial ownership of such entity.
+
+      "You" (or "Your") shall mean an individual or Legal Entity
+      exercising permissions granted by this License.
+
+      "Source" form shall mean the preferred form for making modifications,
+      including but not limited to software source code, documentation
+      source, and configuration files.
+
+      "Object" form shall mean any form resulting from mechanical
+      transformation or translation of a Source form, including but
+      not limited to compiled object code, generated documentation,
+      and conversions to other media types.
+
+      "Work" shall mean the work of authorship, whether in Source or
+      Object form, made available under the License, as indicated by a
+      copyright notice that is included in or attached to the work
+      (an example is provided in the Appendix below).
+
+      "Derivative Works" shall mean any work, whether in Source or Object
+      form, that is based on (or derived from) the Work and for which the
+      editorial revisions, annotations, elaborations, or other modifications
+      represent, as a whole, an original work of authorship. For the purposes
+      of this License, Derivative Works shall not include works that remain
+      separable from, or merely link (or bind by name) to the interfaces of,
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+
+      "Contribution" shall mean any work of authorship, including
+      the original version of the Work and any modifications or additions
+      to that Work or Derivative Works thereof, that is intentionally
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+      communication on electronic mailing lists, source code control systems,
+      and issue tracking systems that are managed by, or on behalf of, the
+      Licensor for the purpose of discussing and improving the Work, but
+      excluding communication that is conspicuously marked or otherwise
+      designated in writing by the copyright owner as "Not a Contribution."
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+      "Contributor" shall mean Licensor and any individual or Legal Entity
+      on behalf of whom a Contribution has been received by Licensor and
+      subsequently incorporated within the Work.
+
+   2. Grant of Copyright License. Subject to the terms and conditions of
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+      (except as stated in this section) patent license to make, have made,
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+      institute patent litigation against any entity (including a
+      cross-claim or counterclaim in a lawsuit) alleging that the Work
+      or a Contribution incorporated within the Work constitutes direct
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+
+   4. Redistribution. You may reproduce and distribute copies of the
+      Work or Derivative Works thereof in any medium, with or without
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+      meet the following conditions:
+
+      (a) You must give any other recipients of the Work or Derivative
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+
+      (b) You must cause any modified files to carry prominent notices
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+
+      (c) You must retain, in the Source form of any Derivative Works
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+
+      (d) If the Work includes a "NOTICE" text file as part of its
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+
+   6. Trademarks. This License does not grant permission to use the trade
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+
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+
+   9. Accepting Warranty or Additional Liability. While redistributing
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+      and charge a fee for, acceptance of support, warranty, indemnity,
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+      License. However, in accepting such obligations, You may act only
+      on Your own behalf and on Your sole responsibility, not on behalf
+      of any other Contributor, and only if You agree to indemnify,
+      defend, and hold each Contributor harmless for any liability
+      incurred by, or claims asserted against, such Contributor by reason
+      of your accepting any such warranty or additional liability.
+
+   END OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS
+
+   APPENDIX: How to apply the Apache License to your work.
+
+      To apply the Apache License to your work, attach the following
+      boilerplate notice, with the fields enclosed by brackets "[]"
+      replaced with your own identifying information. (Don't include
+      the brackets!)  The text should be enclosed in the appropriate
+      comment syntax for the file format. We also recommend that a
+      file or class name and description of purpose be included on the
+      same "printed page" as the copyright notice for easier
+      identification within third-party archives.
+
+   Copyright 2026 unom
+
+   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+   You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+   limitations under the License.

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/Resources/LICENSE-MIT.txt

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+MIT License
+
+Copyright (c) 2026 unom
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
+of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
+in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
+to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
+furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all
+copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+
+THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
+IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
+AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
+LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
+OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE
+SOFTWARE.

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/SessionAudio.swift

@@ -19,13 +19,13 @@ import os
 
 private let log = Logger(subsystem: "io.unom.punktfunk", category: "audio")
 
-/// SPSC-ish jitter ring (interleaved stereo float), drain thread → render callback.
-/// The unfair lock is held for microseconds; fine at render-callback rates. Priming:
+/// SPSC-ish jitter ring (interleaved float, `channels` per frame), drain thread → render
+/// callback. The unfair lock is held for microseconds; fine at render-callback rates. Priming:
 /// reads return silence until enough is buffered (at least `prefill`, and at least one
 /// packet more than the device's render quantum — large-buffer devices would otherwise
 /// chronically out-demand the prefill and oscillate prime → dropout → re-prime), and an
 /// underrun re-primes, concealing jitter as one short dip instead of sustained crackle.
-/// All counts stay even (whole stereo frames), so L/R interleave can never flip.
+/// All counts stay whole frames (multiples of `channels`), so the interleave can never slip.
 final class AudioRing: @unchecked Sendable {
     private var buf: [Float]
     private var readIdx = 0
@@ -34,12 +34,14 @@ final class AudioRing: @unchecked Sendable {
     private var renderQuantum = 0
     private let prefill: Int
     private let highWater: Int
+    private let channels: Int
     private let lock = OSAllocatedUnfairLock()
 
-    /// `capacity`/`prefill` in samples (interleaved — 2 per frame, both must be even).
-    init(capacity: Int, prefill: Int) {
+    /// `capacity`/`prefill` in samples (interleaved — `channels` per frame, both whole frames).
+    init(capacity: Int, prefill: Int, channels: Int) {
         buf = [Float](repeating: 0, count: capacity)
         self.prefill = prefill
+        self.channels = channels
         highWater = prefill * 4
     }
 
@@ -74,8 +76,8 @@ final class AudioRing: @unchecked Sendable {
         renderQuantum = max(renderQuantum, count)
         let available = writeIdx - readIdx
         if !primed {
-            // 480 samples = one 5 ms host packet of slack beyond the device's demand.
-            if available >= max(prefill, renderQuantum + 480) {
+            // One 5 ms host packet (240 frames × channels) of slack beyond the device's demand.
+            if available >= max(prefill, renderQuantum + 240 * channels) {
                 primed = true
             } else {
                 for i in 0..<count { out[i] = 0 }
@@ -113,10 +115,55 @@ private final class StopFlag: @unchecked Sendable {
 /// Render-block-owned scratch storage: freed exactly when the closure (and thus the
 /// last possible render call) is released — never racing CoreAudio.
 private final class ScratchBuffer {
-    let ptr = UnsafeMutablePointer<Float>.allocate(capacity: 8192 * 2)
+    // 8192 frames × up to 8 channels (7.1) — the render block caps `frames` at 8192.
+    let ptr = UnsafeMutablePointer<Float>.allocate(capacity: 8192 * 8)
     deinit { ptr.deallocate() }
 }
 
+/// CoreAudio channel layout for the canonical wire order FL FR FC LFE RL RR [SL SR]. nil for
+/// stereo (the standard layout is correct). For 5.1/7.1 we list explicit channel labels via
+/// `kAudioChannelLayoutTag_UseChannelDescriptions` — preset tags (DTS_5_1 etc.) don't reliably
+/// match Moonlight's order. NB the 7.1 mapping (verified against the WASAPI 0x63F + SPA orderings):
+/// wire idx 4-5 = RL/RR = the WAVE *back* pair → LeftSurround/RightSurround; idx 6-7 = SL/SR = the
+/// WAVE *side* pair → LeftSurroundDirect/RightSurroundDirect. (Using RearSurround* for 6-7 would
+/// swap side/back vs the Windows/Linux clients.)
+private func wireChannelLayout(channels: Int) -> AVAudioChannelLayout? {
+    let labels: [AudioChannelLabel]
+    switch channels {
+    case 6:
+        labels = [
+            kAudioChannelLabel_Left, kAudioChannelLabel_Right, kAudioChannelLabel_Center,
+            kAudioChannelLabel_LFEScreen, kAudioChannelLabel_LeftSurround,
+            kAudioChannelLabel_RightSurround,
+        ]
+    case 8:
+        labels = [
+            kAudioChannelLabel_Left, kAudioChannelLabel_Right, kAudioChannelLabel_Center,
+            kAudioChannelLabel_LFEScreen,
+            kAudioChannelLabel_LeftSurround, kAudioChannelLabel_RightSurround, // wire RL/RR (back)
+            kAudioChannelLabel_LeftSurroundDirect, kAudioChannelLabel_RightSurroundDirect, // wire SL/SR (side)
+        ]
+    default:
+        return nil
+    }
+    let size = MemoryLayout<AudioChannelLayout>.size
+        + (labels.count - 1) * MemoryLayout<AudioChannelDescription>.stride
+    let raw = UnsafeMutableRawPointer.allocate(byteCount: size, alignment: 16)
+    defer { raw.deallocate() }
+    let layout = raw.bindMemory(to: AudioChannelLayout.self, capacity: 1)
+    layout.pointee.mChannelLayoutTag = kAudioChannelLayoutTag_UseChannelDescriptions
+    layout.pointee.mChannelBitmap = AudioChannelBitmap(rawValue: 0)
+    layout.pointee.mNumberChannelDescriptions = UInt32(labels.count)
+    let descs = UnsafeMutableBufferPointer(
+        start: &layout.pointee.mChannelDescriptions, count: labels.count)
+    for (i, lbl) in labels.enumerated() {
+        descs[i] = AudioChannelDescription(
+            mChannelLabel: lbl, mChannelFlags: AudioChannelFlags(rawValue: 0),
+            mCoordinates: (0, 0, 0))
+    }
+    return AVAudioChannelLayout(layout: layout)
+}
+
 public final class SessionAudio {
     private let connection: PunktfunkConnection
     private let flag = StopFlag()
@@ -229,9 +276,13 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
     // MARK: - Playback (host → speaker)
 
     private func startPlayback(speakerUID: String) {
-        // 1 s of interleaved stereo capacity, ~20 ms prefill: four 5 ms host packets of
-        // jitter absorption before the first sample plays.
-        let ring = AudioRing(capacity: 96_000, prefill: 1920)
+        // Build the playback layout from the host-RESOLVED channel count (never the request):
+        // 2 = stereo / 6 = 5.1 / 8 = 7.1, canonical wire order FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR.
+        let channels = Int(connection.resolvedAudioChannels)
+        // 1 s interleaved capacity, ~20 ms prefill (four 5 ms host packets of jitter absorption
+        // before the first sample plays), both scaled by the channel count.
+        let ring = AudioRing(
+            capacity: 48_000 * channels, prefill: 960 * channels, channels: channels)
 
         let engine = AVAudioEngine()
         #if os(macOS)
@@ -247,21 +298,32 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
         }
         #endif
 
-        // Engine-native deinterleaved float; the render block deinterleaves from the ring.
-        guard let format = AVAudioFormat(standardFormatWithSampleRate: 48_000, channels: 2)
-        else { return }
+        // Engine-native deinterleaved float; the render block deinterleaves from the ring. Surround
+        // uses an explicit wire-order channel layout; the mixer downmixes to the output device when
+        // it has fewer speakers (e.g. an iPhone's stereo built-ins). (Explicit if/else rather than
+        // map/flatMap so it's correct whether the channelLayout initializer is failable or not.)
+        var format: AVAudioFormat?
+        if channels == 2 {
+            format = AVAudioFormat(standardFormatWithSampleRate: 48_000, channels: 2)
+        } else if let layout = wireChannelLayout(channels: channels) {
+            format = AVAudioFormat(standardFormatWithSampleRate: 48_000, channelLayout: layout)
+        }
+        guard let format else {
+            log.error("could not build \(channels)-channel audio format — audio disabled")
+            return
+        }
         let scratch = ScratchBuffer() // block-owned; freed with the closure
         let source = AVAudioSourceNode(format: format) { _, _, frameCount, abl -> OSStatus in
             let frames = Int(frameCount)
             guard frames <= 8192 else { return kAudioUnitErr_TooManyFramesToProcess }
-            ring.read(into: scratch.ptr, count: frames * 2)
+            ring.read(into: scratch.ptr, count: frames * channels)
             let buffers = UnsafeMutableAudioBufferListPointer(abl)
-            if buffers.count >= 2,
-               let left = buffers[0].mData?.assumingMemoryBound(to: Float.self),
-               let right = buffers[1].mData?.assumingMemoryBound(to: Float.self) {
-                for f in 0..<frames {
-                    left[f] = scratch.ptr[f * 2]
-                    right[f] = scratch.ptr[f * 2 + 1]
+            // Deinterleave the wire-order interleaved ring into the engine's per-channel buses.
+            if buffers.count >= channels {
+                for ch in 0..<channels {
+                    if let dst = buffers[ch].mData?.assumingMemoryBound(to: Float.self) {
+                        for f in 0..<frames { dst[f] = scratch.ptr[f * channels + ch] }
+                    }
                 }
             }
             return noErr
@@ -292,29 +354,20 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
         stateLock.unlock()
         let thread = Thread { [connection, flag, drainDone] in
             defer { drainDone.signal() }
-            guard let decoder = try? OpusDecoder(framesPerPacket: 240),
-                  let pcm = AVAudioPCMBuffer(
-                      pcmFormat: decoder.pcmFormat, frameCapacity: 5760)
-            else {
-                log.error("Opus decoder unavailable — audio playback disabled")
-                return
-            }
+            // Decode happens IN-CORE (libopus multistream) — AudioToolbox's Opus path is
+            // stereo-only — and is handed back as interleaved f32 PCM in wire channel order.
             while !flag.isStopped {
-                let packet: AudioPacket?
+                let pcm: PunktfunkConnection.AudioPCM?
                 do {
-                    packet = try connection.nextAudio(timeoutMs: 100)
+                    pcm = try connection.nextAudioPcm(timeoutMs: 100)
                 } catch {
                     break // session closed
                 }
-                guard let packet else { continue }
-                do {
-                    let frames = try decoder.decode(packet.data, into: pcm)
-                    if frames > 0, let p = pcm.floatChannelData?[0] {
-                        ring.write(p, count: Int(frames) * 2)
+                guard let pcm, pcm.frameCount > 0 else { continue }
+                pcm.samples.withUnsafeBufferPointer { p in
+                    if let base = p.baseAddress {
+                        ring.write(base, count: pcm.frameCount * pcm.channels)
                     }
-                } catch {
-                    // One corrupt packet ≠ a dead stream; skip it.
-                    log.warning("audio decode failed: \(error.localizedDescription)")
                 }
             }
         }

clients/decky/README.md

@@ -45,8 +45,9 @@ Gaming Mode automatically.
 | `src/steam.ts` | Steam-shortcut launch (`AddShortcut` / `SetAppLaunchOptions` / `RunGame`) — the focus-correct stream start. |
 | `src/backend.ts` | Typed `callable` bridges to `main.py`. |
 | `bin/punktfunkrun.sh` | The launch wrapper the Steam shortcut targets (so the window is focusable). |
-| `main.py` | Backend: `discover` / `pair` / `runner_info` / `get_settings` / `set_settings` / `kill_stream`. |
+| `main.py` | Backend: `discover` / `pair` / `runner_info` / `get_settings` / `set_settings` / `kill_stream` / `check_update`. |
 | `plugin.json` | Decky plugin manifest. |
+| `update.json` | CI-baked `{channel, manifest}` — where `check_update()` polls (absent on dev builds). |
 | `decky.pyi` | Type stub for the injected `decky` module (vendored from the template). |
 
 ### Discovery (`discover()`)
@@ -140,6 +141,40 @@ shows up in the Quick Access Menu.
 > [`../../packaging/flatpak/README.md`](../../packaging/flatpak/README.md)) — install that on
 > the Deck too, or the panel's Connect surfaces a `client-not-found` error.
 
+## Updating (self-update, no store)
+
+The plugin updates itself without the official Decky store. CI (`decky.yml`) publishes a tiny
+per-channel `manifest.json` next to the zip in the Gitea registry:
+
+```json
+{"version":"0.3.123","artifact":".../punktfunk-decky/0.3.123/punktfunk.zip","sha256":"…"}
+```
+
+and bakes an `update.json` (`{channel, manifest}`) into the plugin so it knows which channel it was
+installed from. The backend `check_update()` reads the **installed** version from `package.json` —
+the value Decky itself reports (it does **not** read `plugin.json`) — fetches the channel manifest,
+and compares. When a newer build exists the frontend shows an **Update to vX** button that drives
+Decky Loader's own install RPC:
+
+```ts
+window.DeckyBackend.callable("utilities/install_plugin")(artifact, "punktfunk", version, hash, /*UPDATE=*/2)
+```
+
+The loader (root) downloads the immutable per-version zip, **SHA-256-verifies** it against `hash`,
+replaces `~/homebrew/plugins/punktfunk`, and hot-reloads — the unprivileged backend never writes the
+root-owned plugins dir itself. `window.DeckyBackend` / `utilities/install_plugin` are loader
+internals (not `@decky/api`), so every access is guarded; missing them, the button falls back to a
+toast pointing at **Install Plugin from URL**.
+
+> CI stamps a **plain numeric** semver per channel (`0.3.<run>` canary, `X.Y.Z` stable) into
+> `package.json`. Decky's `compare-versions` orders pre-release identifiers lexically (so `ci10 < ci9`)
+> — a `-ciN` suffix would mis-detect updates.
+
+**Optional — native Updates tab:** Decky's store is single-source (a custom store URL *replaces* the
+official catalog), so punktfunk doesn't ship one by default. A user who wants the native update badge
+can point Decky → Settings → **Custom store** at a punktfunk-only store JSON — not recommended if you
+use other plugins, since it hides the official catalog.
+
 ## Limitations / next steps
 
 - **Needs on-Deck validation in Gaming Mode**: the Steam-shortcut launch (`AddShortcut` /

clients/decky/bin/punktfunkrun.sh

@@ -31,4 +31,6 @@ fi
 echo "punktfunkrun: streaming $APPID --connect $PF_HOST" >&2
 # exec so the flatpak client IS the game process — when it exits, Steam ends the "game" and
 # Gaming Mode reclaims focus automatically (no manual refocus needed).
-exec "$FLATPAK" run --arch=x86_64 "$APPID" --connect "$PF_HOST"
+# --fullscreen: present the stream chrome-less and fullscreen (the client also auto-detects the
+# Deck/gamescope env, and ignores the flag harmlessly on older builds that predate it).
+exec "$FLATPAK" run --arch=x86_64 "$APPID" --connect "$PF_HOST" --fullscreen

clients/decky/main.py

@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ The backend's jobs are the things Steam can't do:
 * **get_settings() / set_settings()** — read/write the flatpak client's stream settings JSON
   (resolution / bitrate / gamepad), so the Deck UI configures the stream the client reads.
 * **kill_stream()** — force-stop a wedged stream (``flatpak kill``).
+* **check_update()** — poll the registry's per-channel ``manifest.json`` and report whether a
+  newer build is available (the frontend then drives Decky's own install RPC to apply it).
 
 The TXT-record keys parsed (``proto`` / ``fp`` / ``pair`` / ``id``) are defined by the host
 advert in ``crates/punktfunk-host/src/discovery.rs``.
@@ -26,7 +28,10 @@ import asyncio
 import json
 import os
 import shutil
+import ssl
 import stat
+import time
+import urllib.request
 from pathlib import Path
 
 import decky
@@ -37,22 +42,99 @@ APP_ID = "io.unom.Punktfunk"
 # Service type advertised by punktfunk/1 hosts (matches NATIVE_SERVICE in the Rust host).
 SERVICE_TYPE = "_punktfunk._udp"
 
-# The flatpak client persists identity / known-hosts / settings under HOME/.config/punktfunk;
-# inside the flatpak sandbox HOME is ~/.var/app/<APP_ID>, so the real on-disk location is this.
-# The backend writes settings here so the (sandboxed) client reads them.
+# The flatpak client persists identity / known-hosts / settings under HOME/.config/punktfunk.
+# The sandbox HOME resolves to the REAL user home (== DECKY_USER_HOME), NOT the per-app
+# ~/.var/app/<APP_ID> dir — verified on-device (`flatpak run … sh -c 'echo $HOME'` prints
+# /home/deck, and the manifest's `--filesystem=~/.config/punktfunk` grants exactly that path;
+# we also pass HOME=DECKY_USER_HOME into `flatpak run`, see _flatpak_env). Pointing here is what
+# lets plugin settings actually reach the client AND lets us read the client's known-hosts to
+# tell whether THIS device is already paired with a given host.
 def _client_config_dir() -> Path:
-    return Path(decky.DECKY_USER_HOME) / ".var" / "app" / APP_ID / ".config" / "punktfunk"
+    return Path(decky.DECKY_USER_HOME) / ".config" / "punktfunk"
 
 
 def _settings_path() -> Path:
     return _client_config_dir() / "client-gtk-settings.json"
 
 
+def _paired_fingerprints() -> set[str]:
+    """Host cert fingerprints (lowercase hex) this client has PIN-paired, from the client's
+    known-hosts store. Keyed by fingerprint so it survives a host changing IP address."""
+    try:
+        data = json.loads((_client_config_dir() / "client-known-hosts.json").read_text())
+    except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError):
+        return set()
+    hosts = data.get("hosts", []) if isinstance(data, dict) else []
+    return {
+        h["fp_hex"].lower()
+        for h in hosts
+        if isinstance(h, dict) and h.get("paired") and isinstance(h.get("fp_hex"), str)
+    }
+
+
 def _runner_path() -> str:
     """Absolute path to the launch wrapper shipped with the plugin (bin/punktfunkrun.sh)."""
     return str(Path(decky.DECKY_PLUGIN_DIR) / "bin" / "punktfunkrun.sh")
 
 
+# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# Self-update check (no Decky store). The plugin is distributed via "Install Plugin from
+# URL" pointing at our Gitea generic registry, so the official store never sees it and
+# can't offer updates. Instead the backend polls a tiny per-channel ``manifest.json`` the
+# CI publishes next to the zip, compares it to the installed version, and the frontend
+# offers a one-tap update that drives Decky's own (root, privileged) install RPC. The
+# channel + manifest URL are baked into ``update.json`` by CI (.gitea/workflows/decky.yml);
+# a dev/sideload build has no ``update.json`` and update checks are simply disabled.
+_UPDATE_TTL_S = 1800.0  # cache a successful check for 30 min (the QAM remounts often)
+_update_cache: dict = {"at": 0.0, "data": None}
+
+
+def _update_config() -> dict:
+    """The CI-baked ``{channel, manifest}`` next to the plugin (absent on dev builds)."""
+    try:
+        return json.loads((Path(decky.DECKY_PLUGIN_DIR) / "update.json").read_text())
+    except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError):
+        return {}
+
+
+def _installed_version() -> str:
+    """The version Decky itself reports for this plugin — it reads ``package.json`` (NOT
+    plugin.json), so the CI stamps the build version there."""
+    try:
+        pkg = json.loads((Path(decky.DECKY_PLUGIN_DIR) / "package.json").read_text())
+        return str(pkg.get("version", "0.0.0"))
+    except (OSError, json.JSONDecodeError):
+        return "0.0.0"
+
+
+def _semver_tuple(v: str) -> tuple[int, int, int]:
+    """A tolerant (major, minor, patch) tuple for ``>`` comparison. We control the version
+    format (plain numeric ``X.Y.Z`` on both channels), so leading-int-per-component is
+    enough; any pre-release suffix is dropped before comparing."""
+    parts: list[int] = []
+    for comp in str(v).split("-", 1)[0].split(".")[:3]:
+        digits = ""
+        for ch in comp:
+            if ch.isdigit():
+                digits += ch
+            else:
+                break
+        parts.append(int(digits) if digits else 0)
+    while len(parts) < 3:
+        parts.append(0)
+    return (parts[0], parts[1], parts[2])
+
+
+def _fetch_json(url: str, timeout: float = 8.0) -> dict:
+    """Blocking HTTPS GET of a small JSON document (run in an executor)."""
+    req = urllib.request.Request(
+        url, headers={"Accept": "application/json", "User-Agent": "punktfunk-decky"}
+    )
+    ctx = ssl.create_default_context()
+    with urllib.request.urlopen(req, timeout=timeout, context=ctx) as resp:
+        return json.loads(resp.read().decode("utf-8", errors="replace"))
+
+
 def _flatpak() -> str | None:
     return shutil.which("flatpak") or (
         "/usr/bin/flatpak" if Path("/usr/bin/flatpak").exists() else None
@@ -179,6 +261,13 @@ class Plugin:
         if stderr:
             decky.logger.debug("avahi-browse stderr: %s", stderr.decode(errors="replace"))
         hosts = _parse_avahi_browse(stdout.decode(errors="replace"))
+        # Mark which hosts THIS device has already paired (by cert fingerprint), so the UI can
+        # show "Stream" instead of "Pair" — the mDNS `pair` field is the host's policy, not our
+        # per-device pairing state.
+        paired = _paired_fingerprints()
+        for h in hosts:
+            fp = h.get("fp") or ""
+            h["paired"] = bool(fp) and fp.lower() in paired
         decky.logger.info("discovered %d punktfunk host(s)", len(hosts))
         return hosts
 
@@ -279,6 +368,54 @@ class Plugin:
             return {"ok": False}
         return {"ok": True}
 
+    async def check_update(self, force: bool = False) -> dict:
+        """Is a newer build available in our registry? Compares the installed version
+        (``package.json``) against the per-channel ``manifest.json`` the CI publishes, and
+        returns everything the frontend needs to drive Decky's install RPC. Non-fatal: any
+        failure (no channel baked in, network down) returns ``update_available: False``.
+        """
+        current = _installed_version()
+        cfg = _update_config()
+        result = {
+            "current": current,
+            "latest": current,
+            "artifact": "",
+            "hash": "",
+            "channel": str(cfg.get("channel", "")),
+            "update_available": False,
+        }
+
+        manifest_url = cfg.get("manifest")
+        if not manifest_url:
+            result["error"] = "update-channel-unknown"  # dev / sideloaded build
+            return result
+
+        now = time.monotonic()
+        cached = _update_cache["data"]
+        if not force and cached and (now - _update_cache["at"]) < _UPDATE_TTL_S:
+            return cached
+
+        try:
+            loop = asyncio.get_running_loop()
+            manifest = await loop.run_in_executor(None, _fetch_json, manifest_url)
+        except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001
+            decky.logger.warning("update check failed: %s", exc)
+            result["error"] = "fetch-failed"
+            return result  # transient — don't cache, retry next open
+
+        latest = str(manifest.get("version", current))
+        result["latest"] = latest
+        result["artifact"] = str(manifest.get("artifact", ""))
+        result["hash"] = str(manifest.get("sha256", ""))
+        result["update_available"] = bool(result["artifact"]) and (
+            _semver_tuple(latest) > _semver_tuple(current)
+        )
+        if result["update_available"]:
+            decky.logger.info("update available: %s -> %s (%s)", current, latest, result["channel"])
+        _update_cache["at"] = now
+        _update_cache["data"] = result
+        return result
+
     # ---- Decky lifecycle ----
 
     async def _main(self):

clients/decky/src/backend.ts

@@ -5,8 +5,9 @@ export interface Host {
   name: string;
   host: string;
   port: number;
-  pair: string; // "required" | "optional"
+  pair: string; // "required" | "optional" — the HOST's policy
   fp: string;
+  paired: boolean; // whether THIS device has already PIN-paired this host (by fingerprint)
 }
 
 export interface PairResult {
@@ -32,6 +33,16 @@ export interface StreamSettings {
   mic_enabled: boolean;
 }
 
+export interface UpdateInfo {
+  current: string; // installed version (package.json)
+  latest: string; // newest version in our registry for this channel
+  artifact: string; // immutable zip URL Decky should install
+  hash: string; // sha256 of that zip (Decky verifies it)
+  channel: string; // "latest" (stable) | "canary"
+  update_available: boolean;
+  error?: string; // "update-channel-unknown" (dev build) | "fetch-failed"
+}
+
 export const discover = callable<[], Host[]>("discover");
 export const pair = callable<
   [host: string, port: number, pin: string, name: string],
@@ -43,3 +54,4 @@ export const setSettings = callable<[settings: StreamSettings], { ok: boolean }>
   "set_settings",
 );
 export const killStream = callable<[], { ok: boolean }>("kill_stream");
+export const checkUpdate = callable<[force: boolean], UpdateInfo>("check_update");

clients/decky/src/index.tsx

@@ -10,12 +10,22 @@ import {
   PanelSectionRow,
   SliderField,
   Spinner,
+  Tabs,
   ToggleField,
   showModal,
   staticClasses,
 } from "@decky/ui";
 import { definePlugin, routerHook, toaster } from "@decky/api";
-import { FC, useCallback, useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import {
+  Component,
+  CSSProperties,
+  ErrorInfo,
+  FC,
+  ReactNode,
+  useCallback,
+  useEffect,
+  useState,
+} from "react";
 import {
   FaTv,
   FaSyncAlt,
@@ -23,19 +33,130 @@ import {
   FaLockOpen,
   FaPlay,
   FaArrowLeft,
+  FaDownload,
 } from "react-icons/fa";
 import {
   discover,
   getSettings,
   pair,
   setSettings,
+  checkUpdate,
   Host,
   StreamSettings,
+  UpdateInfo,
 } from "./backend";
 import { launchStream } from "./steam";
 
 const ROUTE = "/punktfunk";
 
+// Decky Loader exposes its already-authenticated WSRouter as a global. This is NOT part of
+// @decky/api (it's a loader internal), so we treat it as optional and guard every use — on a
+// loader without it we fall back to manual "Install Plugin from URL". We use it to drive
+// Decky's own privileged install path (the root loader does the download + SHA-256 verify +
+// extract + hot-reload), which is the only way a plugin can update itself: ~/homebrew/plugins
+// is root-owned, so our unprivileged backend can't swap its own files.
+declare global {
+  interface Window {
+    DeckyBackend?: {
+      callable: (route: string) => (...args: unknown[]) => Promise<unknown>;
+    };
+  }
+}
+
+// PluginInstallType.UPDATE in decky-loader's browser.py (INSTALL=0/REINSTALL=1/UPDATE=2/…).
+const INSTALL_TYPE_UPDATE = 2;
+
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Error boundary — contains ANY render failure in our UI so a single bad render can never take
+// down the whole Quick Access "Decky" section (Decky's tab-level boundary shows the generic
+// "Something went wrong while displaying this content" for the entire tab when one plugin
+// throws). The realistic trigger is a future Steam client update that makes a @decky/ui
+// component resolve to `undefined` (React then throws "Element type is invalid"). The fallback
+// is built from ONLY plain DOM elements + inline styles, so it cannot itself depend on a
+// (possibly broken) Steam-internal component — it is guaranteed to render.
+// ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+class PluginErrorBoundary extends Component<
+  { children: ReactNode },
+  { error: Error | null }
+> {
+  state: { error: Error | null } = { error: null };
+
+  static getDerivedStateFromError(error: Error) {
+    return { error };
+  }
+
+  componentDidCatch(error: Error, info: ErrorInfo) {
+    // Surface it for diagnosis, but never rethrow — containment is the whole point.
+    // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+    console.error("[punktfunk] contained UI render error:", error, info?.componentStack);
+  }
+
+  render() {
+    const { error } = this.state;
+    if (!error) return this.props.children;
+    return (
+      <div style={{ padding: "1em", lineHeight: 1.45 }}>
+        <div style={{ fontWeight: "bold", marginBottom: "0.4em" }}>
+          punktfunk couldn’t draw this view
+        </div>
+        <div style={{ opacity: 0.8, marginBottom: "0.6em" }}>
+          The plugin hit a display error — your Steam Deck is fine. Reload punktfunk from
+          Decky&apos;s plugin list, or update the plugin.
+        </div>
+        <div
+          style={{
+            opacity: 0.55,
+            fontFamily: "monospace",
+            fontSize: "0.8em",
+            wordBreak: "break-word",
+          }}
+        >
+          {String(error?.message ?? error)}
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    );
+  }
+}
+
+// Checks our registry for a newer build on mount (the backend caches + is non-fatal offline).
+function useUpdate() {
+  const [info, setInfo] = useState<UpdateInfo | null>(null);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    void checkUpdate(false)
+      .then(setInfo)
+      .catch(() => {});
+  }, []);
+  return info;
+}
+
+async function applyUpdate(info: UpdateInfo) {
+  try {
+    const backend = window.DeckyBackend;
+    if (backend?.callable) {
+      // Fire-and-forget: the loader reinstalls + reloads THIS plugin, tearing the panel down
+      // before any result could arrive — so never await it. Decky shows its own confirm prompt.
+      void backend.callable("utilities/install_plugin")(
+        info.artifact,
+        "punktfunk",
+        info.latest,
+        info.hash,
+        INSTALL_TYPE_UPDATE,
+      );
+      toaster.toast({
+        title: "punktfunk",
+        body: `Updating to v${info.latest}… confirm the Decky prompt.`,
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+  } catch {
+    // fall through to the manual path
+  }
+  toaster.toast({
+    title: "punktfunk",
+    body: "Update from Decky → Developer → Install Plugin from URL.",
+  });
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Discovery hook — shared by the QAM panel and the full page.
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -255,20 +376,24 @@ const SettingsSection: FC = () => {
 // One host row on the full page.
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 const HostRow: FC<{ host: Host }> = ({ host }) => {
-  const pairRequired = host.pair === "required";
+  // The host's policy is `pair=required`, but if THIS device is already paired we don't need to
+  // pair again — show it as trusted and go straight to Stream.
+  const needsPair = host.pair === "required" && !host.paired;
   return (
     <Field
       label={
         <span style={{ display: "inline-flex", alignItems: "center", gap: "0.4em" }}>
-          {pairRequired ? <FaLock /> : <FaLockOpen />}
+          {needsPair ? <FaLock /> : <FaLockOpen />}
           {host.name}
         </span>
       }
-      description={`${host.host}:${host.port}${pairRequired ? " · pairing required" : ""}`}
+      description={`${host.host}:${host.port}${
+        needsPair ? " · pairing required" : host.paired ? " · paired" : ""
+      }`}
       childrenContainerWidth="max"
     >
       <Focusable style={{ display: "flex", gap: "0.5em" }}>
-        {pairRequired && (
+        {needsPair && (
           <DialogButton
             style={{ minWidth: "5em" }}
             onClick={() =>
@@ -288,52 +413,129 @@ const HostRow: FC<{ host: Host }> = ({ host }) => {
 };
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-// The fullscreen page (registered as the /punktfunk route).
+// The fullscreen page (registered as the /punktfunk route) — a tabbed Hosts / Settings view.
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+// Bottom inset so the last control clears Gaming Mode's footer hint bar. Routed pages render
+// *under* that bar otherwise — that's why the last Stream-settings row was getting hidden. The
+// value is generous on purpose (and harmless where the tab area already insets); tune to taste.
+const SAFE_BOTTOM = "80px";
+
+// Each tab is its own scroll area so long content is always reachable above the footer.
+const tabScroll: CSSProperties = {
+  height: "100%",
+  overflowY: "auto",
+  padding: "0.5em 2.5em",
+  paddingBottom: SAFE_BOTTOM,
+  boxSizing: "border-box",
+};
+
+const HostsTab: FC<{
+  hosts: Host[];
+  scanning: boolean;
+  refresh: () => void;
+}> = ({ hosts, scanning, refresh }) => (
+  <div style={tabScroll}>
+    <Field
+      label="Discover"
+      description={
+        scanning
+          ? "Scanning the LAN…"
+          : `${hosts.length} host${hosts.length === 1 ? "" : "s"} on your network`
+      }
+      childrenContainerWidth="max"
+      bottomSeparator={hosts.length ? "standard" : "none"}
+    >
+      <DialogButton style={{ minWidth: "8em" }} disabled={scanning} onClick={refresh}>
+        {scanning ? (
+          <Spinner style={{ height: "1em", marginRight: "0.5em" }} />
+        ) : (
+          <FaSyncAlt style={{ marginRight: "0.5em" }} />
+        )}
+        {scanning ? "Scanning…" : "Refresh"}
+      </DialogButton>
+    </Field>
+
+    {hosts.length === 0 && !scanning && (
+      <Field
+        focusable={false}
+        description="No punktfunk hosts found. Make sure a host is running on the same network."
+      >
+        No hosts found
+      </Field>
+    )}
+    {hosts.map((h) => (
+      <HostRow key={h.fp || `${h.host}:${h.port}`} host={h} />
+    ))}
+  </div>
+);
+
+const SettingsTab: FC = () => (
+  <div style={tabScroll}>
+    <SettingsSection />
+  </div>
+);
+
 const PunktfunkPage: FC = () => {
   const { hosts, scanning, refresh } = useHosts();
+  const update = useUpdate();
+  const [tab, setTab] = useState("hosts");
 
   return (
     <div
       style={{
         marginTop: "40px",
         height: "calc(100% - 40px)",
-        overflowY: "auto",
-        padding: "0 2.5em 2.5em",
+        display: "flex",
+        flexDirection: "column",
       }}
     >
-      <Focusable style={{ display: "flex", alignItems: "center", gap: "1em", marginBottom: "1em" }}>
+      <Focusable
+        style={{
+          display: "flex",
+          alignItems: "center",
+          gap: "1em",
+          padding: "0 2.5em",
+          marginBottom: "0.4em",
+          flexShrink: 0,
+        }}
+      >
         <DialogButton
-          style={{ width: "3em", minWidth: "3em" }}
+          style={{ width: "3em", minWidth: "3em", padding: 0 }}
           onClick={() => Navigation.NavigateBack()}
         >
           <FaArrowLeft />
         </DialogButton>
-        <div className={staticClasses.Title} style={{ flex: 1 }}>
+        <div className={staticClasses?.Title} style={{ flex: 1, margin: 0 }}>
           punktfunk
         </div>
-        <DialogButton style={{ width: "10em" }} disabled={scanning} onClick={refresh}>
-          {scanning ? (
-            <Spinner style={{ height: "1em", marginRight: "0.5em" }} />
-          ) : (
-            <FaSyncAlt style={{ marginRight: "0.5em" }} />
-          )}
-          {scanning ? "Scanning…" : "Refresh"}
-        </DialogButton>
+        {update?.update_available && (
+          <DialogButton style={{ minWidth: "9em" }} onClick={() => applyUpdate(update)}>
+            <FaDownload style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
+            Update v{update.latest}
+          </DialogButton>
+        )}
       </Focusable>
 
-      <div style={{ fontSize: "1.1em", fontWeight: "bold", margin: "0.5em 0" }}>Hosts</div>
-      {hosts.length === 0 && !scanning && (
-        <Field focusable={false}>No hosts discovered on the LAN.</Field>
-      )}
-      {hosts.map((h) => (
-        <HostRow key={h.fp || `${h.host}:${h.port}`} host={h} />
-      ))}
-
-      <div style={{ fontSize: "1.1em", fontWeight: "bold", margin: "1.5em 0 0.5em" }}>
-        Stream settings
+      <div style={{ flex: 1, minHeight: 0 }}>
+        <Tabs
+          activeTab={tab}
+          onShowTab={(id: string) => setTab(id)}
+          autoFocusContents
+          tabs={[
+            {
+              id: "hosts",
+              title: "Hosts",
+              content: <HostsTab hosts={hosts} scanning={scanning} refresh={refresh} />,
+            },
+            {
+              id: "settings",
+              title: "Settings",
+              content: <SettingsTab />,
+            },
+          ]}
+        />
       </div>
-      <SettingsSection />
     </div>
   );
 };
@@ -343,9 +545,25 @@ const PunktfunkPage: FC = () => {
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 const QamPanel: FC = () => {
   const { hosts, scanning, refresh } = useHosts();
+  const update = useUpdate();
 
   return (
     <>
+      {update?.update_available && (
+        <PanelSection title="Update">
+          <PanelSectionRow>
+            <ButtonItem
+              layout="below"
+              onClick={() => applyUpdate(update)}
+              label={`v${update.current} → v${update.latest}`}
+            >
+              <FaDownload style={{ marginRight: "0.5em" }} />
+              Update punktfunk
+            </ButtonItem>
+          </PanelSectionRow>
+        </PanelSection>
+      )}
+
       <PanelSection title="punktfunk">
         <PanelSectionRow>
           <ButtonItem
@@ -378,25 +596,25 @@ const QamPanel: FC = () => {
           </PanelSectionRow>
         )}
         {hosts.map((h) => {
-          const pairRequired = h.pair === "required";
+          const needsPair = h.pair === "required" && !h.paired;
           return (
             <PanelSectionRow key={h.fp || `${h.host}:${h.port}`}>
               <ButtonItem
                 layout="below"
                 onClick={() =>
-                  pairRequired
+                  needsPair
                     ? showModal(<PairModal host={h} onPaired={() => startStream(h)} />)
                     : startStream(h)
                 }
                 label={
                   <span style={{ display: "inline-flex", alignItems: "center", gap: "0.4em" }}>
-                    {pairRequired ? <FaLock /> : <FaLockOpen />}
+                    {needsPair ? <FaLock /> : <FaLockOpen />}
                     {h.name}
                   </span>
                 }
-                description={`${h.host}:${h.port}`}
+                description={`${h.host}:${h.port}${h.paired ? " · paired" : ""}`}
               >
-                {pairRequired ? "Pair & Stream" : "Stream"}
+                {needsPair ? "Pair & Stream" : "Stream"}
               </ButtonItem>
             </PanelSectionRow>
           );
@@ -406,12 +624,25 @@ const QamPanel: FC = () => {
   );
 };
 
+// Full page behind the boundary — registered as the /punktfunk route.
+const PunktfunkRoute: FC = () => (
+  <PluginErrorBoundary>
+    <PunktfunkPage />
+  </PluginErrorBoundary>
+);
+
 export default definePlugin(() => {
-  routerHook.addRoute(ROUTE, PunktfunkPage, { exact: true });
+  routerHook.addRoute(ROUTE, PunktfunkRoute, { exact: true });
   return {
     name: "punktfunk",
-    titleView: <div className={staticClasses.Title}>punktfunk</div>,
-    content: <QamPanel />,
+    // `staticClasses?.Title` is guarded so a future client that drops the export can't throw
+    // at plugin-load time (an error boundary only catches render-time, not load-time, errors).
+    titleView: <div className={staticClasses?.Title}>punktfunk</div>,
+    content: (
+      <PluginErrorBoundary>
+        <QamPanel />
+      </PluginErrorBoundary>
+    ),
     icon: <FaTv />,
     onDismount() {
       routerHook.removeRoute(ROUTE);

clients/decky/src/steam.ts

@@ -24,12 +24,31 @@ declare const SteamClient: {
     SetShortcutExe(appId: number, exe: string): void;
     SetShortcutStartDir(appId: number, dir: string): void;
     SetAppLaunchOptions(appId: number, options: string): void;
-    SetAppHidden(appId: number, hidden: boolean): void;
     RunGame(gameId: string, _unused: string, _i: number, _j: number): void;
     TerminateApp(gameId: string, _b: boolean): void;
   };
 };
 
+// Steam removed `SteamClient.Apps.SetAppHidden`. Hiding a non-Steam shortcut now goes through
+// `collectionStore.SetAppsAsHidden([appId], true)` — but that looks the app up in appStore, which
+// only registers a freshly-created shortcut a moment later (calling it immediately throws on a
+// null overview). So hiding is BEST-EFFORT + DEFERRED and must NEVER block the launch.
+declare const collectionStore:
+  | { SetAppsAsHidden?: (appIds: number[], hidden: boolean) => void }
+  | undefined;
+
+function hideShortcut(appId: number): void {
+  const attempt = () => {
+    try {
+      collectionStore?.SetAppsAsHidden?.([appId], true);
+    } catch {
+      /* overview not registered yet, or the API changed — cosmetic, ignore */
+    }
+  };
+  attempt(); // succeeds immediately for an already-registered (reused) shortcut
+  setTimeout(attempt, 2500); // fresh shortcut: retry once its app overview lands
+}
+
 const SHORTCUT_NAME = "punktfunk";
 
 // The 64-bit "gameid" RunGame wants, derived from a 32-bit non-Steam shortcut appId: the
@@ -88,7 +107,8 @@ async function ensureShortcut(): Promise<number> {
   );
   SteamClient.Apps.SetShortcutName(appId, SHORTCUT_NAME);
   // Hide it from the library — it's an implementation detail, launched programmatically.
-  SteamClient.Apps.SetAppHidden(appId, true);
+  // Best-effort + deferred (see hideShortcut); never let it block the launch.
+  hideShortcut(appId);
   rememberAppId(appId);
   return appId;
 }

clients/linux/src/app.rs

@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ struct App {
     gamepad: crate::gamepad::GamepadService,
     /// One session at a time — ignore connects while one is starting/running.
     busy: std::cell::Cell<bool>,
+    /// Steam Deck / Gaming-Mode launch: fullscreen the window (chrome-less) when a stream starts.
+    fullscreen: bool,
 }
 
 impl App {
@@ -41,7 +43,13 @@ pub fn run() -> glib::ExitCode {
     if let Some(pin) = arg_value("--pair") {
         return headless_pair(&pin);
     }
-    let app = adw::Application::builder().application_id(APP_ID).build();
+    let mut builder = adw::Application::builder().application_id(APP_ID);
+    // Screenshot mode launches the app once per scene back-to-back; NON_UNIQUE keeps each
+    // launch its own primary instance instead of forwarding to a still-registered name.
+    if shot_scene().is_some() {
+        builder = builder.flags(gtk::gio::ApplicationFlags::NON_UNIQUE);
+    }
+    let app = builder.build();
     app.connect_activate(build_ui);
     // GTK doesn't see our argv (`--connect` is handled in `build_ui`); an empty argv also
     // keeps GApplication from rejecting unknown options.
@@ -56,6 +64,20 @@ fn arg_value(flag: &str) -> Option<String> {
         .filter(|v| !v.starts_with("--"))
 }
 
+/// True if argv contains `flag` (a valueless switch).
+fn arg_flag(flag: &str) -> bool {
+    std::env::args().any(|a| a == flag)
+}
+
+/// Run the stream fullscreen with no window chrome — the Steam Deck / Gaming-Mode launch path.
+/// The Decky wrapper passes `--fullscreen`; we also honor the Deck/gamescope env as a fallback
+/// so a manual launch under Gaming Mode does the right thing too.
+fn fullscreen_mode() -> bool {
+    arg_flag("--fullscreen")
+        || std::env::var_os("SteamDeck").is_some()
+        || std::env::var_os("GAMESCOPE_WAYLAND_DISPLAY").is_some()
+}
+
 /// Run the SPAKE2 PIN ceremony without a GTK window and persist the verified host to the
 /// known-hosts store as paired, so a later `--connect` connects silently. Same identity
 /// store the streaming path uses (same binary), so pairing here makes the stream work.
@@ -161,6 +183,7 @@ fn build_ui(gtk_app: &adw::Application) {
         identity,
         gamepad: crate::gamepad::GamepadService::start(),
         busy: std::cell::Cell::new(false),
+        fullscreen: fullscreen_mode(),
     });
 
     let hosts_page = crate::ui_hosts::new(
@@ -182,11 +205,65 @@ fn build_ui(gtk_app: &adw::Application) {
     nav.add(&hosts_page);
     window.present();
 
+    // CI screenshot mode: render one scripted, host-free scene and signal readiness
+    // (clients/linux/tools/screenshots.sh). Mutually exclusive with a real connect.
+    if let Some(scene) = shot_scene() {
+        run_shot(app, &scene);
+        return;
+    }
+
     if let Some(req) = cli_connect_request() {
         initiate_connect(app, req);
     }
 }
 
