test(mgmt): display state/release endpoint smoke test

Covers the idle path (empty /display/state + released:0 /display/release) on a
unit-test host, exercising the wiring + auth without touching any global owner.

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

.gitea/workflows/arch.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+# Build the punktfunk-host / punktfunk-client / punktfunk-web pacman packages from
+# packaging/arch/PKGBUILD and publish them to Gitea's Arch package registry, so Arch boxes
+# get new builds via `pacman -Syu`. Counterpart to deb.yml (apt) and rpm.yml (dnf/rpm-ostree).
+# Arch is rolling, so the packages build against whatever the archlinux:base-devel container
+# resolves today — the same sonames an up-to-date Arch box runs.
+#
+# Registry (public, unom org) — box setup (once), see packaging/arch/README.md. The registry
+# SIGNS the DB + packages, so the box imports the registry key first (pacman-key --add +
+# --lsign-key), then no SigLevel line is needed (pacman's default Required verifies):
+#   [punktfunk]                         # or [punktfunk-canary] for main-push builds
+#   Server = https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/arch/$repo/$arch
+#
+# REGISTRY_TOKEN: repo Actions secret, a PAT with write:package scope (shared with docker.yml).
+# NOTE: this token + the registry-held private key are the trust root — a token holder can
+# publish a validly-signed package (the signature attests "via the registry", not "built by CI").
+name: arch
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main]
+    # Single project version: a `vX.Y.Z` tag is THE release. main publishes to the
+    # `punktfunk-canary` pacman repo as X.Y.Z-0.<run#> (sorts below the eventual X.Y.Z-1),
+    # tags to `punktfunk` — separate repos, so neither channel can shadow the other.
+    tags: ['v*']
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+env:
+  REGISTRY: git.unom.io
+  OWNER: unom
+
+jobs:
+  build-publish:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    container:
+      image: docker.io/library/archlinux:base-devel
+    timeout-minutes: 90
+    env:
+      CARGO_HOME: /usr/local/cargo
+    steps:
+      # git + nodejs must exist before actions/checkout — base-devel ships neither, and
+      # act_runner runs the action's JS with the CONTAINER's node, it does not inject one.
+      - name: Install build + runtime-dev deps
+        run: |
+          pacman -Syu --noconfirm --needed \
+            git nodejs rust clang cmake nasm pkgconf python \
+            gtk4 libadwaita sdl3 ffmpeg pipewire wayland libxkbcommon opus libei \
+            mesa libglvnd unzip libarchive
+          # bun builds the punktfunk-web console AND is vendored as its runtime (PF_WITH_WEB=1);
+          # it's AUR-only on Arch, so bootstrap the official binary.
+          command -v bun >/dev/null || {
+            curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
+            install -m0755 "$HOME/.bun/bin/bun" /usr/local/bin/bun
+          }
+          bun --version
+
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      # Cache cargo's git dir too, not just the registry: the workspace includes
+      # clients/windows, whose windows-reactor/windows deps are git-pinned — cargo must CLONE
+      # them (windows-rs is huge) merely to resolve the workspace, even though nothing Windows
+      # is ever compiled here. Cached, that cost is paid once per runner.
+      - uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: |
+            /usr/local/cargo/registry
+            /usr/local/cargo/git
+          key: cargo-home-arch-${{ hashFiles('Cargo.lock') }}
+          restore-keys: cargo-home-arch-
+
+      - name: Version + channel
+        # vX.Y.Z tag -> X.Y.Z-1 in the `punktfunk` repo; main push -> <next-minor>-0.<run#> in
+        # `punktfunk-canary` (pkgrel accepts only digits+dots — the run number carries the
+        # monotonic ordering; the commit sha is stamped into the binary via the workflow log).
+        run: |
+          eval "$(bash scripts/ci/pf-version.sh)"   # -> PF_BASE (one minor ahead of latest stable)
+          case "$GITHUB_REF" in
+            refs/tags/v*) V="${GITHUB_REF_NAME#v}"; R="1";                       REPO=punktfunk ;;
+            *)            V="$PF_BASE";             R="0.${GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER}";  REPO=punktfunk-canary ;;
+          esac
+          echo "PF_PKGVER=$V" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "PF_PKGREL=$R" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "REPO=$REPO" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          echo "pacman $V-$R -> repo '$REPO'"
+
+      - name: Build packages (makepkg)
+        run: |
+          git config --global --add safe.directory "$PWD"
+          # libcuda link stub — same trick as packaging/rpm/build-rpm.sh: the zerocopy FFI
+          # links -lcuda but the builder has no GPU; synthesize every cu* symbol the source
+          # references so a newly-added call can't silently break the link.
+          CU_SYMS="$(grep -rhoE '\bcu[A-Z][A-Za-z0-9_]*' crates/punktfunk-host/src/ | sort -u || true)"
+          if [ -n "$CU_SYMS" ] && [ ! -e /usr/lib/libcuda.so ]; then
+            STUB_C="$(mktemp --suffix=.c)"
+            for s in $CU_SYMS; do printf 'int %s(void){return 0;}\n' "$s" >> "$STUB_C"; done
+            gcc -shared -fPIC -Wl,-soname,libcuda.so.1 -o /usr/lib/libcuda.so.1 "$STUB_C"
+            ln -sf libcuda.so.1 /usr/lib/libcuda.so
+            rm -f "$STUB_C"; ldconfig
+            echo "== libcuda stub: $(printf '%s\n' "$CU_SYMS" | wc -l) symbols =="
+          fi
+          # makepkg refuses to run as root; deps are already installed above (-d skips the
+          # RPM-level check that can't see the script-installed bun anyway).
+          useradd -m builder
+          mkdir -p "$CARGO_HOME"   # actions/cache doesn't create it on a cache miss
+          chown -R builder: "$PWD" "$CARGO_HOME"
+          sudo -u builder git config --global --add safe.directory "$PWD"
+          mkdir -p dist && chown builder: dist
+          cd packaging/arch
+          sudo -u builder env PF_SRCDIR="$GITHUB_WORKSPACE" PF_WITH_WEB=1 \
+            PF_PKGVER="$PF_PKGVER" PF_PKGREL="$PF_PKGREL" \
+            CARGO_HOME="$CARGO_HOME" PKGDEST="$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/dist" \
+            makepkg -f -d --holdver
+          ls -lh "$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/dist"
+
+      - name: Publish to the Gitea Arch registry
+        env:
+          TOKEN: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          for pkg in dist/*.pkg.tar.zst; do
+            echo "uploading $pkg"
+            NAME=$(bsdtar -xOf "$pkg" .PKGINFO | sed -n 's/^pkgname = //p')
+            VER=$(bsdtar -xOf "$pkg" .PKGINFO | sed -n 's/^pkgver = //p')
+            ARCH=$(bsdtar -xOf "$pkg" .PKGINFO | sed -n 's/^arch = //p')
+            # A re-tagged release re-fires this workflow and the registry 409s on duplicate
+            # package versions — delete any prior copy first (404 on the first publish is fine).
+            curl -fsS -o /dev/null --user "enricobuehler:$TOKEN" -X DELETE \
+              "https://$REGISTRY/api/packages/$OWNER/arch/$REPO/$NAME/$VER/$ARCH" || true
+            curl -fsS --user "enricobuehler:$TOKEN" --upload-file "$pkg" \
+              "https://$REGISTRY/api/packages/$OWNER/arch/$REPO"
+          done
+          echo "published to $OWNER/arch/$REPO"
+
+      # On a real release, also attach the packages to the unified Gitea Release.
+      - name: Attach packages to the Gitea release (stable tags only)
+        if: startsWith(gitea.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
+        env:
+          GITEA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          . scripts/ci/gitea-release.sh
+          RID=$(ensure_release "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" "$GITHUB_REF_NAME" auto)
+          for pkg in dist/*.pkg.tar.zst; do
+            upsert_asset "$RID" "$pkg"
+          done

.gitea/workflows/release.yml

@@ -14,8 +14,12 @@
 # The macOS app is App-SANDBOXED for both channels (Config/Punktfunk-macOS.entitlements —
 # app-sandbox + network client/server + audio-input + bluetooth/usb device access; the
 # shared Config/Punktfunk.entitlements stays iOS/tvOS-only, where app-sandbox is invalid).
-# The Developer ID DMG is codesigned with the SAME macOS entitlements, so what we test
-# locally equals what App Store users get.
+# The Developer ID DMG is codesigned with the SAME macOS entitlements as the App Store build,
+# BUT it must ALSO embed a Developer ID provisioning profile: keychain-access-groups is a
+# MANAGED entitlement that AMFI only honors when an embedded profile authorizes it. A DMG
+# without one is SIGKILLed at spawn ("Launchd job spawn failed", POSIX errno 163) even though
+# it is validly signed AND notarized. ⌘R hides this (Xcode embeds a development profile); the
+# raw Developer ID codesign path does NOT, so ⌘R is NOT equivalent to the shipped DMG here.
 #
 # macOS App Store prerequisites (one-time, Apple portal — NOT done by this workflow; the
 # step is continue-on-error until they exist):
@@ -27,6 +31,15 @@
 #     the runner's login keychain, in addition to "Apple Distribution" — the App Store
 #     .pkg is installer-signed with it.
 #
+# macOS Developer ID (DMG) prerequisite (one-time, Apple portal — the DMG step embeds it):
+#   * A "Punktfunk macOS Developer ID" provisioning profile (Distribution -> Developer ID,
+#     App ID io.unom.punktfunk, with the Keychain Sharing capability) installed on the runner
+#     under ~/Library/Developer/Xcode/UserData/Provisioning Profiles/. It authorizes the
+#     managed keychain-access-groups entitlement; without it the DMG is SIGKILLed at launch
+#     (errno 163). If it is missing the DMG step warns and strips that entitlement (the app
+#     then uses ClientIdentityStore's legacy file-keychain fallback) so the build still ships
+#     a launchable app.
+#
 # Signing setup (NOT secret-based anymore): the runner is a LaunchAgent in the user's
 # logged-in Aqua session, so it uses the **login keychain** directly. Install the signing
 # identities there once via Xcode (Settings -> Accounts -> Manage Certificates): Developer
@@ -156,9 +169,8 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           # Archive UNSIGNED, then codesign with the Developer ID Application identity from the
           # login keychain. Unsigned archive sidesteps Xcode's keychain-access-groups
-          # provisioning-profile gate; codesign just needs the (now valid) identity + the
-          # team-prefixed entitlements, no profile (App Sandbox + the network/device
-          # capabilities are self-asserted for Developer ID — no profile entry needed).
+          # provisioning-profile gate at archive time; we re-assert that authorization below by
+          # EMBEDDING a Developer ID profile before codesign (see the keychain note further down).
           # Bundle is a single static binary.
           DEVELOPER_DIR="$XCODE_DEV_DIR" xcodebuild archive \
             -project "$PROJECT" -scheme Punktfunk \
@@ -173,6 +185,35 @@ jobs:
           RESOLVED="$RUNNER_TEMP/macos.entitlements"
           sed "s/\$(AppIdentifierPrefix)/${TEAM_ID}./g" \
             clients/apple/Config/Punktfunk-macOS.entitlements > "$RESOLVED"
+
+          # keychain-access-groups is a MANAGED (restricted) entitlement: App Sandbox and the
+          # network/device keys are self-asserted for Developer ID, but a keychain access group
+          # must be AUTHORIZED by an embedded provisioning profile. Without one, AMFI refuses to
+          # spawn the sandboxed process at launch — "Launchd job spawn failed" (POSIX errno 163),
+          # SIGKILL before main() — even though the bundle is validly signed and notarized. Embed
+          # a "Developer ID" distribution profile for io.unom.punktfunk (Keychain Sharing) so its
+          # entitlements authorize the access group, exactly like the App Store build's profile
+          # does. Located by profile Name among the profiles installed on the runner (see header).
+          DEVID_PROFILE_NAME="Punktfunk macOS Developer ID"
+          PROFILE_SRC=""
+          for p in "$HOME/Library/Developer/Xcode/UserData/Provisioning Profiles/"*.provisionprofile \
+                   "$HOME/Library/MobileDevice/Provisioning Profiles/"*.provisionprofile; do
+            [ -e "$p" ] || continue
+            NAME=$(security cms -D -i "$p" 2>/dev/null | plutil -extract Name raw - 2>/dev/null || true)
+            [ "$NAME" = "$DEVID_PROFILE_NAME" ] && PROFILE_SRC="$p" && break
+          done
+          if [ -n "$PROFILE_SRC" ]; then
+            # Must land BEFORE codesign so it's sealed into the bundle.
+            cp "$PROFILE_SRC" "$APP/Contents/embedded.provisionprofile"
+            echo "embedded Developer ID profile: $PROFILE_SRC"
+          else
+            # Fallback so a missing/expired profile NEVER reships the errno-163 brick: drop the
+            # managed entitlement and let ClientIdentityStore fall back to the legacy file keychain
+            # (its errSecMissingEntitlement path). Degraded (one Keychain prompt) but launchable.
+            echo "::warning::Developer ID profile '$DEVID_PROFILE_NAME' not installed on the runner — stripping keychain-access-groups so the DMG still launches (legacy file keychain). Create it in the Apple portal + install it on the runner to restore the no-prompt data-protection keychain."
+            /usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Delete :keychain-access-groups" "$RESOLVED" 2>/dev/null || true
+          fi
+
           codesign --force --options runtime --timestamp \
             --entitlements "$RESOLVED" \
             --sign "Developer ID Application" "$APP"

.gitea/workflows/rpm.yml

@@ -35,8 +35,10 @@ jobs:
         include:
           - image: punktfunk-fedora-rpm     # Fedora 43 == Bazzite base
             group: bazzite
+            fedver: 43
           - image: punktfunk-fedora44-rpm   # Fedora 44 == Fedora KDE spin
             group: fedora-44
+            fedver: 44
     container:
       image: git.unom.io/unom/${{ matrix.image }}:latest
     timeout-minutes: 90
@@ -53,6 +55,8 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           git config --global --add safe.directory "$PWD"
           dnf -y install gtk4-devel libadwaita-devel SDL3-devel
+          # sysext build (packaging/bazzite/build-sysext.sh): squashfs + SELinux labeling.
+          dnf -y install squashfs-tools cpio libselinux-utils selinux-policy-targeted
           # bun builds the punktfunk-web console (--with web). Baked into the image; install it
           # here too so the job stays green against the PREVIOUS image (docker.yml bootstrap note).
           command -v bun >/dev/null || {
@@ -117,6 +121,27 @@ jobs:
           done
           echo "published to $OWNER/rpm/$GROUP"
 
+      # The no-layering Bazzite path: wrap the just-built host + web RPMs into a systemd-sysext
+      # image and publish it to the per-Fedora-major feed (punktfunk-sysext/f43[-canary], …) that
+      # `punktfunk-sysext install|update` reads. Same RPMs, same channels — just no rpm-ostree.
+      - name: Build the sysext image
+        run: |
+          bash packaging/bazzite/build-sysext.sh --version-id "${{ matrix.fedver }}" \
+            --out "dist-sysext/punktfunk-${PF_VERSION}-${PF_RELEASE}-x86-64.raw" \
+            dist/punktfunk-"${PF_VERSION}-${PF_RELEASE}"*.rpm \
+            dist/punktfunk-web-"${PF_VERSION}-${PF_RELEASE}"*.rpm
+
+      - name: Publish the sysext feed
+        env:
+          TOKEN: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
+        run: |
+          case "$GROUP" in
+            *-canary) FEED="f${{ matrix.fedver }}-canary"; KEEP=6 ;;  # rolling: bound the pile-up
+            *)        FEED="f${{ matrix.fedver }}";        KEEP=0 ;;  # stable: keep every release
+          esac
+          KEEP=$KEEP bash packaging/bazzite/publish-sysext-feed.sh "$FEED" \
+            "dist-sysext/punktfunk-${PF_VERSION}-${PF_RELEASE}-x86-64.raw"
+
       # On a real release, also attach the .rpms to the unified Gitea Release. Both Fedora bases
       # (bazzite=F43, fedora-44) build the SAME filename, so suffix the asset with the base to keep
       # both on the release; canary builds live in the `*-canary` rpm groups (no release page).
@@ -132,3 +157,6 @@ jobs:
             base="$(basename "$rpm" .rpm)"
             upsert_asset "$RID" "$rpm" "${base}.${{ matrix.group }}.rpm"
           done
+          for raw in dist-sysext/*.raw; do
+            upsert_asset "$RID" "$raw" "$(basename "$raw" .raw).f${{ matrix.fedver }}.raw"
+          done

Cargo.lock

@@ -1952,6 +1952,16 @@ dependencies = [
  "icu_properties",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "if-addrs"
+version = "0.13.4"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "69b2eeee38fef3aa9b4cc5f1beea8a2444fc00e7377cafae396de3f5c2065e24"
+dependencies = [
+ "libc",
+ "windows-sys 0.59.0",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "if-addrs"
 version = "0.15.0"
@@ -2119,7 +2129,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "latency-probe"
-version = "0.7.2"
+version = "0.7.4"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "lazy_static"
@@ -2195,7 +2205,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "cookie-factory",
  "libc",
  "libspa-sys",
- "nix",
+ "nix 0.30.1",
  "nom 8.0.0",
  "system-deps",
 ]
@@ -2251,7 +2261,7 @@ checksum = "0ceec5bc11778974d1bcb055b18002eba7f4b3518b6a0081b3af5f21666da9ad"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "loss-harness"
-version = "0.7.2"
+version = "0.7.4"
 dependencies = [
  "punktfunk-core",
 ]
@@ -2262,6 +2272,16 @@ version = "0.1.2"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "112b39cec0b298b6c1999fee3e31427f74f676e4cb9879ed1a121b43661a4154"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "mac_address"
+version = "1.1.8"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "c0aeb26bf5e836cc1c341c8106051b573f1766dfa05aa87f0b98be5e51b02303"
+dependencies = [
+ "nix 0.29.0",
+ "winapi",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "matchers"
 version = "0.2.0"
@@ -2285,7 +2305,7 @@ checksum = "fb75febbe5fa1837a52fdbd1c735e168286c5c645fc2ddd31526f65c49941c2e"
 dependencies = [
  "fastrand",
  "flume",
- "if-addrs",
+ "if-addrs 0.15.0",
  "log",
  "mio",
  "socket-pktinfo",
@@ -2383,6 +2403,19 @@ dependencies = [
  "jni-sys 0.3.1",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "nix"
+version = "0.29.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "71e2746dc3a24dd78b3cfcb7be93368c6de9963d30f43a6a73998a9cf4b17b46"
+dependencies = [
+ "bitflags",
+ "cfg-if",
+ "cfg_aliases",
+ "libc",
+ "memoffset",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "nix"
 version = "0.30.1"
@@ -2742,7 +2775,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "libc",
  "libspa",
  "libspa-sys",
- "nix",
+ "nix 0.30.1",
  "once_cell",
  "pipewire-sys",
  "thiserror 2.0.18",
@@ -2875,7 +2908,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-client-android"
-version = "0.7.2"
+version = "0.7.4"
 dependencies = [
  "android_logger",
  "jni",
@@ -2889,12 +2922,13 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-client-linux"
-version = "0.7.2"
+version = "0.7.4"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-channel",
  "ffmpeg-next",
  "gtk4",
+ "khronos-egl",
  "libadwaita",
  "mdns-sd",
  "opus",
@@ -2911,7 +2945,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-client-windows"
-version = "0.7.2"
+version = "0.7.4"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "async-channel",
@@ -2934,7 +2968,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-core"
-version = "0.7.2"
+version = "0.7.4"
 dependencies = [
  "aes-gcm",
  "bytes",
@@ -2942,6 +2976,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "criterion",
  "fec-rs",
  "hmac",
+ "if-addrs 0.13.4",
  "libc",
  "opus",
  "proptest",
@@ -2964,7 +2999,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-host"
-version = "0.7.2"
+version = "0.7.4"
 dependencies = [
  "aes",
  "aes-gcm",
@@ -2982,10 +3017,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "http-body-util",
  "hyper",
  "hyper-util",
+ "if-addrs 0.13.4",
  "khronos-egl",
  "libc",
  "libloading",
  "log",
+ "mac_address",
  "mdns-sd",
  "nvidia-video-codec-sdk",
  "openh264",
@@ -3034,7 +3071,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-probe"
-version = "0.7.2"
+version = "0.7.4"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "mdns-sd",
@@ -3048,7 +3085,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-tray"
-version = "0.7.2"
+version = "0.7.4"
 dependencies = [
  "anyhow",
  "ksni",
@@ -4765,6 +4802,22 @@ version = "1.2.1"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "72069c3113ab32ab29e5584db3c6ec55d416895e60715417b5b883a357c3e471"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "winapi"
+version = "0.3.9"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "5c839a674fcd7a98952e593242ea400abe93992746761e38641405d28b00f419"
+dependencies = [
+ "winapi-i686-pc-windows-gnu",
+ "winapi-x86_64-pc-windows-gnu",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "winapi-i686-pc-windows-gnu"
+version = "0.4.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "ac3b87c63620426dd9b991e5ce0329eff545bccbbb34f3be09ff6fb6ab51b7b6"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "winapi-util"
 version = "0.1.11"
@@ -4774,6 +4827,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "winapi-x86_64-pc-windows-gnu"
+version = "0.4.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "712e227841d057c1ee1cd2fb22fa7e5a5461ae8e48fa2ca79ec42cfc1931183f"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "windows"
 version = "0.62.2"

Cargo.toml

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ members = [
 exclude = ["packaging/linux/steam-deck-gadget/usbip-poc"]
 
 [workspace.package]
-version = "0.7.2"
+version = "0.7.4"
 edition = "2021"
 rust-version = "1.82"
 license = "MIT OR Apache-2.0"

README.md

@@ -83,8 +83,9 @@ 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) |
+| **Bazzite / Fedora Atomic** (systemd-sysext) | `sudo bash punktfunk-sysext.sh install` *(no layering, no reboot; rpm-ostree + bootc also supported)* | [Bazzite](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/bazzite) |
+| **Fedora** (dnf) | `dnf install punktfunk punktfunk-web` *(after adding the repo)* | [Fedora — KDE](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/fedora-kde) |
+| **Arch / Steam Deck** (pacman / sysext) | `pacman -Sy punktfunk-host` *(binary repo)* · sysext `.raw` *(SteamOS)* | [packaging/arch](packaging/arch/README.md) |
 | **Windows** (11 22H2+, 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).

api/openapi.json

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
       "name": "MIT OR Apache-2.0",
       "identifier": "MIT OR Apache-2.0"
     },
-    "version": "0.6.0"
+    "version": "0.7.4"
   },
   "paths": {
     "/api/v1/clients": {
@@ -138,6 +138,172 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "/api/v1/display/release": {
+      "post": {
+        "tags": [
+          "display"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Release kept virtual displays",
+        "description": "Tear down lingering/pinned displays now — so a physical-screen user gets their screen back\nwithout waiting out the linger. `slot` releases one; omit it to release all kept displays.\nActive (streaming) displays are never torn down here (that is session control).",
+        "operationId": "releaseDisplay",
+        "requestBody": {
+          "content": {
+            "application/json": {
+              "schema": {
+                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ReleaseDisplayRequest"
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "required": true
+        },
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "The number of kept displays released",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ReleaseDisplayResult"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "/api/v1/display/settings": {
+      "get": {
+        "tags": [
+          "display"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Display-management policy",
+        "description": "The stored virtual-display policy (lifecycle, topology, conflict handling, identity, layout),\nevery preset's expansion, and which options this build enforces yet. See\n`design/display-management.md`.",
+        "operationId": "getDisplaySettings",
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "Stored policy + preset expansions + enforced options",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/DisplaySettingsState"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "put": {
+        "tags": [
+          "display"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Set the display-management policy",
+        "description": "Persists a new policy (validated + clamped) and applies it from the next connect/teardown — a\nrunning session keeps the display it opened on. `keep_alive: forever` is rejected until the\ndisplay-lifecycle stage ships (it would keep physical monitors dark indefinitely with no release\npath yet).",
+        "operationId": "setDisplaySettings",
+        "requestBody": {
+          "content": {
+            "application/json": {
+              "schema": {
+                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/DisplayPolicy"
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "required": true
+        },
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "Policy stored; the new state",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/DisplaySettingsState"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "400": {
+            "description": "An option value is not yet supported (e.g. keep_alive forever)",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "500": {
+            "description": "Policy could not be persisted",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "/api/v1/display/state": {
+      "get": {
+        "tags": [
+          "display"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Live virtual displays",
+        "description": "The host's managed virtual displays right now — active (streaming), lingering (kept after\ndisconnect, counting down to teardown), or pinned (kept indefinitely). See\n`design/display-management.md`.",
+        "operationId": "getDisplayState",
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "The live/kept virtual displays",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/DisplayStateResponse"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "/api/v1/gpus": {
       "get": {
         "tags": [
@@ -1601,6 +1767,59 @@
           "av1"
         ]
       },
+      "ApiDisplayInfo": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "One live or kept virtual display.",
+        "required": [
+          "slot",
+          "backend",
+          "mode",
+          "state",
+          "sessions"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "backend": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "Backend name (`pf-vdisplay`, `kwin`, …)."
+          },
+          "client": {
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ],
+            "description": "Short client label, when the owner tracks it."
+          },
+          "expires_in_ms": {
+            "type": [
+              "integer",
+              "null"
+            ],
+            "format": "int64",
+            "description": "Milliseconds until a lingering display is torn down (absent when active/pinned).",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "mode": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "`WIDTHxHEIGHT@HZ`."
+          },
+          "sessions": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "description": "Live sessions holding the display.",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "slot": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int64",
+            "description": "Stable-enough id for the `/display/release` `slot` argument.",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "state": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "`active` | `lingering` | `pinned`."
+          }
+        }
+      },
       "ApiError": {
         "type": "object",
         "description": "Error envelope for every non-2xx response.",
@@ -1909,6 +2128,130 @@
           }
         }
       },
+      "DisplayPolicy": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "The user-facing display-management policy — what `display-settings.json` holds and what the mgmt\nAPI GETs/PUTs. When [`preset`](Self::preset) is not [`Preset::Custom`] the explicit fields are\nignored (the console writes one or the other); [`effective`](Self::effective) resolves both to a\nsingle [`EffectivePolicy`].",
+        "properties": {
+          "identity": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Identity"
+          },
+          "keep_alive": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/KeepAlive"
+          },
+          "layout": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Layout"
+          },
+          "max_displays": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "description": "Upper bound on simultaneously-live virtual displays (clamped to `1..=16` on write).",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "mode_conflict": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ModeConflict"
+          },
+          "preset": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Preset"
+          },
+          "topology": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Topology"
+          },
+          "version": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "description": "Schema version (currently 1) — lets a future field addition migrate rather than reject.",
+            "minimum": 0
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "DisplaySettingsState": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "Full display-management state for the console: the stored policy, every preset's expansion, the\nresolved effective policy, and which options this build actually enforces yet (Stage 0 wires\nkeep-alive linger + topology; the rest are stored but not yet acted on).",
+        "required": [
+          "settings",
+          "configured",
+          "effective",
+          "presets",
+          "enforced"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "configured": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "description": "True once a `display-settings.json` exists (the console has configured this host)."
+          },
+          "effective": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/EffectivePolicy",
+            "description": "The effective (preset-expanded) policy currently in force."
+          },
+          "enforced": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "items": {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            "description": "Option names this build enforces right now (e.g. `keep_alive`, `topology`). The remaining\nstored options (`mode_conflict`, `identity`, `layout`) land in later stages — surfaced so the\nconsole can mark them \"coming soon\" instead of implying they already take effect."
+          },
+          "presets": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "items": {
+              "$ref": "#/components/schemas/PresetInfo"
+            },
+            "description": "Every named preset and what it expands to (for the picker's preview)."
+          },
+          "settings": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/DisplayPolicy",
+            "description": "The stored policy (preset + custom fields), or the built-in default when unconfigured."
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "DisplayStateResponse": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "The host's managed virtual displays right now.",
+        "required": [
+          "displays"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "displays": {
+            "type": "array",
+            "items": {
+              "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiDisplayInfo"
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "EffectivePolicy": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "The six resolved fields after preset expansion — what the lifecycle/registry and the Stage-0 call\nsites read, and what the mgmt API echoes as the \"currently in force\" policy. Pure output of\n[`DisplayPolicy::effective`].",
+        "required": [
+          "keep_alive",
+          "topology",
+          "mode_conflict",
+          "identity",
+          "layout",
+          "max_displays"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "identity": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Identity"
+          },
+          "keep_alive": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/KeepAlive"
+          },
+          "layout": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Layout"
+          },
+          "max_displays": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "mode_conflict": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ModeConflict"
+          },
+          "topology": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Topology"
+          }
+        }
+      },
       "GameEntry": {
         "type": "object",
         "description": "One title in the unified library, regardless of which store it came from.",
@@ -2099,6 +2442,72 @@
           }
         }
       },
+      "Identity": {
+        "type": "string",
+        "description": "Stable display identity, so desktop environments persist per-display config (KDE scaling). Stored\nat Stage 0; carriers wired from the identity stage.",
+        "enum": [
+          "shared",
+          "per-client",
+          "per-client-mode"
+        ]
+      },
+      "KeepAlive": {
+        "oneOf": [
+          {
+            "type": "object",
+            "description": "Tear the display down at session end (today's default on every backend but Windows, which\nlingers 10 s).",
+            "required": [
+              "mode"
+            ],
+            "properties": {
+              "mode": {
+                "type": "string",
+                "enum": [
+                  "off"
+                ]
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "object",
+            "description": "Keep the display for `seconds` after the last session leaves, then tear it down; a reconnect\ninside the window reuses it.",
+            "required": [
+              "seconds",
+              "mode"
+            ],
+            "properties": {
+              "mode": {
+                "type": "string",
+                "enum": [
+                  "duration"
+                ]
+              },
+              "seconds": {
+                "type": "integer",
+                "format": "int32",
+                "description": "Linger window in seconds.",
+                "minimum": 0
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "object",
+            "description": "Keep the display until host shutdown or an explicit release (the `Pinned` lifecycle state).\n**Not honored until the display-lifecycle stage** — rejected by the mgmt PUT at Stage 0.",
+            "required": [
+              "mode"
+            ],
+            "properties": {
+              "mode": {
+                "type": "string",
+                "enum": [
+                  "forever"
+                ]
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        ],
+        "description": "How long a virtual display (and, on gamescope's bare spawn, the nested session + its game)\nsurvives after the last client session detaches. Serialized as an object tagged on `mode`\n(`{\"mode\":\"off\"}` / `{\"mode\":\"duration\",\"seconds\":300}` / `{\"mode\":\"forever\"}`) so the web form\nand the OpenAPI schema stay simple."
+      },
       "LaunchSpec": {
         "type": "object",
         "description": "How the host would launch a title (consumed by the session launcher in a later step). Kept\nopen-ended so new stores slot in: `steam_appid` → `steam steam://rungameid/<value>`;\n`command` → run `<value>` nested in a gamescope session.",
@@ -2118,6 +2527,32 @@
           }
         }
       },
+      "Layout": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "Group layout: the arrangement mode plus, for [`LayoutMode::Manual`], per-slot offsets keyed by\nidentity-slot id (string keys for stable JSON).",
+        "properties": {
+          "mode": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/LayoutMode"
+          },
+          "positions": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "additionalProperties": {
+              "$ref": "#/components/schemas/Position"
+            },
+            "propertyNames": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "LayoutMode": {
+        "type": "string",
+        "description": "How group members are arranged in the desktop coordinate space. Stored at Stage 0; applied from\nthe multi-monitor stage.",
+        "enum": [
+          "auto-row",
+          "manual"
+        ]
+      },
       "LocalSummary": {
         "type": "object",
         "description": "Non-sensitive host status for the local tray icon: counts and booleans only — no PIN values,\nno fingerprints, no device names. Served unauthenticated to LOOPBACK peers only (see\n`require_auth`): the bearer-token file is SYSTEM/Administrators-DACL'd on Windows, so the\nper-user tray process cannot authenticate — this narrow read-only route is its status source.",
@@ -2242,6 +2677,16 @@
           }
         }
       },
+      "ModeConflict": {
+        "type": "string",
+        "description": "Admission when a *different* client connects while a display/session is already live and asks for\na different mode. Stored at Stage 0; enforced from the mode-conflict admission stage.",
+        "enum": [
+          "separate",
+          "steal",
+          "join",
+          "reject"
+        ]
+      },
       "NativeClient": {
         "type": "object",
         "description": "A paired native (punktfunk/1) client.",
@@ -2439,6 +2884,88 @@
           }
         }
       },
+      "Position": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "A desktop-space offset for a display (top-left origin).",
+        "required": [
+          "x",
+          "y"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "x": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32"
+          },
+          "y": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int32"
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "Preset": {
+        "type": "string",
+        "description": "A named bundle of the fields below. `Custom` (the default) means the explicit fields rule; any\nother preset ignores the stored fields and expands to its own ([`DisplayPolicy::effective`]).",
+        "enum": [
+          "custom",
+          "default",
+          "gaming-rig",
+          "shared-desktop",
+          "hotdesk",
+          "workstation"
+        ]
+      },
+      "PresetInfo": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "One preset's human-facing description + the fields it expands to, so the console can render a\npreset picker with an accurate \"what this does\" preview without hardcoding the expansion.",
+        "required": [
+          "id",
+          "summary",
+          "fields"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "fields": {
+            "$ref": "#/components/schemas/EffectivePolicy",
+            "description": "The effective policy this preset expands to (the same fields a `custom` policy carries)."
+          },
+          "id": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "The preset id (`default` | `gaming-rig` | `shared-desktop` | `hotdesk` | `workstation`)."
+          },
+          "summary": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "One-line story shown next to the option."
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "ReleaseDisplayRequest": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "Request body for `releaseDisplay`.",
+        "properties": {
+          "slot": {
+            "type": [
+              "integer",
+              "null"
+            ],
+            "format": "int64",
+            "description": "Slot to release (see `state`); omit to release **all** kept displays.",
+            "minimum": 0
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "ReleaseDisplayResult": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "Result of a `/display/release`.",
+        "required": [
+          "released"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "released": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "description": "Number of kept displays torn down.",
+            "minimum": 0
+          }
+        }
+      },
       "RuntimeStatus": {
         "type": "object",
         "description": "Live host status (changes as clients launch/end sessions).",
@@ -2740,6 +3267,16 @@
             "example": "1234"
           }
         }
+      },
+      "Topology": {
+        "type": "string",
+        "description": "What the host does to the box's display topology while managed virtual displays are up.",
+        "enum": [
+          "auto",
+          "extend",
+          "primary",
+          "exclusive"
+        ]
       }
     },
     "securitySchemes": {
@@ -2763,6 +3300,10 @@
       "name": "gpu",
       "description": "GPU inventory and selection: list the host's GPUs, choose automatic or a preferred GPU, see the one in use"
     },
+    {
+      "name": "display",
+      "description": "Virtual-display management policy: lifecycle (keep-alive), topology (primary/exclusive), conflict handling, identity, and layout"
+    },
     {
       "name": "clients",
       "description": "Paired Moonlight client management"

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

@@ -124,6 +124,25 @@ fun ConnectScreen(settings: Settings, onConnected: (Long) -> Unit) {
     val identityStore = remember { IdentityStore(context) }
     val knownHostStore = remember { KnownHostStore(context) }
     var savedHosts by remember { mutableStateOf(knownHostStore.all()) }
+    // Learn wake MAC(s) from live adverts for hosts we've saved (parity with the desktop clients),
+    // so we can Wake-on-LAN them once they sleep. Runs only when the discovered set changes; the
+    // prefs write is guarded (no-op when unchanged), and we refresh the saved list only if a MAC
+    // was actually newly learned.
+    LaunchedEffect(discovered) {
+        val learned = withContext(Dispatchers.IO) {
+            var any = false
+            discovered.forEach { dh ->
+                if (dh.mac.isNotEmpty() &&
+                    knownHostStore.get(dh.host, dh.port)?.let { it.mac != dh.mac } == true
+                ) {
+                    knownHostStore.learnMac(dh.host, dh.port, dh.mac)
+                    any = true
+                }
+            }
+            any
+        }
+        if (learned) savedHosts = knownHostStore.all()
+    }
     // Mint-once on genuine first run; an Unrecoverable store (decrypt failure) surfaces here and
     // refuses to connect — never silently shadow-minting a new identity (which would force re-pair).
     var identity by remember { mutableStateOf<ClientIdentity?>(null) }
@@ -176,6 +195,14 @@ fun ConnectScreen(settings: Settings, onConnected: (Long) -> Unit) {
         }
         connecting = true
         status = "Connecting to $targetHost:$targetPort…"
+        // Auto-wake: reconnecting to a saved host that may be asleep. If we learned its MAC while it
+        // was online and it isn't currently advertising, fire a magic packet first — the connect's
+        // own timeout gives a woken host time to come up (harmless if it's already awake).
+        knownHostStore.get(targetHost, targetPort)?.mac
+            ?.takeIf { it.isNotEmpty() && discovered.none { d -> d.host == targetHost && d.port == targetPort } }
+            ?.let { macs ->
+                scope.launch(Dispatchers.IO) { NativeBridge.nativeWakeOnLan(macs.joinToString(","), targetHost) }
+            }
         discovery.stop() // free the Wi-Fi radio before the stream session
         scope.launch {
             val handle = connectNative(id, targetHost, targetPort, pinHex ?: "", CONNECT_TIMEOUT_MS)
@@ -359,6 +386,15 @@ fun ConnectScreen(settings: Settings, onConnected: (Long) -> Unit) {
                             savedHosts = knownHostStore.all()
                         },
                         onRename = { renameTarget = kh },
+                        // Explicit wake: offered only when the host is offline and we have a MAC to
+                        // target (a tap-to-connect already auto-wakes an offline saved host).
+                        onWake = if (kh.mac.isNotEmpty() &&
+                            discovered.none { it.host == kh.address && it.port == kh.port }
+                        ) {
+                            { scope.launch(Dispatchers.IO) { NativeBridge.nativeWakeOnLan(kh.mac.joinToString(","), kh.address) } }
+                        } else {
+                            null
+                        },
                     )
                 }
             }

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

@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ fun HostCard(
     onConnect: () -> Unit,
     onForget: (() -> Unit)?,
     onRename: (() -> Unit)? = null,
+    onWake: (() -> Unit)? = null,
 ) {
     // D-pad / controller focus highlight: a clickable card is focusable, but the default state
     // layer is too subtle on a TV across a room — draw a clear primary-colour border when focused.
@@ -107,7 +108,7 @@ fun HostCard(
                 StatusPill(status)
             }
 
-            if (onForget != null || onRename != null) {
+            if (onForget != null || onRename != null || onWake != null) {
                 var menu by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
                 Box(modifier = Modifier.align(Alignment.TopEnd)) {
                     IconButton(enabled = enabled, onClick = { menu = true }) {
@@ -119,6 +120,15 @@ fun HostCard(
                         )
                     }
                     DropdownMenu(expanded = menu, onDismissRequest = { menu = false }) {
+                        if (onWake != null) {
+                            DropdownMenuItem(
+                                text = { Text("Wake host") },
+                                onClick = {
+                                    menu = false
+                                    onWake()
+                                },
+                            )
+                        }
                         if (onRename != null) {
                             DropdownMenuItem(
                                 text = { Text("Rename") },

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

@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ object NativeBridge {
 
     /**
      * The current resolved-host snapshot for [handle]: newline-joined records, each
-     * `key␟name␟addr␟port␟fp␟pair` (`␟` = U+001F). Empty string = no hosts / `0` handle. Poll ~1 Hz;
+     * `key␟name␟addr␟port␟fp␟pair␟mac` (`␟` = U+001F). Empty string = no hosts / `0` handle. Poll ~1 Hz;
      * cheap (a lock + string build), safe to call on the main thread.
      */
     external fun nativeDiscoveryPoll(handle: Long): String
@@ -94,6 +94,15 @@ object NativeBridge {
     /** Stop the browse, shut the mDNS daemon down and join its thread. No-op on `0`. */
     external fun nativeDiscoveryStop(handle: Long)
 
+    /**
+     * Send a Wake-on-LAN magic packet to wake a sleeping host. [macsCsv] is comma-separated MAC
+     * addresses (`aa:bb:..,cc:dd:..`), learned from the host's mDNS `mac` TXT while it was online;
+     * [lastIp] is the host's last-known IPv4 (or empty). Returns true if at least one datagram was
+     * sent. No handle — callable without a live session. Do NOT call on the main thread (it does
+     * blocking socket sends); run it on a background dispatcher.
+     */
+    external fun nativeWakeOnLan(macsCsv: String, lastIp: String): Boolean
+
     /**
      * Start the HEVC decode thread rendering onto [surface] (a SurfaceView's surface). Decode runs
      * entirely in Rust (NDK AMediaCodec → ANativeWindow) — no per-frame JNI. No-op if already started.

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

@@ -17,15 +17,17 @@ data class DiscoveredHost(
     val port: Int,
     val fingerprint: String? = null, // TXT "fp" (host cert SHA-256, advisory — TOFU still verifies)
     val pairingRequired: Boolean = false,
+    val mac: List<String> = emptyList(), // TXT "mac" (wake-capable NIC MAC(s), for Wake-on-LAN)
 )
 
 /** Field separator the native browse uses inside one record (ASCII Unit Separator). */
 private const val FIELD_SEP = '\u001F'
 
 /**
- * Parse one record from [NativeBridge.nativeDiscoveryPoll] (`key␟name␟addr␟port␟fp␟pair`), or null
- * if it's malformed. Pure — unit-tested without Android (see ParseRecordTest). The native side
- * already applied the protocol gate and address selection, so this is just field marshaling.
+ * Parse one record from [NativeBridge.nativeDiscoveryPoll] (`key␟name␟addr␟port␟fp␟pair␟mac`), or
+ * null if it's malformed. `mac` (7th field) is optional — an older host omits it. Pure —
+ * unit-tested without Android (see ParseRecordTest). The native side already applied the protocol
+ * gate and address selection, so this is just field marshaling.
  */
 fun parseHostRecord(record: String): DiscoveredHost? {
     val f = record.split(FIELD_SEP)
@@ -40,6 +42,8 @@ fun parseHostRecord(record: String): DiscoveredHost? {
         port = port,
         fingerprint = f[4].ifBlank { null },
         pairingRequired = f[5] == "required",
+        mac = if (f.size > 6) f[6].split(",").map { it.trim() }.filter { it.isNotEmpty() }
+        else emptyList(),
     )
 }
 

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

@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ data class KnownHost(
     val name: String,
     val fpHex: String,
     val paired: Boolean,
+    /**
+     * Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) (`aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`) learned from the host's mDNS `mac` TXT while it was
+     * online, so the client can wake it once it sleeps. Empty until first learned.
+     */
+    val mac: List<String> = emptyList(),
 )
 
 /**
@@ -42,9 +47,22 @@ class KnownHostStore(context: Context) {
             .put("name", host.name)
             .put("fp", host.fpHex.lowercase())
             .put("paired", host.paired)
+            .put("mac", host.mac.joinToString(","))
         prefs.edit().putString(key(host.address, host.port), json.toString()).apply()
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Learn/refresh a saved host's Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) from its live advert (called while online).
+     * No-op when the host isn't saved, the list is empty, or it's unchanged — so it doesn't churn
+     * prefs on every discovery tick.
+     */
+    fun learnMac(address: String, port: Int, mac: List<String>) {
+        if (mac.isEmpty()) return
+        val h = get(address, port) ?: return
+        if (h.mac == mac) return
+        save(h.copy(mac = mac))
+    }
+
     /** Forget [address]:[port] (the next connect re-pairs / re-TOFUs). */
     fun remove(address: String, port: Int) {
         prefs.edit().remove(key(address, port)).apply()
@@ -68,6 +86,7 @@ class KnownHostStore(context: Context) {
             name = j.getString("name"),
             fpHex = j.getString("fp"),
             paired = j.optBoolean("paired", false),
+            mac = j.optString("mac", "").split(",").map { it.trim() }.filter { it.isNotEmpty() },
         )
     }.getOrNull()
 }

clients/android/native/src/discovery.rs

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const PROTO: &str = "punktfunk/1";
 /// Field separator inside one serialized record (ASCII Unit Separator — never in a field value).
 const FIELD_SEP: char = '\u{1f}';
 
-/// One resolved host, serialized to Kotlin as `key␟name␟addr␟port␟fp␟pair` (`␟` = [`FIELD_SEP`]).
+/// One resolved host, serialized to Kotlin as `key␟name␟addr␟port␟fp␟pair␟mac` (`␟` = [`FIELD_SEP`]).
 /// Records are newline-joined in a poll snapshot; [`Host::encode`] strips the framing bytes from
 /// every field so no value can break it.
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq)]
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ struct Host {
     port: u16,
     fp: String,
     pair: String,
+    /// Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) from the mDNS `mac` TXT (comma-separated), for later wake. Empty if absent.
+    mac: String,
 }
 
 impl Host {
@@ -54,13 +56,14 @@ impl Host {
             s.replace(['\n', '\r', FIELD_SEP], "")
         }
         format!(
-            "{}{FIELD_SEP}{}{FIELD_SEP}{}{FIELD_SEP}{}{FIELD_SEP}{}{FIELD_SEP}{}",
+            "{}{FIELD_SEP}{}{FIELD_SEP}{}{FIELD_SEP}{}{FIELD_SEP}{}{FIELD_SEP}{}{FIELD_SEP}{}",
             clean(&self.key),
             clean(&self.name),
             clean(&self.addr),
             self.port,
             clean(&self.fp),
             clean(&self.pair),
+            clean(&self.mac),
         )
     }
 }
@@ -182,6 +185,7 @@ fn resolve(info: &ResolvedService) -> Option<Host> {
         port: info.get_port(),
         fp: val("fp"),
         pair: val("pair"),
+        mac: val("mac"),
     })
 }
 
@@ -202,7 +206,7 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeDiscoverySt
 }
 
 /// `NativeBridge.nativeDiscoveryPoll(handle): String` — the current resolved-host snapshot,
-/// newline-joined records of `key␟name␟addr␟port␟fp␟pair` (`␟` = U+001F). Empty string = no hosts /
+/// newline-joined records of `key␟name␟addr␟port␟fp␟pair␟mac` (`␟` = U+001F). Empty string = no hosts /
 /// `0` handle. Poll ~1 Hz from the UI thread (cheap: a mutex lock + string build).
 #[no_mangle]
 pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeDiscoveryPoll<'local>(
@@ -263,16 +267,18 @@ mod tests {
             port: 9777,
             fp: "ab".repeat(32),
             pair: "required".into(),
+            mac: "aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff".into(),
         };
         let encoded = h.encode();
         let fields: Vec<&str> = encoded.split(FIELD_SEP).collect();
-        assert_eq!(fields.len(), 6);
+        assert_eq!(fields.len(), 7);
         assert_eq!(fields[0], "host-123");
         assert_eq!(fields[1], "home-worker-2");
         assert_eq!(fields[2], "192.168.1.70");
         assert_eq!(fields[3], "9777");
         assert_eq!(fields[4], "ab".repeat(32));
         assert_eq!(fields[5], "required");
+        assert_eq!(fields[6], "aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff");
         assert!(
             !encoded.contains('\n'),
             "a record must never contain the record separator"
@@ -282,7 +288,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn encode_strips_injected_separators_from_a_hostile_advert() {
         // A rogue advert could carry framing bytes in its instance label / TXT; encode must strip
-        // them so the snapshot stays exactly one record of exactly six fields.
+        // them so the snapshot stays exactly one record of exactly seven fields.
         let h = Host {
             key: "k\u{1f}injected".into(),
             name: "evil\nhost\r".into(),
@@ -290,9 +296,14 @@ mod tests {
             port: 9777,
             fp: "ab\u{1f}cd".into(),
             pair: "required\n".into(),
+            mac: "aa:bb\u{1f}cc".into(),
         };
         let encoded = h.encode();
-        assert_eq!(encoded.matches(FIELD_SEP).count(), 5, "exactly six fields");
+        assert_eq!(
+            encoded.matches(FIELD_SEP).count(),
+            6,
+            "exactly seven fields"
+        );
         assert!(!encoded.contains('\n') && !encoded.contains('\r'));
         let fields: Vec<&str> = encoded.split(FIELD_SEP).collect();
         assert_eq!(fields[0], "kinjected");

clients/android/native/src/lib.rs

@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ mod feedback;
 mod mic;
 mod session;
 mod stats;
+// Ungated like `discovery`: pure `jni` + `punktfunk_core::wol` (no Android framework), so it links
+// into the host workspace build too. Kotlin only ever calls it on device.
+mod wol;
 
 /// Initialize `android_logger` once when the JVM loads the library. Logs land in logcat under the
 /// `punktfunk` tag. Android-only — there is no JVM (and no logcat) on the host build.

