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- Rename steam-deck-host.md → steamos-host.md (nav + install table updated). - Lead with the rationale: SteamOS host support targets the upcoming Steam Machine; the Steam Deck is the SteamOS device validated against today. - Soften the WiFi note: ~250 Mbps was our testing on one device/network, not a universal ceiling — other SteamOS hardware/drivers/bands may do more. - Generalize Deck-specific language to SteamOS devices throughout. - Document --no-gamestream (secure native-only) + GameStream-compat caveat. - decky README: drop stale `serve --native` (now just `serve`). Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
126 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
126 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "SteamOS (Host)"
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description: "Run a punktfunk host on SteamOS — stream its Game Mode (or desktop) to your other devices. One script, built on-device and ABI-matched to SteamOS."
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---
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This is for using a **SteamOS device as the host** — streaming *from* it to a laptop, TV, phone, or
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another device. (For the usual case — streaming *to* a Steam Deck — see [Install a Client](/docs/install-client),
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which uses the Flatpak + Decky plugin.)
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We support SteamOS as a host mainly with an eye to the **upcoming Steam Machine** — a living-room,
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desktop-class SteamOS box is a natural always-on streaming host. The **Steam Deck** is the SteamOS
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device we can test on today, so it's what these instructions are validated against; the same
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on-device build works on any SteamOS 3 system.
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SteamOS is an immutable, read-only Arch base, so the host isn't a system package. Instead a single
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script builds the host **natively inside a Debian-trixie distrobox** (ABI-matched to SteamOS's
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FFmpeg/glibc — the binary then runs natively on SteamOS) and wires it up as systemd user services.
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Building on-device means a rebuild always matches the running OS, so a SteamOS update can't leave you
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with a binary linked against the wrong libraries. Encode is **VAAPI** on the AMD GPU (auto-detected;
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NVENC on NVIDIA).
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> **Heads up:** in our testing the Steam Deck's WiFi *tx* topped out around ~250 Mbps of goodput
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> regardless of band — enough for 1080p/1440p60, not 4K. This looked like a hardware/driver
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> packet-rate limit rather than a bandwidth ceiling, but it's one device measured on one network:
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> other SteamOS hardware, newer drivers, or a less congested band may do better. A wired dock
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> sidesteps it entirely. See [Configuration](/docs/configuration) for bitrate guidance.
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## Prerequisites
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- A SteamOS device on **SteamOS 3** (e.g. a Steam Deck, LCD or OLED). Steady WiFi or, better, a wired dock.
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- **distrobox** installed (no root needed). If `distrobox` isn't found:
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```sh
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curl -sfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/89luca89/distrobox/main/install | sh -s -- --prefix ~/.local
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```
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Make sure `~/.local/bin` is on your `PATH` (re-open the terminal).
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- The first build downloads a container image + toolchain (~1 GB) and takes ~10–15 minutes. Later
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rebuilds are incremental.
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## 1. Get the source
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In Desktop Mode open **Konsole** (or ssh in), then:
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```sh
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git clone https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk ~/punktfunk
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```
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## 2. Run the installer
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```sh
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bash ~/punktfunk/scripts/steamdeck/install.sh
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```
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It is idempotent — safe to re-run. In one pass it:
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1. creates the `pf2` Debian-trixie distrobox and installs the build toolchain,
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2. builds `punktfunk-host` (and the web console),
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3. writes config to `~/.config/punktfunk/` (a generated web-console login password),
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4. raises the UDP socket buffers to 32 MB and adds you to the `input` group (needs `sudo`; skipped
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with a warning if unavailable),
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5. installs + starts the `punktfunk-host` and `punktfunk-web` **systemd user services** (with linger,
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so they run without a login session).
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Useful flags:
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| Flag | Effect |
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|------|--------|
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| `--open` | Accept **unpaired** clients (trust-on-first-use) — convenient on a fully trusted LAN. Default is PIN pairing required. |
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| `--no-gamestream` | Run a **secure native-only** host — skip the GameStream/Moonlight-compat planes (see below). Default keeps them on so stock Moonlight works. |
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| `--no-web` | Skip the management web console. |
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| `--src=DIR` | Build from source at `DIR` instead of `~/punktfunk`. |
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When it finishes it prints the web-console URL and how to pair.
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> **GameStream/Moonlight compat is on by default.** The native `punktfunk/1` plane (used by
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> punktfunk's own clients — SPAKE2 PIN pairing, per-direction AEAD) is **always on** and is the secure
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> path. The installer also enables the **GameStream/Moonlight-compat planes** so stock
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> [Moonlight](/docs/moonlight) works — but those carry inherent on-path weaknesses (pairing over plain
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> HTTP; legacy control encryption that can reuse GCM nonces), so enable them only on a **trusted LAN**.
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> If you only ever use native clients, install with `--no-gamestream` for a host with no GameStream
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> surface at all.
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## 3. Pair a device
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By default the host **requires PIN pairing** (secure). Two ways to pair:
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- **Web console** (printed at the end of step 2): open `http://<device-ip>:3000`, log in with the
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generated password (in `~/.config/punktfunk/web.env`), go to **Devices → arm pairing**, and enter
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the PIN on your client.
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- **From the client directly**: pick this host (it advertises over mDNS as `_punktfunk._udp`) and
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enter the PIN the host shows.
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On a trusted home LAN you can instead install with `--open` and skip pairing entirely.
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## 4. Verify
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```sh
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systemctl --user status punktfunk-host # active (running)
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journalctl --user -u punktfunk-host -f # watch a client connect
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```
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Connect from a [native client](/docs/clients), or from [Moonlight](/docs/moonlight) (unless you
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installed with `--no-gamestream`). In Game Mode the host attaches to the running gamescope session and
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streams it at your client's resolution; in Desktop Mode it streams the KDE desktop. The host
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auto-detects which session is live per connection.
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## Updating
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After pulling new source, rebuild and restart in one step (config + pairings persist):
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```sh
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git -C ~/punktfunk pull # or rsync new source in
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bash ~/punktfunk/scripts/steamdeck/update.sh
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```
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## Notes & limits
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- **Single session at a time** at custom resolutions — two clients requesting different modes will
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thrash the managed session. Pick one mode per session.
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- **Keep the device awake.** On handhelds, Game Mode auto-suspends on idle, which drops the host off
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the network mid stream — disable auto-suspend (Settings → Power) for a headless host.
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- **It survives OS updates**, but a major SteamOS bump can move library versions; if the host fails to
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start after an update, just re-run `update.sh` to rebuild against the new base.
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- Deeper reference (services, container, manual steps): [`scripts/steamdeck/README.md`](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/scripts/steamdeck/README.md).
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Trouble? See [Troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting) and [Pairing](/docs/pairing).
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