+/// `PUNKTFUNK_SHOT_SCENE`, when set, selects a scripted host-free scene for CI screenshots.
+fn shot_scene() -> Option<String> {
+    std::env::var("PUNKTFUNK_SHOT_SCENE")
+        .ok()
+        .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
+}
+
+/// Render one mock-populated, host-free scene over the already-presented window, then print
+/// `PF_SHOT_READY` once it has had a moment to map + settle so the driver knows when to capture.
+/// No `NativeClient` or session is created. The stream scene is deliberately absent — its page
+/// requires a live connector (`ui_stream::new` takes an `Arc<NativeClient>`).
+fn run_shot(app: Rc<App>, scene: &str) {
+    // A plausible host for the trust/pair dialogs (fp_hex is 64 hex chars, like a real SHA-256).
+    let mock_req = || ConnectRequest {
+        name: "Living Room PC".to_string(),
+        addr: "192.168.1.42".to_string(),
+        port: 9777,
+        fp_hex: Some(
+            "9f8e7d6c5b4a39281706f5e4d3c2b1a0998877665544332211ffeeddccbbaa00".to_string(),
+        ),
+        pair_optional: true,
+    };
+
+    match scene {
+        // The saved-hosts grid reads ~/.config/punktfunk/client-known-hosts.json, which the
+        // driver seeds — so the already-shown hosts page is the scene; nothing to do here.
+        "hosts" | "02-hosts" => {}
+        "settings" | "03-settings" => {
+            crate::ui_settings::show(&app.window, app.settings.clone(), &app.gamepad);
+        }
+        "trust" | "04-trust" => tofu_dialog(app.clone(), mock_req()),
+        "pair" | "05-pair" => pin_dialog(app.clone(), mock_req()),
+        other => tracing::warn!("unknown PUNKTFUNK_SHOT_SCENE={other:?}; showing hosts only"),
+    }
+
+    let settle_ms = std::env::var("PUNKTFUNK_SHOT_SETTLE_MS")
+        .ok()
+        .and_then(|v| v.parse().ok())
+        .unwrap_or(900);
+    let scene = scene.to_string();
+    glib::timeout_add_local_once(std::time::Duration::from_millis(settle_ms), move || {
+        use std::io::Write as _;
+        println!("PF_SHOT_READY scene={scene}");
+        let _ = std::io::stdout().flush();
+    });
+}
+
 /// The trust gate in front of every connect. The host is the policy authority (it
 /// advertises `pair=optional` only when it accepts unpaired clients); the client renders
 /// its trust UI from that:
@@ -218,19 +295,21 @@ fn initiate_connect(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest) {
                 // Rule 3a: the host opted into reduced-security TOFU; offer it alongside PIN.
                 tofu_dialog(app, req);
             } else {
-                // Rule 3b: pair=required or unknown policy — PIN pairing is mandatory.
-                pin_dialog(app, req);
+                // Rule 3b: pair=required or unknown policy — offer no-PIN delegated approval
+                // (request access → approve in the console) or the PIN ceremony.
+                approval_dialog(app, req);
             }
         }
         None => {
             // Manual entry (no advertised fingerprint). A known address connects silently
-            // on its stored pin (rule 1); an unknown one must pair — never silent TOFU.
+            // on its stored pin (rule 1); an unknown one must pair — request access (approve in
+            // the console) or use a PIN; never silent TOFU.
             match known
                 .find_by_addr(&req.addr, req.port)
                 .and_then(|k| crate::trust::parse_hex32(&k.fp_hex))
             {
                 Some(pin) => start_session(app, req, Some(pin)),
-                None => pin_dialog(app, req), // rule 3b
+                None => approval_dialog(app, req), // rule 3b
             }
         }
     }
@@ -341,6 +420,83 @@ fn pin_dialog(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest) {
     dialog.present(Some(&parent));
 }
 
+/// A fresh host that requires pairing: offer the two ways in. "Request access" is the no-PIN
+/// path — connect and wait for the operator to click Approve in the host's console/web UI
+/// (delegated approval); "Use a PIN instead…" runs the SPAKE2 ceremony.
+fn approval_dialog(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest) {
+    let dialog = adw::AlertDialog::new(
+        Some("Pairing Required"),
+        Some(&format!(
+            "{} requires pairing.\n\nRequest access and approve this device in the host's console \
+             (or web UI) — no PIN needed. Or pair with the 4-digit PIN it can display.",
+            req.name
+        )),
+    );
+    dialog.add_responses(&[
+        ("cancel", "Cancel"),
+        ("pin", "Use a PIN instead…"),
+        ("request", "Request Access"),
+    ]);
+    dialog.set_response_appearance("request", adw::ResponseAppearance::Suggested);
+    dialog.set_default_response(Some("request"));
+    dialog.set_close_response("cancel");
+    let parent = app.window.clone();
+    dialog.connect_response(None, move |_, response| match response {
+        "request" => request_access(app.clone(), req.clone()),
+        "pin" => pin_dialog(app.clone(), req.clone()),
+        _ => {}
+    });
+    dialog.present(Some(&parent));
+}
+
+/// The no-PIN "request access" flow: open an identified connect that the host PARKS until the
+/// operator approves it in the console, showing a cancelable "waiting" dialog meanwhile. On
+/// approval the same connection is admitted (no reconnect) and the host is saved as paired.
+fn request_access(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest) {
+    // Pin the advertised certificate for a discovered host (defence against a host impostor while
+    // we wait); a manually-typed host has no advertised fingerprint, so trust-on-first-use.
+    let pin = req.fp_hex.as_deref().and_then(crate::trust::parse_hex32);
+    let cancel = Rc::new(std::cell::Cell::new(false));
+
+    let waiting = adw::AlertDialog::new(
+        Some("Waiting for Approval"),
+        Some(&format!(
+            "Approve “{}” in {}’s console or web UI.\n\nThis device is waiting to be let in — it \
+             connects automatically once you approve it.",
+            glib::host_name(),
+            req.name
+        )),
+    );
+    waiting.add_responses(&[("cancel", "Cancel")]);
+    waiting.set_close_response("cancel");
+    {
+        let app = app.clone();
+        let cancel = cancel.clone();
+        waiting.connect_response(Some("cancel"), move |_, _| {
+            // Return the UI immediately; the in-flight connect is left to time out and is torn
+            // down silently by the event loop (see StartOpts::cancel).
+            cancel.set(true);
+            app.busy.set(false);
+            app.toast("Cancelled — the request may still be pending on the host.");
+        });
+    }
+    waiting.present(Some(&app.window));
+
+    start_session_with(
+        app,
+        req,
+        pin,
+        StartOpts {
+            // Must exceed the host's approval window (PENDING_APPROVAL_WAIT) so a slow operator
+            // approval still lands on this connection rather than timing the client out first.
+            connect_timeout: std::time::Duration::from_secs(185),
+            persist_paired: true,
+            waiting: Some(waiting),
+            cancel: Some(cancel),
+        },
+    );
+}
+
 /// Measure the path to a host over the real data plane (Swift's "Test Network Speed…"):
 /// connect, have the host burst probe filler for 2 s up to its 3 Gbps ceiling, report
 /// goodput · loss · a recommended bitrate (≈70 % of measured), and apply it in one tap.
@@ -375,6 +531,7 @@ fn speed_test(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest) {
                 GamepadPref::Auto,
                 0,    // bitrate_kbps (host default)
                 0,    // video_caps: the Linux client has no 10-bit/HDR present path yet
+                2,    // audio_channels: speed-test probe, stereo
                 None, // launch: speed-test probe connect, no game
                 pin,
                 Some(identity),
@@ -443,11 +600,19 @@ fn resolve_mode(app: &App) -> punktfunk_core::config::Mode {
         refresh_hz: s.refresh_hz,
     };
     if mode.width == 0 || mode.refresh_hz == 0 {
+        // Prefer the monitor the window is on; fall back to the display's first monitor. On a
+        // `--connect` launch the window may not be mapped yet when this runs, and without the
+        // fallback we'd drop to the 1920×1080 floor below — wrong on the Deck (1280×800).
         let monitor = app
             .window
             .surface()
             .zip(gdk::Display::default())
-            .and_then(|(surf, d)| d.monitor_at_surface(&surf));
+            .and_then(|(surf, d)| d.monitor_at_surface(&surf))
+            .or_else(|| {
+                gdk::Display::default()
+                    .and_then(|d| d.monitors().item(0))
+                    .and_then(|o| o.downcast::<gdk::Monitor>().ok())
+            });
         if let Some(m) = monitor {
             let geo = m.geometry();
             let scale = m.scale_factor().max(1);
@@ -470,7 +635,42 @@ fn resolve_mode(app: &App) -> punktfunk_core::config::Mode {
     mode
 }
 
+/// Tunables for a session start that differ between the normal connect and the "request access"
+/// (delegated-approval) flow. `Default` is the normal connect.
+struct StartOpts {
+    /// Handshake budget. The request-access flow uses a long one because the host PARKS the
+    /// connection until the operator clicks Approve (see the host's `PENDING_APPROVAL_WAIT`).
+    connect_timeout: std::time::Duration,
+    /// Persist the host as *paired* on a successful connect. Set for request-access, where the
+    /// operator's approval IS the pairing, so future connects are silent (rule 1). Normal TOFU
+    /// persists the host *unpaired* (pinned, but not PIN/approval-verified).
+    persist_paired: bool,
+    /// A "waiting for approval" dialog to dismiss on the first session event (request-access only).
+    waiting: Option<adw::AlertDialog>,
+    /// Set by the waiting dialog's Cancel button. `NativeClient::connect` is a blocking call with
+    /// no abort, so Cancel returns the UI immediately (clears busy, closes the dialog) and leaves
+    /// the in-flight connect to time out; when it finally resolves, the event loop sees this flag
+    /// and tears down silently (drops the connector → closes the connection) without touching the
+    /// UI a new session may already own.
+    cancel: Option<Rc<std::cell::Cell<bool>>>,
+}
+
+impl Default for StartOpts {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            connect_timeout: std::time::Duration::from_secs(15),
+            persist_paired: false,
+            waiting: None,
+            cancel: None,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn start_session(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest, pin: Option<[u8; 32]>) {
+    start_session_with(app, req, pin, StartOpts::default());
+}
+
+fn start_session_with(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest, pin: Option<[u8; 32]>, opts: StartOpts) {
     if app.busy.replace(true) {
         return;
     }
@@ -488,12 +688,17 @@ fn start_session(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest, pin: Option<[u8; 32]>) {
         },
         bitrate_kbps: s.bitrate_kbps,
         mic_enabled: s.mic_enabled,
+        audio_channels: s.audio_channels,
         pin,
         identity: app.identity.clone(),
+        connect_timeout: opts.connect_timeout,
     };
     let inhibit = s.inhibit_shortcuts;
     drop(s);
     let tofu = pin.is_none();
+    let persist_paired = opts.persist_paired;
+    let mut waiting = opts.waiting;
+    let cancel = opts.cancel;
 
     let mut handle = crate::session::start(params);
     let frames = std::mem::replace(&mut handle.frames, async_channel::bounded(1).1);
@@ -501,14 +706,41 @@ fn start_session(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest, pin: Option<[u8; 32]>) {
         let mut frames = Some(frames);
         let mut page: Option<crate::ui_stream::StreamPage> = None;
         while let Ok(event) = handle.events.recv().await {
+            // A cancelled request-access connect resolved late: tear down silently. Don't touch
+            // app.busy — Cancel already cleared it, and a fresh session may now own it.
+            if cancel.as_ref().is_some_and(|c| c.get()) {
+                if let Some(w) = waiting.take() {
+                    w.close();
+                }
+                break;
+            }
             match event {
                 SessionEvent::Connected {
                     connector,
                     mode,
                     fingerprint,
                 } => {
-                    // A TOFU connect just observed the real fingerprint — pin it from now on.
-                    if tofu {
+                    // Dismiss the "waiting for approval" dialog (request-access flow), if any.
+                    if let Some(w) = waiting.take() {
+                        w.close();
+                    }
+                    if persist_paired {
+                        // Request-access: the operator approved this device, so record the host as
+                        // a trusted PAIRED host (pinning the fingerprint we observed) — future
+                        // connects are then silent (rule 1), exactly like after a PIN ceremony.
+                        let fp_hex = crate::trust::hex(&fingerprint);
+                        let mut known = KnownHosts::load();
+                        known.upsert(KnownHost {
+                            name: req.name.clone(),
+                            addr: req.addr.clone(),
+                            port: req.port,
+                            fp_hex,
+                            paired: true,
+                        });
+                        let _ = known.save();
+                        app.toast("Approved — connecting…");
+                    } else if tofu {
+                        // A TOFU connect just observed the real fingerprint — pin it from now on.
                         let fp_hex = crate::trust::hex(&fingerprint);
                         let mut known = KnownHosts::load();
                         known.upsert(KnownHost {
@@ -540,6 +772,12 @@ fn start_session(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest, pin: Option<[u8; 32]>) {
                         &title,
                     );
                     app.nav.push(&p.page);
+                    // Steam Deck / Gaming Mode: gamescope fullscreens the window but GTK doesn't
+                    // know it, so its header bar stays drawn. Enter GTK fullscreen explicitly —
+                    // the stream page's `connect_fullscreened_notify` then hides all chrome.
+                    if app.fullscreen {
+                        app.window.fullscreen();
+                    }
                     page = Some(p);
                 }
                 SessionEvent::Stats(s) => {
@@ -551,6 +789,9 @@ fn start_session(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest, pin: Option<[u8; 32]>) {
                     msg,
                     trust_rejected,
                 } => {
+                    if let Some(w) = waiting.take() {
+                        w.close();
+                    }
                     tracing::warn!(%msg, trust_rejected, "connect failed");
                     app.busy.set(false);
                     // A pinned connect rejected on trust grounds means the host's cert no
@@ -565,6 +806,9 @@ fn start_session(app: Rc<App>, req: ConnectRequest, pin: Option<[u8; 32]>) {
                     break;
                 }
                 SessionEvent::Ended(err) => {
+                    if let Some(w) = waiting.take() {
+                        w.close();
+                    }
                     app.gamepad.detach();
                     app.nav.pop_to_tag("hosts");
                     if let Some(e) = err {

clients/linux/src/audio.rs

@@ -27,16 +27,17 @@ pub struct AudioPlayer {
 }
 
 impl AudioPlayer {
-    /// Spawn the PipeWire playback thread. Failure (no PipeWire in the session) is
-    /// survivable — the caller streams video-only.
-    pub fn spawn() -> Result<AudioPlayer> {
+    /// Spawn the PipeWire playback thread for `channels` (2/6/8, canonical wire order
+    /// FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR). Failure (no PipeWire in the session) is survivable — the
+    /// caller streams video-only.
+    pub fn spawn(channels: u32) -> Result<AudioPlayer> {
         // 64 × 5 ms = 320 ms of slack between the pump and the PipeWire loop.
         let (pcm_tx, pcm_rx) = std::sync::mpsc::sync_channel::<Vec<f32>>(64);
         let (quit_tx, quit_rx) = pipewire::channel::channel::<Terminate>();
         let thread = std::thread::Builder::new()
             .name("punktfunk-audio".into())
             .spawn(move || {
-                if let Err(e) = pw_thread(pcm_rx, quit_rx) {
+                if let Err(e) = pw_thread(pcm_rx, quit_rx, channels as usize) {
                     tracing::warn!(error = %e, "audio playback thread ended");
                 }
             })
@@ -48,8 +49,8 @@ impl AudioPlayer {
         })
     }
 
-    /// Queue one interleaved-stereo f32 chunk. Drops the chunk if the PipeWire side is
-    /// wedged (the renderer conceals the gap; never block the session pump).
+    /// Queue one interleaved f32 chunk (in the session's channel layout). Drops the chunk if the
+    /// PipeWire side is wedged (the renderer conceals the gap; never block the session pump).
     pub fn push(&self, pcm: Vec<f32>) {
         if let Err(TrySendError::Disconnected(_)) = self.pcm_tx.try_send(pcm) {
             // Thread already dead — Drop will reap it; nothing to do per-chunk.
@@ -71,11 +72,14 @@ struct PlayerData {
     rx: Receiver<Vec<f32>>,
     ring: VecDeque<f32>,
     primed: bool,
+    /// Interleaved channel count this stream was opened with (2/6/8).
+    channels: usize,
 }
 
 fn pw_thread(
     pcm_rx: Receiver<Vec<f32>>,
     quit_rx: pipewire::channel::Receiver<Terminate>,
+    channels: usize,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     use pipewire as pw;
     use pw::{properties::properties, spa};
@@ -115,6 +119,7 @@ fn pw_thread(
         rx: pcm_rx,
         ring: VecDeque::new(),
         primed: false,
+        channels,
     };
 
     let _listener = stream
@@ -130,19 +135,19 @@ fn pw_thread(
                 while let Ok(chunk) = ud.rx.try_recv() {
                     ud.ring.extend(chunk);
                 }
-                let stride = 4 * CHANNELS; // F32LE interleaved
+                let stride = 4 * ud.channels; // F32LE interleaved
                 let datas = buffer.datas_mut();
                 if datas.is_empty() {
                     return;
                 }
                 let data = &mut datas[0];
                 let want_frames = data.data().map(|s| s.len() / stride).unwrap_or(0);
-                let want = want_frames * CHANNELS;
+                let want = want_frames * ud.channels;
 
                 // Adaptive jitter buffer (same shape as the host's virtual mic): prime to
                 // ~3 quanta, cap at ~1 quantum of slack beyond that, re-prime after a
                 // genuine drain.
-                let target = (3 * want).clamp(720 * CHANNELS, 9600 * CHANNELS);
+                let target = (3 * want).clamp(720 * ud.channels, 9600 * ud.channels);
                 while ud.ring.len() > target.max(want) + want {
                     ud.ring.pop_front();
                 }
@@ -182,7 +187,13 @@ fn pw_thread(
     let mut info = AudioInfoRaw::new();
     info.set_format(AudioFormat::F32LE);
     info.set_rate(SAMPLE_RATE);
-    info.set_channels(CHANNELS as u32);
+    info.set_channels(channels as u32);
+    // Channel positions in canonical wire order (FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR) so PipeWire routes each
+    // slot to the matching speaker (and downmixes when the sink has fewer). Identity, no permute.
+    let order = punktfunk_core::audio::spa_positions(channels as u8);
+    let mut positions = [0u32; 64];
+    positions[..order.len()].copy_from_slice(order);
+    info.set_position(positions);
     let obj = pw::spa::pod::Object {
         type_: pw::spa::utils::SpaTypes::ObjectParamFormat.as_raw(),
         id: pw::spa::param::ParamType::EnumFormat.as_raw(),

clients/linux/src/session.rs

@@ -20,11 +20,18 @@ pub struct SessionParams {
     pub compositor: CompositorPref,
     pub gamepad: GamepadPref,
     pub bitrate_kbps: u32,
+    /// Requested audio channel count (2/6/8); the host echoes the resolved value.
+    pub audio_channels: u8,
     /// Stream the default microphone to the host's virtual mic source.
     pub mic_enabled: bool,
     /// Pinned host fingerprint; `None` = trust on first use (caller persists the observed one).
     pub pin: Option<[u8; 32]>,
     pub identity: (String, String),
+    /// How long to wait for the handshake. The normal path uses a short budget; the
+    /// "request access" (delegated-approval) path uses a long one, because the host PARKS the
+    /// connection until the operator clicks Approve in its console (so this must exceed the
+    /// host's approval window — see `PENDING_APPROVAL_WAIT`).
+    pub connect_timeout: Duration,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Default)]
@@ -83,6 +90,42 @@ fn now_ns() -> u64 {
         .unwrap_or(0)
 }
 
+/// Opus decoder for the audio plane: a plain stereo decoder (the validated path) or a multistream
+/// decoder for 5.1/7.1, both behind one `decode_float`. Built from the host-RESOLVED channel count
+/// via the shared layout table.
+enum AudioDec {
+    Stereo(opus::Decoder),
+    Surround(opus::MSDecoder),
+}
+
+impl AudioDec {
+    fn new(channels: u8) -> Result<AudioDec, opus::Error> {
+        if channels == 2 {
+            Ok(AudioDec::Stereo(opus::Decoder::new(
+                48_000,
+                opus::Channels::Stereo,
+            )?))
+        } else {
+            let l = punktfunk_core::audio::layout_for(channels, false);
+            Ok(AudioDec::Surround(opus::MSDecoder::new(
+                48_000, l.streams, l.coupled, l.mapping,
+            )?))
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn decode_float(
+        &mut self,
+        input: &[u8],
+        out: &mut [f32],
+        fec: bool,
+    ) -> Result<usize, opus::Error> {
+        match self {
+            AudioDec::Stereo(d) => d.decode_float(input, out, fec),
+            AudioDec::Surround(d) => d.decode_float(input, out, fec),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn pump(
     params: SessionParams,
     ev_tx: async_channel::Sender<SessionEvent>,
@@ -96,11 +139,12 @@ fn pump(
         params.compositor,
         params.gamepad,
         params.bitrate_kbps,
-        0,    // video_caps: the Linux client has no 10-bit/HDR present path yet
+        0, // video_caps: the Linux client has no 10-bit/HDR present path yet
+        params.audio_channels,
         None, // launch: the Linux client has no library picker yet
         params.pin,
         Some(params.identity),
-        Duration::from_secs(15),
+        params.connect_timeout,
     ) {
         Ok(c) => Arc::new(c),
         Err(e) => {
@@ -134,11 +178,14 @@ fn pump(
         }
     };
     // Audio is best-effort: a session without it still streams. Gamepads are the
-    // app-lifetime service's job (the UI attaches it on Connected).
-    let player = audio::AudioPlayer::spawn()
+    // app-lifetime service's job (the UI attaches it on Connected). Build the decoder + playback
+    // from the host-RESOLVED channel count (never the request), so an older/clamping host that
+    // resolves stereo is decoded as stereo.
+    let channels = connector.audio_channels;
+    let player = audio::AudioPlayer::spawn(channels as u32)
         .map_err(|e| tracing::warn!(error = %e, "audio disabled"))
         .ok();
-    let mut opus_dec = opus::Decoder::new(48_000, opus::Channels::Stereo)
+    let mut opus_dec = AudioDec::new(channels)
         .map_err(|e| tracing::warn!(error = %e, "opus decoder failed — audio disabled"))
         .ok();
     let _mic = params
@@ -157,8 +204,8 @@ fn pump(
     let mut bytes_n = 0u64;
     let mut decode_us_sum = 0u64;
     let mut lat_us: Vec<u64> = Vec::with_capacity(256);
-    let mut pcm = vec![0f32; 5760 * 2]; // decode scratch: max Opus frame (120 ms stereo)
-                                        // Loss recovery: watch the host→client unrecoverable-drop count and ask for an IDR when it climbs.
+    let mut pcm = vec![0f32; 5760 * channels as usize]; // scratch: max Opus frame (120 ms) × channels
+                                                        // Loss recovery: watch the host→client unrecoverable-drop count and ask for an IDR when it climbs.
     let mut last_dropped = connector.frames_dropped();
     let mut last_kf_req: Option<Instant> = None;
 
@@ -221,7 +268,8 @@ fn pump(
         while let Ok(pkt) = connector.next_audio(Duration::ZERO) {
             if let (Some(player), Some(dec)) = (&player, opus_dec.as_mut()) {
                 match dec.decode_float(&pkt.data, &mut pcm, false) {
-                    Ok(samples) => player.push(pcm[..samples * 2].to_vec()),
+                    // `samples` is per-channel; the interleaved frame is `samples * channels`.
+                    Ok(samples) => player.push(pcm[..samples * channels as usize].to_vec()),
                     Err(e) => tracing::debug!(error = %e, "opus decode"),
                 }
             }

clients/linux/src/trust.rs

@@ -90,6 +90,14 @@ impl KnownHosts {
         self.hosts.iter().find(|h| h.addr == addr && h.port == port)
     }
 
+    /// Forget the entry with this fingerprint. Returns true if one was removed (the user
+    /// will have to pair/trust again to reconnect).
+    pub fn remove_by_fp(&mut self, fp_hex: &str) -> bool {
+        let before = self.hosts.len();
+        self.hosts.retain(|h| h.fp_hex != fp_hex);
+        self.hosts.len() != before
+    }
+
     /// Insert or refresh an entry, keyed by fingerprint. `paired` only ever upgrades
     /// (a later TOFU connect must not demote a PIN-paired host).
     pub fn upsert(&mut self, entry: KnownHost) {
@@ -124,6 +132,9 @@ pub struct Settings {
     pub inhibit_shortcuts: bool,
     /// Stream the default microphone to the host's virtual mic source.
     pub mic_enabled: bool,
+    /// Requested audio channel count: 2 (stereo), 6 (5.1) or 8 (7.1). The host clamps to what it
+    /// can capture; the resolved count drives the decoder + playback layout.
+    pub audio_channels: u8,
 }
 
 impl Default for Settings {
@@ -137,6 +148,7 @@ impl Default for Settings {
             compositor: "auto".into(),
             inhibit_shortcuts: true,
             mic_enabled: false,
+            audio_channels: 2,
         }
     }
 }

clients/linux/src/ui_hosts.rs

@@ -181,6 +181,52 @@ pub fn new(
                     // pinned connect; TOFU eligibility is irrelevant.
                     pair_optional: false,
                 };
+                // Forget this host (drops the pinned fingerprint — a later connect re-pairs).
+                // Confirmed first, since it's destructive and a misclick on the Deck is easy.
+                let remove_btn = gtk::Button::from_icon_name("user-trash-symbolic");
+                remove_btn.set_tooltip_text(Some("Remove saved host"));
+                remove_btn.set_valign(gtk::Align::Center);
+                remove_btn.add_css_class("flat");
+                {
+                    let fp = k.fp_hex.clone();
+                    let name = k.name.clone();
+                    let saved_list = saved_list.clone();
+                    let saved_label = saved_label.clone();
+                    let row = row.clone();
+                    remove_btn.connect_clicked(move |_| {
+                        let dialog = adw::AlertDialog::new(
+                            Some("Remove saved host?"),
+                            Some(&format!(
+                                "Forget “{name}”? You'll need to pair (or trust) it again to reconnect."
+                            )),
+                        );
+                        dialog.add_responses(&[("cancel", "Cancel"), ("remove", "Remove")]);
+                        dialog.set_response_appearance(
+                            "remove",
+                            adw::ResponseAppearance::Destructive,
+                        );
+                        dialog.set_default_response(Some("cancel"));
+                        dialog.set_close_response("cancel");
+                        {
+                            // Scoped clones for the response handler so `row` survives for present().
+                            let fp = fp.clone();
+                            let saved_list = saved_list.clone();
+                            let saved_label = saved_label.clone();
+                            let row = row.clone();
+                            dialog.connect_response(Some("remove"), move |_, _| {
+                                let mut known = KnownHosts::load();
+                                known.remove_by_fp(&fp);
+                                let _ = known.save();
+                                saved_list.remove(&row);
+                                let empty = known.hosts.is_empty();
+                                saved_list.set_visible(!empty);
+                                saved_label.set_visible(!empty);
+                            });
+                        }
+                        dialog.present(Some(&row));
+                    });
+                }
+                row.add_suffix(&remove_btn);
                 let speed_btn = gtk::Button::from_icon_name("network-transmit-receive-symbolic");
                 speed_btn.set_tooltip_text(Some("Test network speed"));
                 speed_btn.set_valign(gtk::Align::Center);

clients/linux/src/ui_settings.rs

@@ -19,6 +19,49 @@ const REFRESH: &[u32] = &[0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 144, 165, 240];
 const GAMEPADS: &[&str] = &["auto", "xbox360", "dualsense", "xboxone", "dualshock4"];
 const COMPOSITORS: &[&str] = &["auto", "kwin", "wlroots", "mutter", "gamescope"];
 
+/// punktfunk's own license (MIT OR Apache-2.0), shown on the About dialog's Legal page.
+const APP_LICENSE: &str = concat!(
+    "punktfunk is licensed under MIT OR Apache-2.0, at your option.\n\n",
+    "================================ MIT ================================\n\n",
+    include_str!("../../../LICENSE-MIT"),
+    "\n\n=============================== Apache-2.0 ===============================\n\n",
+    include_str!("../../../LICENSE-APACHE"),
+);
+/// Third-party software notices for the linked Rust crates (generated by
+/// scripts/gen-third-party-notices.sh; shown as a Legal section in the About dialog).
+const THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES: &str = include_str!("../../../THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt");
+
+/// Show the About dialog (app license + the third-party-software Legal section).
+fn show_about(parent: &impl IsA<gtk::Widget>) {
+    let about = adw::AboutDialog::builder()
+        .application_name("punktfunk")
+        .developer_name("unom")
+        .version(env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"))
+        .website("https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk")
+        .license_type(gtk::License::Custom)
+        .license(APP_LICENSE)
+        .build();
+    // The native (FFmpeg/GTK/PipeWire/SDL3) components are dynamically linked under their own
+    // (LGPL/Zlib/MIT) licenses; the Rust crate notices are the substantive attribution set.
+    about.add_legal_section(
+        "Third-party software (Rust crates)",
+        None,
+        gtk::License::Custom,
+        Some(THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES),
+    );
+    about.add_legal_section(
+        "Third-party software (system libraries)",
+        None,
+        gtk::License::Custom,
+        Some(
+            "This application dynamically links system libraries under their own licenses, \
+             including FFmpeg (LGPL v2.1+), GTK 4 and libadwaita (LGPL v2.1+), PipeWire (MIT), \
+             and SDL 3 (Zlib). Their full license texts are available from each project.",
+        ),
+    );
+    about.present(Some(parent));
+}
+
 pub fn show(
     parent: &impl IsA<gtk::Widget>,
     settings: Rc<RefCell<Settings>>,
@@ -140,15 +183,39 @@ pub fn show(
     input.add(&inhibit_row);
 
     let audio = adw::PreferencesGroup::builder().title("Audio").build();
+    let surround_row = adw::ComboRow::builder()
+        .title("Audio channels")
+        .subtitle("Request stereo or surround (the host downmixes if its output has fewer)")
+        .model(&gtk::StringList::new(&[
+            "Stereo",
+            "5.1 Surround",
+            "7.1 Surround",
+        ]))
+        .build();
+    audio.add(&surround_row);
     let mic_row = adw::SwitchRow::builder()
         .title("Stream microphone")
         .subtitle("Send the default input device to the host's virtual microphone")
         .build();
     audio.add(&mic_row);
 
+    let about = adw::PreferencesGroup::builder().title("About").build();
+    let licenses_row = adw::ActionRow::builder()
+        .title("Third-party licenses")
+        .subtitle("Open-source software used by punktfunk")
+        .activatable(true)
+        .build();
+    licenses_row.add_suffix(&gtk::Image::from_icon_name("go-next-symbolic"));
+    {
+        let about_parent: gtk::Widget = parent.clone().upcast();
+        licenses_row.connect_activated(move |_| show_about(&about_parent));
+    }
+    about.add(&licenses_row);
+
     page.add(&stream);
     page.add(&input);
     page.add(&audio);
+    page.add(&about);
 
     // Seed from the current settings.
     {
@@ -170,6 +237,11 @@ pub fn show(
         compositor_row.set_selected(comp_i as u32);
         inhibit_row.set_active(s.inhibit_shortcuts);
         mic_row.set_active(s.mic_enabled);
+        surround_row.set_selected(match s.audio_channels {
+            6 => 1,
+            8 => 2,
+            _ => 0,
+        });
     }
 
     let dialog = adw::PreferencesDialog::new();
@@ -186,6 +258,11 @@ pub fn show(
             .to_string();
         s.inhibit_shortcuts = inhibit_row.is_active();
         s.mic_enabled = mic_row.is_active();
+        s.audio_channels = match surround_row.selected() {
+            1 => 6,
+            2 => 8,
+            _ => 2,
+        };
         s.save();
     });
     dialog.present(Some(parent));

clients/linux/tools/screenshots.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Capture host-free UI screenshots of the native Linux client under a virtual X
+# display. Mirrors the iOS harness (clients/apple/tools/screenshots.sh): one app
+# launch per scene (PUNKTFUNK_SHOT_SCENE), the app renders a mock-populated REAL
+# view and prints `PF_SHOT_READY`, then we grab the X root window. No host, GPU, or
+# live stream — only the chrome scenes (the stream page needs a live connector).
+#
+#   cargo build --release -p punktfunk-client-linux
+#   bash clients/linux/tools/screenshots.sh            # → clients/linux/screenshots/<scene>.png
+#   bash clients/linux/tools/screenshots.sh hosts pair # a subset
+#
+# Env knobs: BIN (client binary), OUT (output dir), GEOMETRY (Xvfb WxHxDepth),
+# SETTLE (extra seconds after PF_SHOT_READY), SHOT_DISPLAY (X display), GSK_RENDERER
+# (gl|ngl|cairo — gl/llvmpipe by default for full libadwaita fidelity).
+set -euo pipefail
+
+here="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/.." && pwd)" # clients/linux
+BIN="${BIN:-$here/../../target/release/punktfunk-client}"
+OUT="${OUT:-$here/screenshots}"
+# The client window maps at its 1100x720 default; with no WM under Xvfb it lands at the
+# top-left, so keep the root just larger so the full window (incl. its CSD shadow) is
+# captured by a root grab with only a thin margin to crop.
+GEOMETRY="${GEOMETRY:-1280x800x24}"
+SETTLE="${SETTLE:-1.2}"
+SHOT_DISPLAY="${SHOT_DISPLAY:-:99}"
+
+if [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then SCENES=("$@"); else SCENES=(hosts settings trust pair); fi
+
+[ -x "$BIN" ] || {
+	echo "client binary not found: $BIN (build it first: cargo build --release -p punktfunk-client-linux)" >&2
+	exit 1
+}
+
+# Isolated scratch HOME: the client generates its identity here on first run, and the
+# saved-hosts grid is read from client-known-hosts.json, so seed mock hosts for the
+# `hosts` scene (the dialogs/settings build their own mock state in-app).
+WORK="$(mktemp -d)"
+export HOME="$WORK"
+mkdir -p "$HOME/.config/punktfunk"
+cat >"$HOME/.config/punktfunk/client-known-hosts.json" <<'JSON'
+{
+  "hosts": [
+    { "name": "Living Room PC", "addr": "192.168.1.42", "port": 9777,
+      "fp_hex": "9f8e7d6c5b4a39281706f5e4d3c2b1a0998877665544332211ffeeddccbbaa00",
+      "paired": true },
+    { "name": "Office", "addr": "192.168.1.50", "port": 9777,
+      "fp_hex": "a1b2c3d4e5f60718293a4b5c6d7e8f90112233445566778899aabbccddeeff00",
+      "paired": false }
+  ]
+}
+JSON
+
+# Software-rendered X session — no GPU/Wayland. GL/llvmpipe runs the real NGL renderer
+# (cairo is documented-incomplete for 3D-transformed content / libadwaita transitions).
+unset WAYLAND_DISPLAY
+export DISPLAY="$SHOT_DISPLAY"
+export GDK_BACKEND=x11
+export LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=1
+export GALLIUM_DRIVER="${GALLIUM_DRIVER:-llvmpipe}"
+export GSK_RENDERER="${GSK_RENDERER:-gl}"
+
+Xvfb "$SHOT_DISPLAY" -screen 0 "$GEOMETRY" -nolisten tcp >"$WORK/xvfb.log" 2>&1 &
+XVFB_PID=$!
+cleanup() {
+	kill "$XVFB_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
+	rm -rf "$WORK"
+}
+trap cleanup EXIT
+
+# Wait for the display to accept connections.
+for _ in $(seq 1 50); do
+	if command -v xdpyinfo >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+		xdpyinfo -display "$SHOT_DISPLAY" >/dev/null 2>&1 && break
+	else
+		[ -e "/tmp/.X11-unix/X${SHOT_DISPLAY#:}" ] && break
+	fi
+	sleep 0.1
+done
+
+capture() {
+	local out="$1"
+	if command -v import >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+		import -silent -window root "$out"
+	elif command -v scrot >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+		scrot -o "$out"
+	else
+		echo "no screenshot tool — install imagemagick or scrot" >&2
+		return 1
+	fi
+}
+
+mkdir -p "$OUT"
+rc=0
+for scene in "${SCENES[@]}"; do
+	: >"$WORK/log"
+	PUNKTFUNK_SHOT_SCENE="$scene" "$BIN" >"$WORK/log" 2>&1 &
+	pid=$!
+	ready=0
+	for _ in $(seq 1 200); do # up to ~20s
+		if grep -q "PF_SHOT_READY" "$WORK/log"; then
+			ready=1
+			break
+		fi
+		if ! kill -0 "$pid" 2>/dev/null; then break; fi
+		sleep 0.1
+	done
+	if [ "$ready" = 1 ]; then
+		sleep "$SETTLE"
+		if capture "$OUT/$scene.png"; then
+			echo "✓ $scene → $OUT/$scene.png"
+		else
+			rc=1
+		fi
+	else
+		echo "✗ $scene: client never signalled PF_SHOT_READY" >&2
+		sed 's/^/    /' "$WORK/log" >&2 || true
+		rc=1
+	fi
+	kill "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+	wait "$pid" 2>/dev/null || true
+done
+
+exit "$rc"

clients/probe/Cargo.toml

@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3", features = ["env-filter"] }
 # LAN host discovery (`--discover`): browse the native `_punktfunk._udp` mDNS service the host
 # advertises (same crate/version the host advertises with).
 mdns-sd = "0.20"
-
-# Linux-only: --mic-test's Opus encoder (libopus). The mic UPLINK itself is portable —
-# only this synthetic-tone test rig needs the encoder.
-[target.'cfg(target_os = "linux")'.dependencies]
+# Opus: multistream DECODE of the host's audio plane (the surround validator) + `--mic-test`'s
+# encoder. libopus is already in the graph via `punktfunk-core`'s quic feature; this exposes the
+# name directly. Cross-platform (cmake-vendored), so the probe builds + validates everywhere.
 opus = "0.3"

clients/probe/src/main.rs

@@ -78,6 +78,10 @@ struct Args {
     gamepad: GamepadPref,
     /// `--bitrate KBPS` — request this encoder bitrate (kilobits/s); 0 = host default.
     bitrate_kbps: u32,
+    /// `--audio-channels N` — request stereo (2), 5.1 (6) or 7.1 (8) audio; default 2. The probe
+    /// multistream-decodes the host's frames and asserts the per-channel sample count, so it's the
+    /// headless validator for the surround encode path.
+    audio_channels: u8,
     /// `--launch ID` — ask the host to launch a library title in this session (a store-qualified
     /// id from the host's `GET /api/v1/library`, e.g. `steam:570`). Host resolves it; `None` = none.
     launch: Option<String>,
@@ -201,6 +205,11 @@ fn parse_args() -> Args {
         compositor,
         gamepad,
         bitrate_kbps: get("--bitrate").and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(0),
+        audio_channels: punktfunk_core::audio::normalize_channels(
+            get("--audio-channels")
+                .and_then(|s| s.parse().ok())
+                .unwrap_or(2),
+        ),
         launch: get("--launch").map(str::to_string),
         speed_test: get("--speed-test").and_then(|s| {
             let (kbps, ms) = s.split_once(':')?;
@@ -385,13 +394,23 @@ async fn session(args: Args) -> Result<()> {
             // `--launch ID` — host resolves it against its own library and runs it this session.
             launch: args.launch.clone(),
             // This headless tool just dumps the bitstream (no decode), so it can always claim
-            // 10-bit support. Gated by env so latency runs stay on the 8-bit baseline:
-            // PUNKTFUNK_CLIENT_10BIT=1 advertises VIDEO_CAP_10BIT to exercise the host Main10 path.
-            video_caps: if std::env::var_os("PUNKTFUNK_CLIENT_10BIT").is_some() {
-                punktfunk_core::quic::VIDEO_CAP_10BIT
-            } else {
-                0
+            // 10-bit / 4:4:4 support. Gated by env so latency runs stay on the 8-bit 4:2:0 baseline:
+            // PUNKTFUNK_CLIENT_10BIT=1 advertises VIDEO_CAP_10BIT (host Main10 path);
+            // PUNKTFUNK_CLIENT_444=1 advertises VIDEO_CAP_444 (host HEVC 4:4:4 path) — verify the
+            // resulting chroma with `ffprobe` on the `--out` .h265.
+            video_caps: {
+                let mut caps = 0u8;
+                if std::env::var_os("PUNKTFUNK_CLIENT_10BIT").is_some() {
+                    caps |= punktfunk_core::quic::VIDEO_CAP_10BIT;
+                }
+                if std::env::var_os("PUNKTFUNK_CLIENT_444").is_some() {
+                    caps |= punktfunk_core::quic::VIDEO_CAP_444;
+                }
+                caps
             },
+            // `--audio-channels` (default stereo); the probe multistream-decodes + validates the
+            // host's frames to exercise the surround encode path headlessly.
+            audio_channels: args.audio_channels,
         }
         .encode(),
     )
@@ -408,6 +427,8 @@ async fn session(args: Args) -> Result<()> {
         bit_depth = welcome.bit_depth,
         color = ?welcome.color,
         hdr = welcome.color.is_hdr(),
+        chroma_444 = welcome.chroma_format == punktfunk_core::quic::CHROMA_IDC_444,
+        chroma_format_idc = welcome.chroma_format,
         "session offer"
     );
 
@@ -830,13 +851,37 @@ async fn session(args: Args) -> Result<()> {
             hidout_pkts.clone(),
         );
         let conn2 = conn.clone();
+        // Build a multistream decoder for the host-RESOLVED layout so the probe actually decodes
+        // the surround stream (not just counts bytes) — the headless validator for the encode path.
+        let audio_channels = welcome.audio_channels;
         tokio::spawn(async move {
             use std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed;
             let mut hdr_logged = false;
+            let layout = punktfunk_core::audio::layout_for(audio_channels, false);
+            let mut audio_dec =
+                opus::MSDecoder::new(48_000, layout.streams, layout.coupled, layout.mapping).ok();
+            let mut pcm = vec![0f32; 5760 * audio_channels as usize];
+            let mut audio_decoded_logged = false;
             while let Ok(d) = conn2.read_datagram().await {
                 if let Some((_, _, opus)) = punktfunk_core::quic::decode_audio_datagram(&d) {
                     a.fetch_add(1, Relaxed);
                     ab.fetch_add(opus.len() as u64, Relaxed);
+                    // Decode + validate: the per-channel sample count must be a legal Opus frame
+                    // size; log the first success so a loopback test can assert surround decoded.
+                    if let Some(dec) = audio_dec.as_mut() {
+                        match dec.decode_float(opus, &mut pcm, false) {
+                            Ok(samples) if !audio_decoded_logged => {
+                                audio_decoded_logged = true;
+                                tracing::info!(
+                                    channels = audio_channels,
+                                    samples_per_channel = samples,
+                                    "audio decoded (Opus multistream)"
+                                );
+                            }
+                            Ok(_) => {}
+                            Err(e) => tracing::debug!(error = %e, "probe audio decode"),
+                        }
+                    }
                 } else if punktfunk_core::quic::decode_rumble_datagram(&d).is_some() {
                     r.fetch_add(1, Relaxed);
                 } else if let Some(meta) = punktfunk_core::quic::decode_hdr_meta_datagram(&d) {

clients/windows/packaging/pack-msix.ps1

@@ -76,11 +76,29 @@ foreach ($f in $required) {
     Copy-Item $src (Join-Path $layout $f) -Force
 }
 
-# FFmpeg runtime DLLs (the exe link-imports the decode set; copy them all — small and correct)
+# FFmpeg runtime DLLs (the exe link-imports the decode set; copy them all — small and correct).
+# These are unmodified BtbN *lgpl-shared* builds, linked dynamically (replaceable DLLs) — FFmpeg is
+# used under the LGPL v2.1+; the license text + notice ship in licenses\ below.
 $ff = Get-ChildItem -Path $FfmpegBin -Filter *.dll -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
 if (-not $ff) { throw "no FFmpeg DLLs in $FfmpegBin" }
 $ff | ForEach-Object { Copy-Item $_.FullName (Join-Path $layout $_.Name) -Force }
 
+# license/attribution payload (MSIX has no installer EULA page, so ship them as files): FFmpeg's LGPL
+# notice + license text, the project's own MIT/Apache texts, and the generated third-party notices.
+$licDir = Join-Path $layout 'licenses'
+New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $licDir | Out-Null
+$repoRoot = (Resolve-Path (Join-Path $PSScriptRoot '..\..\..')).Path
+Copy-Item (Join-Path $repoRoot 'packaging\windows\licenses\FFmpeg-LGPL-NOTICE.txt') $licDir -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
+foreach ($n in @('THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt', 'LICENSE-MIT', 'LICENSE-APACHE')) {
+    $p = Join-Path $repoRoot $n
+    if (Test-Path $p) { Copy-Item $p $licDir -Force }
+}
+$ffRoot = Split-Path $FfmpegBin -Parent
+foreach ($lic in @('LICENSE.txt', 'LICENSE', 'COPYING.LGPLv2.1', 'COPYING.LGPLv3', 'COPYING.txt')) {
+    $p = Join-Path $ffRoot $lic
+    if (Test-Path $p) { Copy-Item $p $licDir -Force }
+}
+
 # tile/store assets
 Copy-Item (Join-Path $assets '*') (Join-Path $layout 'Assets') -Force
 

clients/windows/src/app.rs

@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ use crate::video::{DecodedFrame, DecoderPref};
 use punktfunk_core::client::NativeClient;
 use punktfunk_core::config::{CompositorPref, GamepadPref, Mode};
 use std::cell::RefCell;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+use std::time::Duration;
 use windows_reactor::*;
 
 const RESOLUTIONS: &[(u32, u32)] = &[
@@ -39,13 +41,31 @@ const DECODERS: &[(&str, &str)] = &[
 ];
 /// Bitrate presets in Mb/s; `0` = host default.
 const BITRATES_MBPS: &[u32] = &[0, 10, 20, 30, 50, 80, 150];
+/// Audio channel presets: `(channel count, display label)`. The host clamps to what it can
+/// capture; the resolved count drives the decoder + WASAPI render layout.
+const AUDIO_CHANNELS: &[(u8, &str)] = &[(2, "Stereo"), (6, "5.1 Surround"), (8, "7.1 Surround")];
+
+/// punktfunk's own license (MIT OR Apache-2.0), shown on the Licenses screen.
+const APP_LICENSE: &str = concat!(
+    include_str!("../../../LICENSE-MIT"),
+    "\n\n================================ Apache-2.0 ================================\n\n",
+    include_str!("../../../LICENSE-APACHE"),
+);
+/// Third-party software notices for the linked Rust crates (generated by
+/// scripts/gen-third-party-notices.sh; the MSIX also ships this under licenses/).
+const THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES: &str = include_str!("../../../THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt");
 
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq)]
 enum Screen {
     Hosts,
     Connecting,
+    /// The no-PIN "request access" wait: an identified connect is in flight, parked by the host
+    /// until the operator approves this device in its console. Cancelable.
+    RequestAccess,
     Stream,
     Settings,
+    /// Open-source / third-party license notices (reached from Settings).
+    Licenses,
     Pair,
 }
 