clients/android/native/src/wol.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+//! JNI seam for Wake-on-LAN: parse the stored MAC strings and hand them to the shared core sender
+//! (`punktfunk_core::wol`). Like [`crate::discovery`], this takes no session handle — a sleeping
+//! host has no ARP entry, so the broadcast the core sends is what wakes it, and Kotlin calls this
+//! just before connecting to an offline saved host.
+
+use jni::objects::{JObject, JString};
+use jni::JNIEnv;
+
+/// `NativeBridge.nativeWakeOnLan(macsCsv: String, lastIp: String): Boolean` — send a Wake-on-LAN
+/// magic packet. `macsCsv` is comma-separated MACs (`aa:bb:..,cc:dd:..`, learned from the host's
+/// mDNS `mac` TXT while it was online); `lastIp` is the host's last-known IPv4 (or empty).
+/// Returns true if at least one datagram went out.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeWakeOnLan<'local>(
+    mut env: JNIEnv<'local>,
+    _this: JObject<'local>,
+    macs_csv: JString<'local>,
+    last_ip: JString<'local>,
+) -> jni::sys::jboolean {
+    let macs_csv: String = match env.get_string(&macs_csv) {
+        Ok(s) => s.into(),
+        Err(_) => return 0,
+    };
+    let last_ip: String = env
+        .get_string(&last_ip)
+        .map(Into::<String>::into)
+        .unwrap_or_default();
+    let macs: Vec<[u8; 6]> = macs_csv
+        .split(',')
+        .filter_map(|s| punktfunk_core::wol::parse_mac(s.trim()))
+        .collect();
+    if macs.is_empty() {
+        return 0;
+    }
+    let ip = last_ip.trim().parse::<std::net::Ipv4Addr>().ok();
+    match punktfunk_core::wol::send_magic_packet(&macs, ip) {
+        Ok(()) => 1,
+        Err(_) => 0,
+    }
+}

clients/apple/Config/Punktfunk.entitlements

@@ -11,5 +11,22 @@
 	<array>
 		<string>$(AppIdentifierPrefix)io.unom.punktfunk</string>
 	</array>
+	<!-- Wake-on-LAN needs to send a UDP broadcast magic packet (a sleeping host has no ARP
+	     entry, so unicast can't wake it). Since iOS 14 / tvOS 14 the OS blocks sending to
+	     broadcast/multicast addresses unless the app carries this managed entitlement — it must
+	     be requested from and approved by Apple for the App ID, then enabled in the provisioning
+	     profile. macOS is not gated by this (its App Sandbox network.client/server cover it).
+
+	     GATED pending Apple's approval of the request (form filed) — an unauthorized managed
+	     entitlement breaks iOS/tvOS signing, so it's commented out to keep those apps releasable.
+	     ON APPROVAL: (1) uncomment the two lines below, and (2) flip
+	     PunktfunkConnection.wakeOnLANAvailable (PunktfunkConnection.swift) to enable the iOS/tvOS
+	     wake path + UI. Until then iOS/tvOS Wake-on-LAN is a clean no-op — MACs are still learned
+	     from mDNS so it works immediately once ungated. macOS is unaffected (separate entitlements
+	     file, no multicast entitlement needed). -->
+	<!--
+	<key>com.apple.developer.networking.multicast</key>
+	<true/>
+	-->
 </dict>
 </plist>

clients/apple/Punktfunk.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj

@@ -365,6 +365,7 @@
 				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = YES;
 				INFOPLIST_FILE = Config/Info.plist;
 				INFOPLIST_KEY_CFBundleDisplayName = Punktfunk;
+				INFOPLIST_KEY_GCSupportsControllerUserInteraction = YES;
 				INFOPLIST_KEY_LSApplicationCategoryType = "public.app-category.utilities";
 				INFOPLIST_KEY_NSHumanReadableCopyright = "";
 				INFOPLIST_KEY_NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription = "Punktfunk connects directly to your punktfunk host on the local network to stream video, audio, and input.";
@@ -399,6 +400,7 @@
 				GENERATE_INFOPLIST_FILE = YES;
 				INFOPLIST_FILE = Config/Info.plist;
 				INFOPLIST_KEY_CFBundleDisplayName = Punktfunk;
+				INFOPLIST_KEY_GCSupportsControllerUserInteraction = YES;
 				INFOPLIST_KEY_LSApplicationCategoryType = "public.app-category.utilities";
 				INFOPLIST_KEY_NSHumanReadableCopyright = "";
 				INFOPLIST_KEY_NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription = "Punktfunk connects directly to your punktfunk host on the local network to stream video, audio, and input.";

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/ContentView.swift

@@ -408,6 +408,7 @@ struct ContentView: View {
         _ host: StoredHost, launchID: String? = nil,
         allowTofu: Bool, requestAccess: Bool = false
     ) {
+        prepareWake(for: host)
         model.connect(
             to: host,
             width: UInt32(clamping: width), height: UInt32(clamping: height),
@@ -426,6 +427,25 @@ struct ContentView: View {
             requestAccess: requestAccess)
     }
 
+    /// Learn-while-awake, wake-while-asleep — run just before every connect:
+    ///  • host currently advertising (awake) → refresh its stored Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) from the live
+    ///    advert, so a later wake has an up-to-date target;
+    ///  • host NOT advertising (likely asleep/off) and we have MAC(s) → fire a magic packet first.
+    ///    The connect that follows already retries/times out long enough for a woken host to come
+    ///    up; if it's genuinely off/unreachable the connect fails as before. Best-effort and
+    ///    non-blocking (the send runs off the main thread).
+    private func prepareWake(for host: StoredHost) {
+        if let live = discovery.hosts.first(where: { host.matches($0) }) {
+            store.updateMacs(host.id, macs: live.macAddresses) // learn — on every platform
+        } else if PunktfunkConnection.wakeOnLANAvailable, !host.wakeMacs.isEmpty {
+            let macs = host.wakeMacs
+            let ip = host.address
+            DispatchQueue.global(qos: .userInitiated).async {
+                PunktfunkConnection.wakeOnLAN(macs: macs, lastKnownIP: ip)
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     /// 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
@@ -455,7 +475,9 @@ struct ContentView: View {
     /// inside `connect`.)
     private func connectDiscovered(_ d: DiscoveredHost) {
         guard !model.isBusy else { return }
-        let host = StoredHost(name: d.name, address: d.host, port: d.port)
+        let host = StoredHost(
+            name: d.name, address: d.host, port: d.port,
+            macAddresses: d.macAddresses.isEmpty ? nil : d.macAddresses)
         store.add(host)
         if d.allowsTofu {
             connect(host, allowTofu: true)

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/Home/HomeView.swift

@@ -154,7 +154,14 @@ struct HomeView: View {
             onSpeedTest: { if !model.isBusy { speedTestTarget = host } },
             onForget: { store.forgetIdentity(host) },
             onRemove: { store.remove(host) },
-            onBrowseLibrary: onBrowseLibrary)
+            onBrowseLibrary: onBrowseLibrary,
+            onWake: {
+                let macs = host.wakeMacs
+                let ip = host.address
+                DispatchQueue.global(qos: .userInitiated).async {
+                    PunktfunkConnection.wakeOnLAN(macs: macs, lastKnownIP: ip)
+                }
+            })
     }
 
     private var discoveredSection: some View {

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/Home/HostCards.swift

@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ struct HostCardView: View {
     let onRemove: () -> Void
     /// Open the experimental library browser — nil (no menu item) unless the feature flag is on.
     var onBrowseLibrary: (() -> Void)? = nil
+    /// Send a Wake-on-LAN magic packet. Shown only when the host is offline and we have a stored
+    /// MAC to target (a tap-to-connect already auto-wakes; this is the explicit "just wake it").
+    var onWake: (() -> Void)? = nil
 
     var body: some View {
         let m = CardMetrics.current
@@ -138,6 +141,9 @@ struct HostCardView: View {
             if let onBrowseLibrary {
                 Button("Browse Library…", action: onBrowseLibrary)
             }
+            if !isOnline, !host.wakeMacs.isEmpty, PunktfunkConnection.wakeOnLANAvailable, let onWake {
+                Button("Wake Host", systemImage: "power", action: onWake)
+            }
             if host.pinnedSHA256 != nil {
                 // Dropping the pin does NOT downgrade to TOFU: the next connect must re-pair via
                 // PIN (unless the host advertises pair=optional). Wording reflects that.

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/Stores/HostStore.swift

@@ -26,9 +26,16 @@ struct StoredHost: Identifiable, Codable, Hashable {
     /// decode: synthesized Decodable ignores property defaults but treats a missing Optional as
     /// nil. Resolve via `effectiveMgmtPort`. (Auth is mTLS by the pinned identity — no token.)
     var mgmtPort: UInt16?
+    /// Wake-on-LAN MAC address(es) of the host's wake-capable NIC(s), each `aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`.
+    /// Learned from the host's mDNS `mac` TXT record while it's awake and persisted here, so the
+    /// client can send a magic packet to wake the host later (when it's asleep and no longer
+    /// advertising). Optional (same forward-compat reason as `mgmtPort`); nil until first learned.
+    var macAddresses: [String]?
 
     var displayName: String { name.isEmpty ? address : name }
     var effectiveMgmtPort: UInt16 { mgmtPort ?? punktfunkDefaultMgmtPort }
+    /// Wake-capable, in a form the wake helper accepts (empty when none learned yet).
+    var wakeMacs: [String] { macAddresses ?? [] }
 }
 
 extension StoredHost {
@@ -101,6 +108,16 @@ final class HostStore: ObservableObject {
         hosts[i].pinnedSHA256 = fingerprint
     }
 
+    /// Learn/refresh this host's Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) from its live advert (called while the host is
+    /// awake, so the client can wake it once it sleeps). No-op when unchanged, so it doesn't churn
+    /// UserDefaults on every discovery tick.
+    func updateMacs(_ hostID: UUID, macs: [String]) {
+        guard !macs.isEmpty,
+              let i = hosts.firstIndex(where: { $0.id == hostID }),
+              hosts[i].macAddresses != macs else { return }
+        hosts[i].macAddresses = macs
+    }
+
     /// Drop the pinned identity (e.g. after a legitimate host reinstall). This does NOT downgrade
     /// to TOFU: the next connect re-pairs via the PIN ceremony, unless the host advertises
     /// `pair=optional` (the only case the connect path still offers the trust prompt).

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/Connection/HostDiscovery.swift

@@ -31,6 +31,12 @@ public struct DiscoveredHost: Identifiable, Sendable, Equatable {
     /// reduced-security TOFU "Trust" path. A missing/unknown `pair` field is NOT optional:
     /// pairing is mandatory unless this is true (the policy authority is the host's advert).
     public let allowsTofu: Bool
+    /// Wake-on-LAN MAC address(es) the host advertised (mDNS `mac` TXT, comma-separated
+    /// `aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`, routed NIC first). Empty when not advertised. A client persists these
+    /// onto the saved host so it can wake it after it sleeps; advisory/unauthenticated (a wrong
+    /// value only makes a wake fail — the magic packet is inert and the fingerprint still gates
+    /// the connection).
+    public let macAddresses: [String]
 }
 
 @MainActor
@@ -111,10 +117,15 @@ public final class HostDiscovery: ObservableObject {
         var fp: String?
         var pair: String?
         var id: String?
+        var macs: [String] = []
         if case let .bonjour(txt) = result.metadata {
             fp = Self.entry(txt, "fp")
             pair = Self.entry(txt, "pair")
             id = Self.entry(txt, "id")
+            macs = (Self.entry(txt, "mac") ?? "")
+                .split(separator: ",")
+                .map { $0.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespaces) }
+                .filter { !$0.isEmpty }
         }
         let conn = NWConnection(to: result.endpoint, using: .udp)
         connections[key] = conn
@@ -129,7 +140,7 @@ public final class HostDiscovery: ObservableObject {
                             id: (id?.isEmpty == false) ? id! : name,
                             name: name, host: address, port: port.rawValue,
                             fingerprintHex: fp, requiresPairing: pair == "required",
-                            allowsTofu: pair == "optional")
+                            allowsTofu: pair == "optional", macAddresses: macs)
                         self.publish()
                     }
                     conn.cancel()

clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/Connection/PunktfunkConnection.swift

@@ -67,6 +67,53 @@ func withOptionalCString<R>(_ s: String?, _ body: (UnsafePointer<CChar>?) -> R)
     return s.withCString { body($0) }
 }
 
+public extension PunktfunkConnection {
+    /// Whether the Wake-on-LAN broadcast path is usable on this platform/build. macOS can always
+    /// broadcast (its App Sandbox network entitlements cover it). iOS/tvOS need the managed
+    /// `com.apple.developer.networking.multicast` entitlement, which is GATED pending Apple's
+    /// approval (see `Config/Punktfunk.entitlements`) — until it's granted, sending a broadcast is
+    /// blocked by the OS, so the wake path + its UI are gated off there to avoid a dead action.
+    /// The MAC-learning path stays active on every platform, so flipping this on once the
+    /// entitlement lands makes wake work immediately. ON APPROVAL: change `#if os(macOS)` below to
+    /// `true` for iOS/tvOS too (and uncomment the entitlement).
+    static var wakeOnLANAvailable: Bool {
+        #if os(macOS)
+        return true
+        #else
+        return false
+        #endif
+    }
+
+    /// Send a Wake-on-LAN magic packet to wake a sleeping host. `macs` are the host's NIC MAC(s)
+    /// (`aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`, learned from its mDNS `mac` TXT while awake); malformed entries are
+    /// skipped. `lastKnownIP`, when set, is additionally unicast. The core broadcasts to every
+    /// interface's subnet-directed broadcast + 255.255.255.255 on ports 9/7, repeated.
+    ///
+    /// Returns true if at least one datagram went out. Does blocking sends — call OFF the main
+    /// thread. On iOS/tvOS this requires the `com.apple.developer.networking.multicast` entitlement
+    /// (broadcast is otherwise blocked by the OS); macOS needs only the existing network entitlements.
+    @discardableResult
+    static func wakeOnLAN(macs: [String], lastKnownIP: String? = nil) -> Bool {
+        var bytes: [UInt8] = []
+        var count = 0
+        for mac in macs {
+            let parts = mac.split(separator: ":")
+            guard parts.count == 6 else { continue }
+            let octets = parts.compactMap { UInt8($0, radix: 16) }
+            guard octets.count == 6 else { continue }
+            bytes.append(contentsOf: octets)
+            count += 1
+        }
+        guard count > 0 else { return false }
+        let rc: Int32 = bytes.withUnsafeBufferPointer { buf in
+            withOptionalCString(lastKnownIP) { ip in
+                punktfunk_wake_on_lan(buf.baseAddress, UInt(count), ip)
+            }
+        }
+        return rc == statusOK
+    }
+}
+
 public final class PunktfunkConnection {
     private var handle: OpaquePointer?
     /// Set by close() before it contends for the plane locks: the pullers see it at their

clients/decky/main.py

@@ -489,6 +489,40 @@ class Plugin:
         reason = (err.strip().splitlines() or out.strip().splitlines() or ["pairing failed"])[-1]
         return {"ok": False, "error": reason}
 
+    async def wake(self, host: str, port: int = 9777) -> dict:
+        """Send a Wake-on-LAN magic packet to a saved host via the flatpak client's headless
+        ``--wake`` mode, so a sleeping host is up by the time the stream ``--connect`` runs.
+
+        The MAC comes from the flatpak client's OWN known-hosts store (learned from the host's
+        mDNS ``mac`` TXT while it was online) — no MAC handling here — so this is a no-op if none
+        has been learned yet. Fire it just before launching a stream; it's fast and best-effort.
+        Returns ``{ok, error?}`` (``ok: False`` when no MAC is known / flatpak missing).
+        """
+        flatpak = _flatpak()
+        if not flatpak:
+            return {"ok": False, "error": "flatpak-not-found"}
+        argv = [flatpak, "run", "--arch=x86_64", APP_ID, "--wake", f"{host}:{port}"]
+        decky.logger.info("wake: %s:%s", host, port)
+        try:
+            proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
+                *argv,
+                stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
+                stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
+                env=_flatpak_env(),
+            )
+            _, stderr = await asyncio.wait_for(proc.communicate(), timeout=15.0)
+        except asyncio.TimeoutError:
+            return {"ok": False, "error": "wake timed out"}
+        except Exception as exc:  # noqa: BLE001
+            decky.logger.exception("wake failed to launch")
+            return {"ok": False, "error": str(exc)}
+        if proc.returncode == 0:
+            return {"ok": True}
+        reason = (stderr.decode(errors="replace").strip().splitlines() or
+                  ["no MAC known for this host yet"])[-1]
+        decky.logger.info("wake skipped (rc=%s): %s", proc.returncode, reason)
+        return {"ok": False, "error": reason}
+
     async def library(self, host: str, mgmt_port: int = 0, fp: str = "") -> dict:
         """Fetch a paired host's game library via the flatpak client's headless
         ``--library`` mode (the client's own mTLS identity + pinned-fingerprint transport —

clients/decky/src/backend.ts

@@ -122,6 +122,12 @@ export const setSettings = callable<[settings: StreamSettings], { ok: boolean }>
   "set_settings",
 );
 export const killStream = callable<[], { ok: boolean }>("kill_stream");
+// Send a Wake-on-LAN magic packet to a saved host (headless flatpak --wake) so a sleeping host is
+// up by the time the stream connects. The MAC is looked up from the flatpak client's own
+// known-hosts store; `ok: false` (no-op) when none has been learned yet. Fire before launching.
+export const wake = callable<[host: string, port: number], { ok: boolean; error?: string }>(
+  "wake",
+);
 export const checkUpdate = callable<[force: boolean], UpdateInfo>("check_update");
 // Update the flatpak client in the user installation (`flatpak update --user -y io.unom.Punktfunk`).
 export const updateClient = callable<

clients/decky/src/index.tsx

@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ const QamPanel: FC = () => {
       {/* Pinned games — the "jump straight into Playnite" rows. Pin games from a host's
           picker (fullscreen page → host row → games button). */}
       {pins.pins.length > 0 && (
-        <PanelSection title="Games">
+        <PanelSection title="Pinned Games">
           {pins.pins.map((pin) => {
             const { online } = resolvePinHost(pin, hosts);
             return (

clients/decky/src/library.tsx

@@ -3,13 +3,14 @@
 // can take seconds, hence the explicit spinner copy) and pins titles as one-tap rows in
 // the QAM's Games section; its header also launches the GTK client's on-screen gamepad
 // library (`--browse`).
-import { DialogButton, Field, Focusable, ModalRoot, Spinner, showModal } from "@decky/ui";
-import { CSSProperties, FC, useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { DialogButton, Field, ModalRoot, Spinner, showModal } from "@decky/ui";
+import { FC, useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import { FaThLarge, FaTv } from "react-icons/fa";
 import { GameEntry, Host, library, LibraryResult, PinnedGame } from "./backend";
 import { PinsApi, resolvePinHost, startBrowse, startStream } from "./hooks";
 import { isSafeLaunchId } from "./steam";
 import { PairModal } from "./pair";
+import { RowActions, actionButton } from "./ui";
 
 /** Human store tag (mirrors the GTK client's `store_label`). */
 export function storeLabel(store: string): string {
@@ -58,12 +59,6 @@ export function streamPin(pin: PinnedGame, live: Host[], pins: PinsApi): void {
   void startStream(host, { launchId: pin.game_id }, pin.title);
 }
 
-const pickButton: CSSProperties = {
-  width: "fit-content",
-  minWidth: "5em",
-  flexShrink: 0,
-};
-
 // Copy per backend error code (LibraryResult.error); `detail` covers the generic case.
 function errorCopy(res: LibraryResult): string {
   switch (res.error) {
@@ -143,16 +138,18 @@ export const GamePickerModal: FC<{
         description="Browse this host's games with the controller, full screen"
         childrenContainerWidth="max"
       >
-        <DialogButton
-          style={pickButton}
-          onClick={() => {
-            closeModal?.();
-            void startBrowse(host);
-          }}
-        >
-          <FaTv style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
-          Open
-        </DialogButton>
+        <RowActions>
+          <DialogButton
+            style={actionButton}
+            onClick={() => {
+              closeModal?.();
+              void startBrowse(host);
+            }}
+          >
+            <FaTv style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
+            Open
+          </DialogButton>
+        </RowActions>
       </Field>
 
       {clientUpdatePending && (
@@ -177,10 +174,10 @@ export const GamePickerModal: FC<{
 
       {result !== null && !result.ok && (
         <Field label="Couldn't fetch the library" description={errorCopy(result)} childrenContainerWidth="max">
-          <Focusable style={{ display: "flex", gap: "0.5em", justifyContent: "flex-end" }}>
+          <RowActions>
             {result.error === "not-paired" && (
               <DialogButton
-                style={pickButton}
+                style={actionButton}
                 onClick={() =>
                   showModal(<PairModal host={host} onPaired={() => setAttempt((n) => n + 1)} />)
                 }
@@ -188,10 +185,10 @@ export const GamePickerModal: FC<{
                 Pair
               </DialogButton>
             )}
-            <DialogButton style={pickButton} onClick={() => setAttempt((n) => n + 1)}>
+            <DialogButton style={actionButton} onClick={() => setAttempt((n) => n + 1)}>
               Retry
             </DialogButton>
-          </Focusable>
+          </RowActions>
         </Field>
       )}
 
@@ -217,10 +214,12 @@ export const GamePickerModal: FC<{
                 }
                 childrenContainerWidth="max"
               >
-                <DialogButton style={pickButton} disabled={!safe} onClick={() => togglePin(g)}>
-                  <FaThLarge style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
-                  {pinned ? "Unpin" : "Pin"}
-                </DialogButton>
+                <RowActions>
+                  <DialogButton style={actionButton} disabled={!safe} onClick={() => togglePin(g)}>
+                    <FaThLarge style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
+                    {pinned ? "Unpin" : "Pin"}
+                  </DialogButton>
+                </RowActions>
               </Field>
             );
           })}

clients/decky/src/page.tsx

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import {
   showModal,
   staticClasses,
 } from "@decky/ui";
+import { RowActions, actionButton, iconButton } from "./ui";
 import { toaster } from "@decky/api";
 import { CSSProperties, FC, useState } from "react";
 import {
@@ -58,27 +59,6 @@ const tabScroll: CSSProperties = {
   boxSizing: "border-box",
 };
 
-// DialogButton stretches to 100% width in the gamepad UI — on a fullscreen row that means a
-// screen-wide button. Size action buttons to their content instead (right-aligned by the
-// Field's children container).
-const actionButton: CSSProperties = {
-  width: "fit-content",
-  minWidth: "6em",
-  flexShrink: 0,
-};
-// Square icon-only button (details ⓘ, header back arrow) — needs an explicit height too, or
-// the zero padding collapses it to the icon's line height.
-const iconButton: CSSProperties = {
-  width: "40px",
-  minWidth: "40px",
-  height: "40px",
-  padding: 0,
-  flexShrink: 0,
-  display: "flex",
-  alignItems: "center",
-  justifyContent: "center",
-};
-
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Host details — everything the mDNS advert told us, incl. the fingerprint to cross-check
 // against the host's own log / web console before trusting it.
@@ -144,7 +124,7 @@ const HostRow: FC<{ host: Host; onPaired: () => void; onGames: () => void }> = (
       }`}
       childrenContainerWidth="max"
     >
-      <Focusable style={{ display: "flex", gap: "0.5em", justifyContent: "flex-end" }}>
+      <RowActions>
         <DialogButton
           style={iconButton}
           onClick={() => showModal(<HostDetailsModal host={host} />)}
@@ -153,13 +133,13 @@ const HostRow: FC<{ host: Host; onPaired: () => void; onGames: () => void }> = (
         </DialogButton>
         {/* Labeled, not icon-only: this is the entry to the game picker AND the on-screen
             library browser, and controller nav has no hover tooltip to explain a bare icon. */}
-        <DialogButton style={{ ...actionButton, minWidth: "6em" }} onClick={onGames}>
+        <DialogButton style={actionButton} onClick={onGames}>
           <FaThLarge style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
           Games
         </DialogButton>
         {needsPair && (
           <DialogButton
-            style={{ ...actionButton, minWidth: "5em" }}
+            style={actionButton}
             onClick={() => showModal(<PairModal host={host} onPaired={onPaired} />)}
           >
             Pair
@@ -178,7 +158,7 @@ const HostRow: FC<{ host: Host; onPaired: () => void; onGames: () => void }> = (
           <FaPlay style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
           Stream
         </DialogButton>
-      </Focusable>
+      </RowActions>
     </Field>
   );
 };
@@ -201,14 +181,16 @@ const HostsTab: FC<{
       childrenContainerWidth="max"
       bottomSeparator={hosts.length ? "standard" : "none"}
     >
-      <DialogButton style={{ ...actionButton, minWidth: "8em" }} disabled={scanning} onClick={refresh}>
-        {scanning ? (
-          <Spinner style={{ height: "1em", marginRight: "0.5em" }} />
-        ) : (
-          <FaSyncAlt style={{ marginRight: "0.5em" }} />
-        )}
-        {scanning ? "Scanning…" : "Refresh"}
-      </DialogButton>
+      <RowActions>
+        <DialogButton style={actionButton} disabled={scanning} onClick={refresh}>
+          {scanning ? (
+            <Spinner style={{ height: "1em", marginRight: "0.5em" }} />
+          ) : (
+            <FaSyncAlt style={{ marginRight: "0.5em" }} />
+          )}
+          {scanning ? "Scanning…" : "Refresh"}
+        </DialogButton>
+      </RowActions>
     </Field>
 
     {hosts.length === 0 && !scanning && (
@@ -251,18 +233,18 @@ const HostsTab: FC<{
               }${pin.paired ? "" : " · pairing required"}`}
               childrenContainerWidth="max"
             >
-              <Focusable style={{ display: "flex", gap: "0.5em", justifyContent: "flex-end" }}>
+              <RowActions>
                 <DialogButton style={actionButton} onClick={() => streamPin(pin, hosts, pins)}>
                   <FaPlay style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
                   Play
                 </DialogButton>
                 <DialogButton
-                  style={{ ...actionButton, minWidth: "5em" }}
+                  style={actionButton}
                   onClick={() => pins.removePin(pin.host_fp, pin.game_id)}
                 >
                   Remove
                 </DialogButton>
-              </Focusable>
+              </RowActions>
             </Field>
           );
         })}
@@ -306,13 +288,15 @@ const AboutTab: FC<{
       }
       childrenContainerWidth="max"
     >
-      <DialogButton
-        style={{ ...actionButton, minWidth: "11em" }}
-        disabled={checking}
-        onClick={() => void checkForUpdatesNow(check)}
-      >
-        {checking ? <Spinner style={{ height: "1em" }} /> : "Check for updates"}
-      </DialogButton>
+      <RowActions>
+        <DialogButton
+          style={actionButton}
+          disabled={checking}
+          onClick={() => void checkForUpdatesNow(check)}
+        >
+          {checking ? <Spinner style={{ height: "1em" }} /> : "Check for updates"}
+        </DialogButton>
+      </RowActions>
     </Field>
     {hasUpdate(update) && (
       <Field
@@ -326,13 +310,12 @@ const AboutTab: FC<{
         description="Installing can take a couple of minutes; Decky reloads the plugin when done"
         childrenContainerWidth="max"
       >
-        <DialogButton
-          style={{ ...actionButton, minWidth: "9em" }}
-          onClick={() => applyUpdate(update!, check)}
-        >
-          <FaDownload style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
-          Update
-        </DialogButton>
+        <RowActions>
+          <DialogButton style={actionButton} onClick={() => applyUpdate(update!, check)}>
+            <FaDownload style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
+            Update
+          </DialogButton>
+        </RowActions>
       </Field>
     )}
     <Field
@@ -340,13 +323,15 @@ const AboutTab: FC<{
       description="Hosts, pairing, controllers, and troubleshooting — docs.punktfunk.unom.io"
       childrenContainerWidth="max"
     >
-      <DialogButton
-        style={{ ...actionButton, minWidth: "8em" }}
-        onClick={() => Navigation.NavigateToExternalWeb(DOCS_URL)}
-      >
-        <FaExternalLinkAlt style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
-        Open
-      </DialogButton>
+      <RowActions>
+        <DialogButton
+          style={actionButton}
+          onClick={() => Navigation.NavigateToExternalWeb(DOCS_URL)}
+        >
+          <FaExternalLinkAlt style={{ marginRight: "0.4em" }} />
+          Open
+        </DialogButton>
+      </RowActions>
     </Field>
     <Field
       focusable={false}
@@ -358,9 +343,11 @@ const AboutTab: FC<{
       description="Force-stop the stream client if a session wedges"
       childrenContainerWidth="max"
     >
-      <DialogButton style={{ ...actionButton, minWidth: "8em" }} onClick={() => void forceStopStream()}>
-        Force-stop
-      </DialogButton>
+      <RowActions>
+        <DialogButton style={actionButton} onClick={() => void forceStopStream()}>
+          Force-stop
+        </DialogButton>
+      </RowActions>
     </Field>
   </div>
 );
@@ -399,16 +386,21 @@ const PunktfunkPage: FC = () => {
         </div>
       </Focusable>
 
-      {/* overflow:hidden is load-bearing: Valve's Tabs slides the incoming panel in from the
-          right on L1/R1, and with autoFocusContents it scrollIntoViews a control inside that
-          still-offscreen panel. Without a clip here the scroll pans #GamepadUI itself — the whole
-          Steam UI (top bar included) slides left until you click a tab. Valve's own Tabs always
-          live in a clipped flex box; match that. */}
+      {/* Two things fight each other on an L1/R1 tab switch:
+          1. Valve's Tabs slides the incoming panel in from the right with a CSS transform.
+          2. `autoFocusContents` then focuses a control inside that still-offscreen panel, which
+             fires scrollIntoView. Because the panel is offset by a *transform* (not by scroll
+             position), scrollIntoView can't satisfy it by scrolling any one ancestor, so it walks
+             up and pans the whole page — the "screen jumps right, then animates back" glitch.
+          Dropping autoFocusContents removes the scrollIntoView entirely, so nothing fights the
+          slide. L1/R1 still cycles tabs (that handler lives on the Tabs focus scope, active while
+          focus is anywhere inside — including the tab strip); after a switch, focus stays on the
+          strip and Down enters the content, which is how Steam's own tabbed pages behave.
+          The overflow:hidden clip stays as defense-in-depth against any stray horizontal pan. */}
       <div style={{ flex: 1, minHeight: 0, overflow: "hidden" }}>
         <Tabs
           activeTab={tab}
           onShowTab={(id: string) => setTab(id)}
-          autoFocusContents
           tabs={[
             {
               id: "hosts",

clients/decky/src/settings.tsx

@@ -2,8 +2,20 @@
 // the flatpak client's JSON (main.py set_settings), which the client reads on launch. The
 // accepted gamepad/compositor names mirror punktfunk-core's `*Pref::from_name`.
 import { Dropdown, Field, SliderField, Spinner, ToggleField } from "@decky/ui";
-import { FC, useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import { CSSProperties, FC, useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import { getSettings, setSettings, StreamSettings } from "./backend";
+import { RowActions } from "./ui";
+
+// Decky's Dropdown has no width prop — it fills whatever container it's in, and a
+// `childrenContainerWidth="max"` Field is the whole row. Wrapping it in this fit-content shell
+// (inside the right-aligned RowActions) shrinks the control to its selected label, with a floor
+// so short values like "60 Hz" don't collapse to a nub and a ceiling so nothing runs edge to
+// edge. Matches the right-aligned, content-sized buttons everywhere else.
+const selectShell: CSSProperties = {
+  width: "fit-content",
+  minWidth: "10em",
+  maxWidth: "24em",
+};
 
 const RESOLUTIONS: [number, number, string][] = [
   [0, 0, "Native display"],
@@ -61,21 +73,29 @@ export const SettingsSection: FC = () => {
         description="The host creates a virtual output at exactly this size"
         childrenContainerWidth="max"
       >
-        <Dropdown
-          rgOptions={RESOLUTIONS.map(([, , label], i) => ({ data: i, label }))}
-          selectedOption={resIdx}
-          onChange={(o) => {
-            const [w, h] = RESOLUTIONS[o.data as number];
-            patch({ width: w, height: h });
-          }}
-        />
+        <RowActions>
+          <div style={selectShell}>
+            <Dropdown
+              rgOptions={RESOLUTIONS.map(([, , label], i) => ({ data: i, label }))}
+              selectedOption={resIdx}
+              onChange={(o) => {
+                const [w, h] = RESOLUTIONS[o.data as number];
+                patch({ width: w, height: h });
+              }}
+            />
+          </div>
+        </RowActions>
       </Field>
       <Field label="Refresh rate" childrenContainerWidth="max">
-        <Dropdown
-          rgOptions={REFRESH.map((r) => ({ data: r, label: r === 0 ? "Native" : `${r} Hz` }))}
-          selectedOption={s.refresh_hz}
-          onChange={(o) => patch({ refresh_hz: o.data as number })}
-        />
+        <RowActions>
+          <div style={selectShell}>
+            <Dropdown
+              rgOptions={REFRESH.map((r) => ({ data: r, label: r === 0 ? "Native" : `${r} Hz` }))}
+              selectedOption={s.refresh_hz}
+              onChange={(o) => patch({ refresh_hz: o.data as number })}
+            />
+          </div>
+        </RowActions>
       </Field>
       <SliderField
         label="Bitrate"
@@ -93,11 +113,15 @@ export const SettingsSection: FC = () => {
         description="Which virtual controller the host creates for your inputs"
         childrenContainerWidth="max"
       >
-        <Dropdown
-          rgOptions={GAMEPADS.map((g) => ({ data: g, label: GAMEPAD_LABELS[g] ?? g }))}
-          selectedOption={s.gamepad}
-          onChange={(o) => patch({ gamepad: o.data as string })}
-        />
+        <RowActions>
+          <div style={selectShell}>
+            <Dropdown
+              rgOptions={GAMEPADS.map((g) => ({ data: g, label: GAMEPAD_LABELS[g] ?? g }))}
+              selectedOption={s.gamepad}
+              onChange={(o) => patch({ gamepad: o.data as string })}
+            />
+          </div>
+        </RowActions>
       </Field>
       {(s.gamepad === "steamdeck" || s.gamepad === "auto") && (
         <Field
@@ -110,11 +134,15 @@ export const SettingsSection: FC = () => {
         description="Which compositor backend the host uses for the virtual display — Automatic suits almost every host"
         childrenContainerWidth="max"
       >
-        <Dropdown
-          rgOptions={COMPOSITORS.map((c) => ({ data: c, label: COMPOSITOR_LABELS[c] ?? c }))}
-          selectedOption={s.compositor}
-          onChange={(o) => patch({ compositor: o.data as string })}
-        />
+        <RowActions>
+          <div style={selectShell}>
+            <Dropdown
+              rgOptions={COMPOSITORS.map((c) => ({ data: c, label: COMPOSITOR_LABELS[c] ?? c }))}
+              selectedOption={s.compositor}
+              onChange={(o) => patch({ compositor: o.data as string })}
+            />
+          </div>
+        </RowActions>
       </Field>
       <ToggleField
         label="Stream microphone"

clients/decky/src/steam.ts

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 // and start it with RunGame. The wrapper then execs
 // `flatpak run io.unom.Punktfunk --connect <host>` as a reaper descendant.
 
-import { runnerInfo, shortcutArt } from "./backend";
+import { runnerInfo, shortcutArt, wake } from "./backend";
 
 // SteamClient is a Steam-internal global injected into the CEF context; it is not fully typed
 // by @decky/ui, so declare the surface we use. Signatures verified against MoonDeck + the
@@ -219,6 +219,11 @@ export async function launchStream(
   port: number,
   opts: LaunchOpts = {},
 ): Promise<void> {
+  // Wake-on-LAN: if this host is asleep, nudge it awake before the stream connects. Kicked off now
+  // so it races with the shortcut setup (near-zero added latency), and awaited just before RunGame.
+  // Best-effort — the flatpak client's --wake looks up the host's learned MAC (a no-op if none is
+  // known), and the connect that follows has its own retry window, so a failure never blocks launch.
+  const waking = wake(host, port).catch(() => ({ ok: false }));
   const { appId, runner } = await ensureShortcut();
   // Best-effort so the Deck's rich controls reach the client; no-op if the API is absent (the user
   // disables Steam Input manually — see the Settings instruction).
@@ -240,6 +245,7 @@ export async function launchStream(
   // KEY=value ... %command% args — %command% expands to the shortcut exe (/bin/sh); the wrapper
   // script rides behind it as an argument and reads PF_* from the environment.
   SteamClient.Apps.SetAppLaunchOptions(appId, `${env.join(" ")} %command% "${runner}"`);
+  await waking; // ensure the magic packet is out before the connect attempt
   SteamClient.Apps.RunGame(gameIdFromAppId(appId), "", -1, 100);
 }
 

clients/decky/src/ui.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+// Shared UI primitives for the fullscreen page + modals. The one rule that keeps every row
+// looking consistent: a Field's action(s) always sit right-aligned, with real space between
+// them and the label text — never hugging it.
+//
+// Decky lays a Field out as `[ label .......... children ]`. When the children container is
+// grown (`childrenContainerWidth="max"`, which we want so multi-button clusters have room), a
+// bare `fit-content` button LEFT-aligns inside that grown container and ends up pressed against
+// the label with the space wasted to its right. Wrapping the action(s) in `RowActions` pushes
+// them to the right edge and evenly spaces multiples — the same treatment every row now gets.
+import { Focusable } from "@decky/ui";
+import { CSSProperties, FC, ReactNode } from "react";
+
+export const RowActions: FC<{ children: ReactNode }> = ({ children }) => (
+  <Focusable
+    style={{
+      display: "flex",
+      gap: "0.5em",
+      justifyContent: "flex-end",
+      alignItems: "center",
+    }}
+  >
+    {children}
+  </Focusable>
+);
+
+// A single action button sized to its content (not the gamepad-UI default of 100% width), with
+// a floor so short labels ("Pair", "Remove") don't render as tiny nubs and every row's button
+// reads at the same weight.
+export const actionButton: CSSProperties = {
+  width: "fit-content",
+  minWidth: "7em",
+  flexShrink: 0,
+};
+
+// Square icon-only button (details ⓘ, header back arrow). Needs an explicit height or the zero
+// padding collapses it to the icon's line height.
+export const iconButton: CSSProperties = {
+  width: "40px",
+  minWidth: "40px",
+  height: "40px",
+  padding: 0,
+  flexShrink: 0,
+  display: "flex",
+  alignItems: "center",
+  justifyContent: "center",
+};

clients/linux/Cargo.toml

@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ pipewire = "0.9"
 # Gamepads: capture + feedback (full DualSense fidelity — touchpad/motion/triggers/LEDs
 # need the hidapi driver).
 sdl3 = { version = "0.18", features = ["hidapi"] }
+# The VAAPI GL presenter (video_gl.rs): EGL dmabuf import into a GDK-shared context, dlopened
+# at runtime (`dynamic`) so GPU-less boxes and the software path never touch libEGL.
+khronos-egl = { version = "6", features = ["dynamic"] }
 
 mdns-sd = "0.20"
 # Game-library fetch from the host's management API over mTLS + fingerprint pinning.

clients/linux/src/app.rs

@@ -116,6 +116,23 @@ pub fn run() -> glib::ExitCode {
             tracing_subscriber::EnvFilter::try_from_default_env().unwrap_or_else(|_| "info".into()),
         )
         .init();
+    // Steam launches its shortcuts with SDL_GAMECONTROLLER_IGNORE_DEVICES naming every
+    // physical pad Steam Input has virtualized — SDL then hides the real device so games
+    // only see the virtual X360 pad. Right for games, wrong for us: capturing the Deck's
+    // built-in controller (trackpads/paddles/gyro, 28DE:1205) needs SDL's HIDAPI driver
+    // to enumerate the REAL device, and the built-in pad can never leave Steam Input
+    // ("Steam Controller" is always-required), so this filter is the only off switch we
+    // get. Clear it while still single-threaded (the gamepad worker starts with the UI);
+    // we dedupe the virtual pad ourselves (`gamepad.rs` `active_id` skips steam_virtual).
+    for var in [
+        "SDL_GAMECONTROLLER_IGNORE_DEVICES",
+        "SDL_GAMECONTROLLER_IGNORE_DEVICES_EXCEPT",
+    ] {
+        if let Ok(v) = std::env::var(var) {
+            tracing::info!(var, value = %v, "clearing Steam's SDL device filter");
+            std::env::remove_var(var);
+        }
+    }
     // Headless pairing path (no GTK window): `--pair <PIN> --connect host[:port] [--name N]`.
     // Used by the Decky plugin (a GTK dialog can't pop under gamescope) and for scripting.
     if let Some(pin) = crate::cli::arg_value("--pair") {
@@ -125,6 +142,11 @@ pub fn run() -> glib::ExitCode {
     if let Some(target) = crate::cli::arg_value("--library") {
         return crate::cli::headless_library(&target);
     }
+    // Headless Wake-on-LAN (no GTK window): `--wake host[:port]`. The Decky wrapper calls this
+    // before the stream launch so a sleeping host is up by the time `--connect` runs.
+    if crate::cli::arg_value("--wake").is_some() {
+        return crate::cli::cli_wake();
+    }
     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.

clients/linux/src/cli.rs

@@ -101,6 +101,14 @@ pub fn cli_connect_request() -> Option<ConnectRequest> {
         eprintln!("--connect: unparsable port in '{target}', using default 9777");
         9777
     });
+    // Pull the wake MAC(s) from the store (learned from the host's mDNS `mac` TXT while it was
+    // online) so a `--connect` to a known host can still be woken if we add that later.
+    let mac = crate::trust::KnownHosts::load()
+        .hosts
+        .iter()
+        .find(|h| h.addr == addr && h.port == port)
+        .map(|h| h.mac.clone())
+        .unwrap_or_default();
     Some(ConnectRequest {
         name: addr.clone(),
         addr,
@@ -108,9 +116,39 @@ pub fn cli_connect_request() -> Option<ConnectRequest> {
         fp_hex: None,
         pair_optional: false,
         launch: arg_value("--launch").map(|id| (id.clone(), id)),
+        mac,
     })
 }
 
+/// `--wake host[:port]` — send a Wake-on-LAN magic packet to a saved host and exit, without
+/// opening a window. The Decky wrapper calls this before launching the stream so a sleeping host
+/// is up by the time `--connect` runs. The MAC comes from the known-hosts store (learned from the
+/// host's mDNS `mac` TXT while it was online); exits non-zero if none is known yet.
+pub fn cli_wake() -> glib::ExitCode {
+    let Some(target) = arg_value("--wake") else {
+        eprintln!("--wake requires host[:port]");
+        return glib::ExitCode::FAILURE;
+    };
+    let (addr, port) = parse_host_port(&target);
+    let port = port.unwrap_or(9777);
+    let mac = crate::trust::KnownHosts::load()
+        .hosts
+        .iter()
+        .find(|h| h.addr == addr && h.port == port)
+        .map(|h| h.mac.clone())
+        .unwrap_or_default();
+    if mac.is_empty() {
+        eprintln!(
+            "--wake: no MAC known for {addr}:{port} — connect once while the host is awake so its \
+             advertised MAC is learned"
+        );
+        return glib::ExitCode::FAILURE;
+    }
+    crate::wol::wake(&mac, addr.parse().ok());
+    println!("woke {addr}:{port} ({} MAC(s) targeted)", mac.len());
+    glib::ExitCode::SUCCESS
+}
+
 /// `--browse host[:port]` — open the gamepad library launcher for that host instead of
 /// connecting (the Decky wrapper's `PF_BROWSE`; native port, default 9777). The host must
 /// already be paired: the stored pin is what lets the launcher fetch the library and
@@ -138,6 +176,7 @@ pub fn cli_browse_request() -> Option<(ConnectRequest, bool, u16)> {
             fp_hex: k.map(|k| k.fp_hex.clone()),
             pair_optional: false,
             launch: None,
+            mac: k.map(|k| k.mac.clone()).unwrap_or_default(),
         },
         k.is_some_and(|k| k.paired),
         mgmt,
@@ -210,6 +249,7 @@ pub fn run_shot(app: Rc<App>, scene: &str) {
         ),
         pair_optional: true,
         launch: None,
+        mac: Vec::new(),
     };
     let mock_advert =
         |key: &str, name: &str, addr: &str, fp: &str| crate::discovery::DiscoveredHost {
@@ -221,6 +261,7 @@ pub fn run_shot(app: Rc<App>, scene: &str) {
             fp_hex: fp.to_string(),
             pair: "required".to_string(),
             mgmt_port: None,
+            mac: Vec::new(),
         };
 
     // What the self-capture renders: the main window, except for scenes that open their

clients/linux/src/discovery.rs

@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ pub struct DiscoveredHost {
     /// `None` when not advertised (older host / standalone `punktfunk1-host`); the
     /// library client then falls back to the well-known default.
     pub mgmt_port: Option<u16>,
+    /// Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) from the mDNS `mac` TXT (comma-separated `aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`), which the
+    /// hosts page persists onto the matching saved host so it can wake it later. Empty if absent.
+    pub mac: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 /// One discovery update for the UI's advert map.
@@ -81,6 +84,11 @@ pub fn browse() -> async_channel::Receiver<DiscoveryEvent> {
                             fp_hex: val("fp"),
                             pair: val("pair"),
                             mgmt_port: val("mgmt").parse().ok(),
+                            mac: val("mac")
+                                .split(',')
+                                .map(|s| s.trim().to_string())
+                                .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
+                                .collect(),
                         })
                     }
                     ServiceEvent::ServiceRemoved(_ty, fullname) => {

clients/linux/src/gamepad.rs

@@ -551,6 +551,14 @@ struct Worker<'a> {
     /// switch / detach so a contact held at that moment doesn't stick. surface 0 = the legacy single
     /// touchpad, 1/2 = a Steam left/right pad.
     held_touches: std::collections::HashSet<(u8, u8)>,
+    /// Per Steam-pad surface (index 0 = left/surface 1, 1 = right/surface 2): the last wire
+    /// coordinates + whether a finger is on it. Pad CLICKS arrive as buttons with no position,
+    /// so the click forward reuses the surface's live contact point.
+    surface_last: [(i16, i16, bool); 2],
+    /// Steam-pad clicks currently held (surface−1 indexed): keeps the click bit asserted
+    /// through touch-motion frames (which would otherwise clear it host-side) and lets the
+    /// flush lift a click held across detach/pad-switch.
+    held_clicks: [bool; 2],
     last_accel: [i16; 3],
     /// Raises the UI escape signal; the escape chord fires it once per press.
     escape_tx: async_channel::Sender<()>,
@@ -681,6 +689,24 @@ impl Worker<'_> {
                 }
                 *v = i32::MIN;
             }
+            // Lift any Steam-pad click held at this moment — a click that survives a
+            // detach/pad-switch would leave the host's pad pressed forever.
+            for i in 0..2usize {
+                if std::mem::take(&mut self.held_clicks[i]) {
+                    let (x, y, _) = self.surface_last[i];
+                    let _ = c.send_rich_input(RichInput::TouchpadEx {
+                        pad: 0,
+                        surface: (i as u8) + 1,
+                        finger: 0,
+                        touch: false,
+                        click: false,
+                        x,
+                        y,
+                        pressure: 0,
+                    });
+                }
+            }
+            self.surface_last = [(0, 0, false); 2];
             // Lift any touchpad contact the host still believes is down (surface 0 = legacy pad).
             for (surface, finger) in self.held_touches.drain() {
                 let rich = if surface == 0 {
@@ -709,6 +735,8 @@ impl Worker<'_> {
             self.held_buttons.clear();
             self.last_axis = [i32::MIN; 6];
             self.held_touches.clear();
+            self.held_clicks = [false; 2];
+            self.surface_last = [(0, 0, false); 2];
         }
         // A held chord doesn't survive a flush (detach / pad-switch) — clear its latches too.
         self.reset_chord();
@@ -789,26 +817,29 @@ impl Worker<'_> {
         y: f32,
         active: bool,
     ) {
-        let Some(c) = self.attached.as_ref() else {
+        let Some(c) = self.attached.clone() else {
             return;
         };
-        let multi = self
-            .open
-            .as_ref()
-            .filter(|(id, _)| *id == which)
-            .map(|(_, p)| p.touchpads_count() >= 2)
-            .unwrap_or(false);
+        let multi = self.is_multi_touchpad(which);
         let (cx, cy) = (x.clamp(0.0, 1.0), y.clamp(0.0, 1.0));
         let surface = if multi { (touchpad as u8) + 1 } else { 0 };
         let rich = if multi {
+            let (wx, wy) = (
+                (cx * 65535.0 - 32768.0) as i16,
+                (cy * 65535.0 - 32768.0) as i16,
+            );
+            let i = (surface - 1).min(1) as usize;
+            self.surface_last[i] = (wx, wy, active);
             RichInput::TouchpadEx {
                 pad: 0,
                 surface,
                 finger,
                 touch: active,
-                click: false,
-                x: (cx * 65535.0 - 32768.0) as i16,
-                y: (cy * 65535.0 - 32768.0) as i16,
+                // The pad's physical click is a separate BUTTON event (see forward_click) —
+                // carry the held state so a motion frame can't clear a click mid-press.
+                click: self.held_clicks[i],
+                x: wx,
+                y: wy,
                 pressure: 0,
             }
         } else {
@@ -828,6 +859,57 @@ impl Worker<'_> {
         }
     }
 
