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feat(host): GameStream/Moonlight compat is now opt-in (--gamestream) — secure native-only by default
Follows the security audit (#5/#9): the GameStream-compat plane carries inherent on-path weaknesses
that can't be fixed on the wire without breaking stock Moonlight — its pairing runs over plain HTTP
(#9, MITM-able during the pairing window) and its legacy control encryption can reuse GCM nonces (#5,
a passive eavesdropper can recover/forge input). The native punktfunk/1 plane (SPAKE2 PIN pairing +
per-direction AEAD nonces) has neither. So flip the default to secure-by-default:

- `serve`              → native punktfunk/1 plane + management API ONLY (no GameStream surface).
- `serve --gamestream` → ALSO the GameStream/Moonlight-compat planes (nvhttp pairing, RTSP, ENet
  control, _nvstream mDNS). Opt-in, logged with a trusted-LAN caveat. `--moonlight` is an alias.
- The native plane is now ALWAYS on in `serve` (`--native` is a kept-for-compat no-op); the unified
  GameStream+native host is `serve --gamestream`.

`gamestream::serve` gates the GameStream spawns (nvhttp/rtsp/control/mdns) on the flag; the native
plane + mgmt + native-pairing handle always run.

To avoid silently regressing validated Moonlight deployments, the explicit deployment configs PRESERVE
Moonlight via `--gamestream` (each documents dropping it for a secure native-only host): the Linux
systemd unit, the Steam Deck installer, and the Windows service default (DEFAULT_HOST_CMD). The bare
`serve` default (new/manual use) is secure.

Docs swept to match (host-cli, moonlight, quickstart, install, packaging READMEs, CLAUDE.md, README,
…): Moonlight setup now instructs `--gamestream`; native/console refs use bare `serve`. OpenAPI
regenerated (a stale "run `serve --native`" string). fmt + clippy clean; 94 host tests green.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-06-21 10:19:40 +00:00

3.9 KiB

title, description
title description
Host CLI The punktfunk-host commands and the flags you'll actually use.

The host is one binary, punktfunk-host. Most of the time you'll run a single command; the rest reads its settings from host.env.

serve

The normal way to run a host. By default serve starts the secure native host: the native punktfunk/1 server (QUIC, SPAKE2 PIN pairing, per-direction AEAD) plus the management API/web console — all in one process. The native plane is always on; there is no flag to turn it off.

punktfunk-host serve

Add --gamestream (alias --moonlight) to also run the GameStream/Moonlight-compatible planes (nvhttp pairing, RTSP, ENet control, _nvstream mDNS) — required for stock Moonlight clients. This is opt-in because GameStream carries inherent on-path weaknesses (pairing over plain HTTP; its legacy control encryption can reuse GCM nonces — security-review #5/#9), so enable it only on a trusted LAN. The native plane is immune to those issues.

punktfunk-host serve --gamestream
Flag Meaning
--gamestream / --moonlight Also run the GameStream/Moonlight-compat planes (for stock Moonlight clients). Opt-in, trusted-LAN only — see above.
--native No-op. The native punktfunk/1 server always runs in serve; kept only for backward compatibility.
--native-port <PORT> Native QUIC port (default 9777).
--open Don't require pairing — serve any device on the network. Off by default; only for trusted single-user setups.
--mgmt-bind <IP:PORT> Management API address (default loopback 127.0.0.1:47990).
--mgmt-token <TOKEN> Override the bearer token for the management API.

These are the only flags serve accepts.

The management API is always HTTPS with bearer-token auth. If you don't pass --mgmt-token, a token is auto-generated and persisted to ~/.config/punktfunk/mgmt-token; --mgmt-token only overrides it. A token is required when you bind the API off loopback with --mgmt-bind.

By default the host requires pairing — see Pairing & Trust. On serve you arm pairing from the web console (or mgmt API); the host then displays a 4-digit PIN. Pass --open to turn off the mandatory-pairing default and serve any device on the network (trusted single-user setups only). The pairing flags below are punktfunk1-host-only and do not apply to serve.

punktfunk1-host

A standalone native-only host, mainly for testing the punktfunk/1 path without the GameStream server or web console.

punktfunk-host punktfunk1-host --source virtual
Flag Meaning
--port <N> QUIC listen port (default 9777).
--source synthetic · virtual virtual uses a real virtual display + NVENC; synthetic emits test frames.
--seconds <N> / --frames <N> Bound each session by wall-clock seconds or frame count.
--max-concurrent <N> Stream at most N sessions at once (default 4); overflow waits in the queue.
--max-sessions <N> Exit after N sessions (0 = serve forever).
--allow-pairing Accept PIN pairing; the host prints a PIN when a client pairs.
--require-pairing Only serve paired devices (implies --allow-pairing).

--max-concurrent, --allow-pairing, and --require-pairing are punktfunk1-host-onlyserve does not accept them. On serve you arm pairing from the web console instead, and concurrency is not yet capped from the command line.

Both serve and punktfunk1-host advertise the host on the network so clients can discover it. List hosts from another machine with punktfunk-probe --discover.

Environment

Most behaviour (compositor, video source, input backend, zero-copy) is set in host.env, not on the command line. When running as a service, the unit loads host.env for you.