@@ -129,6 +149,11 @@ struct Shared {
     /// Latest stream stats, written by the session's event loop and mirrored into reactor state
     /// by the stream page's HUD poll thread to drive the overlay.
     stats: Mutex<Stats>,
+    /// Cancel flag for the in-flight "request access" connect. A FRESH flag is installed per
+    /// request: the waiting screen's Cancel button reads it back from here and sets it, and that
+    /// request's event loop (which captured the same `Arc` at spawn) then tears down silently when
+    /// the parked connect finally resolves. `None` outside a request-access flow.
+    cancel: Mutex<Option<Arc<AtomicBool>>>,
 }
 
 pub struct AppCtx {
@@ -373,8 +398,13 @@ fn root(cx: &mut RenderCx, ctx: &Arc<AppCtx>) -> Element {
             .vertical_alignment(VerticalAlignment::Center)
             .into()
         }
+        // request_access_page (like settings_page/Connecting) uses no hooks, so calling it inline
+        // is sound — it only wires a Cancel button to the shared cancel flag + navigation.
+        Screen::RequestAccess => request_access_page(ctx, &set_screen),
         // settings_page uses no hooks (it never touches `cx`), so calling it inline is sound.
         Screen::Settings => settings_page(ctx, &set_screen),
+        // licenses_page is a static text screen (no hooks), so inline is sound.
+        Screen::Licenses => licenses_page(&set_screen),
         Screen::Pair => component(pair_page, svc),
         Screen::Stream => component(stream_page, StreamProps { svc, stats }),
     }
@@ -566,12 +596,61 @@ fn initiate(
     }
 }
 
+/// Tunables that differ between the normal connect and the no-PIN "request access" flow.
+/// `Default` is the normal connect: short handshake budget, persist *unpaired* on TOFU, and the
+/// plain "Connecting" screen.
+struct ConnectOpts {
+    /// Handshake budget. Request-access uses a long one because the host PARKS the connection
+    /// until the operator clicks Approve in its console (see the host's `PENDING_APPROVAL_WAIT`).
+    connect_timeout: Duration,
+    /// Persist the host as *paired* on a successful connect. Set for request-access, where the
+    /// operator's approval IS the pairing, so future connects are silent (rule 1). Normal TOFU
+    /// persists the host *unpaired* (pinned, but not PIN/approval-verified).
+    persist_paired: bool,
+    /// Show the cancelable "waiting for approval" screen instead of "Connecting" (request-access).
+    awaiting_approval: bool,
+    /// Set by the waiting screen's Cancel button. `NativeClient::connect` is blocking with no
+    /// abort, so Cancel returns the UI immediately and leaves the parked connect to resolve/time
+    /// out; this request's event loop then sees the flag and tears down silently (drops the
+    /// connector → closes the connection) without touching a screen a new session may already own.
+    cancel: Option<Arc<AtomicBool>>,
+}
+
+impl Default for ConnectOpts {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        Self {
+            connect_timeout: Duration::from_secs(15),
+            persist_paired: false,
+            awaiting_approval: false,
+            cancel: None,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn connect(
     ctx: &Arc<AppCtx>,
     target: &Target,
     pin: Option<[u8; 32]>,
     set_screen: &AsyncSetState<Screen>,
     set_status: &AsyncSetState<String>,
+) {
+    connect_with(
+        ctx,
+        target,
+        pin,
+        set_screen,
+        set_status,
+        ConnectOpts::default(),
+    );
+}
+
+fn connect_with(
+    ctx: &Arc<AppCtx>,
+    target: &Target,
+    pin: Option<[u8; 32]>,
+    set_screen: &AsyncSetState<Screen>,
+    set_status: &AsyncSetState<String>,
+    opts: ConnectOpts,
 ) {
     let s = ctx.settings.lock().unwrap().clone();
     let mode = if s.width != 0 && s.refresh_hz != 0 {
@@ -598,34 +677,60 @@ fn connect(
         compositor: CompositorPref::Auto,
         gamepad: gamepad_pref,
         bitrate_kbps: s.bitrate_kbps,
+        audio_channels: s.audio_channels,
         mic_enabled: s.mic_enabled,
         hdr_enabled: s.hdr_enabled,
         decoder: DecoderPref::from_name(&s.decoder),
         pin,
         identity: ctx.identity.clone(),
+        connect_timeout: opts.connect_timeout,
     });
     set_status.call(String::new());
-    set_screen.call(Screen::Connecting);
+    set_screen.call(if opts.awaiting_approval {
+        Screen::RequestAccess
+    } else {
+        Screen::Connecting
+    });
 
     let tofu = pin.is_none();
+    let persist_paired = opts.persist_paired;
+    let cancel = opts.cancel;
     let (shared, gamepad) = (ctx.shared.clone(), ctx.gamepad.clone());
     let (ss, st) = (set_screen.clone(), set_status.clone());
     let target = target.clone();
     std::thread::spawn(move || loop {
-        match handle.events.recv_blocking() {
-            Ok(SessionEvent::Connected {
+        let event = match handle.events.recv_blocking() {
+            Ok(e) => e,
+            Err(_) => {
+                gamepad.detach();
+                ss.call(Screen::Hosts);
+                break;
+            }
+        };
+        // A cancelled request-access connect that resolved late (the host approved or the park
+        // timed out after the user walked away): tear down silently. Cancel already returned the
+        // UI to the host list; dropping `event` (and with it any connector) closes the connection
+        // without popping a stream or a stray error over the screen a new session may own.
+        if cancel.as_ref().is_some_and(|c| c.load(Ordering::SeqCst)) {
+            break;
+        }
+        match event {
+            SessionEvent::Connected {
                 connector,
                 fingerprint,
                 ..
-            }) => {
-                if tofu {
+            } => {
+                if persist_paired || tofu {
+                    // Request-access: the operator approved this device, so record the host as a
+                    // trusted PAIRED host — future connects are then silent (rule 1), exactly like
+                    // after a PIN ceremony. A plain TOFU connect persists it *unpaired* (pinned).
                     let mut k = KnownHosts::load();
                     k.upsert(KnownHost {
                         name: target.name.clone(),
                         addr: target.addr.clone(),
                         port: target.port,
                         fp_hex: trust::hex(&fingerprint),
-                        paired: false,
+                        paired: persist_paired,
                     });
                     let _ = k.save();
                 }
@@ -634,10 +739,10 @@ fn connect(
                 *shared.handoff.lock().unwrap() = Some((connector, handle.frames.clone()));
                 ss.call(Screen::Stream);
             }
-            Ok(SessionEvent::Failed {
+            SessionEvent::Failed {
                 msg,
                 trust_rejected,
-            }) => {
+            } => {
                 st.call(msg);
                 gamepad.detach();
                 if trust_rejected {
@@ -649,22 +754,100 @@ fn connect(
                 }
                 break;
             }
-            Ok(SessionEvent::Ended(err)) => {
+            SessionEvent::Ended(err) => {
                 st.call(err.unwrap_or_else(|| "Session ended".into()));
                 gamepad.detach();
                 ss.call(Screen::Hosts);
                 break;
             }
-            Ok(SessionEvent::Stats(s)) => *shared.stats.lock().unwrap() = s,
-            Err(_) => {
-                gamepad.detach();
-                ss.call(Screen::Hosts);
-                break;
-            }
+            SessionEvent::Stats(s) => *shared.stats.lock().unwrap() = s,
         }
     });
 }
 
+/// The no-PIN "request access" flow: open an identified connect that the host PARKS until the
+/// operator approves this device in its console (or web UI), showing a cancelable "waiting"
+/// screen meanwhile. On approval the SAME connection is admitted (no reconnect) and the host is
+/// saved as paired, so later connects are silent.
+fn request_access(
+    ctx: &Arc<AppCtx>,
+    target: &Target,
+    set_screen: &AsyncSetState<Screen>,
+    set_status: &AsyncSetState<String>,
+) {
+    // Pin the advertised certificate for a discovered host (defence against a host impostor while
+    // we wait); a manually-typed host has no advertised fingerprint, so trust-on-first-use.
+    let pin = target.fp_hex.as_deref().and_then(trust::parse_hex32);
+    // A fresh cancel flag per request, installed where the waiting screen's Cancel button can read
+    // it back; this request's event loop captures the same `Arc` (via ConnectOpts) below.
+    let cancel = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
+    *ctx.shared.cancel.lock().unwrap() = Some(cancel.clone());
+    connect_with(
+        ctx,
+        target,
+        pin,
+        set_screen,
+        set_status,
+        ConnectOpts {
+            // Must exceed the host's approval window (PENDING_APPROVAL_WAIT) so a slow operator
+            // approval still lands on this connection rather than timing the client out first.
+            connect_timeout: Duration::from_secs(185),
+            persist_paired: true,
+            awaiting_approval: true,
+            cancel: Some(cancel),
+        },
+    );
+}
+
+/// The cancelable "waiting for approval" screen (request-access flow): a spinner + guidance while
+/// the identified connect sits parked on the host, plus a Cancel that returns to the host list and
+/// trips the shared cancel flag so the parked connect tears down silently if it resolves after the
+/// user has walked away. Mirrors the inline `Connecting` screen; uses no hooks.
+fn request_access_page(ctx: &Arc<AppCtx>, set_screen: &AsyncSetState<Screen>) -> Element {
+    let target_name = ctx.shared.target.lock().unwrap().name.clone();
+    let headline = if target_name.is_empty() {
+        "Waiting for approval\u{2026}".to_string()
+    } else {
+        format!("Waiting for {target_name} to approve\u{2026}")
+    };
+    let cancel_btn = {
+        let (ctx, ss) = (ctx.clone(), set_screen.clone());
+        button("Cancel")
+            .icon(SymbolGlyph::Cancel)
+            .on_click(move || {
+                // Return the UI immediately; the parked connect is blocking with no abort, so trip
+                // the flag this request's event loop captured — it then tears down silently when
+                // the connect finally resolves (see ConnectOpts::cancel).
+                if let Some(c) = ctx.shared.cancel.lock().unwrap().as_ref() {
+                    c.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst);
+                }
+                ss.call(Screen::Hosts);
+            })
+            .horizontal_alignment(HorizontalAlignment::Center)
+    };
+    vstack((
+        ProgressRing::indeterminate()
+            .width(48.0)
+            .height(48.0)
+            .horizontal_alignment(HorizontalAlignment::Center),
+        text_block(headline)
+            .font_size(18.0)
+            .semibold()
+            .horizontal_alignment(HorizontalAlignment::Center),
+        text_block(
+            "Approve this device in the host's console or web UI \u{2014} it connects automatically \
+             once you approve it. No PIN needed.",
+        )
+        .foreground(ThemeRef::SecondaryText)
+        .horizontal_alignment(HorizontalAlignment::Center),
+        cancel_btn,
+    ))
+    .spacing(16.0)
+    .horizontal_alignment(HorizontalAlignment::Center)
+    .vertical_alignment(VerticalAlignment::Center)
+    .into()
+}
+
 fn pair_page(props: &Svc, cx: &mut RenderCx) -> Element {
     let ctx = &props.ctx;
     let set_screen = &props.set_screen;
@@ -724,6 +907,20 @@ fn pair_page(props: &Svc, cx: &mut RenderCx) -> Element {
             .icon(SymbolGlyph::Cancel)
             .on_click(move || ss.call(Screen::Hosts))
     };
+    // The no-PIN alternative offered alongside the PIN ceremony: open an identified connect that
+    // the host parks until the operator approves this device in its console (delegated approval).
+    let request_btn = {
+        let (ctx2, ss, st, target2) = (
+            ctx.clone(),
+            set_screen.clone(),
+            set_status.clone(),
+            target.clone(),
+        );
+        button("Request access without a PIN")
+            .icon(SymbolGlyph::Send)
+            .on_click(move || request_access(&ctx2, &target2, &ss, &st))
+            .horizontal_alignment(HorizontalAlignment::Stretch)
+    };
 
     let content = card(vstack((
         grid((
@@ -756,6 +953,13 @@ fn pair_page(props: &Svc, cx: &mut RenderCx) -> Element {
             .font_size(28.0)
             .on_changed(move |s| set_code.call(s)),
         hstack((pair_btn, cancel_btn)).spacing(8.0),
+        text_block(
+            "Don\u{2019}t have a PIN? Request access instead and approve this device on the host \
+             (its console or web UI) \u{2014} no PIN needed.",
+        )
+        .font_size(12.0)
+        .foreground(ThemeRef::SecondaryText),
+        request_btn,
     ))
     .spacing(16.0))
     .max_width(480.0)
@@ -886,6 +1090,23 @@ fn settings_page(ctx: &Arc<AppCtx>, set_screen: &AsyncSetState<Screen>) -> Eleme
                 s.save();
             })
     };
+    let ac_i = AUDIO_CHANNELS
+        .iter()
+        .position(|&(v, _)| v == s.audio_channels)
+        .unwrap_or(0) as i32;
+    let ac_names: Vec<String> = AUDIO_CHANNELS.iter().map(|&(_, l)| l.to_string()).collect();
+    let channels_combo = {
+        let ctx = ctx.clone();
+        ComboBox::new(ac_names)
+            .header("Audio channels")
+            .selected_index(ac_i)
+            .on_selection_changed(move |i: i32| {
+                let (v, _) = AUDIO_CHANNELS[(i.max(0) as usize).min(AUDIO_CHANNELS.len() - 1)];
+                let mut s = ctx.settings.lock().unwrap();
+                s.audio_channels = v;
+                s.save();
+            })
+    };
 
     let header = grid((
         text_block("Settings")
@@ -934,8 +1155,32 @@ fn settings_page(ctx: &Arc<AppCtx>, set_screen: &AsyncSetState<Screen>) -> Eleme
         .spacing(10.0),
     );
 
-    let audio_card =
-        card(vstack((text_block("Audio").font_size(15.0).semibold(), mic_toggle)).spacing(10.0));
+    let audio_card = card(
+        vstack((
+            text_block("Audio").font_size(15.0).semibold(),
+            text_block("Request stereo or surround — the host downmixes if its output has fewer.")
+                .font_size(12.0)
+                .foreground(ThemeRef::SecondaryText),
+            channels_combo,
+            mic_toggle,
+        ))
+        .spacing(10.0),
+    );
+
+    let licenses_button = {
+        let ss = set_screen.clone();
+        button("Third-party licenses").on_click(move || ss.call(Screen::Licenses))
+    };
+    let about_card = card(
+        vstack((
+            text_block("About").font_size(15.0).semibold(),
+            text_block("punktfunk is licensed under MIT OR Apache-2.0.")
+                .font_size(12.0)
+                .foreground(ThemeRef::SecondaryText),
+            licenses_button,
+        ))
+        .spacing(10.0),
+    );
 
     page(vec![
         header.into(),
@@ -945,6 +1190,77 @@ fn settings_page(ctx: &Arc<AppCtx>, set_screen: &AsyncSetState<Screen>) -> Eleme
         video_card.into(),
         section("AUDIO"),
         audio_card.into(),
+        section("ABOUT"),
+        about_card.into(),
+    ])
+}
+
+/// Static screen: the app's own license + the third-party software notices (reached from Settings).
+fn licenses_page(set_screen: &AsyncSetState<Screen>) -> Element {
+    let header = grid((
+        text_block("Third-party licenses")
+            .font_size(30.0)
+            .bold()
+            .grid_column(0)
+            .vertical_alignment(VerticalAlignment::Center),
+        button("Back")
+            .accent()
+            .icon(SymbolGlyph::Back)
+            .on_click({
+                let ss = set_screen.clone();
+                move || ss.call(Screen::Settings)
+            })
+            .grid_column(1)
+            .vertical_alignment(VerticalAlignment::Center),
+    ))
+    .columns([GridLength::Star(1.0), GridLength::Auto])
+    .margin(edges(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 6.0));
+
+    let app_card = card(
+        vstack((
+            text_block("punktfunk").font_size(15.0).semibold(),
+            text_block("Licensed under MIT OR Apache-2.0, at your option.")
+                .font_size(12.0)
+                .foreground(ThemeRef::SecondaryText),
+            text_block(APP_LICENSE)
+                .font_size(11.0)
+                .foreground(ThemeRef::SecondaryText),
+        ))
+        .spacing(8.0),
+    );
+
+    let natives_card = card(
+        vstack((
+            text_block("Bundled components").font_size(15.0).semibold(),
+            text_block(
+                "FFmpeg is bundled under the LGPL v2.1+ (dynamically linked, replaceable DLLs); its \
+                 license and notice ship in the installed licenses\\ folder. SDL 3 (Zlib) and the \
+                 Windows App SDK (Microsoft) are also linked.",
+            )
+            .font_size(12.0)
+            .foreground(ThemeRef::SecondaryText),
+        ))
+        .spacing(8.0),
+    );
+
+    let notices_card = card(
+        vstack((
+            text_block("Rust crates").font_size(15.0).semibold(),
+            text_block(THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES)
+                .font_size(11.0)
+                .foreground(ThemeRef::SecondaryText),
+        ))
+        .spacing(8.0),
+    );
+
+    page(vec![
+        header.into(),
+        section("PUNKTFUNK"),
+        app_card.into(),
+        section("BUNDLED"),
+        natives_card.into(),
+        section("OPEN SOURCE"),
+        notices_card.into(),
     ])
 }
 

clients/windows/src/audio.rs

@@ -21,9 +21,9 @@ use std::time::Duration;
 use wasapi::{DeviceEnumerator, Direction, SampleType, StreamMode, WaveFormat};
 
 const SAMPLE_RATE: usize = 48_000;
+/// The microphone uplink stays stereo (the host's virtual mic is stereo). The render path is
+/// multichannel — its channel count + block align are runtime, driven by the host-resolved layout.
 const CHANNELS: usize = 2;
-/// 48 kHz stereo f32: 2 channels * 4 bytes = 8 bytes per frame.
-const BLOCK_ALIGN: usize = CHANNELS * 4;
 /// Mic frames are 20 ms (960 samples/channel) — any size ≤ 120 ms is fine host-side.
 const MIC_FRAME: usize = 960;
 
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@ pub struct AudioPlayer {
 }
 
 impl AudioPlayer {
-    /// Spawn the WASAPI render thread. Failure (no render endpoint on this box) is
-    /// survivable — the caller streams video-only.
-    pub fn spawn() -> Result<AudioPlayer> {
+    /// Spawn the WASAPI render thread for `channels` (2/6/8, canonical wire order
+    /// FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR). Failure (no render endpoint on this box) is survivable — the
+    /// caller streams video-only.
+    pub fn spawn(channels: u8) -> Result<AudioPlayer> {
         // 64 × 5 ms = 320 ms of slack between the pump and the WASAPI loop.
         let (pcm_tx, pcm_rx) = std::sync::mpsc::sync_channel::<Vec<f32>>(64);
         let stop = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
@@ -45,14 +46,14 @@ impl AudioPlayer {
         let thread = std::thread::Builder::new()
             .name("punktfunk-audio".into())
             .spawn(move || {
-                if let Err(e) = render_thread(pcm_rx, stop_t, ready_tx) {
+                if let Err(e) = render_thread(pcm_rx, stop_t, ready_tx, channels) {
                     tracing::warn!(error = format!("{e:#}"), "audio playback thread ended");
                 }
             })
             .context("spawn audio thread")?;
         match ready_rx.recv_timeout(Duration::from_secs(3)) {
             Ok(Ok(())) => {
-                tracing::info!("WASAPI render: 48 kHz stereo f32 (default endpoint)");
+                tracing::info!(channels, "WASAPI render: 48 kHz f32 (default endpoint)");
                 Ok(AudioPlayer {
                     pcm_tx,
                     stop,
@@ -66,8 +67,8 @@ impl AudioPlayer {
         }
     }
 
-    /// Queue one interleaved-stereo f32 chunk. Drops the chunk if the WASAPI side is wedged
-    /// (the renderer conceals the gap; never block the session pump).
+    /// Queue one interleaved f32 chunk (in the session's channel layout). Drops the chunk if the
+    /// WASAPI side is wedged (the renderer conceals the gap; never block the session pump).
     pub fn push(&self, pcm: Vec<f32>) {
         if let Err(TrySendError::Disconnected(_)) = self.pcm_tx.try_send(pcm) {
             // Thread already dead — Drop will reap it; nothing to do per-chunk.
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ fn render_thread(
     pcm_rx: Receiver<Vec<f32>>,
     stop: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     ready: SyncSender<Result<()>>,
+    channels: u8,
 ) -> Result<()> {
     if let Err(e) = wasapi::initialize_mta()
         .ok()
@@ -97,12 +99,26 @@ fn render_thread(
         return Ok(());
     }
     let res = (|| -> Result<()> {
+        // F32LE interleaved: channels × 4 bytes/sample. Stereo (channels == 2) is byte-identical
+        // to the old fixed path (mask 0x3, block align 8).
+        let block_align = channels as usize * 4;
         let device = DeviceEnumerator::new()
             .context("DeviceEnumerator")?
             .get_default_device(&Direction::Render)
             .context("default render endpoint")?;
         let mut audio_client = device.get_iaudioclient().context("IAudioClient")?;
-        let desired = WaveFormat::new(32, 32, &SampleType::Float, SAMPLE_RATE, CHANNELS, None);
+        // The explicit dwChannelMask is the wire order (FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR); 5.1 = 0x3F,
+        // 7.1 = 0x63F. WASAPI delivers channels in ascending mask-bit order, which equals the wire
+        // order, so the render mapping is the identity — no permute. `autoconvert` (below) lets the
+        // audio engine downmix when the endpoint has fewer speakers.
+        let desired = WaveFormat::new(
+            32,
+            32,
+            &SampleType::Float,
+            SAMPLE_RATE,
+            channels as usize,
+            Some(punktfunk_core::audio::wasapi_channel_mask(channels)),
+        );
         let (default_period, _min_period) =
             audio_client.get_device_period().context("device period")?;
         let mode = StreamMode::EventsShared {
@@ -139,10 +155,10 @@ fn render_thread(
             if avail_frames == 0 {
                 continue;
             }
-            let want_bytes = avail_frames * BLOCK_ALIGN;
+            let want_bytes = avail_frames * block_align;
 
             // Prime to ~3 quanta; cap at ~1 quantum of slack beyond that; re-prime on drain.
-            let target = (3 * want_bytes).clamp(720 * BLOCK_ALIGN, 9600 * BLOCK_ALIGN);
+            let target = (3 * want_bytes).clamp(720 * block_align, 9600 * block_align);
             while ring.len() > target.max(want_bytes) + want_bytes {
                 ring.pop_front();
             }

clients/windows/src/main.rs

@@ -177,11 +177,16 @@ fn run_headless_cli(args: &[String], identity: (String, String)) {
         compositor: CompositorPref::Auto,
         gamepad: GamepadPref::Auto,
         bitrate_kbps,
+        // Headless CLI path (test/scripting) — stereo baseline; the GUI sources this from settings.
+        audio_channels: 2,
         mic_enabled: flag("--mic"),
         hdr_enabled: !flag("--no-hdr"),
         decoder,
         pin,
         identity,
+        // Headless CLI uses the normal (short) handshake budget; the long request-access wait is a
+        // GUI-only flow.
+        connect_timeout: Duration::from_secs(15),
     });
 
     let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(60);

clients/windows/src/session.rs

@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ pub struct SessionParams {
     pub compositor: CompositorPref,
     pub gamepad: GamepadPref,
     pub bitrate_kbps: u32,
+    /// Requested audio channel count (2/6/8); the host echoes the resolved value.
+    pub audio_channels: u8,
     /// Stream the default microphone to the host's virtual mic source.
     pub mic_enabled: bool,
     /// Advertise 10-bit + HDR10 so the host may upgrade HDR content to a Main10/PQ stream.
@@ -32,6 +34,11 @@ pub struct SessionParams {
     /// Pinned host fingerprint; `None` = trust on first use (caller persists the observed one).
     pub pin: Option<[u8; 32]>,
     pub identity: (String, String),
+    /// How long to wait for the handshake. The normal path uses a short budget; the
+    /// "request access" (delegated-approval) path uses a long one, because the host PARKS the
+    /// connection until the operator clicks Approve in its console (so this must exceed the
+    /// host's approval window — see `PENDING_APPROVAL_WAIT`).
+    pub connect_timeout: Duration,
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, Default, PartialEq)]
@@ -94,6 +101,42 @@ fn now_ns() -> u64 {
         .unwrap_or(0)
 }
 
+/// Opus decoder for the audio plane: a plain stereo decoder (the validated path) or a multistream
+/// decoder for 5.1/7.1, both behind one `decode_float`. Built from the host-RESOLVED channel count
+/// via the shared layout table.
+enum AudioDec {
+    Stereo(opus::Decoder),
+    Surround(opus::MSDecoder),
+}
+
+impl AudioDec {
+    fn new(channels: u8) -> Result<AudioDec, opus::Error> {
+        if channels == 2 {
+            Ok(AudioDec::Stereo(opus::Decoder::new(
+                48_000,
+                opus::Channels::Stereo,
+            )?))
+        } else {
+            let l = punktfunk_core::audio::layout_for(channels, false);
+            Ok(AudioDec::Surround(opus::MSDecoder::new(
+                48_000, l.streams, l.coupled, l.mapping,
+            )?))
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn decode_float(
+        &mut self,
+        input: &[u8],
+        out: &mut [f32],
+        fec: bool,
+    ) -> Result<usize, opus::Error> {
+        match self {
+            AudioDec::Stereo(d) => d.decode_float(input, out, fec),
+            AudioDec::Surround(d) => d.decode_float(input, out, fec),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn pump(
     params: SessionParams,
     ev_tx: async_channel::Sender<SessionEvent>,
@@ -122,10 +165,11 @@ fn pump(
             }
             0
         },
+        params.audio_channels,
         None, // launch: the Windows client has no library picker yet
         params.pin,
         Some(params.identity),
-        Duration::from_secs(15),
+        params.connect_timeout,
     ) {
         Ok(c) => Arc::new(c),
         Err(e) => {
@@ -161,11 +205,14 @@ fn pump(
     let mut hardware = decoder.is_hardware();
     let mut hdr = false;
     // Audio is best-effort: a session without it still streams. Gamepads are the
-    // app-lifetime service's job (the UI attaches it on Connected).
-    let player = audio::AudioPlayer::spawn()
+    // app-lifetime service's job (the UI attaches it on Connected). Build the decoder + playback
+    // from the host-RESOLVED channel count (never the request), so an older/clamping host that
+    // resolves stereo is decoded as stereo.
+    let channels = connector.audio_channels;
+    let player = audio::AudioPlayer::spawn(channels)
         .map_err(|e| tracing::warn!(error = %e, "audio disabled"))
         .ok();
-    let mut opus_dec = opus::Decoder::new(48_000, opus::Channels::Stereo)
+    let mut opus_dec = AudioDec::new(channels)
         .map_err(|e| tracing::warn!(error = %e, "opus decoder failed — audio disabled"))
         .ok();
     let _mic = params
@@ -184,8 +231,8 @@ fn pump(
     let mut bytes_n = 0u64;
     let mut decode_us_sum = 0u64;
     let mut lat_us: Vec<u64> = Vec::with_capacity(256);
-    let mut pcm = vec![0f32; 5760 * 2]; // decode scratch: max Opus frame (120 ms stereo)
-                                        // Loss recovery: watch the host→client unrecoverable-drop count and ask for an IDR when it climbs.
+    let mut pcm = vec![0f32; 5760 * channels as usize]; // scratch: max Opus frame (120 ms) × channels
+                                                        // Loss recovery: watch the host→client unrecoverable-drop count and ask for an IDR when it climbs.
     let mut last_dropped = connector.frames_dropped();
     let mut last_kf_req: Option<Instant> = None;
 
@@ -253,7 +300,8 @@ fn pump(
         while let Ok(pkt) = connector.next_audio(Duration::ZERO) {
             if let (Some(player), Some(dec)) = (&player, opus_dec.as_mut()) {
                 match dec.decode_float(&pkt.data, &mut pcm, false) {
-                    Ok(samples) => player.push(pcm[..samples * 2].to_vec()),
+                    // `samples` is per-channel; the interleaved frame is `samples * channels`.
+                    Ok(samples) => player.push(pcm[..samples * channels as usize].to_vec()),
                     Err(e) => tracing::debug!(error = %e, "opus decode"),
                 }
             }

clients/windows/src/trust.rs

@@ -130,6 +130,9 @@ pub struct Settings {
     pub inhibit_shortcuts: bool,
     /// Stream the default microphone to the host's virtual mic source.
     pub mic_enabled: bool,
+    /// Requested audio channel count: 2 (stereo), 6 (5.1) or 8 (7.1). The host clamps to what it
+    /// can capture; the resolved count drives the decoder + WASAPI render layout.
+    pub audio_channels: u8,
     /// Advertise 10-bit + HDR10 so the host upgrades HDR content to a Main10/PQ stream (the client
     /// presents it on a 10-bit ST.2084 swapchain). No effect on SDR content.
     pub hdr_enabled: bool,
@@ -148,6 +151,7 @@ impl Default for Settings {
             compositor: "auto".into(),
             inhibit_shortcuts: true,
             mic_enabled: false,
+            audio_channels: 2,
             hdr_enabled: true,
             decoder: "auto".into(),
         }

crates/pf-driver-proto/src/lib.rs

@@ -276,7 +276,7 @@ pub mod frame {
 /// These were hand-duplicated as `OFF_*`/`SHM_*` constants in `inject/{gamepad,dualsense}_windows.rs`
 /// and (as bare literals — `*view.add(140)`) in the standalone `xusb-driver`/`dualsense-driver`
 /// workspaces, guarded only by "must match" comments — the top ABI-drift hazard the audit flagged
-/// (`docs/windows-host-rewrite.md` §2.7). Owning them here with `Pod` derives + `offset_of!`
+/// (`design/windows-host-rewrite.md` §2.7). Owning them here with `Pod` derives + `offset_of!`
 /// asserts makes a one-sided edit a compile error.
 ///
 /// The host creates the section (privileged, permissive DACL so the restricted WUDFHost token can

crates/punktfunk-core/Cargo.toml

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ crate-type = ["lib", "cdylib", "staticlib"]
 default = []
 # Control-plane QUIC (pairing, config, reverse audio). tokio is permitted ONLY here,
 # never on the per-frame hot path. Off by default so the core stays runtime-free.
-quic = ["dep:quinn", "dep:tokio", "dep:rustls", "dep:rcgen", "dep:rustls-pki-types", "dep:sha2", "dep:hmac", "dep:spake2"]
+quic = ["dep:quinn", "dep:tokio", "dep:rustls", "dep:rcgen", "dep:rustls-pki-types", "dep:sha2", "dep:hmac", "dep:spake2", "dep:opus"]
 
 [dependencies]
 reed-solomon-simd = "3.1"      # GF(2^16) Leopard-RS, SIMD, O(n log n) — the wall-breaker (P2)
@@ -51,6 +51,12 @@ sha2 = { version = "0.10", optional = true }
 hmac = { version = "0.12", optional = true }
 spake2 = { version = "0.4", optional = true }
 tokio = { version = "1", optional = true, features = ["rt-multi-thread", "net", "sync", "macros"] }
+# In-core Opus (multistream) DECODE for the C-ABI `punktfunk_connection_next_audio_pcm` path —
+# used by embedders without a multistream-capable Opus decoder (Apple's AudioToolbox is
+# stereo-only). The Rust clients link `opus` themselves and decode the raw `next_audio` frames,
+# so this only matters when the connection API (quic) is built. Same libopus the host vendors;
+# cargo unifies the build. Multistream API: `opus::MSDecoder` (lib.rs:1187).
+opus = { version = "0.3", optional = true }
 
 # `libc` for batched UDP syscalls: `sendmmsg`/`recvmmsg` on Linux (the 1 Gbps+ lever) and the
 # `recv(MSG_DONTWAIT)` drain on the other unix (Apple/BSD) targets, which have no `recvmmsg`

crates/punktfunk-core/src/abi.rs

@@ -467,6 +467,23 @@ pub struct PunktfunkConnection {
     last: std::sync::Mutex<Option<crate::session::Frame>>,
     /// Same, for `punktfunk_connection_next_audio` (independent of the video slot).
     last_audio: std::sync::Mutex<Option<crate::client::AudioPacket>>,
+    /// Decode-in-core state for `punktfunk_connection_next_audio_pcm` (Apple / any embedder
+    /// without a multistream Opus decoder). The decoder is built lazily from the negotiated
+    /// `inner.audio_channels`; `pcm` is a fixed-capacity reusable buffer the returned pointer
+    /// borrows until the next PCM call (same contract as `last_audio`).
+    audio_pcm: std::sync::Mutex<AudioPcmState>,
+}
+
+/// Lazily-initialized in-core Opus decode state. A coupled-1-stream multistream decoder is
+/// equivalent to a plain stereo decoder, so one [`opus::MSDecoder`] handles 2/6/8 channels.
+#[cfg(feature = "quic")]
+#[derive(Default)]
+struct AudioPcmState {
+    decoder: Option<opus::MSDecoder>,
+    /// Interleaved f32 PCM, wire channel order. Pre-sized to the largest legal Opus frame
+    /// (120 ms @ 48 kHz = 5760 samples/ch) × 8 channels so decode never reallocates (which would
+    /// dangle the pointer handed to the embedder).
+    pcm: Vec<f32>,
 }
 
 /// `PunktfunkHidOutput::kind` — lightbar RGB (`r`/`g`/`b` valid).
@@ -708,12 +725,18 @@ pub const PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_CAP_10BIT: u8 = 0x01;
 /// Video-capability bit for [`punktfunk_connect_ex5`] (`video_caps`): the client can present
 /// BT.2020 PQ HDR10 (implies 10-bit). (Mirrors `quic::VIDEO_CAP_HDR`.)
 pub const PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_CAP_HDR: u8 = 0x02;
+/// Video-capability bit for [`punktfunk_connect_ex5`] (`video_caps`): the client can decode a
+/// full-chroma 4:4:4 HEVC stream (Range Extensions). The host emits 4:4:4 only when this is set,
+/// the host opted in, the codec is HEVC, and the GPU supports it — else the stream stays 4:2:0 and
+/// [`punktfunk_connection_chroma_format`] reports the real value. (Mirrors `quic::VIDEO_CAP_444`.)
+pub const PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_CAP_444: u8 = 0x04;
 
 // Keep the ABI cap bits in lockstep with the wire constants (compile-time guard against drift).
 #[cfg(feature = "quic")]
 const _: () = {
     assert!(PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_CAP_10BIT == crate::quic::VIDEO_CAP_10BIT);
     assert!(PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_CAP_HDR == crate::quic::VIDEO_CAP_HDR);
+    assert!(PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_CAP_444 == crate::quic::VIDEO_CAP_444);
 };
 
 // Keep the ABI gamepad constants in lockstep with the wire enum (compile-time guard against drift).
@@ -980,6 +1003,58 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn punktfunk_connect_ex5(
     client_cert_pem: *const std::os::raw::c_char,
     client_key_pem: *const std::os::raw::c_char,
     timeout_ms: u32,
+) -> *mut PunktfunkConnection {
+    // Delegate to the surround-aware variant requesting stereo (the pre-surround behaviour).
+    unsafe {
+        punktfunk_connect_ex6(
+            host,
+            port,
+            width,
+            height,
+            refresh_hz,
+            compositor,
+            gamepad,
+            bitrate_kbps,
+            video_caps,
+            2, // audio_channels = stereo
+            launch_id,
+            pin_sha256,
+            observed_sha256_out,
+            client_cert_pem,
+            client_key_pem,
+            timeout_ms,
+        )
+    }
+}
+
+/// Like [`punktfunk_connect_ex5`], but additionally requests the audio channel count:
+/// `2` (stereo, the default behaviour of every earlier variant), `6` (5.1) or `8` (7.1). The host
+/// clamps the request to what it can actually capture and echoes the resolved count via
+/// [`punktfunk_connection_audio_channels`]; the `0xC9` audio frames are Opus-(multi)stream encoded
+/// for that layout. A client that wants surround calls this; everything else inherits stereo.
+///
+/// # Safety
+/// Same as [`punktfunk_connect`].
+#[cfg(feature = "quic")]
+#[no_mangle]
+#[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn punktfunk_connect_ex6(
+    host: *const std::os::raw::c_char,
+    port: u16,
+    width: u32,
+    height: u32,
+    refresh_hz: u32,
+    compositor: u32,
+    gamepad: u32,
+    bitrate_kbps: u32,
+    video_caps: u8,
+    audio_channels: u8,
+    launch_id: *const std::os::raw::c_char,
+    pin_sha256: *const u8,
+    observed_sha256_out: *mut u8,
+    client_cert_pem: *const std::os::raw::c_char,
+    client_key_pem: *const std::os::raw::c_char,
+    timeout_ms: u32,
 ) -> *mut PunktfunkConnection {
     let r = std::panic::catch_unwind(AssertUnwindSafe(|| {
         if host.is_null() {
@@ -1029,6 +1104,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn punktfunk_connect_ex5(
             gamepad,
             bitrate_kbps,
             video_caps,
+            crate::audio::normalize_channels(audio_channels),
             launch,
             pin,
             identity,
@@ -1045,6 +1121,7 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn punktfunk_connect_ex5(
                     inner: c,
                     last: std::sync::Mutex::new(None),
                     last_audio: std::sync::Mutex::new(None),
+                    audio_pcm: std::sync::Mutex::new(AudioPcmState::default()),
                 }))
             }
             Err(_) => std::ptr::null_mut(),
@@ -1250,6 +1327,121 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn punktfunk_connection_next_audio(
     })
 }
 
+/// Read the audio channel count the host resolved for this session (from its Welcome): `2`
+/// (stereo), `6` (5.1) or `8` (7.1). `*out` is filled when non-NULL. The `0xC9` Opus frames are
+/// (multistream-)encoded for this layout; an embedder decoding raw frames itself must build its
+/// decoder from THIS value (see [`crate::audio::layout_for`]) — or use
+/// [`punktfunk_connection_next_audio_pcm`], which decodes in-core. Available immediately after a
+/// successful connect (it doesn't change without a reconfigure).
+///
+/// # Safety
+/// `c` is a valid connection handle; `out` is NULL or writable for one `u8`.
+#[cfg(feature = "quic")]
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn punktfunk_connection_audio_channels(
+    c: *mut PunktfunkConnection,
+    out: *mut u8,
+) -> PunktfunkStatus {
+    guard(|| {
+        let c = match unsafe { c.as_ref() } {
+            Some(c) => c,
+            None => return PunktfunkStatus::NullPointer,
+        };
+        if !out.is_null() {
+            // SAFETY: `out` is non-null and the caller guarantees it is writable for one `u8`.
+            unsafe { *out = c.inner.audio_channels };
+        }
+        PunktfunkStatus::Ok
+    })
+}
+
+/// One decoded audio frame from [`punktfunk_connection_next_audio_pcm`]: interleaved 32-bit
+/// float PCM at 48 kHz, in the canonical wire channel order `FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR` (the
+/// first `channels` of it). `samples` points at `frame_count * channels` floats and borrows
+/// connection memory **until the next PCM call** on this handle.
+#[cfg(feature = "quic")]
+#[repr(C)]
+pub struct PunktfunkAudioPcm {
+    /// Interleaved f32 samples (wire channel order), `frame_count * channels` long.
+    pub samples: *const f32,
+    /// Samples per channel in this frame.
+    pub frame_count: u32,
+    /// Channel count (2/6/8) — the negotiated [`punktfunk_connection_audio_channels`].
+    pub channels: u8,
+    /// Source packet sequence number.
+    pub seq: u32,
+    /// Capture presentation timestamp (ns).
+    pub pts_ns: u64,
+}
+
+/// Pull the next audio frame and **decode it in-core** to interleaved f32 PCM — for embedders
+/// without a multistream-capable Opus decoder (e.g. Apple, whose AudioToolbox Opus path is
+/// stereo-only). The decoder is built once from the negotiated channel count and handles 2/6/8
+/// channels (a 1-coupled-stream multistream decoder is exactly a stereo decoder). Same
+/// timeout/closed semantics as [`punktfunk_connection_next_audio`]; `out->samples` borrows
+/// connection memory until the next PCM call on this handle. Use EITHER this or
+/// [`punktfunk_connection_next_audio`] on a given connection, from one dedicated audio thread —
+/// not both (they share the underlying queue).
+///
+/// # Safety
+/// `c` is a valid connection handle; `out` is writable. At most one thread pulls audio.
+#[cfg(feature = "quic")]
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn punktfunk_connection_next_audio_pcm(
+    c: *mut PunktfunkConnection,
+    out: *mut PunktfunkAudioPcm,
+    timeout_ms: u32,
+) -> PunktfunkStatus {
+    guard(|| {
+        let c = match unsafe { c.as_ref() } {
+            Some(c) => c,
+            None => return PunktfunkStatus::NullPointer,
+        };
+        if out.is_null() {
+            return PunktfunkStatus::NullPointer;
+        }
+        let channels = crate::audio::normalize_channels(c.inner.audio_channels);
+        let pkt = match c
+            .inner
+            .next_audio(std::time::Duration::from_millis(timeout_ms as u64))
+        {
+            Ok(pkt) => pkt,
+            Err(e) => return e.status(),
+        };
+        let mut state = c.audio_pcm.lock().unwrap();
+        if state.decoder.is_none() {
+            let layout = crate::audio::layout_for(channels, false);
+            match opus::MSDecoder::new(48_000, layout.streams, layout.coupled, layout.mapping) {
+                Ok(d) => {
+                    // Largest legal Opus frame is 120 ms = 5760 samples/ch.
+                    state.pcm = vec![0f32; 5760 * channels as usize];
+                    state.decoder = Some(d);
+                }
+                Err(_) => return PunktfunkStatus::Unsupported,
+            }
+        }
+        let AudioPcmState { decoder, pcm } = &mut *state;
+        let dec = decoder.as_mut().unwrap();
+        // `decode_float` divides the output buffer length by the channel count to get the
+        // per-channel capacity; an empty payload requests packet-loss concealment.
+        match dec.decode_float(&pkt.data, pcm, false) {
+            Ok(frame_count) => {
+                unsafe {
+                    *out = PunktfunkAudioPcm {
+                        samples: pcm.as_ptr(),
+                        frame_count: frame_count as u32,
+                        channels,
+                        seq: pkt.seq,
+                        pts_ns: pkt.pts_ns,
+                    };
+                }
+                PunktfunkStatus::Ok
+            }
+            Err(_) => PunktfunkStatus::BadPacket,
+        }
+    })
+}
+
 /// Pull the next rumble (force-feedback) update, waiting up to `timeout_ms`. Amplitudes
 /// are 0..0xFFFF (`low` = low-frequency motor, `high` = high-frequency), `(0, 0)` = stop.
 /// Same timeout/closed semantics as [`punktfunk_connection_next_audio`].
@@ -1414,6 +1606,33 @@ pub unsafe extern "C" fn punktfunk_connection_color_info(
     })
 }
 