+    /// The open pad has two touchpads (Steam Deck / Steam Controller) — the gate for the
+    /// `TouchpadEx` surface encoding and the pad-click button re-route.
+    fn is_multi_touchpad(&self, which: u32) -> bool {
+        self.open
+            .as_ref()
+            .filter(|(id, _)| *id == which)
+            .map(|(_, p)| p.touchpads_count() >= 2)
+            .unwrap_or(false)
+    }
+
+    /// SDL's Steam Deck mapping delivers the pad CLICKS as gamepad buttons — the generic
+    /// `touchpad` button is the LEFT pad's click and `misc2` the RIGHT's (SDL_gamepad_db.h
+    /// `touchpad:b17,misc2:b16`). They must NOT ride the button plane: it has no surface
+    /// identity, and the host maps `BTN_TOUCHPAD` to the RIGHT pad (DualSense convention) —
+    /// which is exactly "a left-pad click registers on the right pad". Only for the open
+    /// multi-touchpad pad; a DualSense's single `touchpad` button stays a wire button.
+    fn steam_click_surface(&self, which: u32, button: sdl3::gamepad::Button) -> Option<u8> {
+        use sdl3::gamepad::Button;
+        if !self.is_multi_touchpad(which) {
+            return None;
+        }
+        match button {
+            Button::Touchpad => Some(1),
+            Button::Misc2 => Some(2),
+            _ => None,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Forward a Steam-pad click on the rich plane, bound to its surface. Click events carry
+    /// no position, so reuse the surface's live contact point; a physical click implies
+    /// contact, so `touch` stays asserted while the click is down even if the touch event
+    /// hasn't arrived yet (event-order safety).
+    fn forward_click(&mut self, surface: u8, down: bool) {
+        let Some(c) = self.attached.clone() else {
+            return;
+        };
+        let i = (surface - 1).min(1) as usize;
+        self.held_clicks[i] = down;
+        let (x, y, touching) = self.surface_last[i];
+        let _ = c.send_rich_input(RichInput::TouchpadEx {
+            pad: 0,
+            surface,
+            finger: 0,
+            touch: touching || down,
+            click: down,
+            x,
+            y,
+            pressure: 0,
+        });
+    }
+
     /// Publish the pad list, active pad, and pin to the UI-facing mutexes.
     fn publish(&self) {
         let mut list: Vec<PadInfo> = self
@@ -935,6 +1017,10 @@ impl Worker<'_> {
                 }
             }
             Event::ControllerButtonDown { which, button, .. } if active == Some(which) => {
+                if let Some(surface) = self.steam_click_surface(which, button) {
+                    self.forward_click(surface, true);
+                    return;
+                }
                 let Some(c) = self.attached.clone() else {
                     return;
                 };
@@ -945,6 +1031,10 @@ impl Worker<'_> {
                 }
             }
             Event::ControllerButtonUp { which, button, .. } if active == Some(which) => {
+                if let Some(surface) = self.steam_click_surface(which, button) {
+                    self.forward_click(surface, false);
+                    return;
+                }
                 let Some(c) = self.attached.clone() else {
                     return;
                 };
@@ -1158,6 +1248,8 @@ fn run(
         last_axis: [i32::MIN; 6],
         held_buttons: Vec::new(),
         held_touches: std::collections::HashSet::new(),
+        surface_last: [(0, 0, false); 2],
+        held_clicks: [false; 2],
         last_accel: [0; 3],
         escape_tx: escape_tx.clone(),
         disconnect_tx: disconnect_tx.clone(),

clients/linux/src/launch.rs

@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ pub fn start_session_with(
     }
     let mode = resolve_mode(&app);
     let s = app.settings.borrow();
+    // The presenter raises this when hardware frames can't be displayed; the session pump
+    // demotes the decoder to software (see `SessionParams::force_software`).
+    let force_software = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
     let params = SessionParams {
         host: req.addr.clone(),
         port: req.port,
@@ -125,6 +128,7 @@ pub fn start_session_with(
         pin,
         identity: app.identity.clone(),
         connect_timeout: opts.connect_timeout,
+        force_software: force_software.clone(),
     };
     let inhibit = s.inhibit_shortcuts;
     let show_stats = s.show_stats;
@@ -149,6 +153,7 @@ pub fn start_session_with(
         inhibit,
         show_stats,
         frames: Some(frames),
+        force_software,
         waiting: opts.waiting,
         page: None,
     };
@@ -198,6 +203,9 @@ struct SessionUi {
     stop: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     /// Decoded-frame receiver, handed to the stream page once on `Connected`.
     frames: Option<async_channel::Receiver<DecodedFrame>>,
+    /// Shared with the session pump — the stream page's presenter raises it to demote
+    /// the decoder to software when hardware frames can't be displayed.
+    force_software: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     /// The "waiting for approval" dialog (request-access flow), dismissed on the first event.
     waiting: Option<adw::AlertDialog>,
     page: Option<crate::ui_stream::StreamPage>,
@@ -259,6 +267,7 @@ impl SessionUi {
             window: self.app.window.clone(),
             connector,
             frames: self.frames.take().expect("Connected delivered once"),
+            force_software: self.force_software.clone(),
             clock_offset_ns,
             escape_rx: self.app.gamepad.escape_events(),
             disconnect_rx: self.app.gamepad.disconnect_events(),
@@ -280,6 +289,39 @@ impl SessionUi {
         if self.app.fullscreen || self.app.settings.borrow().fullscreen_on_stream {
             self.app.window.fullscreen();
         }
+        // A Deck streaming without its raw built-in controller is invisible degradation:
+        // SDL sees only Steam's virtual X360 pad, so the right trackpad arrives at the
+        // host as whatever Steam's template synthesizes (a right stick by default) and
+        // the left trackpad, paddles and gyro not at all. The built-in pad can never
+        // leave Steam Input ("Steam Controller" is always-required in the shortcut's
+        // matrix — Disable Steam Input only affects other brands), so raw capture rides
+        // the session-scoped Valve HIDAPI drivers + the cleared SDL device filter (see
+        // `app::run`). The real 28DE:1205 identity enumerates shortly after attach —
+        // check once that settles and say so, instead of streaming silently degraded.
+        if crate::gamepad::is_steam_deck() {
+            let app = self.app.clone();
+            let stop = self.stop.clone();
+            glib::timeout_add_seconds_local_once(4, move || {
+                if stop.load(std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed) {
+                    return; // session already over
+                }
+                if app.gamepad.active().is_none_or(|pad| pad.steam_virtual) {
+                    tracing::warn!(
+                        "the Deck's raw built-in controller (28DE:1205) never enumerated \
+                         — only Steam's virtual pad is visible, so trackpads, paddles and \
+                         gyro can't be captured (sticks + buttons still work). Check the \
+                         startup log for SDL_GAMECONTROLLER_IGNORE_DEVICES and the \
+                         Settings controller list."
+                    );
+                    let toast = adw::Toast::new(
+                        "Steam is only exposing its virtual gamepad — trackpads, paddles \
+                         and gyro won't reach the game (sticks and buttons still work).",
+                    );
+                    toast.set_timeout(12);
+                    app.toasts.add_toast(toast);
+                }
+            });
+        }
         self.page = Some(p);
     }
 

clients/linux/src/main.rs

@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ mod ui_stream;
 mod ui_trust;
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 mod video;
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+mod video_gl;
+
+mod wol;
 
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 fn main() -> gtk::glib::ExitCode {

clients/linux/src/session.rs

@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ pub struct SessionParams {
     /// 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,
+    /// Raised by the PRESENTER when hardware frames can't be displayed (GL converter init
+    /// failed / dmabuf import rejected): the pump demotes the decoder to software and
+    /// re-requests a keyframe. Decode itself succeeds in that state, so nothing else
+    /// would recover — without this the stream stays black.
+    pub force_software: Arc<AtomicBool>,
 }
 
 /// The session pump's share of the unified stats window (design/stats-unification.md):
@@ -238,6 +243,7 @@ fn pump(
             return;
         }
     };
+    let force_software = params.force_software.clone();
     // Audio is best-effort: a session without it still streams. Gamepads are the
     // app-lifetime service's job (the UI attaches it on Connected). Audio runs on its own
     // thread (one puller per plane), blocking on the audio queue like the Apple client.
@@ -331,6 +337,15 @@ fn pump(
                     // Survivable (loss until the next IDR/RFI recovery) — keep feeding.
                     Err(e) => tracing::debug!(error = %e, "decode error (recovering)"),
                 }
+                // The presenter's verdict: hardware frames can't be displayed (GL converter
+                // init failed / dmabuf import rejected) — demote to software here, on the
+                // decoder's own thread. Decode succeeds in that state, so the error-streak
+                // demotion above never fires.
+                if force_software.swap(false, Ordering::Relaxed) {
+                    if let Err(e) = decoder.force_software() {
+                        break Some(format!("software decoder rebuild: {e}"));
+                    }
+                }
                 // A decode error / VAAPI→software demotion asks for a fresh IDR: the infinite
                 // GOP has no periodic keyframe, so a rebuilt/erroring decoder would stay
                 // gray/frozen until an unrelated packet drop happened to request one. Route it

clients/linux/src/trust.rs

@@ -60,6 +60,11 @@ pub struct KnownHost {
     /// most-recent card with the accent bar. `default` so pre-existing stores load.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub last_used: Option<u64>,
+    /// Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) (`aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`) learned from the host's mDNS `mac` TXT while it
+    /// was online, so we can wake it once it sleeps and stops advertising. `default` so
+    /// pre-existing stores load; empty until first learned.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub mac: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Default, Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -115,6 +120,10 @@ impl KnownHosts {
             if entry.last_used.is_some() {
                 h.last_used = entry.last_used;
             }
+            // Likewise a trust-decision upsert (which carries no MAC) must not wipe learned MACs.
+            if !entry.mac.is_empty() {
+                h.mac = entry.mac;
+            }
         } else {
             self.hosts.push(entry);
         }
@@ -132,10 +141,33 @@ pub fn persist_host(name: &str, addr: &str, port: u16, fp_hex: &str, paired: boo
         fp_hex: fp_hex.to_string(),
         paired,
         last_used: None,
+        mac: Vec::new(),
     });
     let _ = known.save();
 }
 
+/// Learn/refresh a saved host's Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) from its live advert (called while the host
+/// is online, matched by fingerprint or address). No-op — and no disk write — when unchanged, so
+/// the hosts page can call it on every discovery tick without churning the store.
+pub fn learn_mac(fp_hex: &str, addr: &str, port: u16, mac: &[String]) {
+    if mac.is_empty() {
+        return;
+    }
+    let mut known = KnownHosts::load();
+    let Some(h) = known
+        .hosts
+        .iter_mut()
+        .find(|h| (!fp_hex.is_empty() && h.fp_hex == fp_hex) || (h.addr == addr && h.port == port))
+    else {
+        return;
+    };
+    if h.mac == mac {
+        return;
+    }
+    h.mac = mac.to_vec();
+    let _ = known.save();
+}
+
 /// Stamp "now" as this host's last successful connect (drives the hosts page's
 /// most-recent accent). No-op when the fingerprint isn't stored.
 pub fn touch_last_used(fp_hex: &str) {

clients/linux/src/ui_hosts.rs

@@ -29,6 +29,9 @@ pub struct ConnectRequest {
     /// `("steam:570", "Dota 2")`) — set by the library page's card activation; the id
     /// rides the Hello and the name titles the stream page. `None` = plain desktop session.
     pub launch: Option<(String, String)>,
+    /// Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) for this host (from the saved store or the live advert). Used to send a
+    /// magic packet before connecting to an offline host. Empty when none is known.
+    pub mac: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 impl ConnectRequest {
@@ -314,6 +317,14 @@ fn rebuild(state: &Rc<State>) {
     state.saved_flow.remove_all();
     for k in &known.hosts {
         let online = adverts.values().any(|a| matches(k, a));
+        // Learn this host's wake MAC(s) from its live advert while it's online, so we can wake it
+        // once it sleeps and stops advertising (no-op / no disk write when unchanged).
+        if let Some(a) = adverts
+            .values()
+            .find(|a| matches(k, a) && !a.mac.is_empty())
+        {
+            crate::trust::learn_mac(&k.fp_hex, &k.addr, k.port, &a.mac);
+        }
         let recent = most_recent.as_deref() == Some(k.fp_hex.as_str());
         state
             .saved_flow
@@ -421,6 +432,7 @@ fn saved_card(
         // connect; TOFU eligibility is irrelevant.
         pair_optional: false,
         launch: None,
+        mac: k.mac.clone(),
     };
 
     // Presence pip + spelled-out state, then the trust pill.
@@ -492,11 +504,24 @@ fn saved_card(
             Box::new(move || forget_dialog(&state, &fp, &name)),
         );
     }
+    {
+        // Explicit "just wake it" (the tap-to-connect already auto-wakes an offline host).
+        let mac = k.mac.clone();
+        let addr = k.addr.clone();
+        add(
+            "wake",
+            Box::new(move || crate::wol::wake(&mac, addr.parse().ok())),
+        );
+    }
     overlay.insert_action_group("card", Some(&actions));
 
     let menu = gio::Menu::new();
     menu.append(Some("Pair with PIN…"), Some("card.pair"));
     menu.append(Some("Test network speed…"), Some("card.speed"));
+    // Offer an explicit wake only when the host is offline and we actually have a MAC to target.
+    if !online && !k.mac.is_empty() {
+        menu.append(Some("Wake host"), Some("card.wake"));
+    }
     // Experimental (Preferences gate, Apple parity): browse the host's game library. The
     // item is offered on every saved card — an unpaired host answers with the friendly
     // "not paired" error state rather than the entry hiding itself.
@@ -521,7 +546,16 @@ fn saved_card(
     overlay.add_controller(right_click);
 
     let on_connect = state.cbs.on_connect.clone();
-    child.connect_activate(move |_| on_connect(req.clone()));
+    // Auto-wake: if the host wasn't advertising when this card was built and we have a MAC, fire a
+    // magic packet before connecting — the connect's own retry/timeout gives a woken host time to
+    // come up. A host that's genuinely off/unreachable then fails the connect as before.
+    let wake_first = !online && !req.mac.is_empty();
+    child.connect_activate(move |_| {
+        if wake_first {
+            crate::wol::wake(&req.mac, req.addr.parse().ok());
+        }
+        on_connect(req.clone());
+    });
     child
 }
 
@@ -539,6 +573,7 @@ fn discovered_card(
         // required/empty means mandatory PIN.
         pair_optional: a.pair == "optional",
         launch: None,
+        mac: a.mac.clone(),
     };
 
     let status = gtk::Box::new(gtk::Orientation::Horizontal, 6);
@@ -674,6 +709,7 @@ fn add_host_dialog(state: &Rc<State>) {
                 // Manual entry carries no advertised policy — never eligible for TOFU.
                 pair_optional: false,
                 launch: None,
+                mac: Vec::new(),
             });
         });
     }

clients/linux/src/ui_stream.rs

@@ -111,6 +111,10 @@ pub struct StreamPageArgs {
     pub window: adw::ApplicationWindow,
     pub connector: Arc<NativeClient>,
     pub frames: async_channel::Receiver<DecodedFrame>,
+    /// Shared with the session pump: the presenter raises it when hardware frames can't
+    /// be displayed (GL converter init failed / dmabuf import rejected) and the pump
+    /// demotes the decoder to software.
+    pub force_software: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     /// Host-clock offset from the session's clock handshake — added to the local wall
     /// clock to express paintable-set time in the host's capture clock (present latency).
     pub clock_offset_ns: i64,
@@ -253,6 +257,7 @@ pub fn new(args: StreamPageArgs) -> StreamPage {
         window,
         connector,
         frames,
+        force_software,
         clock_offset_ns,
         escape_rx,
         disconnect_rx,
@@ -291,6 +296,7 @@ pub fn new(args: StreamPageArgs) -> StreamPage {
     spawn_frame_consumer(
         &w.picture,
         frames,
+        force_software,
         clock_offset_ns,
         presented.clone(),
         hdr.clone(),
@@ -584,9 +590,33 @@ impl ColorStateCache {
     }
 }
 
+/// How hardware (dmabuf) frames reach the screen.
+#[derive(PartialEq, Clone, Copy)]
+enum HwPresent {
+    /// Hand the NV12 dmabuf straight to `GdkDmabufTexture` — GTK (or the compositor via
+    /// offload) imports + converts. The desktop default: subsurface/scan-out eligible.
+    Direct,
+    /// Convert in-process first (`video_gl`): own EGL import + own YUV→RGB shader → RGBA
+    /// `GdkGLTexture`. The Steam Deck default — GTK's tiled-NV12 import is broken there
+    /// (Mesa ≥ 25.1 tiled VCN export), and this is the Moonlight-proven route around it.
+    Gl,
+}
+
+impl HwPresent {
+    fn pick() -> HwPresent {
+        match std::env::var("PUNKTFUNK_PRESENT").ok().as_deref() {
+            Some("direct") => HwPresent::Direct,
+            Some("gl") => HwPresent::Gl,
+            _ if crate::gamepad::is_steam_deck() => HwPresent::Gl,
+            _ => HwPresent::Direct,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn spawn_frame_consumer(
     picture: &gtk::Picture,
     frames: async_channel::Receiver<DecodedFrame>,
+    force_software: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     clock_offset_ns: i64,
     presented_stats: Rc<PresentedStats>,
     hdr: Rc<Cell<bool>>,
@@ -599,6 +629,11 @@ fn spawn_frame_consumer(
     // (SDR↔HDR flip) just rebuilds once.
     let mut yuv_state = ColorStateCache::default();
     let mut rgb_state = ColorStateCache::default();
+    let hw_present = HwPresent::pick();
+    // Lazy (first dmabuf frame) so software-decode sessions never touch EGL. `Err` after
+    // a failed init = don't retry every frame.
+    let mut gl_conv: Option<Result<crate::video_gl::GlConverter, ()>> = None;
+    let mut gl_fails = 0u32;
     glib::spawn_future_local(async move {
         // Window samples (µs): end-to-end capture→displayed (host-clock corrected) and
         // the client-local display stage decoded→displayed.
@@ -646,6 +681,39 @@ fn spawn_frame_consumer(
                     picture.set_paintable(Some(&tex));
                     presented = true;
                 }
+                DecodedImage::Dmabuf(d) if hw_present == HwPresent::Gl => {
+                    // In-process conversion (see `HwPresent::Gl`). Init once; a failed
+                    // init or a streak of convert failures demotes the DECODER to
+                    // software via the shared flag — never fall back to the direct path
+                    // here, it's the known-broken one on this hardware.
+                    let conv = gl_conv.get_or_insert_with(|| {
+                        crate::video_gl::GlConverter::new(&picture).map_err(|e| {
+                            tracing::warn!(error = %format!("{e:#}"),
+                                "GL presenter unavailable — demoting to software decode");
+                        })
+                    });
+                    match conv {
+                        Ok(c) => {
+                            let color = d.color;
+                            match c.convert(d, rgb_state.get(color, true).as_ref()) {
+                                Ok(tex) => {
+                                    gl_fails = 0;
+                                    picture.set_paintable(Some(&tex));
+                                    presented = true;
+                                }
+                                Err(e) => {
+                                    gl_fails += 1;
+                                    tracing::warn!(error = %format!("{e:#}"), fails = gl_fails,
+                                        "GL convert failed");
+                                    if gl_fails >= 3 {
+                                        force_software.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
+                                    }
+                                }
+                            }
+                        }
+                        Err(()) => force_software.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed),
+                    }
+                }
                 DecodedImage::Dmabuf(d) => {
                     let mut b = gdk::DmabufTextureBuilder::new()
                         .set_display(&picture.display())

clients/linux/src/video.rs

@@ -187,6 +187,12 @@ impl Decoder {
             .ok()
             .filter(|v| !v.is_empty())
             .unwrap_or_else(|| pref.to_string());
+        // Deck note: `auto` means VAAPI here too. GTK's tiled-NV12 dmabuf import is broken on
+        // the Deck (Mesa ≥ 25.1 exports VCN surfaces TILED; artifacts/gray/washed-out), but the
+        // presenter routes Deck frames through the in-process GL converter (`video_gl`) instead
+        // of GdkDmabufTexture — and if THAT can't initialize, it demotes this decoder to
+        // software mid-session via [`Decoder::force_software`]. The broken direct path is never
+        // the fallback.
         if choice != "software" {
             match VaapiDecoder::new(codec_id) {
                 Ok(v) => {
@@ -220,6 +226,21 @@ impl Decoder {
         std::mem::take(&mut self.want_keyframe)
     }
 
+    /// Demote to software decode on the PRESENTER's verdict (dmabuf presentation impossible:
+    /// GL converter init failed, texture import rejected). Decode itself succeeds in that
+    /// state, so the error-streak demotion never fires — without this the stream would stay
+    /// black forever. No-op when already software.
+    pub fn force_software(&mut self) -> Result<()> {
+        if matches!(self.backend, Backend::Software(_)) {
+            return Ok(());
+        }
+        tracing::warn!("presenter can't display hardware frames — demoting to software decode");
+        self.backend = Backend::Software(SoftwareDecoder::new(self.codec_id)?);
+        self.vaapi_fails = 0;
+        self.want_keyframe = true;
+        Ok(())
+    }
+
     /// Feed one access unit; returns the decoded frame (the host's streams are
     /// one-in/one-out). A software decode error after packet loss is survivable — log
     /// upstream and keep feeding. A VAAPI error re-requests an IDR and retries the hardware
@@ -456,6 +477,14 @@ impl VaapiDecoder {
             (*ctx).get_format = Some(pick_vaapi);
             (*ctx).flags |= ffi::AV_CODEC_FLAG_LOW_DELAY as i32;
             (*ctx).thread_count = 1; // hwaccel: threads only add latency
+
+            // The presenter holds mapped surfaces PAST receive_frame (the paintable's
+            // current texture + the newest frame in flight each pin one until GDK's
+            // release func) — surfaces libavcodec doesn't know are missing from its
+            // fixed-size VAAPI pool. Without headroom the decoder can recycle a surface
+            // the renderer is still sampling (intermittent block corruption) or fail
+            // allocation under scheduling jitter.
+            (*ctx).extra_hw_frames = 4;
             let r = ffi::avcodec_open2(ctx, codec, ptr::null_mut());
             if r < 0 {
                 let mut ctx = ctx;

clients/linux/src/video_gl.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,664 @@
+//! VAAPI dmabuf → RGBA GL texture converter — the Steam Deck's hardware-decode presenter.
+//!
+//! The direct path hands the decoder's NV12 dmabuf (fds + AMD tiled modifier) to
+//! `GdkDmabufTexture` and lets GTK import + color-convert it. On the Deck that renders
+//! corrupt/gray/washed-out: since Mesa 25.1 radeonsi exports VCN decode surfaces TILED, and
+//! GTK's tiled-NV12 import mishandles the layout (the Flatpak runtime's Mesa drives both
+//! sides). Moonlight-qt and mpv are clean on the same box because they never let a toolkit
+//! near the YUV: they import the dmabuf into their own EGL context and convert with their
+//! own shader. This module is that architecture for the GTK client:
+//!
+//!   VAAPI frame → per-plane `EGLImage`s (R8 luma + GR88 chroma, modifier passed through)
+//!   → our YUV→RGB shader (matrix + range from the stream's real CICP signaling)
+//!   → an RGBA texture in a `GdkGLContext`-shared context → `GdkGLTexture` (fence-synced).
+//!
+//! GTK then composites a plain RGBA texture — no YUV format negotiation, no modifier
+//! handling, no compositor CSC. Same-Mesa export/import is the exact proven-working path.
+//! Everything runs on the GTK main thread (the converter is driven by the frame consumer);
+//! one 800p–4K NV12→RGB pass is sub-millisecond GPU work.
+//!
+//! Failure at any step (GLX-backed GDK context, missing EGL extensions, import rejection)
+//! is surfaced as an error — the caller falls back to software decode, never to the broken
+//! direct path.
+
+use crate::video::{ColorDesc, DmabufFrame};
+use anyhow::{anyhow, bail, Context as _, Result};
+use gtk::{gdk, prelude::*};
+use khronos_egl as egl;
+use std::ffi::c_void;
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+
+// --- EGL_EXT_image_dma_buf_import(+_modifiers) constants (khronos-egl exposes none) ------
+const EGL_LINUX_DMA_BUF_EXT: egl::Enum = 0x3270;
+// eglCreateImageKHR takes 32-bit EGLint attribs (the core-1.5 eglCreateImage variant is the
+// one with pointer-sized EGLAttrib) — using the wrong width feeds the driver garbage pairs.
+const EGL_LINUX_DRM_FOURCC_EXT: i32 = 0x3271;
+const EGL_DMA_BUF_PLANE0_FD_EXT: i32 = 0x3272;
+const EGL_DMA_BUF_PLANE0_OFFSET_EXT: i32 = 0x3273;
+const EGL_DMA_BUF_PLANE0_PITCH_EXT: i32 = 0x3274;
+const EGL_DMA_BUF_PLANE0_MODIFIER_LO_EXT: i32 = 0x3443;
+const EGL_DMA_BUF_PLANE0_MODIFIER_HI_EXT: i32 = 0x3444;
+const EGL_WIDTH: i32 = 0x3057;
+const EGL_HEIGHT: i32 = 0x3056;
+const EGL_NONE: i32 = 0x3038;
+const DRM_FORMAT_MOD_INVALID: u64 = 0x00ff_ffff_ffff_ffff;
+
+/// `fourcc('N','V','1','2')` — the only decoder output today (8-bit 4:2:0). P010 joins when
+/// the Linux host grows 10-bit.
+const DRM_FORMAT_NV12: u32 = 0x3231_564e;
+const DRM_FORMAT_R8: u32 = 0x2020_3852;
+const DRM_FORMAT_GR88: u32 = 0x3838_5247;
+
+// --- The slice of GL we use (loaded via eglGetProcAddress — Mesa/NVIDIA both implement
+// --- EGL_KHR_get_all_proc_addresses, so core functions resolve too) ----------------------
+const GL_TEXTURE_2D: u32 = 0x0DE1;
+const GL_TEXTURE0: u32 = 0x84C0;
+const GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER: u32 = 0x2801;
+const GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER: u32 = 0x2800;
+const GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_S: u32 = 0x2802;
+const GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_T: u32 = 0x2803;
+const GL_LINEAR: i32 = 0x2601;
+const GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE: i32 = 0x812F;
+const GL_FRAMEBUFFER: u32 = 0x8D40;
+const GL_COLOR_ATTACHMENT0: u32 = 0x8CE0;
+const GL_FRAMEBUFFER_COMPLETE: u32 = 0x8CD5;
+const GL_RGBA8: u32 = 0x8058;
+const GL_RGBA: u32 = 0x1908;
+const GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE: u32 = 0x1401;
+const GL_TRIANGLES: u32 = 0x0004;
+const GL_VERTEX_SHADER: u32 = 0x8B31;
+const GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER: u32 = 0x8B30;
+const GL_COMPILE_STATUS: u32 = 0x8B81;
+const GL_LINK_STATUS: u32 = 0x8B82;
+const GL_SYNC_GPU_COMMANDS_COMPLETE: u32 = 0x9117;
+
+macro_rules! gl_fns {
+    ($($name:ident : fn($($arg:ty),*) $(-> $ret:ty)?;)*) => {
+        #[allow(non_snake_case)]
+        struct GlFns { $($name: unsafe extern "C" fn($($arg),*) $(-> $ret)?,)* }
+        impl GlFns {
+            #[allow(non_snake_case)]
+            fn load(egl: &Egl) -> Result<GlFns> {
+                $(
+                    // eglGetProcAddress returns a plain fn pointer; the signature is fixed
+                    // by the GL spec for each name.
+                    let $name = egl
+                        .get_proc_address(concat!("gl", stringify!($name)))
+                        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!(concat!("gl", stringify!($name), " unresolvable")))?;
+                )*
+                // SAFETY: each pointer came from eglGetProcAddress for exactly that GL entry
+                // point; the transmute only fixes the signature the spec defines for it.
+                unsafe {
+                    Ok(GlFns { $($name: std::mem::transmute::<extern "system" fn(), unsafe extern "C" fn($($arg),*) $(-> $ret)?>($name),)* })
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    };
+}
+
+gl_fns! {
+    GenTextures: fn(i32, *mut u32);
+    DeleteTextures: fn(i32, *const u32);
+    BindTexture: fn(u32, u32);
+    TexParameteri: fn(u32, u32, i32);
+    TexImage2D: fn(u32, i32, i32, i32, i32, i32, u32, u32, *const c_void);
+    ActiveTexture: fn(u32);
+    EGLImageTargetTexture2DOES: fn(u32, *const c_void);
+    GenFramebuffers: fn(i32, *mut u32);
+    DeleteFramebuffers: fn(i32, *const u32);
+    BindFramebuffer: fn(u32, u32);
+    FramebufferTexture2D: fn(u32, u32, u32, u32, i32);
+    CheckFramebufferStatus: fn(u32) -> u32;
+    Viewport: fn(i32, i32, i32, i32);
+    CreateShader: fn(u32) -> u32;
+    ShaderSource: fn(u32, i32, *const *const u8, *const i32);
+    CompileShader: fn(u32);
+    GetShaderiv: fn(u32, u32, *mut i32);
+    GetShaderInfoLog: fn(u32, i32, *mut i32, *mut u8);
+    DeleteShader: fn(u32);
+    CreateProgram: fn() -> u32;
+    AttachShader: fn(u32, u32);
+    LinkProgram: fn(u32);
+    GetProgramiv: fn(u32, u32, *mut i32);
+    UseProgram: fn(u32);
+    GetUniformLocation: fn(u32, *const u8) -> i32;
+    Uniform1i: fn(i32, i32);
+    Uniform3fv: fn(i32, i32, *const f32);
+    UniformMatrix3fv: fn(i32, i32, u8, *const f32);
+    GenVertexArrays: fn(i32, *mut u32);
+    DeleteVertexArrays: fn(i32, *const u32);
+    DeleteProgram: fn(u32);
+    BindVertexArray: fn(u32);
+    DrawArrays: fn(u32, i32, i32);
+    FenceSync: fn(u32, u32) -> *const c_void;
+    DeleteSync: fn(*const c_void);
+    Flush: fn();
+    GetError: fn() -> u32;
+}
+
+type Egl = egl::DynamicInstance<egl::EGL1_4>;
+type EglCreateImageKhr = unsafe extern "C" fn(
+    *mut c_void, // EGLDisplay
+    *mut c_void, // EGLContext (EGL_NO_CONTEXT for dmabuf)
+    egl::Enum,
+    *mut c_void, // EGLClientBuffer (null for dmabuf)
+    *const i32,  // EGLint attrib list (KHR variant — NOT pointer-sized EGLAttrib)
+) -> *const c_void;
+type EglDestroyImageKhr = unsafe extern "C" fn(*mut c_void, *const c_void) -> egl::Boolean;
+
+/// The YUV→RGB conversion for a stream's CICP signaling: `rgb = mat * (yuv + off)`, with the
+/// limited/full-range expansion folded in. `mat` is column-major (GL convention). Pure —
+/// unit-tested against the reference white/black points.
+pub fn yuv_to_rgb(desc: ColorDesc) -> ([f32; 9], [f32; 3]) {
+    // BT.601 (5/6), BT.2020 (9/10); everything else — incl. unspecified — is the host's
+    // BT.709 SDR default (mirrors the software path's swscale coefficient choice).
+    let (kr, kb) = match desc.matrix {
+        5 | 6 => (0.299, 0.114),
+        9 | 10 => (0.2627, 0.0593),
+        _ => (0.2126, 0.0722),
+    };
+    let kg = 1.0 - kr - kb;
+    let (sy, oy, sc) = if desc.full_range {
+        (1.0f32, 0.0f32, 1.0f32)
+    } else {
+        (255.0 / 219.0, -16.0 / 255.0, 255.0 / 224.0)
+    };
+    let (kr, kb, kg) = (kr as f32, kb as f32, kg as f32);
+    // Column-major: columns are the Y, U, V contributions to (R, G, B).
+    let mat = [
+        sy,
+        sy,
+        sy, // Y column
+        0.0,
+        -2.0 * (1.0 - kb) * kb / kg * sc,
+        2.0 * (1.0 - kb) * sc, // U column
+        2.0 * (1.0 - kr) * sc,
+        -2.0 * (1.0 - kr) * kr / kg * sc,
+        0.0, // V column
+    ];
+    (mat, [oy, -0.5, -0.5])
+}
+
+/// An output texture GTK has released, waiting to be recycled (or its fence deleted). GL
+/// objects can only be touched with our context current, so releases park here and
+/// [`GlConverter::convert`] drains them.
+struct Retired {
+    tex: u32,
+    sync: usize, // GLsync as usize — the release closure must be Send
+    size: (u32, u32),
+}
+
+pub struct GlConverter {
+    ctx: gdk::GLContext,
+    egl: Egl,
+    egl_display: *mut c_void,
+    create_image: EglCreateImageKhr,
+    destroy_image: EglDestroyImageKhr,
+    gl: GlFns,
+    program: u32,
+    vao: u32,
+    fbo: u32,
+    u_mat: i32,
+    u_off: i32,
+    /// Uniforms match this signaling; a change (mid-stream SDR↔HDR) re-uploads them.
+    uniforms_for: Option<ColorDesc>,
+    /// Free output textures + fences returned by GTK's release funcs (shared with the
+    /// `Send` release closures; drained/recycled at each convert).
+    retired: Arc<Mutex<Vec<Retired>>>,
+}
+
+impl GlConverter {
+    /// Build against the widget's display. Must run on the GTK main thread; fails cleanly
+    /// on a GLX-backed GDK context or missing EGL dmabuf-import extensions (the caller
+    /// falls back to software decode).
+    pub fn new(widget: &impl IsA<gtk::Widget>) -> Result<GlConverter> {
+        let display = widget.display();
+        let ctx = display.create_gl_context().context("create GdkGLContext")?;
+        ctx.realize().context("realize GdkGLContext")?;
+        ctx.make_current();
+
+        // SAFETY (whole block): the GdkGLContext is current on this thread, so EGL/GL
+        // queries and object creation target it; pointers are only used while it lives.
+        unsafe {
+            let egl = Egl::load_required().context("dlopen libEGL")?;
+            let egl_display = egl
+                .get_current_display()
+                .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("GDK context is not EGL-backed (GLX?)"))?;
+            let exts = egl
+                .query_string(Some(egl_display), egl::EXTENSIONS)
+                .context("EGL_EXTENSIONS")?
+                .to_string_lossy()
+                .into_owned();
+            for need in ["EGL_EXT_image_dma_buf_import", "EGL_KHR_image_base"] {
+                if !exts.contains(need) {
+                    bail!("EGL lacks {need}");
+                }
+            }
+            // Tiled surfaces carry an explicit modifier — without the _modifiers extension
+            // the import would silently assume implied/linear and sample garbage.
+            if !exts.contains("EGL_EXT_image_dma_buf_import_modifiers") {
+                bail!("EGL lacks EGL_EXT_image_dma_buf_import_modifiers");
+            }
+            let create_image: EglCreateImageKhr =
+                std::mem::transmute::<extern "system" fn(), EglCreateImageKhr>(
+                    egl.get_proc_address("eglCreateImageKHR")
+                        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("no eglCreateImageKHR"))?,
+                );
+            let destroy_image: EglDestroyImageKhr =
+                std::mem::transmute::<extern "system" fn(), EglDestroyImageKhr>(
+                    egl.get_proc_address("eglDestroyImageKHR")
+                        .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("no eglDestroyImageKHR"))?,
+                );
+            let gl = GlFns::load(&egl)?;
+
+            let es = ctx.api().contains(gdk::GLAPI::GLES);
+            let program = build_program(&gl, es)?;
+            (gl.UseProgram)(program);
+            let u_mat = (gl.GetUniformLocation)(program, c"u_mat".as_ptr() as *const u8);
+            let u_off = (gl.GetUniformLocation)(program, c"u_off".as_ptr() as *const u8);
+            let u_y = (gl.GetUniformLocation)(program, c"u_y".as_ptr() as *const u8);
+            let u_c = (gl.GetUniformLocation)(program, c"u_c".as_ptr() as *const u8);
+            (gl.Uniform1i)(u_y, 0);
+            (gl.Uniform1i)(u_c, 1);
+            let mut vao = 0u32;
+            (gl.GenVertexArrays)(1, &mut vao);
+            let mut fbo = 0u32;
+            (gl.GenFramebuffers)(1, &mut fbo);
+
+            tracing::info!(
+                gles = es,
+                "GL presenter ready — VAAPI dmabufs convert in-process (own EGL import + shader)"
+            );
+            Ok(GlConverter {
+                ctx,
+                egl,
+                egl_display: egl_display.as_ptr(),
+                create_image,
+                destroy_image,
+                gl,
+                program,
+                vao,
+                fbo,
+                u_mat,
+                u_off,
+                uniforms_for: None,
+                retired: Arc::new(Mutex::new(Vec::new())),
+            })
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Convert one decoded frame into an RGBA `GdkTexture`. The source surface (guard) is
+    /// held until GTK releases the output texture — the GPU read is long finished by then.
+    /// `color_state` tags the output (full-range RGB, transfer left baked — same semantics
+    /// as the software path's tagged `GdkMemoryTexture`); `None` = untagged sRGB.
+    pub fn convert(
+        &mut self,
+        frame: DmabufFrame,
+        color_state: Option<&gdk::ColorState>,
+    ) -> Result<gdk::Texture> {
+        if frame.fourcc != DRM_FORMAT_NV12 {
+            bail!("GL presenter handles NV12 only (got {:#x})", frame.fourcc);
+        }
+        if frame.planes.len() < 2 {
+            bail!("NV12 needs 2 planes (got {})", frame.planes.len());
+        }
+        self.ctx.make_current();
+        let gl = &self.gl;
+
+        // SAFETY (whole body): our context is current; every GL/EGL object created here is
+        // either destroyed before return or owned by the pool/release machinery.
+        unsafe {
+            // Recycle what GTK released since last frame (GL objects need the context, so
+            // the release closures only park entries — this is where they die/revive).
+            let size = (frame.width, frame.height);
+            let mut out_tex = 0u32;
+            {
+                let mut retired = self.retired.lock().unwrap();
+                retired.retain_mut(|r| {
+                    if r.sync != 0 {
+                        (gl.DeleteSync)(r.sync as *const c_void);
+                        r.sync = 0;
+                    }
+                    if out_tex == 0 && r.size == size {
+                        out_tex = r.tex;
+                        false
+                    } else if r.size != size {
+                        (gl.DeleteTextures)(1, &r.tex); // stale size (mode change)
+                        false
+                    } else {
+                        true // spare same-size texture for a later frame
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+            if out_tex == 0 {
+                (gl.GenTextures)(1, &mut out_tex);
+                (gl.BindTexture)(GL_TEXTURE_2D, out_tex);
+                (gl.TexParameteri)(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);
+                (gl.TexParameteri)(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);
+                (gl.TexImage2D)(
+                    GL_TEXTURE_2D,
+                    0,
+                    GL_RGBA8 as i32,
+                    frame.width as i32,
+                    frame.height as i32,
+                    0,
+                    GL_RGBA,
+                    GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE,
+                    std::ptr::null(),
+                );
+            }
+
+            // Import both planes with the surface's modifier — exactly the layer-wise
+            // import Moonlight/mpv drive on this hardware.
+            let y = &frame.planes[0];
+            let c = &frame.planes[1];
+            let img_y =
+                self.plane_image(frame.width, frame.height, DRM_FORMAT_R8, y, frame.modifier)?;
+            let img_c = match self.plane_image(
+                frame.width.div_ceil(2),
+                frame.height.div_ceil(2),
+                DRM_FORMAT_GR88,
+                c,
+                frame.modifier,
+            ) {
+                Ok(img) => img,
+                Err(e) => {
+                    (self.destroy_image)(self.egl_display, img_y);
+                    return Err(e);
+                }
+            };
+
+            let mut planes = [0u32; 2];
+            (gl.GenTextures)(2, planes.as_mut_ptr());
+            for (tex, img) in planes.iter().zip([img_y, img_c]) {
+                (gl.BindTexture)(GL_TEXTURE_2D, *tex);
+                (gl.TexParameteri)(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MIN_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);
+                (gl.TexParameteri)(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_MAG_FILTER, GL_LINEAR);
+                (gl.TexParameteri)(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_S, GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE);
+                (gl.TexParameteri)(GL_TEXTURE_2D, GL_TEXTURE_WRAP_T, GL_CLAMP_TO_EDGE);
+                (gl.EGLImageTargetTexture2DOES)(GL_TEXTURE_2D, img);
+            }
+
+            (gl.UseProgram)(self.program);
+            if self.uniforms_for != Some(frame.color) {
+                let (mat, off) = yuv_to_rgb(frame.color);
+                (gl.UniformMatrix3fv)(self.u_mat, 1, 0, mat.as_ptr());
+                (gl.Uniform3fv)(self.u_off, 1, off.as_ptr());
+                self.uniforms_for = Some(frame.color);
+            }
+            (gl.BindFramebuffer)(GL_FRAMEBUFFER, self.fbo);
+            (gl.FramebufferTexture2D)(
+                GL_FRAMEBUFFER,
+                GL_COLOR_ATTACHMENT0,
+                GL_TEXTURE_2D,
+                out_tex,
+                0,
+            );
+            let status = (gl.CheckFramebufferStatus)(GL_FRAMEBUFFER);
+            if status != GL_FRAMEBUFFER_COMPLETE {
+                (gl.BindFramebuffer)(GL_FRAMEBUFFER, 0);
+                (gl.DeleteTextures)(2, planes.as_ptr());
+                (self.destroy_image)(self.egl_display, img_y);
+                (self.destroy_image)(self.egl_display, img_c);
+                (gl.DeleteTextures)(1, &out_tex);
+                bail!("FBO incomplete ({status:#x})");
+            }
+            (gl.Viewport)(0, 0, frame.width as i32, frame.height as i32);
+            (gl.BindVertexArray)(self.vao);
+            (gl.ActiveTexture)(GL_TEXTURE0);
+            (gl.BindTexture)(GL_TEXTURE_2D, planes[0]);
+            (gl.ActiveTexture)(GL_TEXTURE0 + 1);
+            (gl.BindTexture)(GL_TEXTURE_2D, planes[1]);
+            (gl.DrawArrays)(GL_TRIANGLES, 0, 3);
+            (gl.BindFramebuffer)(GL_FRAMEBUFFER, 0);
+
+            let sync = (gl.FenceSync)(GL_SYNC_GPU_COMMANDS_COMPLETE, 0);
+            (gl.Flush)();
+            // The draw is queued: plane textures + images can go now (the driver keeps the
+            // underlying buffers alive until the queued commands execute).
+            (gl.DeleteTextures)(2, planes.as_ptr());
+            (self.destroy_image)(self.egl_display, img_y);
+            (self.destroy_image)(self.egl_display, img_c);
+
+            let err = (gl.GetError)();
+            if err != 0 {
+                (gl.DeleteTextures)(1, &out_tex);
+                bail!("GL error {err:#x} during convert");
+            }
+
+            let mut b = gdk::GLTextureBuilder::new()
+                .set_context(Some(&self.ctx))
+                .set_id(out_tex)
+                .set_width(frame.width as i32)
+                .set_height(frame.height as i32)
+                .set_format(gdk::MemoryFormat::R8g8b8a8)
+                .set_sync(Some(sync));
+            if let Some(state) = color_state {
+                b = b.set_color_state(state);
+            }
+            let retired = self.retired.clone();
+            let guard = frame.guard;
+            let sync_bits = sync as usize; // GLsync as usize — the closure must be Send
+            let texture = b.build_with_release_func(move || {
+                drop(guard); // the decoder surface outlived every GPU read of it
+                retired.lock().unwrap().push(Retired {
+                    tex: out_tex,
+                    sync: sync_bits,
+                    size,
+                });
+            });
+            Ok(texture)
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// One single-plane `EGLImage` over a dmabuf plane (R8 luma / GR88 chroma), modifier
+    /// passed explicitly.
+    ///
+    /// # Safety
+    /// `self.ctx` must be current; the fd stays owned by the caller (EGL dups internally).
+    unsafe fn plane_image(
+        &self,
+        width: u32,
+        height: u32,
+        fourcc: u32,
+        plane: &crate::video::DmabufPlane,
+        modifier: u64,
+    ) -> Result<*const c_void> {
+        let mut attribs = vec![
+            EGL_WIDTH,
+            width as i32,
+            EGL_HEIGHT,
+            height as i32,
+            EGL_LINUX_DRM_FOURCC_EXT,
+            fourcc as i32,
+            EGL_DMA_BUF_PLANE0_FD_EXT,
+            plane.fd,
+            EGL_DMA_BUF_PLANE0_OFFSET_EXT,
+            plane.offset as i32,
+            EGL_DMA_BUF_PLANE0_PITCH_EXT,
+            plane.stride as i32,
+        ];
+        if modifier != DRM_FORMAT_MOD_INVALID && modifier != 0 {
+            attribs.extend_from_slice(&[
+                EGL_DMA_BUF_PLANE0_MODIFIER_LO_EXT,
+                (modifier & 0xffff_ffff) as u32 as i32,
+                EGL_DMA_BUF_PLANE0_MODIFIER_HI_EXT,
+                (modifier >> 32) as u32 as i32,
+            ]);
+        }
+        attribs.push(EGL_NONE);
+        // SAFETY: attribs is a valid EGL_NONE-terminated list; display/context are live.
+        let img = unsafe {
+            (self.create_image)(
+                self.egl_display,
+                std::ptr::null_mut(), // EGL_NO_CONTEXT — dmabuf import
+                EGL_LINUX_DMA_BUF_EXT,
+                std::ptr::null_mut(),
+                attribs.as_ptr(),
+            )
+        };
+        if img.is_null() {
+            bail!(
+                "eglCreateImageKHR rejected plane ({}x{} {:#x} mod {:#018x}): {:?}",
+                width,
+                height,
+                fourcc,
+                modifier,
+                self.egl.get_error()
+            );
+        }
+        Ok(img)
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for GlConverter {
+    /// Delete our objects from the shared context group (the context lives in GDK's share
+    /// group — per-session leftovers would pile up across sessions). Textures GTK still
+    /// holds at this moment release into `retired` afterwards, where nobody drains them:
+    /// those names leak, but it's ≤ the pool depth once per session, not per frame.
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.ctx.make_current();
+        let gl = &self.gl;
+        // SAFETY: context current; only objects this converter created are deleted.
+        unsafe {
+            for r in self.retired.lock().unwrap().drain(..) {
+                if r.sync != 0 {
+                    (gl.DeleteSync)(r.sync as *const c_void);
+                }
+                (gl.DeleteTextures)(1, &r.tex);
+            }
+            (gl.DeleteFramebuffers)(1, &self.fbo);
+            (gl.DeleteVertexArrays)(1, &self.vao);
+            (gl.DeleteProgram)(self.program);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Compile the fullscreen-triangle NV12→RGB program (GLSL 300 es / 330 core per the GDK
+/// context's API). `gl_VertexID` drives the geometry — no buffers at all.
+///
+/// # Safety
+/// A GL context must be current; `gl` must belong to it.
+unsafe fn build_program(gl: &GlFns, es: bool) -> Result<u32> {
+    let header = if es {
+        "#version 300 es\nprecision highp float;\n"
+    } else {
+        "#version 330 core\n"
+    };
+    let vs_src = format!(
+        "{header}
+out vec2 v_uv;
+void main() {{
+    vec2 p = vec2(float((gl_VertexID & 1) << 2) - 1.0, float((gl_VertexID & 2) << 1) - 1.0);
+    v_uv = p * 0.5 + 0.5;
+    gl_Position = vec4(p, 0.0, 1.0);
+}}"
+    );
+    let fs_src = format!(
+        "{header}
+in vec2 v_uv;
+out vec4 frag;
+uniform sampler2D u_y;
+uniform sampler2D u_c;
+uniform mat3 u_mat;
+uniform vec3 u_off;
+void main() {{
+    vec3 yuv = vec3(texture(u_y, v_uv).r, texture(u_c, v_uv).rg);
+    frag = vec4(clamp(u_mat * (yuv + u_off), 0.0, 1.0), 1.0);
+}}"
+    );
+    // SAFETY: caller holds a current context; sources are valid UTF-8 with explicit lengths.
+    unsafe {
+        let compile = |kind: u32, src: &str| -> Result<u32> {
+            let sh = (gl.CreateShader)(kind);
+            let ptr = src.as_ptr();
+            let len = src.len() as i32;
+            (gl.ShaderSource)(sh, 1, &ptr, &len);
+            (gl.CompileShader)(sh);
+            let mut ok = 0i32;
+            (gl.GetShaderiv)(sh, GL_COMPILE_STATUS, &mut ok);
+            if ok == 0 {
+                let mut log = vec![0u8; 1024];
+                let mut n = 0i32;
+                (gl.GetShaderInfoLog)(sh, 1024, &mut n, log.as_mut_ptr());
+                (gl.DeleteShader)(sh);
+                bail!(
+                    "shader compile: {}",
+                    String::from_utf8_lossy(&log[..n.max(0) as usize])
+                );
+            }
+            Ok(sh)
+        };
+        let vs = compile(GL_VERTEX_SHADER, &vs_src)?;
+        let fs = match compile(GL_FRAGMENT_SHADER, &fs_src) {
+            Ok(fs) => fs,
+            Err(e) => {
+                (gl.DeleteShader)(vs);
+                return Err(e);
+            }
+        };
+        let prog = (gl.CreateProgram)();
+        (gl.AttachShader)(prog, vs);
+        (gl.AttachShader)(prog, fs);
+        (gl.LinkProgram)(prog);
+        (gl.DeleteShader)(vs);
+        (gl.DeleteShader)(fs);
+        let mut ok = 0i32;
+        (gl.GetProgramiv)(prog, GL_LINK_STATUS, &mut ok);
+        if ok == 0 {
+            bail!("program link failed");
+        }
+        Ok(prog)
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    fn desc(matrix: u8, full_range: bool) -> ColorDesc {
+        ColorDesc {
+            primaries: 1,
+            transfer: 1,
+            matrix,
+            full_range,
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn apply(mat: &[f32; 9], off: &[f32; 3], yuv: [f32; 3]) -> [f32; 3] {
+        let v = [yuv[0] + off[0], yuv[1] + off[1], yuv[2] + off[2]];
+        // Column-major: out[r] = Σ mat[col*3 + r] * v[col]
+        core::array::from_fn(|r| (0..3).map(|c| mat[c * 3 + r] * v[c]).sum())
+    }
+
+    /// Reference white (Y=235, U=V=128 limited) → RGB 1.0; reference black (Y=16) → 0.0.
+    #[test]
+    fn bt709_limited_white_black() {
+        let (mat, off) = yuv_to_rgb(desc(1, false));
+        let white = apply(&mat, &off, [235.0 / 255.0, 128.0 / 255.0, 128.0 / 255.0]);
+        let black = apply(&mat, &off, [16.0 / 255.0, 128.0 / 255.0, 128.0 / 255.0]);
+        for (w, b) in white.iter().zip(black) {
+            assert!((w - 1.0).abs() < 0.005, "white {white:?}");
+            assert!(b.abs() < 0.005, "black {black:?}");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Full-range identity points: Y=1 → white, Y=0 → black, and a 601-vs-709 red spot
+    /// check (pure V excursion produces R = 2(1−Kr)·0.5).
+    #[test]
+    fn full_range_and_red_excursion() {
+        let (mat, off) = yuv_to_rgb(desc(5, true));
+        let white = apply(&mat, &off, [1.0, 0.5, 0.5]);
+        assert!(white.iter().all(|v| (v - 1.0).abs() < 1e-5), "{white:?}");
+        let red = apply(&mat, &off, [0.0, 0.5, 1.0]);
+        assert!((red[0] - 2.0 * (1.0 - 0.299) * 0.5).abs() < 1e-4, "{red:?}");
+        // 709 differs from 601 in the same spot — guards the matrix-code dispatch.
+        let (mat709, off709) = yuv_to_rgb(desc(1, true));
+        let red709 = apply(&mat709, &off709, [0.0, 0.5, 1.0]);
+        assert!(
+            (red709[0] - 2.0 * (1.0 - 0.2126) * 0.5).abs() < 1e-4,
+            "{red709:?}"
+        );
+        assert!((red[0] - red709[0]).abs() > 0.05);
+    }
+}

clients/linux/src/wol.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+//! Client-side Wake-on-LAN: parse stored MAC strings and hand them to the shared core sender
+//! (`punktfunk_core::wol`). A sleeping host has no ARP entry, so the broadcast the core sends is
+//! what actually wakes it; this is called just before connecting to an offline saved host, and
+//! from the explicit "Wake host" menu item / `--wake` CLI mode.
+
+use std::net::Ipv4Addr;
+
+/// Fire a Wake-on-LAN magic packet at `macs` (each `aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`), also unicasting
+/// `last_ip` when given. Best-effort — logs the outcome and never blocks the caller meaningfully
+/// (the core sends a short burst of datagrams and returns).
+pub fn wake(macs: &[String], last_ip: Option<Ipv4Addr>) {
+    let parsed: Vec<[u8; 6]> = macs
+        .iter()
+        .filter_map(|s| punktfunk_core::wol::parse_mac(s))
+        .collect();
+    if parsed.is_empty() {
+        tracing::warn!("wake requested but no valid MAC is known for this host");
+        return;
+    }
+    match punktfunk_core::wol::send_magic_packet(&parsed, last_ip) {
+        Ok(()) => tracing::info!(count = parsed.len(), "sent Wake-on-LAN magic packet"),
+        Err(e) => tracing::warn!(error = %e, "Wake-on-LAN send failed"),
+    }
+}

clients/probe/src/main.rs

@@ -412,7 +412,7 @@ async fn session(args: Args) -> Result<()> {
     io::write_msg(
         &mut send,
         &Hello {
-            abi_version: punktfunk_core::ABI_VERSION,
+            abi_version: punktfunk_core::WIRE_VERSION,
             mode: args.mode,
             compositor: args.compositor,
             gamepad: args.gamepad,

clients/windows/src/app/connect.rs

@@ -245,6 +245,7 @@ fn connect_with(
                         port: target.port,
                         fp_hex: trust::hex(&fingerprint),
                         paired: persist_paired,
+                        mac: target.mac.clone(),
                     });
                     let _ = k.save();
                 }

clients/windows/src/app/hosts.rs

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ use windows_reactor::*;
 /// Overflow-menu item labels — `on_item_clicked` reports the clicked item by its text.
 const MENU_CONNECT: &str = "Connect";
 const MENU_SPEED: &str = "Test network speed\u{2026}";
+const MENU_WAKE: &str = "Wake host";
 const MENU_RENAME: &str = "Rename\u{2026}";
 const MENU_FORGET: &str = "Forget\u{2026}";
 
