Files
punktfunk/docs-site/content/docs/sway.md
T
enricobuehler 7f639f7cf5
apple / swift (push) Successful in 1m16s
apple / screenshots (push) Successful in 6m29s
ci / web (push) Successful in 1m11s
ci / docs-site (push) Successful in 56s
android / android (push) Successful in 13m53s
arch / build-publish (push) Successful in 12m20s
decky / build-publish (push) Successful in 19s
ci / bench (push) Successful in 5m50s
docker / build-push (--build-arg FEDORA_VERSION=44, ci, ci/fedora-rpm.Dockerfile, punktfunk-fedora44-rpm) (push) Successful in 10s
docker / build-push (ci, ci/fedora-rpm.Dockerfile, punktfunk-fedora-rpm) (push) Successful in 9s
docker / build-push (., web/Dockerfile, punktfunk-web) (push) Successful in 34s
docker / build-push (docs-site, docs-site/Dockerfile, punktfunk-docs) (push) Successful in 59s
docker / build-push (ci, ci/rust-ci.Dockerfile, punktfunk-rust-ci) (push) Successful in 5m45s
docker / deploy-docs (push) Successful in 29s
deb / build-publish (push) Successful in 11m25s
ci / rust (push) Successful in 24m23s
rpm / build-publish (43, bazzite, punktfunk-fedora-rpm) (push) Successful in 18m16s
rpm / build-publish (44, fedora-44, punktfunk-fedora44-rpm) (push) Successful in 18m8s
docs: link every client in the clients-page chooser + correctness sweep
The "Which should I use?" table on the clients page listed most client
names as bold text, not links — only the Decky plugin and pf-webos were
clickable — so the client references appeared broken. Link each client to
its section (or dedicated page), and fix a stale Windows headless command.

Repo-wide docs correctness/staleness pass against the code:
- steam-deck: client-not-found -> flatpak-not-found (the real backend code)
- install: host cert is punktfunk-host-windows_<ver>.cer, not ..._setup.cer
- configuration: GPU_PRIORITY_CLASS default is auto; 10BIT/444 are default-on
- how-it-works/index: GameStream/Moonlight is opt-in (--gamestream)
- roadmap: clipboard sync is shipped, not planned
- install-client: MSIX/cert artifacts are arch-suffixed (_x64/_arm64)
- requirements: fix garbled 22H2/IddCx sentence
- status: Linux encode also covers AMD/Intel (VAAPI/Vulkan Video)
- automation: add the plugins.changed event
- windows-host: note the optional bundled VB-CABLE virtual mic
- sway: PUNKTFUNK_COMPOSITOR=hyprland is a wlroots-family alias
- running-as-a-service: punktfunk-probe is a source-build-only dev tool

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-07-18 09:50:29 +02:00

72 lines
3.1 KiB
Markdown

---
title: Sway / wlroots
description: Configure a punktfunk host on a wlroots compositor (Sway, River).
---
Sway (and other wlroots-proper compositors like River) can host: the host adds a per-client headless
output at the client's exact mode with `swaymsg create_output` and captures it through the
xdg-desktop-portal-wlr (xdpw) ScreenCast portal, injecting input via the wlroots virtual
pointer/keyboard protocols.
> On **Hyprland**? It's a separate first-class backend (its own `hyprctl` IPC and xdph portal) —
> see [Hyprland](/docs/hyprland). This page is for sway and other wlroots-proper compositors.
This is **not a primary target.** It works and is validated live on **sway 1.11** (zero-copy), but it
sees far less testing than the KDE and GNOME paths — expect rougher edges. If you have a choice,
[KDE](/docs/kde) or [GNOME](/docs/gnome) are the better-exercised desktops.
This page assumes the package is already installed — see [Arch](/docs/arch), [Ubuntu](/docs/ubuntu),
or [Fedora](/docs/fedora).
> 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.
## host.env
The host auto-detects a wlroots session, so you usually need nothing here. To force the backend, set
these in `~/.config/punktfunk/host.env`:
```ini
PUNKTFUNK_COMPOSITOR=wlroots # aliases: sway, wlr, hyprland (all the wlroots family; the exact backend is auto-detected)
PUNKTFUNK_INPUT_BACKEND=wlr
PUNKTFUNK_VIDEO_SOURCE=virtual
# GPU zero-copy capture→encode is ON by default; auto-falls back to CPU. Set PUNKTFUNK_ZEROCOPY=0 to force CPU.
```
See [Configuration](/docs/configuration) for the full reference.
## How it works
- **Video** — the host adds a headless output at the client's exact mode with `swaymsg create_output`.
This uses Sway's IPC specifically; other wlroots-proper compositors (River, …) are best-effort on
this path. (Hyprland is driven by its own [backend](/docs/hyprland), not this one.)
- **Capture** — it captures that output through the **xdg-desktop-portal-wlr (xdpw)** ScreenCast
portal. The host writes a managed chooser config so the output pick is automatic — no interactive
picker dialog to answer.
- **Input** — mouse and keyboard are injected via the wlroots **virtual pointer** and **virtual
keyboard** protocols.
For how long the virtual output lives, and extend-vs-exclusive topology, see
[Virtual displays](/docs/virtual-displays).
## Requirements
- A running wlroots-proper session (Sway, River, …). On Hyprland, use the
[Hyprland backend](/docs/hyprland) instead.
- **xdg-desktop-portal-wlr (xdpw)** installed and running — the host captures through its ScreenCast
portal. Without it there is no video.
## Start the host
With the backend selected, start the host from **inside your Sway session**:
```sh
systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-host
journalctl --user -u punktfunk-host -f
```
## Bring up the console and pair
Enable the web console, read its login password, and arm PIN pairing — see
[The Web Console](/docs/web-console). Then [connect a client](/docs/clients).