+/// Read the session's resolved chroma subsampling (from the host's Welcome) as the HEVC
+/// `chroma_format_idc`: `1` = 4:2:0 (the default every pre-4:4:4 host produced), `3` = full-chroma
+/// 4:4:4. `*out` is filled when non-NULL. The in-band SPS is authoritative; this lets the embedder
+/// pre-size its decoder / pick a 4:4:4 pixel format up front. Available immediately after a
+/// successful connect (it doesn't change without a reconfigure).
+///
+/// # Safety
+/// `c` is a valid connection handle; `out` is NULL or writable for one `u8`.
+#[cfg(feature = "quic")]
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn punktfunk_connection_chroma_format(
+    c: *mut PunktfunkConnection,
+    out: *mut u8,
+) -> PunktfunkStatus {
+    guard(|| {
+        let c = match unsafe { c.as_ref() } {
+            Some(c) => c,
+            None => return PunktfunkStatus::NullPointer,
+        };
+        if !out.is_null() {
+            // SAFETY: `out` is non-null and the caller guarantees it is writable for one `u8`.
+            unsafe { *out = c.inner.chroma_format };
+        }
+        PunktfunkStatus::Ok
+    })
+}
+
 /// Send one input event to the host as a QUIC datagram (non-blocking enqueue).
 ///
 /// # Safety

crates/punktfunk-core/src/audio.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,298 @@
+//! Shared audio layout: the single source of truth for Opus (multi)stream surround across the
+//! host, the GameStream compatibility path, and every client decoder.
+//!
+//! **Canonical wire channel order** is `FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR` (the GameStream/Moonlight
+//! order, and the PipeWire/PulseAudio default map for 6/8 channels). Every host capturer
+//! delivers PCM in this order and every client decodes into it, so the Opus multistream
+//! `mapping` is the **identity** (`[0, 1, …, channels-1]`) on both ends — punktfunk owns the
+//! encoder and every decoder, so the GFE-style pre-rotation Moonlight needs over SDP
+//! (`gamestream::audio::surround_params`) is a GameStream-only concern and never touches the
+//! native `punktfunk/1` path.
+//!
+//! Channel counts the protocol negotiates: `2` (stereo), `6` (5.1) and `8` (7.1). Anything
+//! else clamps to stereo ([`normalize_channels`]).
+
+/// Canonical wire channel positions; the index is the channel's slot in the interleaved PCM
+/// frame. A count of N uses positions `0..N` (always a prefix of this 8-channel order).
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+#[repr(u8)]
+pub enum WirePos {
+    FrontLeft = 0,
+    FrontRight = 1,
+    FrontCenter = 2,
+    Lfe = 3,
+    RearLeft = 4,
+    RearRight = 5,
+    SideLeft = 6,
+    SideRight = 7,
+}
+
+/// The full 8-channel wire order; the N-channel order is its first N entries.
+pub const WIRE_ORDER_8: [WirePos; 8] = {
+    use WirePos::*;
+    [
+        FrontLeft,
+        FrontRight,
+        FrontCenter,
+        Lfe,
+        RearLeft,
+        RearRight,
+        SideLeft,
+        SideRight,
+    ]
+};
+
+/// One Opus (multi)stream layout. `mapping` is the libopus multistream mapping we encode AND
+/// decode with — identity, since punktfunk owns both ends. `streams`/`coupled` give the
+/// normal-quality coupling (FL,FR)+(FC,LFE) [+(RL,RR) on 7.1] with the remaining channels as
+/// mono streams; high quality is one mono stream per channel. Bitrates match Sunshine's
+/// per-config values (stereo keeps punktfunk's live-validated 128 kbps).
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub struct OpusLayout {
+    /// Interleaved channel count (2, 6 or 8).
+    pub channels: u8,
+    /// Number of Opus streams in the multistream packet.
+    pub streams: u8,
+    /// How many of those streams are coupled (stereo) pairs.
+    pub coupled: u8,
+    /// libopus multistream channel mapping — identity `[0, 1, …, channels-1]`.
+    pub mapping: &'static [u8],
+    /// Target Opus bitrate in bits/sec (hard CBR; constant packet size, which GameStream's
+    /// audio FEC relies on).
+    pub bitrate: i32,
+}
+
+/// Stereo: a plain coupled pair. The 128 kbps live-validated config.
+pub const LAYOUT_STEREO: OpusLayout = OpusLayout {
+    channels: 2,
+    streams: 1,
+    coupled: 1,
+    mapping: &[0, 1],
+    bitrate: 128_000,
+};
+/// 5.1 normal quality: (FL,FR)+(FC,LFE) coupled, RL+RR mono.
+pub const LAYOUT_51: OpusLayout = OpusLayout {
+    channels: 6,
+    streams: 4,
+    coupled: 2,
+    mapping: &[0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5],
+    bitrate: 256_000,
+};
+/// 5.1 high quality: one mono stream per channel.
+pub const LAYOUT_51_HQ: OpusLayout = OpusLayout {
+    channels: 6,
+    streams: 6,
+    coupled: 0,
+    mapping: &[0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5],
+    bitrate: 1_536_000,
+};
+/// 7.1 normal quality: (FL,FR)+(FC,LFE)+(RL,RR) coupled, SL+SR mono.
+pub const LAYOUT_71: OpusLayout = OpusLayout {
+    channels: 8,
+    streams: 5,
+    coupled: 3,
+    mapping: &[0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7],
+    bitrate: 450_000,
+};
+/// 7.1 high quality: one mono stream per channel.
+pub const LAYOUT_71_HQ: OpusLayout = OpusLayout {
+    channels: 8,
+    streams: 8,
+    coupled: 0,
+    mapping: &[0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7],
+    bitrate: 2_048_000,
+};
+
+/// Pick the layout for a negotiated channel count. Unknown counts fall back to stereo (clients
+/// only ever request 2/6/8). `high_quality` selects the uncoupled high-bitrate config.
+pub fn layout_for(channels: u8, high_quality: bool) -> &'static OpusLayout {
+    match (channels, high_quality) {
+        (6, false) => &LAYOUT_51,
+        (6, true) => &LAYOUT_51_HQ,
+        (8, false) => &LAYOUT_71,
+        (8, true) => &LAYOUT_71_HQ,
+        _ => &LAYOUT_STEREO,
+    }
+}
+
+/// Clamp an arbitrary (wire / requested) channel count to one the protocol negotiates. `0`,
+/// absent, or any unsupported value becomes stereo.
+pub fn normalize_channels(requested: u8) -> u8 {
+    match requested {
+        6 => 6,
+        8 => 8,
+        _ => 2,
+    }
+}
+
+// ---- per-platform channel-layout helpers (pure data; no platform deps) --------------------
+
+/// Windows `WAVEFORMATEXTENSIBLE.dwChannelMask` for the wire layout.
+///
+/// NB 7.1 == `0x63F` (FL FR FC LFE **BL BR SL SR**), NOT `0xFF` — `0xFF` selects the
+/// front-of-center pair FLC/FRC, the wrong speakers. WASAPI delivers channels in ascending
+/// mask-bit order, which equals the wire order, so the decoded PCM needs no permutation.
+pub const fn wasapi_channel_mask(channels: u8) -> u32 {
+    const FL: u32 = 0x1;
+    const FR: u32 = 0x2;
+    const FC: u32 = 0x4;
+    const LFE: u32 = 0x8;
+    const BL: u32 = 0x10; // back left  (wire RL)
+    const BR: u32 = 0x20; // back right (wire RR)
+    const SL: u32 = 0x200; // side left
+    const SR: u32 = 0x400; // side right
+    match channels {
+        6 => FL | FR | FC | LFE | BL | BR,           // 0x3F
+        8 => FL | FR | FC | LFE | BL | BR | SL | SR, // 0x63F
+        _ => FL | FR,                                // 0x3 (stereo)
+    }
+}
+
+/// PipeWire / SPA `enum spa_audio_channel` positions in wire order — identical to the host
+/// capture side (`punktfunk-host` `audio::linux::spa_positions`): FL=3 FR=4 FC=5 LFE=6 SL=7
+/// SR=8 RL=12 RR=13. Identity routing: the client sets these on its playback node so PipeWire
+/// maps each wire slot to the matching speaker (and downmixes when the sink has fewer).
+pub fn spa_positions(channels: u8) -> &'static [u32] {
+    const STEREO: [u32; 2] = [3, 4]; // FL FR
+    const C51: [u32; 6] = [3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13]; // FL FR FC LFE RL RR
+    const C71: [u32; 8] = [3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 7, 8]; // FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR
+    match channels {
+        6 => &C51,
+        8 => &C71,
+        _ => &STEREO,
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn layout_table_is_consistent() {
+        for l in [
+            &LAYOUT_STEREO,
+            &LAYOUT_51,
+            &LAYOUT_51_HQ,
+            &LAYOUT_71,
+            &LAYOUT_71_HQ,
+        ] {
+            // Mapping is identity and exactly `channels` entries long.
+            assert_eq!(l.mapping.len(), l.channels as usize);
+            for (i, &m) in l.mapping.iter().enumerate() {
+                assert_eq!(m as usize, i, "mapping must be identity for {l:?}");
+            }
+            // libopus invariant: total channels == coupled*2 + (streams - coupled).
+            assert_eq!(
+                l.coupled * 2 + (l.streams - l.coupled),
+                l.channels,
+                "stream/coupled accounting for {l:?}"
+            );
+            assert!(l.coupled <= l.streams);
+            assert!(l.bitrate > 0);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn layout_for_picks_expected() {
+        assert_eq!(layout_for(2, false), &LAYOUT_STEREO);
+        assert_eq!(layout_for(6, false), &LAYOUT_51);
+        assert_eq!(layout_for(6, true), &LAYOUT_51_HQ);
+        assert_eq!(layout_for(8, false), &LAYOUT_71);
+        assert_eq!(layout_for(8, true), &LAYOUT_71_HQ);
+        // Unknown / 0 → stereo.
+        assert_eq!(layout_for(0, false), &LAYOUT_STEREO);
+        assert_eq!(layout_for(3, false), &LAYOUT_STEREO);
+        assert_eq!(layout_for(7, true), &LAYOUT_STEREO);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn normalize_clamps_to_negotiable() {
+        assert_eq!(normalize_channels(2), 2);
+        assert_eq!(normalize_channels(6), 6);
+        assert_eq!(normalize_channels(8), 8);
+        for bad in [0u8, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 255] {
+            assert_eq!(normalize_channels(bad), 2, "{bad} must clamp to stereo");
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn wasapi_masks_are_correct() {
+        assert_eq!(wasapi_channel_mask(2), 0x3);
+        assert_eq!(wasapi_channel_mask(6), 0x3F);
+        assert_eq!(wasapi_channel_mask(8), 0x63F); // NOT 0xFF
+                                                   // Bit count must equal the channel count.
+        assert_eq!(wasapi_channel_mask(2).count_ones(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(wasapi_channel_mask(6).count_ones(), 6);
+        assert_eq!(wasapi_channel_mask(8).count_ones(), 8);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn spa_positions_match_wire_order() {
+        assert_eq!(spa_positions(2), &[3, 4]);
+        assert_eq!(spa_positions(6), &[3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13]);
+        assert_eq!(spa_positions(8), &[3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 7, 8]);
+        assert_eq!(spa_positions(2).len(), 2);
+        assert_eq!(spa_positions(6).len(), 6);
+        assert_eq!(spa_positions(8).len(), 8);
+    }
+
+    /// Real-libopus proof that the shared layout round-trips with channel identity: a tone fed
+    /// into wire channel N (host `opus::MSEncoder`) comes back out on channel N (client
+    /// `opus::MSDecoder`), for stereo / 5.1 / 7.1. This is the single guarantee the whole
+    /// feature rests on — encoder layout == decoder layout == identity mapping — so if a layout
+    /// constant is ever wrong, this fails. Gated on `quic` (where `opus` is a dependency).
+    #[cfg(feature = "quic")]
+    #[test]
+    fn multistream_layout_roundtrips_with_channel_identity() {
+        const SR: u32 = 48_000;
+        const SAMPLES: usize = 240; // 5 ms @ 48 kHz
+        for &channels in &[2u8, 6, 8] {
+            let l = layout_for(channels, false);
+            let ch = l.channels as usize;
+            let mut enc = opus::MSEncoder::new(
+                SR,
+                l.streams,
+                l.coupled,
+                l.mapping,
+                opus::Application::LowDelay,
+            )
+            .expect("MSEncoder");
+            enc.set_bitrate(opus::Bitrate::Bits(l.bitrate)).unwrap();
+            enc.set_vbr(false).unwrap();
+            let mut dec =
+                opus::MSDecoder::new(SR, l.streams, l.coupled, l.mapping).expect("MSDecoder");
+
+            for tone_ch in 0..ch {
+                let mut out = vec![0u8; 4000];
+                let mut energy = vec![0f64; ch];
+                // A few frames to clear the codec startup transient before measuring.
+                for f in 0..8 {
+                    let mut frame = vec![0f32; SAMPLES * ch];
+                    for t in 0..SAMPLES {
+                        let phase = (f * SAMPLES + t) as f32 * 440.0 * 2.0 * std::f32::consts::PI
+                            / SR as f32;
+                        frame[t * ch + tone_ch] = 0.5 * phase.sin();
+                    }
+                    let n = enc.encode_float(&frame, &mut out).unwrap();
+                    let mut decoded = vec![0f32; SAMPLES * ch];
+                    let got = dec.decode_float(&out[..n], &mut decoded, false).unwrap();
+                    assert_eq!(got, SAMPLES, "{channels}ch frame size");
+                    if f >= 4 {
+                        for t in 0..SAMPLES {
+                            for (c, e) in energy.iter_mut().enumerate() {
+                                *e += (decoded[t * ch + c] as f64).powi(2);
+                            }
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                let loudest = (0..ch)
+                    .max_by(|&a, &b| energy[a].total_cmp(&energy[b]))
+                    .unwrap();
+                assert_eq!(
+                    loudest, tone_ch,
+                    "{channels}ch: tone in channel {tone_ch} must come out on {tone_ch} (energies {energy:?})"
+                );
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}

crates/punktfunk-core/src/client.rs

@@ -40,8 +40,9 @@ enum CtrlRequest {
 /// mode, the host-resolved compositor backend, the host-resolved gamepad backend, the host's
 /// certificate fingerprint, the resolved encoder bitrate (kbps), and the host↔client clock offset
 /// (ns, host minus client; 0 = no skew correction / an old host that didn't answer the handshake).
-/// The trailing `u8` is the resolved encode bit depth (8/10) and [`ColorInfo`] the resolved colour
-/// signalling, both from the [`Welcome`].
+/// The trailing `u8`s are the resolved encode bit depth (8/10), the chroma `chroma_format_idc`
+/// (1 = 4:2:0, 3 = 4:4:4), and the resolved audio channel count (2/6/8), with [`ColorInfo`] the
+/// resolved colour signalling — all from the [`Welcome`].
 type Negotiated = (
     Mode,
     CompositorPref,
@@ -51,6 +52,8 @@ type Negotiated = (
     i64,
     u8,
     ColorInfo,
+    u8,
+    u8,
 );
 
 /// Accumulated state of an in-flight / finished speed test. The data-plane pump mirrors the
@@ -202,6 +205,17 @@ pub struct NativeClient {
     /// decoder/presenter from this. [`ColorInfo::SDR_BT709`] for an older host. The static HDR
     /// mastering metadata (when [`ColorInfo::is_hdr`]) arrives via [`NativeClient::next_hdr_meta`].
     pub color: ColorInfo,
+    /// The chroma subsampling the host resolved for this session ([`Welcome::chroma_format`]), as the
+    /// HEVC `chroma_format_idc`: [`quic::CHROMA_IDC_420`] (4:2:0, the default / older host) or
+    /// [`quic::CHROMA_IDC_444`] (full-chroma 4:4:4). The in-band SPS is authoritative; this lets the
+    /// client pre-size its decoder. `CHROMA_IDC_420` for an older host that didn't report it.
+    pub chroma_format: u8,
+    /// The audio channel count the host resolved for this session ([`Welcome::audio_channels`]):
+    /// `2` (stereo), `6` (5.1) or `8` (7.1). The client MUST build its Opus (multistream) decoder
+    /// from this value (via [`crate::audio::layout_for`]) — never from its own request — so an older
+    /// host that omits it (→ `2`) yields working stereo. The `0xC9` audio frames are encoded with the
+    /// matching layout.
+    pub audio_channels: u8,
 }
 
 /// Pin the calling thread to the user-interactive QoS class on Apple targets.
@@ -246,6 +260,9 @@ impl NativeClient {
         // VIDEO_CAP_HDR) — the host upgrades to a 10-bit / HDR encode only when the matching bit is
         // set. 0 = the 8-bit BT.709 stream every client understands.
         video_caps: u8,
+        // Requested audio channel count (2 = stereo / 6 = 5.1 / 8 = 7.1); the host clamps to what it
+        // can capture and echoes the result in [`NativeClient::audio_channels`].
+        audio_channels: u8,
         launch: Option<String>,
         pin: Option<[u8; 32]>,
         identity: Option<(String, String)>,
@@ -298,6 +315,7 @@ impl NativeClient {
                     gamepad,
                     bitrate_kbps,
                     video_caps,
+                    audio_channels,
                     launch,
                     pin,
                     identity,
@@ -329,6 +347,8 @@ impl NativeClient {
             clock_offset_ns,
             bit_depth,
             color,
+            chroma_format,
+            audio_channels,
         ) = match ready_rx.recv_timeout(timeout) {
             Ok(Ok(t)) => t,
             Ok(Err(e)) => return Err(e),
@@ -360,6 +380,8 @@ impl NativeClient {
             clock_offset_ns,
             bit_depth,
             color,
+            chroma_format,
+            audio_channels,
         })
     }
 
@@ -666,6 +688,7 @@ struct WorkerArgs {
     gamepad: GamepadPref,
     bitrate_kbps: u32,
     video_caps: u8,
+    audio_channels: u8,
     launch: Option<String>,
     pin: Option<[u8; 32]>,
     identity: Option<(String, String)>,
@@ -697,6 +720,7 @@ async fn worker_main(args: WorkerArgs) {
         gamepad,
         bitrate_kbps,
         video_caps,
+        audio_channels,
         launch,
         pin,
         identity,
@@ -763,6 +787,8 @@ async fn worker_main(args: WorkerArgs) {
                 // VIDEO_CAP_10BIT | VIDEO_CAP_HDR). The host only upgrades to a 10-bit / HDR encode
                 // when the matching bit is set, so `0` stays an 8-bit BT.709 stream.
                 video_caps,
+                // Requested surround channel count; the host echoes the resolved value in Welcome.
+                audio_channels,
             }
             .encode(),
         )
@@ -834,6 +860,8 @@ async fn worker_main(args: WorkerArgs) {
             clock_offset_ns,
             welcome.bit_depth,
             welcome.color,
+            welcome.chroma_format,
+            welcome.audio_channels,
         ))
     };
 
@@ -850,6 +878,8 @@ async fn worker_main(args: WorkerArgs) {
         clock_offset_ns,
         bit_depth,
         color,
+        chroma_format,
+        audio_channels,
     ) = match setup.await {
         Ok(t) => t,
         Err(e) => {
@@ -866,6 +896,8 @@ async fn worker_main(args: WorkerArgs) {
         clock_offset_ns,
         bit_depth,
         color,
+        chroma_format,
+        audio_channels,
     )));
 
     // Input task: embedder events → QUIC datagrams.

crates/punktfunk-core/src/lib.rs

@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #![forbid(unsafe_op_in_unsafe_fn)]
 
 pub mod abi;
+pub mod audio;
 #[cfg(feature = "quic")]
 pub mod client;
 pub mod config;

crates/punktfunk-core/src/quic.rs

@@ -78,12 +78,33 @@ pub struct Hello {
     /// zero-length name/launch placeholder precedes it when those are absent so the offset stays
     /// deterministic. Omitted by older clients (decodes to `0`).
     pub video_caps: u8,
+    /// Requested audio channel count: `2` (stereo, default), `6` (5.1) or `8` (7.1). The host
+    /// resolves it against what it can capture and echoes the final count in
+    /// [`Welcome::audio_channels`], which is what both ends build their Opus (multistream)
+    /// codec from. Appended after `video_caps` as a single trailing byte; when it differs from
+    /// the stereo default the name/launch/video_caps placeholders are forced (0) so it lands at a
+    /// deterministic offset. Omitted by older clients / when `2` (decodes to `2`, i.e. stereo) so
+    /// the stereo wire form stays byte-identical to the pre-surround build.
+    pub audio_channels: u8,
 }
 
 /// [`Hello::video_caps`] bit: the client can decode a 10-bit (Main10) HEVC stream.
 pub const VIDEO_CAP_10BIT: u8 = 0x01;
 /// [`Hello::video_caps`] bit: the client can present BT.2020 PQ HDR10 (implies 10-bit).
 pub const VIDEO_CAP_HDR: u8 = 0x02;
+/// [`Hello::video_caps`] bit: the client can decode a full-chroma **4:4:4** HEVC stream (HEVC
+/// Range Extensions / Rec.ITU-T H.265 `chroma_format_idc = 3`). The host emits 4:4:4 ONLY when this
+/// bit is set, the host opted in (`PUNKTFUNK_444`), the codec is HEVC, **and** the GPU/driver
+/// actually supports a 4:4:4 encode (probed) — otherwise the session stays 4:2:0 and
+/// [`Welcome::chroma_format`] reflects the real resolved value. Independent of 10-bit/HDR (4:4:4 is a
+/// chroma decision, bit depth is a depth decision; the two may combine where the hardware allows).
+pub const VIDEO_CAP_444: u8 = 0x04;
+
+/// HEVC `chroma_format_idc` for 4:2:0 — what every pre-4:4:4 build produced and the back-compat
+/// default when a peer omits [`Welcome::chroma_format`].
+pub const CHROMA_IDC_420: u8 = 1;
+/// HEVC `chroma_format_idc` for full-chroma 4:4:4 (Range Extensions).
+pub const CHROMA_IDC_444: u8 = 3;
 
 /// Per-session colour signalling (CICP / ITU-T H.273 code points) the host resolved for the
 /// encoded video, carried on [`Welcome`]. A client configures its decoder/presenter from these
@@ -198,6 +219,22 @@ pub struct Welcome {
     /// [`ColorInfo::SDR_BT709`]. The client configures its decoder/presenter from this instead of
     /// guessing from the bitstream; the mastering metadata arrives separately on [`HDR_META_MAGIC`].
     pub color: ColorInfo,
+    /// The chroma subsampling the host actually encodes at, as the HEVC `chroma_format_idc`:
+    /// [`CHROMA_IDC_420`] (4:2:0, default / older host) or [`CHROMA_IDC_444`] (full-chroma 4:4:4,
+    /// enabled only when the client advertised [`VIDEO_CAP_444`] *and* the host could open a real
+    /// 4:4:4 encode). The client sizes its decoder/surface pool from this; the in-band SPS carries
+    /// the authoritative value, so this is a hint (and the honest-downgrade channel — if the host
+    /// requested 4:4:4 but the GPU declined, this reads `CHROMA_IDC_420`). Appended after the colour
+    /// bytes as a single trailing byte; an older host that omits it decodes to [`CHROMA_IDC_420`].
+    pub chroma_format: u8,
+    /// The audio channel count the host actually resolved and **will** send on the `0xC9` plane:
+    /// `2` (stereo, default), `6` (5.1) or `8` (7.1). Echoes [`Hello::audio_channels`] clamped to
+    /// what the host can capture (Linux PipeWire always synthesizes the count; Windows WASAPI
+    /// loopback is clamped to the render endpoint's mix-format channels). The client builds its Opus
+    /// (multistream) decoder from THIS value via [`crate::audio::layout_for`] — never from its own
+    /// request — so an older host that omits the byte (→ `2`) always yields working stereo. Appended
+    /// after `chroma_format` as a single trailing byte.
+    pub audio_channels: u8,
 }
 
 /// `client → host`: data plane is bound, begin streaming.
@@ -630,10 +667,11 @@ impl Hello {
                                                                // so a Hello with neither name nor launch stays byte-identical to the bitrate-era form
                                                                // (26 bytes). When `launch` is present we must still emit name's length byte (0 for None)
                                                                // so `launch` lands at a deterministic offset.
-                                                               // `video_caps` is the last trailing field, after `launch`; when it's present (non-zero)
-                                                               // the name/launch length bytes must still be emitted (0 for absent) so it lands at a
+                                                               // `video_caps`/`audio_channels` are the trailing fields, after `launch`; when either is
+                                                               // present (video_caps non-zero / audio_channels not stereo) the name/launch length bytes
+                                                               // AND the video_caps byte must still be emitted (0 / 0) so the later byte lands at a
                                                                // deterministic offset — the same discipline `launch` already imposes on `name`.
-        let need_placeholders = self.video_caps != 0;
+        let need_placeholders = self.video_caps != 0 || self.audio_channels != 2;
         match (&self.name, &self.launch) {
             (None, None) if !need_placeholders => {}
             (name, _) => {
@@ -648,10 +686,15 @@ impl Hello {
             b.push(l.len() as u8);
             b.extend_from_slice(l.as_bytes());
         }
-        // video_caps: single trailing byte. Last field.
-        if self.video_caps != 0 {
+        // video_caps: single trailing byte. Emitted when non-zero OR when audio_channels follows
+        // (so audio_channels lands at a deterministic offset right after it).
+        if self.video_caps != 0 || self.audio_channels != 2 {
             b.push(self.video_caps);
         }
+        // audio_channels: single trailing byte. Last field; omitted when stereo (default).
+        if self.audio_channels != 2 {
+            b.push(self.audio_channels);
+        }
         b
     }
 
@@ -714,6 +757,15 @@ impl Hello {
                 let launch_len = b.get(launch_off).copied().unwrap_or(0) as usize;
                 b.get(launch_off + 1 + launch_len).copied().unwrap_or(0)
             },
+            // Optional trailing audio-channel byte, one past video_caps. Absent on an older client
+            // → stereo. Normalized so a corrupt/unsupported value can't build a bad decoder.
+            audio_channels: {
+                let name_len = b.get(26).copied().unwrap_or(0) as usize;
+                let launch_off = 27 + name_len;
+                let launch_len = b.get(launch_off).copied().unwrap_or(0) as usize;
+                let video_caps_off = launch_off + 1 + launch_len;
+                crate::audio::normalize_channels(b.get(video_caps_off + 1).copied().unwrap_or(2))
+            },
         })
     }
 }
@@ -747,6 +799,10 @@ impl Welcome {
         b.push(self.color.transfer);
         b.push(self.color.matrix);
         b.push(self.color.full_range);
+        // Chroma subsampling at offset 64 — older clients stop before this → 4:2:0 (CHROMA_IDC_420).
+        b.push(self.chroma_format);
+        // Audio channel count at offset 65 — older clients stop before this → stereo (2).
+        b.push(self.audio_channels);
         b
     }
 
@@ -755,7 +811,8 @@ impl Welcome {
         // scheme[22] pct[23] max_data[24..26] shard[26..28] encrypt[28] key[29..45]
         // salt[45..49] frames[49..53] compositor[53] gamepad[54] bitrate_kbps[55..59]
         // bit_depth[59] color.primaries[60] color.transfer[61] color.matrix[62] color.range[63]
-        // (everything from compositor on is an optional trailing byte; an older host stops earlier).
+        // chroma_format[64] audio_channels[65] (everything from compositor on is an optional
+        // trailing byte; an older host stops earlier).
         if b.len() < 53 || &b[0..4] != MAGIC {
             return Err(PunktfunkError::InvalidArg("bad Welcome"));
         }
@@ -812,6 +869,15 @@ impl Welcome {
                 matrix: b.get(62).copied().unwrap_or(ColorInfo::MC_BT709),
                 full_range: b.get(63).copied().unwrap_or(0),
             },
+            // Optional trailing chroma byte — absent on an older host (or an explicit 0 / unknown
+            // value) → 4:2:0. Only `CHROMA_IDC_444` flips the client to a 4:4:4 decode.
+            chroma_format: match b.get(64).copied() {
+                Some(CHROMA_IDC_444) => CHROMA_IDC_444,
+                _ => CHROMA_IDC_420,
+            },
+            // Optional trailing audio-channel byte — absent on an older host → stereo. Any
+            // non-{6,8} value normalizes to stereo so a corrupt byte never builds a bad decoder.
+            audio_channels: crate::audio::normalize_channels(b.get(65).copied().unwrap_or(2)),
         })
     }
 
@@ -1809,6 +1875,8 @@ mod tests {
             bitrate_kbps: 50_000,
             bit_depth: 10,
             color: ColorInfo::HDR10_BT2020_PQ,
+            chroma_format: CHROMA_IDC_444,
+            audio_channels: 2,
         };
         assert_eq!(Welcome::decode(&w.encode()).unwrap(), w);
     }
@@ -1851,6 +1919,7 @@ mod tests {
             name: Some("Test Device".into()),
             launch: Some("steam:570".into()),
             video_caps: VIDEO_CAP_10BIT,
+            audio_channels: 2,
         };
         assert_eq!(Hello::decode(&h.encode()).unwrap(), h);
         let s = Start {
@@ -1930,6 +1999,7 @@ mod tests {
             name: None,
             launch: None,
             video_caps: 0,
+            audio_channels: 2,
         };
         let enc = h.encode();
         assert_eq!(enc.len(), 26);
@@ -1969,9 +2039,11 @@ mod tests {
             bitrate_kbps: 120_000,
             bit_depth: 10,
             color: ColorInfo::HDR10_BT2020_PQ,
+            chroma_format: CHROMA_IDC_444,
+            audio_channels: 6, // 5.1 — exercises the non-default trailing byte
         };
         let wenc = w.encode();
-        assert_eq!(wenc.len(), 64); // 60 base + 4 colour bytes
+        assert_eq!(wenc.len(), 66); // 60 base + 4 colour + 1 chroma + 1 audio-channels byte
         let legacy_w = Welcome::decode(&wenc[..53]).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(legacy_w.compositor, CompositorPref::Auto);
         assert_eq!(legacy_w.gamepad, GamepadPref::Auto);
@@ -1991,13 +2063,29 @@ mod tests {
         let pre_color_w = Welcome::decode(&wenc[..60]).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(pre_color_w.bit_depth, 10);
         assert_eq!(pre_color_w.color, ColorInfo::SDR_BT709);
+        assert_eq!(pre_color_w.chroma_format, CHROMA_IDC_420); // pre-chroma host → 4:2:0
         assert_eq!(legacy_w.color, ColorInfo::SDR_BT709);
+        assert_eq!(legacy_w.chroma_format, CHROMA_IDC_420);
+        // A pre-chroma (64-byte) Welcome carries colour but no chroma/audio bytes → 4:2:0 + stereo.
+        let pre_chroma_w = Welcome::decode(&wenc[..64]).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(pre_chroma_w.color, ColorInfo::HDR10_BT2020_PQ);
+        assert_eq!(pre_chroma_w.chroma_format, CHROMA_IDC_420);
+        assert_eq!(pre_chroma_w.audio_channels, 2); // audio byte (offset 65) absent → stereo
+                                                    // A pre-audio (65-byte) Welcome carries chroma but no audio byte → 4:4:4 + stereo.
+        let pre_audio_w = Welcome::decode(&wenc[..65]).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(pre_audio_w.chroma_format, CHROMA_IDC_444);
+        assert_eq!(pre_audio_w.audio_channels, 2);
         assert_eq!(Welcome::decode(&wenc).unwrap().bitrate_kbps, 120_000);
         assert_eq!(Welcome::decode(&wenc).unwrap().bit_depth, 10); // full form carries it
         assert_eq!(
             Welcome::decode(&wenc).unwrap().color,
             ColorInfo::HDR10_BT2020_PQ
         );
+        assert_eq!(
+            Welcome::decode(&wenc).unwrap().chroma_format,
+            CHROMA_IDC_444
+        ); // full form carries 4:4:4
+        assert_eq!(Welcome::decode(&wenc).unwrap().audio_channels, 6); // ...and 5.1
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -2015,6 +2103,7 @@ mod tests {
             name: Some("Enrico's MacBook".into()),
             launch: None,
             video_caps: 0,
+            audio_channels: 2,
         };
         let enc = base.encode();
         assert_eq!(
@@ -2062,6 +2151,7 @@ mod tests {
             name: None,
             launch: None,
             video_caps: 0,
+            audio_channels: 2,
         };
         // launch alone (no name): a zero-length name placeholder keeps the offset deterministic.
         let with_launch = Hello {
@@ -2268,6 +2358,7 @@ mod tests {
                 name: None,
                 launch: None,
                 video_caps: 0,
+                audio_channels: 2,
             }
             .encode();
             assert!(PairRequest::decode(&h).is_err(), "abi {abi} parsed as pair");

crates/punktfunk-core/tests/c_abi.rs

@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@ use std::process::Command;
 fn native_libs() -> &'static [&'static str] {
     if cfg!(target_os = "macos") {
         // The workspace build unifies features into the staticlib, and `quic` pulls
-        // rustls's platform verifier → Security/CoreFoundation.
+        // rustls's platform verifier → Security/CoreFoundation, plus libopus (the in-core
+        // `next_audio_pcm` decode path) which the `abi.rs` object references.
         &[
+            "-lopus",
             "-liconv",
             "-lm",
             "-framework",
@@ -23,7 +25,17 @@ fn native_libs() -> &'static [&'static str] {
             "CoreFoundation",
         ]
     } else if cfg!(target_os = "linux") {
-        &["-lgcc_s", "-lutil", "-lrt", "-lpthread", "-lm", "-ldl"]
+        // `-lopus`: the `quic` feature pulls in-core Opus decode (`next_audio_pcm`), whose
+        // symbols the linked `abi.rs` object references. Before `-lm` (opus needs libm).
+        &[
+            "-lopus",
+            "-lgcc_s",
+            "-lutil",
+            "-lrt",
+            "-lpthread",
+            "-lm",
+            "-ldl",
+        ]
     } else {
         &[]
     }

crates/punktfunk-host/Cargo.toml

@@ -25,11 +25,21 @@ aes-gcm = "0.10"
 cbc = { version = "0.1", features = ["alloc"] }
 rand = "0.8"
 hex = "0.4"
+# Cover-art delivery in the game library: encode Lutris's local JPEGs into `data:` URLs and decode
+# the Epic launcher's base64 `catcache.bin`. Cross-platform (Linux Lutris art + Windows Epic art).
+base64 = "0.22"
+# Blocking HTTP for the library cover-art warmer (no-auth GOG api.gog.com + Xbox displaycatalog),
+# run on a background thread off the hot path. `ureq` is small + sync (no tokio here) and bundles
+# webpki roots (no system cert dependency). Cross-platform so the fetch/parse code is compiled +
+# checked everywhere even though only the Windows GOG/Xbox providers need it today.
+ureq = "2"
 rcgen = { version = "0.13", default-features = false, features = ["aws_lc_rs", "pem"] }
 x509-parser = "0.16"
-axum-server = { version = "0.7", features = ["tls-rustls"] }
+# Only used for the plain-HTTP nvhttp listener (`bind().serve()`); HTTPS/mTLS is hand-rolled over
+# tokio-rustls (axum-server can't surface the peer cert), so we do NOT enable `tls-rustls` — that
+# feature is what pulled the unmaintained `rustls-pemfile` (security-review dep hygiene).
+axum-server = "0.8"
 rustls = "0.23"
-rustls-pemfile = "2"
 # Manual HTTPS+mTLS serve loop for the mgmt API (axum-server can't surface the peer cert): a
 # tokio-rustls handshake exposes the client cert, then hyper serves the axum Router with the
 # verified fingerprint injected as a request extension. Versions match the workspace lock.
@@ -53,9 +63,10 @@ utoipa-scalar = { version = "0.3", features = ["axum"] }
 tower = { version = "0.5", features = ["util"] }
 http-body-util = "0.1"
 
-# Opus stereo encode for the host->client audio plane. The `opus` crate vendors libopus via
-# `audiopus_sys` (cmake-built from source — no system lib, no vcpkg), so it builds on Windows MSVC
-# too (needs CMake + NASM, both on the box). Both platforms that have an audio-capture backend.
+# Opus encode for the host->client audio plane — stereo (`opus::Encoder`) AND 5.1/7.1 surround
+# (`opus::MSEncoder`, the safe multistream API the crate exposes; no `audiopus_sys` needed). The
+# crate vendors libopus (cmake-built from source — no system lib, no vcpkg), so it builds on Windows
+# MSVC too (needs CMake + NASM, both on the box). Both platforms that have an audio-capture backend.
 [target.'cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "windows"))'.dependencies]
 opus = "0.3"
 
@@ -85,12 +96,12 @@ wayland-scanner = "0.31"
 wayland-backend = "0.3"
 # Parse `pw-dump` JSON to find gamescope's PipeWire node (gamescope backend).
 serde_json = "1"
+# Read the Lutris library DB (`pga.db`) for the Lutris store provider. `bundled` vendors + compiles
+# SQLite (cc, already needed for ffmpeg/opus) so there's no system libsqlite3 runtime dependency —
+# clean for the deb/rpm/flatpak packaging. Opened read-only/immutable (Lutris may hold it open).
+rusqlite = { version = "0.40", features = ["bundled"] }
 # Builds/validates the xkb keymap uploaded to the virtual keyboard + tracks modifier state.
 xkbcommon = "0.8"
-# The safe `opus` crate is stereo-only; surround (5.1/7.1) needs the libopus *multistream*
-# encoder (`opus_multistream_encoder_*`). `audiopus_sys` is the sys layer `opus` already
-# vendors (same libopus link), so this adds bindings, not a second copy of the library.
-audiopus_sys = "0.2"
 # libei (EI sender) for the portable input path on KWin/GNOME (RemoteDesktop portal).
 # The `tokio` feature wires reis's event stream into tokio's reactor.
 reis = { version = "0.6.1", features = ["tokio"] }
@@ -169,6 +180,12 @@ windows = { version = "0.62", features = [
 # handler / ServiceManager install). Wraps the Win32 service API; the supervision loop itself uses
 # the `windows` crate above.
 windows-service = "0.7"
+# Read the GOG.com install registry (HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\GOG.com\Games) for the GOG store
+# provider — ergonomic + correct-by-construction vs. hand-rolled Reg* FFI for subkey enumeration.
+winreg = "0.56"
+# Parse each Xbox/Game-Pass game's MicrosoftGame.config (GDK manifest XML) for the Xbox store
+# provider — a small read-only DOM is all we need (Identity/Executable/ShellVisuals/StoreId).
+roxmltree = "0.21"
 # Software H.264 encoder (GPU-less path + NVENC fallback). The default `source` feature statically
 # compiles OpenH264 (BSD-2) — no system lib, builds on MSVC; nasm on PATH adds the SIMD fast path.
 openh264 = "0.9"
@@ -202,6 +219,7 @@ bytemuck = { version = "1.19", features = ["derive"] }
 # nvEncodeAPI64.dll) on the linker path. Build the GPU host with `--features nvenc`.
 nvenc = ["dep:nvidia-video-codec-sdk"]
 # AMD/Intel hardware encode on Windows (AMF/QSV via ffmpeg-next). OFF by default: it needs a
-# `FFMPEG_DIR` (BtbN gpl-shared, includes `*_amf`/`*_qsv`) at build time and bundles the FFmpeg
-# DLLs at runtime. Build the all-vendor GPU host with `--features nvenc,amf-qsv`.
+# `FFMPEG_DIR` (BtbN lgpl-shared — includes `*_amf`/`*_qsv`; the GPL-only x264/x265 are never used,
+# so the LGPL build suffices and keeps the bundled DLLs LGPL, not GPL) at build time and bundles the
+# FFmpeg DLLs at runtime. Build the all-vendor GPU host with `--features nvenc,amf-qsv`.
 amf-qsv = ["dep:ffmpeg-next"]

crates/punktfunk-host/protocols/fake-input.xml

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<protocol name="fake_input">
+  <copyright>
+    SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2015 Martin Gräßlin
+    SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
+  </copyright>
+  <interface name="org_kde_kwin_fake_input" version="4">
+    <description summary="Fake input manager">
+      This interface allows other processes to provide fake input events.
+      Purpose is on the one hand side to provide testing facilities like XTest
+      on X11, but also to support use cases like remote control (a remote
+      desktop server). The compositor gates the interface: it is only exposed
+      to clients authorized through their .desktop X-KDE-Wayland-Interfaces, so
+      binding it is the authorization — no per-event confirmation dialog.
+    </description>
+    <request name="authenticate">
+      <description summary="Information about the application requesting fake input">
+        A FakeInput is required to authenticate itself by providing the
+        application name and the reason for fake input. The compositor may use
+        this information to decide whether to allow or deny the request.
+      </description>
+      <arg name="application" type="string" summary="user visible name of the application requesting fake input"/>
+      <arg name="reason" type="string" summary="reason of why fake input is requested"/>
+    </request>
+    <request name="pointer_motion">
+      <description summary="pointer motion event"/>
+      <arg name="delta_x" type="fixed" summary="X delta of the relative pointer motion"/>
+      <arg name="delta_y" type="fixed" summary="Y delta of the relative pointer motion"/>
+    </request>
+    <request name="button">
+      <description summary="pointer button event"/>
+      <arg name="button" type="uint" summary="evdev button code"/>
+      <arg name="state" type="uint" summary="button state, 0 released, 1 pressed"/>
+    </request>
+    <request name="axis">
+      <description summary="pointer axis (scroll) event"/>
+      <arg name="axis" type="uint" summary="wl_pointer.axis (0 vertical, 1 horizontal)"/>
+      <arg name="value" type="fixed" summary="axis value"/>
+    </request>
+    <request name="touch_down" since="2">
+      <description summary="touch down event"/>
+      <arg name="id" type="uint" summary="unique id of this touch point; must not be reused until up"/>
+      <arg name="x" type="fixed" summary="x coordinate in global compositor space"/>
+      <arg name="y" type="fixed" summary="y coordinate in global compositor space"/>
+    </request>
+    <request name="touch_motion" since="2">
+      <description summary="touch motion event"/>
+      <arg name="id" type="uint" summary="unique id of an existing touch point"/>
+      <arg name="x" type="fixed" summary="x coordinate in global compositor space"/>
+      <arg name="y" type="fixed" summary="y coordinate in global compositor space"/>
+    </request>
+    <request name="touch_up" since="2">
+      <description summary="touch up event"/>
+      <arg name="id" type="uint" summary="unique id of an existing touch point"/>
+    </request>
+    <request name="touch_cancel" since="2">
+      <description summary="cancel all current touch points"/>
+    </request>
+    <request name="touch_frame" since="2">
+      <description summary="end a set of touch events (atomic frame)"/>
+    </request>
+    <request name="pointer_motion_absolute" since="3">
+      <description summary="absolute pointer motion event"/>
+      <arg name="x" type="fixed" summary="x coordinate in global compositor space"/>
+      <arg name="y" type="fixed" summary="y coordinate in global compositor space"/>
+    </request>
+    <request name="keyboard_key" since="4">
+      <description summary="keyboard key event"/>
+      <arg name="button" type="uint" summary="evdev key code"/>
+      <arg name="state" type="uint" summary="key state, 0 released, 1 pressed"/>
+    </request>
+  </interface>
+</protocol>

crates/punktfunk-host/src/audio/linux/mod.rs

@@ -320,11 +320,18 @@ fn mic_pw_thread(
     .into_inner();
     let mut params = [Pod::from_bytes(&values).context("mic pod from bytes")?];
 
+    // RT_PROCESS: run the producer callback on PipeWire's realtime data loop, so the source is a
+    // *synchronous* graph node that joins its consumer's driver group and is actually driven. Without
+    // it the node is async/main-loop and, in the host's busy multi-stream graph (desktop-audio +
+    // video capture + the session), never acquires a driver — it stays suspended and its process()
+    // never fires, so every recorder hears pure silence (the long-standing "Linux host mic broken").
     stream
         .connect(
             spa::utils::Direction::Output, // we PRODUCE samples (a source)
             None,
-            pw::stream::StreamFlags::AUTOCONNECT | pw::stream::StreamFlags::MAP_BUFFERS,
+            pw::stream::StreamFlags::AUTOCONNECT
+                | pw::stream::StreamFlags::MAP_BUFFERS
+                | pw::stream::StreamFlags::RT_PROCESS,
             &mut params,
         )
         .context("pw mic stream connect")?;

crates/punktfunk-host/src/audio/windows/wasapi_cap.rs

@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 //! WASAPI loopback capture of the default render endpoint (system output) — the Windows analogue
-//! of the PipeWire sink-monitor backend. Delivers interleaved f32 PCM at 48 kHz stereo, ready for
-//! the existing Opus path with NO resampling (WASAPI shared-mode autoconvert does any SRC). WASAPI
-//! objects are COM-apartment-bound and not `Send`, so they live on a dedicated thread (mirrors
+//! of the PipeWire sink-monitor backend. Delivers interleaved f32 PCM at 48 kHz in the requested
+//! channel count (stereo / 5.1 / 7.1, canonical wire order FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR via the
+//! explicit `dwChannelMask`), ready for the Opus path with NO resampling (WASAPI shared-mode
+//! autoconvert does any SRC + up/downmix to the requested layout). WASAPI objects are
+//! COM-apartment-bound and not `Send`, so they live on a dedicated thread (mirrors
 //! `linux::PwAudioCapturer`); only the channel + stop flag + join handle are in the struct.
 
 use super::{AudioCapturer, SAMPLE_RATE};
@@ -14,9 +16,6 @@ use std::thread::{self, JoinHandle};
 use std::time::Duration;
 use wasapi::{DeviceEnumerator, Direction, SampleType, StreamMode, WaveFormat};
 
-// 48 kHz stereo 32-bit float: 2 channels * 4 bytes = 8 bytes per frame.
-const BLOCK_ALIGN: usize = 2 * 4;
-
 pub struct WasapiLoopbackCapturer {
     chunks: Receiver<Vec<f32>>,
     channels: u32,
@@ -27,8 +26,8 @@ pub struct WasapiLoopbackCapturer {
 impl WasapiLoopbackCapturer {
     pub fn open(channels: u32) -> Result<WasapiLoopbackCapturer> {
         anyhow::ensure!(
-            channels == 2,
-            "WASAPI loopback backend is stereo-only (got {channels})"
+            matches!(channels, 2 | 6 | 8),
+            "WASAPI loopback backend supports 2/6/8 channels (got {channels})"
         );
         let (tx, rx) = sync_channel::<Vec<f32>>(64);
         let stop = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@ impl WasapiLoopbackCapturer {
         let join = thread::Builder::new()
             .name("punktfunk-wasapi-audio".into())
             .spawn(move || {
-                if let Err(e) = capture_thread(tx, stop_t, ready_tx) {
+                if let Err(e) = capture_thread(tx, stop_t, ready_tx, channels) {
                     tracing::error!(error = format!("{e:#}"), "wasapi loopback thread failed");
                 }
             })
@@ -47,7 +46,8 @@ impl WasapiLoopbackCapturer {
         match ready_rx.recv_timeout(Duration::from_secs(3)) {
             Ok(Ok(())) => {
                 tracing::info!(
-                    "WASAPI loopback capture: 48 kHz stereo f32 (default render endpoint)"
+                    channels,
+                    "WASAPI loopback capture: 48 kHz f32 (default render endpoint)"
                 );
                 Ok(WasapiLoopbackCapturer {
                     chunks: rx,
@@ -95,7 +95,10 @@ fn capture_thread(
     tx: SyncSender<Vec<f32>>,
     stop: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     ready: SyncSender<Result<()>>,
+    channels: u32,
 ) -> Result<()> {
+    // Interleaved f32: channels * 4 bytes per frame.
+    let block_align = channels as usize * 4;
     // COM must be initialized on THIS thread (MTA), before any device call.
     if let Err(e) = wasapi::initialize_mta()
         .ok()
@@ -106,16 +109,29 @@ fn capture_thread(
     }
     let res = (|| -> Result<()> {
         // Loopback = capture the RENDER endpoint: get the default render device, but open a CAPTURE
-        // client with loopback=true over it.
+        // client with loopback=true over it. NOTE: the virtual mic (`super::wasapi_mic`) is guarded
+        // to NEVER target this same endpoint — otherwise the client's injected mic would be captured
+        // here and streamed back to the client (infinite echo). Keep that guard in sync if this
+        // device selection ever changes.
         let device = DeviceEnumerator::new()
             .context("DeviceEnumerator")?
             .get_default_device(&Direction::Render)
             .context("default render endpoint (loopback needs a render device)")?;
         let mut audio_client = device.get_iaudioclient().context("IAudioClient")?;
-        // 48 kHz stereo f32 interleaved; autoconvert lets WASAPI's shared-mode SRC match the engine
-        // mix format to ours, so we never resample in Rust. Loopback is implied by capturing a
-        // RENDER device with Direction::Capture in shared mode (wasapi sets STREAMFLAGS_LOOPBACK).
-        let desired = WaveFormat::new(32, 32, &SampleType::Float, SAMPLE_RATE as usize, 2, None);
+        // 48 kHz f32 interleaved in the requested channel layout; autoconvert lets WASAPI's
+        // shared-mode SRC match the engine mix format to ours (incl. up/downmix to the requested
+        // channel count), so we never resample/remix in Rust. The explicit dwChannelMask pins the
+        // wire order (FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR; 7.1 = 0x63F, not 0xFF). Loopback is implied by
+        // capturing a RENDER device with Direction::Capture in shared mode (STREAMFLAGS_LOOPBACK).
+        let mask = punktfunk_core::audio::wasapi_channel_mask(channels as u8);
+        let desired = WaveFormat::new(
+            32,
+            32,
+            &SampleType::Float,
+            SAMPLE_RATE as usize,
+            channels as usize,
+            Some(mask),
+        );
         let (default_period, _min_period) =
             audio_client.get_device_period().context("device period")?;
         let mode = StreamMode::EventsShared {
@@ -151,7 +167,7 @@ fn capture_thread(
                     Err(e) => return Err(anyhow!("get_next_packet_size: {e}")),
                 }
             }
-            let whole = (bytes.len() / BLOCK_ALIGN) * BLOCK_ALIGN;
+            let whole = (bytes.len() / block_align) * block_align;
             if whole == 0 {
                 continue;
             }

crates/punktfunk-host/src/audio/windows/wasapi_mic.rs

@@ -5,14 +5,27 @@
 //!
 //! Target device, by friendly-name substring (first match wins; override with `PUNKTFUNK_MIC_DEVICE`):
 //! "Steam Streaming Microphone" (ships with Steam Remote Play — exactly this purpose), VB-Audio
-//! "CABLE Input", VoiceMeeter, or anything with "virtual" in the name. If none is present we return an
-//! error with install guidance and the host runs without mic passthrough.
+//! "CABLE Input", VoiceMeeter, or anything with "virtual" in the name. If none is present we
+//! auto-install the Steam Streaming audio pair (see [`install_steam_audio_pair`]); failing that we
+//! return an error with install guidance and the host runs without mic passthrough.
+//!
+//! **Anti-echo guard (the whole point of this being non-trivial).** The desktop-audio plane
+//! ([`super::wasapi_cap`]) loopback-captures the **default render endpoint**. WASAPI loopback
+//! captures the *mixed* output of an endpoint — i.e. everything any app renders to it, including
+//! what THIS module writes. So if the virtual-mic target is the same device the loopback captures,
+//! the client's uplinked mic is captured straight back into the host→client audio stream: an
+//! infinite echo. [`find_device`] therefore **excludes the default render endpoint** from the
+//! candidates — the mic is guaranteed to land on a different device. (Linux gets this for free: its
+//! mic is a dedicated `Audio/Source` node, structurally separate from the monitored sink.)
 //!
 //! `push` enqueues decoded interleaved-f32 PCM into a bounded ring (drop-oldest beyond ~80 ms so mic
 //! latency stays bounded); a dedicated COM-apartment thread renders it event-driven, filling silence
 //! when the client isn't talking. WASAPI objects are `!Send`, so they live entirely on that thread
 //! (mirrors `WasapiLoopbackCapturer`).
 