@@ -318,10 +319,20 @@ pub(crate) fn hosts_page(props: &HostsProps, cx: &mut RenderCx) -> Element {
                 port: k.port,
                 fp_hex: Some(k.fp_hex.clone()),
                 pair_optional: false,
+                mac: k.mac.clone(),
             };
             let online = hosts
                 .iter()
                 .any(|h| h.fp_hex == k.fp_hex || (h.addr == k.addr && h.port == k.port));
+            // Learn this host's wake MAC(s) from its live advert while it's online, so we can wake
+            // it once it sleeps (no-op / no disk write when unchanged).
+            if let Some(a) = hosts.iter().find(|h| {
+                (h.fp_hex == k.fp_hex || (h.addr == k.addr && h.port == k.port))
+                    && !h.mac.is_empty()
+            }) {
+                crate::trust::learn_mac(&k.fp_hex, &k.addr, k.port, &a.mac);
+            }
+            let can_wake = !online && !k.mac.is_empty();
             let menu = {
                 let (svc, target) = (props.svc.clone(), target.clone());
                 let (sf, sr) = (set_forget.clone(), set_rename.clone());
@@ -331,17 +342,22 @@ pub(crate) fn hosts_page(props: &HostsProps, cx: &mut RenderCx) -> Element {
                     .subtle()
                     .tooltip("More options")
                     .automation_name("More options")
-                    .menu_flyout(vec![
-                        menu_item(MENU_CONNECT),
-                        menu_item(MENU_SPEED),
-                        menu_item(MENU_RENAME),
-                        menu_separator(),
-                        menu_item(MENU_FORGET),
-                    ])
+                    .menu_flyout({
+                        let mut items = vec![menu_item(MENU_CONNECT), menu_item(MENU_SPEED)];
+                        // Offer an explicit wake only when the host is offline and we have a MAC.
+                        if can_wake {
+                            items.push(menu_item(MENU_WAKE));
+                        }
+                        items.push(menu_item(MENU_RENAME));
+                        items.push(menu_separator());
+                        items.push(menu_item(MENU_FORGET));
+                        items
+                    })
                     .on_item_clicked(move |item: String| match item.as_str() {
                         MENU_CONNECT => {
                             initiate(&svc.ctx, target.clone(), &svc.set_screen, &svc.set_status)
                         }
+                        MENU_WAKE => crate::wol::wake(&target.mac, target.addr.parse().ok()),
                         MENU_SPEED => {
                             *svc.ctx.shared.target.lock().unwrap() = target.clone();
                             // New run: invalidate any still-in-flight probe, reset the screen.
@@ -369,7 +385,14 @@ pub(crate) fn hosts_page(props: &HostsProps, cx: &mut RenderCx) -> Element {
                     if k.paired { Pill::Good } else { Pill::Info },
                 ),
                 Some(menu),
-                Some(Box::new(move || initiate(&ctx2, target.clone(), &ss, &st))),
+                Some(Box::new(move || {
+                    // Auto-wake an offline saved host before connecting; the connect's own
+                    // retry/timeout gives a woken host time to come up.
+                    if can_wake {
+                        crate::wol::wake(&target.mac, target.addr.parse().ok());
+                    }
+                    initiate(&ctx2, target.clone(), &ss, &st)
+                })),
             ));
         }
         body.push(tile_grid(tiles, cols));
@@ -406,6 +429,7 @@ pub(crate) fn hosts_page(props: &HostsProps, cx: &mut RenderCx) -> Element {
                 port: h.port,
                 fp_hex: (!h.fp_hex.is_empty()).then(|| h.fp_hex.clone()),
                 pair_optional: h.pair == "optional",
+                mac: h.mac.clone(),
             };
             let (ctx2, ss, st) = (ctx.clone(), set_screen.clone(), set_status.clone());
             let (badge, kind) = if h.pair == "required" {
@@ -486,6 +510,7 @@ pub(crate) fn hosts_page(props: &HostsProps, cx: &mut RenderCx) -> Element {
                     port,
                     fp_hex: None,
                     pair_optional: false,
+                    mac: Vec::new(),
                 },
                 &ss,
                 &st,

clients/windows/src/app/mod.rs

@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ pub(crate) struct Target {
     pub(crate) port: u16,
     pub(crate) fp_hex: Option<String>,
     pub(crate) pair_optional: bool,
+    /// Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) for this host (from the saved store or the live advert) — used to send a
+    /// magic packet before connecting to an offline host. Empty when none is known.
+    pub(crate) mac: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 /// Stable app services handed to the page components as props. Each routed screen that uses

clients/windows/src/app/pair.rs

@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ pub(crate) fn pair_page(props: &Svc, cx: &mut RenderCx) -> Element {
                                 port: target3.port,
                                 fp_hex: trust::hex(&fp),
                                 paired: true,
+                                mac: target3.mac.clone(),
                             });
                             let _ = k.save();
                             connect(&ctx3, &target3, Some(fp), &ss, &st);

clients/windows/src/discovery.rs

@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@ pub struct DiscoveredHost {
     pub fp_hex: String,
     /// Pairing requirement: `"required"` or `"optional"`.
     pub pair: String,
+    /// Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) from the mDNS `mac` TXT (comma-separated `aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`), which the
+    /// hosts page persists onto the matching saved host so it can wake it later. Empty if absent.
+    pub mac: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 /// Browse continuously for the app's lifetime. The thread exits when the receiver is
@@ -63,6 +66,11 @@ pub fn browse() -> async_channel::Receiver<DiscoveredHost> {
                         port: info.get_port(),
                         fp_hex: val("fp"),
                         pair: val("pair"),
+                        mac: val("mac")
+                            .split(',')
+                            .map(|s| s.trim().to_string())
+                            .filter(|s| !s.is_empty())
+                            .collect(),
                     };
                     if tx.send_blocking(host).is_err() {
                         break; // UI gone — stop browsing

clients/windows/src/main.rs

@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ mod trust;
 #[cfg(windows)]
 mod video;
 
+#[cfg(windows)]
+mod wol;
+
 #[cfg(windows)]
 fn main() {
     // With #![windows_subsystem = "windows"] the process starts with no console, so the GUI/MSIX
@@ -187,6 +190,7 @@ fn run_headless_cli(args: &[String], identity: (String, String)) {
                     port,
                     fp_hex: trust::hex(&fp),
                     paired: true,
+                    mac: Vec::new(),
                 });
                 let _ = k.save();
                 tracing::info!(fp = %trust::hex(&fp), "paired");

clients/windows/src/trust.rs

@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ pub struct KnownHost {
     pub fp_hex: String,
     /// True if trust came from the SPAKE2 PIN ceremony (vs. trust-on-first-use).
     pub paired: bool,
+    /// Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) (`aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`) learned from the host's mDNS `mac` TXT while it was
+    /// online, so we can wake it once it sleeps. `default` so pre-existing stores load; empty until
+    /// first learned.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub mac: Vec<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Default, Serialize, Deserialize)]
@@ -106,12 +111,38 @@ impl KnownHosts {
             h.addr = entry.addr;
             h.port = entry.port;
             h.paired |= entry.paired;
+            // A trust-decision upsert (which carries no MAC) must not wipe learned MACs.
+            if !entry.mac.is_empty() {
+                h.mac = entry.mac;
+            }
         } else {
             self.hosts.push(entry);
         }
     }
 }
 
+/// Learn/refresh a saved host's Wake-on-LAN MAC(s) from its live advert (called while the host is
+/// online, matched by fingerprint or address). No-op — and no disk write — when unchanged, so the
+/// hosts page can call it on every discovery tick without churning the store.
+pub fn learn_mac(fp_hex: &str, addr: &str, port: u16, mac: &[String]) {
+    if mac.is_empty() {
+        return;
+    }
+    let mut known = KnownHosts::load();
+    let Some(h) = known
+        .hosts
+        .iter_mut()
+        .find(|h| (!fp_hex.is_empty() && h.fp_hex == fp_hex) || (h.addr == addr && h.port == port))
+    else {
+        return;
+    };
+    if h.mac == mac {
+        return;
+    }
+    h.mac = mac.to_vec();
+    let _ = known.save();
+}
+
 /// App settings, persisted as JSON. Stringly-typed gamepad/compositor prefs so the file
 /// stays readable; parsed with `*Pref::from_name` at connect time.
 #[derive(Clone, Serialize, Deserialize)]

clients/windows/src/wol.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+//! Client-side Wake-on-LAN: parse stored MAC strings and hand them to the shared core sender
+//! (`punktfunk_core::wol`). A sleeping host has no ARP entry, so the broadcast the core sends is
+//! what actually wakes it; this is called just before connecting to an offline saved host and
+//! from the explicit "Wake host" menu item.
+
+use std::net::Ipv4Addr;
+
+/// Fire a Wake-on-LAN magic packet at `macs` (each `aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`), also unicasting
+/// `last_ip` when given. Best-effort — logs the outcome and returns promptly (the core sends a
+/// short burst of datagrams).
+pub fn wake(macs: &[String], last_ip: Option<Ipv4Addr>) {
+    let parsed: Vec<[u8; 6]> = macs
+        .iter()
+        .filter_map(|s| punktfunk_core::wol::parse_mac(s))
+        .collect();
+    if parsed.is_empty() {
+        tracing::warn!("wake requested but no valid MAC is known for this host");
+        return;
+    }
+    match punktfunk_core::wol::send_magic_packet(&parsed, last_ip) {
+        Ok(()) => tracing::info!(count = parsed.len(), "sent Wake-on-LAN magic packet"),
+        Err(e) => tracing::warn!(error = %e, "Wake-on-LAN send failed"),
+    }
+}

crates/punktfunk-core/Cargo.toml

@@ -38,6 +38,10 @@ thiserror = "2"
 tracing = { version = "0.1", default-features = false, features = ["std"] }
 rand = "0.9"
 zeroize = "1"
+# Interface enumeration for Wake-on-LAN: computes each NIC's subnet-directed broadcast so a
+# magic packet reaches the host's L2 segment on multi-homed clients (VPN/docker/multiple LANs),
+# not just the default route. Tiny, cross-platform (getifaddrs / GetAdaptersAddresses), no cmake.
+if-addrs = "0.13"
 
 quinn = { version = "0.11", optional = true }
 rustls = { version = "0.23", optional = true, default-features = false, features = ["ring", "std"] }

crates/punktfunk-core/src/abi.rs

@@ -183,6 +183,60 @@ pub extern "C" fn punktfunk_abi_version() -> u32 {
     crate::ABI_VERSION
 }
 
+/// Send a Wake-on-LAN magic packet to wake sleeping host NIC(s).
+///
+/// `macs` points to `mac_count` contiguous 6-byte MAC addresses (`mac_count * 6` bytes total) —
+/// a host may report several NICs; all are woken. `last_known_ip`, if non-NULL, is an IPv4
+/// dotted-quad string additionally targeted by unicast (pass NULL to skip). The packet is
+/// broadcast to every local interface's subnet-directed broadcast and to `255.255.255.255` on
+/// ports 9 and 7. This does NOT require an open connection and is not part of the QUIC surface.
+///
+/// Returns `Ok` if at least one datagram was sent. Call off the UI thread.
+///
+/// # Safety
+/// `macs` must point to at least `mac_count * 6` readable bytes. `last_known_ip`, if non-NULL,
+/// must be a NUL-terminated string.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub unsafe extern "C" fn punktfunk_wake_on_lan(
+    macs: *const u8,
+    mac_count: usize,
+    last_known_ip: *const c_char,
+) -> PunktfunkStatus {
+    guard(|| {
+        if macs.is_null() {
+            return PunktfunkStatus::NullPointer;
+        }
+        if mac_count == 0 {
+            return PunktfunkStatus::InvalidArg;
+        }
+        let bytes = unsafe { std::slice::from_raw_parts(macs, mac_count * 6) };
+        let mac_vec: Vec<crate::wol::Mac> = bytes
+            .chunks_exact(6)
+            .map(|c| {
+                let mut m = [0u8; 6];
+                m.copy_from_slice(c);
+                m
+            })
+            .collect();
+        let ip = if last_known_ip.is_null() {
+            None
+        } else {
+            match unsafe { CStr::from_ptr(last_known_ip) }
+                .to_str()
+                .ok()
+                .and_then(|s| s.parse::<std::net::Ipv4Addr>().ok())
+            {
+                Some(ip) => Some(ip),
+                None => return PunktfunkStatus::InvalidArg,
+            }
+        };
+        match crate::wol::send_magic_packet(&mac_vec, ip) {
+            Ok(()) => PunktfunkStatus::Ok,
+            Err(_) => PunktfunkStatus::Io,
+        }
+    })
+}
+
 /// Create a session over a real UDP transport (`local`/`peer` are `host:port` strings).
 /// Returns NULL on error.
 ///

crates/punktfunk-core/src/client.rs

@@ -876,7 +876,7 @@ async fn worker_main(args: WorkerArgs) {
         io::write_msg(
             &mut send,
             &Hello {
-                abi_version: crate::ABI_VERSION,
+                abi_version: crate::WIRE_VERSION,
                 mode,
                 compositor,
                 gamepad,

crates/punktfunk-core/src/lib.rs

@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ pub mod quic;
 pub mod session;
 pub mod stats;
 pub mod transport;
+pub mod wol;
 
 pub use config::{CompositorPref, Config, FecConfig, FecScheme, Mode, ProtocolPhase, Role};
 pub use error::{PunktfunkError, PunktfunkStatus, Result};
@@ -50,4 +51,14 @@ pub use stats::Stats;
 ///
 /// v2: `punktfunk_connect` gained `client_cert_pem`/`client_key_pem` (pairing identities);
 /// added `punktfunk_pair` / `punktfunk_generate_identity` / `punktfunk_connection_request_mode`.
-pub const ABI_VERSION: u32 = 2;
+/// v3: added `punktfunk_wake_on_lan` (Wake-on-LAN magic packet; the host's wake MAC(s) reach
+/// clients out-of-band via the mDNS `mac` TXT record, so no connection is required to wake).
+pub const ABI_VERSION: u32 = 3;
+
+/// The punktfunk/1 **wire** version — what `Hello`/`Welcome` carry and hosts equality-check.
+/// Deliberately its own constant: [`ABI_VERSION`] tracks the embeddable **C surface**
+/// (functions a client links), which can grow without changing a single wire byte — v3's
+/// `punktfunk_wake_on_lan` is client-local, and riding the C-ABI bump onto the wire locked
+/// every new client out of every deployed host ("ABI mismatch: client 3 host 2", observed
+/// live). Bump this ONLY when the handshake/planes actually change incompatibly.
+pub const WIRE_VERSION: u32 = 2;

crates/punktfunk-core/src/wol.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,192 @@
+//! Wake-on-LAN: magic-packet builder + broadcast sender.
+//!
+//! Runtime-free by design — a magic packet is one fire-and-forget UDP datagram, so this needs
+//! neither the `quic` feature nor an async runtime and links into every client (including the
+//! QUIC-less builds). The Rust clients (linux/windows/android) call these `pub fn`s directly;
+//! Swift/iOS reach them through the `punktfunk_wake_on_lan` C-ABI wrapper in [`crate::abi`].
+//!
+//! Reliability (this is the whole point — a sleeping host has no ARP entry, so a plain unicast
+//! can't wake it, and `255.255.255.255` alone leaves only via the default route). For each
+//! known host MAC we send the 102-byte packet to:
+//!   * every non-loopback IPv4 interface's **subnet-directed broadcast** (routes to that NIC's
+//!     segment — this is what covers multi-homed clients on VPN/docker/multiple LANs), and
+//!   * the **limited broadcast** `255.255.255.255`, and
+//!   * optionally a **unicast** to the host's last-known IP (covers the brief window where the
+//!     host is reachable but hasn't re-advertised, and NICs that wake on a directed unicast),
+//!
+//! on the two conventional WoL ports (9 and 7), repeated a few times to survive UDP loss.
+
+use std::io;
+use std::net::{Ipv4Addr, SocketAddr, SocketAddrV4, UdpSocket};
+
+/// A MAC address (EUI-48), the 6 bytes a magic packet targets.
+pub type Mac = [u8; 6];
+
+/// Conventional Wake-on-LAN UDP ports. 9 (discard) is by far the most common; 7 (echo) is a
+/// historical alternative some NICs also listen on. Sending to both is free insurance.
+const WOL_PORTS: [u16; 2] = [9, 7];
+
+/// Times each packet is re-sent per call. UDP is lossy and this is fire-and-forget; a small
+/// burst costs microseconds and materially improves the odds a waking NIC catches one. The
+/// caller's connect-retry loop provides the longer-spaced re-attempts.
+const BURST: usize = 3;
+
+/// Parse a MAC string — `aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff` or `aa-bb-...`, case-insensitive — into 6 bytes.
+/// Returns `None` for anything that isn't exactly six hex octets. Shared by the Rust clients
+/// (linux/windows) so MAC parsing lives in one place; the Swift/Apple client parses its own.
+pub fn parse_mac(s: &str) -> Option<Mac> {
+    let mut m = [0u8; 6];
+    let mut n = 0;
+    for part in s.split([':', '-']) {
+        if n == 6 {
+            return None; // too many octets
+        }
+        m[n] = u8::from_str_radix(part.trim(), 16).ok()?;
+        n += 1;
+    }
+    (n == 6).then_some(m)
+}
+
+/// The 102-byte magic packet for `mac`: 6×`0xFF` followed by the MAC repeated 16 times.
+pub fn build_magic_packet(mac: Mac) -> [u8; 102] {
+    let mut pkt = [0xFFu8; 102];
+    for i in 0..16 {
+        let off = 6 + i * 6;
+        pkt[off..off + 6].copy_from_slice(&mac);
+    }
+    pkt
+}
+
+/// Broadcast a wake for every MAC in `macs`. `last_known_ip`, when set, is additionally
+/// targeted by unicast.
+///
+/// Returns `Ok` if at least one datagram was sent, so a single unreachable target (e.g. a
+/// directed broadcast with no route) doesn't fail the whole wake. Errors only if no socket
+/// could be opened or nothing could be sent at all.
+pub fn send_magic_packet(macs: &[Mac], last_known_ip: Option<Ipv4Addr>) -> io::Result<()> {
+    if macs.is_empty() {
+        return Err(io::Error::new(
+            io::ErrorKind::InvalidInput,
+            "no MAC addresses",
+        ));
+    }
+
+    // Build the target IP set: each interface's directed broadcast, the limited broadcast, and
+    // the optional last-known unicast. Dedup so a single-NIC client doesn't send twice.
+    let mut targets = broadcast_addrs();
+    targets.push(Ipv4Addr::BROADCAST); // 255.255.255.255
+    if let Some(ip) = last_known_ip {
+        targets.push(ip);
+    }
+    targets.sort_unstable();
+    targets.dedup();
+
+    // One broadcast-enabled socket bound to all interfaces. Directed broadcasts route to the
+    // matching NIC via the routing table; the limited broadcast leaves via the default route.
+    let sock = UdpSocket::bind((Ipv4Addr::UNSPECIFIED, 0))?;
+    sock.set_broadcast(true)?;
+
+    let mut sent_any = false;
+    for _ in 0..BURST {
+        for mac in macs {
+            let pkt = build_magic_packet(*mac);
+            for ip in &targets {
+                for port in WOL_PORTS {
+                    let dst = SocketAddr::V4(SocketAddrV4::new(*ip, port));
+                    if sock.send_to(&pkt, dst).is_ok() {
+                        sent_any = true;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    if sent_any {
+        Ok(())
+    } else {
+        Err(io::Error::other("no magic packet could be sent"))
+    }
+}
+
+/// Subnet-directed broadcast address of every non-loopback IPv4 interface (`ip | !netmask`,
+/// or the OS-provided broadcast when present). Best-effort: interface enumeration failing
+/// (permissions, exotic platform) yields an empty list, and the limited broadcast still fires.
+fn broadcast_addrs() -> Vec<Ipv4Addr> {
+    let mut out = Vec::new();
+    let ifaces = match if_addrs::get_if_addrs() {
+        Ok(i) => i,
+        Err(_) => return out,
+    };
+    for iface in ifaces {
+        if iface.is_loopback() {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if let if_addrs::IfAddr::V4(v4) = iface.addr {
+            let bcast = v4
+                .broadcast
+                .unwrap_or_else(|| Ipv4Addr::from(u32::from(v4.ip) | !u32::from(v4.netmask)));
+            // Skip a degenerate 0.0.0.0 (unconfigured) and the all-ones limited broadcast we
+            // already add unconditionally.
+            if !bcast.is_unspecified() && bcast != Ipv4Addr::BROADCAST {
+                out.push(bcast);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    out
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn magic_packet_layout() {
+        let mac: Mac = [0xDE, 0xAD, 0xBE, 0xEF, 0x01, 0x02];
+        let pkt = build_magic_packet(mac);
+        assert_eq!(pkt.len(), 102);
+        // 6-byte 0xFF sync stream.
+        assert_eq!(&pkt[0..6], &[0xFF; 6]);
+        // MAC repeated exactly 16 times.
+        for i in 0..16 {
+            let off = 6 + i * 6;
+            assert_eq!(&pkt[off..off + 6], &mac, "repetition {i} mismatch");
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn empty_macs_is_error() {
+        assert!(send_magic_packet(&[], None).is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_mac_forms() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_mac("aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff"),
+            Some([0xaa, 0xbb, 0xcc, 0xdd, 0xee, 0xff])
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse_mac("AA-BB-CC-DD-EE-FF"),
+            Some([0xaa, 0xbb, 0xcc, 0xdd, 0xee, 0xff])
+        );
+        assert_eq!(parse_mac("01:02:03:04:05:06"), Some([1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]));
+        assert_eq!(parse_mac("aa:bb:cc:dd:ee"), None); // too few
+        assert_eq!(parse_mac("aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff:00"), None); // too many
+        assert_eq!(parse_mac("zz:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff"), None); // non-hex
+        assert_eq!(parse_mac(""), None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn send_does_not_panic_with_a_mac() {
+        // Best-effort: binds a real socket and broadcasts on the loopback host. Must not panic
+        // and, on any machine with a usable network stack, should report success.
+        let _ = send_magic_packet(&[[0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04, 0x05, 0x06]], None);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn broadcast_addrs_never_contains_limited_or_unspecified() {
+        for b in broadcast_addrs() {
+            assert_ne!(b, Ipv4Addr::BROADCAST);
+            assert!(!b.is_unspecified());
+        }
+    }
+}

crates/punktfunk-host/Cargo.toml

@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@ tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3", features = ["env-filter"] }
 tracing-log = "0.2"
 axum = "0.8"
 mdns-sd = "0.20"
+# Wake-on-LAN: report the host's wake-capable NIC MAC(s) to clients via the mDNS `mac` TXT record.
+# `mac_address` reads a NIC's hardware address; `if-addrs` maps the routed IP to its interface name.
+mac_address = "1"
+if-addrs = "0.13"
 tokio = { version = "1", features = ["full"] }
 rsa = "0.9"
 sha2 = { version = "0.10", features = ["oid"] }

crates/punktfunk-host/src/discovery.rs

@@ -15,6 +15,9 @@
 //! - `mgmt` — the management API's TCP port (when it serves one), so a client can fetch the host's
 //!   game library (`GET /api/v1/library`, mTLS) on the SAME IP without assuming the default port.
 //!   Omitted by a host with no mgmt API (the standalone `punktfunk1-host`).
+//! - `mac` — the host's wake-capable NIC MAC(s) (comma-separated, routed NIC first), which a client
+//!   persists so it can Wake-on-LAN this host after it sleeps. Advisory/unauthenticated (a wrong
+//!   MAC only makes a wake fail). Omitted when none can be read.
 
 use anyhow::{Context, Result};
 use mdns_sd::{ServiceDaemon, ServiceInfo};
@@ -63,6 +66,18 @@ pub fn advertise_native(
     if let Some(mgmt) = mgmt_port {
         props.insert("mgmt".into(), mgmt.to_string());
     }
+    // `mac` — the host's wake-capable NIC MAC(s), comma-separated `aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`, routed NIC
+    // first. A client persists these while the host is awake so it can send a Wake-on-LAN magic
+    // packet to wake it later (when it's asleep and no longer advertising). Unauthenticated like
+    // the rest of the advert, but a wrong MAC only makes a wake fail — the magic packet is inert
+    // and the cert fingerprint still gates the actual connection. Omitted when none can be read.
+    let macs = crate::wol::wake_macs(ip);
+    if !macs.is_empty() {
+        props.insert("mac".into(), macs.join(","));
+    }
+    // Detect & warn (never modifies) if the routed NIC isn't armed to wake — the usual reason WoL
+    // silently fails.
+    crate::wol::warn_if_not_armed(ip);
     let service = ServiceInfo::new(NATIVE_SERVICE, hostname, &host_name, ip, port, props)
         .context("build native mDNS ServiceInfo")?;
     daemon

crates/punktfunk-host/src/inject/linux/steam_controller.rs

@@ -276,12 +276,43 @@ impl DeckTransport {
     }
 }
 
+/// One-shot diagnostic: InputPlumber (shipped and enabled by default on Bazzite) hidraw-grabs
+/// controllers it decides to manage and re-emits them under a different identity — historically
+/// the Deck config re-emitted an Xbox Elite pad with the trackpads routed to a mouse target. If
+/// it grabs our virtual Deck, everything downstream of hid-steam looks wrong (trackpads surface
+/// as a stick/mouse, gyro vanishes) while punktfunk's own logs stay clean — so name the suspect
+/// up front. Best-effort process-name scan; no dependency on its D-Bus API.
+fn warn_if_inputplumber() {
+    use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, Ordering};
+    static ONCE: AtomicBool = AtomicBool::new(true);
+    if !ONCE.swap(false, Ordering::Relaxed) {
+        return;
+    }
+    let running = std::fs::read_dir("/proc")
+        .ok()
+        .into_iter()
+        .flatten()
+        .flatten()
+        .any(|e| {
+            std::fs::read_to_string(e.path().join("comm")).is_ok_and(|c| c.trim() == "inputplumber")
+        });
+    if running {
+        tracing::warn!(
+            "InputPlumber is running on this host — if it manages the virtual Steam Deck pad, \
+             games see InputPlumber's re-emitted device instead (trackpads may arrive as a \
+             stick/mouse, gyro may vanish). Check `inputplumber devices` and exclude the \
+             virtual pad from management if inputs look remapped."
+        );
+    }
+}
+
 /// Open the best Steam-Input-promotable Deck transport available, in preference order:
 /// **`raw_gadget` (SteamOS validated fast-path) → `usbip`/`vhci_hcd` (universal, Secure-Boot-clean)
 /// → UHID (universal, but `Interface: -1` so Steam Input won't promote it).** Each rung degrades to
 /// the next on failure, so a host lacking the gadget modules still gets a *promotable* Deck via
 /// usbip, and one lacking both still gets a working (if non-promoted) UHID pad.
 fn open_transport(idx: u8) -> Result<DeckTransport> {
+    warn_if_inputplumber();
     use crate::inject::{steam_gadget, steam_usbip};
     // 1. raw_gadget — the validated SteamOS fast-path (default on there).
     if steam_gadget::gadget_preferred() {

crates/punktfunk-host/src/main.rs

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ mod audio;
 mod capture;
 mod config;
 mod discovery;
+mod wol;
 // Goal-1 stage 6: top-level platform-only modules live under `src/linux/` and `src/windows/`; `#[path]`
 // keeps the `crate::*` module names flat (every existing path is unchanged).
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]

crates/punktfunk-host/src/mgmt.rs

@@ -156,6 +156,10 @@ fn api_router_parts() -> (Router<Arc<MgmtState>>, utoipa::openapi::OpenApi) {
                 .routes(routes!(list_compositors))
                 .routes(routes!(list_gpus))
                 .routes(routes!(set_gpu_preference))
+                .routes(routes!(get_display_settings))
+                .routes(routes!(set_display_settings))
+                .routes(routes!(get_display_state))
+                .routes(routes!(release_display))
                 .routes(routes!(get_status))
                 .routes(routes!(get_local_summary))
                 .routes(routes!(list_paired_clients))
@@ -210,6 +214,7 @@ pub fn openapi_json() -> String {
     tags(
         (name = "host", description = "Host identity, capabilities, and liveness"),
         (name = "gpu", description = "GPU inventory and selection: list the host's GPUs, choose automatic or a preferred GPU, see the one in use"),
+        (name = "display", description = "Virtual-display management policy: lifecycle (keep-alive), topology (primary/exclusive), conflict handling, identity, and layout"),
         (name = "clients", description = "Paired Moonlight client management"),
         (name = "pairing", description = "Pairing PIN delivery (the out-of-band half of the GameStream pairing handshake)"),
         (name = "native", description = "Native punktfunk/1 pairing: arm a window, display the host PIN, manage paired devices"),
@@ -954,6 +959,242 @@ async fn set_gpu_preference(ApiJson(req): ApiJson<SetGpuPreference>) -> Response
     Json(gpu_state()).into_response()
 }
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Display management (design/display-management.md)
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+/// One preset's human-facing description + the fields it expands to, so the console can render a
+/// preset picker with an accurate "what this does" preview without hardcoding the expansion.
+#[derive(Serialize, ToSchema)]
+struct PresetInfo {
+    /// The preset id (`default` | `gaming-rig` | `shared-desktop` | `hotdesk` | `workstation`).
+    id: String,
+    /// One-line story shown next to the option.
+    summary: String,
+    /// The effective policy this preset expands to (the same fields a `custom` policy carries).
+    fields: crate::vdisplay::policy::EffectivePolicy,
+}
+
+/// Full display-management state for the console: the stored policy, every preset's expansion, the
+/// resolved effective policy, and which options this build actually enforces yet (Stage 0 wires
+/// keep-alive linger + topology; the rest are stored but not yet acted on).
+#[derive(Serialize, ToSchema)]
+struct DisplaySettingsState {
+    /// The stored policy (preset + custom fields), or the built-in default when unconfigured.
+    settings: crate::vdisplay::policy::DisplayPolicy,
+    /// True once a `display-settings.json` exists (the console has configured this host).
+    configured: bool,
+    /// The effective (preset-expanded) policy currently in force.
+    effective: crate::vdisplay::policy::EffectivePolicy,
+    /// Every named preset and what it expands to (for the picker's preview).
+    presets: Vec<PresetInfo>,
+    /// Option names this build enforces right now (e.g. `keep_alive`, `topology`). The remaining
+    /// stored options (`mode_conflict`, `identity`, `layout`) land in later stages — surfaced so the
+    /// console can mark them "coming soon" instead of implying they already take effect.
+    enforced: Vec<String>,
+}
+
+fn preset_summary(id: &str) -> &'static str {
+    match id {
+        "default" => "Today's behavior: a short linger absorbs reconnects, the streamed output is the sole desktop, extra clients get their own view.",
+        "gaming-rig" => "Dedicated couch/headless box: the game and its display survive disconnects; whoever connects takes the box over.",
+        "shared-desktop" => "A desktop you also use in person: never blank the real monitors, never keep ghost displays, concurrent viewers each get a view.",
+        "hotdesk" => "One user at a time with fast reattach; a second user is told the box is busy; each device+resolution keeps its own scaling.",
+        "workstation" => "Multi-monitor daily driver: your displays come back exactly where you arranged them, per-client identity, exclusive.",
+        _ => "",
+    }
+}
+
+fn display_settings_state() -> DisplaySettingsState {
+    use crate::vdisplay::policy::{self, Preset};
+    let store = policy::prefs();
+    let settings = store.get();
+    let configured = store.configured().is_some();
+    let presets = [
+        ("default", Preset::Default),
+        ("gaming-rig", Preset::GamingRig),
+        ("shared-desktop", Preset::SharedDesktop),
+        ("hotdesk", Preset::Hotdesk),
+        ("workstation", Preset::Workstation),
+    ]
+    .into_iter()
+    .filter_map(|(id, p)| {
+        policy::preset_fields(p).map(|e| PresetInfo {
+            id: id.to_string(),
+            summary: preset_summary(id).to_string(),
+            fields: e,
+        })
+    })
+    .collect();
+    DisplaySettingsState {
+        effective: settings.effective(),
+        settings,
+        configured,
+        presets,
+        enforced: vec!["keep_alive".into(), "topology".into()],
+    }
+}
+
+/// Display-management policy
+///
+/// The stored virtual-display policy (lifecycle, topology, conflict handling, identity, layout),
+/// every preset's expansion, and which options this build enforces yet. See
+/// `design/display-management.md`.
+#[utoipa::path(
+    get,
+    path = "/display/settings",
+    tag = "display",
+    operation_id = "getDisplaySettings",
+    responses(
+        (status = OK, description = "Stored policy + preset expansions + enforced options", body = DisplaySettingsState),
+        (status = UNAUTHORIZED, description = "Missing or invalid bearer token", body = ApiError),
+    )
+)]
+async fn get_display_settings() -> Json<DisplaySettingsState> {
+    Json(display_settings_state())
+}
+
+/// Set the display-management policy
+///
+/// Persists a new policy (validated + clamped) and applies it from the next connect/teardown — a
+/// running session keeps the display it opened on. `keep_alive: forever` is rejected until the
+/// display-lifecycle stage ships (it would keep physical monitors dark indefinitely with no release
+/// path yet).
+#[utoipa::path(
+    put,
+    path = "/display/settings",
+    tag = "display",
+    operation_id = "setDisplaySettings",
+    request_body = crate::vdisplay::policy::DisplayPolicy,
+    responses(
+        (status = OK, description = "Policy stored; the new state", body = DisplaySettingsState),
+        (status = BAD_REQUEST, description = "An option value is not yet supported (e.g. keep_alive forever)", body = ApiError),
+        (status = INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, description = "Policy could not be persisted", body = ApiError),
+        (status = UNAUTHORIZED, description = "Missing or invalid bearer token", body = ApiError),
+    )
+)]
+async fn set_display_settings(
+    ApiJson(policy): ApiJson<crate::vdisplay::policy::DisplayPolicy>,
+) -> Response {
+    use crate::vdisplay::policy::KeepAlive;
+    // Reject options this build can't honor yet, so the console can't promise a behavior that won't
+    // happen. `keep_alive: forever` (directly or via the `gaming-rig` preset) needs the Pinned
+    // lifecycle + a release path; until then it would strand physical monitors dark.
+    if policy.effective().keep_alive == KeepAlive::Forever {
+        return api_error(
+            StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST,
+            "keep_alive `forever` (and the `gaming-rig` preset) is not available yet — it arrives \
+             with the display-lifecycle stage. Use a fixed duration for now.",
+        );
+    }
+    if let Err(e) = crate::vdisplay::policy::prefs().set(policy) {
+        return api_error(
+            StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
+            &format!("persist display policy: {e:#}"),
+        );
+    }
+    tracing::info!("management API: display policy updated");
+    Json(display_settings_state()).into_response()
+}
+
+/// One live or kept virtual display.
+#[derive(Serialize, ToSchema)]
+struct ApiDisplayInfo {
+    /// Stable-enough id for the `/display/release` `slot` argument.
+    slot: u64,
+    /// Backend name (`pf-vdisplay`, `kwin`, …).
+    backend: String,
+    /// `WIDTHxHEIGHT@HZ`.
+    mode: String,
+    /// `active` | `lingering` | `pinned`.
+    state: String,
+    /// Milliseconds until a lingering display is torn down (absent when active/pinned).
+    expires_in_ms: Option<u64>,
+    /// Live sessions holding the display.
+    sessions: u32,
+    /// Short client label, when the owner tracks it.
+    client: Option<String>,
+}
+
+/// The host's managed virtual displays right now.
+#[derive(Serialize, ToSchema)]
+struct DisplayStateResponse {
+    displays: Vec<ApiDisplayInfo>,
+}
+
+/// Request body for `releaseDisplay`.
+#[derive(Deserialize, ToSchema)]
+struct ReleaseDisplayRequest {
+    /// Slot to release (see `state`); omit to release **all** kept displays.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    slot: Option<u64>,
+}
+
+/// Result of a `/display/release`.
+#[derive(Serialize, ToSchema)]
+struct ReleaseDisplayResult {
+    /// Number of kept displays torn down.
+    released: usize,
+}
+
+/// Live virtual displays
+///
+/// The host's managed virtual displays right now — active (streaming), lingering (kept after
+/// disconnect, counting down to teardown), or pinned (kept indefinitely). See
+/// `design/display-management.md`.
+#[utoipa::path(
+    get,
+    path = "/display/state",
+    tag = "display",
+    operation_id = "getDisplayState",
+    responses(
+        (status = OK, description = "The live/kept virtual displays", body = DisplayStateResponse),
+        (status = UNAUTHORIZED, description = "Missing or invalid bearer token", body = ApiError),
+    )
+)]
+async fn get_display_state() -> Json<DisplayStateResponse> {
+    let snap = crate::vdisplay::registry::snapshot();
+    Json(DisplayStateResponse {
+        displays: snap
+            .displays
+            .into_iter()
+            .map(|d| ApiDisplayInfo {
+                slot: d.slot,
+                backend: d.backend,
+                mode: format!("{}x{}@{}", d.mode.0, d.mode.1, d.mode.2),
+                state: d.state,
+                expires_in_ms: d.expires_in_ms,
+                sessions: d.sessions,
+                client: d.client,
+            })
+            .collect(),
+    })
+}
+
+/// Release kept virtual displays
+///
+/// Tear down lingering/pinned displays now — so a physical-screen user gets their screen back
+/// without waiting out the linger. `slot` releases one; omit it to release all kept displays.
+/// Active (streaming) displays are never torn down here (that is session control).
+#[utoipa::path(
+    post,
+    path = "/display/release",
+    tag = "display",
+    operation_id = "releaseDisplay",
+    request_body = ReleaseDisplayRequest,
+    responses(
+        (status = OK, description = "The number of kept displays released", body = ReleaseDisplayResult),
+        (status = UNAUTHORIZED, description = "Missing or invalid bearer token", body = ApiError),
+    )
+)]
+async fn release_display(
+    ApiJson(req): ApiJson<ReleaseDisplayRequest>,
+) -> Json<ReleaseDisplayResult> {
+    let released = crate::vdisplay::registry::release(req.slot);
+    tracing::info!(slot = ?req.slot, released, "management API: display release");
+    Json(ReleaseDisplayResult { released })
+}
+
 /// Live host status
 #[utoipa::path(
     get,
@@ -2473,6 +2714,74 @@ mod tests {
             .unwrap()
     }
 
+    /// The display-management endpoints: GET returns the policy surface (presets + effective +
+    /// the Stage-0 enforced list); PUT rejects `keep_alive: forever` (the `gaming-rig` preset)
+    /// *before* persisting, so this stays read-only against the global policy store.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn display_settings_surface_and_forever_rejected() {
+        let app = test_app(test_state(), None);
+
+        let (status, body) = send(&app, get_req("/api/v1/display/settings")).await;
+        assert_eq!(status, StatusCode::OK);
+        assert_eq!(
+            body["presets"].as_array().map(|a| a.len()),
+            Some(5),
+            "all five named presets are surfaced for the console picker"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            body["effective"]["keep_alive"].is_object(),
+            "the effective policy is echoed"
+        );
+        let enforced: Vec<&str> = body["enforced"]
+            .as_array()
+            .unwrap()
+            .iter()
+            .filter_map(|v| v.as_str())
+            .collect();
+        assert!(enforced.contains(&"keep_alive") && enforced.contains(&"topology"));
+
+        // `gaming-rig` expands to keep_alive: forever → rejected at Stage 0 (before any write).
+        let put = axum::http::Request::put("/api/v1/display/settings")
+            .header("content-type", "application/json")
+            .body(Body::from(
+                serde_json::json!({ "preset": "gaming-rig" }).to_string(),
+            ))
+            .unwrap();
+        let (status, body) = send(&app, put).await;
+        assert_eq!(status, StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST);
+        assert!(
+            body["error"]
+                .as_str()
+                .unwrap_or_default()
+                .contains("forever"),
+            "the rejection names the unsupported option"
+        );
+    }
+
+    /// The display state/release endpoints are wired + auth-gated. On the test host no backend has
+    /// created a display (and non-Windows reports none), so `/state` is empty and `/release` is a
+    /// no-op — the shapes + the "nothing to release" path, without touching any global owner.
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn display_state_and_release_empty() {
+        let app = test_app(test_state(), None);
+
+        let (status, body) = send(&app, get_req("/api/v1/display/state")).await;
+        assert_eq!(status, StatusCode::OK);
+        assert_eq!(
+            body["displays"].as_array().map(|a| a.len()),
+            Some(0),
+            "no managed displays on an idle test host"
+        );
+
+        let (status, body) = send(
+            &app,
+            post_json("/api/v1/display/release", serde_json::json!({})),
+        )
+        .await;
+        assert_eq!(status, StatusCode::OK);
+        assert_eq!(body["released"], 0);
+    }
+
     #[tokio::test]
     async fn native_pairing_arm_show_and_unpair() {
         let np = Arc::new(

crates/punktfunk-host/src/punktfunk1.rs

@@ -585,10 +585,10 @@ async fn serve_session(
         // the `handshake` future re-decodes for the real session — a few dozen bytes, negligible.
         let gate_hello = Hello::decode(&first).map_err(|e| anyhow!("Hello decode: {e:?}"))?;
         anyhow::ensure!(
-            gate_hello.abi_version == punktfunk_core::ABI_VERSION,
-            "ABI mismatch: client {} host {}",
+            gate_hello.abi_version == punktfunk_core::WIRE_VERSION,
+            "wire version mismatch: client {} host {}",
             gate_hello.abi_version,
-            punktfunk_core::ABI_VERSION
+            punktfunk_core::WIRE_VERSION
         );
         let fp = endpoint::peer_fingerprint(&conn);
         let known = fp
@@ -654,10 +654,10 @@ async fn serve_session(
     let handshake = async {
         let hello = Hello::decode(&first).map_err(|e| anyhow!("Hello decode: {e:?}"))?;
         anyhow::ensure!(
-            hello.abi_version == punktfunk_core::ABI_VERSION,
-            "ABI mismatch: client {} host {}",
+            hello.abi_version == punktfunk_core::WIRE_VERSION,
+            "wire version mismatch: client {} host {}",
             hello.abi_version,
-            punktfunk_core::ABI_VERSION
+            punktfunk_core::WIRE_VERSION
         );
         // The pairing gate (require_pairing → paired? else park for delegated approval) ran above,
         // before this future, so a client reaching here is paired (or the host is `--open`).
@@ -805,7 +805,7 @@ async fn serve_session(
         let mut key = [0u8; 16];
         rand::thread_rng().fill_bytes(&mut key);
         let welcome = Welcome {
-            abi_version: punktfunk_core::ABI_VERSION,
+            abi_version: punktfunk_core::WIRE_VERSION,
             udp_port,
             mode: hello.mode,
             // The post-GameStream point of punktfunk/1: Leopard GF(2¹⁶) FEC + real encryption.
@@ -1911,6 +1911,13 @@ fn degrade_if_no_uhid(chosen: GamepadPref) -> GamepadPref {
 /// two Decks — confirmed conflict-prone on a Deck-as-host (the physical `28DE:1205` + Steam's
 /// `28DE:11FF` XInput output pad are both live). HID device dirs are named `BUS:VID:PID.INST`
 /// (uppercase); a UHID virtual device resolves through `/devices/virtual/…`, a real one does not.
+///
+/// Punktfunk's OWN virtual Decks must never count: the usbip/gadget transports present a real USB
+/// device (vhci resolves through `vhci_hcd`, NOT `/devices/virtual/`), so a just-ended session's
+/// pad still detaching — or a concurrent session's live one — read as "physical" and degraded
+/// every back-to-back Deck session to DualSense (observed live on Bazzite 2026-07-04). Ours are
+/// recognizable by the `PFDK…` serial ([`steam_proto::deck_serial`]) in `HID_UNIQ`, with the
+/// vhci path as belt and braces.
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
 fn physical_steam_controller_present() -> bool {
     let Ok(entries) = std::fs::read_dir("/sys/bus/hid/devices") else {
@@ -1920,8 +1927,16 @@ fn physical_steam_controller_present() -> bool {
         if !e.file_name().to_string_lossy().contains(":28DE:") {
             return false;
         }
+        if std::fs::read_to_string(e.path().join("uevent"))
+            .is_ok_and(|u| u.lines().any(|l| l.starts_with("HID_UNIQ=PFDK")))
+        {
+            return false; // one of our own virtual Decks
+        }
         match std::fs::read_link(e.path()) {
-            Ok(target) => !target.to_string_lossy().contains("/virtual/"),
+            Ok(target) => {
+                let t = target.to_string_lossy();
+                !t.contains("/virtual/") && !t.contains("vhci_hcd")
+            }
             Err(_) => true,
         }
     })

crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay.rs

@@ -405,18 +405,41 @@ pub fn apply_session_env(active: &ActiveSession) {
     }
     // Stream the desktop as the SOLE output: promote the per-session virtual output to PRIMARY so
     // the panels + windows land on the streamed surface, not an unstreamed real output (the
-    // auto-detected desktop path *is* "stream this desktop"). Default-on for the auto path; an
-    // explicit `PUNKTFUNK_{KWIN,MUTTER}_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY` still wins.
-    match active.kind {
-        ActiveKind::DesktopKde if std::env::var_os("PUNKTFUNK_KWIN_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY").is_none() => {
-            std::env::set_var("PUNKTFUNK_KWIN_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY", "1");
+    // auto-detected desktop path *is* "stream this desktop"). The per-compositor backends read
+    // `PUNKTFUNK_{KWIN,MUTTER}_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY`; drive it here from the display-management topology.
+    //
+    // Stage 0 keeps today's behavior exactly UNLESS the console configured a policy: when a
+    // `display-settings.json` exists, the effective topology wins (Exclusive → sole desktop,
+    // Extend → leave the streamed output extended, Primary → treated as Exclusive until the
+    // primary-only path lands in the topology stage). Unconfigured hosts fall through to the
+    // historical default-on-for-desktop behavior, honoring an explicit operator env var.
+    let var = match active.kind {
+        ActiveKind::DesktopKde => Some("PUNKTFUNK_KWIN_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY"),
+        ActiveKind::DesktopGnome => Some("PUNKTFUNK_MUTTER_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY"),
+        _ => None,
+    };
+    if let Some(var) = var {
+        match policy::prefs().configured_effective() {
+            Some(eff) => {
+                let sole = match resolve_topology(eff.topology) {
+                    policy::Topology::Extend => false,
+                    policy::Topology::Exclusive => true,
+                    policy::Topology::Primary => {
+                        tracing::info!(
+                            "display policy: topology=primary treated as exclusive at this stage \
+                             (primary-only lands in the topology stage)"
+                        );
+                        true
+                    }
+                    // resolve_topology never returns Auto.
+                    policy::Topology::Auto => true,
+                };
+                std::env::set_var(var, if sole { "1" } else { "0" });
+            }
+            // Unconfigured: today's behavior — default-on unless the operator set it explicitly.
+            None if std::env::var_os(var).is_none() => std::env::set_var(var, "1"),
+            None => {}
         }
-        ActiveKind::DesktopGnome
-            if std::env::var_os("PUNKTFUNK_MUTTER_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY").is_none() =>
-        {
-            std::env::set_var("PUNKTFUNK_MUTTER_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY", "1");
-        }
-        _ => {}
     }
 }
 #[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
@@ -723,6 +746,39 @@ pub fn start_restore_worker() -> std::sync::Arc<()> {
     std::sync::Arc::new(())
 }
 