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it.
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
+
 use super::{VirtualMic, SAMPLE_RATE};
 use anyhow::{anyhow, Context, Result};
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
@@ -110,8 +123,23 @@ impl VirtualMic for WasapiVirtualMic {
     }
 }
 
-/// Resolve the virtual-mic target among render endpoints by friendly-name. Logs all candidates so a
-/// missing device is diagnosable.
+/// The endpoint ID of the device the desktop-audio loopback records (the **default render
+/// endpoint**, see [`super::wasapi_cap`]). The virtual mic must never target this device — injecting
+/// there echoes the client's mic back into the host→client audio stream. `None` if it can't be
+/// resolved (then [`find_device`] can't prove a candidate is safe and falls back to name-only
+/// matching — no worse than before the guard existed).
+fn default_render_id() -> Option<String> {
+    wasapi::DeviceEnumerator::new()
+        .ok()?
+        .get_default_device(&Direction::Render)
+        .ok()?
+        .get_id()
+        .ok()
+}
+
+/// Resolve the virtual-mic target among render endpoints by friendly-name, **excluding the endpoint
+/// the loopback captures** (the [`default_render_id`] anti-echo guard). Logs all candidates so a
+/// missing/skipped device is diagnosable.
 fn find_device() -> Result<wasapi::Device> {
     let enumerator = wasapi::DeviceEnumerator::new().context("DeviceEnumerator")?;
     let collection = enumerator
@@ -121,8 +149,11 @@ fn find_device() -> Result<wasapi::Device> {
     let want = std::env::var("PUNKTFUNK_MIC_DEVICE")
         .ok()
         .map(|s| s.to_lowercase());
+    // The device the loopback captures — a name match on it is rejected below (would echo).
+    let loopback_id = default_render_id();
     let mut names = Vec::new();
     let mut found = None;
+    let mut skipped_loopback = false;
     for i in 0..n {
         let Ok(dev) = collection.get_device_at_index(i) else {
             continue;
@@ -134,16 +165,37 @@ fn find_device() -> Result<wasapi::Device> {
             None => CANDIDATES.iter().any(|c| lname.contains(c)),
         };
         if hit && found.is_none() {
-            found = Some(dev);
+            // Anti-echo guard: never inject into the endpoint the loopback captures.
+            let is_loopback = match (dev.get_id().ok(), loopback_id.as_deref()) {
+                (Some(id), Some(lb)) => id == lb,
+                _ => false,
+            };
+            if is_loopback {
+                skipped_loopback = true;
+                tracing::warn!(device = %name,
+                    "virtual-mic candidate is the loopback (default render) endpoint — skipping; \
+                     injecting there would echo the client's mic into the desktop-audio stream");
+            } else {
+                found = Some(dev);
+            }
         }
         names.push(name);
     }
     found.ok_or_else(|| {
-        anyhow!(
-            "no virtual-mic device among render endpoints {names:?}. Install VB-Audio Virtual Cable \
-             or enable Steam Remote Play's microphone (Steam Streaming Microphone), or set \
-             PUNKTFUNK_MIC_DEVICE=<friendly-name substring>."
-        )
+        if skipped_loopback {
+            anyhow!(
+                "the only virtual-mic candidate among render endpoints {names:?} is the default \
+                 playback device the host loopback-captures — injecting there would echo the mic \
+                 back to the client. Add a SEPARATE virtual audio device for the mic (e.g. the Steam \
+                 Streaming Microphone) or set a different default playback device, then reconnect."
+            )
+        } else {
+            anyhow!(
+                "no virtual-mic device among render endpoints {names:?}. Install VB-Audio Virtual \
+                 Cable or enable Steam Remote Play's microphone (Steam Streaming Microphone), or set \
+                 PUNKTFUNK_MIC_DEVICE=<friendly-name substring>."
+            )
+        }
     })
 }
 
@@ -153,8 +205,15 @@ fn find_or_install_device() -> Result<wasapi::Device> {
     match find_device() {
         Ok(d) => Ok(d),
         Err(e) => {
-            tracing::info!("no virtual mic device present — attempting auto-install");
-            if unsafe { try_install_virtual_mic() } {
+            tracing::info!("no usable virtual mic device present — attempting auto-install");
+            // SAFETY: `install_steam_audio_pair` is `unsafe` only because it `LoadLibraryExW`s
+            // `newdev.dll` and calls `DiInstallDriverW` through a `transmute`d function pointer;
+            // calling it imposes no extra precondition here (it takes no args and aliases nothing).
+            // Its internal contract holds: the `DiInstall` type matches the documented
+            // `BOOL DiInstallDriverW(HWND, PCWSTR, DWORD, PBOOL)` ABI, and it passes a
+            // NUL-terminated UTF-16 INF path with null/zero optional args. Invoked once on the
+            // dedicated mic thread.
+            if unsafe { install_steam_audio_pair() } {
                 find_device()
             } else {
                 Err(e)
@@ -163,13 +222,26 @@ fn find_or_install_device() -> Result<wasapi::Device> {
     }
 }
 
-/// Best-effort: install a virtual mic device so one exists without the user installing anything.
-/// Mirrors Apollo's Steam Streaming Speakers install — Steam Remote Play ships
-/// `SteamStreamingMicrophone.inf` next to the speakers INF, so install it via `DiInstallDriverW`
-/// (loaded from `newdev.dll`, like Apollo, to avoid an extra windows-crate feature). Needs admin (the
-/// host runs as SYSTEM). Returns true on success; false (no-op) if Steam isn't installed (INF absent),
-/// the install is denied, or `PUNKTFUNK_NO_MIC_INSTALL` is set.
-unsafe fn try_install_virtual_mic() -> bool {
+/// Best-effort: install BOTH Steam Streaming audio devices (the "Steam pair") so mic passthrough
+/// works out of the box and the host has a desktop-audio sink distinct from the mic. Steam Remote
+/// Play ships `SteamStreamingMicrophone.inf` + `SteamStreamingSpeakers.inf`: the microphone gives the
+/// virtual mic a target whose **capture** endpoint apps record from, and the speakers give a
+/// **render** endpoint a headless box can loopback-capture that is NOT the mic — so the loopback and
+/// the mic land on different devices and never echo (see [`find_device`]). Returns true if either
+/// installed. No-op when Steam isn't installed (INFs absent), the install is denied (needs admin —
+/// the host runs as SYSTEM), or `PUNKTFUNK_NO_MIC_INSTALL` is set.
+unsafe fn install_steam_audio_pair() -> bool {
+    // Microphone first (the mic's actual target); speakers second (the distinct desktop-audio sink).
+    let mic = try_install_steam_audio("SteamStreamingMicrophone.inf");
+    let spk = try_install_steam_audio("SteamStreamingSpeakers.inf");
+    mic || spk
+}
+
+/// Install one Steam Streaming driver INF by filename via `DiInstallDriverW` (loaded from
+/// `newdev.dll`, like Apollo, to avoid an extra windows-crate feature). See
+/// [`install_steam_audio_pair`] for the contract; `inf_name` is a bare filename under Steam's
+/// per-arch `drivers\Windows10\{arch}\` directory.
+unsafe fn try_install_steam_audio(inf_name: &str) -> bool {
     use windows::core::{s, w, PCWSTR};
     use windows::Win32::Foundation::HWND;
     use windows::Win32::System::Environment::ExpandEnvironmentStringsW;
@@ -187,12 +259,11 @@ unsafe fn try_install_virtual_mic() -> bool {
     let subdir = "arm64";
     #[cfg(not(any(target_arch = "x86_64", target_arch = "aarch64")))]
     let subdir = "x86";
-    let template: Vec<u16> = format!(
-        "%CommonProgramFiles(x86)%\\Steam\\drivers\\Windows10\\{subdir}\\SteamStreamingMicrophone.inf"
-    )
-    .encode_utf16()
-    .chain(std::iter::once(0))
-    .collect();
+    let template: Vec<u16> =
+        format!("%CommonProgramFiles(x86)%\\Steam\\drivers\\Windows10\\{subdir}\\{inf_name}")
+            .encode_utf16()
+            .chain(std::iter::once(0))
+            .collect();
     let mut path = vec![0u16; 1024];
     let n = ExpandEnvironmentStringsW(PCWSTR(template.as_ptr()), Some(path.as_mut_slice()));
     if n == 0 || n as usize > path.len() {
@@ -200,7 +271,7 @@ unsafe fn try_install_virtual_mic() -> bool {
     }
 
     let Ok(newdev) = LoadLibraryExW(w!("newdev.dll"), None, LOAD_LIBRARY_SEARCH_SYSTEM32) else {
-        tracing::warn!("could not load newdev.dll — virtual-mic auto-install unavailable");
+        tracing::warn!("could not load newdev.dll — Steam-audio auto-install unavailable");
         return false;
     };
     let Some(addr) = GetProcAddress(newdev, s!("DiInstallDriverW")) else {
@@ -216,13 +287,17 @@ unsafe fn try_install_virtual_mic() -> bool {
         std::ptr::null_mut(),
     ) != 0;
     if ok {
-        tracing::info!("installed the Steam Streaming Microphone virtual device");
+        tracing::info!(
+            inf = inf_name,
+            "installed a Steam Streaming virtual audio device"
+        );
         std::thread::sleep(Duration::from_secs(5)); // let the audio subsystem register the endpoint
     } else {
         let err = windows::Win32::Foundation::GetLastError();
         tracing::info!(
+            inf = inf_name,
             ?err,
-            "no virtual mic auto-installed (Steam absent / not admin) — see manual-install guidance"
+            "Steam-audio device not auto-installed (Steam absent / not admin) — see install guidance"
         );
     }
     ok

crates/punktfunk-host/src/capture.rs

@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 //! CPU-copy fallback (the portal delivers a CPU buffer; the encoder uploads it to the GPU
 //! internally). Zero-copy dmabuf→NVENC import is deferred (plan §9 risk).
 
+// Every unsafe block in this module tree carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof
+// program). As a parent module this also covers the child modules (capture::windows/linux::*).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
+
 use anyhow::Result;
 
 /// Packed pixel layout of a [`CapturedFrame`]. The ScreenCast portal negotiates the
@@ -58,6 +62,11 @@ pub struct OutputFormat {
     /// HDR: the capturer converts to 10-bit (IDD-push FP16 → `Rgb10a2`; the DDA secure-desktop HDR hint).
     /// `false` = 8-bit SDR.
     pub hdr: bool,
+    /// Full-chroma 4:4:4 session: the capturer must keep full chroma — deliver packed **RGB**
+    /// (`Bgra` / `Rgb10a2`), NOT the subsampled `Nv12`/`P010` the Windows video-engine path produces by
+    /// default — because 4:4:4 can only be recovered from a full-chroma source. NVENC then does the
+    /// RGB→YUV444 CSC at encode (chroma_format_idc=3). `false` on every 4:2:0 session.
+    pub chroma_444: bool,
 }
 
 impl OutputFormat {
@@ -69,6 +78,8 @@ impl OutputFormat {
         OutputFormat {
             gpu: gpu_encode(),
             hdr,
+            // The GameStream + spike paths are always 4:2:0 (4:4:4 is punktfunk/1-native only).
+            chroma_444: false,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -357,13 +368,16 @@ pub fn open_portal_monitor() -> Result<Box<dyn Capturer>> {
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 pub fn capture_virtual_output(
     vout: crate::vdisplay::VirtualOutput,
-    _want: OutputFormat,
+    want: OutputFormat,
     _capture: crate::session_plan::CaptureBackend,
 ) -> Result<Box<dyn Capturer>> {
-    // The Linux host stays 8-bit (HDR is blocked upstream) and the portal negotiates its own format, so
-    // the `OutputFormat` is unused here; the capture backend is always the portal (the `CaptureBackend`
-    // arg is a Windows-only dispatch — ignored here).
-    linux::PortalCapturer::from_virtual_output(vout).map(|c| Box::new(c) as Box<dyn Capturer>)
+    // The Linux host stays 8-bit (HDR is blocked upstream) and the portal negotiates its own pixel
+    // format, so only `want.gpu` is honored here: it gates GPU zero-copy capture (the capture backend
+    // is always the portal — the `CaptureBackend` arg is a Windows-only dispatch). `gpu = false`
+    // (a 4:4:4 NVENC session) forces the CPU mmap path so the encoder gets CPU-resident RGB to swscale
+    // into YUV444P — otherwise it would receive CUDA frames and bail.
+    linux::PortalCapturer::from_virtual_output(vout, want.gpu)
+        .map(|c| Box::new(c) as Box<dyn Capturer>)
 }
 
 /// `PUNKTFUNK_NO_WGC=1` forces the pure single-process DDA (Desktop Duplication) path everywhere: it
@@ -390,6 +404,14 @@ pub fn capture_virtual_output(
     })?;
     let pref = vout.preferred_mode;
     let keep = vout.keepalive;
+    // Full-chroma 4:4:4 needs a full-chroma RGB source. The IDD-push and WGC paths emit subsampled
+    // NV12/P010 by default, which can't reconstruct 4:4:4; route a 4:4:4 session to DDA, which delivers
+    // RGB (Bgra) when its `chroma_444` flag is set. (IDD-push/WGC 4:4:4 capture is a follow-up.)
+    if want.chroma_444 && capture != CaptureBackend::Dda {
+        tracing::info!("4:4:4 session — using DDA capture (RGB source) instead of {capture:?}");
+        return dxgi::DuplCapturer::open(target, pref, keep, want.gpu, false, want.chroma_444)
+            .map(|c| Box::new(c) as Box<dyn Capturer>);
+    }
     // P2 direct frame push (kill DDA): consume frames straight from the pf-vdisplay driver's shared
     // ring — no Desktop Duplication, no win32u reparenting hook. Resolved once in the `SessionPlan`
     // (was re-derived from `config().idd_push` here); `IddPush` takes the keepalive (owns the virtual
@@ -410,8 +432,15 @@ pub fn capture_virtual_output(
                     error = %format!("{e:#}"),
                     "IDD-push open/attach failed — falling back to DDA"
                 );
-                return dxgi::DuplCapturer::open(target, pref, keep, want.gpu, false)
-                    .map(|c| Box::new(c) as Box<dyn Capturer>);
+                return dxgi::DuplCapturer::open(
+                    target,
+                    pref,
+                    keep,
+                    want.gpu,
+                    false,
+                    want.chroma_444,
+                )
+                .map(|c| Box::new(c) as Box<dyn Capturer>);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -422,7 +451,7 @@ pub fn capture_virtual_output(
     // chosen backend (it owns the SudoVDA keepalive), so there's no open-time auto-fallback. The
     // backend choice (`dda`/`dxgi`/`PUNKTFUNK_NO_WGC` → DDA, else WGC) is now resolved once in the plan.
     if capture == CaptureBackend::Dda {
-        return dxgi::DuplCapturer::open(target, pref, keep, want.gpu, false)
+        return dxgi::DuplCapturer::open(target, pref, keep, want.gpu, false, want.chroma_444)
             .map(|c| Box::new(c) as Box<dyn Capturer>);
     }
     // WGC default, with a watchdog'd DDA fallback. WGC's Direct3D11CaptureFramePool::CreateFreeThreaded
@@ -433,6 +462,11 @@ pub fn capture_virtual_output(
     // DDA is the safety net (+ the secure-desktop path). The encode thread is set MTA so the WGC
     // objects built on the watchdog thread (also MTA) are usable here; the keepalive is handed to WGC
     // only on success, else to DDA. A hung watchdog thread is abandoned (holds no keepalive).
+    // SAFETY: `RoInitialize` is a combase FFI call that initializes the WinRT apartment for the calling
+    // thread. It takes the `RO_INIT_MULTITHREADED` enum by value and borrows no memory, so there is no
+    // pointer/lifetime/aliasing obligation; it is safe on any thread and idempotent — a second call on a
+    // thread already in a compatible apartment returns S_FALSE / RPC_E_CHANGED_MODE, which we discard.
+    // Runs on the encode thread that goes on to use the WGC (WinRT) objects built by the watchdog thread.
     unsafe {
         let _ = windows::Win32::System::WinRT::RoInitialize(
             windows::Win32::System::WinRT::RO_INIT_MULTITHREADED,
@@ -452,12 +486,12 @@ pub fn capture_virtual_output(
         }
         Ok(Err(e)) => {
             tracing::warn!(error = %format!("{e:#}"), "WGC open failed — falling back to DDA");
-            dxgi::DuplCapturer::open(target, pref, keep, want.gpu, false)
+            dxgi::DuplCapturer::open(target, pref, keep, want.gpu, false, want.chroma_444)
                 .map(|c| Box::new(c) as Box<dyn Capturer>)
         }
         Err(_) => {
             tracing::warn!("WGC open timed out (CreateFreeThreaded hang on the virtual display) — falling back to DDA");
-            dxgi::DuplCapturer::open(target, pref, keep, want.gpu, false)
+            dxgi::DuplCapturer::open(target, pref, keep, want.gpu, false, want.chroma_444)
                 .map(|c| Box::new(c) as Box<dyn Capturer>)
         }
     }

crates/punktfunk-host/src/capture/linux/mod.rs

@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@
 //! instead of leaking it to process exit. The portal thread (when used) still parks on its zbus
 //! connection until process exit.
 
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof program).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
+
 use super::{CapturedFrame, Capturer, DmabufFrame, FramePayload, PixelFormat};
 use anyhow::{anyhow, Context, Result};
 use std::os::fd::OwnedFd;
@@ -37,6 +40,13 @@ pub struct PortalCapturer {
     /// branch to tell "format never negotiated" (modifier/format mismatch) apart from "negotiated
     /// but no buffers arrived" (compositor idle/unmapped) — the two black-screen root causes.
     negotiated: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    /// True only while the PipeWire stream is `Streaming`. [`try_latest`](Self::try_latest) reads it
+    /// to distinguish a static desktop (alive, no new buffers) from a dead source (left `Streaming`).
+    streaming: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    /// When the stream first dropped out of `Streaming` with no new frame; used to grace a transient
+    /// renegotiation before declaring the source lost. Cleared whenever a frame arrives or the stream
+    /// is `Streaming`.
+    stall_since: Option<std::time::Instant>,
     /// The PipeWire node this capturer consumes — surfaced in error messages for diagnosis.
     node_id: u32,
     /// Stops the PipeWire loop on teardown (sent in `Drop`). Without it a dropped or failed
@@ -79,21 +89,29 @@ impl PortalCapturer {
             node_id,
             "ScreenCast portal session started; connecting PipeWire"
         );
-        Ok(spawn_pipewire(Some(fd), node_id, None)?.into_capturer(node_id, None))
+        // This portal path (GameStream / monitor capture) is always 4:2:0, so allow zero-copy as before.
+        Ok(spawn_pipewire(Some(fd), node_id, None, true)?.into_capturer(node_id, None))
     }
 
     /// Build a capturer from an already-created virtual output ([`crate::vdisplay::VirtualOutput`]):
     /// connect PipeWire to its node (`remote_fd` selects portal-remote vs. default-daemon) and
     /// take ownership of its keepalive so the output lives exactly as long as this capturer. This
     /// is how the client's requested resolution becomes the captured resolution without scaling.
-    pub fn from_virtual_output(vout: crate::vdisplay::VirtualOutput) -> Result<PortalCapturer> {
+    /// `allow_zerocopy` mirrors [`OutputFormat::gpu`](crate::capture::OutputFormat): `false` forces the
+    /// CPU mmap path (a 4:4:4 NVENC session needs CPU-resident RGB), `true` keeps the GPU zero-copy
+    /// path subject to `PUNKTFUNK_ZEROCOPY`.
+    pub fn from_virtual_output(
+        vout: crate::vdisplay::VirtualOutput,
+        allow_zerocopy: bool,
+    ) -> Result<PortalCapturer> {
         tracing::info!(
             node_id = vout.node_id,
+            allow_zerocopy,
             "connecting PipeWire to virtual output"
         );
         let node_id = vout.node_id;
         Ok(
-            spawn_pipewire(vout.remote_fd, node_id, vout.preferred_mode)?
+            spawn_pipewire(vout.remote_fd, node_id, vout.preferred_mode, allow_zerocopy)?
                 .into_capturer(node_id, Some(vout.keepalive)),
         )
     }
@@ -106,6 +124,7 @@ struct PwHandles {
     frames: Receiver<CapturedFrame>,
     active: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     negotiated: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    streaming: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     quit: ::pipewire::channel::Sender<()>,
     join: thread::JoinHandle<()>,
 }
@@ -118,6 +137,8 @@ impl PwHandles {
             frames: self.frames,
             active: self.active,
             negotiated: self.negotiated,
+            streaming: self.streaming,
+            stall_since: None,
             node_id,
             quit: Some(self.quit),
             join: Some(self.join),
@@ -133,6 +154,12 @@ fn spawn_pipewire(
     fd: Option<OwnedFd>,
     node_id: u32,
     preferred: Option<(u32, u32, u32)>,
+    // Allow GPU zero-copy capture (dmabuf→CUDA/VA). `false` forces the CPU mmap path even when
+    // `PUNKTFUNK_ZEROCOPY` is set — a 4:4:4 NVENC session needs CPU-resident RGB (the encoder
+    // swscales RGB→YUV444P; `hevc_nvenc` can't 4:4:4 from a CUDA RGB surface), so the session plan
+    // passes `gpu = false` for it. Without this, a 4:4:4 session under `PUNKTFUNK_ZEROCOPY=1` would
+    // get CUDA frames and the encoder would bail (`want_444 && cuda`).
+    allow_zerocopy: bool,
 ) -> Result<PwHandles> {
     // Frames flow from the pipewire thread over a small bounded channel.
     let (frame_tx, frame_rx) = sync_channel::<CapturedFrame>(8);
@@ -140,11 +167,13 @@ fn spawn_pipewire(
     let active_cb = active.clone();
     let negotiated = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
     let negotiated_cb = negotiated.clone();
+    let streaming = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
+    let streaming_cb = streaming.clone();
     // pipewire's own cross-thread channel: the receiver attaches to the loop and quits it; the
     // sender lives on the capturer and fires in its `Drop`. Absolute `::pipewire` path — the
     // inner `mod pipewire` shadows the crate name at this scope.
     let (quit_tx, quit_rx) = ::pipewire::channel::channel::<()>();
-    let zerocopy = crate::zerocopy::enabled();
+    let zerocopy = allow_zerocopy && crate::zerocopy::enabled();
     let join = thread::Builder::new()
         .name("punktfunk-pipewire".into())
         .spawn(move || {
@@ -154,6 +183,7 @@ fn spawn_pipewire(
                 frame_tx,
                 active_cb,
                 negotiated_cb,
+                streaming_cb,
                 zerocopy,
                 preferred,
                 quit_rx,
@@ -166,6 +196,7 @@ fn spawn_pipewire(
         frames: frame_rx,
         active,
         negotiated,
+        streaming,
         quit: quit_tx,
         join,
     })
@@ -216,6 +247,28 @@ impl Capturer for PortalCapturer {
                 }
             }
         }
+        if latest.is_some() || self.streaming.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+            // A frame arrived, or the source is alive but idle (static desktop) — normal. Clear any
+            // stall and repeat the last frame on `None`, exactly as before.
+            self.stall_since = None;
+            return Ok(latest);
+        }
+        // No new frame AND the stream has left `Streaming` (Paused/Unconnected/Error). The source
+        // went away — a compositor torn down on a Gaming↔Desktop switch, a removed virtual output.
+        // Grace a brief window (a transient mid-stream renegotiation can blip out of Streaming and
+        // back) before declaring it lost so the encode loop rebuilds in place rather than freezing
+        // on the last frame forever.
+        const STALL_GRACE: Duration = Duration::from_millis(1500);
+        let since = *self.stall_since.get_or_insert_with(std::time::Instant::now);
+        if since.elapsed() >= STALL_GRACE {
+            self.stall_since = None;
+            return Err(anyhow!(
+                "PipeWire source stalled (node {}): stream left Streaming for >{}ms with no frames \
+                 — the compositor/virtual output went away (session switch?)",
+                self.node_id,
+                STALL_GRACE.as_millis()
+            ));
+        }
         Ok(latest)
     }
 
@@ -464,6 +517,10 @@ mod pipewire {
         /// Set once a video format is agreed (`param_changed`), so a first-frame timeout can tell
         /// "format never negotiated" apart from "negotiated but no buffers arrived".
         negotiated: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+        /// True only while the PipeWire stream is in `Streaming` (the source is alive). Goes false on
+        /// `Paused`/`Unconnected`/`Error` — the source vanished (compositor torn down on a session
+        /// switch). Read by [`PortalCapturer::try_latest`] to surface a sustained drop as a loss.
+        streaming: Arc<AtomicBool>,
         /// Present when zero-copy is enabled on NVIDIA: imports a dmabuf → CUDA device buffer.
         importer: Option<crate::zerocopy::EglImporter>,
         /// VAAPI zero-copy: hand the raw dmabuf to the encoder (which imports + GPU-CSCs it) instead
@@ -498,6 +555,12 @@ mod pipewire {
 
     impl DmabufMap {
         fn new(fd: i32, len: usize) -> Option<DmabufMap> {
+            // SAFETY: a null `addr` lets the kernel choose the mapping address; `fd` is a caller-owned
+            // dmabuf/MemFd fd, valid for the duration of this call, and `len` is the requested map length.
+            // `mmap` reads no Rust memory — it installs a fresh PROT_READ/MAP_SHARED page mapping and
+            // returns its base (or MAP_FAILED, checked below before `DmabufMap` adopts it). The returned
+            // region is a brand-new VMA, so it aliases no live Rust object, and it keeps the underlying
+            // object mapped independently of `fd` (which may be closed after this returns).
             let ptr = unsafe {
                 libc::mmap(
                     std::ptr::null_mut(),
@@ -514,6 +577,11 @@ mod pipewire {
 
     impl Drop for DmabufMap {
         fn drop(&mut self) {
+            // SAFETY: `self.ptr`/`self.len` are exactly the base+length of a successful `mmap` in
+            // `DmabufMap::new` (constructed only when `ptr != MAP_FAILED`). This `DmabufMap` uniquely owns
+            // that mapping and `drop` runs once, so `munmap` releases a live mapping exactly once — no
+            // double-unmap. Every `&[u8]` derived from the mapping is bounded by this `DmabufMap`'s
+            // lifetime, so no borrow outlives the unmap.
             unsafe {
                 libc::munmap(self.ptr, self.len);
             }
@@ -719,6 +787,14 @@ mod pipewire {
         if !ud.active.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
             return;
         }
+        // SAFETY: `spa_buf` is the `*mut spa_buffer` of the PipeWire buffer we dequeued and still hold for
+        // this `.process` callback (not requeued until after `consume_frame` returns), so it is live. The
+        // block null-checks `spa_buf`, requires `n_datas != 0`, and null-checks the `datas` array pointer
+        // before forming any slice. `(*spa_buf).datas` points to `n_datas` libspa `spa_data` structs, and
+        // `pw::spa::buffer::Data` is `#[repr(transparent)]` over `spa_data` (the same cast
+        // `Buffer::datas_mut` performs — see the function doc), so the pointer cast + length describe
+        // exactly that array, in bounds. The PipeWire loop is single-threaded and owns the buffer here, so
+        // this `&mut` slice is the only reference to it (no aliasing/data race).
         let datas: &mut [pw::spa::buffer::Data] = unsafe {
             if spa_buf.is_null() || (*spa_buf).n_datas == 0 || (*spa_buf).datas.is_null() {
                 &mut []
@@ -783,6 +859,10 @@ mod pipewire {
                         // dup the fd so it survives the SPA buffer recycle — the encode thread
                         // imports it. (Content stability across the brief map+CSC window relies on
                         // the compositor's buffer-pool depth, like any zero-copy capture.)
+                        // SAFETY: `datas[0].fd()` is the dmabuf fd owned by the live PipeWire buffer (valid
+                        // for this callback). `fcntl(fd, F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC, 0)` reads only the integer fd,
+                        // touches no Rust memory, and returns a fresh independent CLOEXEC duplicate (or -1).
+                        // The original stays owned by PipeWire; the dup is a new fd we own (checked >= 0).
                         let dup =
                             unsafe { libc::fcntl(datas[0].fd() as i32, libc::F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC, 0) };
                         if dup >= 0 {
@@ -796,6 +876,10 @@ mod pipewire {
                                 pts_ns,
                                 format: fmt,
                                 payload: FramePayload::Dmabuf(DmabufFrame {
+                                    // SAFETY: `dup` is the fresh fd `fcntl(F_DUPFD_CLOEXEC)` just returned
+                                    // (checked `dup >= 0`); nothing else owns it, so `OwnedFd` takes sole
+                                    // ownership and closes it exactly once on drop — no alias, no
+                                    // double-close.
                                     fd: unsafe { OwnedFd::from_raw_fd(dup) },
                                     fourcc,
                                     modifier: ud.modifier,
@@ -930,6 +1014,11 @@ mod pipewire {
         // cleanly if the real buffer is genuinely too small. MemPtr buffers (no fd) are same-process —
         // trust `d.data()`.
         let fd_len = if raw_fd > 0 {
+            // SAFETY: `libc::stat` is a C plain-old-data struct for which all-zero is a valid value, so
+            // `mem::zeroed()` is a sound initializer. `raw_fd` is the buffer's fd (`> 0` checked here) and
+            // valid for this callback; `fstat` writes metadata into `&mut st`, a live, aligned,
+            // correctly-sized stack `stat` that outlives the synchronous call. `st.st_size` is read only
+            // after the return value is confirmed `== 0`. `st` is a fresh local, so nothing aliases it.
             unsafe {
                 let mut st: libc::stat = std::mem::zeroed();
                 (libc::fstat(raw_fd as i32, &mut st) == 0 && st.st_size > 0)
@@ -946,6 +1035,14 @@ mod pipewire {
             match DmabufMap::new(raw_fd as i32, map_len) {
                 Some(m) => {
                     _mapping = m;
+                    // SAFETY: `_mapping` is the `DmabufMap` just stored; its `ptr`/`len` come from a
+                    // successful `mmap` of `map_len` PROT_READ bytes, so `ptr` is non-null, page-aligned,
+                    // and the VMA is one allocated object of `len` bytes valid for reads. In the common
+                    // path `map_len == fd_len` (the fd's real size from `fstat`), so the mapping spans the
+                    // whole object; the de-pad copy below is further bounded by the `offset <= buf.len()`
+                    // and `needed > avail` guards. The `&[u8]` borrows `_mapping`, which lives to the end
+                    // of `consume_frame`, so the slice never outlives the mapping, and the memory is only
+                    // read here, so there is no aliasing/mutation.
                     Some(unsafe {
                         std::slice::from_raw_parts(_mapping.ptr as *const u8, _mapping.len)
                     })
@@ -1013,6 +1110,7 @@ mod pipewire {
         tx: SyncSender<CapturedFrame>,
         active: Arc<AtomicBool>,
         negotiated: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+        streaming: Arc<AtomicBool>,
         zerocopy: bool,
         preferred: Option<(u32, u32, u32)>,
         quit_rx: pw::channel::Receiver<()>,
@@ -1107,6 +1205,7 @@ mod pipewire {
             tx,
             active,
             negotiated,
+            streaming,
             importer,
             vaapi_passthrough,
             nv12: crate::zerocopy::nv12_enabled(),
@@ -1131,8 +1230,17 @@ mod pipewire {
 
         let _listener = stream
             .add_local_listener_with_user_data(data)
-            .state_changed(|_stream, _ud, old, new| {
+            .state_changed(|_stream, ud, old, new| {
                 tracing::info!(?old, ?new, "pipewire stream state");
+                // Track whether the node is actively producing. A live source sits in `Streaming`
+                // (a static desktop just sends no buffers); anything else — `Paused`/`Unconnected`/
+                // `Error` — means the source went away (compositor died, virtual output removed on a
+                // Gaming↔Desktop switch). `try_latest` turns a sustained non-Streaming state into a
+                // capture-loss so the encode loop rebuilds instead of freezing on the last frame.
+                ud.streaming.store(
+                    matches!(new, pw::stream::StreamState::Streaming),
+                    Ordering::Relaxed,
+                );
             })
             .param_changed(|_stream, ud, id, param| {
                 let Some(param) = param else { return };
@@ -1177,24 +1285,43 @@ mod pipewire {
                     // Latest-frame-only (OBS pattern): Mutter delivers buffers in bursts and
                     // recycles its pool; an older queued buffer carries a STALE frame. Drain all
                     // queued buffers, requeue the older ones, keep only the newest.
+                    // SAFETY: `stream` is the live stream PipeWire passes into this `.process` callback on
+                    // the loop thread, where `pw_stream_dequeue_buffer` is the documented call. It returns
+                    // a `*mut pw_buffer` owned by the stream (or null when the queue is drained),
+                    // null-checked before any use. The loop is single-threaded, so no concurrent access.
                     let mut newest = unsafe { stream.dequeue_raw_buffer() };
                     if newest.is_null() {
                         return;
                     }
                     let mut drained = 1u32;
                     loop {
+                        // SAFETY: same stream/loop-thread contract as the dequeue above; each call returns
+                        // the next stream-owned `*mut pw_buffer` or null (null-checked before use).
                         let next = unsafe { stream.dequeue_raw_buffer() };
                         if next.is_null() {
                             break;
                         }
+                        // SAFETY: `newest` is a non-null `*mut pw_buffer` previously dequeued from this same
+                        // stream and not yet requeued; `pw_stream_queue_buffer` hands ownership back to the
+                        // stream. We immediately overwrite `newest = next`, so the requeued pointer is never
+                        // touched again (no use-after-requeue). Loop thread, single-threaded.
                         unsafe { stream.queue_raw_buffer(newest) };
                         newest = next;
                         drained += 1;
                     }
+                    // SAFETY: `newest` is the non-null buffer we still own (dequeued, not requeued);
+                    // `.buffer` is a `*mut spa_buffer` field libpipewire populated. This is a single field
+                    // load through a valid pointer — no mutation or aliasing.
                     let spa_buf = unsafe { (*newest).buffer };
 
                     // Inspect the newest buffer's header + first chunk for the diagnostic and the
                     // CORRUPTED skip. SPA_META_Header is optional — `hdr` may be null.
+                    // SAFETY: `spa_buf` is the `*mut spa_buffer` of the buffer we still hold.
+                    // `spa_buffer_find_meta_data` scans that buffer's metadata array for a `SPA_META_Header`
+                    // of at least `size_of::<spa_meta_header>()` bytes and returns a pointer into the held
+                    // buffer's metadata (or null). The size argument matches the struct the result is cast
+                    // to, and the pointer stays valid as long as the buffer is held (until requeue). Null is
+                    // handled below.
                     let hdr = unsafe {
                         spa::sys::spa_buffer_find_meta_data(
                             spa_buf,
@@ -1205,11 +1332,20 @@ mod pipewire {
                     let hdr_flags = if hdr.is_null() {
                         0u32
                     } else {
+                        // SAFETY: reached only when `hdr` is non-null; it points to a `spa_meta_header`
+                        // inside the live buffer's metadata (returned for a size >=
+                        // `size_of::<spa_meta_header>()`, so `.flags` is in bounds). A single field read
+                        // while the buffer is still held.
                         unsafe { (*hdr).flags }
                     };
                     // First data chunk's size + flags (used for the diagnostic + CORRUPTED check)
                     // and its data type (a dmabuf legitimately reports chunk size 0, so the size-0
                     // stale skip only applies to mappable SHM buffers).
+                    // SAFETY: every dereference is guarded in order before any field read — `spa_buf`
+                    // non-null, `n_datas > 0`, the `datas` (`*mut spa_data`) array non-null, and the first
+                    // element's `chunk` (`*mut spa_chunk`) non-null. `d0` is that first `spa_data` and `c`
+                    // its chunk; reading `(*d0).type_`, `(*c).size`, `(*c).flags` are in-bounds field loads
+                    // of libspa structs inside the buffer we still hold. Single-threaded loop, no mutation.
                     let (chunk_size, chunk_flags, is_dmabuf) = unsafe {
                         if !spa_buf.is_null()
                             && (*spa_buf).n_datas > 0
@@ -1246,11 +1382,17 @@ mod pipewire {
                                 "capture: skipped a stale CORRUPTED/cursor buffer (GNOME)"
                             );
                         }
+                        // SAFETY: `newest` is the non-null buffer we own (dequeued, never requeued on this
+                        // skip path); hand it back to the stream exactly once and return without touching it
+                        // again. Loop thread inside `.process`.
                         unsafe { stream.queue_raw_buffer(newest) };
                         return;
                     }
 
                     consume_frame(ud, spa_buf);
+                    // SAFETY: `consume_frame` has finished reading `spa_buf` (and the `datas` borrows derived
+                    // from `newest`), so requeuing the owned `newest` exactly once here is sound — no
+                    // use-after-requeue. Loop thread inside `.process`.
                     unsafe { stream.queue_raw_buffer(newest) };
                 }));
                 if outcome.is_err() {

crates/punktfunk-host/src/capture/windows/composed_flip.rs

@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 //! composed while a session is live). Effectiveness can be build/driver-dependent; gated by
 //! `PUNKTFUNK_FORCE_COMPOSED` (default ON; set =0 to disable).
 
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof program).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
+
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use windows::core::w;
@@ -48,6 +51,10 @@ impl ForceComposedFlip {
         let st = stop.clone();
         std::thread::Builder::new()
             .name("composed-flip".into())
+            // SAFETY: `run` is this module's `unsafe fn` (it owns a desktop+window lifecycle via Win32
+            // FFI); it takes ownership of `st` (the stop `Arc<AtomicBool>`) and has no caller-side memory
+            // precondition. It is designed to own its thread for its whole duration — exactly the
+            // dedicated `composed-flip` thread spawned here.
             .spawn(move || unsafe { run(st) })
             .ok()?;
         tracing::info!("force-composed-flip overlay started (Winlogon-aware)");
@@ -62,6 +69,9 @@ impl Drop for ForceComposedFlip {
 }
 
 extern "system" fn wndproc(hwnd: HWND, msg: u32, wp: WPARAM, lp: LPARAM) -> LRESULT {
+    // SAFETY: this is the window procedure the OS invokes with the window's own `hwnd` and a real
+    // message `(msg, wp, lp)`. `DefWindowProcW` performs default processing for exactly those
+    // parameters (all passed straight through by value); it borrows no Rust memory and is synchronous.
     unsafe { DefWindowProcW(hwnd, msg, wp, lp) }
 }
 

crates/punktfunk-host/src/capture/windows/desktop_watch.rs

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //! Input-desktop watcher (Windows) — the authoritative "normal vs secure desktop" signal for the
-//! two-process secure-desktop design (docs/windows-secure-desktop.md).
+//! two-process secure-desktop design (design/archive/windows-secure-desktop.md).
 //!
 //! Windows switches the *input desktop* to "Winlogon" (the secure desktop) for UAC elevation, the
 //! lock screen and the login screen, and back to "Default" for the normal session. WGC captures only
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 //! desktop's NAME (WTS session notifications miss UAC entirely, so the name is the reliable signal)
 //! and publishes it as an atomic the capture mux + input path read.
 
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof program).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
+
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicU8, Ordering};
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::Duration;
@@ -33,6 +36,10 @@ impl DesktopWatcher {
         // mux) sees the real state immediately. Otherwise a session that begins already on the secure
         // desktop (e.g. a reconnect to a locked box) would read DESKTOP_NORMAL for the first poll
         // interval and relay one stale normal-desktop frame — the "flash of the login screen" bug.
+        // SAFETY: `is_secure_desktop` is this module's `unsafe fn` — unsafe only because it calls Win32
+        // desktop FFI (`OpenInputDesktop`/`GetUserObjectInformationW`/`CloseDesktop`), with no caller
+        // precondition; it opens, names, and closes the input-desktop handle internally and is safe to
+        // call from any thread (here, on the thread running `DesktopWatcher::start`).
         let initial = if unsafe { is_secure_desktop() } {
             DESKTOP_SECURE
         } else {
@@ -53,6 +60,9 @@ impl DesktopWatcher {
                 let mut candidate = initial;
                 let mut stable = 0u32;
                 while !st.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+                    // SAFETY: same as in `start` — `is_secure_desktop` is self-contained Win32 desktop
+                    // FFI with no caller precondition, called here on the dedicated `desktop-watch`
+                    // polling thread.
                     let v = if unsafe { is_secure_desktop() } {
                         DESKTOP_SECURE
                     } else {

crates/punktfunk-host/src/capture/windows/dxgi.rs

@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 //! Validates only with a real GPU + an *activated* SudoVDA monitor (`DuplicateOutput` needs a live
 //! WDDM output). Compiles on the GPU-less VM; the pure helpers are unit-tested there.
 
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof program).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
+
 use super::{CapturedFrame, Capturer, FramePayload, PixelFormat};
 use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context, Result};
 use std::ffi::c_void;
@@ -69,7 +72,12 @@ pub struct D3d11Frame {
     pub texture: ID3D11Texture2D,
     pub device: ID3D11Device,
 }
-// COM pointers, used only from the single owning thread.
+// SAFETY: `D3d11Frame` owns an `ID3D11Texture2D` + `ID3D11Device`, which are COM interface pointers.
+// D3D11 devices/resources use thread-safe (interlocked) COM reference counting, and the device is
+// created free-threaded (`make_device` passes no `D3D11_CREATE_DEVICE_SINGLETHREADED`), so handing
+// ownership of the frame to another thread — the capture→encode handoff — and releasing it there is
+// sound. The value is moved, never aliased (no `Sync`), so there is no concurrent use of the
+// single-threaded immediate context.
 unsafe impl Send for D3d11Frame {}
 
 pub fn pack_luid(luid: LUID) -> i64 {
@@ -180,7 +188,8 @@ pub(crate) unsafe fn make_device(
     let device = device.context("null D3D11 device")?;
     let context = context.context("null D3D11 context")?;
 
-    // Apollo-style GPU scheduling hardening (Sunshine display_base.cpp:599-709). Our capture+encode
+    // GPU scheduling hardening — the same approach Sunshine/Apollo use, reimplemented here via the
+    // documented D3DKMT/DXGI APIs (no GPL source copied). Our capture+encode
     // shares the GPU with the streamed game; when the game saturates the GPU our process is starved of
     // GPU time slices, so NVENC sits near-idle yet `lock_bitstream` waits ~20 ms for our context to be
     // scheduled — capping the stream (~47 fps measured at 5K@240) and stuttering. Per-frame copy/convert
@@ -189,7 +198,7 @@ pub(crate) unsafe fn make_device(
     // GPU thread priority and a 1-frame latency cap.
     elevate_process_gpu_priority();
     if let Ok(dxgi_dev) = device.cast::<IDXGIDevice>() {
-        // Apollo's absolute max GPU thread priority (0x4000001E); fall back to relative +7.
+        // The absolute max GPU thread priority (0x4000001E; the same value Sunshine/Apollo use); fall back to relative +7.
         if dxgi_dev.SetGPUThreadPriority(0x4000_001E).is_err()
             && dxgi_dev.SetGPUThreadPriority(7).is_err()
         {
@@ -283,7 +292,8 @@ unsafe fn d3dkmt_set_scheduling_priority_class(
     Some(f(process, prio))
 }
 
-/// Apollo-style GPU scheduling-priority hardening (Sunshine `display_base.cpp:599-709`). On a
+/// GPU scheduling-priority hardening — the same approach as Sunshine/Apollo, independently
+/// implemented via the documented D3DKMT APIs (no GPL source copied). On a
 /// GPU-saturated game our capture+encode process is starved of GPU time slices — NVENC sits ~idle but
 /// `lock_bitstream` waits ~20 ms for our context to be scheduled. Elevating the PROCESS GPU scheduling
 /// priority class (the strong cross-process lever — far more effective than `SetGPUThreadPriority`
@@ -295,6 +305,12 @@ unsafe fn d3dkmt_set_scheduling_priority_class(
 fn elevate_process_gpu_priority() {
     use std::sync::Once;
     static ONCE: Once = Once::new();
+    // SAFETY: the closure calls two of this module's `unsafe fn`s — `enable_inc_base_priority`
+    // (adjusts the current-process token; it has no caller precondition and builds all its FFI args
+    // locally) and `d3dkmt_set_scheduling_priority_class` (loads gdi32 by name and calls the export).
+    // The latter requires `process` to be a valid process handle; `GetCurrentProcess()` returns the
+    // current-process pseudo-handle, which is always valid and needs no close. Runs once via
+    // `Once::call_once`; no raw pointers are dereferenced here.
     ONCE.call_once(|| unsafe {
         use windows::Win32::System::Threading::GetCurrentProcess;
         let Some(prio) = configured_gpu_priority_class() else {
@@ -518,7 +534,9 @@ const ES_DISPLAY_REQUIRED: u32 = 0x0000_0002;
 
 /// Replacement for `win32u.dll!NtGdiDdDDIGetCachedHybridQueryValue`: always report
 /// `D3DKMT_GPU_PREFERENCE_STATE_UNSPECIFIED` (3). We fully replace the function (never call the
-/// original), so no trampoline is needed. (Ported verbatim from Apollo's MinHook hook.)
+/// original), so no trampoline is needed. (Independent reimplementation of the same technique Apollo
+/// uses: Apollo installs its hook via the MinHook library; this is an original inline byte-patch and
+/// copies no Apollo/GPL source.)
 unsafe extern "system" fn hybrid_query_hook(gpu_preference: *mut u32) -> i32 {
     HYBRID_HOOK_HITS.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
     if gpu_preference.is_null() {
@@ -528,7 +546,8 @@ unsafe extern "system" fn hybrid_query_hook(gpu_preference: *mut u32) -> i32 {
     0 // STATUS_SUCCESS
 }
 
-/// Apollo's win32u GPU-preference hook, ported. On a HYBRID-GPU box DXGI resolves a GPU preference
+/// The win32u GPU-preference hook (the same technique Apollo applies, reimplemented here from the
+/// documented DDI — no GPL source copied). On a HYBRID-GPU box DXGI resolves a GPU preference
 /// (registry + power settings + the hybrid-adapter DDI) and REPARENTS outputs onto the chosen render
 /// GPU — which constantly invalidates Desktop Duplication (DXGI_ERROR_ACCESS_LOST 0x887A0026, the
 /// freeze/churn observed on the RTX 4090 + AMD iGPU box; `SET_RENDER_ADAPTER` is ignored there). Faking
@@ -538,6 +557,17 @@ unsafe extern "system" fn hybrid_query_hook(gpu_preference: *mut u32) -> i32 {
 pub(crate) fn install_gpu_pref_hook() {
     use std::sync::Once;
     static HOOK: Once = Once::new();
+    // SAFETY: this one-time hook install only touches a region it has just validated.
+    // `LoadLibraryA("win32u.dll")` + `GetProcAddress("NtGdiDdDDIGetCachedHybridQueryValue")` yield the
+    // live base of the real exported function, so `target` is a valid executable code pointer to at
+    // least the 12 bytes the patch overwrites (an x64 prologue). The two
+    // `ptr::copy_nonoverlapping`s each move exactly 12 bytes between the 12-byte stack arrays
+    // (`patch`/`readback`) and `target`, which `VirtualProtect(target, 12, PAGE_EXECUTE_READWRITE, …)`
+    // has just made writable (and is restored to `old` after) — source and dest never overlap (stack
+    // vs. loaded module image), so every access stays in mapped, in-bounds memory.
+    // `FlushInstructionCache` gets the current-process pseudo-handle + that same range. The DPI calls
+    // take by-value context handles / fill the live local `&mut old`/`&mut restore` for the duration of
+    // each synchronous call. Runs once via `Once::call_once`, before any DXGI use.
     HOOK.call_once(|| unsafe {
         use windows::Win32::System::LibraryLoader::{GetProcAddress, LoadLibraryA};
         use windows::Win32::System::Memory::{
@@ -1389,6 +1419,14 @@ pub fn hdr_p010_selftest() -> Result<()> {
         }
     }
 
+    // SAFETY: this self-test creates its own D3D11 device + immediate context (`D3D11CreateDevice`,
+    // both checked non-null) and uses ONLY that device for the rest of the block: every
+    // `CreateTexture2D`/`CreateShaderResourceView`/`HdrP010Converter::{new,convert}`/`CopyResource`/
+    // `Map` is invoked on that device or its context, so all resources share one device and run on this
+    // single thread. The source texture's `D3D11_SUBRESOURCE_DATA` points at `fp16`, a live
+    // `Vec<u16>` of `W*H*4` samples with `SysMemPitch = W*8`, matching the W×H R16G16B16A16 texture;
+    // `fp16` outlives the synchronous `CreateTexture2D` that reads it. The mapped-pointer reads are
+    // proven individually at the `read_u16` closure below.
     unsafe {
         // Hardware D3D11 device (no adapter pin — the default GPU is fine for the self-test).
         let mut device: Option<ID3D11Device> = None;
@@ -1977,6 +2015,10 @@ pub struct DuplCapturer {
     /// first, retried (legacy DuplicateOutput can't capture HDR). Set for the secure-desktop DDA leg
     /// when the SudoVDA is in HDR; threaded into every (re)duplication incl. ACCESS_LOST recovery.
     want_hdr: bool,
+    /// Full-chroma 4:4:4 session: deliver packed RGB (`Bgra` SDR / `Rgb10a2` HDR) and SKIP the
+    /// video-engine RGB→YUV (NV12/P010) conversion — NVENC reconstructs 4:4:4 only from a full-chroma
+    /// source, so we hand it the RGB texture and it CSCs to YUV444 at encode (chroma_format_idc=3).
+    chroma_444: bool,
     /// HDR (scRGB FP16) capture state. Set when the duplication surface is `R16G16B16A16_FLOAT`
     /// (the desktop has HDR on). The frame can't be `CopyResource`d into a BGRA target, so the HDR
     /// path copies it into an FP16 SRV texture, composites the cursor, then runs [`HdrConverter`] to
@@ -2038,7 +2080,11 @@ pub struct DuplCapturer {
     dbg_cursor: u64,
     _keepalive: Box<dyn Send>,
 }
-// COM objects used only from the one thread that owns the capturer (the encode thread).
+// SAFETY: `DuplCapturer` holds D3D11 device/context/duplication COM pointers plus plain data. The
+// device is created free-threaded (`make_device` sets no `D3D11_CREATE_DEVICE_SINGLETHREADED`) and
+// COM reference counting is interlocked, so moving ownership of the whole capturer to another thread
+// is sound. It is used by exactly one thread (the encode thread) at a time — moved to it once, never
+// shared (no `Sync`) — so the single-threaded immediate context is never touched concurrently.
 unsafe impl Send for DuplCapturer {}
 
 impl DuplCapturer {
@@ -2050,7 +2096,16 @@ impl DuplCapturer {
         // stage 5) so the capturer never re-derives the encode backend itself.
         gpu: bool,
         want_hdr: bool,
+        // 4:4:4 session → deliver RGB, skip the NV12/P010 video-engine conversion (see the field doc).
+        chroma_444: bool,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
+        // SAFETY: runs on the capture thread that will own this `DuplCapturer`. `install_gpu_pref_hook()`
+        // and the DPI-context calls take by-value handles / no args and touch only thread/process state;
+        // `SetThreadExecutionState` takes a flags bitmask by value. `CreateDXGIFactory1` yields a live
+        // `IDXGIFactory1`, and every subsequent COM method (`EnumAdapters1`/`EnumOutputs`/`GetDesc1`/
+        // `GetDesc`/`cast`) is called on that factory or on an adapter/output it returned — each obtained
+        // through a checked `while let Ok(..)`/`?` — all from this one thread. No raw pointers are
+        // dereferenced; the borrowed strings/locals outlive each synchronous call.
         unsafe {
             // Stop DXGI hybrid-GPU output reparenting BEFORE we create the factory / enumerate outputs
             // (the cause of the 0x887A0026 ACCESS_LOST churn on this hybrid box: RTX 4090 + AMD iGPU).
@@ -2267,6 +2322,7 @@ impl DuplCapturer {
                 gpu_copy: None,
                 last_present: None,
                 want_hdr,
+                chroma_444,
                 hdr_fp16: is_hdr_init,
                 hdr_meta: hdr_meta_init,
                 fp16_src: None,
@@ -3044,7 +3100,10 @@ impl DuplCapturer {
                                                     // Video-engine path: scRGB FP16 → BT.2020 PQ P010 on the VIDEO engine (no 3D shader, and
                                                     // NVENC encodes P010 natively). Fall back to the HdrConverter pixel shader (3D) only if the
                                                     // video processor is unavailable.
-            if let Some(p010) = self.convert_to_yuv(&src, true) {
+            if let Some(p010) = (!self.chroma_444)
+                .then(|| self.convert_to_yuv(&src, true))
+                .flatten()
+            {
                 self.last_present = Some((p010.clone(), PixelFormat::P010));
                 return Ok(CapturedFrame {
                     width: self.width,
@@ -3104,7 +3163,10 @@ impl DuplCapturer {
             // conversion AND NVENC's encode stay OFF the 3D engine — the only way to keep up when a
             // game pins the 3D engine at ~100%. Fall back to handing NVENC the BGRA texture (it then
             // does RGB→YUV internally on the 3D/compute engine).
-            if let Some(nv12) = self.convert_to_yuv(&gpu, false) {
+            if let Some(nv12) = (!self.chroma_444)
+                .then(|| self.convert_to_yuv(&gpu, false))
+                .flatten()
+            {
                 self.last_present = Some((nv12.clone(), PixelFormat::Nv12));
                 return Ok(CapturedFrame {
                     width: self.width,
@@ -3207,6 +3269,11 @@ impl Capturer for DuplCapturer {
         // the duplication up to 12 s). Better a few seconds of frozen-last-frame than dropping the stream.
         let mut deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(20);
         loop {
+            // SAFETY: `acquire` is an `unsafe fn` because it drives the D3D11 immediate context + the
+            // output duplication, which must be touched only from the capturer's owning thread.
+            // `next_frame` runs on that one thread — `DuplCapturer` is `Send` but not `Sync`, so it is
+            // owned by a single (encode) thread for its whole life — and `&mut self` gives exclusive
+            // access for the call, satisfying that contract.
             if let Some(f) = unsafe { self.acquire() }? {
                 self.ever_got_frame = true;
                 return Ok(f);
@@ -3253,6 +3320,8 @@ impl Capturer for DuplCapturer {
     }
 
     fn try_latest(&mut self) -> Result<Option<CapturedFrame>> {
+        // SAFETY: as in `next_frame` — `acquire` must run on the capturer's single owning thread, and
+        // `try_latest` is called on it (`DuplCapturer` is `Send`, not `Sync`); `&mut self` is exclusive.
         unsafe { self.acquire() }
     }
 
@@ -3264,11 +3333,19 @@ impl Capturer for DuplCapturer {
 impl Drop for DuplCapturer {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
         if self.holding_frame {
+            // SAFETY: `self.dupl` is the live `IDXGIOutputDuplication` this capturer created and owns;
+            // `ReleaseFrame` is a valid COM method on it, called only when `holding_frame` records that a
+            // frame was acquired and not yet released (so it is not an unbalanced release). Drop runs on
+            // whichever thread owns the capturer — its sole owner, since it is `!Sync` — and the `&`
+            // borrow of the duplication outlives this synchronous call.
             unsafe {
                 let _ = self.dupl.as_ref().map(|d| d.ReleaseFrame());
             }
         }
         // Release the display/system-required execution state we took at open().
+        // SAFETY: `SetThreadExecutionState` is a Win32 FFI call taking an execution-state flag bitmask
+        // by value (`ES_CONTINUOUS` clears the display/system-required state taken at open); it borrows
+        // no Rust memory and is safe to call from any thread.
         unsafe {
             SetThreadExecutionState(ES_CONTINUOUS);
         }

crates/punktfunk-host/src/capture/windows/idd_push.rs

@@ -10,24 +10,25 @@
 //! [`pf_driver_proto::frame`] (which OWNS the contract, with `const` size asserts) — both sides
 //! `use` it, so drift is a compile error rather than a "must match" comment.
 
-use super::dxgi::{make_device, D3d11Frame, HdrConverter, WinCaptureTarget};
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof program).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
+
+use super::dxgi::{make_device, D3d11Frame, HdrP010Converter, VideoConverter, WinCaptureTarget};
 use super::{CapturedFrame, Capturer, FramePayload, PixelFormat};
 use anyhow::{bail, Context, Result};
 use pf_driver_proto::frame;
-use std::ffi::c_void;
 use std::os::windows::io::{AsRawHandle, FromRawHandle, OwnedHandle};
 use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicU32, AtomicU64, Ordering};
 use std::time::{Duration, Instant, SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};
 use windows::core::{w, Interface, HSTRING};
 use windows::Win32::Foundation::{HANDLE, INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE, LUID};
 use windows::Win32::Graphics::Direct3D11::{
-    ID3D11Device, ID3D11DeviceContext, ID3D11RenderTargetView, ID3D11ShaderResourceView,
-    ID3D11Texture2D, D3D11_BIND_RENDER_TARGET, D3D11_BIND_SHADER_RESOURCE,
-    D3D11_RESOURCE_MISC_SHARED_KEYEDMUTEX, D3D11_RESOURCE_MISC_SHARED_NTHANDLE,
-    D3D11_TEXTURE2D_DESC, D3D11_USAGE_DEFAULT,
+    ID3D11Device, ID3D11DeviceContext, ID3D11ShaderResourceView, ID3D11Texture2D,
+    D3D11_BIND_RENDER_TARGET, D3D11_BIND_SHADER_RESOURCE, D3D11_RESOURCE_MISC_SHARED_KEYEDMUTEX,
+    D3D11_RESOURCE_MISC_SHARED_NTHANDLE, D3D11_TEXTURE2D_DESC, D3D11_USAGE_DEFAULT,
 };
 use windows::Win32::Graphics::Dxgi::Common::{
-    DXGI_FORMAT, DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM, DXGI_FORMAT_R10G10B10A2_UNORM,
+    DXGI_FORMAT, DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM, DXGI_FORMAT_NV12, DXGI_FORMAT_P010,
     DXGI_FORMAT_R16G16B16A16_FLOAT, DXGI_SAMPLE_DESC,
 };
 use windows::Win32::Graphics::Dxgi::{
@@ -132,6 +133,41 @@ struct HostSlot {
     srv: ID3D11ShaderResourceView,
 }
 
+/// RAII guard over an [`IDXGIKeyedMutex`]: [`acquire`](Self::acquire) does `AcquireSync(key, timeout)`,
+/// `Drop` does `ReleaseSync(key)`. So the lock is released even if the work between acquire and the end
+/// of the guard's scope `?`-returns or panics — the "leak the keyed-mutex lock → stall the driver on
+/// that slot" footgun the consume loop guards against by hand. Keeps the hot loop free of a raw
+/// `ReleaseSync` that a future early-return could skip.
+struct KeyedMutexGuard<'a> {
+    mutex: &'a IDXGIKeyedMutex,
+    key: u64,
+}
+
+impl<'a> KeyedMutexGuard<'a> {
+    /// Acquire `mutex` at `key`, waiting up to `timeout_ms`. `None` if the acquire times out / errors
+    /// (the caller skips the frame), so the guard is only ever held when the lock is genuinely held.
+    fn acquire(
+        mutex: &'a IDXGIKeyedMutex,
+        key: u64,
+        timeout_ms: u32,
+    ) -> Option<KeyedMutexGuard<'a>> {
+        // SAFETY: `mutex` is a live `IDXGIKeyedMutex` on this thread's immediate-context device.
+        if unsafe { mutex.AcquireSync(key, timeout_ms) }.is_err() {
+            return None;
+        }
+        Some(KeyedMutexGuard { mutex, key })
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for KeyedMutexGuard<'_> {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: we hold `mutex` at `key` (acquired in `acquire`, never released elsewhere); release it.
+        unsafe {
+            let _ = self.mutex.ReleaseSync(self.key);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Creates + owns the shared ring; yields the driver's frames as [`FramePayload::D3d11`].
 pub struct IddPushCapturer {
     device: ID3D11Device,
@@ -171,21 +207,33 @@ pub struct IddPushCapturer {
     /// cleared when a fresh frame resumes. If it stays set past the recovery window, `try_consume` drops
     /// the session (recover-or-drop, no DDA).
     recovering_since: Option<Instant>,
-    /// Host-owned ROTATING output ring NVENC encodes (texture + RTV per slot). Rotating it per frame is
-    /// the precondition for pipelining the encode loop: while NVENC encodes frame N's texture on the
-    /// ASIC, frame N+1's convert/copy writes a DIFFERENT texture on the 3D engine — the two overlap. The
-    /// HDR convert and the SDR copy both write into the current slot. Format = `out_format()` (Rgb10a2 in
-    /// HDR, Bgra in SDR); rebuilt on a display-mode flip. Built lazily.
-    out_ring: Vec<(ID3D11Texture2D, ID3D11RenderTargetView)>,
+    /// Host-owned ROTATING output ring NVENC encodes (one YUV texture per slot). Rotating it per frame
+    /// is the precondition for pipelining the encode loop: while NVENC encodes frame N's texture on the
+    /// ASIC, frame N+1's convert writes a DIFFERENT texture — the two overlap. Format = `out_format()`:
+    /// NV12 (SDR, BT.709 limited) or P010 (HDR, BT.2020 PQ limited), so NVENC takes native YUV and skips
+    /// its internal RGB→YUV CSC on the SM/3D engine the game saturates (plan §5.A). Rebuilt on a
+    /// display-mode flip. Built lazily.
+    out_ring: Vec<ID3D11Texture2D>,
     out_idx: usize,
-    /// FP16 scRGB → `Rgb10a2` BT.2020 PQ converter, used while the display is HDR. Built lazily.
-    hdr_conv: Option<HdrConverter>,
+    /// BGRA slot → NV12 (BT.709 limited) on the dedicated D3D11 VIDEO engine, used while the display is
+    /// SDR — keeps the colour-convert OFF the contended 3D/compute engine. Built lazily; rebuilt on a
+    /// size/HDR flip.
+    video_conv: Option<VideoConverter>,
+    /// FP16 scRGB slot → P010 (BT.2020 PQ limited) via two shader passes, used while the display is HDR
+    /// (NVIDIA's VideoProcessor can't do RGB→P010). The passes run on the 3D engine, but it still skips
+    /// NVENC's internal SM-side CSC. Built lazily.
+    hdr_p010_conv: Option<HdrP010Converter>,
     last_seq: u64,
     last_present: Option<(ID3D11Texture2D, PixelFormat)>,
     status_logged: bool,
     _keepalive: Box<dyn Send>,
 }
-// COM objects used only from the owning (encode) thread.
+// SAFETY: `IddPushCapturer` is `!Send` only because of its `*mut SharedHeader`/`*mut DebugBlock` raw
+// pointers (and the COM interfaces). It is created, used, and dropped by a SINGLE thread — the owning
+// capture/encode thread — never shared: the `ID3D11DeviceContext` is the device's IMMEDIATE context
+// (single-threaded by D3D11 contract) and is only ever touched from that thread, and the header/
+// dbg_block pointers (into mappings this struct owns) are only dereferenced there. `Send` transfers
+// ownership to one thread at a time with NO concurrent access; we do not (and must not) claim `Sync`.
 unsafe impl Send for IddPushCapturer {}
 
 /// Build a permissive (Everyone:GenericAll) `SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES` so the restricted WUDFHost driver
@@ -303,6 +351,9 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
         // a fullscreen game can hold the virtual display at a different mode (esp. across a reconnect), so
         // matching the actual mode lets the first frame flow instead of being dropped (game-capture bug
         // GB1). Falls back to the negotiated mode when the CCD read is unavailable.
+        // SAFETY: `active_resolution` is an `unsafe fn` (Win32 CCD `QueryDisplayConfig`) that takes only a
+        // copy of the plain `u32` CCD target id and returns owned `(w, h)` values; it forms no borrows from
+        // us and validates the id internally, returning `None` on any failure (handled by `unwrap_or`).
         let (w, h) =
             unsafe { crate::win_display::active_resolution(target.target_id) }.unwrap_or((pw, ph));
         if (w, h) != (pw, ph) {
@@ -321,6 +372,27 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
         // PROACTIVELY enable advanced color so HDR streams without the user toggling anything; an
         // SDR-only client leaves the display alone (and still gets a tone-mapped picture, never a freeze,
         // if the user does enable HDR).
+        // SAFETY: one block over the whole ring setup; every operation in it is sound:
+        // - `set_advanced_color`/`advanced_color_enabled` are `unsafe fn`s taking only a copy of the plain
+        //   `u32` target id; they read/flip CCD display config and return owned values, borrowing nothing.
+        // - `CreateDXGIFactory1`, `EnumAdapterByLuid`, `make_device`, `permissive_sa`, `CreateFileMappingW`,
+        //   `MapViewOfFile`, `CreateEventW`, and `create_ring_slots` are all `?`-checked, so every returned
+        //   interface/handle/view is non-error before use; `&sa`/`&adapter`/`&device`/the `&HSTRING` names
+        //   are live borrows that outlive each synchronous call, and `sa.lpSecurityDescriptor` stays valid
+        //   because its backing `_psd` is held in scope for the whole block.
+        // - The header mapping is created AND viewed at `bytes == size_of::<SharedHeader>().max(64)`; the
+        //   view's null is checked (`bail!` on failure, after which the owned `map` closes the mapping). The
+        //   OS view base is page-aligned, so `section.ptr::<SharedHeader>()` is suitably aligned for a
+        //   `SharedHeader`, and `write_bytes(.., 0, bytes)` plus the `(*header).field = ..` writes all stay
+        //   within those `bytes` and write THROUGH the raw pointer without forming any `&mut`. The debug
+        //   section is the same pattern at `dbg_bytes == size_of::<DebugBlock>()`, only entered when its
+        //   own view is non-null.
+        // - The `magic` publish stores through `addr_of!((*header).magic) as *const AtomicU32`: `addr_of!`
+        //   takes the field address without a reference; the field is a 4-aligned `u32` (valid for
+        //   `AtomicU32`), and the `Release` store after the `Release` fence is the cross-process handshake
+        //   that orders all preceding writes before the driver may observe `MAGIC`.
+        // - `header`/`dbg_block` point into the OS mappings, NOT into the `MappedSection` structs, so moving
+        //   `section`/`dbg_section` into `me` leaves them valid (see the `MappedSection` doc comment).
         unsafe {
             // If we ENABLE advanced color for a 10-bit client, trust it (the driver will compose FP16) and
             // size the ring FP16 directly — don't race the advanced_color_enabled poll, which may not have
@@ -365,7 +437,7 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
             // Own the mapping handle so it (and its view) free via `MappedSection` RAII even on bail.
             let map = OwnedHandle::from_raw_handle(map.0 as _);
             let view = MapViewOfFile(
-                HANDLE(map.as_raw_handle() as *mut c_void),
+                HANDLE(map.as_raw_handle()),
                 FILE_MAP_ALL_ACCESS,
                 0,
                 0,
@@ -415,7 +487,7 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
                     // Own the mapping handle so it (and its view) free via `MappedSection` RAII.
                     let dm = OwnedHandle::from_raw_handle(dm.0 as _);
                     let dv = MapViewOfFile(
-                        HANDLE(dm.as_raw_handle() as *mut c_void),
+                        HANDLE(dm.as_raw_handle()),
                         FILE_MAP_ALL_ACCESS,
                         0,
                         0,
@@ -470,7 +542,8 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
                 recovering_since: None,
                 out_ring: Vec::new(),
                 out_idx: 0,
-                hdr_conv: None,
+                video_conv: None,
+                hdr_p010_conv: None,
                 last_seq: 0,
                 last_present: None,
                 status_logged: false,
@@ -489,7 +562,7 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
 
     /// Block (bounded) until the driver has ATTACHED to the host ring (`DRV_STATUS_OPENED`) **and published
     /// a first frame**, else fail so the caller can fall back to DDA (audit §5.1 +
-    /// `docs/windows-host-rewrite.md` §2.5 — the GB1 game-capture fix).
+    /// `design/windows-host-rewrite.md` §2.5 — the GB1 game-capture fix).
     ///
     /// Requiring the first frame — not just the attach — catches the *reconnect-into-a-broken-state* case:
     /// a fullscreen game can leave the virtual display in a format/size that the driver's `publish()` guard
@@ -500,10 +573,16 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
     fn wait_for_attach(&self) -> Result<()> {
         let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(4);
         loop {
-            // Plain read: the driver writes this u32; an aligned u32 read can't tear (same access as
+            // SAFETY: `self.header` points into the live shared-header mapping this capturer owns (sized
+            // `>= size_of::<SharedHeader>()`, page-aligned), so the field read is in-bounds + aligned, and
+            // no reference into the shared region is formed. Plain read: the driver writes this `u32`
+            // cross-process, but an aligned `u32` read can't tear and `driver_status` is best-effort
+            // diagnostics — the real handshake is the atomic `magic`/`latest` (same access as
             // log_driver_status_once).
             let st = unsafe { (*self.header).driver_status };
             if matches!(st, DRV_STATUS_TEX_FAIL | DRV_STATUS_NO_DEVICE1) {
+                // SAFETY: as above — an in-bounds, aligned `u32` read of a best-effort diagnostic field
+                // through the owned, live header mapping; no reference into the shared region is formed.
                 let detail = unsafe { (*self.header).driver_status_detail };
                 bail!(
                     "IDD-push driver failed to attach (driver_status={st} detail=0x{detail:08x} — \
@@ -526,6 +605,10 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
 
     #[inline]
     fn latest(&self) -> u64 {
+        // SAFETY: `self.header` is the live, owned shared-header mapping (page-aligned, sized for a
+        // `SharedHeader`). `addr_of!((*self.header).latest)` forms the address of the `latest` field
+        // WITHOUT a reference; it is an 8-aligned `u64` (so valid for `AtomicU64`), and the `Acquire` load
+        // is the consumer half of the cross-process publish handshake (pairs with the driver's `Release`).
         unsafe {
             (*(std::ptr::addr_of!((*self.header).latest) as *const AtomicU64))
                 .load(Ordering::Acquire)
@@ -537,6 +620,10 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
         if self.status_logged {
             return;
         }
+        // SAFETY: four in-bounds, aligned reads of the live, owned shared-header mapping. The driver writes
+        // these `u32`/`i32` diagnostic fields cross-process, but aligned word reads can't tear and these are
+        // best-effort status (the real handshake is the atomic `magic`/`latest`); no `&`/`&mut` reference
+        // into the shared region is formed.
         let (status, detail, lo, hi) = unsafe {
             (
                 (*self.header).driver_status,
@@ -576,6 +663,11 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
             tracing::warn!("IDD push DEBUG: no debug block");
             return;
         }
+        // SAFETY: `self.dbg_block` was just checked non-null (the early return above); it points into the
+        // owned `dbg_section` mapping sized exactly `size_of::<DebugBlock>()` and page-aligned, so it is
+        // valid + aligned for `DebugBlock`. `d` is a short-lived SHARED reference used only to read the
+        // fields below; we never form `&mut` into this region, and the driver's cross-process writes are
+        // aligned `u32`s that don't tear (best-effort bring-up diagnostics).
         let d = unsafe { &*self.dbg_block };
         tracing::error!(
             run_core_entries = d.run_core_entries,
@@ -591,16 +683,17 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
         );
     }
 
-    /// The output texture format + the [`PixelFormat`] it presents as, driven SOLELY by the DISPLAY's
-    /// HDR state (like the WGC path): HDR → `Rgb10a2` BT.2020 PQ → NVENC Main10, and the client
-    /// auto-detects PQ from the HEVC VUI; SDR → 8-bit `Bgra`. We do NOT gate HDR on the client's
-    /// advertised `VIDEO_CAP_10BIT` — clients under-report it (e.g. the Mac advertises 10-bit only when
-    /// its OWN display is HDR), yet all decode Main10 + auto-switch, exactly as on the WGC path.
+    /// The output texture format + the [`PixelFormat`] NVENC encodes, driven SOLELY by the DISPLAY's HDR
+    /// state (like the WGC path): HDR → `P010` (BT.2020 PQ 10-bit limited) → NVENC Main10, and the client
+    /// auto-detects PQ from the HEVC VUI; SDR → `Nv12` (BT.709 8-bit limited). Both are native YUV so
+    /// NVENC skips its internal RGB→YUV CSC on the contended SM (plan §5.A). We do NOT gate HDR on the
+    /// client's advertised `VIDEO_CAP_10BIT` — clients under-report it (e.g. the Mac advertises 10-bit
+    /// only when its OWN display is HDR), yet all decode Main10 + auto-switch, exactly as on the WGC path.
     fn out_format(&self) -> (DXGI_FORMAT, PixelFormat) {
         if self.display_hdr {
-            (DXGI_FORMAT_R10G10B10A2_UNORM, PixelFormat::Rgb10a2)
+            (DXGI_FORMAT_P010, PixelFormat::P010)
         } else {
-            (DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM, PixelFormat::Bgra)
+            (DXGI_FORMAT_NV12, PixelFormat::Nv12)
         }
     }
 
@@ -624,6 +717,10 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
         self.height = new_h;
         let fmt = self.ring_format();
         let new_gen = IDD_GENERATION.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        // SAFETY: `create_ring_slots` is an `unsafe fn` (it makes D3D11/DXGI COM calls); we pass a live
+        // borrow of `self.device` (the capturer's own device, on which the slots are created) plus plain
+        // `u32`/`DXGI_FORMAT` values, and `?` propagates any failure before the slots are used. Every
+        // returned slot's texture + keyed mutex belongs to that same `self.device`.
         let new_slots = unsafe {
             Self::create_ring_slots(
                 &self.device,
@@ -634,6 +731,12 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
                 fmt,
             )?
         };
+        // SAFETY: `self.header` is the live, owned shared-header mapping (page-aligned, sized for a
+        // `SharedHeader`). The `latest`/`generation` stores go through `addr_of!`-formed field pointers (no
+        // references) of correctly-aligned `u64`/`u32` fields, valid for `AtomicU64`/`AtomicU32`; the
+        // `dxgi_format`/`width`/`height` writes are in-bounds raw writes through the pointer (no `&mut`).
+        // The `Release` fence + the `Release` `generation` store publish all preceding writes so the driver
+        // only re-attaches (`Acquire`) once the new textures + format are in place.
         unsafe {
             // Clear `latest` to the 0 sentinel (generation 0, which try_consume rejects). The real guard
             // against consuming an unwritten new-ring slot is the generation tag in `latest`: a stale
@@ -654,6 +757,8 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
         self.generation = new_gen;
         self.last_seq = 0;
         self.out_ring.clear(); // the output format changed → rebuild lazily at the new format
+        self.video_conv = None; // converters are sized + HDR-specific → rebuild at the new mode
+        self.hdr_p010_conv = None;
         self.out_idx = 0;
         self.last_present = None;
         Ok(())
@@ -667,9 +772,13 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
             return;
         }
         self.last_acm_poll = Instant::now();
+        // SAFETY: `advanced_color_enabled` is an `unsafe fn` taking only a copy of the plain `u32` target
+        // id; it performs a read-only CCD query and returns an owned `bool`, borrowing nothing from us.
         let now_hdr = unsafe { crate::win_display::advanced_color_enabled(self.target_id) };
         // Follow the display's ACTUAL resolution too — a fullscreen game can mode-set the virtual display
         // out from under the negotiated size (game-capture bug GB1). Unknown read → keep our current size.
+        // SAFETY: `active_resolution` is an `unsafe fn` taking only a copy of the plain `u32` target id; it
+        // performs a read-only CCD query and returns owned `(w, h)` values, borrowing nothing from us.
         let (now_w, now_h) = unsafe { crate::win_display::active_resolution(self.target_id) }
             .unwrap_or((self.width, self.height));
         if now_hdr == self.display_hdr && now_w == self.width && now_h == self.height {
@@ -708,31 +817,46 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
                 Quality: 0,
             },
             Usage: D3D11_USAGE_DEFAULT,
-            BindFlags: (D3D11_BIND_RENDER_TARGET.0 | D3D11_BIND_SHADER_RESOURCE.0) as u32,
+            // RENDER_TARGET: the VIDEO processor (NV12) and the P010 shader passes both write here, and
+            // NVENC registers it as encode input — matching the WGC YUV ring.
+            BindFlags: D3D11_BIND_RENDER_TARGET.0 as u32,
             CPUAccessFlags: 0,
             MiscFlags: 0,
         };
         for _ in 0..OUT_RING {
             let mut t: Option<ID3D11Texture2D> = None;
-            let mut rtv: Option<ID3D11RenderTargetView> = None;
+            // SAFETY: `CreateTexture2D` is called on `self.device` (the capturer's live D3D11 device);
+            // `&desc` is a fully-initialized stack `D3D11_TEXTURE2D_DESC`, the data arg is `None` (no
+            // initial data), and `Some(&mut t)` is a live out-parameter the call fills. `?` rejects a failed
+            // HRESULT before `t` is unwrapped, and the created texture belongs to `self.device`.
             unsafe {
                 self.device
                     .CreateTexture2D(&desc, None, Some(&mut t))
                     .context("CreateTexture2D(IDD out ring)")?;
-                let t = t.context("null out-ring texture")?;
-                self.device
-                    .CreateRenderTargetView(&t, None, Some(&mut rtv))
-                    .context("CreateRenderTargetView(IDD out ring)")?;
-                self.out_ring.push((t, rtv.context("null out-ring rtv")?));
+                self.out_ring.push(t.context("null out-ring texture")?);
             }
         }
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    /// Build the HDR converter if not already built (HDR-display path only — an SDR display is a copy).
+    /// Build the per-mode YUV converter if not already built: a VIDEO-engine BGRA→NV12 processor on an
+    /// SDR display, or the FP16→P010 shader on an HDR display. Both keep NVENC's RGB→YUV CSC off the SM.
     fn ensure_converter(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
-        if self.hdr_conv.is_none() {
-            self.hdr_conv = Some(unsafe { HdrConverter::new(&self.device)? });
+        if self.display_hdr {
+            if self.hdr_p010_conv.is_none() {
+                // SAFETY: `HdrP010Converter::new` is `unsafe` (it compiles D3D11 shaders + creates
+                // resources); we pass a live borrow of `self.device`, the device the converter's resources
+                // belong to, and `?` propagates any failure before the converter is stored.
+                self.hdr_p010_conv = Some(unsafe { HdrP010Converter::new(&self.device)? });
+            }
+        } else if self.video_conv.is_none() {
+            // SAFETY: `VideoConverter::new` is `unsafe` (it sets up the D3D11 VIDEO processor); we pass live
+            // borrows of `self.device` + its immediate `self.context` (single-threaded, this thread) plus
+            // plain `u32` dimensions, and `?` propagates any failure before it is stored. The converter's
+            // resources belong to that same device/context.
+            self.video_conv = Some(unsafe {
+                VideoConverter::new(&self.device, &self.context, self.width, self.height, false)?
+            });
         }
         Ok(())
     }
@@ -767,36 +891,48 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
             return Ok(None);
         }
         self.ensure_out_ring()?;
-        // Build the HDR converter BEFORE acquiring the slot so nothing between Acquire and Release can
+        // Build the converter BEFORE acquiring the slot so nothing between Acquire and Release can
         // `?`-return and leak the keyed-mutex lock (which would stall the driver on that slot).
-        if self.display_hdr {
-            self.ensure_converter()?;
-        }
+        self.ensure_converter()?;
         let i = self.out_idx;
-        let (out, out_rtv) = {
-            let (t, rtv) = &self.out_ring[i];
-            (t.clone(), rtv.clone())
-        };
+        let out = self.out_ring[i].clone();
         let (_, pf) = self.out_format();
 
         // Hold the slot's keyed mutex only across the convert/copy into the host out-ring (NOT across the
         // ~3 ms encode — NVENC reads the host out-ring slot, not the keyed-mutex slot), so the driver gets
         // the slot back immediately and the encode of the PREVIOUS frame overlaps this convert.
         let s = &self.slots[slot];
-        if unsafe { s.mutex.AcquireSync(0, 8) }.is_err() {
-            return Ok(None);
-        }
-        unsafe {
-            if self.display_hdr {
-                // Sample the FP16 slot's SRV directly (no scratch copy) → BT.2020 PQ Rgb10a2.
-                if let Some(conv) = self.hdr_conv.as_ref() {
-                    conv.convert(&self.context, &s.srv, &out_rtv, self.width, self.height);
+        // Acquire the slot's keyed mutex via a RAII guard, scoped to JUST the convert/copy below so it
+        // releases at the same point as the old hand-written `ReleaseSync` (the driver gets the slot back
+        // immediately, NOT held across the rest of `try_consume`) — but now leak-proof on any early return.
+        {
+            let Some(_lock) = KeyedMutexGuard::acquire(&s.mutex, 0, 8) else {
+                return Ok(None);
+            };
+            // SAFETY: convert on the owning (encode) thread's immediate context, holding the slot lock.
+            // A `?` here is leak-safe: `_lock` (the KeyedMutexGuard) drops on the early return, releasing
+            // the slot back to the driver.
+            unsafe {
+                if self.display_hdr {
+                    // HDR: FP16 slot SRV → P010 (BT.2020 PQ) via the shader; NVENC takes native P010.
+                    if let Some(conv) = self.hdr_p010_conv.as_ref() {
+                        conv.convert(
+                            &self.device,
+                            &self.context,
+                            &s.srv,
+                            &out,
+                            self.width,
+                            self.height,
+                        )?;
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    // SDR: BGRA slot → NV12 on the VIDEO engine; NVENC takes native NV12, no SM-side CSC.
+                    if let Some(conv) = self.video_conv.as_ref() {
+                        conv.convert(&s.tex, &out)?;
+                    }
                 }
-            } else {
-                // SDR: the slot is already 8-bit BGRA — one copy into the out-ring (hidden by pipelining).
-                self.context.CopyResource(&out, &s.tex);
             }
-            let _ = s.mutex.ReleaseSync(0);
+            // `_lock` drops here → `ReleaseSync(0)`.
         }
         self.out_idx = (i + 1) % self.out_ring.len();
         self.last_seq = seq;
@@ -821,7 +957,7 @@ impl IddPushCapturer {
         // OUT_RING(3) > the max pipeline_depth(2) guarantees the rotated slot is not in flight.
         let (src, pf) = self.last_present.clone()?;
         let i = self.out_idx;
-        let dst = self.out_ring.get(i)?.0.clone();
+        let dst = self.out_ring.get(i)?.clone();
         // SAFETY: GPU copy on the owning thread's immediate context; src/dst are our out-ring textures of
         // identical format/size (src is a previous out-ring slot; dst the next).
         unsafe {
@@ -882,6 +1018,8 @@ pub fn spawn_observer(target: WinCaptureTarget, preferred: Option<(u32, u32, u32
 
 /// The discrete render GPU LUID (where NVENC runs), falling back to the monitor's `OsAdapterLuid`.
 fn resolve_render_adapter_luid_or(fallback_packed: i64) -> LUID {
+    // SAFETY: `resolve_render_adapter_luid` is an `unsafe fn` (it enumerates DXGI adapters) that takes no
+    // arguments and returns an owned `Option<LUID>`, borrowing nothing.
     if let Some(l) = unsafe { crate::win_adapter::resolve_render_adapter_luid() } {
         return l;
     }
@@ -895,9 +1033,10 @@ impl Capturer for IddPushCapturer {
     fn next_frame(&mut self) -> Result<CapturedFrame> {
         let deadline = Instant::now() + Duration::from_secs(20);
         loop {
-            let _ = unsafe {
-                WaitForSingleObject(HANDLE(self.event.as_raw_handle() as *mut c_void), 16)
-            };
+            // SAFETY: `self.event` is the live frame-ready `OwnedHandle` this capturer owns; its raw value
+            // (borrowed for the call, so it outlives this synchronous wait) is a valid auto-reset event
+            // handle. `WaitForSingleObject` only reads the handle; the 16 ms timeout bounds the wait.
+            let _ = unsafe { WaitForSingleObject(HANDLE(self.event.as_raw_handle()), 16) };
             if let Some(f) = self.try_consume()? {
                 return Ok(f);
             }
@@ -906,6 +1045,9 @@ impl Capturer for IddPushCapturer {
             }
             if Instant::now() > deadline {
                 self.log_debug_block();
+                // SAFETY: four in-bounds, aligned reads of the live, owned shared-header mapping — the same
+                // best-effort diagnostic fields as `log_driver_status_once` (aligned word reads can't tear;
+                // no reference into the shared region is formed).
                 let (st, detail, lo, hi) = unsafe {
                     (
                         (*self.header).driver_status,

crates/punktfunk-host/src/capture/windows/wgc.rs

@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 //! Limitation: WGC cannot capture the secure desktop (lock / UAC / login) — the caller falls back to
 //! the DDA backend ([`super::dxgi::DuplCapturer`]) for those (see capture.rs).
 
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof program).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
+
 use super::dxgi::{
     find_output, hdr_shader_p010_enabled, make_device, nudge_cursor_onto, D3d11Frame, HdrConverter,
     HdrP010Converter, VideoConverter, WinCaptureTarget,
@@ -92,6 +95,10 @@ struct Deimpersonate(Option<HANDLE>);
 impl Drop for Deimpersonate {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
         if let Some(tok) = self.0.take() {
+            // SAFETY: `RevertToSelf` takes no arguments and undoes the thread impersonation set during
+            // WGC activation; `tok` is the impersonation token `HANDLE` from `impersonate_active_user`,
+            // owned by this `Deimpersonate` and closed exactly once here (taken out of the `Option`, so
+            // no double-close). Both are FFI calls borrowing no Rust memory.
             unsafe {
                 let _ = RevertToSelf();
                 let _ = CloseHandle(tok);
@@ -174,7 +181,12 @@ pub struct WgcCapturer {
     _keepalive: Option<Box<dyn Send>>,
 }
 
-// COM + WinRT pointers; confined to the single owning (encode) thread, like DuplCapturer.
+// SAFETY: like `DuplCapturer`. `WgcCapturer` holds D3D11 (free-threaded device/context) plus WGC WinRT
+// objects (`Direct3D11CaptureFramePool` etc., created free-threaded via `CreateFreeThreaded`). COM/WinRT
+// reference counting is interlocked, and the capturer is owned + used by exactly one encode thread,
+// moved to it once and never shared (no `Sync`), so transferring ownership across threads is sound. The
+// free-threaded `FrameArrived` callback touches only the `Arc<WgcSignal>` (itself `Send + Sync`), not
+// the capturer's COM fields.
 unsafe impl Send for WgcCapturer {}
 
 impl WgcCapturer {
@@ -182,6 +194,15 @@ impl WgcCapturer {
     /// [`attach_keepalive`](Self::attach_keepalive) only after open succeeds, so a failure leaves the
     /// keepalive with the caller to hand to the DDA fallback.
     pub fn open(target: WinCaptureTarget, preferred: Option<(u32, u32, u32)>) -> Result<Self> {
+        // SAFETY: runs on the thread opening the WGC session. `RoInitialize` inits this thread's WinRT
+        // apartment (idempotent; result ignored). `impersonate_active_user()` and `find_output()` are
+        // this module's `unsafe fn`s whose contracts (call on the activating thread; pass a GDI name)
+        // are met, and the impersonation is reverted by `_deimp`'s Drop on every return path. Every
+        // COM/WinRT call thereafter operates on an object obtained + `?`-checked earlier in this same
+        // block on this single thread — the `IDXGIOutput1` from `find_output`, the device/context from
+        // `make_device`, the factory/interop/item/pool/session — and the `TypedEventHandler` closure
+        // captures an `Arc<WgcSignal>` (Send+Sync) by move. No raw pointers are dereferenced; borrowed
+        // locals outlive their synchronous calls.
         unsafe {
             // WGC is WinRT — the calling thread needs a COM/WinRT apartment for the GraphicsCaptureItem
             // activation factory (RoGetActivationFactory). Initialize MTA; ignore "already initialized"
@@ -585,6 +606,15 @@ impl WgcCapturer {
     }
 
     fn process_frame(&mut self, frame: Direct3D11CaptureFrame) -> Result<CapturedFrame> {
+        // SAFETY: runs on the capturer's single owning thread. `frame` is a live
+        // `Direct3D11CaptureFrame` from `self.pool`; `frame.Surface().cast::<IDirect3DDxgiInterfaceAccess
+        // >().GetInterface()` yields the frame's backing `ID3D11Texture2D`, which belongs to
+        // `self.device` (the pool was created on it via `CreateDirect3D11DeviceFromDXGIDevice`). Every
+        // helper called here — `hdr_to_p010`, `convert_to_yuv`, `ensure_fp16_src`, `ensure_out_ring`,
+        // `HdrConverter::convert`, `CopyResource`, `CreateRenderTargetView` — operates on
+        // `self.device`/`self.context` and that same-device texture, so all resources share one device.
+        // The frame is held in `self.held` until its async GPU read completes for the zero-copy paths.
+        // Single-threaded immediate-context use; borrowed textures/SRVs/RTVs outlive each synchronous call.
         unsafe {
             let surface = frame.Surface().context("frame Surface")?;
             let access: IDirect3DDxgiInterfaceAccess = surface

crates/punktfunk-host/src/capture/windows/wgc_relay.rs

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 //! Host-side WGC helper relay (Windows two-process secure-desktop design,
-//! docs/windows-secure-desktop.md — step 4).
+//! design/archive/windows-secure-desktop.md — step 4).
 //!
 //! WGC won't activate under the SYSTEM account, so the SYSTEM host can't capture the normal desktop
 //! itself. Instead it spawns `punktfunk-host wgc-helper` in the **interactive user session** (so WGC works)
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@
 //! Wire framing (must match `wgc_helper::write_au`): per AU
 //! `[u32 magic "PFAU" LE][u32 len LE][u64 pts_ns LE][u8 keyframe][len bytes data]`.
 
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof program).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
+
 use crate::capture::dxgi::WinCaptureTarget;
 use anyhow::{bail, Context, Result};
 use std::io::{BufRead, BufReader, Read};
@@ -56,9 +59,15 @@ pub struct HelperRelay {
     rx: Receiver<RelayAu>,
 }
 
-// HANDLEs are just kernel handle values; we own them for the relay's lifetime and close them on Drop.
+// SAFETY: every field is itself `Send`: the `proc`/`thread` `HANDLE`s are process-global kernel
+// handle values (plain integers valid from any thread, owned for the relay's lifetime and closed once
+// on Drop), `stdin_w` is a `Mutex<HANDLE>`, and `rx` is an mpsc `Receiver<RelayAu>` (which is `Send`).
+// The relay is moved to one thread and owned there, so transferring it across threads is sound.
 unsafe impl Send for HelperRelay {}
-unsafe impl Sync for HelperRelay {}
+// NOTE: `HelperRelay` is deliberately NOT `Sync`. Its `rx: Receiver<RelayAu>` is `!Sync` (std mpsc
+// is single-consumer), and the relay is only ever a single-owner local in the punktfunk1 two-process
+// mux loop — never shared by `&` across threads — so `Sync` is neither sound nor needed. (A prior
+// `unsafe impl Sync` here asserted more than the fields support; removed.)
 