+// The user-configurable management policy (keep-alive / topology / conflict / identity / layout),
+// layered above the per-compositor backends — platform-neutral (the mgmt API + both host paths read
+// it), so no cfg gate. See `design/display-management.md`.
+#[path = "vdisplay/policy.rs"]
+pub(crate) mod policy;
+
+// The pure per-display lifecycle state machine (refcount + linger + pin), platform-neutral and
+// property-tested; the registry executes the side effects its transitions dictate.
+#[path = "vdisplay/lifecycle.rs"]
+pub(crate) mod lifecycle;
+
+// The neutral snapshot/release facade over the per-OS lifecycle owners (Windows manager; Linux pool
+// later), for the management API's /display/state + /display/release.
+#[path = "vdisplay/registry.rs"]
+pub(crate) mod registry;
+
+/// Resolve a [`policy::Topology`] to a concrete value (never [`policy::Topology::Auto`]). `Auto`
+/// reproduces today's default: **extend** under an explicit `PUNKTFUNK_COMPOSITOR` pin (the CI/test
+/// posture, where the host isn't the sole desktop), else **exclusive** (Windows + the auto-detected
+/// Linux desktop path, where "stream this desktop" means promoting the virtual output to sole).
+pub fn resolve_topology(t: policy::Topology) -> policy::Topology {
+    match t {
+        policy::Topology::Auto => {
+            if crate::config::config().compositor.is_some() {
+                policy::Topology::Extend
+            } else {
+                policy::Topology::Exclusive
+            }
+        }
+        concrete => concrete,
+    }
+}
+
 // Goal-1 stage 6: per-compositor Linux backends under `vdisplay/linux/`, the Windows IddCx/SudoVDA
 // backends under `vdisplay/windows/`; `#[path]` keeps the `crate::vdisplay::*` module names flat.
 #[cfg(target_os = "linux")]

crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay/lifecycle.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,338 @@
+//! Pure per-display **lifecycle state machine** (design: `design/display-management.md` §3).
+//!
+//! One virtual display's earned refcount + linger + pin state, with **no I/O and no OS-specific
+//! types** — the registry ([`super::registry`]) executes the side effects (backend create /
+//! teardown / linger timer) that this machine's transitions dictate. Extracted so the lifecycle
+//! logic is unit- and property-testable in isolation, and so the Linux registry and (later) the
+//! Windows manager share one audited machine instead of each re-deriving refcount+linger by hand.
+//!
+//! It is the platform-neutral distillation of the model the Windows `VirtualDisplayManager` already
+//! runs on glass: `Idle → Active{refs} → Lingering{until} → Idle`, plus a `Pinned` state for
+//! keep-alive-forever. The registry pairs one [`State`] with the owned backend resource; the machine
+//! only tracks the discriminant + refcount + deadline and reports what to do.
+
+use std::time::Instant;
+
+use super::policy::Linger;
+
+/// The lifecycle state of one virtual-display slot.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Default)]
+pub enum State {
+    /// No display exists.
+    #[default]
+    Idle,
+    /// A display exists with `refs` live sessions holding it.
+    Active { refs: u32 },
+    /// The last session left; the display is kept until `until`, then torn down.
+    Lingering { until: Instant },
+    /// The last session left; the display is kept indefinitely (keep-alive forever), until an
+    /// explicit release.
+    Pinned,
+}
+
+/// What acquiring a slot means for the backend.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum Acquire {
+    /// The slot was empty — the backend must CREATE a fresh display.
+    Create,
+    /// The slot was already Active — another session JOINS the live display (refcount++).
+    Join,
+    /// The slot was kept alive (Lingering/Pinned) — REUSE the existing display (re-attach capture).
+    Reuse,
+}
+
+/// What releasing a hold on a slot means for the backend.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum Release {
+    /// Another session still holds the display — nothing to do.
+    Decref,
+    /// The last session left; keep the display until its deadline ([`State::Lingering`]), then tear down.
+    Linger,
+    /// The last session left; keep the display indefinitely ([`State::Pinned`]).
+    Pin,
+    /// The last session left and keep-alive is off — tear the display down now.
+    Teardown,
+    /// A release with no live hold (stale/duplicate) — no-op.
+    Noop,
+}
+
+impl State {
+    /// True while a backend display resource exists (Active/Lingering/Pinned) — the registry holds
+    /// the keepalive in exactly these states, and `Idle` means it has been dropped.
+    pub fn has_display(self) -> bool {
+        !matches!(self, State::Idle)
+    }
+
+    /// Number of live sessions holding the display (0 unless Active).
+    pub fn refs(self) -> u32 {
+        match self {
+            State::Active { refs } => refs,
+            _ => 0,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// A session acquires the slot. Transitions the state and reports whether the backend must
+    /// create a fresh display, join the live one, or reuse the kept one.
+    pub fn acquire(&mut self) -> Acquire {
+        match *self {
+            State::Idle => {
+                *self = State::Active { refs: 1 };
+                Acquire::Create
+            }
+            State::Active { refs } => {
+                *self = State::Active { refs: refs + 1 };
+                Acquire::Join
+            }
+            State::Lingering { .. } | State::Pinned => {
+                *self = State::Active { refs: 1 };
+                Acquire::Reuse
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// A session releases the slot. When the LAST session leaves, `now` + the resolved `linger`
+    /// decide the kept state. Returns what the registry should do.
+    pub fn release(&mut self, now: Instant, linger: Linger) -> Release {
+        match *self {
+            State::Active { refs } if refs > 1 => {
+                *self = State::Active { refs: refs - 1 };
+                Release::Decref
+            }
+            State::Active { .. } => match linger {
+                Linger::Immediate => {
+                    *self = State::Idle;
+                    Release::Teardown
+                }
+                Linger::For(d) => {
+                    *self = State::Lingering { until: now + d };
+                    Release::Linger
+                }
+                Linger::Forever => {
+                    *self = State::Pinned;
+                    Release::Pin
+                }
+            },
+            // Releasing a slot with no live hold is a stale/duplicate release. The registry's
+            // gen-stamped leases already make a stale lease's drop a no-op before it reaches here;
+            // this is the defensive backstop.
+            State::Idle | State::Lingering { .. } | State::Pinned => Release::Noop,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// The registry's linger-timer tick: a Lingering slot past its deadline goes Idle and returns
+    /// `true` (the registry tears the display down). Pinned and every other state are untouched.
+    pub fn poll_expiry(&mut self, now: Instant) -> bool {
+        match *self {
+            State::Lingering { until } if now >= until => {
+                *self = State::Idle;
+                true
+            }
+            _ => false,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Force-release a kept display (the `/display/release` endpoint): a Lingering/Pinned slot goes
+    /// Idle and the registry tears it down (`true`). An Active slot is refused (`false`) — releasing
+    /// a display that still has live sessions is session management, not display management. Idle → `false`.
+    pub fn force_release(&mut self) -> bool {
+        match *self {
+            State::Lingering { .. } | State::Pinned => {
+                *self = State::Idle;
+                true
+            }
+            State::Active { .. } | State::Idle => false,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use std::time::Duration;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn create_join_reuse_and_teardown() {
+        let mut s = State::default();
+        assert_eq!(s.acquire(), Acquire::Create);
+        assert_eq!(s, State::Active { refs: 1 });
+        // A concurrent session joins.
+        assert_eq!(s.acquire(), Acquire::Join);
+        assert_eq!(s.refs(), 2);
+        // One leaves — still active.
+        let now = Instant::now();
+        assert_eq!(s.release(now, Linger::Immediate), Release::Decref);
+        assert_eq!(s.refs(), 1);
+        // The last leaves with keep-alive off — teardown.
+        assert_eq!(s.release(now, Linger::Immediate), Release::Teardown);
+        assert_eq!(s, State::Idle);
+        assert!(!s.has_display());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn linger_then_reuse_within_window() {
+        let mut s = State::default();
+        let t0 = Instant::now();
+        s.acquire();
+        assert_eq!(
+            s.release(t0, Linger::For(Duration::from_secs(10))),
+            Release::Linger
+        );
+        assert!(s.has_display());
+        // A tick before the deadline does nothing.
+        assert!(!s.poll_expiry(t0 + Duration::from_secs(5)));
+        // A reconnect inside the window reuses the kept display.
+        assert_eq!(s.acquire(), Acquire::Reuse);
+        assert_eq!(s, State::Active { refs: 1 });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn linger_expires_to_teardown() {
+        let mut s = State::default();
+        let t0 = Instant::now();
+        s.acquire();
+        s.release(t0, Linger::For(Duration::from_secs(10)));
+        // Past the deadline → teardown.
+        assert!(s.poll_expiry(t0 + Duration::from_secs(11)));
+        assert_eq!(s, State::Idle);
+        // A second tick is idempotent (nothing to tear down).
+        assert!(!s.poll_expiry(t0 + Duration::from_secs(12)));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn pinned_never_expires_but_force_releases() {
+        let mut s = State::default();
+        let t0 = Instant::now();
+        s.acquire();
+        assert_eq!(s.release(t0, Linger::Forever), Release::Pin);
+        assert_eq!(s, State::Pinned);
+        // No amount of ticking tears a pinned display down.
+        assert!(!s.poll_expiry(t0 + Duration::from_secs(86_400)));
+        assert!(s.has_display());
+        // Only an explicit release does.
+        assert!(s.force_release());
+        assert_eq!(s, State::Idle);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn force_release_refuses_active() {
+        let mut s = State::default();
+        s.acquire();
+        assert!(
+            !s.force_release(),
+            "an active display can't be force-released"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(s.refs(), 1);
+        // Idle also can't.
+        let mut idle = State::default();
+        assert!(!idle.force_release());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn stale_release_is_noop() {
+        let mut s = State::default();
+        assert_eq!(s.release(Instant::now(), Linger::Immediate), Release::Noop);
+        assert_eq!(s, State::Idle);
+    }
+
+    /// Property test (deterministic seeded walk): across an arbitrary interleaving of acquire /
+    /// release / expiry-tick / force-release, the machine must never (a) leak or double-free the
+    /// backend resource — `has_display()` must exactly track a shadow "resource alive" flag, with
+    /// every Create preceded by no live resource and every teardown preceded by one — nor (b)
+    /// underflow the refcount, nor (c) tear a display down while a session still holds it.
+    #[test]
+    fn property_no_leaks_no_double_free_no_underflow() {
+        // Tiny deterministic LCG (Numerical Recipes) — reproducible, no dependency.
+        let mut rng: u64 = 0x1234_5678_9abc_def0;
+        let mut next = || {
+            rng = rng
+                .wrapping_mul(6364136223846793005)
+                .wrapping_add(1442695040888963407);
+            (rng >> 33) as u32
+        };
+
+        let base = Instant::now();
+        let mut logical_ms: u64 = 0;
+        let mut s = State::default();
+        // Shadow model.
+        let mut resource_alive = false;
+        let mut live_holds: u32 = 0;
+
+        for _ in 0..200_000 {
+            // Advance logical time by 0..2000 ms each step so lingers cross their deadlines.
+            logical_ms += (next() % 2000) as u64;
+            let now = base + Duration::from_millis(logical_ms);
+
+            match next() % 5 {
+                0 => {
+                    // acquire
+                    let before_alive = resource_alive;
+                    let a = s.acquire();
+                    match a {
+                        Acquire::Create => {
+                            assert!(!before_alive, "Create while a resource was alive")
+                        }
+                        Acquire::Join | Acquire::Reuse => {
+                            assert!(before_alive, "Join/Reuse with no live resource")
+                        }
+                    }
+                    resource_alive = true;
+                    live_holds += 1;
+                }
+                1 | 2 => {
+                    // release (weighted 2/5 so refs actually drain)
+                    let linger = match next() % 3 {
+                        0 => Linger::Immediate,
+                        1 => Linger::For(Duration::from_millis((next() % 3000) as u64 + 1)),
+                        _ => Linger::Forever,
+                    };
+                    let held_before = live_holds;
+                    let r = s.release(now, linger);
+                    match r {
+                        Release::Noop => assert_eq!(held_before, 0, "Noop only with no live hold"),
+                        Release::Decref => {
+                            assert!(held_before >= 2, "Decref must leave the display held");
+                            live_holds -= 1;
+                        }
+                        Release::Teardown => {
+                            assert_eq!(held_before, 1, "Teardown only on the last hold");
+                            live_holds = 0;
+                            resource_alive = false;
+                        }
+                        Release::Linger | Release::Pin => {
+                            assert_eq!(held_before, 1, "Linger/Pin only on the last hold");
+                            live_holds = 0;
+                            // resource stays alive (kept)
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                3 => {
+                    // expiry tick
+                    if s.poll_expiry(now) {
+                        assert_eq!(live_holds, 0, "expiry tore down a held display");
+                        resource_alive = false;
+                    }
+                }
+                _ => {
+                    // force release
+                    if s.force_release() {
+                        assert_eq!(live_holds, 0, "force-release tore down a held display");
+                        resource_alive = false;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            // Invariant after every step: the machine's own view of "a display exists" matches the
+            // shadow, and the refcount matches the live-hold count.
+            assert_eq!(
+                s.has_display(),
+                resource_alive,
+                "has_display drifted from the shadow model"
+            );
+            assert_eq!(
+                s.refs(),
+                live_holds,
+                "refs drifted from the live-hold count"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+}

crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay/policy.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,573 @@
+//! Virtual-display **management policy** — the user-configurable behavior surface for how virtual
+//! displays are created, kept alive, and arranged (design: `design/display-management.md`).
+//!
+//! This is the pure config layer that sits **above** the per-compositor [`VirtualDisplay`](super)
+//! backends: a small set of orthogonal options ([`DisplayPolicy`]) with safe defaults and named
+//! [`Preset`]s, persisted to `<config>/display-settings.json` and editable from the web console.
+//! The lifecycle/registry that *acts* on this policy lands in later stages; **Stage 0** (this file
+//! plus the mgmt endpoints) stands up the surface and wires the two behaviors the existing code can
+//! already express — the Windows monitor linger duration and the Linux "make the streamed output
+//! the sole desktop" topology — through it.
+//!
+//! Precedence, mirroring the GPU preference (`console preference > env pin > default`): a present,
+//! valid `display-settings.json` (console-written) **wins**; when it is absent the host keeps its
+//! historical env-knob / default behavior untouched ([`DisplayPolicyStore::configured`] returns
+//! `None`, and every Stage-0 call site falls back to exactly what it did before). The policy is
+//! read at each acquire/teardown (file state, not a startup-frozen env var), so a console change
+//! applies to the next connect without a host restart.
+//!
+//! The pure logic here — preset expansion, [`DisplayPolicy::effective`], the [`KeepAlive`] linger
+//! resolution — is unit-tested; the store adds file I/O around it (the `gpu.rs` discipline:
+//! private dir, temp-write + atomic rename, in-memory rollback on a failed write).
+
+use std::collections::BTreeMap;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::sync::{Mutex, OnceLock};
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use anyhow::Result;
+use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
+use utoipa::ToSchema;
+
+/// How long a virtual display (and, on gamescope's bare spawn, the nested session + its game)
+/// survives after the last client session detaches. Serialized as an object tagged on `mode`
+/// (`{"mode":"off"}` / `{"mode":"duration","seconds":300}` / `{"mode":"forever"}`) so the web form
+/// and the OpenAPI schema stay simple.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, ToSchema)]
+#[serde(tag = "mode", rename_all = "snake_case")]
+pub enum KeepAlive {
+    /// Tear the display down at session end (today's default on every backend but Windows, which
+    /// lingers 10 s).
+    Off,
+    /// Keep the display for `seconds` after the last session leaves, then tear it down; a reconnect
+    /// inside the window reuses it.
+    Duration {
+        /// Linger window in seconds.
+        seconds: u32,
+    },
+    /// Keep the display until host shutdown or an explicit release (the `Pinned` lifecycle state).
+    /// **Not honored until the display-lifecycle stage** — rejected by the mgmt PUT at Stage 0.
+    Forever,
+}
+
+impl Default for KeepAlive {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        // The historical Windows behavior, made explicit; the Linux backends had no linger and map
+        // `Off`/short-duration onto their (nonexistent) keep-alive as a no-op until the lifecycle stage.
+        KeepAlive::Duration { seconds: 10 }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Resolved linger for the display lifecycle: teardown immediately, after a fixed window, or never.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum Linger {
+    /// Tear down as soon as the last session leaves.
+    Immediate,
+    /// Linger for this window, then tear down.
+    For(Duration),
+    /// Never auto-tear-down (Pinned).
+    Forever,
+}
+
+impl KeepAlive {
+    /// The [`Linger`] this keep-alive resolves to.
+    pub fn linger(self) -> Linger {
+        match self {
+            KeepAlive::Off => Linger::Immediate,
+            KeepAlive::Duration { seconds } => Linger::For(Duration::from_secs(seconds as u64)),
+            KeepAlive::Forever => Linger::Forever,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// What the host does to the box's display topology while managed virtual displays are up.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, ToSchema)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
+pub enum Topology {
+    /// Today's behavior, resolved per host at acquire time (see [`super::effective_topology`]):
+    /// exclusive on Windows and the auto-detected Linux desktop path, extend under an explicit
+    /// `PUNKTFUNK_COMPOSITOR` pin.
+    #[default]
+    Auto,
+    /// Add the virtual display(s); touch nothing else.
+    Extend,
+    /// Make the group's primary virtual display the OS primary; physical outputs stay enabled.
+    Primary,
+    /// The managed virtual displays become the only enabled outputs (physical outputs disabled,
+    /// restored on teardown).
+    Exclusive,
+}
+
+/// Admission when a *different* client connects while a display/session is already live and asks for
+/// a different mode. Stored at Stage 0; enforced from the mode-conflict admission stage.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, ToSchema)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "snake_case")]
+pub enum ModeConflict {
+    /// Give the new client its own virtual display on the same desktop (today's Linux multi-view).
+    #[default]
+    Separate,
+    /// Stop the existing session(s), tear down / reconfigure, serve the new client.
+    Steal,
+    /// Admit the new client at the live display's mode (the honest-downgrade convention).
+    Join,
+    /// Refuse the new client with a clear handshake error.
+    Reject,
+}
+
+/// Stable display identity, so desktop environments persist per-display config (KDE scaling). Stored
+/// at Stage 0; carriers wired from the identity stage.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, ToSchema)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "kebab-case")]
+pub enum Identity {
+    /// One identity for everything (today's Linux behavior).
+    Shared,
+    /// One identity per paired client cert fingerprint (today's Windows behavior).
+    #[default]
+    PerClient,
+    /// One identity per (client, resolution) — distinct scaling per resolution, at the cost of
+    /// identity slots.
+    PerClientMode,
+}
+
+/// How group members are arranged in the desktop coordinate space. Stored at Stage 0; applied from
+/// the multi-monitor stage.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, ToSchema)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "kebab-case")]
+pub enum LayoutMode {
+    /// Left-to-right in acquire order, top-aligned (deterministic default).
+    #[default]
+    AutoRow,
+    /// Per-identity-slot offsets from [`Layout::positions`] (console-arranged).
+    Manual,
+}
+
+/// A desktop-space offset for a display (top-left origin).
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, ToSchema)]
+pub struct Position {
+    pub x: i32,
+    pub y: i32,
+}
+
+/// Group layout: the arrangement mode plus, for [`LayoutMode::Manual`], per-slot offsets keyed by
+/// identity-slot id (string keys for stable JSON).
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, ToSchema)]
+pub struct Layout {
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub mode: LayoutMode,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub positions: BTreeMap<String, Position>,
+}
+
+/// A named bundle of the fields below. `Custom` (the default) means the explicit fields rule; any
+/// other preset ignores the stored fields and expands to its own ([`DisplayPolicy::effective`]).
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, ToSchema)]
+#[serde(rename_all = "kebab-case")]
+pub enum Preset {
+    /// The explicit fields below define the policy.
+    #[default]
+    Custom,
+    /// Today's behavior, made explicit.
+    Default,
+    /// Dedicated headless/couch box: displays + game survive disconnects; whoever connects takes over.
+    GamingRig,
+    /// A desktop someone also uses physically: never blank the real monitors, never keep ghosts.
+    SharedDesktop,
+    /// One user at a time with fast reattach; a second user is told the box is busy.
+    Hotdesk,
+    /// The multi-monitor daily driver: manual arrangement, per-client identity, exclusive.
+    Workstation,
+}
+
+/// The user-facing display-management policy — what `display-settings.json` holds and what the mgmt
+/// API GETs/PUTs. When [`preset`](Self::preset) is not [`Preset::Custom`] the explicit fields are
+/// ignored (the console writes one or the other); [`effective`](Self::effective) resolves both to a
+/// single [`EffectivePolicy`].
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, ToSchema)]
+pub struct DisplayPolicy {
+    /// Schema version (currently 1) — lets a future field addition migrate rather than reject.
+    #[serde(default = "one")]
+    pub version: u32,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub preset: Preset,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub keep_alive: KeepAlive,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub topology: Topology,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub mode_conflict: ModeConflict,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub identity: Identity,
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub layout: Layout,
+    /// Upper bound on simultaneously-live virtual displays (clamped to `1..=16` on write).
+    #[serde(default = "default_max_displays")]
+    pub max_displays: u32,
+}
+
+fn one() -> u32 {
+    1
+}
+fn default_max_displays() -> u32 {
+    4
+}
+
+impl Default for DisplayPolicy {
+    fn default() -> Self {
+        // Bit-for-bit today's behavior (the `default` preset expanded), so an unconfigured host reads
+        // the same policy the Stage-0 call sites already produce.
+        DisplayPolicy {
+            version: 1,
+            preset: Preset::Custom,
+            keep_alive: KeepAlive::default(),
+            topology: Topology::Auto,
+            mode_conflict: ModeConflict::default(),
+            identity: Identity::default(),
+            layout: Layout::default(),
+            max_displays: 4,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// The six resolved fields after preset expansion — what the lifecycle/registry and the Stage-0 call
+/// sites read, and what the mgmt API echoes as the "currently in force" policy. Pure output of
+/// [`DisplayPolicy::effective`].
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, ToSchema)]
+pub struct EffectivePolicy {
+    pub keep_alive: KeepAlive,
+    pub topology: Topology,
+    pub mode_conflict: ModeConflict,
+    pub identity: Identity,
+    pub layout: Layout,
+    pub max_displays: u32,
+}
+
+impl DisplayPolicy {
+    /// Resolve to the [`EffectivePolicy`]: a named preset expands to its bundle; `Custom` uses the
+    /// explicit fields. Pure — the single source of truth shared by the preset docs and the runtime.
+    pub fn effective(&self) -> EffectivePolicy {
+        if let Some(mut e) = preset_fields(self.preset) {
+            // A preset fixes the six behavior fields but honors an explicit manual layout table
+            // (positions are data, not behavior — the `workstation` preset only sets the *mode*).
+            if self.preset == Preset::Workstation && !self.layout.positions.is_empty() {
+                e.layout.positions = self.layout.positions.clone();
+            }
+            e
+        } else {
+            EffectivePolicy {
+                keep_alive: self.keep_alive,
+                topology: self.topology,
+                mode_conflict: self.mode_conflict,
+                identity: self.identity,
+                layout: self.layout.clone(),
+                max_displays: self.max_displays,
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Clamp fields to their valid ranges (called on write). `max_displays` to `1..=16` (the
+    /// pf-vdisplay connector ceiling / a sane Linux bound).
+    pub fn sanitized(mut self) -> Self {
+        self.version = 1;
+        self.max_displays = self.max_displays.clamp(1, 16);
+        self
+    }
+}
+
+/// The field bundle a named preset expands to; `None` for [`Preset::Custom`]. The single expansion
+/// table — the docs' preset table mirrors this and the `presets_match_doc` test guards the shape.
+pub fn preset_fields(preset: Preset) -> Option<EffectivePolicy> {
+    let base = |keep_alive, topology, mode_conflict, identity, layout_mode| EffectivePolicy {
+        keep_alive,
+        topology,
+        mode_conflict,
+        identity,
+        layout: Layout {
+            mode: layout_mode,
+            positions: BTreeMap::new(),
+        },
+        max_displays: 4,
+    };
+    Some(match preset {
+        Preset::Custom => return None,
+        Preset::Default => base(
+            KeepAlive::Duration { seconds: 10 },
+            Topology::Auto,
+            ModeConflict::Separate,
+            Identity::PerClient,
+            LayoutMode::AutoRow,
+        ),
+        Preset::GamingRig => base(
+            KeepAlive::Forever,
+            Topology::Exclusive,
+            ModeConflict::Steal,
+            Identity::PerClient,
+            LayoutMode::AutoRow,
+        ),
+        Preset::SharedDesktop => base(
+            KeepAlive::Off,
+            Topology::Extend,
+            ModeConflict::Separate,
+            Identity::PerClient,
+            LayoutMode::AutoRow,
+        ),
+        Preset::Hotdesk => base(
+            KeepAlive::Duration { seconds: 300 },
+            Topology::Exclusive,
+            ModeConflict::Reject,
+            Identity::PerClientMode,
+            LayoutMode::AutoRow,
+        ),
+        Preset::Workstation => base(
+            KeepAlive::Duration { seconds: 300 },
+            Topology::Exclusive,
+            ModeConflict::Separate,
+            Identity::PerClient,
+            LayoutMode::Manual,
+        ),
+    })
+}
+
+/// The persisted policy store: the loaded file value (or `None` when no file exists) behind its
+/// JSON path. Mirrors [`crate::gpu::GpuPrefStore`] — private dir, temp-write + atomic rename,
+/// in-memory rollback if the disk write fails.
+pub struct DisplayPolicyStore {
+    path: PathBuf,
+    /// `Some` only when a valid `display-settings.json` was loaded / written — the "console has
+    /// configured this host" signal that gates whether Stage-0 call sites override their historical
+    /// env/default behavior.
+    cur: Mutex<Option<DisplayPolicy>>,
+}
+
+impl DisplayPolicyStore {
+    /// Load from `path`. A missing file ⇒ unconfigured (`None`); a corrupt file ⇒ unconfigured with a
+    /// warning (never fail host startup over a settings file).
+    pub fn load_from(path: PathBuf) -> Self {
+        let cur = match std::fs::read(&path) {
+            Ok(bytes) => match serde_json::from_slice::<DisplayPolicy>(&bytes) {
+                Ok(p) => Some(p),
+                Err(e) => {
+                    tracing::warn!(path = %path.display(),
+                        "display-settings.json unreadable — using built-in defaults: {e}");
+                    None
+                }
+            },
+            Err(_) => None,
+        };
+        DisplayPolicyStore {
+            path,
+            cur: Mutex::new(cur),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// The stored policy, or [`DisplayPolicy::default`] when unconfigured (for the mgmt GET).
+    pub fn get(&self) -> DisplayPolicy {
+        self.cur.lock().unwrap().clone().unwrap_or_default()
+    }
+
+    /// The console-configured policy, or `None` when no settings file exists. Stage-0 call sites use
+    /// this to decide whether to override their historical behavior (`None` ⇒ leave it untouched).
+    pub fn configured(&self) -> Option<DisplayPolicy> {
+        self.cur.lock().unwrap().clone()
+    }
+
+    /// The effective (preset-expanded) policy the console configured, or `None` when unconfigured.
+    pub fn configured_effective(&self) -> Option<EffectivePolicy> {
+        self.configured().map(|p| p.effective())
+    }
+
+    /// Persist + adopt a new policy (sanitized first). The in-memory value changes only if the disk
+    /// write succeeds, so a full disk can't leave memory and file disagreeing.
+    pub fn set(&self, policy: DisplayPolicy) -> Result<()> {
+        let policy = policy.sanitized();
+        if let Some(dir) = self.path.parent() {
+            crate::gamestream::create_private_dir(dir)?;
+        }
+        let tmp = self.path.with_extension("json.tmp");
+        crate::gamestream::write_secret_file(&tmp, &serde_json::to_vec_pretty(&policy)?)?;
+        std::fs::rename(&tmp, &self.path)?;
+        *self.cur.lock().unwrap() = Some(policy);
+        Ok(())
+    }
+}
+
+/// The process-wide display-policy store (config-dir file), loaded once on first access — the same
+/// global-accessor shape as [`crate::gpu::prefs`], because display setup happens deep in the
+/// capture/vdisplay path where no app state is threaded.
+pub fn prefs() -> &'static DisplayPolicyStore {
+    static STORE: OnceLock<DisplayPolicyStore> = OnceLock::new();
+    STORE.get_or_init(|| {
+        DisplayPolicyStore::load_from(crate::gamestream::config_dir().join("display-settings.json"))
+    })
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn keep_alive_serializes_tagged_on_mode() {
+        assert_eq!(
+            serde_json::to_value(KeepAlive::Duration { seconds: 300 }).unwrap(),
+            serde_json::json!({ "mode": "duration", "seconds": 300 })
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            serde_json::to_value(KeepAlive::Off).unwrap(),
+            serde_json::json!({ "mode": "off" })
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            serde_json::to_value(KeepAlive::Forever).unwrap(),
+            serde_json::json!({ "mode": "forever" })
+        );
+        // Round-trips.
+        for k in [
+            KeepAlive::Off,
+            KeepAlive::Duration { seconds: 42 },
+            KeepAlive::Forever,
+        ] {
+            let s = serde_json::to_string(&k).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(serde_json::from_str::<KeepAlive>(&s).unwrap(), k);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn keep_alive_linger_resolution() {
+        assert_eq!(KeepAlive::Off.linger(), Linger::Immediate);
+        assert_eq!(
+            KeepAlive::Duration { seconds: 30 }.linger(),
+            Linger::For(Duration::from_secs(30))
+        );
+        assert_eq!(KeepAlive::Forever.linger(), Linger::Forever);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn default_policy_is_todays_behavior() {
+        let e = DisplayPolicy::default().effective();
+        assert_eq!(e.keep_alive, KeepAlive::Duration { seconds: 10 });
+        assert_eq!(e.topology, Topology::Auto);
+        assert_eq!(e.mode_conflict, ModeConflict::Separate);
+        assert_eq!(e.identity, Identity::PerClient);
+        assert_eq!(e.layout.mode, LayoutMode::AutoRow);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn custom_uses_explicit_fields_presets_override_them() {
+        // Custom: explicit fields flow through.
+        let p = DisplayPolicy {
+            preset: Preset::Custom,
+            keep_alive: KeepAlive::Off,
+            topology: Topology::Extend,
+            ..DisplayPolicy::default()
+        };
+        assert_eq!(p.effective().keep_alive, KeepAlive::Off);
+        assert_eq!(p.effective().topology, Topology::Extend);
+
+        // A named preset ignores the explicit fields.
+        let p = DisplayPolicy {
+            preset: Preset::GamingRig,
+            keep_alive: KeepAlive::Off, // ignored
+            topology: Topology::Extend, // ignored
+            ..DisplayPolicy::default()
+        };
+        let e = p.effective();
+        assert_eq!(e.keep_alive, KeepAlive::Forever);
+        assert_eq!(e.topology, Topology::Exclusive);
+        assert_eq!(e.mode_conflict, ModeConflict::Steal);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn workstation_preset_keeps_manual_layout_positions() {
+        let mut positions = BTreeMap::new();
+        positions.insert("1".to_string(), Position { x: 2560, y: 0 });
+        let p = DisplayPolicy {
+            preset: Preset::Workstation,
+            layout: Layout {
+                mode: LayoutMode::AutoRow, // preset forces Manual regardless
+                positions,
+            },
+            ..DisplayPolicy::default()
+        };
+        let e = p.effective();
+        assert_eq!(e.layout.mode, LayoutMode::Manual);
+        assert_eq!(
+            e.layout.positions.get("1"),
+            Some(&Position { x: 2560, y: 0 })
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn every_preset_expands() {
+        for preset in [
+            Preset::Default,
+            Preset::GamingRig,
+            Preset::SharedDesktop,
+            Preset::Hotdesk,
+            Preset::Workstation,
+        ] {
+            assert!(preset_fields(preset).is_some(), "{preset:?} must expand");
+        }
+        assert!(preset_fields(Preset::Custom).is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn sanitize_clamps_max_displays_and_pins_version() {
+        let p = DisplayPolicy {
+            version: 99,
+            max_displays: 0,
+            ..DisplayPolicy::default()
+        }
+        .sanitized();
+        assert_eq!(p.version, 1);
+        assert_eq!(p.max_displays, 1);
+        let p = DisplayPolicy {
+            max_displays: 999,
+            ..DisplayPolicy::default()
+        }
+        .sanitized();
+        assert_eq!(p.max_displays, 16);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn partial_json_fills_defaults() {
+        // A hand-written file with only a couple of fields loads, the rest defaulting.
+        let p: DisplayPolicy =
+            serde_json::from_str(r#"{ "preset": "custom", "max_displays": 2 }"#).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(p.max_displays, 2);
+        assert_eq!(p.keep_alive, KeepAlive::default());
+        assert_eq!(p.topology, Topology::Auto);
+        assert_eq!(p.version, 1);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn store_roundtrips_and_gates_on_file_presence() {
+        let dir = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("pf-disp-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let _ = std::fs::create_dir_all(&dir);
+        let path = dir.join("display-settings.json");
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&path);
+
+        let store = DisplayPolicyStore::load_from(path.clone());
+        // Unconfigured: get() yields defaults, configured() is None.
+        assert!(store.configured().is_none());
+        assert_eq!(store.get(), DisplayPolicy::default());
+
+        // After a write the file gates flip to configured.
+        let want = DisplayPolicy {
+            preset: Preset::SharedDesktop,
+            ..DisplayPolicy::default()
+        };
+        store.set(want.clone()).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(
+            store.configured().as_ref().map(|p| p.preset),
+            Some(Preset::SharedDesktop)
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            store.configured_effective().unwrap().keep_alive,
+            KeepAlive::Off
+        );
+
+        // A fresh store reading the same path sees the persisted value.
+        let reopened = DisplayPolicyStore::load_from(path.clone());
+        assert_eq!(reopened.configured().unwrap().preset, Preset::SharedDesktop);
+
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&path);
+    }
+}

crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay/registry.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+//! Neutral **facade over the per-OS virtual-display lifecycle owners**, for the management API's
+//! `/display/state` + `/display/release` (design: `design/display-management.md` §7).
+//!
+//! Windows already owns its display lifecycle in [`super::manager::VirtualDisplayManager`] (one
+//! shared IddCx monitor, refcounted, lingering); this facade reads and controls it. Linux keep-alive
+//! (a per-session output pool driven by [`super::lifecycle`]) lands in a following increment — it
+//! needs on-glass validation on a GPU box, which the current headless VM can't provide — so until
+//! then the Linux side reports no managed displays and release is a no-op.
+//!
+//! The lifecycle *state machine* ([`super::lifecycle::State`]) is the platform-neutral core both
+//! sides converge on; Windows adopts it when its manager is refactored onto it (that unification is
+//! deferred so the on-glass-validated Windows path stays untouched this stage).
+
+/// One live or kept virtual display, for the mgmt snapshot.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
+pub struct DisplayInfo {
+    /// A stable-enough id for the `/display/release` slot argument (the backend's generation stamp).
+    pub slot: u64,
+    /// Backend name (`"pf-vdisplay"`, `"kwin"`, …).
+    pub backend: String,
+    /// `(width, height, refresh_hz)`.
+    pub mode: (u32, u32, u32),
+    /// `"active"` | `"lingering"` | `"pinned"`.
+    pub state: String,
+    /// Milliseconds until a lingering display is torn down (`None` when active/pinned).
+    pub expires_in_ms: Option<u64>,
+    /// Live sessions holding the display.
+    pub sessions: u32,
+    /// Short client label (cert-fp prefix / peer), when the owner tracks it.
+    pub client: Option<String>,
+}
+
+/// The live display set for the mgmt `/display/state` endpoint.
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default)]
+pub struct Snapshot {
+    pub displays: Vec<DisplayInfo>,
+}
+
+/// Snapshot the host's managed virtual displays. Cheap + side-effect-free (a state-lock read);
+/// safe per management request.
+pub fn snapshot() -> Snapshot {
+    #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+    {
+        let displays = super::manager::snapshot()
+            .map(|i| DisplayInfo {
+                slot: i.gen,
+                backend: i.backend.to_string(),
+                mode: i.mode,
+                state: i.state.to_string(),
+                expires_in_ms: i.expires_in_ms,
+                sessions: i.sessions,
+                client: None,
+            })
+            .into_iter()
+            .collect();
+        Snapshot { displays }
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(target_os = "windows"))]
+    {
+        // Linux keep-alive pool: not yet (needs GPU-box validation) — no managed displays to report.
+        Snapshot::default()
+    }
+}
+
+/// Force-release kept (lingering/pinned) displays now — the `/display/release` endpoint. `slot`
+/// selects one by [`DisplayInfo::slot`]; `None` releases every kept display. Active displays are
+/// refused (releasing a display with live sessions is session management). Returns the number
+/// released.
+pub fn release(_slot: Option<u64>) -> usize {
+    #[cfg(target_os = "windows")]
+    {
+        // Windows manages a single shared monitor at Stage 1, so `slot` is moot — release the one
+        // lingering monitor if present. (Multi-monitor gives `slot` meaning later.)
+        usize::from(super::manager::force_release())
+    }
+    #[cfg(not(target_os = "windows"))]
+    {
+        0
+    }
+}

crates/punktfunk-host/src/vdisplay/windows/manager.rs

@@ -634,13 +634,15 @@ impl VirtualDisplayManager {
                 // isn't DWM-composited on this box → Desktop Duplication born-losts. Deactivating the other
                 // display(s) first via the atomic CCD path promotes the IDD to a composited primary with no
                 // MODE_CHANGE storm. Opt out with PUNKTFUNK_NO_ISOLATE=1.
-                if std::env::var("PUNKTFUNK_NO_ISOLATE").is_err() {
+                if should_isolate() {
                     // SAFETY: `isolate_displays_ccd` is `unsafe` for its CCD topology FFI; it takes a
                     // `Copy` `u32` by value and returns an owned `SavedConfig` snapshot (no borrowed
                     // memory crosses). It runs under the `state` lock, the sole mutator of the topology.
                     ccd_saved = unsafe { isolate_displays_ccd(added.target_id) };
                 } else {
-                    tracing::info!("display isolation skipped (PUNKTFUNK_NO_ISOLATE) — IDD stays extended");
+                    tracing::info!(
+                        "display isolation skipped (topology=extend / PUNKTFUNK_NO_ISOLATE) — IDD stays extended"
+                    );
                 }
                 thread::sleep(Duration::from_millis(1500)); // let the topology settle before capture opens
             }
@@ -890,10 +892,119 @@ fn resolve_render_pin() -> Option<LUID> {
     crate::win_adapter::resolve_render_adapter_luid()
 }
 