 /// Control byte on the helper's stdin: force the next encoded frame to be an IDR (client decode
 /// recovery). Mirrors `enc.request_keyframe()` in the single-process path.
@@ -84,6 +93,10 @@ impl HelperRelay {
         );
         tracing::info!(cmd = %cmdline, "spawning WGC helper in user session");
 
+        // SAFETY: `spawn_inner` is an `unsafe fn` only because it drives raw Win32 token/pipe/process
+        // FFI; it imposes no caller-side memory precondition beyond valid arguments. `cmdline` is a live
+        // `&str` borrowed for the synchronous call and `(w, h, hz)` are plain `u32`s. It validates its
+        // own runtime requirements (active console session, SYSTEM token) and returns `Err` otherwise.
         unsafe { spawn_inner(&cmdline, w, h, hz) }
     }
 
@@ -108,6 +121,11 @@ impl HelperRelay {
     pub fn request_keyframe(&self) {
         let h = self.stdin_w.lock().unwrap();
         let mut written = 0u32;
+        // SAFETY: `*h` is the host's write end of the helper's stdin pipe — a live `HANDLE` owned by
+        // this `HelperRelay` (held under the `stdin_w` Mutex, locked here), closed only in Drop.
+        // `WriteFile` reads the 1-byte `&[CTL_KEYFRAME]` buffer and writes the byte count into
+        // `written`; both are live locals that outlive the synchronous call. A failure (helper gone) is
+        // discarded as documented.
         unsafe {
             let _ = windows::Win32::Storage::FileSystem::WriteFile(
                 *h,
@@ -121,6 +139,10 @@ impl HelperRelay {
 
 impl Drop for HelperRelay {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: `self.proc`/`self.thread` are the child process/thread `HANDLE`s from
+        // `CreateProcessAsUserW`, and `stdin_w` is the host's pipe write end — all owned by this
+        // `HelperRelay` and closed exactly once here in Drop (no double-close). `TerminateProcess` and
+        // the three `CloseHandle`s are FFI calls taking those handles by value, borrowing no Rust memory.
         unsafe {
             // Terminate the child first so its WGC capture + NVENC session tear down, then close our
             // handles (the reader threads end on the resulting broken pipe).
@@ -364,10 +386,17 @@ fn au_reader(mut r: HandleReader, tx: SyncSender<RelayAu>) {
 
 /// Minimal `Read` over a Win32 pipe HANDLE (the windows crate doesn't impl `Read` on HANDLE).
 struct HandleReader(HANDLE);
+// SAFETY: `HandleReader` owns a single pipe `HANDLE` (a process-global kernel handle value, valid from
+// any thread). It is moved into the dedicated reader thread and used only there (and closed once on
+// Drop), never shared — so transferring ownership across threads is sound.
 unsafe impl Send for HandleReader {}
 impl Read for HandleReader {
     fn read(&mut self, buf: &mut [u8]) -> std::io::Result<usize> {
         let mut read = 0u32;
+        // SAFETY: `self.0` is the live read end of an anonymous pipe owned by this `HandleReader`
+        // (closed only in Drop). `ReadFile` fills the caller-provided `buf` (writing at most `buf.len()`
+        // bytes) and stores the count in `read`; both outlive the synchronous call. A broken pipe
+        // surfaces as `Err` and is mapped to EOF below.
         let ok = unsafe {
             windows::Win32::Storage::FileSystem::ReadFile(self.0, Some(buf), Some(&mut read), None)
         };
@@ -380,6 +409,8 @@ impl Read for HandleReader {
 }
 impl Drop for HandleReader {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: `self.0` is the pipe `HANDLE` this `HandleReader` owns; `CloseHandle` (an FFI call
+        // taking the handle by value) is invoked exactly once here in Drop, so there is no double-close.
         unsafe {
             let _ = CloseHandle(self.0);
         }
@@ -391,6 +422,13 @@ impl Drop for HandleReader {
 pub fn running_as_system() -> bool {
     use windows::Win32::Security::{GetTokenInformation, TokenUser, TOKEN_QUERY, TOKEN_USER};
     use windows::Win32::System::Threading::{GetCurrentProcess, OpenProcessToken};
+    // SAFETY: `OpenProcessToken(GetCurrentProcess(), TOKEN_QUERY, &mut token)` opens the current-process
+    // token (the pseudo-handle is always valid) into `token`, which is closed once before each return.
+    // The first `GetTokenInformation` (null buffer) queries the required `len`; `buf` is then a
+    // `Vec<u8>` of exactly `len` bytes and the second call fills it, so `&*(buf.as_ptr() as *const
+    // TOKEN_USER)` reads a `TOKEN_USER` the kernel just wrote into a sufficiently-sized buffer (the
+    // variable-length SID it points at also lies within `buf`, which outlives the borrow).
+    // `is_local_system_sid` is this module's `unsafe fn`, given that in-buffer `PSID`. Safe on any thread.
     unsafe {
         let mut token = HANDLE::default();
         if OpenProcessToken(GetCurrentProcess(), TOKEN_QUERY, &mut token).is_err() {

crates/punktfunk-host/src/config.rs

@@ -4,10 +4,10 @@
 //! environment before the host starts, and **for the knobs captured here the environment is constant for the
 //! process lifetime**, so a lazily-parsed global is equivalent to "parsed once at startup".
 //!
-//! **Goal-1 stages 1–2** (`docs/windows-host-rewrite.md` §2.2): stage 1 stood this up; stage 2 migrated the
+//! **Goal-1 stages 1–2** (`design/windows-host-rewrite.md` §2.2): stage 1 stood this up; stage 2 migrated the
 //! genuinely-constant operator/dispatch knobs onto it (the dispatch-disagreement bug class: `idd_push`,
 //! `capture_backend`, `encoder_pref`, `render_adapter`, `no_wgc`, the vdisplay backend select — plus the
-//! plan-named `secure_dda`/`idd_depth`/`zerocopy`/`ten_bit` and the multi-site `perf`/`compositor`/
+//! plan-named `secure_dda`/`idd_depth`/`zerocopy`/`ten_bit`/`four_four_four` and the multi-site `perf`/`compositor`/
 //! `video_source`/`gamepad`). `SessionPlan` (stage 3) consumes it as the single owner of the
 //! capture/topology/encoder decision.
 //!
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ pub struct HostConfig {
     pub zerocopy: bool,
     /// `PUNKTFUNK_10BIT` — host policy gate for HEVC Main10 (only honored when the client also advertised 10-bit).
     pub ten_bit: bool,
+    /// `PUNKTFUNK_444` — host policy gate for full-chroma HEVC 4:4:4 (Range Extensions). Honored only
+    /// when the client also advertised 4:4:4, the codec is HEVC, and the GPU/driver supports a 4:4:4
+    /// encode (probed) — otherwise the session stays 4:2:0. Independent of `ten_bit` (chroma vs depth).
+    pub four_four_four: bool,
     /// `PUNKTFUNK_PERF` — per-stage timing instrumentation.
     pub perf: bool,
     /// `PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_SOURCE` — GameStream video source select (`virtual` / `portal` / unset → synthetic).
@@ -112,6 +116,7 @@ impl HostConfig {
                 .unwrap_or(2),
             zerocopy: flag("PUNKTFUNK_ZEROCOPY"),
             ten_bit: flag("PUNKTFUNK_10BIT"),
+            four_four_four: flag("PUNKTFUNK_444"),
             perf: flag("PUNKTFUNK_PERF"),
             video_source: val("PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_SOURCE"),
             compositor: val("PUNKTFUNK_COMPOSITOR"),

crates/punktfunk-host/src/encode.rs

@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
 //! RGB→YUV on the GPU, so no host-side CSC) and VAAPI on AMD/Intel (`*_vaapi`; the CPU-input
 //! fallback swscales RGB→NV12, the zero-copy path imports the capture dmabuf straight into a
 //! VA surface). One [`Encoder`] trait, selected in [`open_video`].
+// Every unsafe block in this module tree carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof
+// program). As a parent module this also covers the child modules (encode::windows/linux::*).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
 
 use crate::capture::{CapturedFrame, PixelFormat};
 use anyhow::Result;
@@ -26,6 +29,33 @@ pub enum Codec {
     Av1,
 }
 
+/// Chroma subsampling the encoder emits, negotiated with the client (the `PUNKTFUNK_444` gate + the
+/// client's `VIDEO_CAP_444` + a GPU probe). `Yuv420` is the universal default; `Yuv444` is HEVC-only,
+/// native-protocol-only (GameStream stays 4:2:0), and the host only ever passes it after
+/// [`can_encode_444`] confirmed the active backend supports it.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Default)]
+pub enum ChromaFormat {
+    #[default]
+    Yuv420,
+    Yuv444,
+}
+
+impl ChromaFormat {
+    /// The HEVC `chroma_format_idc` this maps to: `1` (4:2:0) or `3` (4:4:4). Also the wire value
+    /// echoed in [`punktfunk_core::quic::Welcome::chroma_format`].
+    pub fn idc(self) -> u8 {
+        match self {
+            ChromaFormat::Yuv420 => punktfunk_core::quic::CHROMA_IDC_420,
+            ChromaFormat::Yuv444 => punktfunk_core::quic::CHROMA_IDC_444,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// True for full-chroma 4:4:4.
+    pub fn is_444(self) -> bool {
+        matches!(self, ChromaFormat::Yuv444)
+    }
+}
+
 impl Codec {
     /// The FFmpeg NVENC encoder name (selected by name, not codec id — the latter would
     /// pick the software encoder).
@@ -86,6 +116,13 @@ pub struct EncoderCaps {
     /// When `false`, `set_hdr_meta` is a no-op and no in-band grade reaches the client. Only the
     /// Windows direct-NVENC path attaches it today.
     pub supports_hdr_metadata: bool,
+    /// The opened encoder is actually producing a full-chroma 4:4:4 (`chroma_format_idc = 3`) stream.
+    /// `false` on every 4:2:0 session (the default) and on a backend that declined 4:4:4. Set by the
+    /// NVENC backends (Linux + Windows). The chroma is committed to the wire (`Welcome::chroma_format`)
+    /// from the pre-open probe, so this is a *post-open cross-check*: the session glue logs loudly if
+    /// the encoder's real chroma disagrees with what was negotiated (the in-band SPS is authoritative
+    /// for the decoder either way).
+    pub chroma_444: bool,
 }
 
 /// A hardware encoder. One per session; runs on the encode thread.
@@ -190,8 +227,29 @@ pub fn open_video(
     bitrate_bps: u64,
     cuda: bool,
     bit_depth: u8,
+    chroma: ChromaFormat,
 ) -> Result<Box<dyn Encoder>> {
     validate_dimensions(codec, width, height)?;
+    // Refresh/fps must be positive and sane: fps feeds the encoder time_base (`Rational(1, fps)`)
+    // and the pts→ns conversion (`pts * 1e9 / fps`), so 0 builds a 1/0 rational / divides by zero.
+    // The mid-stream Reconfigure path already guards `refresh_hz > 0`; enforcing it at this single
+    // open chokepoint makes EVERY path (initial Hello, GameStream ANNOUNCE, Reconfigure) safe
+    // regardless of which backend opens (security-review 2026-06-28 S5).
+    if fps == 0 || fps > 1000 {
+        anyhow::bail!("invalid refresh/fps {fps}: must be 1..=1000 Hz");
+    }
+    // 4:4:4 is HEVC-only. The negotiator should never pass `Yuv444` for another codec (it gates on
+    // `codec == H265`), but defend the contract here so a future caller can't silently emit a stream
+    // no decoder expects: a non-HEVC 4:4:4 request degrades to 4:2:0 with a warning.
+    let chroma = if chroma.is_444() && codec != Codec::H265 {
+        tracing::warn!(
+            ?codec,
+            "4:4:4 requested for a non-HEVC codec — encoding 4:2:0"
+        );
+        ChromaFormat::Yuv420
+    } else {
+        chroma
+    };
     #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
     {
         // Pick the GPU encode backend. NVIDIA → NVENC/CUDA (the original path, unchanged);
@@ -200,8 +258,17 @@ pub fn open_video(
         // its errors crisply instead of silently trying the other).
         let pref = crate::config::config().encoder_pref.as_str();
         let open_vaapi = || -> Result<Box<dyn Encoder>> {
-            vaapi::VaapiEncoder::open(codec, format, width, height, fps, bitrate_bps, bit_depth)
-                .map(|e| Box::new(e) as Box<dyn Encoder>)
+            vaapi::VaapiEncoder::open(
+                codec,
+                format,
+                width,
+                height,
+                fps,
+                bitrate_bps,
+                bit_depth,
+                chroma,
+            )
+            .map(|e| Box::new(e) as Box<dyn Encoder>)
         };
         match pref {
             "nvenc" | "nvidia" | "cuda" => open_nvenc_probed(
@@ -213,6 +280,7 @@ pub fn open_video(
                 bitrate_bps,
                 cuda,
                 bit_depth,
+                chroma,
             ),
             "vaapi" | "amd" | "intel" => open_vaapi(),
             "auto" | "" => {
@@ -228,6 +296,7 @@ pub fn open_video(
                         bitrate_bps,
                         cuda,
                         bit_depth,
+                        chroma,
                     )
                 } else {
                     open_vaapi()
@@ -257,6 +326,7 @@ pub fn open_video(
                         fps,
                         bitrate_bps,
                         bit_depth,
+                        chroma,
                     )
                     .map(|e| Box::new(e) as Box<dyn Encoder>)
                 }
@@ -286,6 +356,7 @@ pub fn open_video(
                         fps,
                         bitrate_bps,
                         bit_depth,
+                        chroma,
                     )
                     .map(|e| Box::new(e) as Box<dyn Encoder>)
                 }
@@ -330,6 +401,7 @@ pub fn open_video(
             bitrate_bps,
             cuda,
             bit_depth,
+            chroma,
         );
         anyhow::bail!("video encode requires Linux or Windows")
     }
@@ -352,6 +424,7 @@ fn open_nvenc_probed(
     bitrate_bps: u64,
     cuda: bool,
     bit_depth: u8,
+    chroma: ChromaFormat,
 ) -> Result<Box<dyn Encoder>> {
     const MIN_PROBE_BPS: u64 = 50_000_000;
     let mut candidates = vec![bitrate_bps];
@@ -366,7 +439,9 @@ fn open_nvenc_probed(
     }
     let mut last: Option<anyhow::Error> = None;
     for (i, &b) in candidates.iter().enumerate() {
-        match linux::NvencEncoder::open(codec, format, width, height, fps, b, cuda, bit_depth) {
+        match linux::NvencEncoder::open(
+            codec, format, width, height, fps, b, cuda, bit_depth, chroma,
+        ) {
             Ok(enc) => {
                 if i > 0 {
                     tracing::warn!(
@@ -443,6 +518,65 @@ pub fn vaapi_codec_support() -> CodecSupport {
     })
 }
 
+/// Whether the active GPU encode backend can actually produce a full-chroma **4:4:4** HEVC stream.
+/// Resolved (and cached, once) *before* the Welcome so the host advertises the chroma it will really
+/// encode — the honest-downgrade channel. 4:4:4 is HEVC-only; the probe opens a tiny encoder on the
+/// active backend (NVENC FREXT is broad on NVIDIA, but VAAPI / AMF / QSV 4:4:4 is hardware-specific,
+/// so it must be probed, never assumed). Non-HEVC codecs are always `false`.
+#[cfg(any(target_os = "linux", target_os = "windows"))]
+pub fn can_encode_444(codec: Codec) -> bool {
+    use std::sync::OnceLock;
+    if codec != Codec::H265 {
+        return false;
+    }
+    static CACHE: OnceLock<bool> = OnceLock::new();
+    *CACHE.get_or_init(|| {
+        let supported = {
+            #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+            {
+                // Mirror open_video's backend dispatch: VAAPI (AMD/Intel) vs NVENC (NVIDIA).
+                if linux_zero_copy_is_vaapi() {
+                    vaapi::probe_can_encode_444(codec)
+                } else {
+                    linux::probe_can_encode_444(codec)
+                }
+            }
+            #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+            {
+                match windows_resolved_backend() {
+                    WindowsBackend::Nvenc => {
+                        #[cfg(feature = "nvenc")]
+                        {
+                            nvenc::probe_can_encode_444(codec)
+                        }
+                        #[cfg(not(feature = "nvenc"))]
+                        {
+                            false
+                        }
+                    }
+                    WindowsBackend::Amf | WindowsBackend::Qsv => {
+                        #[cfg(feature = "amf-qsv")]
+                        {
+                            let vendor = match windows_resolved_backend() {
+                                WindowsBackend::Qsv => ffmpeg_win::WinVendor::Qsv,
+                                _ => ffmpeg_win::WinVendor::Amf,
+                            };
+                            ffmpeg_win::probe_can_encode_444(vendor, codec)
+                        }
+                        #[cfg(not(feature = "amf-qsv"))]
+                        {
+                            false
+                        }
+                    }
+                    WindowsBackend::Software => false,
+                }
+            }
+        };
+        tracing::info!(supported, "HEVC 4:4:4 encode capability probed");
+        supported
+    })
+}
+
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Windows backend selection (the analogue of the Linux nvidia_present / linux_zero_copy_is_vaapi
 // logic). NVIDIA → NVENC, AMD → AMF, Intel → QSV; `auto` (default) reads the DXGI adapter vendor.
@@ -505,6 +639,14 @@ fn windows_gpu_vendor() -> Option<GpuVendor> {
         CreateDXGIFactory1, IDXGIFactory1, DXGI_ADAPTER_FLAG_SOFTWARE,
     };
     static CACHE: OnceLock<Option<GpuVendor>> = OnceLock::new();
+    // SAFETY: `CreateDXGIFactory1` returns a fresh owned `IDXGIFactory1` COM object (refcounted by the
+    // windows-rs wrapper, Released when the local drops); `.ok()?` bails on failure so `factory` is a
+    // valid interface before any use. `EnumAdapters1(i)` hands back the i-th adapter as an owned
+    // `IDXGIAdapter1` (or an error past the last adapter, which ends the loop). `GetDesc1()` returns the
+    // `DXGI_ADAPTER_DESC1` by value (no out-pointer), so reading `desc.Flags`/`desc.VendorId` is plain
+    // field access. Every call only touches COM objects this closure owns; the `OnceLock` runs the
+    // closure once (no data race) and all interfaces are Released as the locals drop. No raw pointer is
+    // dereferenced and nothing is aliased.
     *CACHE.get_or_init(|| unsafe {
         let factory: IDXGIFactory1 = CreateDXGIFactory1().ok()?;
         let mut i = 0u32;

crates/punktfunk-host/src/encode/linux/mod.rs

@@ -8,8 +8,10 @@
 //! does *not* accept — we expand it to `rgb0` (one padding byte/pixel, no colour math).
 //! The encoder is opened *without* a global header so VPS/SPS/PPS are emitted in-band on
 //! every IDR — the output is both a playable raw Annex-B stream and self-contained AUs.
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof program).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
 
-use super::{Codec, EncodedFrame, Encoder};
+use super::{ChromaFormat, Codec, EncodedFrame, Encoder};
 use crate::capture::{CapturedFrame, FramePayload, PixelFormat};
 use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context, Result};
 use ffmpeg::format::Pixel;
@@ -17,9 +19,33 @@ use ffmpeg::util::frame::Video as VideoFrame;
 use ffmpeg::{codec, encoder, Dictionary, Packet, Rational};
 use ffmpeg_next as ffmpeg;
 use std::os::raw::c_int;
+use std::ptr;
 
 use ffmpeg::ffi; // = ffmpeg_sys_next
 
+/// swscale: nearest-neighbour scaler flag (`SWS_POINT`). We never rescale (src dims == dst dims), so
+/// the resampler choice only governs the colour-conversion path; POINT is the cheapest.
+const SWS_POINT: c_int = 0x10;
+/// swscale colorspace id for ITU-R BT.709 (`SWS_CS_ITU709`) — the CSC coefficients for our RGB→YUV.
+const SWS_CS_ITU709: c_int = 1;
+
+/// The swscale *source* pixel format for a captured packed RGB/BGR layout (the real byte order, not
+/// the NVENC-padded `*0` form). Used by the 4:4:4 RGB→YUV444P conversion path. Mirrors the VAAPI
+/// CPU-input mapping; YUV/10-bit inputs can't feed this path (the 4:4:4 session forces packed RGB).
+fn sws_src_pixel(format: PixelFormat) -> Result<Pixel> {
+    Ok(match format {
+        PixelFormat::Bgrx => Pixel::BGRZ, // bgr0
+        PixelFormat::Rgbx => Pixel::RGBZ, // rgb0
+        PixelFormat::Bgra => Pixel::BGRA,
+        PixelFormat::Rgba => Pixel::RGBA,
+        PixelFormat::Rgb => Pixel::RGB24,
+        PixelFormat::Bgr => Pixel::BGR24,
+        PixelFormat::Nv12 | PixelFormat::P010 | PixelFormat::Rgb10a2 => {
+            bail!("NVENC 4:4:4 CPU-input path supports packed RGB/BGR only; got {format:?}")
+        }
+    })
+}
+
 /// `AVCUDADeviceContext` (libavutil/hwcontext_cuda.h) — not in the ffmpeg-sys bindings (the
 /// crate doesn't allowlist that header), so mirror its stable 3-pointer layout. We set the
 /// first field to *our* `CUcontext` so NVENC shares the context the EGL importer maps into.
@@ -79,6 +105,12 @@ impl CudaHw {
 
 impl Drop for CudaHw {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: `frames_ref`/`device_ref` are the two non-null `AVBufferRef`s `CudaHw::new` created
+        // (it bails before returning `Self` if either alloc fails, so a live `CudaHw` always holds
+        // both). `av_buffer_unref` drops one reference and nulls the pointer through the `&mut`. This
+        // `Drop` runs exactly once and `CudaHw` owns these refs exclusively → no double-free /
+        // use-after-free. Frames are unref'd before the device (the frames ctx internally refs the
+        // device; refcounted, so the order is sound regardless).
         unsafe {
             ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut self.frames_ref);
             ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut self.device_ref);
@@ -123,6 +155,10 @@ pub struct NvencEncoder {
     frame: Option<VideoFrame>,
     /// Zero-copy path: CUDA hwdevice/hwframes contexts (the encoder takes `AV_PIX_FMT_CUDA`).
     cuda: Option<CudaHw>,
+    /// 4:4:4 path only: swscale context converting the captured packed RGB/BGR → planar YUV444P
+    /// (BT.709 limited) into [`Self::frame`], because `hevc_nvenc` only emits 4:4:4 from a YUV444
+    /// *input* (RGB-in is always 4:2:0). `None` on the ordinary 4:2:0 RGB path. Freed in `Drop`.
+    sws_444: Option<*mut ffi::SwsContext>,
     src_format: PixelFormat,
     expand: bool,
     width: u32,
@@ -134,8 +170,17 @@ pub struct NvencEncoder {
     force_kf: bool,
 }
 
-// `CudaHw` holds raw `AVBufferRef`s; the encoder lives on a single thread. The CPU encoder is
-// already `Send` via ffmpeg-next; assert it for the CUDA fields too.
+// `CudaHw` holds raw `AVBufferRef`s and `sws_444` a raw `SwsContext`; the encoder lives on a single
+// thread. The CPU encoder is already `Send` via ffmpeg-next; assert it for the raw fields too.
+// SAFETY: `NvencEncoder` owns an ffmpeg-next `Encoder`/`VideoFrame` (already `Send`) plus a `CudaHw`
+// holding raw `AVBufferRef`s and an optional raw `SwsContext`, none of which are `Send` by default.
+// The `SwsContext` is a self-contained swscale state object with no thread affinity, touched only
+// through `&mut self` on the one encode thread. The encoder is owned and driven by
+// exactly ONE thread — the per-session encode thread it is moved to — and is only touched through
+// `&mut self` methods, so it is never aliased or accessed concurrently. The wrapped libav contexts
+// (and the shared `CUcontext` the `CudaHw` references) have no thread affinity, so transferring
+// ownership across threads is sound. This asserts `Send` (transfer) only, extending ffmpeg-next's
+// existing `Send` to the raw CUDA fields; `Sync` (shared `&`) is deliberately NOT implemented.
 unsafe impl Send for NvencEncoder {}
 
 impl NvencEncoder {
@@ -149,6 +194,7 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
         bitrate_bps: u64,
         cuda: bool,
         bit_depth: u8,
+        chroma: ChromaFormat,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
         // TODO(hdr): Linux 10-bit parity. Unlike the Windows raw-SDK path (which upconverts 8-bit
         // ARGB → Main10 via pixelBitDepthMinus8), libavcodec hevc_nvenc needs a 10-bit input pixel
@@ -160,14 +206,36 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
                 "Linux NVENC 10-bit not yet wired — encoding 8-bit"
             );
         }
+        // Full-chroma 4:4:4 (HEVC Range Extensions). `hevc_nvenc` only emits 4:4:4 from a YUV444
+        // *input* frame — feeding RGB always subsamples to 4:2:0 regardless of profile (verified on
+        // the RTX 5070 Ti). So a 4:4:4 session swscales the captured RGB → YUV444P (BT.709 limited)
+        // and feeds that with `profile=rext`. The negotiator gates this to HEVC + the single-process
+        // CPU-capture topology, so `cuda` must be false here; defend the contract.
+        let want_444 = chroma.is_444() && codec == Codec::H265;
+        if want_444 && cuda {
+            bail!(
+                "NVENC 4:4:4 needs CPU RGB frames (the session forces non-zero-copy capture for \
+                 4:4:4); got a CUDA frame — capture/encoder negotiation mismatch"
+            );
+        }
         ffmpeg::init().context("ffmpeg init")?;
         if std::env::var_os("PUNKTFUNK_FFMPEG_DEBUG").is_some() {
+            // SAFETY: `av_log_set_level` sets libav's global integer log level; `48` (= AV_LOG_DEBUG)
+            // is a valid level with no pointer args, and libav was just initialized by `ffmpeg::init()`
+            // above — always sound.
             unsafe { ffi::av_log_set_level(48) }; // AV_LOG_DEBUG — surface NVENC hw-frame rejects
         }
         let name = codec.nvenc_name();
         let av_codec = encoder::find_by_name(name)
             .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("{name} not built into libavcodec"))?;
-        let (nvenc_pixel, expand) = nvenc_input(format);
+        let (rgb_pixel, rgb_expand) = nvenc_input(format);
+        // 4:4:4 feeds NVENC a planar YUV444P frame we produce by swscale; the ordinary path feeds the
+        // captured RGB straight in and lets NVENC's internal CSC subsample to 4:2:0.
+        let (nvenc_pixel, expand) = if want_444 {
+            (Pixel::YUV444P, false)
+        } else {
+            (rgb_pixel, rgb_expand)
+        };
 
         let mut video = codec::context::Context::new_with_codec(av_codec)
             .encoder()
@@ -195,6 +263,11 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
             .unwrap_or(1.0);
         let vbv_bits = ((bitrate_bps as f64 / fps.max(1) as f64) * vbv_frames as f64)
             .clamp(1.0, i32::MAX as f64);
+        // SAFETY: `video` is the ffmpeg-next encoder builder wrapping a freshly-allocated
+        // `AVCodecContext` that we hold by value and have not opened yet; `video.as_mut_ptr()` returns
+        // that non-null, properly-aligned, exclusively-owned context. Writing the plain `rc_buffer_size`
+        // int field before `open_with` is the supported way to set a field ffmpeg-next exposes no
+        // setter for. Sole owner → no aliasing; synchronous in-bounds scalar write.
         unsafe {
             (*video.as_mut_ptr()).rc_buffer_size = vbv_bits as i32;
         }
@@ -204,16 +277,23 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
         // "freeze". NVENC emits one IDR at stream start, then P-frames only; `forced-idr` (below)
         // turns a client recovery request (RFI, via `request_keyframe`) into an IDR on demand.
         // This is the Moonlight/Sunshine low-latency model.
+        // SAFETY: same `video` builder as above — a non-null, properly-aligned, sole-owned, not-yet-
+        // opened `AVCodecContext`. We write the plain `gop_size` int field (= -1, infinite GOP) before
+        // `open_with`, which ffmpeg-next has no setter for. No aliasing; synchronous scalar write.
         unsafe {
             (*video.as_mut_ptr()).gop_size = -1;
         }
 
-        // NV12 path: we did the RGB→YUV conversion ourselves as BT.709 *limited* range, so signal
-        // that in the bitstream VUI (colorspace/range/primaries/transfer) — otherwise the client
-        // decoder assumes a default and the picture comes out washed-out / wrong-contrast. The
-        // RGB-input paths leave these unset (NVENC's internal CSC writes its own VUI). Matches the
-        // Windows NV12 path's BT.709 limited-range signalling.
-        if matches!(format, PixelFormat::Nv12) {
+        // NV12 / 4:4:4 paths: we do the RGB→YUV conversion ourselves as BT.709 *limited* range
+        // (swscale), so signal that in the bitstream VUI (colorspace/range/primaries/transfer) —
+        // otherwise the client decoder assumes a default and the picture comes out washed-out /
+        // wrong-contrast. The RGB-input 4:2:0 path leaves these unset (NVENC's internal CSC writes
+        // its own VUI). Matches the Windows NV12 path's BT.709 limited-range signalling.
+        if matches!(format, PixelFormat::Nv12) || want_444 {
+            // SAFETY: same `video` builder — `raw = video.as_mut_ptr()` is the non-null, properly-
+            // aligned, sole-owned, not-yet-opened `AVCodecContext`. We set its four VUI colour enum
+            // fields to valid `AVColorSpace`/`AVColorRange`/`AVColorPrimaries`/`AVColorTransfer-
+            // Characteristic` variants before `open_with`. Sole owner → no aliasing; synchronous writes.
             unsafe {
                 let raw = video.as_mut_ptr();
                 (*raw).colorspace = ffi::AVColorSpace::AVCOL_SPC_BT709;
@@ -228,7 +308,17 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
         // *before* open (NVENC derives the device from `hw_frames_ctx`).
         let cuda_hw = if cuda {
             let cu_ctx = crate::zerocopy::cuda::context().context("shared CUDA context")?;
+            // SAFETY: `CudaHw::new` (an `unsafe fn`) requires libav initialized (the `ffmpeg::init()`
+            // above ran) and a valid `CUcontext`; `cu_ctx` is the shared importer context from
+            // `zerocopy::cuda::context()?`, non-null on the `Ok` path. `nvenc_pixel` is a valid `Pixel`
+            // and `width`/`height` are the validated positive dims. It returns a RAII `CudaHw` wrapping
+            // (not owning) `cu_ctx` and owning two `AVBufferRef`s freed on drop.
             let hw = unsafe { CudaHw::new(cu_ctx, nvenc_pixel, width, height)? };
+            // SAFETY: `raw = video.as_mut_ptr()` is the non-null, sole-owned, not-yet-opened
+            // `AVCodecContext`. We set `pix_fmt = CUDA` and attach NEW refs (`av_buffer_ref`) of
+            // `hw.device_ref`/`hw.frames_ref` — both non-null (`CudaHw::new` guarantees) and from the
+            // live `hw`, which is moved into `NvencEncoder.cuda` next to `enc` and so outlives the
+            // encoder. The context owns its own refs (freed when the context closes). No aliasing.
             unsafe {
                 let raw = video.as_mut_ptr();
                 (*raw).pix_fmt = ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_CUDA;
@@ -240,6 +330,45 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
             None
         };
 
+        // 4:4:4: build the RGB→YUV444P swscale (BT.709 limited, no rescale). Mirrors the VAAPI CPU
+        // path's RGB→NV12 scaler, but the dst is full-chroma planar 4:4:4.
+        let sws_444 = if want_444 {
+            let src_av = pixel_to_av(sws_src_pixel(format)?);
+            // SAFETY: `sws_getContext` allocates a swscale context for the given src/dst dims + pixel
+            // formats. Both dims are the encoder's positive `width`/`height` as `c_int`; `src_av` is a
+            // valid `AVPixelFormat` (from the `sws_src_pixel`-validated, packed-RGB-only source), the
+            // dst is YUV444P. The trailing filter/param pointers are null = "use defaults" (documented
+            // as accepted). No Rust memory is borrowed; the returned pointer is null-checked below.
+            let sws = unsafe {
+                ffi::sws_getContext(
+                    width as c_int,
+                    height as c_int,
+                    src_av,
+                    width as c_int,
+                    height as c_int,
+                    ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_YUV444P,
+                    SWS_POINT,
+                    ptr::null_mut(),
+                    ptr::null_mut(),
+                    ptr::null(),
+                )
+            };
+            if sws.is_null() {
+                bail!("sws_getContext(RGB→YUV444P) failed");
+            }
+            // SAFETY: `sws` is the non-null context from the call above (null-checked). The ITU-709
+            // coefficient table from `sws_getCoefficients` is a process-lifetime libswscale static,
+            // reused for src+dst matrices; `sws_setColorspaceDetails` only reads it and writes scalar
+            // CSC settings into `sws` (limited-range dst: dstRange = 0). No Rust memory is passed.
+            unsafe {
+                let cs709 = ffi::sws_getCoefficients(SWS_CS_ITU709);
+                ffi::sws_setColorspaceDetails(sws, cs709, 1, cs709, 0, 0, 1 << 16, 1 << 16);
+            }
+            Some(sws)
+        } else {
+            None
+        };
+
         // Low-latency NVENC tuning (plan §7 / linux-setup doc).
         let mut opts = Dictionary::new();
         opts.set("preset", "p1"); // fastest
@@ -248,6 +377,12 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
         opts.set("bf", "0");
         opts.set("delay", "0");
         opts.set("forced-idr", "1"); // RFI/request_keyframe → real IDR under the infinite GOP
+        if want_444 {
+            // HEVC Range Extensions — the profile that carries chroma_format_idc=3. With a YUV444P
+            // input `hevc_nvenc` auto-selects it, but pin it explicitly so the chroma is never silently
+            // dropped on a future libavcodec.
+            opts.set("profile", "rext");
+        }
 
         // Split-frame encode across both NVENC engines (GB203 has 2) when the pixel rate exceeds
         // a single engine's HEVC capacity (~1 Gpix/s); e.g. 5120x1440@240 = 1.77 Gpix/s needs it,
@@ -281,6 +416,7 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
             enc,
             frame,
             cuda: cuda_hw,
+            sws_444,
             src_format: format,
             expand,
             width,
@@ -293,6 +429,15 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
 }
 
 impl Encoder for NvencEncoder {
+    fn caps(&self) -> super::EncoderCaps {
+        super::EncoderCaps {
+            // 4:4:4 iff this session opened the RGB→YUV444P swscale path (FREXT). RFI/HDR-SEI stay
+            // unsupported on libavcodec NVENC (the trait defaults).
+            chroma_444: self.sws_444.is_some(),
+            ..super::EncoderCaps::default()
+        }
+    }
+
     fn submit(&mut self, captured: &CapturedFrame) -> Result<()> {
         anyhow::ensure!(
             captured.width == self.width && captured.height == self.height,
@@ -371,6 +516,47 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
             bytes.len(),
             src_row * h
         );
+        // 4:4:4: swscale the packed RGB straight into the planar YUV444P input frame (BT.709 limited),
+        // then send it — no byte-expand. The 4:2:0 RGB path (below) feeds NVENC packed RGB directly.
+        if let Some(sws) = self.sws_444 {
+            let frame = self
+                .frame
+                .as_mut()
+                .context("CPU frame missing (encoder opened in CUDA mode)")?;
+            // SAFETY: `format == self.src_format` and `bytes.len() >= src_row * h` (the `ensure!`s
+            // above), so `sws_scale` reads `h` rows of `src_row` bytes from `src_data[0] = bytes`
+            // (packed RGB is single-plane; the other src planes are null/0) — all in bounds. `sws` is
+            // the non-null context built in `open`. The dst is `frame`'s underlying `AVFrame`: its
+            // `data`/`linesize` in-struct arrays were sized for YUV444P by `VideoFrame::new`, and the
+            // 3 planes are each `width`×`height`. All pointers are live locals for this synchronous
+            // call; the encoder runs only on this thread (`unsafe impl Send`), so no aliasing/race.
+            unsafe {
+                let dst_av = frame.as_mut_ptr();
+                let src_data: [*const u8; 4] =
+                    [bytes.as_ptr(), ptr::null(), ptr::null(), ptr::null()];
+                let src_stride: [c_int; 4] = [src_row as c_int, 0, 0, 0];
+                let r = ffi::sws_scale(
+                    sws,
+                    src_data.as_ptr(),
+                    src_stride.as_ptr(),
+                    0,
+                    h as c_int,
+                    (*dst_av).data.as_ptr(),
+                    (*dst_av).linesize.as_ptr(),
+                );
+                if r < 0 {
+                    bail!("sws_scale(RGB→YUV444P) failed ({r})");
+                }
+            }
+            frame.set_pts(Some(pts));
+            frame.set_kind(if idr {
+                ffmpeg::picture::Type::I
+            } else {
+                ffmpeg::picture::Type::None
+            });
+            self.enc.send_frame(frame).context("send_frame(444)")?;
+            return Ok(());
+        }
         let frame = self
             .frame
             .as_mut()
@@ -428,6 +614,19 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
         // The device→device copy below uses our shared context directly; make it current on the
         // encode thread (ffmpeg pushes its own around the pool alloc, so order is fine).
         crate::zerocopy::cuda::make_current().context("CUDA context current (encode thread)")?;
+        // SAFETY: `frames_ref` is the non-null CUDA frames ctx from `self.cuda` (unwrapped via
+        // `.context(..)?` above), and the shared CUDA context was just made current on THIS thread
+        // (`make_current()?`), the precondition for the device-pointer copies below.
+        //  * `av_frame_alloc` → `f` (null-checked). `av_hwframe_get_buffer(frames_ref, f, 0)` fills `f`
+        //    with a pooled CUDA surface (sets `data[]`/`linesize[]`/`buf[0]`/`hw_frames_ctx`); on
+        //    failure we free `f` and bail.
+        //  * For NV12 we read `(*f).data[0..2]` / `linesize[0..2]` (Y + interleaved UV), else
+        //    `data[0]`/`linesize[0]` — in-struct fields of the non-null `f`, valid for the surface dims
+        //    ffmpeg allocated — and pass them to the cuda copy helpers, which device→device copy `buf`
+        //    (the imported `DeviceBuffer`, owned by the caller and live for this call) into the surface.
+        //  * On copy error we free `f` and return. Otherwise we write `pts`/`pict_type` through `f` and
+        //    `avcodec_send_frame` it into the live owned `self.enc` context (which takes its own ref of
+        //    the pooled surface), then free our `f` ref exactly once. Single-threaded encoder → no race.
         unsafe {
             let mut f = ffi::av_frame_alloc();
             if f.is_null() {
@@ -473,3 +672,51 @@ impl NvencEncoder {
         Ok(())
     }
 }
+
+impl Drop for NvencEncoder {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        if let Some(sws) = self.sws_444.take() {
+            // SAFETY: `sws` is the non-null `SwsContext` allocated by `sws_getContext` in `open` and
+            // owned exclusively by this encoder (taken out of the field so it can't be freed twice).
+            // `sws_freeContext` frees it; nothing else references it after this single-threaded drop.
+            unsafe { ffi::sws_freeContext(sws) };
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Probe whether this NVIDIA GPU + driver + libavcodec can actually encode HEVC **4:4:4** (Range
+/// Extensions). Opens a tiny real `hevc_nvenc` 4:4:4 session — the exact path [`NvencEncoder::open`]
+/// takes for a live 4:4:4 stream — and reports whether it succeeded. HEVC-only; the result is cached
+/// by the caller ([`crate::encode::can_encode_444`]). A GPU/driver/ffmpeg without RExt 4:4:4 fails
+/// the open here, so the host resolves the session to 4:2:0 before the Welcome (honest downgrade).
+pub fn probe_can_encode_444(codec: Codec) -> bool {
+    if codec != Codec::H265 {
+        return false;
+    }
+    if ffmpeg::init().is_err() {
+        return false;
+    }
+    // Quiet ffmpeg's open error on a GPU that lacks 4:4:4 — the probe failing is an expected outcome.
+    // SAFETY: libav initialized above; `av_log_{get,set}_level` only read/write the global int level
+    // (no pointer args) and are always sound post-init.
+    let prev = unsafe {
+        let p = ffi::av_log_get_level();
+        ffi::av_log_set_level(ffi::AV_LOG_FATAL);
+        p
+    };
+    let ok = NvencEncoder::open(
+        codec,
+        PixelFormat::Bgra,
+        640,
+        480,
+        30,
+        2_000_000,
+        false, // CPU input (the 4:4:4 path never uses CUDA)
+        8,
+        ChromaFormat::Yuv444,
+    )
+    .is_ok();
+    // SAFETY: restore the saved global log level (scalar arg, no pointers).
+    unsafe { ffi::av_log_set_level(prev) };
+    ok
+}

crates/punktfunk-host/src/encode/linux/vaapi.rs

@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 //! hwdevice/hwframes/buffersrc/buffersink calls go through `ffmpeg::ffi` (= `ffmpeg_sys_next`),
 //! as the CUDA encode path and the clients' decode paths already do. The encoder is opened
 //! *without* a global header, so VPS/SPS/PPS are in-band on every IDR.
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof program).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
 
 use super::{Codec, EncodedFrame, Encoder};
 use crate::capture::{CapturedFrame, DmabufFrame, FramePayload, PixelFormat};
@@ -133,6 +135,14 @@ pub fn probe_can_encode(codec: Codec) -> bool {
     if ffmpeg::init().is_err() {
         return false;
     }
+    // SAFETY: `ffmpeg::init()` returned Ok above, so libav is initialized. `av_log_get_level`/
+    // `av_log_set_level` only read/write libav's global integer log level (no pointer args) and are
+    // always sound to call post-init. `VaapiHw::new` (an `unsafe fn`) builds a VAAPI device + NV12
+    // frames pool from the literal NV12/640x480/pool=2 args and hands back a RAII handle that unrefs
+    // both `AVBufferRef`s on drop. `open_vaapi_encoder` (an `unsafe fn`) borrows `hw.device_ref`/
+    // `hw.frames_ref` — the two non-null refs `VaapiHw::new` just created — and `av_buffer_ref`s them
+    // into the encoder; `hw` is a live local for the whole match arm, so the borrows outlive the
+    // synchronous call, and both `hw` and the probe encoder are dropped (RAII) when the arm ends.
     unsafe {
         // A missing VA device (non-VAAPI host, GPU-less CI) is an expected probe outcome — quiet
         // ffmpeg's "No VA display found" error for the probe, then restore the level.
@@ -150,6 +160,18 @@ pub fn probe_can_encode(codec: Codec) -> bool {
     }
 }
 
+/// Whether the active VAAPI GPU can encode HEVC **4:4:4** (Range Extensions). **Deferred in v1 —
+/// always `false`.** VAAPI HEVC 4:4:4 encode is narrow and vendor-specific (the lab's AMD Phoenix1 /
+/// RDNA3 exposes only `VAProfileHEVCMain`/`Main10` `EncSlice`, no `Main444`), and there is no
+/// validated hardware to build + verify the 4:4:4 surface/profile path against. Returning `false`
+/// keeps the negotiation honest: a VAAPI host resolves every session to 4:2:0 before the Welcome, so
+/// the client never builds a 4:4:4 decoder it would only get 4:2:0 frames for. (Follow-up: implement
+/// and validate on an Intel Arc / RDNA4-class box that advertises a HEVC 4:4:4 encode entrypoint.)
+pub fn probe_can_encode_444(_codec: Codec) -> bool {
+    tracing::info!("VAAPI HEVC 4:4:4 encode is not implemented yet — declining (encoding 4:2:0)");
+    false
+}
+
 /// Drain the encoder for one packet (shared poll logic).
 fn poll_encoder(enc: &mut encoder::video::Encoder, fps: u32) -> Result<Option<EncodedFrame>> {
     let mut pkt = Packet::empty();
@@ -224,6 +246,12 @@ impl VaapiHw {
 
 impl Drop for VaapiHw {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: `frames_ref`/`device_ref` are the two non-null `AVBufferRef`s `VaapiHw::new`
+        // created (it bails before constructing `Self` if either alloc fails, so a live `VaapiHw`
+        // always holds both). `av_buffer_unref` drops one reference and nulls the pointer through the
+        // `&mut`. This `Drop` runs exactly once and `VaapiHw` owns these refs exclusively, so there
+        // is no double-free / use-after-free. Frames are unref'd before the device because the frames
+        // ctx internally holds a ref on the device (refcounted, so the order is sound either way).
         unsafe {
             ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut self.frames_ref);
             ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut self.device_ref);
@@ -252,7 +280,16 @@ impl CpuInner {
     ) -> Result<Self> {
         let src_pixel = vaapi_sws_src(format)?;
         const POOL: c_int = 16;
+        // SAFETY: `VaapiHw::new` (an `unsafe fn`) requires libav initialized — guaranteed because the
+        // only path here is `VaapiEncoder::open` → `ensure_inner` → `CpuInner::open`, and `open` ran
+        // `ffmpeg::init()`. The args are valid: NV12 sw_format, the validated positive `width`/`height`,
+        // pool=16. It returns a RAII `VaapiHw` that unrefs its two `AVBufferRef`s on drop.
         let hw = unsafe { VaapiHw::new(ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_NV12, width, height, POOL)? };
+        // SAFETY: `open_vaapi_encoder` (an `unsafe fn`) borrows `hw.device_ref`/`hw.frames_ref` — both
+        // non-null (`VaapiHw::new` guarantees it) and from the `hw` just built above, which is a live
+        // local that outlives this synchronous call. The fn `av_buffer_ref`s them into the encoder, so
+        // the encoder holds its own references; `hw` is also moved into the returned `CpuInner` next to
+        // `enc`, keeping the device/frames alive for the encoder's whole lifetime.
         let enc = unsafe {
             open_vaapi_encoder(
                 codec,
@@ -266,6 +303,12 @@ impl CpuInner {
         };
         // swscale RGB→NV12, BT.709 limited (matches the VUI), no rescale.
         let src_av = pixel_to_av(src_pixel);
+        // SAFETY: `sws_getContext` allocates a swscale context for the given src/dst dimensions and
+        // pixel formats. All four dims are the encoder's positive `width`/`height` cast to `c_int`;
+        // `src_av` is a valid `AVPixelFormat` (from `pixel_to_av` of the `vaapi_sws_src`-validated
+        // `src_pixel`), the dst is NV12. The three trailing pointers (srcFilter, dstFilter, param) are
+        // explicitly null = "use defaults", which the API documents as accepted. No Rust memory is
+        // borrowed — only by-value ints/enums — and the returned pointer is null-checked just below.
         let sws = unsafe {
             ffi::sws_getContext(
                 width as c_int,
@@ -283,10 +326,23 @@ impl CpuInner {
         if sws.is_null() {
             bail!("sws_getContext(RGB→NV12) failed");
         }
+        // SAFETY: `sws` is the non-null `SwsContext` from `sws_getContext` above (the `is_null()`
+        // check immediately preceding returned false). `sws_getCoefficients(SWS_CS_ITU709)` returns a
+        // pointer into a libswscale static const coefficient table valid for the whole process, reused
+        // here for both the inverse (src) and forward (dst) matrices. `sws_setColorspaceDetails` only
+        // reads those tables and writes scalar CSC settings into `sws`; the table pointer outlives the
+        // synchronous call and no Rust memory is passed.
         unsafe {
             let cs709 = ffi::sws_getCoefficients(SWS_CS_ITU709);
             ffi::sws_setColorspaceDetails(sws, cs709, 1, cs709, 0, 0, 1 << 16, 1 << 16);
         }
+        // SAFETY: `av_frame_alloc` returns a fresh, uniquely-owned heap `AVFrame` (null-checked — on
+        // null we free the already-built `sws` and bail). We then write the plain `format`/`width`/
+        // `height` fields through the non-null, properly-aligned `f` (sole owner, not yet shared).
+        // `av_frame_get_buffer(f, 0)` allocates backing storage for those dims/format; on failure we
+        // free `f` and `sws` (unwinding the half-built state) and bail. On success `f` is a fully-owned
+        // NV12 frame stored in `CpuInner.nv12` and freed once in `CpuInner::drop`. `f` is a unique
+        // fresh pointer, so none of these writes alias anything.
         let nv12 = unsafe {
             let f = ffi::av_frame_alloc();
             if f.is_null() {
@@ -329,6 +385,18 @@ impl CpuInner {
         let h = self.height as usize;
         let src_row = w * self.src_format.bytes_per_pixel();
         anyhow::ensure!(bytes.len() >= src_row * h, "captured buffer too small");
+        // SAFETY: The `ensure!`s above guarantee `format == self.src_format` and
+        // `bytes.len() >= src_row * h`. `sws_scale` reads `h` rows of `src_row` bytes from
+        // `src_data[0] = bytes.as_ptr()` (the other planes null/0 — packed RGB is single-plane), all
+        // in bounds; `bytes`, `src_data`, `src_stride` are live locals for this synchronous call.
+        // `self.sws` is the non-null context built in `open`; it writes into `self.nv12` (a non-null
+        // owned frame whose `data`/`linesize` in-struct arrays were sized by `av_frame_get_buffer`).
+        // `av_frame_alloc` (null-checked) yields a fresh `hwf`; `av_hwframe_get_buffer` pulls a pooled
+        // VAAPI surface from the live non-null `self.hw.frames_ref`; `av_hwframe_transfer_data` uploads
+        // the staged NV12 into it — both frames live, failures free `hwf` and bail. We then write
+        // `pts`/`pict_type` through the non-null `hwf` and `avcodec_send_frame` it into the live
+        // owned `self.enc` context (which takes its own ref), then free our `hwf` ref exactly once.
+        // The encoder runs only on this thread (see `unsafe impl Send`), so no aliasing/data race.
         unsafe {
             let src_data: [*const u8; 4] = [bytes.as_ptr(), ptr::null(), ptr::null(), ptr::null()];
             let src_stride: [c_int; 4] = [src_row as c_int, 0, 0, 0];
@@ -374,6 +442,12 @@ impl CpuInner {
 