-/// Linger window before a session-less monitor is torn down (default 10 s; `PUNKTFUNK_MONITOR_LINGER_MS`).
+/// A read-only view of the managed monitor for the mgmt `/display/state` endpoint (Goal:
+/// display-management registry facade). Backend-neutral; the [`crate::vdisplay::registry`] facade
+/// maps it into the wire shape.
+pub(crate) struct ManagedInfo {
+    pub backend: &'static str,
+    pub mode: (u32, u32, u32),
+    /// `"active"` | `"lingering"`.
+    pub state: &'static str,
+    /// Milliseconds until a lingering monitor is torn down (`None` when active).
+    pub expires_in_ms: Option<u64>,
+    /// Live sessions holding the monitor.
+    pub sessions: u32,
+    /// The monitor's generation stamp — a stable-enough id for the `/display/release` slot arg.
+    pub gen: u64,
+}
+
+impl VirtualDisplayManager {
+    /// Snapshot the current monitor for the mgmt `/display/state` endpoint. `None` when Idle.
+    pub(crate) fn snapshot(&self) -> Option<ManagedInfo> {
+        let st = self.state.lock().unwrap();
+        let (mon, state, sessions, expires_in_ms) = match &*st {
+            MgrState::Idle => return None,
+            MgrState::Active { mon, refs } => (mon, "active", *refs, None),
+            MgrState::Lingering { mon, until } => {
+                let ms = until.saturating_duration_since(Instant::now()).as_millis() as u64;
+                (mon, "lingering", 0u32, Some(ms))
+            }
+        };
+        Some(ManagedInfo {
+            backend: self.driver.name(),
+            mode: (mon.mode.width, mon.mode.height, mon.mode.refresh_hz),
+            state,
+            expires_in_ms,
+            sessions,
+            gen: mon.gen,
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// Force-tear-down a LINGERING monitor now (the `/display/release` endpoint) — so a
+    /// physical-screen user gets their screen back without waiting out the linger. An Active monitor
+    /// is refused (stopping a live session is session management, not display management). Returns
+    /// `true` if a lingering monitor was released.
+    pub(crate) fn force_release(&self) -> bool {
+        let Some(dev) = self.device_handle() else {
+            return false;
+        };
+        let mut st = self.state.lock().unwrap();
+        if matches!(&*st, MgrState::Lingering { .. }) {
+            if let MgrState::Lingering { mon, .. } = std::mem::replace(&mut *st, MgrState::Idle) {
+                // SAFETY: `teardown` needs a live control handle; `dev` is from `device_handle()`
+                // (cached handles are never closed — a dead one is retired, kept alive; see
+                // `DeviceSlot`). `mon` was moved out of the `Lingering` state under the `state` lock,
+                // so it is exclusively owned here — no aliasing.
+                unsafe { self.teardown(dev, mon) };
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        false
+    }
+}
+
+/// Snapshot the managed monitor, or `None` when no backend has initialised the manager yet (no
+/// session has ever run) or it is Idle. Safe to call per management request.
+pub(crate) fn snapshot() -> Option<ManagedInfo> {
+    VDM.get().and_then(VirtualDisplayManager::snapshot)
+}
+
+/// Force-release a lingering monitor now; `false` if nothing was lingering (or the manager is
+/// uninitialised).
+pub(crate) fn force_release() -> bool {
+    VDM.get()
+        .map(VirtualDisplayManager::force_release)
+        .unwrap_or(false)
+}
+
+/// Linger window before a session-less monitor is torn down. The console display-management policy
+/// wins when configured (`keep_alive`); otherwise the legacy `PUNKTFUNK_MONITOR_LINGER_MS` env knob,
+/// else the 10 s default.
 fn linger_ms() -> u64 {
+    use crate::vdisplay::policy::{prefs, Linger};
+    if let Some(eff) = prefs().configured_effective() {
+        return match eff.keep_alive.linger() {
+            Linger::Immediate => 0,
+            Linger::For(d) => d.as_millis() as u64,
+            // Pinned (keep forever) is built in the display-lifecycle stage; until then fall back to
+            // the default rather than silently keeping the monitor — and thus the physical screens —
+            // dark indefinitely. (The mgmt PUT also rejects `forever` at Stage 0, so this is defensive.)
+            Linger::Forever => {
+                tracing::warn!(
+                    "display policy: keep_alive=forever not yet honored — lingering 10 s \
+                     (Pinned lands in the display-lifecycle stage)"
+                );
+                10_000
+            }
+        };
+    }
     std::env::var("PUNKTFUNK_MONITOR_LINGER_MS")
         .ok()
         .and_then(|s| s.parse().ok())
         .unwrap_or(10_000)
 }
+
+/// Should a freshly-created monitor isolate the desktop to itself (disable the other displays)? The
+/// console policy's effective topology wins when configured — `Extend` leaves the IDD extended,
+/// `Exclusive`/`Primary` isolate (Stage 0 treats `Primary` as `Exclusive`); otherwise the legacy
+/// `PUNKTFUNK_NO_ISOLATE` env knob (unset ⇒ isolate, matching today's default).
+fn should_isolate() -> bool {
+    use crate::vdisplay::policy::Topology;
+    if let Some(eff) = crate::vdisplay::policy::prefs().configured_effective() {
+        return !matches!(
+            crate::vdisplay::resolve_topology(eff.topology),
+            Topology::Extend
+        );
+    }
+    std::env::var("PUNKTFUNK_NO_ISOLATE").is_err()
+}

crates/punktfunk-host/src/wol.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+//! Host-side Wake-on-LAN support.
+//!
+//! Two jobs, both best-effort (a failure here never affects streaming):
+//!  1. [`wake_macs`] — report the host's wake-capable NIC MAC(s) so a client can persist them
+//!     (from the mDNS `mac` TXT record, [`crate::discovery`]) and wake this host later, once it's
+//!     asleep and no longer advertising.
+//!  2. [`warn_if_not_armed`] — *detect & warn only* whether the NIC is actually armed to wake on a
+//!     magic packet. We never change NIC settings (that's the user's call); we just surface the
+//!     single most common reason WoL silently fails.
+
+use std::net::IpAddr;
+
+/// Upper bound on advertised MACs — keeps the mDNS TXT record small. A host has at most a couple
+/// of wake-capable NICs; the routed one is always first.
+const MAX_MACS: usize = 4;
+
+/// MAC(s) of the host's wake-capable NIC(s), lowercase `aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff`, with the NIC that
+/// bears `primary_ip` (the address clients reach us on) FIRST, then other non-loopback NICs as
+/// fallbacks. Best-effort — an empty list just means clients can't auto-wake (they fall back to
+/// manual MAC entry). Deduped; all-zero MACs skipped; capped at [`MAX_MACS`].
+pub fn wake_macs(primary_ip: IpAddr) -> Vec<String> {
+    let ifaces = if_addrs::get_if_addrs().unwrap_or_default();
+
+    // Interface names in priority order: the one holding `primary_ip` first, then every other
+    // non-loopback interface that has an IP, de-duplicated by name (an iface has one MAC but may
+    // appear once per address).
+    let mut names: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
+    if let Some(primary) = ifaces.iter().find(|i| i.ip() == primary_ip) {
+        names.push(primary.name.clone());
+    }
+    for i in &ifaces {
+        if i.is_loopback() {
+            continue;
+        }
+        if !names.contains(&i.name) {
+            names.push(i.name.clone());
+        }
+    }
+
+    let mut out: Vec<String> = Vec::new();
+    for name in names {
+        let Ok(Some(mac)) = mac_address::mac_address_by_name(&name) else {
+            continue;
+        };
+        let b = mac.bytes();
+        if b == [0u8; 6] {
+            continue; // unset / virtual
+        }
+        let s = format!(
+            "{:02x}:{:02x}:{:02x}:{:02x}:{:02x}:{:02x}",
+            b[0], b[1], b[2], b[3], b[4], b[5]
+        );
+        if !out.contains(&s) {
+            out.push(s);
+        }
+        if out.len() >= MAX_MACS {
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    out
+}
+
+/// Log whether the host NIC bearing `primary_ip` is armed to wake on a magic packet. Detect &
+/// warn only — never modifies settings. Linux-only (reads `ethtool <iface>`); a no-op elsewhere
+/// and silent when it can't tell (no `ethtool`, insufficient privilege).
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+pub fn warn_if_not_armed(primary_ip: IpAddr) {
+    let ifaces = if_addrs::get_if_addrs().unwrap_or_default();
+    let Some(iface) = ifaces
+        .iter()
+        .find(|i| i.ip() == primary_ip)
+        .map(|i| i.name.clone())
+    else {
+        return;
+    };
+    match ethtool_wol_has_magic(&iface) {
+        Some(true) => {
+            tracing::info!(iface = %iface, "Wake-on-LAN armed (magic packet) on host NIC")
+        }
+        Some(false) => tracing::warn!(
+            iface = %iface,
+            "Wake-on-LAN is NOT armed on this host's NIC — clients cannot wake it from sleep. \
+             Enable it with: sudo ethtool -s {iface} wol g  (and turn on 'Wake on LAN'/'Wake on \
+             PCIe' in BIOS). Wired Ethernet is required; Wi-Fi wake is unreliable.",
+        ),
+        None => {} // couldn't determine — stay quiet rather than cry wolf
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "linux"))]
+pub fn warn_if_not_armed(_primary_ip: IpAddr) {}
+
+/// Parse `ethtool <iface>` for the *current* Wake-on setting and report whether it includes `g`
+/// (wake on MagicPacket). Returns `None` if ethtool is missing/failed or the field is absent.
+#[cfg(target_os = "linux")]
+fn ethtool_wol_has_magic(iface: &str) -> Option<bool> {
+    let out = std::process::Command::new("ethtool")
+        .arg(iface)
+        .output()
+        .ok()?;
+    if !out.status.success() {
+        return None;
+    }
+    let text = String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout);
+    for line in text.lines() {
+        let t = line.trim();
+        // The current setting is "Wake-on: <flags>"; skip the "Supports Wake-on: ..." capability
+        // line. `g` = MagicPacket, `d` = disabled.
+        if let Some(flags) = t.strip_prefix("Wake-on:") {
+            return Some(flags.trim().contains('g'));
+        }
+    }
+    None
+}

design/display-management.md

@@ -0,0 +1,732 @@
+# Virtual-display management & lifecycle policy — design
+
+> **Status:** PLANNED (nothing implemented). This doc designs a **policy layer on top of the
+> existing per-compositor `VirtualDisplay` backends** — user-configurable lifecycle (keep-alive
+> after disconnect), topology (primary / exclusive), conflict handling (what happens when a second
+> client wants a different mode), stable display identity (so desktop environments remember
+> per-client settings like scaling), and **multi-monitor** (several virtual displays forming one
+> desktop, fed by one client or by several). The `VirtualDisplay` trait and the per-backend
+> `create()` mechanics stay as they are; this layer decides *when* to create, *how many*, *how
+> long* to keep, *what else* to do to the topology, and *under which identity*.
+
+Companion docs: `design/implementation-plan.md` §6 (virtual displays), `design/vrr-plan.md`
+(pacing — out of scope here), `design/gamescope-multiuser.md` (per-session isolation — adjacent,
+not required).
+
+## 1. Goal
+
+Today the virtual-display behavior is hardcoded per platform and per backend:
+
+- A session's virtual output is created at connect and torn down (RAII) at session end — a
+  disconnect destroys the display, reshuffles the desktop, and (on gamescope bare-spawn) **kills
+  the running game**.
+- "Make the streamed output the sole desktop" is an env knob on Linux
+  (`PUNKTFUNK_KWIN_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY` / `PUNKTFUNK_MUTTER_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY`, default-on for the
+  auto-detected desktop path) and default-on on Windows (`PUNKTFUNK_NO_ISOLATE` to opt out) —
+  and on Linux "primary" and "disable the other outputs" are conflated into one switch.
+- What happens when a second client connects is an emergent property of the platform: Linux
+  creates a second output (multi-view), Windows **reconfigures the shared monitor under the
+  live session** (join-path `reconfigure` in `vdisplay/windows/manager.rs::acquire`), GameStream
+  preempts.
+- Only Windows gives a client a stable monitor identity (`vdisplay/windows/identity.rs`), so only
+  Windows reapplies per-client display config (DPI scaling) across reconnects. On KDE every
+  session's output is `Virtual-punktfunk` at whatever mode — scaling has to be re-set per connect
+  and is shared across every client.
+- One session = exactly one display. A client with two physical monitors can only stream one;
+  a tablet can't join an existing streamed desktop *as a second monitor* on purpose (the Linux
+  multi-view behavior half-does it by accident, with no layout control).
+
+Goal: **one shared, documented configuration surface** — a small set of orthogonal options with
+safe defaults and selectable presets, stored host-side, editable from the web console, applied
+uniformly across the punktfunk/1 and GameStream paths and across all five backends (KWin,
+gamescope, Mutter, wlroots, Windows pf-vdisplay), each backend implementing what it can and
+**honestly declining** what it can't (the same honest-downgrade convention as 4:4:4/10-bit).
+
+## 2. What exists today (inventory)
+
+The asymmetry worth internalizing: **Windows already has most of the machinery; Linux has none.**
+
+| Mechanism | Windows (pf-vdisplay) | Linux (kwin/mutter/wlroots) | gamescope |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Lifecycle owner | `VirtualDisplayManager` singleton — `Idle / Active{refs} / Lingering{until}` state machine, gen-stamped `MonitorLease` | none — session owns `VirtualOutput.keepalive`, capturer drop = teardown | managed path: debounced TV-session restore (`RESTORE_DEBOUNCE` 5 s) + warm-session reuse; spawn path: child dies with the session |
+| Keep-alive after disconnect | linger, default 10 s (`PUNKTFUNK_MONITOR_LINGER_MS`) | none | managed: 5 s debounce (hardcoded) |
+| Reuse on reconnect | join Active (refcount++) / adopt Lingering (with a dead-swapchain preempt for IDD) | none (always create fresh) | managed: reuses the warm session |
+| Primary / exclusive | `isolate_displays_ccd` (exclusive), default on, restore on teardown | `apply_virtual_primary` = primary **and** disable others, env-gated, restore on drop; Mutter `make_virtual_primary` = sole monitor (APPLY_TEMPORARY) | n/a (own nested session) |
+| Mode conflict | join-path silently reconfigures the shared monitor (last-wins) | each session gets its own output (multi-view) | managed: one session; spawn: one gamescope per client |
+| Stable identity | `identity.rs` — cert-fp → id 1..=15 (EDID serial + ConnectorIndex), LRU, persisted `pf-vdisplay-identity.json` | none — KWin output always named `punktfunk`, sway `HEADLESS-N`, Mutter auto-serial | n/a |
+| Multi-monitor | manager is single-monitor (driver supports 16 connectors) | N outputs happen to coexist (multi-view), no layout/group semantics | single-output nested session |
+
+Design consequence: the plan is **not** "build a manager" — it's (a) extract the state machine
+Windows already proved into a platform-neutral, unit-testable core, (b) give Linux the ownership
+split it's missing (manager owns the keepalive, session holds a lease), (c) put a typed policy
+in front of both, (d) extend identity to Linux where the compositor allows it, and (e) grow the
+slot model into display **groups** so multi-monitor is an arrangement of slots, not a new system.
+
+## 3. Architecture
+
+Three new pieces, layered strictly **above** the `VirtualDisplay` trait (no backend rewrite):
+
+```
+                       ┌────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+   mgmt API / console  │  DisplayPolicy  (vdisplay/policy.rs)       │  pure config: schema,
+   host.env compat ───▶│  presets · layout · validation · persist   │  presets, env-compat
+                       └───────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
+                                       │ read per acquire/release (live-reload)
+                       ┌───────────────▼────────────────────────────┐
+   punktfunk/1 session │  DisplayRegistry (vdisplay/registry.rs)    │  host-lifetime singleton:
+   GameStream session ─▶  acquire(identity, mode) → DisplayLease    │  owns ManagedDisplay slots
+   mgmt /display/state │  release(lease) · linger timer · groups    │  grouped per desktop,
+                       └───────┬────────────────────────┬───────────┘  drives the pure Lifecycle
+                               │ create()/drop keepalive │ reconfigure/topology/layout ops
+                  ┌────────────▼──────────┐   ┌──────────▼───────────────┐
+                  │ Linux backends        │   │ Windows                  │
+                  │ kwin · gamescope ·    │   │ VirtualDisplayManager    │
+                  │ mutter · wlroots      │   │ (existing; delegates its │
+                  │ (unchanged trait)     │   │ state decisions upward)  │
+                  └───────────────────────┘   └──────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+- **`vdisplay/policy.rs`** — the typed config (`DisplayPolicy`), preset expansion, JSON
+  persistence (`<config>/display-settings.json`, the `gpu-settings.json` pattern: sanitize on
+  load, atomic tmp+rename write), and the deprecated-env-knob mapping. 100 % pure and
+  unit-tested (the `pick_gamescope_mode` / `wiring_plan.rs` discipline).
+- **`vdisplay/lifecycle.rs`** — the pure state machine: per-slot
+  `Idle / Active{refs} / Lingering{until} / Pinned` plus the **admission decision function**
+  (given: policy, requesting identity, requested mode(s), current slots → `Create | Reuse |
+  Reconfigure | Join{at_mode} | Steal{victims} | Reject{reason}`). No I/O, no OS types — fully
+  proptest/unit-testable, shared verbatim by both platforms. `Pinned` is `Lingering` with no
+  deadline (keep-alive **forever**), releasable only via mgmt/teardown.
+- **`vdisplay/registry.rs`** — the host-lifetime singleton that owns `ManagedDisplay` slots
+  (the backend `VirtualOutput` **including its `keepalive`**, the identity slot, current mode,
+  group membership, topology-restore state) and executes the lifecycle decisions: calls
+  `VirtualDisplay::create`, holds keepalives past session end, runs the linger timer, applies
+  layout, exposes the mgmt snapshot. On Windows it wraps the existing `VirtualDisplayManager`
+  (which keeps its driver/CCD/preempt specifics — the IDD dead-swapchain preempt, the
+  WUDFHost-death preempt, `begin_idd_setup` — but reads its linger duration and join/steal
+  behavior from the policy instead of env/hardcode).
+
+### The ownership split (the one real refactor)
+
+Today `capture::capture_virtual_output(vout, …)` consumes the whole `VirtualOutput` — the
+capturer owns the keepalive, so capturer drop tears the display down. That coupling is exactly
+what makes keep-alive impossible on Linux. Split it:
+
+```rust
+pub struct DisplayLease { /* registry handle + gen stamp; Drop = release(refcount--) */ }
+pub struct CaptureSource {          // what capture actually needs — Copy-ish, no ownership
+    pub node_id: u32,
+    pub remote_fd: Option<OwnedFd>, // Mutter portal daemon (dup'd per capture attach)
+    pub preferred_mode: Option<(u32, u32, u32)>,
+    #[cfg(windows)] pub win_capture: Option<WinCaptureTarget>,
+}
+// registry.acquire(...) -> (DisplayLease, CaptureSource)
+```
+
+The `keepalive: Box<dyn Send>` moves into `ManagedDisplay` inside the registry. The session's
+pipeline holds the `DisplayLease` (mirrors the Windows `MonitorLease`, gen-stamped so a stale
+lease from a preempted display is a release-no-op — the proven pattern). `build_pipeline`'s
+`vd.create(mode)` call sites (`punktfunk1.rs`, `gamestream/stream.rs`, `spike.rs`) become
+`registry::acquire(...)`. Every failure/retry path keeps its shape — the retry-hold lease trick
+in `build_pipeline_with_retry` maps 1:1 onto a `DisplayLease`.
+
+**Re-capture on reuse** is per-backend (see §7): wlroots re-runs portal capture of the still-
+existing output; KWin/Mutter reconnect a PipeWire consumer to the kept node (validation item);
+gamescope re-discovers the nested compositor's node; Windows already re-targets. If re-capture
+of a kept display fails, the registry falls back to **teardown + fresh create** (bounded, inside
+the existing `build_pipeline_with_retry` budget) — keep-alive is an optimization, never a new
+failure mode.
+
+## 4. The configuration surface
+
+### 4.1 Schema (`<config>/display-settings.json`)
+
+```json5
+{
+  "version": 1,
+  // Convenience: a named preset. "custom" (or absent) = the explicit fields below rule.
+  // When a preset IS named, the fields below are ignored (the console writes one or the other).
+  "preset": "custom",
+
+  // How long a display (and, on gamescope, the nested session + game) survives after the last
+  // session detaches. "off" = teardown at session end. "forever" = until host stop / explicit
+  // release. Duration is seconds.
+  "keep_alive": { "mode": "duration", "seconds": 300 },   // "off" | {"duration", seconds} | "forever"
+
+  // What the host does to the box's display topology while virtual displays are up:
+  //   "extend"    – add the virtual display(s), touch nothing else
+  //   "primary"   – make the group's primary virtual display the OS primary; physical outputs
+  //                 stay enabled
+  //   "exclusive" – the managed virtual displays become the ONLY enabled outputs (physicals
+  //                 disabled, restored when the group's last display is torn down)
+  //   "auto"      – today's behavior: exclusive on the auto-detected desktop path & Windows,
+  //                 extend when the operator pinned a compositor/env said otherwise
+  "topology": "auto",
+
+  // Admission when a client connects while another client's display/session is live and the
+  // requested mode differs (same-client reconnect ALWAYS reuses/reconfigures its own display):
+  //   "separate" – give the new client its own virtual display ON THE SAME DESKTOP (bounded by
+  //                max_displays) — this is also the "many clients as monitors" mode, see §6A
+  //   "steal"    – stop the existing session(s), tear down / reconfigure, serve the new client
+  //   "join"     – admit the new client AT THE EXISTING MODE (Welcome/serverinfo reflect the
+  //                real mode — the honest-downgrade convention); never reconfigures under a
+  //                live session
+  //   "reject"   – refuse the new client with a clear handshake error
+  "mode_conflict": "separate",
+
+  // Stable display identity → desktop environments persist per-display config (KDE scaling):
+  //   "shared"          – one identity for everything (today's Linux behavior)
+  //   "per-client"      – one identity per paired client cert fingerprint (today's Windows);
+  //                       a multi-display client (§6B) gets one identity per (client, display #)
+  //   "per-client-mode" – one identity per (client, WxH) — distinct scaling per resolution,
+  //                       at the cost of identity slots (Windows has 15; LRU eviction)
+  "identity": "per-client",
+
+  // How the group's displays are arranged in the desktop coordinate space (§6.2):
+  //   "auto-row" – left-to-right in acquire order, top-aligned (deterministic default);
+  //                a §6B client's own monitor-arrangement hints override auto placement
+  //   "manual"   – per-identity-slot offsets below (console-arranged); wins over client hints
+  "layout": { "mode": "auto-row", "positions": { /* "<slot>": {"x": 0, "y": 0} */ } },
+
+  // Upper bound on simultaneously-live virtual displays (Active + Lingering + Pinned, across
+  // the whole group). Admission returns Reject/Steal (per mode_conflict) when full; a §6B
+  // AddDisplay beyond it is declined. Windows is additionally capped by the driver (see §7).
+  "max_displays": 4
+}
+```
+
+Deliberate non-options (rejected):
+
+- **Per-client policy overrides** — real, but v2. One host-global policy first; the schema keys
+  are chosen so a later `"clients": {"<fp>": {…}}` overlay is additive.
+- **Idle timeout for Pinned displays** ("forever but tear down after 24 h") — `keep_alive`
+  already expresses it as a long duration; don't add a second axis.
+- **Choosing the linger for capture-loss separately from clean disconnect** — the registry only
+  sees "last lease released"; the session layer already distinguishes and (see §5.1) an explicit
+  client **quit** bypasses keep-alive entirely.
+- **Per-display FEC/bitrate policy knobs** — bitrate stays session-negotiated per stream as
+  today; a multi-display session's per-display bitrates are the client's ask, not host policy.
+
+### 4.2 Precedence & live-reload
+
+`display-settings.json` (console-written) **>** deprecated env knobs **>** built-in defaults —
+the exact precedence convention the GPU preference set (`console preference >
+PUNKTFUNK_RENDER_ADAPTER > auto`). The policy is **read at each acquire/release**, not once at
+startup (it's file/registry state, not env — no `HostConfig` constraint), so a console change
+applies to the next connect/disconnect without a host restart, same contract as the GPU card
+("applies to the next session"). Env-knob compatibility mapping (all logged as deprecated when
+they take effect):
+
+| Legacy knob | Maps to |
+|---|---|
+| `PUNKTFUNK_MONITOR_LINGER_MS` | `keep_alive = duration(ms/1000)` (Windows) |
+| `PUNKTFUNK_NO_ISOLATE` | `topology = "extend"` (Windows) |
+| `PUNKTFUNK_KWIN_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY` / `PUNKTFUNK_MUTTER_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY` | `topology = "exclusive"` when truthy, `"extend"` when explicitly `0` |
+
+The `apply_session_env` default-on write of `*_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY` for the auto-desktop path is
+**replaced** by `topology = "auto"` resolving to exclusive on that path — one fewer process-env
+mutation on the connect path (a small win for the env-race surface `ENV_LOCK` guards).
+
+### 4.3 Presets
+
+Presets are the documented, supported entry point; raw fields are the escape hatch. Expansion
+lives in `policy.rs` and is unit-tested so docs and code can't drift.
+
+| Preset | keep_alive | topology | mode_conflict | identity | layout | Story |
+|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `default` | 10 s | auto | separate | per-client | auto-row | Today's behavior, made explicit: short linger absorbs client hiccups/reconnects, streamed output is the sole desktop on the auto path, extra clients get their own view. |
+| `gaming-rig` | forever | exclusive | steal | per-client | auto-row | Dedicated headless/couch box: the game and its display survive disconnects indefinitely; whoever connects takes the box over ("the TV model"). |
+| `shared-desktop` | off | extend | separate | per-client | auto-row | Streaming a desktop someone may also use physically: never blank the real monitors, never keep ghost outputs, concurrent viewers each get a view. |
+| `hotdesk` | 5 min | exclusive | reject | per-client-mode | auto-row | One user at a time with fast reattach (roaming between own devices); a second user is told the box is busy; each device+resolution keeps its own scaling. |
+| `workstation` | 5 min | exclusive | separate | per-client | manual | The multi-monitor daily driver: your dual-monitor client gets both displays back exactly where you arranged them (§6B), or a tablet joins as a side monitor (§6A). |
+
+## 5. Option semantics in detail
+
+### 5.1 `keep_alive`
+
+**What survives.** The *display* (compositor output / IddCx monitor / spawned gamescope) and its
+topology state survive; the *session* (QUIC conn, capture stream, encoder, input devices, audio
+plumbing) does not. Concretely per backend, "the display survives" means:
+
+- **kwin / mutter / wlroots**: the output stays in the layout → windows don't reshuffle, a
+  running game keeps rendering at the client's mode, reconnect is fast (no create/negotiate).
+- **gamescope (bare spawn)**: the nested gamescope **and the game launched inside it keep
+  running** — this is the headline user value (Sunshine/Apollo-style detach/reattach) and the
+  reason `keep_alive` is worth building at all.
+- **gamescope (managed)**: the policy duration replaces the hardcoded 5 s
+  `RESTORE_DEBOUNCE` — the warm Steam session stays up for the window; `forever` means the TV
+  session is never auto-restored (release via console/tray).
+- **Windows**: the existing linger, plus `forever` = the new `Pinned` state.
+
+**Rules.**
+- Input devices (uinput pads, libei/EIS contexts) stay session-scoped — a disconnect reads to
+  the game as "controller unplugged", which games handle. (Keeping pads alive for kept sessions
+  is a possible later refinement; do not build it now.)
+- The **launch command runs once per display creation, never per attach** — a reconnect to a
+  kept gamescope must not double-launch the game. Today launch already happens once per
+  `build_pipeline`-successful session; the invariant moves with the create into the registry.
+- An explicit client **quit** (GameStream `cancel`/quit-app; a future punktfunk/1
+  `EndSession{quit}` control message — protocol growth, trailing-byte back-compat as usual)
+  bypasses keep-alive: the user said "stop the game", so tear down now. Plain disconnects and
+  connection losses honor the policy.
+- Host shutdown tears everything down (RAII on exit, as today). A host crash leaves whatever
+  the OS reclaims — Wayland connections die with the process (compositor reclaims outputs),
+  spawned gamescopes die with the process group, the pf-vdisplay watchdog reaps monitors when
+  pings stop. No new orphan class.
+- `keep_alive` + `topology=exclusive` means **physical monitors stay dark after disconnect**
+  until linger expiry / release. This is intended (gaming-rig) but must be loud in the docs, and
+  the release-now escape hatch (§8) must exist in the same release that ships `forever`.
+
+### 5.2 `topology`
+
+Splits the currently-conflated "primary" knob into three honest levels, **group-aware** (§6.1):
+"exclusive" means *the managed virtual displays* are the only enabled outputs — never disable a
+sibling slot; restore fires when the group's last display drops. Per-backend mapping:
+
+| | extend | primary | exclusive |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| KWin | no-op | `kscreen-doctor output.X.primary` only | primary + disable non-managed others (today's `apply_virtual_primary` with a registry-driven filter, §6.1), restore-on-teardown |
+| Mutter | no-op | `ApplyMonitorsConfig` incl. physicals, virtual primary | today's sole-monitor config (`make_virtual_primary`) extended to include all group members |
+| wlroots | no-op | **unsupported** (no primary concept) → log + treat as extend | `swaymsg output <phys> disable` + re-enable on teardown (new, small) |
+| gamescope | n/a — the nested session *is* the whole world; all three resolve to no-op | | |
+| Windows | skip isolate (today's `PUNKTFUNK_NO_ISOLATE`) | CCD primary-only variant (new, small — `set_active_mode` already exists; primary without deactivation) | today's `isolate_displays_ccd`, extended to isolate to the SET of managed targets |
+
+Restore stays bound to **display teardown** (keepalive drop / `teardown()`), not session end —
+already true everywhere; keep-alive inherits it for free. The KWin restore-before-reclaim
+ordering (re-enable others *first* so KWin never sees zero enabled outputs) is preserved.
+
+`auto` resolves at acquire time: exclusive on Windows and on the Linux auto-detected-desktop
+path, extend under an explicit `PUNKTFUNK_COMPOSITOR` pin (the CI/test posture) — bit-for-bit
+today's defaults, so `default` preset = no behavior change.
+
+### 5.3 `mode_conflict`
+
+Enforced at **admission**, before the Welcome / RTSP launch, in the lifecycle decision function
+— so the client gets an honest answer, not a mid-build failure:
+
+- Applies only across **different clients** (identity ≠ identity). A same-client reconnect
+  always preempts its own zombie session / adopts its own kept display and reconfigures it to
+  the newly requested mode (today's behavior, now uniform on all platforms).
+- `separate` — allocate another slot in the desktop group (Linux multi-view today, upgraded
+  with layout — §6A; Windows: **requires the multi-monitor manager, §6.6** — until that stage
+  lands, `separate` on Windows resolves to `join` with a startup + docs warning rather than
+  silently doing something else).
+- `join` — the second client is admitted at the live display's mode. punktfunk/1: the Welcome's
+  `Config` carries the real mode (the client already renders what the Welcome says — the
+  4:4:4/10-bit honest-downgrade pattern). GameStream: serverinfo/RTSP negotiate the live mode.
+  **This replaces the Windows join-path's silent last-wins `reconfigure` under a live session**
+  — that current behavior becomes opt-in as `steal`.
+- `steal` — signal the victim sessions' stop flags (the machinery `begin_idd_setup` already
+  uses), wait the release grace, tear down or reconfigure, admit. Trust note: conflict policy
+  runs **after** the pairing gate, so on a default host only paired clients can steal; on an
+  `--open`/TOFU host any accepted client can — the docs call this out and recommend `reject`
+  for open hosts.
+- `reject` — punktfunk/1: a typed handshake refusal (extend the existing error path with a
+  `busy` reason string carrying the live mode + client label so the client UI can say "host is
+  streaming 2560×1440 to <name>"); GameStream: the 503/session-in-use answer Moonlight already
+  understands.
+
+Interaction with `--max-concurrent` (session bound) is unchanged and orthogonal: sessions and
+displays are different resources; `max_displays` bounds displays, the accept-loop permit bounds
+in-flight sessions. `join` deliberately lets N sessions share one display (that's today's
+Windows concurrency model).
+
+### 5.4 `identity` — stable displays, persistent scaling (the KDE ask)
+
+Two halves: an **identity map** (who gets which slot) and a **per-backend identity carrier**
+(how a slot becomes something the DE keys its config on).
+
+**Map** — generalize `vdisplay/windows/identity.rs` (it's already pure + unit-tested) into a
+platform-neutral `vdisplay/identity.rs`: key = client cert fp (plus display ordinal for a §6B
+multi-display client, plus WxH under `per-client-mode`), value = small stable slot id, LRU
+eviction at the platform cap, persisted `<config>/display-identity.json` (Windows migrates
+`pf-vdisplay-identity.json` on first load — read old path if new absent, write new).
+Anonymous/unpaired clients stay slot 0 = auto/shared. **GameStream clients get identities too**
+(improvement over today): the paired GameStream client cert fingerprint feeds the same map, so a
+Moonlight device also keeps its scaling — today `set_client_identity` is only wired on the
+punktfunk/1 path.
+
+**Carriers per backend:**
+
+- **Windows** — shipped: slot → EDID serial + IddCx ConnectorIndex; Windows keys
+  `PerMonitorSettings` (DPI scaling) on exactly that. Cap 15 (ConnectorIndex <
+  MaxMonitorsSupported=16). `per-client-mode` and per-display ordinals work unchanged but burn
+  slots faster — the LRU already handles pressure; document the trade-off.
+- **KWin** — the carrier is the **output name**: `stream_virtual_output(name, …)` becomes
+  `punktfunk-<slot>` → output `Virtual-punktfunk-<slot>`. KWin persists per-output config
+  (scale, transform, mode) in `kwinoutputconfig.json`, matching EDID-less outputs **by name** —
+  so a stable per-client name is precisely what makes KDE reapply that client's scaling.
+  Two validation items before relying on it (Stage 3 gate, §11):
+  1. confirm KWin ≥ 6.5.6 actually persists + reapplies scale for `Virtual-*` outputs;
+  2. confirm a *remembered mode* doesn't fight the freshly requested one (if KWin reapplies a
+     stale stored mode on output-added, our existing `set_custom_refresh`/mode apply must run
+     after and win — it already reads back the achieved mode, so a fight is at least visible).
+  Side effect worth having: distinct names also unclash concurrent sessions (today two
+  simultaneous KWin sessions both create `Virtual-punktfunk` and `set_custom_refresh` /
+  `other_enabled_outputs` match **by that shared name** — a latent multi-view bug this fixes).
+- **wlroots** — no rename and no settable description via IPC; headless outputs are
+  `HEADLESS-N` by creation order. Identity is therefore **not reliably carriable** → declared
+  unsupported (`shared` behavior regardless of setting; capability matrix + docs say so). The
+  single-session case is de-facto stable (`HEADLESS-1`), which users can pin in sway config —
+  document that recipe instead of pretending.
+- **Mutter** — `RecordVirtual` auto-generates the virtual monitor's serial; no public D-Bus
+  surface to control it → unsupported for now. Note for later: re-evaluate Mutter's
+  virtual-monitor D-Bus surface per GNOME release (tracked as an open item, not a promise).
+- **gamescope** — n/a: the client streams a whole nested session; scaling inside it is per-game.
+
+**Scale as a punktfunk-side option (small, high-value adjunct):** KWin's
+`stream_virtual_output` takes a `scale` argument we currently hardcode to `1.0`. Add an optional
+per-client `default_scale` (console-editable next to the device list) passed at create on KWin;
+on Windows scaling stays the OS's job (identity makes it persist). This gives HiDPI phones/
+tablets a correct-sized desktop on first connect, before any DE-side persistence exists. A
+client-requested scale hint in the Hello (trailing-byte back-compat, like the gamepad-pref byte)
+is future protocol growth — design it when a client actually wants to send it.
+
+## 6. Multi-monitor
+
+Two scenarios, deliberately separated because they differ ~10× in cost:
+
+- **§6A — many clients, one desktop ("second screen")**: each client device becomes one more
+  monitor of the same host desktop (tablet as a side monitor next to the laptop's stream).
+  Structurally this already half-exists on the Linux desktop compositors (`separate` gives
+  every client its own output on the shared desktop); what's missing is *intent*: layout
+  control, group-aware topology, and honest per-backend gating. **No protocol change** — it
+  ships on the registry work.
+- **§6B — one client, many displays**: a client with two physical monitors gets two virtual
+  displays, streamed as two video planes, presented one-per-monitor, arranged on the host to
+  mirror the client's physical arrangement. Needs protocol growth, N encoder pipelines, client
+  presenter work, and (on Windows) the multi-monitor manager. **punktfunk/1-native only** —
+  GameStream/Moonlight has no multi-display vocabulary and stays single-stream.
+
+### 6.1 Display groups (registry concept, serves both)
+
+`ManagedDisplay` slots gain a **group**: the set of displays sharing one desktop/session.
+
+- kwin / mutter / wlroots: one group per compositor session — every acquired slot joins it
+  (that *is* the shared desktop).
+- gamescope spawn: one group per spawned nested session. gamescope is single-output — a §6B
+  client asking N displays there resolves to 1, honestly (the extra `AddDisplay`s are declined).
+- Windows: one group (the desktop); slots = IddCx monitors (§6.6).
+
+Group-aware semantics — these fix latent issues even before multi-monitor ships:
+
+- **`exclusive` disables only non-managed (physical/bootstrap) outputs, never group members.**
+  Today's KWin `apply_virtual_primary` disables "everything not named `Virtual-punktfunk`" —
+  under Stage-3 per-slot names, a second session's exclusive would disable the *first* session's
+  live output. The filter must consult the registry (the set of managed output names), not one
+  hardcoded name. Same shape on Windows (`isolate_displays_ccd` isolates to the managed target
+  *set*) and Mutter (the sole-monitor config includes all group members).
+- **`primary` designates one group member** — for §6B the client marks which of its displays is
+  primary (its OS already knows); for §6A the first slot wins unless the console re-designates.
+- **Topology restore is per-group, not per-display** — the saved pre-stream config is restored
+  when the group's **last** member drops, never while siblings live. (Windows `SavedConfig` and
+  the KWin `restore` vec move from `Monitor`/`StopGuard` into the group record.)
+
+### 6.2 Layout
+
+The `layout` policy block (§4.1) controls where group members sit in the desktop space:
+
+- `auto-row` (default): left-to-right in acquire order, top-aligned — what compositors mostly
+  do anyway, made deterministic.
+- `manual`: per-identity-slot offsets, console-edited (an OS-settings-style drag mini-map is
+  the stretch UI; an x/y table ships first). Keyed by identity slot, so *client B's tablet
+  always reappears to the right of client A's monitor* — layout + identity compose.
+- A §6B client sends its real monitor arrangement as per-display position hints; they override
+  `auto-row` (mouse crossing between streamed monitors then matches the client's physical
+  layout) but lose to `manual` pins.
+
+Backend mapping — all existing tooling, no new protocols: KWin
+`kscreen-doctor output.X.position.x,y` (validate syntax the way `set_custom_refresh` did);
+wlroots `swaymsg output <n> position X Y`; Mutter logical-monitor positions in the same
+`ApplyMonitorsConfig` we already build; Windows CCD source origins in the same
+`SetDisplayConfig` path `isolate_displays_ccd` uses.
+
+**Host-side input routing.** §6A needs nothing (N clients inject into one desktop — already
+true today). §6B needs the injectors to map `(display, x, y)` → desktop coordinates using the
+group layout: per-backend work items — libei absolute positioning is per-region, the wlr
+virtual-pointer protocol binds to an output, Windows `SendInput` absolute is desktop-normalized
+(pure math off the group layout). Wire change in §6.3.
+
+Two realities to document, not engineer around: **cursor rendering is already correct** (every
+backend embeds the cursor per-output — KWin `POINTER_EMBEDDED`, the IDD's per-monitor
+composition — so it appears only on the stream it's on and "crosses" between monitors
+naturally), and **a §6A desktop has one cursor shared by all member clients** — exactly right
+for the one-user-two-devices case (touch the tablet, the cursor jumps there), chaotic for two
+people; genuinely independent users want gamescope multi-user
+(`design/gamescope-multiuser.md`), not groups.
+
+### 6.3 Protocol growth for §6B (punktfunk/1 only)
+
+Principle: **a display is one data-plane instance.** Don't touch the hardened core packet
+format — N displays = N × (encoder + send thread + core `Session` over its own UDP flow), one
+shared QUIC control connection, one set of session-scoped side planes (audio, mic, rumble,
+input). And **don't grow the Hello**: the handshake's back-compat idiom is single trailing
+bytes — a variable-length display list doesn't fit it, and it doesn't need to, because the
+control stream stays open after `Start` (Reconfigure/ClockProbe already ride it).
+
+- **Capability**: client advertises `VIDEO_CAP_MULTI_DISPLAY` (`video_caps` bit `0x10`); the
+  Welcome echoes the host's per-session display budget as one trailing byte (`max_displays`
+  remaining, `0`/absent = single-display host — old hosts are automatically honest).
+- **Negotiation**: the Hello/Welcome pair is untouched and establishes **display 0** exactly as
+  today (an old host serves a multi-monitor-capable client's primary display with zero special
+  cases). Extra displays negotiate post-`Start` on the control stream:
+  `AddDisplay { mode, position_hint, primary: bool } → DisplayAdded { index, config /* the same
+  honest per-display Config shape the Welcome carries: mode, bit depth, chroma, codec */ }` or
+  `DisplayDeclined { reason }`. `RemoveDisplay { index }` and a per-display `Reconfigure`
+  (index as a trailing byte on the existing message) complete the set — **client monitor
+  hotplug maps 1:1 onto Add/Remove mid-session.**
+- **Data plane**: `DisplayAdded` carries the flow binding (host UDP port / flow token) for that
+  display's own core `Session`. Per-flow crypto derives the AES-GCM nonce salts per
+  (direction, display index) — no salt reuse across flows; FEC domains are independent per flow
+  (loss on one display can't stall another) — this is why "one Session per display" beats
+  muxing display ids into the core packet format.
+- **Side planes**: pointer/touch events gain a display-index byte (same trailing-byte pattern
+  as the gamepad pref; absent = display 0); 0xCF host-timing and 0xCE HDR-metadata datagrams
+  gain the index the same way (a client mixing an HDR laptop panel + SDR external monitor gets
+  per-display grades). Audio/mic/rumble/gamepad stay session-scoped, untouched.
+- **Per-display honesty**: each display negotiates bit depth/chroma/codec independently through
+  the same resolve functions — a host that can afford HEVC Main10 on one head and only 4:2:0 on
+  the second says so in each `DisplayAdded.config`.
+- **Stats**: the stats-unification vocabulary (four measurement points, p50/p95 windows) gains
+  a display dimension — per-display series, HUD shows the focused display's equation
+  (`design/stats-unification.md` gets a §6B addendum; don't invent client-local stats).
+- **C ABI / connector**: `punktfunk_add_display` / per-display `next_au` routing (an index out
+  param on the existing call keeps the ABI additive), so PunktfunkKit/JNI stay on the shared
+  connector.
+
+### 6.4 Encoder & resource budget
+
+N displays = N encode pipelines. NVENC consumer session caps — and the existing auto 2-way
+**split-encode** above ~1 Gpix/s consuming *two* NVENC sessions for one stream — mean admission
+must budget: `DisplayAdded` is granted only if the encoder backend confirms capacity (extend the
+existing NVENC session accounting + the AMF/QSV probes with a `can_open_another()` check), and
+**split-encode is disabled for multi-display sessions** (displays win over split; a 5K@240
+single head is not the multi-monitor use case). `max_displays` bounds the group. Same idle-cost
+note as keep-alive: every added display composites + encodes at full rate. Bandwidth is
+per-display additive (two 4K heads ≈ 2× the bitrate): the per-host speed test's recommendation
+should be read **per session** and split across that session's displays — the client divides
+its ask, the host doesn't second-guess it (per-display bitrate is deliberately not host policy,
+§4.1).
+
+### 6.5 Client staging for §6B
+
+- **Linux GTK + Windows clients first** — natural multi-window presenters: one
+  window/fullscreen surface per display on the matching physical monitor, the existing capture
+  state machine extended to span them (pointer crossing between our fullscreen windows must not
+  release capture).
+- **macOS second** (multi-NSWindow across Screens; Spaces/fullscreen interplay is the risk).
+- **Android/iOS/tvOS: never advertise the capability** — single-display presenters. A phone or
+  tablet still participates in multi-monitor via §6A (it *is* a second monitor), which needs
+  nothing from those clients.
+
+### 6.6 Windows multi-monitor manager
+
+Previously an explicit non-goal; now a designed **final stage** — the single-monitor manager
+keeps working unchanged until it lands:
+
+- **Manager**: the singleton's `MgrState` becomes a map keyed by connector id; `lifecycle.rs`
+  is already written per-slot, so the Windows manager's delegation doesn't change shape. The
+  IDD reconnect preempts (dead-swapchain, WUDFHost-death) become per-slot.
+- **Driver**: pf-vdisplay already ADDs by connector id 1..=15 (the identity map's bound). The
+  sealed frame channel (`IOCTL_SET_FRAME_CHANNEL`) must become **per-monitor** — channel
+  messages carry the monitor id, reusing the multi-pad `pad_index` pattern (driver proto v3;
+  `design/idd-push-security.md` addendum: same unnamed-object + handle-dup broker per ring).
+  Driver work + CI + on-glass validation is exactly why this stage is last.
+- **Capture/encode**: one IDD-push capturer per monitor ring; budget per §6.4.
+- **CCD**: isolate/primary/layout already group-aware from §6.1/6.2.
+
+## 7. Per-backend capability matrix
+
+What each backend supports; unsupported cells resolve to the stated fallback and are surfaced in
+`GET /api/v1/display/state` per display (`"capabilities": [...]`) so the console can grey options
+out per-host instead of lying:
+
+| Capability | KWin | gamescope spawn | gamescope managed | gamescope attach | Mutter | wlroots | Windows |
+|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+| keep-alive (linger/forever) | ✅ hold the vout thread; re-attach PipeWire consumer to the kept node — **validate** | ✅ nested session + game survive; re-discover node | ✅ policy replaces the 5 s debounce | — (never owned it) | ✅ hold the D-Bus session; consumer re-attach — **validate** | ✅ output persists; fresh portal capture per attach (cleanest) | ✅ shipped; add `Pinned` |
+| reconfigure kept display to a new mode | ✅ `set_custom_refresh` + kscreen mode | ✅ SIGKILL+respawn is the honest "reconfigure" (game restarts — docs say so) or decline → recreate | ✅ existing managed-mode set | — | ⚠ node is sized by negotiation; renegotiation unproven — fallback recreate | ✅ `output <n> mode --custom` | ✅ `reconfigure()` shipped |
+| topology: primary | ✅ | n/a | n/a | n/a | ✅ | ❌ → extend | ✅ (new, small) |
+| topology: exclusive | ✅ shipped (filter → group-aware) | n/a | n/a | n/a | ✅ shipped (→ group-aware) | ✅ (new, small) | ✅ shipped (→ group-aware) |
+| mode_conflict: separate / §6A group | ✅ multi-output | ✅ one gamescope per client (independent sessions, no shared desktop) | ❌ single session → steal/join/reject only | — | ✅ assumed — **validate ≥2 RecordVirtual monitors** | ✅ HEADLESS-N | ⏳ §6.6 (until then → join + warning) |
+| §6B multi-display for one client | ✅ N outputs + layout | ❌ single-output (extra displays declined) | ❌ | — | ⚠ gated on the ≥2-monitor validation | ✅ | ⏳ §6.6 |
+| layout (position control) | ✅ kscreen position | n/a | n/a | n/a | ✅ ApplyMonitorsConfig | ✅ `output position` | ✅ CCD origins |
+| stable identity | ✅ output name per slot | n/a | n/a | n/a | ❌ (API gives no serial control) | ❌ (no name control) | ✅ shipped |
+
+The **attach** gamescope sub-mode never owns the display (it mirrors a foreign gamescope) — the
+registry records it as an unmanaged pass-through slot: no keep-alive, no topology, no identity,
+conflict = join-only. That's just codifying reality.
+
+## 8. Management API, web console, tray
+
+Endpoints (bearer-only, like `/gpus`; documented in `mgmt.rs`'s OpenAPI → regenerate
+`api/openapi.json`):
+
+- `GET /api/v1/display/settings` → `{ settings, preset_expansions, capabilities }` — the stored
+  policy plus what this host's live backend can actually do (so the console renders accurate
+  controls).
+- `PUT /api/v1/display/settings` — validate (unknown fields rejected, ranges clamped like the
+  GPU PUT), persist atomically, log. Applies from the next acquire/release.
+- `GET /api/v1/display/state` → live slots:
+  ```json
+  { "displays": [ { "slot": 3, "backend": "kwin", "output": "Virtual-punktfunk-3",
+      "mode": "2560x1440@120", "state": "lingering", "expires_in_s": 240,
+      "client": "a1b2c3…(label)", "display_index": 0, "sessions": 0,
+      "group": 1, "position": {"x": 0, "y": 0}, "topology": "exclusive" } ] }
+  ```
+- `POST /api/v1/display/release` `{ "slot": 3 }` or `{}` (all) — immediately tear down
+  Lingering/Pinned displays. **Refuses Active** (stopping a live session is session management,
+  not display management — don't blur it).
+- `PUT /api/v1/display/layout` `{ "positions": { "<slot>": {"x":…, "y":…} } }` — the manual
+  arrangement (applies live to affected groups; persisted into the policy's layout block).
+
+Web console (Host page, next to the GPU card): a **Virtual displays** card — preset selector
+(radio + one-line story each, `custom` unlocking the advanced fields), the live display list from
+`/state` with per-row "Release" buttons and a linger countdown, the arrangement editor (x/y
+table first, drag mini-map stretch), capability-aware disabled states. The loopback
+`local/summary` gains a `displays_live` count (counts only — the established no-secrets rule) so
+the **tray** tooltip can show "1 display kept alive" and offer a release-all action through the
+same elevation path as start/stop (Windows) / `systemctl --user` (Linux) — tray work is a
+stretch stage, not core.
+
+## 9. Enforcement points (exact code paths)
+
+1. **punktfunk/1 handshake** (`punktfunk1.rs`, where the Hello is resolved into the Welcome):
+   call `registry::admit(identity, requested_mode)` → on `Reject` answer the typed refusal; on
+   `Join` the Welcome's `Config` carries the live mode; on `Steal` signal victims + wait release
+   (bounded) before proceeding. This runs **before** `SessionContext` is built.
+2. **`virtual_stream` / `build_pipeline`** (`punktfunk1.rs:3511`, `build_pipeline_with_retry`):
+   `vd.create(mode)` → `registry::acquire(...) -> (DisplayLease, CaptureSource)`; the retry-hold
+   lease keeps its exact semantics. The mid-stream **Reconfigure**, **session-switch**, and
+   **capture-loss rebuild** paths re-acquire through the registry so a compositor switch
+   correctly releases the old backend's slot and the new mode updates the slot's record.
+3. **Control stream, post-Start** (§6B): `AddDisplay`/`RemoveDisplay` handlers spawn/stop a
+   per-display pipeline (its own `registry::acquire`, encoder, send thread, UDP flow) inside the
+   same `SessionContext` lifetime; `--max-concurrent` counts sessions, not displays.
+4. **GameStream** (`gamestream/stream.rs::open_gs_virtual_source`): same acquire; identity from
+   the paired client cert fp (new); quit-app → `release(quit=true)` which bypasses keep-alive.
+5. **Session end**: capturer drop (releases the PipeWire consumer / ring) then `DisplayLease`
+   drop → lifecycle decides Linger/Pinned/teardown. On Linux the keepalive no longer rides the
+   capturer (§3 ownership split).
+6. **`serve` startup/shutdown**: registry constructed once (like `start_restore_worker`), all
+   slots torn down on graceful exit.
+
+## 10. Documentation plan
+
+A dedicated docs-site page **`docs-site/content/docs/virtual-displays.md`** (+ `meta.json`
+entry), cross-linked from `configuration.md`, `host-cli.md`, `steamos-host.md`, and
+`troubleshooting.md`. Structure — written for the operator, presets first:
+
+1. **What punktfunk does with displays** — 5 lines: per-client-sized virtual output, created on
+   connect, what "keep alive"/"exclusive" mean physically.
+2. **Pick a preset** — the §4.3 table verbatim, each with a one-paragraph story and the JSON it
+   expands to ("copy this into display-settings.json, or click it in the console").
+3. **Options reference** — one subsection per option: values, default, per-backend support
+   badge row, and a concrete example scenario each ("You stream from your phone at 1080p and
+   your TV at 4K120: with `identity: per-client` KDE remembers 150 % scaling for the phone and
+   100 % for the TV").
+4. **Multi-monitor** — the two scenarios in user language: *"use your tablet as a second
+   monitor"* (§6A: connect a second device, arrange it in the console) and *"stream your
+   dual-monitor setup"* (§6B: which clients support it, what the host does with the layout),
+   plus the support matrix and the GameStream single-stream note.
+5. **Persistent scaling (KDE/Windows)** — the user-visible recipe: connect once, set scaling in
+   System Settings / Windows Settings while streaming, done — punktfunk's stable identity makes
+   the DE reapply it. Honest support table (KWin ✅ / Windows ✅ / GNOME ❌ why / Sway recipe).
+6. **Troubleshooting** — "my physical monitors stayed off" → release button/endpoint + the
+   keep_alive×exclusive explanation; "second client gets the wrong resolution" → `join`
+   semantics; "game restarted on reconnect" → gamescope reconfigure caveat; "second display
+   declined" → encoder budget (§6.4); KWin/gamescope version floors.
+7. **Legacy env knobs** — the §4.2 mapping table, marked deprecated.
+
+Also update: `README.md` status row, `CLAUDE.md` (status + invariant below), `host.env.example`
+(point at the JSON/console, list deprecated knobs), and the OpenAPI snapshot.
+
+**New design invariant for CLAUDE.md** (once shipped): *Display lifecycle is owned by the
+registry, policy-driven; sessions hold leases, never the keepalive. New backends implement
+`VirtualDisplay` + declare capabilities; they never grow their own lifecycle/env knobs. A
+display is one data-plane instance — multi-display never muxes into the core packet format.*
+
+## 11. Staged implementation
+
+Each stage lands green (`cargo test/clippy/fmt`, OpenAPI drift check) and is independently
+shippable; on-glass validation notes inline. **Heads-up for this box:** the dev VM currently has
+no GPU passthrough (RTX 5070 Ti detached at the Proxmox level, 2026-07-01) — KWin-path live
+validation needs the GPU back or one of the LAN hosts (.248 GNOME / .48 Fedora KDE).
+
+- **Stage 0 — policy + plumbing-lite.** `policy.rs` (schema/presets/persist/env-compat, fully
+  unit-tested), mgmt GET/PUT `/display/settings`, console card (settings only), docs page
+  skeleton with the presets/options tables. Behavior deltas limited to what existing knobs can
+  express: Windows linger reads the policy; Linux topology auto/extend/exclusive routes through
+  the existing primary code. *No lifecycle change yet — zero-risk adoption of the surface.*
+- **Stage 1 — lifecycle core + Linux keep-alive (easy backends).** `lifecycle.rs` pure machine
+  (+proptests: no lost teardowns, no double-frees across arbitrary acquire/release/expiry
+  interleavings), `registry.rs`, the ownership split (`DisplayLease`/`CaptureSource` — the one
+  cross-cutting refactor, touches `capture_virtual_output` signatures on both OSes), keep-alive
+  live for **wlroots** and **gamescope-spawn** (the two backends where reuse is structurally
+  trivial), `/display/state` + `/display/release`, console live-list. Windows manager delegates
+  linger/pinned decisions to `lifecycle.rs` (its driver specifics untouched).
+  *Validate:* sway on this box (headless), gamescope spawn: connect → disconnect → verify
+  vkcube/game still runs → reconnect → same session, no relaunch.
+- **Stage 2 — KWin/Mutter keep-alive + topology decoupling.** Kept-node PipeWire re-attach on
+  KWin and Mutter (each behind its validation; fallback recreate), `primary` (without disable)
+  on KWin/Mutter/Windows, `exclusive` on wlroots, restore paths regression-tested.
+  *Validate:* headless KDE session (the `run-headless-kde.sh` rig), GNOME box .248.
+- **Stage 3 — identity.** Platform-neutral identity map + migration, per-slot KWin output
+  naming (+ the concurrent-session name-clash fix riding along), GameStream identity wiring,
+  optional `per-client-mode` keying, per-client `default_scale` on KWin.
+  *Validate on KDE:* connect client A → set 150 % scaling → disconnect → reconnect → scaling
+  reapplied; client B unaffected; `kwinoutputconfig.json` inspected for the named entries.
+- **Stage 4 — mode-conflict admission.** Decision function wired into both handshakes, the
+  typed punktfunk/1 `busy` refusal, GameStream 503 path, the Windows silent-reconfigure →
+  `join`-default change (call it out in release notes — it's a behavior fix), `steal` victim
+  signaling reusing the stop-flag plumbing.
+  *Validate:* two probe clients loopback (`--mode` differing) under each policy value.
+- **Stage 5 — §6A multi-client monitors.** Display groups, group-aware exclusive/primary/
+  restore (incl. the name-filter fix), layout auto-row + manual, `/display/layout`, console
+  arrangement table. Cheap: rides Stages 1–3 infrastructure, no protocol change.
+  *Validate:* two clients (probe + GTK) on the headless KDE box forming a 2-output desktop;
+  drag a window across; disconnect one → its slot lingers per policy, sibling unaffected,
+  restore only after both drop.
+- **Stage 6 — §6B protocol + Linux host + GTK client.** `VIDEO_CAP_MULTI_DISPLAY`, control-
+  stream Add/Remove/DisplayAdded, per-flow nonce-salt derivation, per-display pipelines on
+  KWin/wlroots, input display-index routing, C ABI additions, GTK client multi-window
+  presenter, stats display dimension.
+  *Validate:* loopback probe requesting 2 displays → two decodable .h265 outs + per-display
+  0xCF; then a real dual-monitor Linux client against the KDE box.
+- **Stage 7 — Windows multi-monitor** (§6.6: driver proto v3 per-monitor sealed rings, manager
+  slot map, Windows client multi-window, `separate` un-gated on Windows) — gated on driver CI +
+  on-glass, deliberately last.
+- **Stage 8 — polish.** Docs page finalized with real console screenshots, tray count/release
+  (stretch), README/CLAUDE.md/host.env.example updates, `local/summary` count, macOS §6B
+  presenter (its own mini-stage when scheduled).
+
+## 12. Risks & open questions
+
+- **PipeWire node reuse after consumer detach (KWin/Mutter)** — the load-bearing unknown for
+  Stage 2. If a kept node won't renegotiate for a fresh consumer, keep-alive on those backends
+  degrades to "topology-stable but recreate-on-reconnect" (still valuable: no desktop reshuffle
+  when *paired with identity naming*). The fallback is designed in, so the stage can't strand.
+- **KWin persistence of `Virtual-*` output config** — if KWin declines to persist virtual
+  outputs, per-client scaling on KDE needs punktfunk-side scale storage instead (the
+  `default_scale` adjunct already gives us the mechanism); identity naming stays worthwhile for
+  the name-clash fix alone.
+- **KWin stored-mode vs requested-mode fights** under identity naming (§5.4) — mitigated by
+  our post-create mode apply + read-back; watch for it in Stage 3 validation.
+- **Compositor ceilings on simultaneous virtual outputs** — load-bearing for §6A/§6B: probe
+  KWin's virtual-output count and Mutter's `RecordVirtual` count (≥2 monitors) empirically in
+  Stage 2/5; `max_displays` default 4 keeps us under any realistic ceiling.
+- **Encoder session exhaustion** (§6.4) — NVENC caps × split-encode × concurrent sessions must
+  be budgeted in one place (the admission check), or a second display can silently break an
+  unrelated session's encode. Split-encode is disabled for multi-display sessions by design.
+- **Per-display input mapping** — each Linux injector (libei, wlr, gamescope EIS) binds
+  absolute coordinates differently; the §6B display-index routing is per-injector work with
+  per-backend validation, not one generic patch.
+- **Client-side multi-window fullscreen juggling** (§6.5) — per-monitor DPI on Windows, Spaces
+  on macOS, pointer capture across our own windows; the reason clients stage GTK/Windows first.
+- **Idle kept displays burn resources** — a kept gamescope keeps the game rendering (GPU) at
+  full rate; a kept KWin output keeps compositing; every §6B display encodes at full rate.
+  Document; a later refinement could drop a kept session's refresh, out of scope here.
+- **Security posture** — keep-alive keeps a user session composited/running unattended;
+  nothing is unlocked that wasn't, and admission still rides pairing. `steal` on `--open`
+  hosts is the one sharp edge → docs recommend `reject` there (§5.3). The mgmt endpoints are
+  bearer-only; `local/summary` exposes counts only. §6B's extra UDP flows reuse the hardened
+  core `Session` unchanged (per-flow salts derived, never reused) — no new crypto surface.
+- **Mutter identity** — blocked on GNOME API surface; re-check per GNOME release.