 impl Drop for CpuInner {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: `self.nv12` (an owned `AVFrame`) and `self.sws` (an owned `SwsContext`) are each
+        // freed exactly once here, guarded by `is_null()` so a never-set pointer is skipped (no double
+        // free). `CpuInner` owns both exclusively and `Drop` runs once. `av_frame_free` takes `&mut`
+        // and nulls the pointer. `self.enc`/`self.hw` are freed afterward by their own `Drop` impls;
+        // the encoder holds its own `av_buffer_ref`'d device/frames copies, so field-drop order is
+        // irrelevant to soundness.
         unsafe {
             if !self.nv12.is_null() {
                 ffi::av_frame_free(&mut self.nv12);
@@ -417,6 +491,31 @@ impl DmabufInner {
         let drm_fourcc = crate::zerocopy::drm_fourcc(format)
             .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("no DRM fourcc for {format:?} (VAAPI zero-copy)"))?;
         let node = render_node();
+        // SAFETY: libav is initialized (`VaapiEncoder::open` ran `ffmpeg::init()` before
+        // `ensure_inner` → `DmabufInner::open`). Every raw pointer dereferenced below is either freshly
+        // allocated by the immediately-preceding ffmpeg call and null-checked, or an in-struct field of
+        // such an object:
+        //  * `node` is a `CString` (from `render_node`) live for the whole block; its `.as_ptr()` is a
+        //    NUL-terminated path read only during `av_hwdevice_ctx_create`.
+        //  * `av_hwdevice_ctx_create(&mut drm_device, DRM, …)` / `…_create_derived(&mut vaapi_device,
+        //    VAAPI, drm_device, …)`: on `r < 0` the out-param stays null and we bail (the derive path
+        //    unrefs `drm_device` first); on success each is a non-null owned `AVBufferRef`.
+        //  * `av_hwframe_ctx_alloc(drm_device)` → `drm_frames` (null-checked); `(*drm_frames).data` is
+        //    its `AVHWFramesContext` payload, written before `av_hwframe_ctx_init`.
+        //  * `avfilter_graph_alloc` → `graph` (null-checked); `avfilter_get_by_name` returns a static
+        //    const `AVFilter` (process-lifetime) or null; `avfilter_graph_alloc_filter` allocates each
+        //    filter ctx inside `graph`; the four are null-checked together. `inst`/arg strings are
+        //    'static C literals.
+        //  * `(*hwmap/scale).hw_device_ctx = av_buffer_ref(vaapi_device)` attaches a NEW ref owned by
+        //    the filter (freed by `avfilter_graph_free`); our `vaapi_device` ref is untouched.
+        //  * `av_buffersink_get_hw_frames_ctx(sink)` → `nv12_ctx` is a borrowed ref owned by the sink,
+        //    valid while `graph` lives (and `graph` is moved into the returned `DmabufInner`).
+        //  * `open_vaapi_encoder` borrows `vaapi_device` (our live owned ref) and `nv12_ctx` (sink's
+        //    live ref) and `av_buffer_ref`s both into the encoder.
+        // Every early-error path unref's the allocated buffers and frees the graph in the right order
+        // before bailing; on success the four `AVBufferRef`s + `graph` + `src`/`sink` are moved into
+        // `DmabufInner` and freed in its `Drop`. (Two non-UB leaks noted below: `av_buffersrc_*` and
+        // the final `?`.)
         unsafe {
             // DRM device (source dmabuf frames) + a VAAPI device derived from it (same GPU) for
             // hwmap/scale_vaapi/the encoder.
@@ -509,7 +608,12 @@ impl DmabufInner {
                 num: 1,
                 den: fps as c_int,
             };
-            (*par).hw_frames_ctx = ffi::av_buffer_ref(drm_frames);
+            // Assign `drm_frames` BORROWED (no extra ref): `av_buffersrc_parameters_set` takes its
+            // own ref of `par->hw_frames_ctx` (via av_buffer_replace), and `av_free(par)` frees only
+            // the struct, not the ref. Our single owned `drm_frames` ref is retained, lives in
+            // `DmabufInner`, and is unref'd in `Drop`. Wrapping it in `av_buffer_ref` here would leak
+            // that extra ref every session (the persistent listener would accumulate them).
+            (*par).hw_frames_ctx = drm_frames;
             let r = ffi::av_buffersrc_parameters_set(src, par);
             ffi::av_free(par as *mut _);
             if r < 0 {
@@ -564,7 +668,12 @@ impl DmabufInner {
                 ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut drm_device);
                 bail!("filter sink has no VAAPI frames context");
             }
-            let enc = open_vaapi_encoder(
+            // On encoder-open failure, free the graph + our owned buffer refs before bailing (matching
+            // every error path above) so a failed session doesn't leak them. `nv12_ctx` is borrowed
+            // from the sink (owned by `graph`), so `avfilter_graph_free` reclaims it — don't unref it
+            // separately. On success the encoder takes its own ref of `vaapi_device`, and `drm_frames`/
+            // `vaapi_device`/`drm_device`/`graph` move into `DmabufInner` (freed in `Drop`).
+            let enc = match open_vaapi_encoder(
                 codec,
                 width,
                 height,
@@ -572,7 +681,16 @@ impl DmabufInner {
                 bitrate_bps,
                 vaapi_device,
                 nv12_ctx,
-            )?;
+            ) {
+                Ok(enc) => enc,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    ffi::avfilter_graph_free(&mut graph);
+                    ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut drm_frames);
+                    ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut vaapi_device);
+                    ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut drm_device);
+                    return Err(e);
+                }
+            };
 
             tracing::info!(
                 encoder = codec.vaapi_name(),
@@ -600,6 +718,23 @@ impl DmabufInner {
             dmabuf.fourcc,
             self.fourcc
         );
+        // SAFETY: The `ensure!` above checked `dmabuf.fourcc == self.fourcc`.
+        //  * `std::mem::zeroed::<AVDRMFrameDescriptor>()` is sound: it is a `#[repr(C)]` POD of ints and
+        //    nested int-struct arrays (no `NonNull`/refs), for which all-zero is a valid bit pattern;
+        //    `Box` puts it on the heap with a unique owner.
+        //  * `dmabuf.fd.as_raw_fd()` is the fd of the caller's `&DmabufFrame`, which owns it for the
+        //    whole synchronous `submit`; we describe one object/layer/plane from its
+        //    fourcc/modifier/offset/stride and pass `object.size = 0` (ffmpeg queries the real size).
+        //  * `av_frame_alloc` → `drm` (null-checked); we set its scalar fields and
+        //    `hw_frames_ctx = av_buffer_ref(self.drm_frames)` (new ref of the live owned ctx).
+        //  * `data[0] = Box::into_raw(desc)` transfers the box into the frame; `buf[0] =
+        //    av_buffer_create(.., free_desc, ..)` registers a destructor that reclaims it exactly once
+        //    when the buffer's refcount hits zero — matched alloc/free, no leak/double-free.
+        //  * `av_buffersrc_add_frame_flags(self.src, drm, KEEP_REF)` pushes a ref into the live
+        //    buffersrc; KEEP_REF keeps our own `drm` ref, which we then `av_frame_free`. We pull the
+        //    converted surface with `av_buffersink_get_frame(self.sink, nv12)` BEFORE returning, so the
+        //    dmabuf (owned by the caller) is read while still valid. `nv12` is sent into the live owned
+        //    `self.enc` (takes its own ref) and our ref freed once. Single-threaded encoder → no race.
         unsafe {
             // Build a DRM-PRIME AVFrame describing the dmabuf (one object/fd, one layer/plane).
             let mut desc: Box<ffi::AVDRMFrameDescriptor> = Box::new(std::mem::zeroed());
@@ -626,6 +761,11 @@ impl DmabufInner {
             // Own the descriptor so it frees with the frame (the fd is owned by the DmabufFrame,
             // which outlives this call — the graph reads the surface before submit returns).
             extern "C" fn free_desc(_opaque: *mut std::ffi::c_void, data: *mut u8) {
+                // SAFETY: `data` is exactly the pointer produced by `Box::into_raw(desc)` and passed as
+                // `av_buffer_create`'s first arg, which libav hands back verbatim to this callback. It
+                // is a valid, uniquely-owned `Box<AVDRMFrameDescriptor>` raw pointer; libav invokes the
+                // callback exactly once (when the last buffer ref drops), so `from_raw` + `drop`
+                // reclaims it exactly once — no double-free. `_opaque` is unused (we passed null).
                 unsafe { drop(Box::from_raw(data as *mut ffi::AVDRMFrameDescriptor)) };
             }
             (*drm).buf[0] = ffi::av_buffer_create(
@@ -673,6 +813,13 @@ impl DmabufInner {
 
 impl Drop for DmabufInner {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: `graph`/`drm_frames`/`vaapi_device`/`drm_device` are the non-null objects
+        // `DmabufInner::open` built and moved into `self` (open bails before constructing `Self` if any
+        // alloc fails). `avfilter_graph_free` frees the graph (and the per-filter device refs it owns);
+        // each `av_buffer_unref` drops one ref and nulls the pointer via `&mut`. `DmabufInner` owns all
+        // four exclusively and `Drop` runs once → no double-free/use-after-free. The graph is freed
+        // first (it holds refs on the devices), then frames, then the derived VAAPI device, then DRM.
+        // (`self.enc` drops via ffmpeg-next afterward, holding its own refs.)
         unsafe {
             ffi::avfilter_graph_free(&mut self.graph);
             ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut self.drm_frames);
@@ -703,9 +850,17 @@ pub struct VaapiEncoder {
 }
 
 // Raw FFI pointers; the encoder lives on a single thread (same contract as `NvencEncoder`).
+// SAFETY: `VaapiEncoder`'s `Inner` holds raw FFI pointers (`SwsContext`, `AVFrame`, `AVBufferRef`,
+// `AVFilterContext`, `AVCodecContext`) that are not `Send` by default. The encoder is owned and
+// driven by exactly ONE thread — the host's per-session encode thread it is moved (transferred) to —
+// and is only ever touched through `&mut self` methods, so it is never aliased or accessed
+// concurrently from two threads. None of the underlying libav/libswscale objects have thread
+// affinity (they are not thread-local), so transferring ownership across threads is sound. This
+// asserts `Send` (transfer) only; `Sync` (shared `&`) is deliberately NOT implemented.
 unsafe impl Send for VaapiEncoder {}
 
 impl VaapiEncoder {
+    #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
     pub fn open(
         codec: Codec,
         format: PixelFormat,
@@ -714,12 +869,23 @@ impl VaapiEncoder {
         fps: u32,
         bitrate_bps: u64,
         bit_depth: u8,
+        chroma: super::ChromaFormat,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
         if bit_depth != 8 {
             tracing::warn!(bit_depth, "VAAPI 10-bit not yet wired — encoding 8-bit");
         }
+        // VAAPI 4:4:4 is deferred (see `probe_can_encode_444`): no validated AMD/Intel hardware in the
+        // lab exposes a HEVC 4:4:4 encode entrypoint, and the probe returns false so the host never
+        // negotiates 4:4:4 for a VAAPI session. If a request slips through, fall back to 4:2:0 rather
+        // than emit an unverified stream — the host signalled 4:2:0 in the Welcome anyway.
+        if chroma.is_444() {
+            tracing::warn!("VAAPI 4:4:4 encode not implemented — encoding 4:2:0");
+        }
         ffmpeg::init().context("ffmpeg init")?;
         if std::env::var_os("PUNKTFUNK_FFMPEG_DEBUG").is_some() {
+            // SAFETY: `av_log_set_level` sets libav's global integer log level; `48` (= AV_LOG_DEBUG)
+            // is a valid level and there are no pointer args. libav was just initialized by the
+            // `ffmpeg::init()` above, so the call is always sound.
             unsafe { ffi::av_log_set_level(48) };
         }
         // Validate the codec/format up front so a bad request fails at open, not on the first frame.

crates/punktfunk-host/src/encode/windows/ffmpeg_win.rs

@@ -28,8 +28,10 @@
 //! through `ffmpeg::ffi` (= `ffmpeg_sys_next`), exactly as the Linux CUDA/VAAPI paths do. The
 //! `AVD3D11VADeviceContext`/`AVD3D11VAFramesContext` layouts are mirrored (the bindings don't
 //! allowlist `hwcontext_d3d11va.h`), as [`super::linux`] mirrors `AVCUDADeviceContext`.
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof program).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
 
-use super::{Codec, EncodedFrame, Encoder};
+use super::{ChromaFormat, Codec, EncodedFrame, Encoder};
 use crate::capture::{dxgi::D3d11Frame, CapturedFrame, FramePayload, PixelFormat};
 use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context, Result};
 use ffmpeg::format::Pixel;
@@ -239,10 +241,28 @@ unsafe fn open_win_encoder(
 /// driver/runtime rejects codecs the video engine can't do (AV1 on pre-RDNA3 AMD / pre-Arc Intel,
 /// or HEVC on a very old part). Used to build the GameStream codec advertisement so a client never
 /// negotiates a codec the encoder can't open. Torn down immediately.
+/// Whether the active AMD (AMF) / Intel (QSV) GPU can encode HEVC **4:4:4**. **Deferred in v1 —
+/// always `false`.** AMF/QSV HEVC 4:4:4 encode is narrow (AMD RDNA3+, Intel Arc/Xe2+) and the
+/// libavcodec profile/pixel-format incantation is vendor- and driver-specific — a wrong profile
+/// `avcodec_open2` *silently* falls back to 4:2:0, so a positive probe would need a verify-by-frame,
+/// and there is no AMD/Intel Windows box in the lab to build + validate that against. Returning
+/// `false` keeps the negotiation honest: an AMF/QSV host resolves every session to 4:2:0 before the
+/// Welcome. (Follow-up: implement + validate on an RDNA3+/Arc Windows box.)
+pub fn probe_can_encode_444(_vendor: WinVendor, _codec: Codec) -> bool {
+    tracing::info!("AMF/QSV HEVC 4:4:4 encode is not implemented yet — declining (encoding 4:2:0)");
+    false
+}
+
 pub fn probe_can_encode(vendor: WinVendor, codec: Codec) -> bool {
     if ffmpeg::init().is_err() {
         return false;
     }
+    // SAFETY: `ffmpeg::init()` succeeded above, so libav's global state is initialised.
+    // `av_log_get_level`/`av_log_set_level` are global scalar getters/setters with no pointer args.
+    // `open_win_encoder` (the `unsafe fn`) is called with null `device_ref`/`frames_ref` (the system
+    // path), so it touches no D3D11/hwcontext — it only allocates and opens a self-contained
+    // libavcodec encoder that is dropped at the end of `.is_ok()`. We restore the prior log level and
+    // no raw pointer escapes the block.
     unsafe {
         // A missing AMF/QSV runtime (wrong-vendor host, GPU-less CI) is an expected probe outcome —
         // quiet ffmpeg's open error for the probe, then restore the level.
@@ -337,6 +357,10 @@ impl SystemInner {
         } else {
             ffi::AVPixelFormat::AV_PIX_FMT_NV12
         };
+        // SAFETY: calls the `unsafe fn open_win_encoder` with null `device_ref`/`frames_ref`, so the
+        // system path is taken (no hw device/frames context is touched); all other args are scalars.
+        // The returned `encoder::video::Encoder` owns its `AVCodecContext` and frees it on drop; no raw
+        // pointer is aliased.
         let enc = unsafe {
             open_win_encoder(
                 vendor,
@@ -352,6 +376,11 @@ impl SystemInner {
                 ptr::null_mut(),
             )?
         };
+        // SAFETY: `av_frame_alloc` returns a freshly-allocated, uniquely-owned `AVFrame` (null-checked
+        // before any deref); writing `format`/`width`/`height` through `*f` stays inside that
+        // allocation. `av_frame_get_buffer(f, 0)` allocates the backing planes — on failure we
+        // `av_frame_free` the sole owner (no double-free) and bail; on success the raw `f` is moved into
+        // `self.sw_frame` and freed exactly once in `Drop`.
         let sw_frame = unsafe {
             let f = ffi::av_frame_alloc();
             if f.is_null() {
@@ -467,6 +496,18 @@ impl SystemInner {
         } else {
             DXGI_FORMAT_NV12
         };
+        // SAFETY: `ensure_staging` builds a STAGING texture (CPU_ACCESS_READ) matching `dxgi_fmt` on
+        // `frame.device` — the same `ID3D11Device` that owns `frame.texture` — and caches that device's
+        // immediate context in `self.ctx`. `src`/`dst` are that device's textures of identical NV12/P010
+        // format and dimensions, so `CopyResource` on the single-threaded immediate context is valid.
+        // `Map(.., D3D11_MAP_READ)` succeeds on a staging texture and yields `map.pData` valid for the
+        // whole resource; for NV12/P010 the luma plane is `H` rows at `RowPitch` and the chroma plane
+        // follows at byte offset `RowPitch*H` (`H/2` rows), so `total = pitch*(H+⌈H/2⌉)` is exactly the
+        // mapped extent and `from_raw_parts(base, total)` stays in-bounds. Each `copy_nonoverlapping`
+        // reads a bounds-checked `mapped[..]` sub-slice (`row_bytes ≤ pitch`) and writes `row_bytes ≤
+        // linesize` into the `av_frame_get_buffer`-allocated plane at row `y < H`, so every destination
+        // offset is inside the frame's plane allocation; src and dst never alias. `Unmap` pairs `Map`,
+        // then `send` (the `unsafe fn`) hands `sw_frame` to the encoder.
         unsafe {
             self.ensure_staging(&frame.device, dxgi_fmt)?;
             let staging = self.staging.clone().context("staging texture")?;
@@ -510,6 +551,14 @@ impl SystemInner {
         if self.ten_bit {
             bail!("ffmpeg_win: BGRA readback is 8-bit only (HDR needs the P010 capture path)");
         }
+        // SAFETY: `ensure_staging` builds a B8G8R8A8 STAGING texture on `frame.device` and caches that
+        // device's immediate context; `src`/`dst` are that device's textures of matching BGRA format,
+        // so `CopyResource` on the single-threaded context is valid. `Map(READ)` on the staging texture
+        // yields `base` valid for `pitch` × `h` rows. `ensure_sws` lazily builds the BGRA→NV12 context;
+        // `sws_scale` reads `h` rows of `pitch` bytes from `base` (in-bounds — the staging surface is
+        // `≥ pitch*h`) into the `sw_frame` planes addressed by its `data`/`linesize` (allocated for
+        // `width`×`height` NV12). `Unmap` pairs `Map`; the cached `sws` is freed once in `Drop`. The
+        // mapped read region never aliases the owned encoder frame.
         unsafe {
             self.ensure_staging(&frame.device, DXGI_FORMAT_B8G8R8A8_UNORM)?;
             let staging = self.staging.clone().context("staging texture")?;
@@ -552,6 +601,13 @@ impl SystemInner {
     /// R10 shader output instead of P010. DXGI `R10G10B10A2_UNORM` (R in the low 10 bits, X2 alpha in
     /// the top 2) == FFmpeg `AV_PIX_FMT_X2BGR10LE`. UNTESTED on glass (no AMD/Intel Windows box).
     fn readback_rgb10(&mut self, frame: &D3d11Frame, pts: i64, idr: bool) -> Result<()> {
+        // SAFETY: same shape as `readback_yuv`/`readback_bgra` — `ensure_staging` builds an
+        // R10G10B10A2 STAGING texture on `frame.device` and caches its immediate context; `src`/`dst`
+        // are that device's matching-format textures, so `CopyResource` on the single-threaded context
+        // is valid. `Map(READ)` yields `base` valid for `pitch` × `h` rows. `ensure_sws` builds the
+        // X2BGR10LE→P010 (BT.2020) context; `sws_scale` reads `h` rows of `pitch` bytes from `base`
+        // (in-bounds) into the `sw_frame` P010 planes (`data`/`linesize`, allocated `width`×`height`).
+        // `Unmap` pairs `Map`; `sws` is freed once in `Drop`. No aliasing between read and write.
         unsafe {
             self.ensure_staging(&frame.device, DXGI_FORMAT_R10G10B10A2_UNORM)?;
             let staging = self.staging.clone().context("staging texture")?;
@@ -605,6 +661,12 @@ impl SystemInner {
         let h = self.height as usize;
         let src_row = w * format.bytes_per_pixel();
         anyhow::ensure!(bytes.len() >= src_row * h, "captured buffer too small");
+        // SAFETY: `ensure_sws` lazily builds the (packed RGB/BGR)→NV12 context for this fixed src/dst
+        // format pair. `src_data[0] = bytes.as_ptr()` with `src_stride[0] = src_row`; the `ensure!`
+        // above guarantees `bytes` holds at least `src_row*h` bytes, so `sws_scale` reads `h` rows of
+        // `src_row` bytes in-bounds and writes the `sw_frame` NV12 planes (`data`/`linesize`, allocated
+        // `width`×`height`). `bytes` is borrowed for the call only and never aliases the owned
+        // `sw_frame`. `send` then hands `sw_frame` to the encoder.
         unsafe {
             self.ensure_sws(
                 pixel_to_av(sws_src(format)?),
@@ -667,6 +729,10 @@ impl SystemInner {
 
 impl Drop for SystemInner {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: `sw_frame` is the `AVFrame` allocated in `open` (or null) — `av_frame_free` drops it
+        // once and nulls the pointer through the `&mut`; `sws` is the cached `SwsContext` (or null) —
+        // `sws_freeContext` frees it once. This `Drop` runs exactly once and `SystemInner` owns both
+        // exclusively, so there is no double-free or use-after-free.
         unsafe {
             if !self.sw_frame.is_null() {
                 ffi::av_frame_free(&mut self.sw_frame);
@@ -745,6 +811,12 @@ impl D3d11Hw {
 
 impl Drop for D3d11Hw {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: `frames_ref`/`device_ref` are the two non-null `AVBufferRef`s `D3d11Hw::new` created
+        // (it bails before constructing `Self` if either alloc/init fails, so a live `D3d11Hw` always
+        // holds both). `av_buffer_unref` drops one reference and nulls the pointer through the `&mut`.
+        // This `Drop` runs exactly once and `D3d11Hw` owns these refs exclusively → no double-free /
+        // use-after-free. Frames are unref'd before the device because the frames ctx internally holds
+        // a ref on the device (refcounted, so the order is sound either way).
         unsafe {
             ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut self.frames_ref);
             ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut self.device_ref);
@@ -800,6 +872,18 @@ impl ZeroCopyInner {
             WinVendor::Qsv => (D3D11_BIND_DECODER.0 | D3D11_BIND_VIDEO_ENCODER.0) as u32,
         };
         const POOL: c_int = 8;
+        // SAFETY: `D3d11Hw::new` wraps the capturer's `device` as a D3D11VA hwdevice (handing FFmpeg an
+        // owned AddRef of it, balanced by FFmpeg's teardown Release) and builds an owned
+        // device_ref/frames_ref pair freed by `D3d11Hw::Drop`; `hw` is a local, so it is dropped (and
+        // both refs freed) on every early `return Err`. For QSV, `av_hwdevice_ctx_create_derived` and
+        // `av_hwframe_ctx_create_derived` fill the null-initialised `qsv_device`/`qsv_frames` out-params
+        // only on success (`r >= 0` checked); on the frames-derive failure we unref the already-created
+        // `qsv_device` before bailing. `open_win_encoder` internally `av_buffer_ref`s the dev/frames
+        // refs it is given (so ownership of `hw`'s and the derived refs stays here), and on its failure
+        // we unref the still-owned derived `qsv_frames`/`qsv_device` (null for AMF → skipped) and return
+        // — `hw` then drops its D3D11 refs. On success the derived refs are moved into `ZeroCopyInner`
+        // (freed in its `Drop`) and the encoder holds its own AddRef'd copies. Every `AVBufferRef` is
+        // unref'd exactly once across all paths — no leak, no double-free.
         unsafe {
             let hw = D3d11Hw::new(device, sw_av, bind_flags, width, height, POOL)?;
             let (pix_fmt, dev_ref, frames_ref, mut qsv_device, mut qsv_frames) = match vendor {
@@ -887,6 +971,19 @@ impl ZeroCopyInner {
     }
 
     fn submit(&mut self, frame: &D3d11Frame, pts: i64, idr: bool) -> Result<()> {
+        // SAFETY: `d3d = av_frame_alloc()` is a fresh owned frame (null-checked) and is `av_frame_free`d
+        // exactly once on every path below. `av_hwframe_get_buffer` fills it from the pool — on failure
+        // we free it and bail. `(*d3d).data[0]` is the pool's texture-array and `data[1]` the array
+        // index; `from_raw_borrowed` borrows that `ID3D11Texture2D` WITHOUT taking ownership (no Release
+        // — the frame owns it) and is null-checked. `src` (the captured texture) and `dst` (the pooled
+        // slice) live on the SAME D3D11 device wrapped by `self.hw`, and the caller guarantees
+        // `captured.format == pool_format` before calling, so `CopySubresourceRegion(dst, dst_index, ..,
+        // src, 0, ..)` on the single-threaded immediate context `self.ctx` is a valid same-format GPU
+        // copy. For QSV the mapped `qsv` frame is a fresh owned frame whose `hw_frames_ctx` takes an
+        // `av_buffer_ref` of `self.qsv_frames`; it is `av_frame_free`d (releasing that ref) on both the
+        // map-failure and success paths. `avcodec_send_frame` only internally refs the input frame, so
+        // the `av_frame_free(d3d)`/`av_frame_free(qsv)` afterwards are the sole owning frees — no leak,
+        // no double-free, no use-after-free.
         unsafe {
             // Pull a pooled D3D11 surface; its data[0] is the pool's texture-ARRAY, data[1] the slice.
             let mut d3d = ffi::av_frame_alloc();
@@ -959,6 +1056,11 @@ impl ZeroCopyInner {
 
 impl Drop for ZeroCopyInner {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: `qsv_frames`/`qsv_device` are the derived QSV `AVBufferRef`s (or null for AMF); each
+        // is `av_buffer_unref`'d once here (nulling the pointer through the `&mut`) — `ZeroCopyInner`
+        // owns these handles exclusively and this `Drop` runs once, so no double-free. The `enc` and
+        // `hw` fields free the encoder's AddRef'd copies and the D3D11 device/frames refs through their
+        // own `Drop`, so all references stay balanced.
         unsafe {
             if !self.qsv_frames.is_null() {
                 ffi::av_buffer_unref(&mut self.qsv_frames);
@@ -996,9 +1098,17 @@ pub struct FfmpegWinEncoder {
 }
 
 // Raw FFI pointers + COM objects; the encoder lives on a single thread (same contract as NVENC/VAAPI).
+// SAFETY: `FfmpegWinEncoder` owns raw libav pointers (`AVFrame`/`SwsContext`/`AVBufferRef`) and
+// windows-rs COM handles (`ID3D11Device`/`ID3D11DeviceContext`/textures) that are not auto-`Send`. The
+// session creates the encoder, drives `submit`/`poll`/`flush`, and drops it all on one dedicated encode
+// thread; it is never shared by reference across threads, and the D3D11 immediate context is only ever
+// touched from that thread. The only cross-thread action is the initial move to the encode thread,
+// after which every interior pointer/COM ref is used single-threaded — the same contract the
+// NVENC/VAAPI encoders rely on. No interior state is accessed concurrently.
 unsafe impl Send for FfmpegWinEncoder {}
 
 impl FfmpegWinEncoder {
+    #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
     #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
     pub fn open(
         vendor: WinVendor,
@@ -1009,9 +1119,19 @@ impl FfmpegWinEncoder {
         fps: u32,
         bitrate_bps: u64,
         bit_depth: u8,
+        chroma: ChromaFormat,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
+        // AMF/QSV 4:4:4 is deferred (see `probe_can_encode_444`): no validated AMD/Intel Windows
+        // hardware in the lab, and the AMF/QSV HEVC 4:4:4 profile/format incantations are vendor- and
+        // driver-specific (a wrong profile silently encodes 4:2:0). The probe returns false so the host
+        // never negotiates 4:4:4 for an AMF/QSV session; if a request slips through, fall back to 4:2:0.
+        if chroma.is_444() {
+            tracing::warn!("AMF/QSV 4:4:4 encode not implemented — encoding 4:2:0");
+        }
         ffmpeg::init().context("ffmpeg init")?;
         if std::env::var_os("PUNKTFUNK_FFMPEG_DEBUG").is_some() {
+            // SAFETY: `ffmpeg::init()` ran on the line above, so libav is initialised; `av_log_set_level`
+            // is a global scalar setter with no pointer arguments.
             unsafe { ffi::av_log_set_level(48) };
         }
         // Make sure the encoder name exists in this libavcodec build up front (clear error vs a

crates/punktfunk-host/src/encode/windows/nvenc.rs

@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@
 //! Needs a real NVIDIA GPU at runtime (session creation fails otherwise) — compiles GPU-less, but
 //! `open`/`submit` only succeed on a GPU box. The software encoder (`super::sw`) is the fallback.
 
-use super::{Codec, EncodedFrame, Encoder, EncoderCaps};
+// Every `unsafe` block / impl in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it.
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
+
+use super::{ChromaFormat, Codec, EncodedFrame, Encoder, EncoderCaps};
 use crate::capture::{CapturedFrame, FramePayload, PixelFormat};
 use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context, Result};
 use std::collections::{HashMap, VecDeque};
@@ -54,6 +57,15 @@ pub struct NvencD3d11Encoder {
     buffer_fmt: nv::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT,
     /// Encoded bit depth (8 or 10). 10 → HEVC Main10 (NVENC upconverts the 8-bit ARGB input).
     bit_depth: u8,
+    /// Full-chroma 4:4:4 (HEVC Range Extensions, `chroma_format_idc = 3`) requested for this session.
+    /// NVENC ingests the RGB (ARGB/ABGR10) input and CSCs it to YUV444 internally; the `FREXT` profile
+    /// and `chromaFormatIDC = 3` in the encode config carry the chroma. Gated on the GPU's
+    /// `NV_ENC_CAPS_SUPPORT_YUV444_ENCODE` (cleared in `query_caps` on a card that lacks it) and on an
+    /// RGB input format (NV12/P010 capture can't reconstruct 4:4:4). HEVC-only.
+    chroma_444: bool,
+    /// `NV_ENC_CAPS_SUPPORT_YUV444_ENCODE` from the caps probe — whether this GPU can 4:4:4 encode at
+    /// all. `chroma_444` is forced off when this is false (graceful downgrade to 4:2:0).
+    yuv444_supported: bool,
     /// HDR: the capturer is delivering BT.2020 PQ 10-bit (`PixelFormat::Rgb10a2`) frames. Sets the
     /// `ABGR10` input format + the BT.2020/PQ colour VUI. Derived per-frame from the capture format
     /// (HDR can toggle mid-session); a change re-inits the session.
@@ -88,10 +100,19 @@ pub struct NvencD3d11Encoder {
     init_device: *mut c_void,
 }
 
-// Raw NVENC handle + COM ptrs; confined to the single encode thread (like the Linux encoder).
+// SAFETY: the `!Send` fields are the raw NVENC session/device handles (`encoder`, `init_device`),
+// the raw NVENC bitstream/registered/mapped pointers carried in `bitstreams`/`regs`/`pending`, and
+// the `ID3D11Texture2D` COM refs — none of which may be touched concurrently from two threads. This
+// encoder is owned by exactly one thread: it is moved onto the host encode thread once at
+// construction, and every NVENC call and D3D11 access happens only from that thread thereafter
+// (`submit`/`poll`/`invalidate_ref_frames`/`Drop` all run there, like the Linux encoder). Moving the
+// handles across that single ownership-transfer boundary is sound because no NVENC/D3D11 call is in
+// flight during the move and the session and its D3D11 immediate context are never shared (`&`) or
+// used concurrently — so `Send` introduces no data race on the non-`Send` fields.
 unsafe impl Send for NvencD3d11Encoder {}
 
 impl NvencD3d11Encoder {
+    #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
     pub fn open(
         codec: Codec,
         _format: PixelFormat,
@@ -100,6 +121,7 @@ impl NvencD3d11Encoder {
         fps: u32,
         bitrate_bps: u64,
         bit_depth: u8,
+        chroma: ChromaFormat,
     ) -> Result<Self> {
         Ok(Self {
             encoder: ptr::null_mut(),
@@ -111,6 +133,9 @@ impl NvencD3d11Encoder {
             bitrate_bps,
             buffer_fmt: nv::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT_ARGB,
             bit_depth,
+            // 4:4:4 is HEVC-only; the GPU-support gate is applied in `query_caps`.
+            chroma_444: chroma.is_444() && codec == Codec::H265,
+            yuv444_supported: false,
             hdr: false,
             hdr_meta: None,
             regs: HashMap::new(),
@@ -198,6 +223,7 @@ impl NvencD3d11Encoder {
         let wmax = self.get_cap(enc, nv::NV_ENC_CAPS::NV_ENC_CAPS_WIDTH_MAX);
         let hmax = self.get_cap(enc, nv::NV_ENC_CAPS::NV_ENC_CAPS_HEIGHT_MAX);
         let ten_bit = self.get_cap(enc, nv::NV_ENC_CAPS::NV_ENC_CAPS_SUPPORT_10BIT_ENCODE);
+        let yuv444 = self.get_cap(enc, nv::NV_ENC_CAPS::NV_ENC_CAPS_SUPPORT_YUV444_ENCODE);
         let rfi = self.get_cap(
             enc,
             nv::NV_ENC_CAPS::NV_ENC_CAPS_SUPPORT_REF_PIC_INVALIDATION,
@@ -224,6 +250,13 @@ impl NvencD3d11Encoder {
             self.bit_depth = 8;
             self.hdr = false;
         }
+        // Same for 4:4:4: a card without YUV444 encode falls back to 4:2:0. (The host already probed
+        // this via `probe_can_encode_444` before the Welcome, so this is a belt-and-braces guard.)
+        self.yuv444_supported = yuv444 != 0;
+        if self.chroma_444 && !self.yuv444_supported {
+            tracing::warn!("NVENC: this GPU can't 4:4:4 encode — falling back to 4:2:0");
+            self.chroma_444 = false;
+        }
         self.rfi_supported = rfi != 0;
         self.custom_vbv = custom_vbv != 0;
         tracing::info!(
@@ -302,9 +335,31 @@ impl NvencD3d11Encoder {
         cfg.encodeCodecConfig.hevcConfig.tier = 1;
         cfg.encodeCodecConfig.hevcConfig.level = 0;
 
-        // 10-bit HEVC Main10 (HDR foundation): NVENC upconverts the 8-bit input; 8-bit leaves the
-        // preset default (Main) untouched.
-        if self.bit_depth == 10 {
+        // Chroma + bit depth. Full-chroma 4:4:4 (HEVC Range Extensions) takes precedence and composes
+        // with 10-bit (Main 4:4:4 10): NVENC ingests the RGB input (ARGB / ABGR10) and CSCs it to
+        // YUV444 internally when `chromaFormatIDC = 3` under the FREXT profile. Only valid on an RGB
+        // input — a subsampled NV12/P010 source can't reconstruct full chroma (so the capturer is
+        // forced to RGB for a 4:4:4 session, and we guard on the input format here too).
+        //
+        // ON-GLASS TODO (RTX box): confirm ARGB + chromaFormatIDC=3 + FREXT yields a *true* 4:4:4
+        // stream. NVENC's RGB→YUV CSC is documented to honor chromaFormatIDC (unlike libavcodec's
+        // wrapper, which always subsamples RGB to 4:2:0 — hence the Linux path feeds planar YUV444
+        // instead). If on-glass shows 4:2:0, the follow-up is a BGRA→AYUV shader feeding the native
+        // `NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT_AYUV` 4:4:4 input format.
+        let rgb_input = matches!(
+            self.buffer_fmt,
+            nv::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT_ARGB
+                | nv::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT_ABGR10
+        );
+        if self.chroma_444 && rgb_input {
+            cfg.profileGUID = nv::NV_ENC_HEVC_PROFILE_FREXT_GUID;
+            cfg.encodeCodecConfig.hevcConfig.set_chromaFormatIDC(3);
+            if self.bit_depth == 10 {
+                cfg.encodeCodecConfig.hevcConfig.set_pixelBitDepthMinus8(2); // Main 4:4:4 10
+            }
+        } else if self.bit_depth == 10 {
+            // 10-bit HEVC Main10 (HDR foundation): NVENC upconverts the 8-bit input; 8-bit leaves the
+            // preset default (Main) untouched.
             cfg.profileGUID = nv::NV_ENC_HEVC_PROFILE_MAIN10_GUID;
             cfg.encodeCodecConfig.hevcConfig.set_pixelBitDepthMinus8(2); // 10 - 8
         }
@@ -403,6 +458,17 @@ impl NvencD3d11Encoder {
 
     /// Lazily create the session on the first frame's D3D11 device (so capture + encode share it).
     fn init_session(&mut self, device: &ID3D11Device) -> Result<()> {
+        // SAFETY: every call below goes through a function pointer resolved once from the loaded
+        // `nvidia_video_codec_sdk::ENCODE_API` (`nvEncodeAPI`) table, or through this type's own
+        // `unsafe fn`s whose contract is met here. `query_caps`/`try_open_session` receive `device`,
+        // the live `ID3D11Device` the caller pulled off the first frame; each returns either a valid
+        // open NVENC session handle or an `Err`. `destroy_encoder` is only ever called on a handle a
+        // `try_open_session` just returned (and `best` only when `!best.is_null()`), so it never frees
+        // a dangling or null session. `create_bitstream_buffer` is passed `enc` — the one chosen live
+        // session — and `&mut cb`, a `#[repr(C)] NV_ENC_CREATE_BITSTREAM_BUFFER` whose `version` is set
+        // to `NV_ENC_CREATE_BITSTREAM_BUFFER_VER`; `cb` lives across the synchronous call and its
+        // returned `bitstreamBuffer` is copied into `self.bitstreams` before `cb` drops. No handle
+        // escapes the encode thread.
         unsafe {
             // Probe real GPU caps first (max dims / 10-bit / custom-VBV / RFI) so the config below is
             // gated on what this card supports and an out-of-range mode fails with a clear error
@@ -589,6 +655,11 @@ impl Encoder for NvencD3d11Encoder {
                 new = format!("{}x{}", captured.width, captured.height),
                 "NVENC: capture device/size/HDR changed — re-initializing session"
             );
+            // SAFETY: `teardown` (an `unsafe fn`) requires the encode thread with no NVENC call in
+            // flight and a session whose cached regs/bitstreams/pending all belong to `self.encoder`.
+            // All hold: this is the synchronous encode thread, `self.inited` so `self.encoder` is the
+            // live session every cached resource was created against, and the previous frame's encode
+            // has already been polled (synchronous submit→poll), so nothing is mid-encode.
             unsafe { self.teardown() };
         }
         if !self.inited {
@@ -609,7 +680,14 @@ impl Encoder for NvencD3d11Encoder {
                     self.bit_depth = 10;
                     nv::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT_ABGR10
                 }
-                PixelFormat::Nv12 => nv::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT_NV12,
+                PixelFormat::Nv12 => {
+                    // NV12 is 8-bit 4:2:0. Force 8-bit so a transition from a prior P010 (10-bit) session
+                    // — or a 10-bit-negotiated client on an SDR display — re-inits at the matching depth.
+                    // Unlike ARGB (which NVENC upconverts to Main10), NV12 cannot feed a 10-bit session:
+                    // `register_resource` rejects it as InvalidParam (the HDR→SDR-toggle stream drop).
+                    self.bit_depth = 8;
+                    nv::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT_NV12
+                }
                 _ => nv::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT::NV_ENC_BUFFER_FORMAT_ARGB,
             };
             let device = frame.device.clone();
@@ -618,6 +696,21 @@ impl Encoder for NvencD3d11Encoder {
         }
         let slot = self.next % POOL;
         self.next += 1;
+        // SAFETY: every NVENC call goes through a function pointer from the loaded `ENCODE_API` table
+        // and takes `self.encoder`, the live session `init_session` just established (non-null on the
+        // path that reaches here). `NV_ENC_REGISTER_RESOURCE rr` has `version =
+        // NV_ENC_REGISTER_RESOURCE_VER` and registers `frame.texture` — a D3D11 texture from
+        // `frame.device`, which is the SAME device the session was opened against (any device change
+        // tears down and re-inits above, so `init_device == frame.device.as_raw()` here); the cloned
+        // `ID3D11Texture2D` is kept alive in `regs` so NVENC's registration never outlives the texture.
+        // `mp` (`NV_ENC_MAP_INPUT_RESOURCE`, version set) maps that registration and the map is recorded
+        // in `pending` to be unmapped exactly once in `poll`/`teardown`. `pic` (`NV_ENC_PIC_PARAMS`,
+        // version set) points `inputBuffer` at `mp.mappedResource` and `outputBitstream` at the live
+        // pool bitstream `bitstreams[slot]`; the optional SEI scratch (`mastering_sei`/`cll_sei` and the
+        // `sei` Vec whose `as_mut_ptr()` is written into the codec union) are stack locals that outlive
+        // the synchronous `encode_picture`. Every `#[repr(C)]` param is a live local borrowed `&mut`
+        // for the duration of its one synchronous call. (In-place encode without `CopyResource` is
+        // sound because the encode loop is synchronous, as the module docs state.)
         unsafe {
             // Register the capturer's texture with NVENC once (cached by raw pointer), then encode it
             // IN PLACE — no `CopyResource` into an encoder-owned pool. This is the zero-copy win: the
@@ -738,6 +831,9 @@ impl Encoder for NvencD3d11Encoder {
         EncoderCaps {
             supports_rfi: self.rfi_supported,
             supports_hdr_metadata: self.hdr,
+            // Reflects what the session actually configured (cleared in `query_caps` if the GPU lacks
+            // YUV444 encode), so the glue can confirm 4:4:4 vs the negotiated request.
+            chroma_444: self.chroma_444,
         }
     }
 
@@ -774,6 +870,12 @@ impl Encoder for NvencD3d11Encoder {
         // We tag each input with `inputTimeStamp = frame_idx` (0,1,2,…), which is also the client's
         // frame number (the packetizer numbers frames in submit order), so the client's lost-frame
         // range maps 1:1 onto the timestamps NVENC invalidates here.
+        // SAFETY: `invalidate_ref_frames` is a function pointer from the loaded `ENCODE_API` table.
+        // `self.encoder` was checked non-null at the top of this fn and is the live session; this runs
+        // on the encode thread (like submit/poll), so there is no concurrent NVENC use. Each `ts` was
+        // clamped to `[oldest_in_dpb, frame_idx - 1]` above, so it names a frame still in the session's
+        // DPB; the call passes only that `u64` timestamp (no struct), so there is no struct-size or
+        // lifetime concern.
         unsafe {
             for ts in first..=last {
                 if (API.invalidate_ref_frames)(self.encoder, ts as u64)
@@ -792,6 +894,16 @@ impl Encoder for NvencD3d11Encoder {
         let Some((bs, map, pts_ns)) = self.pending.pop_front() else {
             return Ok(None);
         };
+        // SAFETY: a non-empty `pending` implies `submit` ran, so `self.encoder` is the live session
+        // (`teardown` clears `pending` whenever it nulls the handle); all calls below use function
+        // pointers from the loaded `ENCODE_API` table on the encode thread. `NV_ENC_LOCK_BITSTREAM lock`
+        // (version = `NV_ENC_LOCK_BITSTREAM_VER`) locks `bs`, a pool bitstream a prior `encode_picture`
+        // targeted; `lock_bitstream` blocks until that encode finishes, so on success
+        // `lock.bitstreamBufferPtr` is non-null and points at `lock.bitstreamSizeInBytes` bytes of
+        // NVENC-owned, CPU-readable output valid until `unlock_bitstream`. The `from_raw_parts` slice is
+        // only read (copied via `to_vec()`) BEFORE `unlock_bitstream(bs)` — lock and unlock pair on the
+        // same buffer — so it never outlives the lock. `map` (the input resource paired with `bs` in
+        // `pending`) is unmapped here, after the encode completed, exactly once.
         unsafe {
             let mut lock = nv::NV_ENC_LOCK_BITSTREAM {
                 version: nv::NV_ENC_LOCK_BITSTREAM_VER,
@@ -831,6 +943,77 @@ impl Encoder for NvencD3d11Encoder {
 
 impl Drop for NvencD3d11Encoder {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
+        // SAFETY: `teardown` (an `unsafe fn`) needs the owning thread with no NVENC call in flight and
+        // a session whose cached resources all belong to `self.encoder`. At Drop this encoder is owned
+        // exclusively (no other reference can exist), runs on the encode thread it was confined to, and
+        // `teardown` early-returns when `self.encoder` is null; otherwise every cached reg/bitstream/
+        // pending was created against that live session. It runs exactly once (here).
         unsafe { self.teardown() };
     }
 }
+
+/// Probe whether the active NVIDIA GPU can encode HEVC **4:4:4** (`NV_ENC_CAPS_SUPPORT_YUV444_ENCODE`).
+/// Creates a throwaway hardware D3D11 device + NVENC session, queries the cap, and tears down. HEVC-only;
+/// the result is cached by the caller ([`crate::encode::can_encode_444`]) and read *before* the Welcome
+/// so the host advertises the chroma it can really encode (honest downgrade to 4:2:0 on a card without it).
+pub fn probe_can_encode_444(codec: Codec) -> bool {
+    use windows::Win32::Foundation::HMODULE;
+    use windows::Win32::Graphics::Direct3D::{D3D_DRIVER_TYPE_HARDWARE, D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_11_0};
+    use windows::Win32::Graphics::Direct3D11::{
+        D3D11CreateDevice, D3D11_CREATE_DEVICE_BGRA_SUPPORT, D3D11_SDK_VERSION,
+    };
+    if codec != Codec::H265 {
+        return false;
+    }
+    // SAFETY: a self-contained probe owning every handle it creates. `D3D11CreateDevice` (HARDWARE
+    // driver, NULL adapter) fills `device` or returns Err (→ false). `open_encode_session_ex` opens an
+    // NVENC session against that device's raw pointer (valid while `device` is held) or errors (→ false,
+    // tearing nothing down). `get_encode_caps` reads one scalar cap into `val` via the loaded API table.
+    // `destroy_encoder` frees the session exactly once; `device`/its context drop with the COM wrappers.
+    // No handle escapes this call and nothing runs concurrently.
+    unsafe {
+        let mut device: Option<ID3D11Device> = None;
+        if D3D11CreateDevice(
+            None,
+            D3D_DRIVER_TYPE_HARDWARE,
+            HMODULE::default(),
+            D3D11_CREATE_DEVICE_BGRA_SUPPORT,
+            Some(&[D3D_FEATURE_LEVEL_11_0]),
+            D3D11_SDK_VERSION,
+            Some(&mut device),
+            None,
+            None,
+        )
+        .is_err()
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+        let Some(device) = device else { return false };
+        let mut params = nv::NV_ENC_OPEN_ENCODE_SESSION_EX_PARAMS {
+            version: nv::NV_ENC_OPEN_ENCODE_SESSION_EX_PARAMS_VER,
+            deviceType: nv::NV_ENC_DEVICE_TYPE::NV_ENC_DEVICE_TYPE_DIRECTX,
+            device: device.as_raw(),
+            apiVersion: nv::NVENCAPI_VERSION,
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        let mut enc: *mut c_void = ptr::null_mut();
+        if (API.open_encode_session_ex)(&mut params, &mut enc)
+            .result_without_string()
+            .is_err()
+        {
+            return false;
+        }
+        let mut param = nv::NV_ENC_CAPS_PARAM {
+            version: nv::NV_ENC_CAPS_PARAM_VER,
+            capsToQuery: nv::NV_ENC_CAPS::NV_ENC_CAPS_SUPPORT_YUV444_ENCODE,
+            reserved: [0; 62],
+        };
+        let mut val: i32 = 0;
+        let ok = (API.get_encode_caps)(enc, nv::NV_ENC_CODEC_HEVC_GUID, &mut param, &mut val)
+            .result_without_string()
+            .is_ok()
+            && val != 0;
+        let _ = (API.destroy_encoder)(enc);
+        ok
+    }
+}

crates/punktfunk-host/src/encode/windows/sw.rs

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 //! fallback when NVENC is unavailable). Low-latency screen-content config: single-reference,
 //! no B-frames (Baseline), bitrate rate-control, in-band SPS/PPS each IDR, BT.709 limited range.
 //! Synchronous: `submit` encodes immediately and stashes the AU for `poll` (no internal queue).
+// Every `unsafe` block in this file carries a `// SAFETY:` proof; enforce it (unsafe-proof program).
+#![deny(clippy::undocumented_unsafe_blocks)]
 
 use super::{EncodedFrame, Encoder};
 use crate::capture::{CapturedFrame, FramePayload, PixelFormat};
@@ -30,6 +32,12 @@ pub struct OpenH264Encoder {
 }
 
 // openh264's Encoder holds a raw C handle (not auto-Send); it lives on the single encode thread.
+// SAFETY: `OpenH264Encoder` wraps `Oh264` (openh264's `Encoder`), which holds a raw C handle to the
+// openh264 `ISVCEncoder` and is not auto-`Send`; the other fields (`YUVBuffer`, `Vec`, scalars,
+// `Option<EncodedFrame>`) are plain owned data. The session creates the encoder, calls
+// `submit`/`poll`/`flush`, and drops it all on one dedicated encode thread, never sharing it by
+// reference across threads, so the C handle is only ever touched from a single thread. Moving the
+// whole value to that thread is therefore sound — there is no concurrent access to the handle.
 unsafe impl Send for OpenH264Encoder {}
 
 impl OpenH264Encoder {