design/idd-push-security.md

@@ -136,8 +136,14 @@ reason "admin/SYSTEM = total" stays on the residual list below.
   boundary against admin. The host↔driver channel has no mutual authentication beyond the `GET_INFO`
   version handshake + the `verify_is_wudfhost` image check.
 * **`WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE` windows are visible.** IDD-push taps the *present* side, not the
-  *capture* side, so windows that exclude themselves from capture still appear in the stream — true
-  of every virtual-display streaming stack. Untested on our lab box; treat as expected behavior.
+  *capture* side, so windows that exclude themselves from capture still appear in the stream. This is
+  the same exposure a person looking at the physical screen has (the flag hides a window from capture
+  APIs, not from the display), so it fits inside the "a client sees what someone at the screen sees"
+  model rather than exceeding it; what it exceeds is an ordinary screen-*capture* tool (OBS/WGC/DDA),
+  which honors the flag. **Measured, not assumed (2026-07-04, .173):** a full-screen test window was
+  streamed through three 8 s phases — no flag / `WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE` set (affinity readback `0x11`,
+  confirmed active) / flag cleared — and the window was pixel-identically visible in the decoded
+  punktfunk/1 stream in all three. The flag made no difference to the stream.
 * **DRM/HDCP:** protected content is blanked by DWM at composition, and HDCP is a monitor↔GPU
   handshake an indirect display cannot satisfy — neither is bypassed by this path.
 * IDD-push is currently the **sole Windows capture path** (DDA and the WGC relay were removed). An

docs-site/content/docs/arch.md

@@ -0,0 +1,134 @@
+---
+title: Arch Linux
+description: Install a punktfunk host on Arch (and Arch-derived distros) from the signed pacman binary repo.
+---
+
+Set up a punktfunk host on **Arch Linux** (or an Arch-derived distro like CachyOS/EndeavourOS). The
+host installs from a **signed pacman binary repo**, so it updates with `pacman -Syu` like the rest
+of your system — no building required. Host encode is **NVENC on NVIDIA** and **VAAPI on
+AMD/Intel** (`PUNKTFUNK_ENCODER=auto` picks per GPU).
+
+> New here? Read [Security & Safe Use](/docs/security) first — a streaming host is remote control of
+> the machine, so keep it on a trusted LAN or VPN and require pairing.
+
+> Prefer to build it yourself? A split `PKGBUILD` (host + client + optional web console) is in the
+> repo at `packaging/arch/` — see the [appendix](#appendix--build-from-source-pkgbuild). The binary
+> repo below is the supported path.
+
+## 1. GPU prerequisites
+
+- **NVIDIA:** `sudo pacman -S --needed nvidia-utils` (provides NVENC + the EGL/CUDA zero-copy path).
+  Arch's stock `ffmpeg` already has NVENC built in — no RPM-Fusion-style swap like Fedora needs.
+- **AMD / Intel:** the Mesa stack (`mesa`, `libva-mesa-driver` for AMD, `intel-media-driver` for
+  Intel) provides the VAAPI encoder — usually already installed on a desktop.
+
+## 2. Add the signed repo
+
+The registry **signs its database and every package**, so first trust its key once (after this,
+packages install signature-verified):
+
+```sh
+# Trust the registry signing key.
+curl -fsS https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/arch/repository.key \
+  | sudo pacman-key --add -
+sudo pacman-key --lsign-key E0CA04465C99C936E0B0C6510A317015A34DDD69
+
+# Add the repo (append to /etc/pacman.conf). No SigLevel line needed — pacman's default
+# verifies signed packages against the key you just trusted.
+sudo tee -a /etc/pacman.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
+
+[punktfunk]
+Server = https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/arch/$repo/$arch
+EOF
+```
+
+> **Stable vs canary.** `[punktfunk]` is the **stable** channel — it moves only when a `vX.Y.Z`
+> release is cut. For the latest `main` build, use `[punktfunk-canary]` instead (same `Server` line,
+> just the repo name). Enable exactly one. See [Release Channels](/docs/channels).
+
+## 3. Install the host
+
+```sh
+sudo pacman -Sy punktfunk-host      # the streaming host
+sudo pacman -S  punktfunk-web       # optional: the browser management console (pairing + status)
+sudo usermod -aG input "$USER"      # /dev/uinput access for virtual gamepads (re-login to apply)
+```
+
+`punktfunk-client` (the GTK4 couch/Deck client) is in the same repo if this box is also a client.
+The host package ships the systemd **user** units, the udev rule, the UDP socket-buffer sysctl
+tuning, and example configs. Updates later are just `sudo pacman -Syu`.
+
+## 4. Configure and run
+
+The host runs as a systemd **`--user`** service — it needs your session's PipeWire and D-Bus.
+Copy a starting config, enable the service, and enable linger so it starts at boot without a login:
+
+```sh
+mkdir -p ~/.config/punktfunk
+cp /usr/share/punktfunk/host.env.example ~/.config/punktfunk/host.env   # then edit
+systemctl --user daemon-reload
+systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-host
+sudo loginctl enable-linger "$USER"
+```
+
+Which compositor the host captures depends on your desktop — it drives a per-client virtual output
+via KWin (Plasma), Mutter (GNOME), or wlroots (Sway), or spawns a headless **gamescope** session
+per connect. For a headless appliance, the package also ships `punktfunk-kde-session.service`
+(a dedicated `kwin --virtual` session, same as the [Fedora KDE](/docs/fedora-kde#3-kwin-streaming-session)
+guide — `cp /usr/share/punktfunk/host.env.kde ~/.config/punktfunk/host.env` and enable it alongside
+the host). See [Configuration](/docs/configuration) for every knob and
+[Running as a Service](/docs/running-as-a-service) for the service model.
+
+Check it came up:
+
+```sh
+systemctl --user status punktfunk-host          # active
+journalctl --user -u punktfunk-host -f          # watch a client connect
+```
+
+### Web console
+
+The console (status, paired devices, arm pairing) ships as `punktfunk-web` — enable it, then open
+`http://<host-ip>:47992`:
+
+```sh
+systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-web
+```
+
+#### Console login password
+
+On first start `punktfunk-web-init` generates a random login password and saves it to
+`~/.config/punktfunk/web-password` (as `PUNKTFUNK_UI_PASSWORD=…`). Read it back at any time:
+
+```sh
+journalctl --user -u punktfunk-web-init | sed -n 's/.*password generated: //p'
+sed -n 's/^PUNKTFUNK_UI_PASSWORD=//p' ~/.config/punktfunk/web-password
+```
+
+To set your own, edit that file and `systemctl --user restart punktfunk-web`. Forgot it? See
+[Forgot your Password?](/docs/forgot-password).
+
+## 5. Connect a client
+
+From any [client](/docs/clients), `--discover` finds the host on the LAN. On first connect, complete
+the **PIN pairing** — arm it from the host's web console, which displays a 4-digit PIN to type into
+the client. (Pairing is required by default; pass `serve --open` only if you deliberately want to
+disable it.) See [Clients](/docs/clients) and [Pairing](/docs/pairing).
+
+## Appendix — build from source (PKGBUILD)
+
+To build instead of using the binary repo, use the split `PKGBUILD` in `packaging/arch/` (produces
+`punktfunk-host` + `punktfunk-client`; set `PF_WITH_WEB=1` to also build `punktfunk-web`, which needs
+`bun`):
+
+```sh
+git clone https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk.git && cd punktfunk/packaging/arch
+# Build the working tree (no git fetch):
+PF_SRCDIR="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)" makepkg -f --holdver
+sudo pacman -U punktfunk-host-*.pkg.tar.zst
+```
+
+NVENC/EGL come from the NVIDIA driver (`nvidia-utils`); on a GPU-less builder, symlink the CUDA
+stub into the link path first (the `PKGBUILD` header documents this). Full details, the
+Fedora→Arch dependency map, and the SteamOS systemd-sysext path are in
+[`packaging/arch/README.md`](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/arch/README.md).

docs-site/content/docs/bazzite.md

@@ -24,36 +24,43 @@ mid-stream. You flip between Gaming Mode and Desktop with Bazzite's normal Steam
 
 ## Install
 
-The host ships as an RPM in punktfunk's **Gitea RPM registry** (public), so a Bazzite / Fedora
-Atomic box layers and updates it with `rpm-ostree`. Add the repo, then layer the host plus the web
-console and reboot:
+The host installs as a **systemd system extension (sysext)** — no `rpm-ostree` layering. The
+Bazzite docs treat layering as a last resort (layered packages slow every OS update and can block
+upgrades until removed); a sysext never enters an rpm-ostree transaction: it overlays `/usr`
+read-only from `/var/lib/extensions/`, survives OS updates, installs and updates **without a
+reboot**, and is removable in one command. This is the same mechanism the Fedora Atomic
+maintainers ship via the [fedora-sysexts](https://fedora-sysexts.github.io/) project.
 
 ```sh
-# Add the repo. Packages are GPG-signed (gpgcheck=1, the packages@unom.io key) AND the repo
-# metadata is Gitea-signed (repo_gpgcheck=1); gpgkey lists both keys so dnf imports each.
-sudo tee /etc/yum.repos.d/punktfunk.repo >/dev/null <<'REPO'
-[gitea-unom-bazzite]
-name=punktfunk (unom, Bazzite)
-baseurl=https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/rpm/bazzite
-enabled=1
-gpgcheck=1
-repo_gpgcheck=1
-gpgkey=https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/rpm/repository.key
-       https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/generic/punktfunk-keys/1/RPM-GPG-KEY-punktfunk
-REPO
-
-# Layer the host + the web console, then reboot into the new deployment.
-# (punktfunk Recommends punktfunk-web; list it explicitly so it's pulled regardless of weak-dep
-# settings — the Gitea registry carries punktfunk-web, which COPR can't build.)
-rpm-ostree install punktfunk punktfunk-web
-systemctl reboot
+# One-time bootstrap (afterwards the updater is on PATH as `punktfunk-sysext`):
+curl -fsSLO https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/raw/branch/main/packaging/bazzite/punktfunk-sysext.sh
+sudo bash punktfunk-sysext.sh install          # add `--channel canary` for rolling builds
 ```
 
-`rpm-ostree upgrade` then tracks new builds automatically (Bazzite's auto-update timer does this
-for you). For a fully baked appliance image there's also a **bootc** Containerfile that installs
-the same RPMs from this registry — see `packaging/bootc/` and `packaging/rpm/README.md` in the repo.
-Building from source works too (Bazzite is Fedora Atomic underneath, and its FFmpeg builds the host
-fine — same steps as [Fedora KDE](/docs/fedora-kde)), but the registry is the supported path.
+That downloads the newest image (host + tray + web console, SHA-256-verified over HTTPS from
+punktfunk's package registry), merges it, and applies the udev/sysctl setup on the spot — the
+host is usable immediately, no reboot. From then on:
+
+```sh
+sudo punktfunk-sysext update     # fetch + merge the newest build
+sudo punktfunk-sysext status     # channel, installed vs latest version
+sudo punktfunk-sysext remove     # unmerge and delete — the box is back to stock
+```
+
+Two things to know:
+
+- **After a Bazzite major rebase** (Fedora 43 → 44) the old image **refuses to load** rather than
+  run against mismatched system libraries — run `sudo punktfunk-sysext update` once and it fetches
+  the image built for the new base.
+- **Already layering punktfunk?** Install the sysext (it shadows the layered copy immediately),
+  then drop the layer so it stops slowing your updates:
+  `sudo rpm-ostree uninstall punktfunk punktfunk-web && systemctl reboot`.
+
+For a fully baked appliance image there's also a **bootc** Containerfile that installs the RPMs
+from the registry at image-build time — see `packaging/bootc/` in the repo. Plain `rpm-ostree`
+layering from the [RPM registry](https://git.unom.io/unom/-/packages) keeps working too (see
+`packaging/bazzite/README.md`), but the sysext is the supported default. Building from source
+also works (Bazzite is Fedora Atomic underneath — same steps as [Fedora KDE](/docs/fedora-kde)).
 
 ## Allow controller input
 

docs-site/content/docs/channels.md

@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ track per machine; switching is a one-line change.
 |---|---|---|
 | **apt** (host/client) | `deb [signed-by=…] https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/debian canary main` | `… debian stable main` |
 | **rpm** (host) | baseurl `…/rpm/bazzite-canary` (or `fedora-44-canary`) | `…/rpm/bazzite` (or `fedora-44`) |
+| **sysext** (Bazzite host) | `sudo punktfunk-sysext install --channel canary` | `… install` / default (feeds `…/punktfunk-sysext/f43[-canary]`) |
+| **pacman** (Arch host/client) | `[punktfunk-canary]` repo section | `[punktfunk]` (`Server = …/api/packages/unom/arch/$repo/$arch`) |
 | **Flatpak** (client) | `flatpak install --user https://flatpak.unom.io/io.unom.Punktfunk.Canary.flatpakref` | `…/io.unom.Punktfunk.flatpakref` |
 | **Decky** (Steam Deck) | install-from-URL `…/generic/punktfunk-decky/canary/punktfunk.zip` | `…/punktfunk-decky/latest/punktfunk.zip` |
 | **Windows client** (MSIX) | `…/generic/punktfunk-client-windows/canary/punktfunk-client-windows_x64.msix` | `…/latest/…` + the release page |

docs-site/content/docs/clients.md

@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ It ships as a real package, not just a source build — full steps in
   `flatpak update`; this is also what the [Decky plugin](/docs/steam-deck) launches.
 - **Ubuntu / Debian** — `apt install punktfunk-client` from the punktfunk apt registry.
 - **Fedora / Bazzite** — `rpm-ostree install punktfunk-client` from the Gitea RPM registry.
-- **Arch / SteamOS** — the `punktfunk-client` split package from the `PKGBUILD`.
+- **Arch** — `sudo pacman -Sy punktfunk-client` from the signed binary repo (see [Arch Linux](/docs/arch)).
 
 Launch it, pick your host from the list, and stream. For scripting you can skip the host list and
 connect straight away:

docs-site/content/docs/configuration.md

@@ -62,9 +62,15 @@ picture.
 
 ## Compositor-specific (Linux)
 
+> **Managing virtual displays** — keep-alive after disconnect, exclusive vs. extend, and (on
+> Windows/KDE) persistent per-client scaling — now has its own settings surface in the web console
+> and `display-settings.json`. See [Virtual displays](/docs/virtual-displays). The two
+> `*_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY` knobs and `PUNKTFUNK_MONITOR_LINGER_MS` below still work but are superseded by
+> it (a settings file wins over them).
+
 | Setting | Values | Meaning |
 |---|---|---|
-| `PUNKTFUNK_KWIN_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY` | `1` | Make the streamed per-session output the sole desktop so plasmashell + windows render on it (not on the headless bootstrap output). Set by the KDE appliance `host.env`. |
+| `PUNKTFUNK_KWIN_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY` | `1` | Make the streamed per-session output the sole desktop so plasmashell + windows render on it (not on the headless bootstrap output). Set by the KDE appliance `host.env`. Superseded by the console's **Topology** setting. |
 | `PUNKTFUNK_MUTTER_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY` | `1` | GNOME/Mutter equivalent of the above. |
 | `PUNKTFUNK_MUTTER_VIRTUAL_REFRESH` | `1` | Pin the client's exact WxH**@Hz** via `RecordVirtual`'s custom modes (needed for >60 Hz on Mutter). |
 
@@ -99,7 +105,7 @@ picture.
 |---|---|---|
 | `PUNKTFUNK_VDISPLAY` | `pf` | Virtual-display backend. The bundled pf-vdisplay IddCx driver is the only backend now — informational; leave as `pf`. |
 | `PUNKTFUNK_SECURE_DDA` | `1` | Capture the secure desktop (UAC / lock / login) so the stream survives those transitions. |
-| `PUNKTFUNK_MONITOR_LINGER_MS` | ms (default `10000`) | Defer tearing a per-client virtual display down after disconnect. A reconnect inside the window preempts it and creates a fresh one (a reused IddCx swap-chain is dead); the stable per-client monitor id keeps Windows' saved display config applying either way. |
+| `PUNKTFUNK_MONITOR_LINGER_MS` | ms (default `10000`) | Defer tearing a per-client virtual display down after disconnect. A reconnect inside the window preempts it and creates a fresh one (a reused IddCx swap-chain is dead); the stable per-client monitor id keeps Windows' saved display config applying either way. Superseded by the console's **Keep alive** setting — see [Virtual displays](/docs/virtual-displays). |
 | `PUNKTFUNK_RENDER_ADAPTER` | description substring | Multi-GPU boxes only: force the NVENC/capture GPU by adapter Description substring (e.g. `4090`). Leave unset on single-GPU machines. |
 | `PUNKTFUNK_HOST_CMD` | e.g. `serve --gamestream` | The host subcommand the service launches. Default `serve --gamestream`; use `serve` for a secure native-only host. |
 

docs-site/content/docs/install-client.md

@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ see the linked guide — then it tracks updates with your normal `apt upgrade` /
 |--------|---------|-------|
 | **Ubuntu / Debian** | `sudo apt install punktfunk-client` | [packaging/debian](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/debian/README.md) |
 | **Fedora / Bazzite** | `rpm-ostree install punktfunk-client` | [packaging/rpm](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/rpm/README.md) |
-| **Arch / SteamOS** | `punktfunk-client` from the `PKGBUILD` | [packaging/arch](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/arch/README.md) |
+| **Arch** | `sudo pacman -Sy punktfunk-client` (signed binary repo) | [Arch Linux](/docs/arch) |
 
 Then launch it, pick your host from the list, and stream. For scripting, skip the picker:
 

docs-site/content/docs/install.md

@@ -17,13 +17,14 @@ On **Windows**, the host ships as a signed installer instead — see [Windows](#
 | Distro | Package manager | One-command happy path | Guide |
 |--------|-----------------|------------------------|-------|
 | **Ubuntu / Debian** | apt | `sudo apt install punktfunk-host` | [Ubuntu — GNOME](/docs/ubuntu-gnome) · [Ubuntu — KDE](/docs/ubuntu-kde) · [packaging/debian](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/debian/README.md) |
-| **Fedora / Bazzite** | rpm-ostree | `rpm-ostree install punktfunk punktfunk-web` | [Fedora — KDE](/docs/fedora-kde) · [Bazzite](/docs/bazzite) · [packaging/rpm](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/rpm/README.md) |
-| **Arch** | PKGBUILD | `makepkg -si` | [packaging/arch](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/arch/README.md) |
+| **Bazzite / Fedora Atomic** | systemd-sysext | `sudo bash punktfunk-sysext.sh install` (no layering, no reboot) | [Bazzite](/docs/bazzite) · [packaging/bazzite](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/bazzite/README.md) |
+| **Fedora (dnf)** | dnf / rpm-ostree | `dnf install punktfunk punktfunk-web` | [Fedora — KDE](/docs/fedora-kde) · [packaging/rpm](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/rpm/README.md) |
+| **Arch** | pacman | `pacman -Sy punktfunk-host` (binary repo) | [Arch Linux](/docs/arch) · [packaging/arch](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/arch/README.md) |
 | **SteamOS (host)** | on-device script | `bash scripts/steamdeck/install.sh` | [SteamOS (Host)](/docs/steamos-host) |
 
 Each registry is public — no auth, you just trust the repo's signing key. Adding the repo is a
-one-time step covered in the linked guide; after that, normal `apt upgrade` / `rpm-ostree upgrade`
-tracks new builds automatically.
+one-time step covered in the linked guide; after that, normal `apt upgrade` / `dnf upgrade` /
+`pacman -Syu` (or `sudo punktfunk-sysext update` on Bazzite) tracks new builds.
 
 > **Stable vs canary.** The repos in the per-distro guides are the **stable** channel — it only
 > moves when a `vX.Y.Z` release is cut. For the latest `main` build (fast, possibly broken), point
@@ -59,7 +60,8 @@ fallback without one. More detail — including the CLI `punktfunk-host service
 
 - **`punktfunk-host`** — the streaming host. Install this on your Linux gaming machine.
 - **`punktfunk-web`** — the browser management console (pairing + status). Recommended alongside the
-  host; on RPM list it explicitly (`rpm-ostree install punktfunk punktfunk-web`).
+  host; on RPM list it explicitly (`dnf install punktfunk punktfunk-web`) — the Bazzite sysext
+  image already includes it.
 - **`punktfunk-client`** — the GTK4 desktop client, for streaming *to* a Linux box (also shipped via
   apt / RPM / Arch / Flatpak). On a Steam Deck, this is the package you want.
 

docs-site/content/docs/meta.json

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     "ubuntu-gnome",
     "ubuntu-kde",
     "fedora-kde",
+    "arch",
     "bazzite",
     "steamos-host",
     "windows-host",
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@
     "pairing",
     "---Configuration---",
     "configuration",
+    "virtual-displays",
     "host-cli",
     "---Troubleshooting---",
     "troubleshooting",

docs-site/content/docs/security.md

@@ -128,6 +128,16 @@ virtual display is a real monitor: any process already running in your desktop s
 through the ordinary OS screen-capture APIs, exactly as it could capture a physical monitor. That floor
 is the same for every virtual-display streaming stack.
 
+One nuance specific to how the Windows host captures: because it reads the composed desktop image (what
+the monitor shows) rather than going through Windows' screen-capture APIs, a window that hides itself
+from *recording* tools with `WDA_EXCLUDEFROMCAPTURE` still appears in the stream — just as it appears to
+anyone looking at the physical screen. Conversely, DRM-protected video (Netflix and the like) is blanked
+by Windows for any capture path, so it shows as black rather than the protected frames. Neither weakens
+Windows' protections: the first is exactly what a person at the screen already sees, and the second is
+Windows enforcing its own rule. The consistent way to think about it is the one from the top of this
+page — **a connected client sees and does what a person sitting at that machine could**, no more (and,
+for DRM content, slightly less).
+
 **Recommendation:** run the Windows host on a **dedicated or gaming PC**, not on a machine that also
 holds your most sensitive material (work laptop, financial records, the box with your password vault).
 A gaming rig you stream from is a great fit; your primary secrets machine is not.

docs-site/content/docs/virtual-displays.md

@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+---
+title: Virtual displays
+description: Control how punktfunk creates, keeps alive, and arranges the virtual displays it streams — presets, keep-alive, exclusive vs. extend, and persistent per-client scaling.
+---
+
+When a client connects, punktfunk creates a **virtual display** sized to exactly that client's
+resolution and refresh, renders your desktop or game onto it, and streams it. This page is about the
+**policy** for that display: how long it survives a disconnect, whether it takes over your physical
+monitors, what happens when a second client connects, and how desktop environments remember
+per-client settings like scaling.
+
+You set this policy in the **web console** (Host → *Virtual displays*), or by editing
+`~/.config/punktfunk/display-settings.json` directly (`%ProgramData%\punktfunk\display-settings.json`
+on Windows). A change applies to the **next** connection — a running session keeps the display it
+opened on.
+
+> **You rarely need to touch this.** The default behavior matches how punktfunk has always worked.
+> Reach for a preset when you want a specific experience — a dedicated couch/gaming box, a desktop
+> you also use in person, or a multi-monitor workstation.
+
+> **What's live today:** this release wires **keep-alive** (linger duration) and **topology**
+> (extend / primary / exclusive). The other options below — conflict handling, identity/scaling
+> persistence on Linux, and multi-monitor layout — are **stored but not yet enforced**; they arrive
+> in following releases. The console marks them accordingly. Windows already persists per-client
+> scaling (see [Persistent scaling](#persistent-scaling)).
+
+## Pick a preset
+
+A preset is the easy way in — select one in the console and you're done. Each expands to a bundle of
+the individual options documented further down.
+
+| Preset | What it's for |
+|---|---|
+| **Default** | Today's behavior. A short linger absorbs reconnects, the streamed output becomes the sole desktop, and extra clients each get their own view. |
+| **Gaming rig** | A dedicated couch/headless box. The game and its display survive disconnects indefinitely, and whoever connects takes the box over. *(Arrives with the keep-alive stage.)* |
+| **Shared desktop** | A desktop you also use in person. punktfunk never blanks your real monitors and never leaves a ghost display behind; concurrent viewers each get a view. |
+| **Hot-desk** | One user at a time with fast reattach — roaming between your own devices. A second user is told the box is busy, and each device+resolution keeps its own scaling. |
+| **Workstation** | The multi-monitor daily driver. Your displays come back exactly where you arranged them, with per-client identity and an exclusive desktop. |
+
+## Options reference
+
+Choose **Custom** in the console to set these directly.
+
+### Keep alive
+
+How long the virtual display survives after your last session disconnects. On a gamescope game host,
+this also keeps the **game itself running** so you can reconnect straight back into it.
+
+- **Off** — tear the display down at session end (nothing lingers).
+- **A duration** (seconds) — keep it for that long; a reconnect inside the window drops you straight
+  back in, with no re-negotiation and no desktop reshuffle.
+- **Forever** — keep it until you stop the host or release it from the console. *(Arrives with the
+  keep-alive lifecycle stage; the console won't let you save it before then.)*
+
+Default: **10 seconds**. Windows has always lingered 10 s; the Linux backends previously tore down
+immediately — a short linger makes reconnects smoother on both.
+
+> **Keep-alive + Exclusive keeps your physical monitors dark after you disconnect**, until the
+> linger expires or you release the display. That's intentional for a dedicated gaming box, but
+> don't set a long/forever keep-alive together with Exclusive on a machine whose monitors you also
+> use in person — use **Shared desktop** there instead.
+
+### Topology
+
+What punktfunk does with your monitor layout while it streams.
+
+- **Extend** — add the virtual display alongside your real monitors; touch nothing else.
+- **Primary** — make the virtual display your primary output; your physical monitors stay on.
+- **Exclusive** — the virtual display becomes your **only** enabled output (physical monitors are
+  disabled, then restored when streaming ends). This is what makes the streamed surface *be* the
+  desktop, so panels and windows land on it.
+- **Automatic** *(default)* — Exclusive on Windows and on an auto-detected KDE/GNOME desktop
+  ("stream this desktop" means the streamed output *is* the desktop); Extend when you've pinned a
+  specific compositor with `PUNKTFUNK_COMPOSITOR` (a test/CI posture).
+
+Per-backend support:
+
+| | KWin | Mutter/GNOME | Sway/wlroots | Windows |
+|---|---|---|---|---|
+| Extend | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
+| Primary | ✅ | ✅ | ⚠️ treated as Extend | ✅ *(following release)* |
+| Exclusive | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ *(following release)* | ✅ |
+
+### Conflict handling · identity · layout
+
+These are **stored but not yet enforced** — they're documented here so you know what's coming and
+can set them ahead of the release that turns them on:
+
+- **Conflict handling** — what happens when a *different* client connects while one is already
+  streaming and asks for a different resolution: give it its own display (**separate**), take the
+  box over (**steal**), share the existing display at its current mode (**join**), or refuse it
+  (**reject**).
+- **Identity** — whether each client gets a **stable display identity** so your desktop environment
+  remembers its settings (see below): one shared identity, one **per client**, or one **per client +
+  resolution**.
+- **Layout / max displays** — how multiple virtual displays are arranged (for multi-monitor), and an
+  upper bound on how many can be live at once.
+
+## Persistent scaling
+
+Set your display **scaling** once and have it stick across reconnects. This works by giving each
+client a *stable display identity*, so your desktop environment keys its per-monitor settings to it.
+
+| Host | Supported | How |
+|---|---|---|
+| **Windows** | ✅ today | Connect, set scaling in Settings while streaming — Windows remembers it per client. |
+| **KDE / KWin** | ⏳ following release | A stable per-client output name lets KWin persist scale/mode per client. |
+| **GNOME / Mutter** | ❌ | GNOME's virtual-monitor API exposes no stable identity to key config on. |
+| **Sway / wlroots** | ❌ | Headless outputs can't carry a stable identity; pin scale in your sway config instead. |
+
+## Legacy environment knobs
+
+These `PUNKTFUNK_*` variables still work, but the console (and `display-settings.json`) supersede
+them — when a settings file exists, it wins.
+
+| Legacy knob | Now expressed as |
+|---|---|
+| `PUNKTFUNK_MONITOR_LINGER_MS` | **Keep alive** → duration *(Windows)* |
+| `PUNKTFUNK_NO_ISOLATE` | **Topology** → Extend *(Windows)* |
+| `PUNKTFUNK_KWIN_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY` / `PUNKTFUNK_MUTTER_VIRTUAL_PRIMARY` | **Topology** → Exclusive (when set) / Extend (when `0`) |
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+**My physical monitors stayed off after I disconnected.** You have keep-alive set together with
+Exclusive topology — the display (and your isolated desktop) is being kept for the linger window.
+Release it from the console (Host → *Virtual displays*), or switch to the **Shared desktop** preset
+so streaming never disables your real monitors.
+
+**The virtual output shows only my wallpaper.** Your topology is Extend, so the streamed display is
+an empty extension. Use **Primary** or **Exclusive** so your desktop actually lands on it.
+
+**KWin virtual outputs need KWin ≥ 6.5.6.** Older KWin can't create the virtual output at all —
+see [requirements](/docs/requirements).

include/punktfunk_core.h

@@ -17,7 +17,17 @@
 //
 // v2: `punktfunk_connect` gained `client_cert_pem`/`client_key_pem` (pairing identities);
 // added `punktfunk_pair` / `punktfunk_generate_identity` / `punktfunk_connection_request_mode`.
-#define ABI_VERSION 2
+// v3: added `punktfunk_wake_on_lan` (Wake-on-LAN magic packet; the host's wake MAC(s) reach
+// clients out-of-band via the mDNS `mac` TXT record, so no connection is required to wake).
+#define ABI_VERSION 3
+
+// The punktfunk/1 **wire** version — what `Hello`/`Welcome` carry and hosts equality-check.
+// Deliberately its own constant: [`ABI_VERSION`] tracks the embeddable **C surface**
+// (functions a client links), which can grow without changing a single wire byte — v3's
+// `punktfunk_wake_on_lan` is client-local, and riding the C-ABI bump onto the wire locked
+// every new client out of every deployed host ("ABI mismatch: client 3 host 2", observed
+// live). Bump this ONLY when the handshake/planes actually change incompatibly.
+#define WIRE_VERSION 2
 
 // `PunktfunkHidOutput::kind` — lightbar RGB (`r`/`g`/`b` valid).
 #define PUNKTFUNK_HIDOUT_LED 1
@@ -804,6 +814,23 @@ extern "C" {
 // Current ABI version. Mismatch with [`crate::ABI_VERSION`] means incompatible core.
 uint32_t punktfunk_abi_version(void);
 
+// Send a Wake-on-LAN magic packet to wake sleeping host NIC(s).
+//
+// `macs` points to `mac_count` contiguous 6-byte MAC addresses (`mac_count * 6` bytes total) —
+// a host may report several NICs; all are woken. `last_known_ip`, if non-NULL, is an IPv4
+// dotted-quad string additionally targeted by unicast (pass NULL to skip). The packet is
+// broadcast to every local interface's subnet-directed broadcast and to `255.255.255.255` on
+// ports 9 and 7. This does NOT require an open connection and is not part of the QUIC surface.
+//
+// Returns `Ok` if at least one datagram was sent. Call off the UI thread.
+//
+// # Safety
+// `macs` must point to at least `mac_count * 6` readable bytes. `last_known_ip`, if non-NULL,
+// must be a NUL-terminated string.
+PunktfunkStatus punktfunk_wake_on_lan(const uint8_t *macs,
+                                      uintptr_t mac_count,
+                                      const char *last_known_ip);
+
 // Create a session over a real UDP transport (`local`/`peer` are `host:port` strings).
 // Returns NULL on error.
 //

packaging/README.md

@@ -17,13 +17,15 @@ packaging/
   rpm/punktfunk.spec      # the RPM (builds punktfunk-host from source with cargo)
   bazzite/host.env        # gamescope-default config for a Bazzite appliance
   bazzite/README.md       # step-by-step Bazzite setup guide
+  bazzite/*sysext*.sh     # the no-layering path: build/install/publish the systemd-sysext
   bootc/Containerfile     # bake punktfunk into a Bazzite-based atomic image
   copr/                   # COPR build-from-SCM settings
 ```
 
 The other packaging targets have their own READMEs: [`debian/`](debian/README.md) (apt),
-[`arch/`](arch/README.md) (PKGBUILD + sysext), [`flatpak/`](flatpak/README.md) (the client),
-[`windows/`](windows/README.md) (host installer + drivers), plus `kde/` and `linux/` helpers.
+[`arch/`](arch/README.md) (pacman binary repo + PKGBUILD + SteamOS sysext),
+[`flatpak/`](flatpak/README.md) (the client), [`windows/`](windows/README.md) (host installer +
+drivers), plus `kde/` and `linux/` helpers.
 
 ## What's needed beyond base Fedora
 
@@ -38,7 +40,22 @@ On **Bazzite** the only genuinely new runtime bits are `ffmpeg-libs` (RPM Fusion
 `libei` — the rest of the stack is already there. The default backend is **gamescope**
 (`packaging/bazzite/host.env`), which the host spawns headless per session — no desktop login.
 
-## Option A — Gitea RPM registry (recommended; per-host, `rpm-ostree`)
+## Option A — systemd-sysext (recommended; no layering, no reboot)
+
+On Bazzite / Fedora Atomic the recommended install is the **systemd-sysext** image — rpm-ostree
+layering is a last resort per the Bazzite docs (it slows every OS update and can block upgrades),
+while a sysext overlays `/usr` at runtime, survives OS updates, and updates in one command with
+no reboot. CI wraps the same RPMs below into the image, so content and channels are identical.
+
+```sh
+curl -fsSLO https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/raw/branch/main/packaging/bazzite/punktfunk-sysext.sh
+sudo bash punktfunk-sysext.sh install     # then: sudo punktfunk-sysext update | status | remove
+```
+
+Full walkthrough (incl. the F43→F44 rebase behavior and migration off layering):
+[`bazzite/README.md`](bazzite/README.md).
+
+## Option B — Gitea RPM registry (per-host, `rpm-ostree` layering)
 
 The host's RPM is published to **unom's self-hosted Gitea RPM registry** (CI builds it on every
 push), mirroring the [Debian/apt](debian/README.md) setup. Add one repo file, install, and track
@@ -60,7 +77,7 @@ rpm-ostree install punktfunk && systemctl reboot
 # updates:  rpm-ostree upgrade && systemctl reboot
 ```
 
-## Option B — COPR (per-host, `rpm-ostree install`)
+## Option C — COPR (per-host, `rpm-ostree install`)
 
 1. Create a COPR project, enable **build-from-SCM** pointing at this repo, spec path
    `packaging/rpm/punktfunk.spec` (see `copr/README.md`). Under *External Repositories* add
@@ -78,7 +95,7 @@ rpm-ostree install punktfunk && systemctl reboot
    systemctl reboot
    ```
 
-## Option C — bootc (image-based, atomic)
+## Option D — bootc (image-based, atomic)
 
 Layer punktfunk into a Bazzite image once, then rebase any number of hosts onto it — no
 per-host drift. See `bootc/Containerfile`:
@@ -89,7 +106,7 @@ podman push  ghcr.io/<you>/bazzite-punktfunk
 sudo bootc switch ghcr.io/<you>/bazzite-punktfunk && systemctl reboot
 ```
 
-## First-run setup (either option)
+## First-run setup (all options)
 
 ```sh
 ujust add-user-to-input-group           # virtual gamepads need /dev/uinput (then re-login).
@@ -109,8 +126,8 @@ web console at `https://<host-ip>:47992` or directly.
 
 > ⚠️ **COPR caveat:** COPR's mock chroot has no `bun`, so a COPR build produces only
 > `punktfunk` + `punktfunk-client` — **not** `punktfunk-web`. For the console on a COPR/bootc host,
-> install from the **Gitea RPM registry** (Option A — it carries `punktfunk-web`), which is also why
-> `bootc/Containerfile` installs from there rather than COPR.
+> install from the **Gitea RPM registry** (Option B — it carries `punktfunk-web`; the sysext image
+> includes it too), which is also why `bootc/Containerfile` installs from there rather than COPR.
 
 ## Why not Flatpak (for the HOST)?
 

packaging/arch/PKGBUILD

@@ -10,20 +10,28 @@
 #   - In-tree / CI:       PF_SRCDIR=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel) makepkg --holdver
 #                         (builds the working tree instead of the tagged source — see build()).
 #
-# IMPORTANT: host encode is NVENC-only (crates/punktfunk-host/src/encode/linux.rs) — functional on
-# NVIDIA hosts; an AMD Deck-as-HOST needs a VAAPI backend first. The CLIENT decodes via VAAPI
-# (AMD/Intel, incl. the Deck) with a software fallback, so it works everywhere. See README.md.
+# Host encode: NVENC on NVIDIA (nvidia-utils), VAAPI on AMD/Intel (mesa) — PUNKTFUNK_ENCODER=auto
+# picks per GPU. The CLIENT decodes via VAAPI (AMD/Intel, incl. the Deck) with a software
+# fallback, so it works everywhere. See README.md.
 pkgbase=punktfunk
 # punktfunk-web (the browser console) is OPT-IN: building it needs `bun` (AUR-only as bun-bin on
 # stock Arch/SteamOS), so a default makepkg builds only host+client with no JS tooling — mirroring
 # the RPM spec's `%bcond_with web` (off by default). Set PF_WITH_WEB=1 to also build punktfunk-web
 # (appended to pkgname + bun to makedepends below).
 pkgname=('punktfunk-host' 'punktfunk-client')
-pkgver=0.2.0
-pkgrel=1
+# CI (.gitea/workflows/arch.yml) drives the version: stable tags -> X.Y.Z-1, main pushes ->
+# X.Y.Z-0.<run#> in the separate punktfunk-canary repo (mirrors the RPM's 0.ciN release; pkgrel
+# allows only digits+dots, so the run number carries the monotonic ordering).
+pkgver="${PF_PKGVER:-0.7.0}"
+pkgrel="${PF_PKGREL:-1}"
 arch=('x86_64')
 url="https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk"
 license=('MIT OR Apache-2.0')
+# !lto: makepkg's `lto` option injects -flto=auto into CFLAGS; aws-lc-sys (rustls' crypto)
+# compiles its C with those flags and GCC LTO bitcode objects are unreadable by rust's lld
+# linker -> "undefined symbol: aws_lc_*" at link (reproduced 2026-07-04, Arch + rust 1.90).
+# !debug: skip the -debug split package (debuginfo bloat, not shipped).
+options=('!lto' '!debug')
 
 # All build deps for both crates (Arch runtime packages ship their own headers, so these cover
 # build + link). aws-lc/ring need clang+cmake; nasm is for asm.
@@ -36,10 +44,16 @@ if [ "${PF_WITH_WEB:-0}" = 1 ]; then
   makedepends+=('bun')   # `bun-bin` from the AUR if bun isn't in your configured repos
 fi
 
-# AUR source (a tagged release). For an in-tree CI build, set PF_SRCDIR to the repo root and
-# build() uses it instead; see the README.
-source=("git+https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk.git#tag=v${pkgver}")
-sha256sums=('SKIP')
+# AUR source (a tagged release). For an in-tree CI build, set PF_SRCDIR to the repo root —
+# build() uses it instead AND the fetch is skipped entirely (a canary pkgver has no tag to
+# clone, and CI already has the checkout).
+if [ -z "${PF_SRCDIR:-}" ]; then
+  source=("git+https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk.git#tag=v${pkgver}")
+  sha256sums=('SKIP')
+else
+  source=()
+  sha256sums=()
+fi
 
 _repo() { printf '%s' "${PF_SRCDIR:-$srcdir/punktfunk}"; }
 

packaging/arch/README.md

@@ -23,7 +23,45 @@ default `makepkg` builds only host+client with no JS tooling — mirroring the R
 > Arch + NVIDIA **and** AMD/Intel (incl. the Steam Deck — see the on-device path above). The client
 > decodes via VAAPI on AMD/Intel with a software fallback.
 
-## Arch Linux (mutable)
+## Install from the binary repo (recommended)
+
+CI (`.gitea/workflows/arch.yml`) builds this PKGBUILD in an `archlinux:base-devel` container on
+every push and publishes the packages to the **Gitea Arch package registry** — a plain pacman
+repo, so an Arch box installs and updates punktfunk with `pacman -Syu` like everything else.
+Two repos mirror the deb/rpm channels: `punktfunk` (release tags) and `punktfunk-canary`
+(rolling main-branch builds, versioned `X.Y.Z-0.<run#>` so a later release always outranks
+them). Enable exactly one.
+
+The registry **signs the repo database and every package**, so first import its key into
+pacman's keyring (a one-time step — after this, packages install signature-verified):
+
+```sh
+# 1. Trust the registry signing key.
+curl -fsS https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/arch/repository.key \
+  | sudo pacman-key --add -
+sudo pacman-key --lsign-key E0CA04465C99C936E0B0C6510A317015A34DDD69
+
+# 2. Add the repo (pick ONE channel — punktfunk for releases, punktfunk-canary for main builds).
+sudo tee -a /etc/pacman.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
+
+[punktfunk]
+Server = https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/arch/$repo/$arch
+EOF
+
+# 3. Sync + install.
+sudo pacman -Sy punktfunk-host        # gaming rig
+sudo pacman -Sy punktfunk-client      # couch/Deck side
+sudo pacman -Sy punktfunk-web         # optional browser management console
+```
+
+(No `SigLevel` line needed — pacman's default `Required DatabaseOptional` verifies the signed
+packages against the key you just trusted. Arch is rolling, so the packages are built against
+current Arch sonames — keep the box itself updated too.)
+
+Then the same first-run steps as a source build (printed by the install scriptlet): `input`
+group, `host.env`, `systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-host` — see the next section.
+
+## Build from source — Arch Linux (mutable)
 
 ```sh
 cd packaging/arch

packaging/bazzite/README.md

@@ -12,34 +12,91 @@ flagged explicitly. For the higher-level packaging rationale ("why not Flatpak",
 > NVENC, from RPM Fusion **nonfree**), `opus`, and `libei`.
 > Source: `packaging/README.md`, `packaging/rpm/punktfunk.spec`.
 
-> ⚠️ **Read this first — the COPR is operator-run, not yet published.**
-> Both install paths below pull the punktfunk RPM from a COPR project named
-> `enricobuehler/punktfunk`. That COPR is a configuration the maintainer has to **create and
-> build** (see `packaging/copr/README.md` — it documents how to set it up, not a live repo URL you
-> can assume exists). If `rpm-ostree install punktfunk` 404s, the COPR hasn't been published yet,
-> and your only path is to **build the RPM yourself** (see the appendix). The guide flags every
-> command that depends on the COPR being live.
+> ⚠️ **COPR note (Path C only).** The legacy layering path's commands reference a COPR project
+> named `enricobuehler/punktfunk` that is operator-run and may not be published (see
+> `packaging/copr/README.md`); layer from the **Gitea RPM registry** instead (`../rpm/README.md`,
+> the repo file `https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/rpm/bazzite.repo`) — it's what CI
+> actually publishes to. Paths A (sysext) and B (bootc) don't involve the COPR at all.
 
 ---
 
 ## 1. Choose an install path
 
-There are two supported paths on Bazzite, driven by different files in `packaging/`:
+There are three paths on Bazzite, driven by different files in `packaging/`:
 
 | Path | Driven by | What it does | Best for |
 |---|---|---|---|
-| **A — rpm-ostree layering** | `packaging/copr/README.md` + `packaging/rpm/punktfunk.spec` | Layers the `punktfunk` RPM onto your existing Bazzite deployment with `rpm-ostree install` | One host, quick iteration |
+| **A — systemd-sysext** ✅ recommended | `packaging/bazzite/punktfunk-sysext.sh` + `build-sysext.sh` (published by `.gitea/workflows/rpm.yml`) | Overlays the host onto `/usr` as a system extension — no layering, no reboot, one-command updates | Everyone; the default |
 | **B — bootc / OCI image** | `packaging/bootc/Containerfile` | Bakes punktfunk into a `FROM bazzite-nvidia` image once; you `bootc switch` any number of hosts onto it | Fleets, reproducible appliances, no per-host drift |
+| **C — rpm-ostree layering** (legacy) | `packaging/rpm/` + the Gitea RPM registry | Layers the `punktfunk` RPM onto your deployment with `rpm-ostree install` | Only if you specifically want the RPM database to own the files |
 
-**Trade-off:** Path A is a per-host package layer — simple, but each host accumulates its own
-layered-package state. Path B builds one image (RPM Fusion + the Gitea RPM repo + the host and
-**web console** + udev rule pre-installed) that you push to a registry and rebase hosts onto
-atomically — no per-host `rpm-ostree install` drift, at the cost of running a `podman build`/`push`
-pipeline. Both require the **same first-run setup** (sections 3–6); note Path B installs from the
-**Gitea RPM registry** (which carries `punktfunk-web`), whereas Path A's COPR builds host+client
-only — for the web console on Path A, layer from the Gitea registry instead (`../rpm/README.md`).
+**Why A over C:** the Bazzite docs treat layering as a last resort — every layered package makes
+every OS update slower and can **block upgrades entirely** until removed. A sysext never enters an
+rpm-ostree transaction: it merges/unmerges at runtime, survives OS updates, and updating punktfunk
+is one command with **no reboot** (layering needs one per update). It's the mechanism the Fedora
+Atomic maintainers ship via [fedora-sysexts](https://fedora-sysexts.github.io/). All paths require
+the **same first-run setup** (sections 3–6).
 
-### Path A — rpm-ostree layering from the COPR
+### Path A — systemd-sysext (recommended)
+
+Run on the Bazzite host:
+
+```sh
+# One-time bootstrap; afterwards the tool is on PATH as `punktfunk-sysext` (it ships inside
+# the image). `--channel canary` for rolling main-branch builds instead of releases.
+curl -fsSLO https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/raw/branch/main/packaging/bazzite/punktfunk-sysext.sh
+sudo bash punktfunk-sysext.sh install
+```
+
+This downloads the newest image for your Fedora base (host + tray + **web console**,
+SHA-256-verified from the feed `…/packages/unom/generic/punktfunk-sysext/f<ver>[-canary]/`),
+installs it as `/var/lib/extensions/punktfunk.raw`, merges it, and immediately applies what the
+RPM scriptlets would have (udev reload, sysctl) plus the two `/etc` files a sysext can't carry
+(the gamescope-session drop-in and the tray autostart entry, staged under
+`/usr/share/punktfunk/etc/`). No reboot at any point. Day-2:
+
+```sh
+sudo punktfunk-sysext update    # fetch + merge the newest build (then restart the user service)
+sudo punktfunk-sysext status    # merged?, installed vs latest, channel/feed
+sudo punktfunk-sysext remove    # unmerge + delete; ~/.config/punktfunk is left alone
+```
+
+Details worth knowing:
+
+- The image embeds `ID=fedora` + `VERSION_ID` (matched through Bazzite's `ID_LIKE`), so after a
+  **major Bazzite rebase** (F43 → F44) the old image is **refused** instead of merging
+  soname-broken binaries — `punktfunk-sysext update` then fetches the image built for the new
+  base (feeds exist per Fedora major, from the same CI matrix as the RPM groups).
+- SELinux labels are baked into the image at build time (squashfs pseudo-xattrs computed from
+  the targeted policy) — without them udev couldn't read the gamepad rule under enforcing.
+  Validated live on Bazzite 43.
+- **Migrating from layering (path C):** install the sysext (it shadows the layered copy at
+  once), then `sudo rpm-ostree uninstall punktfunk punktfunk-web && systemctl reboot`.
+
+### Path B — bootc image (`FROM bazzite-nvidia`)
+
+The image is built **off-host** (on any machine with `podman`) from
+`packaging/bootc/Containerfile`, which bases on `ghcr.io/ublue-os/bazzite-nvidia:stable`
+(override with `--build-arg BASE_IMAGE=…`), enables RPM Fusion free + nonfree, adds the Gitea RPM
+repo (`--build-arg PUNKTFUNK_RPM_GROUP=…`, default `bazzite`), and installs the host **and the web
+console** (`punktfunk punktfunk-web`). It uses the Gitea registry rather than the COPR specifically
+because the registry carries `punktfunk-web` (COPR's mock chroot can't build it — no `bun`).
+
+```sh
+# Build + push (run from the repo root, on your builder machine):
+podman build -t ghcr.io/<you>/bazzite-punktfunk -f packaging/bootc/Containerfile .
+podman push  ghcr.io/<you>/bazzite-punktfunk
+
+# On each target Bazzite host:
+sudo bootc switch ghcr.io/<you>/bazzite-punktfunk && systemctl reboot
+```
+
+> ⚠️ The image installs from the **Gitea RPM registry** (group `bazzite`), so **Path B depends on
+> that registry being populated** — CI (`.gitea/workflows/rpm.yml`) publishes `punktfunk` +
+> `punktfunk-web` on every push to `main`. Packages are unsigned with GPG-signed metadata
+> (`repo_gpgcheck=1`), matching `packaging/rpm/README.md`.
+
+### Path C — rpm-ostree layering (legacy)
 
 Run on the Bazzite host. (Commands verbatim from `packaging/README.md`.)
 
@@ -62,7 +119,7 @@ systemctl reboot
 > The **reboot is mandatory** — `rpm-ostree install` stages a new deployment that only takes
 > effect on the next boot. This is normal atomic-distro behavior, not a punktfunk quirk.
 
-#### Updating a Path-A host — `rpm-ostree upgrade` is NOT enough
+#### Updating a Path-C host — `rpm-ostree upgrade` is NOT enough
 
 > ⚠️ **`rpm-ostree upgrade` will not update punktfunk on its own.** `upgrade` bumps the **base
 > image** and only re-resolves *layered* packages **when the base changes**. A Bazzite base can
@@ -94,29 +151,6 @@ sudo bash packaging/bazzite/update-punktfunk.sh --reboot # stage + reboot now
 > `punktfunk.repo`, canary's `<next-minor>.0-0.ciN` **outranks** the stable `X.Y.Z-1` and the box
 > silently tracks canary. Enable exactly one channel — set `enabled=0` in the other repo file.
 
-### Path B — bootc image (`FROM bazzite-nvidia`)
-
-The image is built **off-host** (on any machine with `podman`) from
-`packaging/bootc/Containerfile`, which bases on `ghcr.io/ublue-os/bazzite-nvidia:stable`
-(override with `--build-arg BASE_IMAGE=…`), enables RPM Fusion free + nonfree, adds the Gitea RPM
-repo (`--build-arg PUNKTFUNK_RPM_GROUP=…`, default `bazzite`), and installs the host **and the web
-console** (`punktfunk punktfunk-web`). It uses the Gitea registry rather than the COPR specifically
-because the registry carries `punktfunk-web` (COPR's mock chroot can't build it — no `bun`).
-
-```sh
-# Build + push (run from the repo root, on your builder machine):
-podman build -t ghcr.io/<you>/bazzite-punktfunk -f packaging/bootc/Containerfile .
-podman push  ghcr.io/<you>/bazzite-punktfunk
-
-# On each target Bazzite host:
-sudo bootc switch ghcr.io/<you>/bazzite-punktfunk && systemctl reboot
-```
-
-> ⚠️ The image installs from the **Gitea RPM registry** (group `bazzite`), so **Path B depends on
-> that registry being populated** — CI (`.gitea/workflows/rpm.yml`) publishes `punktfunk` +
-> `punktfunk-web` on every push to `main`. Packages are unsigned with GPG-signed metadata
-> (`repo_gpgcheck=1`), matching `packaging/rpm/README.md`.
-
 ---
 
 ## 2. Prerequisites — what Bazzite gives you vs. what you must still do

packaging/bazzite/build-sysext.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Build the punktfunk systemd-sysext image for Bazzite / Fedora Atomic from the built RPMs —
+# the no-layering install path (rpm-ostree layering slows every update and can block upgrades;
+# a sysext never enters an rpm-ostree transaction). The .raw overlays /usr read-only from
+# /var/lib/extensions/, survives OS updates, and is toggled/updated without a reboot.
+#
+# Counterpart to ../arch/build-sysext.sh (which wraps a pacman package for SteamOS). This one
+# wraps the Fedora RPMs (punktfunk + punktfunk-web) and additionally:
+#   * relocates the RPMs' /etc payload to /usr/share/punktfunk/etc/ (a sysext carries ONLY /usr;
+#     punktfunk-sysext(8) copies these into the real /etc on install),
+#   * bakes SELinux labels in as squashfs pseudo-xattrs, computed with matchpathcon from the
+#     build container's targeted policy. Without them every file is unlabeled_t at runtime:
+#     fine for the user session + systemd --user units (unconfined), but system daemons are
+#     DENIED — udev couldn't read 60-punktfunk.rules and systemd-sysctl couldn't read the
+#     sysctl drop-in (validated live on Bazzite 43, SELinux enforcing, 2026-07-04),
+#   * pins compatibility via ID=fedora + VERSION_ID: merges on Bazzite/Silverblue/Aurora of the
+#     SAME Fedora major (ID_LIKE matching, systemd >= 256) and is REFUSED after a major rebase
+#     instead of running soname-broken binaries (`punktfunk-sysext update` then re-resolves),
+#   * embeds the punktfunk-sysext helper so an installed box can update itself.
+#
+# Build in the matching Fedora container (ci/fedora*-rpm.Dockerfile) — matchpathcon needs the
+# Fedora targeted policy (libselinux-utils + selinux-policy-targeted), and the RPMs are
+# soname-coupled to their base anyway. Needs: rpm2cpio, cpio, mksquashfs (>= 4.6), matchpathcon.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   bash build-sysext.sh --version-id 43 --out dist/punktfunk-0.7.1-1-x86-64.raw \
+#        dist/punktfunk-0.7.1-1.fc43.x86_64.rpm dist/punktfunk-web-0.7.1-1.fc43.noarch.rpm
+#
+# The installed image MUST be named punktfunk.raw (the embedded extension-release marker is
+# extension-release.punktfunk; systemd-sysext requires marker == image name) — the feed carries
+# versioned filenames and punktfunk-sysext installs to the fixed name.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+VERSION_ID="" OUT="" RPMS=()
+while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
+  case "$1" in
+    --version-id) VERSION_ID="${2:?}"; shift 2 ;;
+    --out)        OUT="${2:?}"; shift 2 ;;
+    *)            RPMS+=("$1"); shift ;;
+  esac
+done
+[ -n "$VERSION_ID" ] || { echo "missing --version-id <fedora major, e.g. 43>" >&2; exit 1; }
+[ -n "$OUT" ] || { echo "missing --out <image.raw>" >&2; exit 1; }
+[ "${#RPMS[@]}" -gt 0 ] || { echo "no RPMs given" >&2; exit 1; }
+for tool in rpm2cpio cpio mksquashfs matchpathcon; do
+  command -v "$tool" >/dev/null || { echo "missing tool: $tool" >&2; exit 1; }
+done
+
+HERE="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
+STAGE="$(mktemp -d)"
+trap 'rm -rf "$STAGE"' EXIT
+
+# SYSEXT_VERSION_ID from the punktfunk RPM (V-R without the dist tag): what
+# `punktfunk-sysext status` reports as the installed version.
+PF_VR=""
+SEEN_NAMES=" "
+for rpm in "${RPMS[@]}"; do
+  [ -f "$rpm" ] || { echo "no such RPM: $rpm" >&2; exit 1; }
+  name="$(rpm -qp --qf '%{NAME}' "$rpm" 2>/dev/null)"
+  # Two RPMs of the same NAME (e.g. a stale noarch next to the current x86_64 from a sloppy
+  # download glob) silently shadow each other's files — refuse instead of building a chimera.
+  case "$SEEN_NAMES" in *" $name "*) echo "duplicate RPM name '$name' in inputs — pass exactly one RPM per package" >&2; exit 1 ;; esac
+  SEEN_NAMES="$SEEN_NAMES$name "
+  if [ "$name" = punktfunk ]; then
+    PF_VR="$(rpm -qp --qf '%{VERSION}-%{RELEASE}' "$rpm" 2>/dev/null)"
+    PF_VR="${PF_VR%.fc*}"
+  fi
+  rpm2cpio "$rpm" | ( cd "$STAGE" && cpio -idmu --quiet )
+done
+[ -n "$PF_VR" ] || { echo "the punktfunk (host) RPM must be among the inputs" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+# A sysext carries only /usr. Relocate the RPMs' /etc payload (gamescope-session drop-in, tray
+# autostart entry) under /usr/share/punktfunk/etc/ — punktfunk-sysext copies it into /etc.
+if [ -d "$STAGE/etc" ]; then
+  mkdir -p "$STAGE/usr/share/punktfunk/etc"
+  cp -a "$STAGE/etc/." "$STAGE/usr/share/punktfunk/etc/"
+  rm -rf "${STAGE:?}/etc"
+fi
+rm -rf "${STAGE:?}/var"   # rpm ghosts etc. — nothing outside /usr may remain
+
+# Self-update: the helper rides inside the image.
+install -Dm0755 "$HERE/punktfunk-sysext.sh" "$STAGE/usr/bin/punktfunk-sysext"
+
+# Compatibility marker. ID=fedora matches Bazzite & friends through os-release ID_LIKE;
+# VERSION_ID makes a major-rebased host refuse the old ABI instead of merging it.
+install -d "$STAGE/usr/lib/extension-release.d"
+cat > "$STAGE/usr/lib/extension-release.d/extension-release.punktfunk" <<EOF
+ID=fedora
+VERSION_ID=$VERSION_ID
+ARCHITECTURE=x86-64
+SYSEXT_ID=punktfunk
+SYSEXT_VERSION_ID=$PF_VR
+EXTENSION_RELOAD_MANAGER=1
+EOF
+
+# SELinux labels as pseudo-xattrs (see header). matchpathcon resolves each target path against
+# the targeted policy's file_contexts; <<none>> means "no specific entry" — skip those (the
+# handful of matches all resolve to real contexts for our payload).
+PSEUDO="$STAGE.pseudo"
+( cd "$STAGE" && find . -mindepth 1 \( -type f -o -type d \) -printf '/%P\n' ) | sort \
+  | while IFS= read -r path; do
+      ctx="$(matchpathcon -n "$path" 2>/dev/null || true)"
+      case "$ctx" in ''|'<<none>>') continue ;; esac
+      printf '%s x security.selinux=%s\n' "$path" "$ctx"
+    done > "$PSEUDO"
+[ -s "$PSEUDO" ] || { echo "matchpathcon produced no labels — refusing to build an unlabeled image" >&2; exit 1; }
+
+rm -f "$OUT"; mkdir -p "$(dirname "$OUT")"
+# -xattrs-exclude drops any security.selinux the staging fs already had (would collide with the
+# pseudo defs when building on an SELinux host); -all-root because cpio extracted as the CI uid.
+mksquashfs "$STAGE" "$OUT" -all-root -noappend -quiet \
+  -xattrs-exclude '^security.selinux' -pf "$PSEUDO"
+rm -f "$PSEUDO"
+echo "built $OUT (punktfunk $PF_VR, fedora $VERSION_ID, $(du -h "$OUT" | cut -f1))"
+echo "  install on the box:  punktfunk-sysext install   (or --from-file $OUT)"

packaging/bazzite/publish-sysext-feed.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Publish a punktfunk sysext image into its feed on the Gitea generic package registry —
+# called by .gitea/workflows/rpm.yml after the RPM publish. A feed is one fixed URL
+# (…/punktfunk-sysext/<feed>/) holding versioned .raw files plus a SHA256SUMS manifest;
+# punktfunk-sysext(8) on the boxes reads SHA256SUMS to find + verify the newest image
+# (the layout is also exactly what systemd-sysupdate's url-file source expects, so a
+# .transfer feed can be added later without re-publishing anything).
+#
+# Usage: TOKEN=… [KEEP=6] bash publish-sysext-feed.sh <feed> <image.raw>
+#   <feed>   e.g. f43, f43-canary, f44 (Fedora major x channel)
+#   KEEP     newest images to keep in the feed; 0/unset-for-stable = keep all
+# Env: REGISTRY (git.unom.io), OWNER (unom), TOKEN (write:package PAT), CURL_USER (login name)
+set -euo pipefail
+
+FEED="${1:?usage: publish-sysext-feed.sh <feed> <image.raw>}"
+RAW="${2:?usage: publish-sysext-feed.sh <feed> <image.raw>}"
+[ -f "$RAW" ] || { echo "no such image: $RAW" >&2; exit 1; }
+REGISTRY="${REGISTRY:-git.unom.io}"
+OWNER="${OWNER:-unom}"
+KEEP="${KEEP:-0}"
+AUTH=(--user "${CURL_USER:-enricobuehler}:${TOKEN:?TOKEN (write:package PAT) required}")
+BASE="https://$REGISTRY/api/packages/$OWNER/generic/punktfunk-sysext/$FEED"
+
+FNAME="$(basename "$RAW")"
+SHA="$(sha256sum "$RAW" | cut -d' ' -f1)"
+
+# Merge into the existing manifest: drop any prior line for this filename, append ours.
+SUMS="$(mktemp)"; trap 'rm -f "$SUMS"' EXIT
+curl -fsS "${AUTH[@]}" "$BASE/SHA256SUMS" 2>/dev/null | grep -v " $FNAME\$" > "$SUMS" || true
+printf '%s  %s\n' "$SHA" "$FNAME" >> "$SUMS"
+
+# Prune: keep only the newest $KEEP images (by version sort) in manifest + registry.
+PRUNE=()
+if [ "$KEEP" -gt 0 ]; then
+  mapfile -t PRUNE < <(awk '{print $2}' "$SUMS" | sort -V | head -n -"$KEEP")
+  for f in "${PRUNE[@]:-}"; do
+    [ -n "$f" ] && sed -i "\| $f\$|d" "$SUMS"
+  done
+fi
+
+# Upload order keeps consumers consistent: image first, then the manifest referencing it,
+# then prune deletions (already absent from the manifest). Delete-before-put makes workflow
+# re-runs idempotent (the registry 409s on duplicate filenames; first-publish 404s are fine).
+curl -fsS -o /dev/null "${AUTH[@]}" -X DELETE "$BASE/$FNAME" || true
+curl -fsS -o /dev/null "${AUTH[@]}" --upload-file "$RAW" "$BASE/$FNAME"
+curl -fsS -o /dev/null "${AUTH[@]}" -X DELETE "$BASE/SHA256SUMS" || true
+curl -fsS -o /dev/null "${AUTH[@]}" --upload-file "$SUMS" "$BASE/SHA256SUMS"
+for f in "${PRUNE[@]:-}"; do
+  [ -n "$f" ] && { echo "pruning $f"; curl -fsS -o /dev/null "${AUTH[@]}" -X DELETE "$BASE/$f" || true; }
+done
+echo "published $FNAME -> $BASE ($(wc -l <"$SUMS") image(s) in the feed)"

packaging/bazzite/punktfunk-sysext.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,204 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# punktfunk-sysext — install/update the punktfunk host on Bazzite / Fedora Atomic as a
+# systemd-sysext, the no-layering path (rpm-ostree layering is a last resort per the Bazzite
+# docs: it slows every update and can block upgrades; a sysext never enters an rpm-ostree
+# transaction, needs no reboot, and is trivially removable).
+#
+# The image overlays /usr from /var/lib/extensions/punktfunk.raw with the host, tray and web
+# console + their udev/sysctl/systemd-user payload; the RPMs' two /etc files (gamescope
+# session drop-in, tray autostart) ride inside at /usr/share/punktfunk/etc/ and are copied
+# into the real /etc here (a sysext can only carry /usr).
+#
+# Bootstrap (the script also ships inside the image as /usr/bin/punktfunk-sysext):
+#   curl -fsSLO https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/raw/branch/main/packaging/bazzite/punktfunk-sysext.sh
+#   sudo bash punktfunk-sysext.sh install            # or: install --channel canary
+# Thereafter:
+#   sudo punktfunk-sysext update | status | remove
+#
+# Feed: the Gitea generic package registry, one feed per Fedora major x channel
+# (…/punktfunk-sysext/f43/, f43-canary, f44, …), each a SHA256SUMS + versioned .raw files —
+# published by .gitea/workflows/rpm.yml from the same RPMs the (legacy) layering path uses.
+# The image pins ID=fedora + VERSION_ID, so after a major OS rebase the old image is refused
+# (not merged broken) and `punktfunk-sysext update` re-resolves against the new release.
+set -euo pipefail
+
+REGISTRY="${PUNKTFUNK_SYSEXT_REGISTRY:-https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/generic/punktfunk-sysext}"
+CONF=/etc/punktfunk-sysext.conf
+EXT_DIR=/var/lib/extensions
+IMG="$EXT_DIR/punktfunk.raw"
+SIDECAR="$EXT_DIR/.punktfunk.version"
+MARKER=/usr/lib/extension-release.d/extension-release.punktfunk
+ETC_SRC=/usr/share/punktfunk/etc
+
+usage() {
+  sed -n 's/^#\( \|$\)//p' "$0" | sed -n '1,20p'
+  echo "usage: punktfunk-sysext install [--channel stable|canary] [--from-file X.raw]"
+  echo "       punktfunk-sysext update [--from-file X.raw] | status | remove"
+  exit "${1:-0}"
+}
+need_root() { [ "$(id -u)" = 0 ] || { echo "run as root (sudo)" >&2; exit 1; }; }
+
+os_version_id() { . /etc/os-release; echo "${VERSION_ID%%.*}"; }
+channel() { # shellcheck disable=SC1090
+  [ -f "$CONF" ] && . "$CONF"; echo "${CHANNEL:-stable}"; }
+feed_url() {
+  local suffix=""
+  [ "$(channel)" = canary ] && suffix="-canary"
+  echo "$REGISTRY/f$(os_version_id)$suffix"
+}
+
+# latest -> "VERSION FILENAME SHA256" from the feed's SHA256SUMS (highest by version sort).
+latest() {
+  local feed; feed="$(feed_url)"
+  curl -fsSL "$feed/SHA256SUMS" \
+    | awk '$2 ~ /^punktfunk-.*-x86-64\.raw$/ { v=$2; sub(/^punktfunk-/,"",v); sub(/-x86-64\.raw$/,"",v); print v, $2, $1 }' \
+    | sort -V | tail -n1
+}
+
+installed_version() {
+  if [ -f "$MARKER" ]; then
+    sed -n 's/^SYSEXT_VERSION_ID=//p' "$MARKER"
+  elif [ -f "$SIDECAR" ]; then
+    cat "$SIDECAR"
+  fi
+}
+merged() { [ -f "$MARKER" ]; }
+
+post_merge() {
+  if ! merged; then
+    echo "!! image installed but NOT merged — 'systemd-sysext status' / 'journalctl -u systemd-sysext'" >&2
+    echo "!! (an OS release the image doesn't match? 'punktfunk-sysext update' fetches the right one)" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+  # What the RPM scriptlets would have done: pick up the uinput/uhid rule + the UDP buffer
+  # sysctl now, no reboot (both also auto-apply at boot once merged — the files live in /usr/lib).
+  udevadm control --reload 2>/dev/null || :
+  udevadm trigger --subsystem-match=misc 2>/dev/null || :
+  for f in /usr/lib/sysctl.d/99-punktfunk-net.conf /usr/lib/sysctl.d/99-punktfunk-client-net.conf; do
+    [ -f "$f" ] && sysctl -q -p "$f" 2>/dev/null || :
+  done
+  # The /etc payload a sysext can't carry. The gamescope-session drop-in is %config(noreplace):
+  # only seed it, never clobber a local edit. The tray autostart entry is not user config.
+  if [ -f "$ETC_SRC/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam" ] \
+     && [ ! -e /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam ]; then
+    install -Dm0644 "$ETC_SRC/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam" \
+      /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam
+  fi
+  if [ -f "$ETC_SRC/xdg/autostart/io.unom.Punktfunk.Tray.desktop" ]; then
+    install -Dm0644 "$ETC_SRC/xdg/autostart/io.unom.Punktfunk.Tray.desktop" \
+      /etc/xdg/autostart/io.unom.Punktfunk.Tray.desktop
+  fi
+}
+
+# do_install VERSION FILENAME SHA256 | do_install --from-file X.raw
+do_install() {
+  need_root
+  mkdir -p "$EXT_DIR"
+  local tmp="$EXT_DIR/.punktfunk.raw.new" ver
+  if [ "$1" = --from-file ]; then
+    ver="(local: $(basename "$2"))"
+    cp -f "$2" "$tmp"
+  else
+    ver="$1"
+    echo "downloading punktfunk $ver ($(channel), fedora $(os_version_id))…"
+    curl -fL --progress-bar -o "$tmp" "$(feed_url)/$2"
+    echo "$3  $tmp" | sha256sum -c --quiet
+  fi
+  mv -f "$tmp" "$IMG"          # marker inside is extension-release.punktfunk — name must match
+  echo "$ver" > "$SIDECAR"
+  systemctl enable --now systemd-sysext.service >/dev/null 2>&1 || :
+  systemd-sysext refresh
+  post_merge
+  echo "punktfunk $ver merged into /usr."
+}
+
+layering_hint() {
+  if command -v rpm-ostree >/dev/null 2>&1 \
+     && rpm-ostree status 2>/dev/null | grep -q 'LayeredPackages:.*punktfunk'; then
+    cat >&2 <<'EOF'
+!! punktfunk is ALSO layered via rpm-ostree. The sysext now shadows it, but remove the
+!! layer so it stops slowing/blocking OS updates (the reason this sysext exists):
+!!     sudo rpm-ostree uninstall punktfunk punktfunk-web && systemctl reboot
+EOF
+  fi
+}
+
+cmd_install() {
+  need_root
+  local from_file=""
+  while [ $# -gt 0 ]; do
+    case "$1" in
+      --channel)   printf 'CHANNEL=%s\n' "${2:?}" > "$CONF"; shift 2 ;;
+      --from-file) from_file="${2:?}"; shift 2 ;;
+      *) usage 1 ;;
+    esac
+  done
+  if [ -n "$from_file" ]; then
+    do_install --from-file "$from_file"
+  else
+    local l; l="$(latest)"
+    [ -n "$l" ] || { echo "no image in the feed $(feed_url)" >&2; exit 1; }
+    # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+    do_install $l
+  fi
+  layering_hint
+  cat <<'EOF'
+
+First-run (once):
+  ujust add-user-to-input-group        # virtual gamepads; then log out + back in
+  mkdir -p ~/.config/punktfunk
+  cp /usr/share/punktfunk/host.env.bazzite ~/.config/punktfunk/host.env
+  systemctl --user daemon-reload && systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-host
+Updates:  sudo punktfunk-sysext update
+EOF
+}
+
+cmd_update() {
+  need_root
+  if [ "${1:-}" = --from-file ]; then do_install --from-file "${2:?}"; return; fi
+  local cur l ver
+  cur="$(installed_version)"
+  l="$(latest)"
+  [ -n "$l" ] || { echo "no image in the feed $(feed_url)" >&2; exit 1; }
+  ver="${l%% *}"
+  if [ "$ver" = "$cur" ] && merged; then
+    echo "already on $cur (channel $(channel)) — nothing to do."
+    return
+  fi
+  echo "updating: ${cur:-<none>} -> $ver"
+  # shellcheck disable=SC2086
+  do_install $l
+  echo "restart the host to pick up the new binary:  systemctl --user restart punktfunk-host"
+}
+
+cmd_status() {
+  echo "channel:    $(channel)"
+  echo "feed:       $(feed_url)"
+  echo "image:      $([ -f "$IMG" ] && du -h "$IMG" | cut -f1 || echo '(not installed)')"
+  echo "merged:     $(merged && echo yes || echo no)"
+  echo "installed:  $(installed_version || true)"
+  echo "latest:     $(latest 2>/dev/null | cut -d' ' -f1 || true)"
+}
+
+cmd_remove() {
+  need_root
+  # /etc cleanup needs the /usr payload for the unmodified-compare — do it BEFORE unmerging.
+  if merged; then
+    if cmp -s "$ETC_SRC/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam" \
+              /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam 2>/dev/null; then
+      rm -f /etc/gamescope-session-plus/sessions.d/steam
+    fi
+  fi
+  rm -f /etc/xdg/autostart/io.unom.Punktfunk.Tray.desktop
+  rm -f "$IMG" "$SIDECAR" "$CONF"
+  systemd-sysext refresh 2>/dev/null || :
+  echo "punktfunk sysext removed (user config in ~/.config/punktfunk is untouched)."
+}
+
+case "${1:-}" in
+  install) shift; cmd_install "$@" ;;
+  update)  shift; cmd_update "$@" ;;
+  status)  shift; cmd_status ;;
+  remove)  shift; cmd_remove ;;
+  *) usage ;;
+esac

packaging/bazzite/update-punktfunk.sh

@@ -23,6 +23,14 @@ if [[ $EUID -ne 0 ]]; then
   exit 1
 fi
 
+# The sysext path (packaging/bazzite/punktfunk-sysext.sh) supersedes layering entirely — if the
+# box runs the sysext, it shadows any layered copy and THIS script won't change what executes.
+if [[ -f /var/lib/extensions/punktfunk.raw ]]; then
+  echo "NOTE: the punktfunk sysext is installed — update with 'punktfunk-sysext update' instead." >&2
+  echo "      (a layered punktfunk is shadowed by the sysext; consider removing the layer:" >&2
+  echo "       rpm-ostree uninstall punktfunk punktfunk-web)" >&2
+fi
+
 # Which punktfunk packages are actually layered right now (host, web, or both).
 mapfile -t layered < <(rpm-ostree status --json 2>/dev/null \
   | grep -oE '"punktfunk(-web)?"' | tr -d '"' | sort -u)

packaging/flatpak/io.unom.Punktfunk.yml

@@ -68,12 +68,11 @@ finish-args:
   #     PulseAudio shim — so it needs the real `pipewire-0` socket in the sandbox. With only
   #     --socket=pulseaudio the sandbox has just `pulse/native`, no `pipewire-0`, and playback +
   #     mic both die with "pw connect (is PipeWire running in this session?)" (observed live on the
-  #     Deck in Gaming Mode). --socket=pipewire is the canonical grant; --filesystem=xdg-run/
-  #     pipewire-0 binds the same socket portably (validated on-Deck: it makes pipewire-0 appear in
-  #     the sandbox where --socket=pipewire's CLI validation was flaky). Neither needs the
-  #     camera/portal dance (that's only for camera nodes). --socket=pulseaudio stays as a fallback
-  #     for any pulse-only path. ---
-  - --socket=pipewire
+  #     Deck in Gaming Mode). We bind the native socket via --filesystem=xdg-run/pipewire-0 (NOT
+  #     --socket=pipewire: this flatpak-builder toolchain rejects it as an "Unknown socket type",
+  #     and the Deck's flatpak 1.16 override CLI does too — the filesystem bind is the portable
+  #     form, validated on-Deck to make pipewire-0 appear + the client register its audio node).
+  #     --socket=pulseaudio stays as a fallback for any pulse-only path. ---
   - --filesystem=xdg-run/pipewire-0
   - --socket=pulseaudio
   # --- network: QUIC control + UDP data plane + mDNS discovery (_punktfunk._udp) ---

web/messages/de.json

@@ -47,6 +47,36 @@
 	"gpu_none": "Keine GPUs erkannt.",
 	"gpu_missing_warning": "Die bevorzugte GPU „{name}“ ist nicht vorhanden — stattdessen wird automatisch gewählt.",
 	"gpu_env_note": "PUNKTFUNK_RENDER_ADAPTER={value} bindet die GPU im Automatikmodus.",
+	"host_displays": "Virtuelle Displays",
+	"host_displays_help": "Wie virtuelle Displays erstellt, aktiv gehalten und angeordnet werden. Wähle eine Voreinstellung oder „Benutzerdefiniert“, um Optionen direkt zu setzen. Eine Änderung gilt ab der nächsten Sitzung.",
+	"display_preset": "Voreinstellung",
+	"display_preset_custom": "Benutzerdefiniert",
+	"display_preset_default": "Standard",
+	"display_preset_gaming_rig": "Gaming-Rig",
+	"display_preset_shared_desktop": "Geteilter Desktop",
+	"display_preset_hotdesk": "Hot-Desk",
+	"display_preset_workstation": "Workstation",
+	"display_keep_alive": "Nach Trennung aktiv halten",
+	"display_keep_alive_off": "Aus",
+	"display_keep_alive_seconds": "Sekunden",
+	"display_topology": "Topologie",
+	"display_topology_auto": "Automatisch",
+	"display_topology_extend": "Erweitern",
+	"display_topology_primary": "Primär",
+	"display_topology_exclusive": "Exklusiv",
+	"display_max": "Max. Displays",
+	"display_save": "Speichern",
+	"display_effective": "Aktiv",
+	"display_pending_note": "Konfliktbehandlung, Identität und Layout werden gespeichert, aber noch nicht angewendet — sie folgen in späteren Versionen.",
+	"display_live": "Aktive Displays",
+	"display_none_live": "Derzeit keine virtuellen Displays.",
+	"display_state_active": "Aktiv",
+	"display_state_lingering": "Wird gehalten",
+	"display_state_pinned": "Angeheftet",
+	"display_release_btn": "Freigeben",
+	"display_release_all": "Alle gehaltenen freigeben",
+	"display_expires_in": "Abbau in {sec}s",
+	"display_sessions": "{count} streamend",
 	"clients_title": "Gekoppelte Geräte",
 	"clients_empty": "Noch keine gekoppelten Geräte.",
 	"clients_name": "Name",

web/messages/en.json

@@ -47,6 +47,36 @@
 	"gpu_none": "No GPUs detected.",
 	"gpu_missing_warning": "The preferred GPU “{name}” is not present — automatic selection is used instead.",
 	"gpu_env_note": "PUNKTFUNK_RENDER_ADAPTER={value} pins the GPU while in automatic mode.",
+	"host_displays": "Virtual displays",
+	"host_displays_help": "How virtual displays are created, kept alive, and arranged. Pick a preset, or choose Custom to set options directly. A change applies to the next session.",
+	"display_preset": "Preset",
+	"display_preset_custom": "Custom",
+	"display_preset_default": "Default",
+	"display_preset_gaming_rig": "Gaming rig",
+	"display_preset_shared_desktop": "Shared desktop",
+	"display_preset_hotdesk": "Hot-desk",
+	"display_preset_workstation": "Workstation",
+	"display_keep_alive": "Keep alive after disconnect",
+	"display_keep_alive_off": "Off",
+	"display_keep_alive_seconds": "seconds",
+	"display_topology": "Topology",
+	"display_topology_auto": "Automatic",
+	"display_topology_extend": "Extend",
+	"display_topology_primary": "Primary",
+	"display_topology_exclusive": "Exclusive",
+	"display_max": "Max displays",
+	"display_save": "Save",
+	"display_effective": "In effect",
+	"display_pending_note": "Conflict handling, identity, and layout are stored but not enforced yet — they arrive in later releases.",
+	"display_live": "Live displays",
+	"display_none_live": "No virtual displays right now.",
+	"display_state_active": "Active",
+	"display_state_lingering": "Lingering",
+	"display_state_pinned": "Pinned",
+	"display_release_btn": "Release",
+	"display_release_all": "Release all kept",
+	"display_expires_in": "tears down in {sec}s",
+	"display_sessions": "{count} streaming",
 	"clients_title": "Paired clients",
 	"clients_empty": "No paired clients yet.",
 	"clients_name": "Name",

web/src/sections/Host/DisplayCard.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,362 @@
+import { useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { Button } from "@unom/ui/button";
+import { type FC, useEffect, useState } from "react";
+import {
+	getGetDisplayStateQueryKey,
+	getGetDisplaySettingsQueryKey,
+	useGetDisplaySettings,
+	useGetDisplayState,
+	useReleaseDisplay,
+	useSetDisplaySettings,
+} from "@/api/gen/display/display";
+import type { ApiDisplayInfo } from "@/api/gen/model";
+import { ApiError } from "@/api/fetcher";
+import type {
+	DisplayPolicy,
+	EffectivePolicy,
+	KeepAlive,
+	Preset,
+	Topology,
+} from "@/api/gen/model";
+import { QueryState } from "@/components/query-state";
+import { Badge } from "@/components/ui/badge";
+import { Card, CardContent, CardHeader, CardTitle } from "@/components/ui/card";
+import { Input } from "@/components/ui/input";
+import { Label } from "@/components/ui/label";
+import { m } from "@/paraglide/messages";
+
+/**
+ * Container: the host's virtual-display management policy (design/display-management.md). Reads the
+ * stored policy + preset expansions, lets the operator pick a preset or set Custom fields, and PUTs
+ * the result — a change applies to the next session. Stage 0 enforces keep-alive + topology; the
+ * other stored options are shown but marked not-yet-enforced.
+ */
+export const DisplaySection: FC = () => {
+	const qc = useQueryClient();
+	const q = useGetDisplaySettings();
+	const save = useSetDisplaySettings();
+
+	// Local edit buffer, seeded once from the server and re-seeded after a successful save.
+	const [draft, setDraft] = useState<DisplayPolicy | null>(null);
+	useEffect(() => {
+		if (q.data && draft === null) setDraft(q.data.settings);
+	}, [q.data, draft]);
+
+	const onSave = () => {
+		if (!draft) return;
+		save.mutate(
+			{ data: draft },
+			{
+				onSuccess: (res) => {
+					setDraft(res.settings);
+					qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: getGetDisplaySettingsQueryKey() });
+				},
+			},
+		);
+	};
+
+	return (
+		<Card>
+			<CardHeader>
+				<CardTitle>{m.host_displays()}</CardTitle>
+			</CardHeader>
+			<CardContent className="space-y-4">
+				<p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{m.host_displays_help()}</p>
+				<QueryState isLoading={q.isLoading} error={q.error} refetch={q.refetch}>
+					{q.data && draft && (
+						<DisplayForm
+							draft={draft}
+							setDraft={setDraft}
+							presets={q.data.presets}
+							onSave={onSave}
+							busy={save.isPending}
+							error={apiErrorMessage(save.error)}
+						/>
+					)}
+				</QueryState>
+				<LiveDisplays />
+			</CardContent>
+		</Card>
+	);
+};
+
+/**
+ * The host's live/kept virtual displays, polled from `/display/state`, each with a Release button
+ * for lingering/pinned ones (active displays can't be released — that's session control).
+ */
+const LiveDisplays: FC = () => {
+	const qc = useQueryClient();
+	const state = useGetDisplayState({ query: { refetchInterval: 2_000 } });
+	const release = useReleaseDisplay();
+	const displays = state.data?.displays ?? [];
+	const kept = displays.filter((d) => d.state !== "active");
+
+	const doRelease = (slot?: number) =>
+		release.mutate(
+			{ data: { slot: slot ?? null } },
+			{ onSuccess: () => qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: getGetDisplayStateQueryKey() }) },
+		);
+
+	return (
+		<div className="space-y-2 border-t pt-4">
+			<div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-4">
+				<h4 className="text-sm font-medium">{m.display_live()}</h4>
+				{kept.length > 0 && (
+					<Button
+						size="sm"
+						variant="outline"
+						disabled={release.isPending}
+						onClick={() => doRelease()}
+					>
+						{m.display_release_all()}
+					</Button>
+				)}
+			</div>
+			{displays.length === 0 ? (
+				<p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{m.display_none_live()}</p>
+			) : (
+				<ul className="divide-y rounded-md border">
+					{displays.map((d) => (
+						<DisplayRow
+							key={d.slot}
+							d={d}
+							busy={release.isPending}
+							onRelease={() => doRelease(d.slot)}
+						/>
+					))}
+				</ul>
+			)}
+		</div>
+	);
+};
+
+const DisplayRow: FC<{ d: ApiDisplayInfo; busy: boolean; onRelease: () => void }> = ({
+	d,
+	busy,
+	onRelease,
+}) => {
+	const active = d.state === "active";
+	const stateLabel =
+		d.state === "active"
+			? m.display_state_active()
+			: d.state === "pinned"
+				? m.display_state_pinned()
+				: m.display_state_lingering();
+	return (
+		<li className="flex items-center justify-between gap-4 px-4 py-3">
+			<div className="min-w-0">
+				<div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2">
+					<span className="font-medium">{d.mode}</span>
+					<Badge variant={active ? "success" : "secondary"}>{stateLabel}</Badge>
+					{active && d.sessions > 0 && (
+						<Badge variant="outline">{m.display_sessions({ count: d.sessions })}</Badge>
+					)}
+				</div>
+				<code className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+					{d.backend}
+					{d.expires_in_ms != null
+						? ` · ${m.display_expires_in({ sec: Math.ceil(d.expires_in_ms / 1000) })}`
+						: ""}
+				</code>
+			</div>
+			{!active && (
+				<Button size="sm" variant="outline" disabled={busy} onClick={onRelease}>
+					{m.display_release_btn()}
+				</Button>
+			)}
+		</li>
+	);
+};
+
+/** The server's `{ error }` message from a thrown `ApiError` (its `.data` body), for inline display. */
+const apiErrorMessage = (err: unknown): string | undefined => {
+	if (err instanceof ApiError) {
+		const data = err.data as { error?: string } | undefined;
+		return data?.error ?? err.message;
+	}
+	return err ? String(err) : undefined;
+};
+
+/** The `gaming-rig` preset expands to `keep_alive: forever`, which the host rejects until the
+ * display-lifecycle stage — disable it rather than let the Save 400. */
+const DISABLED_PRESETS: ReadonlySet<string> = new Set(["gaming-rig"]);
+
+const PRESET_LABEL: Record<string, () => string> = {
+	custom: m.display_preset_custom,
+	default: m.display_preset_default,
+	"gaming-rig": m.display_preset_gaming_rig,
+	"shared-desktop": m.display_preset_shared_desktop,
+	hotdesk: m.display_preset_hotdesk,
+	workstation: m.display_preset_workstation,
+};
+
+const TOPOLOGY_LABEL: Record<Topology, () => string> = {
+	auto: m.display_topology_auto,
+	extend: m.display_topology_extend,
+	primary: m.display_topology_primary,
+	exclusive: m.display_topology_exclusive,
+};
+
+const fmtKeepAlive = (k: KeepAlive): string => {
+	switch (k.mode) {
+		case "off":
+			return m.display_keep_alive_off();
+		case "duration":
+			return `${k.seconds} ${m.display_keep_alive_seconds()}`;
+		case "forever":
+			return "∞";
+	}
+};
+
+const DisplayForm: FC<{
+	draft: DisplayPolicy;
+	setDraft: (p: DisplayPolicy) => void;
+	presets: { id: string; summary: string; fields: EffectivePolicy }[];
+	onSave: () => void;
+	busy: boolean;
+	error?: string;
+}> = ({ draft, setDraft, presets, onSave, busy, error }) => {
+	const preset: Preset = draft.preset ?? "custom";
+	const isCustom = preset === "custom";
+	const keepAlive: KeepAlive = draft.keep_alive ?? { mode: "duration", seconds: 10 };
+	const topology: Topology = draft.topology ?? "auto";
+
+	// Preview the effective fields: from the selected preset's expansion, or the Custom fields.
+	const effective: EffectivePolicy | undefined = isCustom
+		? {
+				keep_alive: keepAlive,
+				topology,
+				mode_conflict: draft.mode_conflict ?? "separate",
+				identity: draft.identity ?? "per-client",
+				layout: draft.layout ?? { mode: "auto-row", positions: {} },
+				max_displays: draft.max_displays ?? 4,
+			}
+		: presets.find((p) => p.id === preset)?.fields;
+
+	const presetSummary = presets.find((p) => p.id === preset)?.summary;
+
+	const secondsValue = keepAlive.mode === "duration" ? keepAlive.seconds : 300;
+
+	return (
+		<div className="space-y-5">
+			{/* Preset picker */}
+			<div className="space-y-2">
+				<Label>{m.display_preset()}</Label>
+				<div className="flex flex-wrap gap-2">
+					{(["custom", "default", "gaming-rig", "shared-desktop", "hotdesk", "workstation"] as const).map(
+						(id) => (
+							<Button
+								key={id}
+								size="sm"
+								variant={preset === id ? "default" : "outline"}
+								disabled={busy || DISABLED_PRESETS.has(id)}
+								onClick={() => setDraft({ ...draft, preset: id as Preset })}
+							>
+								{(PRESET_LABEL[id] ?? (() => id))()}
+							</Button>
+						),
+					)}
+				</div>
+				{presetSummary && !isCustom && (
+					<p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{presetSummary}</p>
+				)}
+			</div>
+
+			{/* Custom fields: keep-alive + topology + max displays */}
+			{isCustom && (
+				<div className="space-y-4 rounded-md border p-4">
+					<div className="space-y-2">
+						<Label>{m.display_keep_alive()}</Label>
+						<div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+							<Button
+								size="sm"
+								variant={keepAlive.mode === "off" ? "default" : "outline"}
+								disabled={busy}
+								onClick={() => setDraft({ ...draft, keep_alive: { mode: "off" } })}
+							>
+								{m.display_keep_alive_off()}
+							</Button>
+							<Input
+								type="number"
+								min={0}
+								className="w-24"
+								value={secondsValue}
+								disabled={busy}
+								onChange={(e) =>
+									setDraft({
+										...draft,
+										keep_alive: {
+											mode: "duration",
+											seconds: Math.max(0, Number(e.target.value) || 0),
+										},
+									})
+								}
+							/>
+							<span className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+								{m.display_keep_alive_seconds()}
+							</span>
+						</div>
+					</div>
+
+					<div className="space-y-2">
+						<Label>{m.display_topology()}</Label>
+						<div className="flex flex-wrap gap-2">
+							{(["auto", "extend", "primary", "exclusive"] as const).map((t) => (
+								<Button
+									key={t}
+									size="sm"
+									variant={topology === t ? "default" : "outline"}
+									disabled={busy}
+									onClick={() => setDraft({ ...draft, topology: t })}
+								>
+									{TOPOLOGY_LABEL[t]()}
+								</Button>
+							))}
+						</div>
+					</div>
+
+					<div className="space-y-2">
+						<Label htmlFor="disp-max">{m.display_max()}</Label>
+						<Input
+							id="disp-max"
+							type="number"
+							min={1}
+							max={16}
+							className="w-24"
+							value={draft.max_displays ?? 4}
+							disabled={busy}
+							onChange={(e) =>
+								setDraft({
+									...draft,
+									max_displays: Math.min(16, Math.max(1, Number(e.target.value) || 1)),
+								})
+							}
+						/>
+					</div>
+				</div>
+			)}
+
+			{/* Effective preview */}
+			{effective && (
+				<div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-2">
+					<span className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{m.display_effective()}:</span>
+					<Badge variant="secondary">{fmtKeepAlive(effective.keep_alive)}</Badge>
+					<Badge variant="secondary">{TOPOLOGY_LABEL[effective.topology]()}</Badge>
+					<Badge variant="outline">{effective.mode_conflict}</Badge>
+					<Badge variant="outline">{effective.identity}</Badge>
+					<Badge variant="outline">{`${effective.max_displays}×`}</Badge>
+				</div>
+			)}
+
+			<p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{m.display_pending_note()}</p>
+
+			{error && (
+				<p className="text-sm text-amber-600 dark:text-amber-500">{error}</p>
+			)}
+
+			<Button onClick={onSave} disabled={busy}>
+				{m.display_save()}
+			</Button>
+		</div>
+	);
+};

web/src/sections/Host/index.tsx

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { FC } from "react";
 import { useGetHostInfo, useListCompositors } from "@/api/gen/host/host";
 import { useLocale } from "@/lib/i18n";
+import { DisplaySection } from "./DisplayCard";
 import { GpuSection } from "./GpuCard";
 import { HostView } from "./view";
 
@@ -10,6 +11,11 @@ export const SectionHost: FC = () => {
 	const compositors = useListCompositors();
 
 	return (
-		<HostView host={host} compositors={compositors} gpu={<GpuSection />} />
+		<HostView
+			host={host}
+			compositors={compositors}
+			gpu={<GpuSection />}
+			displays={<DisplaySection />}
+		/>
 	);
 };

web/src/sections/Host/view.tsx

@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ export const HostView: FC<{
 	compositors: Loadable<AvailableCompositor[]>;
 	/** The GPU inventory/selection card (a self-contained container — see `GpuCard.tsx`). */
 	gpu?: ReactNode;
-}> = ({ host, compositors, gpu }) => {
+	/** The virtual-display management card (self-contained container — see `DisplayCard.tsx`). */
+	displays?: ReactNode;
+}> = ({ host, compositors, gpu, displays }) => {
 	const h = host.data;
 	return (
 		<Section maxWidth={false}>
@@ -81,6 +83,8 @@ export const HostView: FC<{
 
 				{gpu}
 
+				{displays}
+
 				<Card>
 					<CardHeader>
 						<CardTitle>{m.host_compositors()}</CardTitle>