enricobuehler
60d4653083
Ship a Steam Input controller layout (controller_config/punktfunk.vdf) whose always-on `ts_n` command enables native touchscreen delivery on the Deck, and have the backend auto-install it (apply_controller_config: copy to controller_base/templates + upsert the per-account configset entry, chown to the user, back up first). This is what makes the Deck touchscreen reach the client as native touch under gamescope without disabling Steam Input (impossible on the Deck) — no manual controller setup. Two shortcuts sharing the "Punktfunk" name (so one config key covers both): a hidden stateful stream entry and a visible stateless entry that launches straight into the gamepad UI. Both get full artwork (grid/gridwide/hero/logo/icon, replaced with exported PNGs). Drop the art-generation script. Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Punktfunk — Steam Deck plugin (Decky)
Stream to your Steam Deck without ever leaving Gaming Mode. This
Decky Loader plugin adds a Punktfunk panel to the Quick Access Menu
(the … button): discover hosts on your network, pair with a PIN, tweak stream settings, and launch
a fullscreen, gamescope-focused stream — all from the couch, gamepad-navigable.
The video itself is the native GTK4 Linux client (the io.unom.Punktfunk flatpak); the plugin
discovers, pairs, configures, and launches it the right way so gamescope fullscreens it — the same
Steam-shortcut trick MoonDeck uses. Because it's built from real Steam UI primitives (@decky/ui),
the panel looks and feels native to Gaming Mode.
What it does
- Discover — browses the LAN over mDNS for Punktfunk hosts, in both the QAM panel and a fullscreen page; each host row opens a details view (address, pairing policy, certificate fingerprint to cross-check against the host's log).
- Pair — for a host that requires it, a gamepad-navigable PIN keypad runs the SPAKE2 pairing ceremony headlessly, then remembers the host so future streams connect silently.
- Stream — launches fullscreen via a branded "Punktfunk" Steam shortcut so gamescope focuses it.
- Games — each host row has a games button that opens its library picker: pin titles as one-tap "Stream " rows in the QAM (jump straight into e.g. Playnite on the host), or "Open library on screen" to launch the client's controller-driven, console-style library browser (aurora backdrop + poster coverflow; A plays, B returns to Gaming Mode). Pins survive plugin reinstalls (stored next to the client's config) and follow a host across IP changes (matched by certificate fingerprint).
- Settings — resolution / refresh / bitrate / gamepad type / host compositor / mic, written to the client's config.
- About — plugin version, an explicit "Check for updates" button, the setup-guide link, and a force-stop for a wedged stream client.
To leave a stream: the in-client controller chord (L1 + R1 + Start + Select), or close the "game" from the Steam overlay — either returns you to Gaming Mode.
Install on the Deck
You need Decky Loader and the io.unom.Punktfunk flatpak
(packaging/flatpak) installed on the Deck — SteamOS /usr is
read-only, so the flatpak (which bundles libadwaita/SDL3) is the canonical client. Discovery uses
avahi-browse, which ships on SteamOS/Bazzite.
Recommended — install from URL (published by CI): in Decky → Settings → Developer Mode → Install Plugin from URL, paste:
https://unom.io/pf-decky
(short link for https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/generic/punktfunk-decky/latest/punktfunk.zip;
for a pinned version use https://git.unom.io/api/packages/unom/generic/punktfunk-decky/<version>/punktfunk.zip
directly). The plugin then self-updates without
the Decky store — when a newer build exists, an Update button appears and drives Decky
Loader's own (SHA-256-verified) install. Installs and updates can take a couple of minutes on some
networks: Decky's installer also contacts its plugin store first, which may be slow or blackholed
before the actual download proceeds.
Build & sideload (development)
cd clients/decky
pnpm install
pnpm build # rollup → dist/index.js
pnpm run package # → out/punktfunk/ + out/punktfunk-v<ver>.zip
DECK=deck@<deck-ip> pnpm run deploy # rsync → /tmp, sudo-install into the root-owned plugins dir, restart loader
~/homebrew/plugins/ is root-owned (the loader runs as root), so deploy.sh stages to a temp dir
then sudo-installs and restarts the loader — set DECKPASS=… to run it non-interactively. A loader
restart is required for an out-of-band install to appear.
Architecture
| File | Role |
|---|---|
src/index.tsx |
Plugin entry: the QAM panel + route registration. |
src/page.tsx |
The /punktfunk fullscreen page — Hosts (with per-host details) / Settings / About tabs. |
src/settings.tsx · src/pair.tsx |
Stream-settings section; the gamepad-navigable PIN-pairing modal. |
src/library.tsx |
The per-host game picker (pin/unpin, "Open library on screen") + the pinned-game launch helper. |
src/hostmgmt.tsx |
Add / edit host dialogs — mutate the shared known-hosts store (client-known-hosts.json) via the flatpak client's headless modes, so a host saved here shows up in the desktop client too. |
src/ui.tsx |
Shared UI primitives for the fullscreen page + modals (right-aligned row actions, consistent Field layout). |
src/hooks.ts · src/boundary.tsx |
Shared discovery/update/pins hooks + actions; the render error boundary. |
src/steam.ts |
Steam-shortcut launch (AddShortcut / SetAppLaunchOptions / RunGame) — the focus-correct stream start. The shortcut's exe is /bin/sh with the wrapper passed as an argument, so the script never needs an exec bit (Decky's zip extraction drops it and the root-owned plugins dir can't be chmodded by the unprivileged backend). Launch extras ride env-prefix tokens: PF_LAUNCH=<id> (pinned game) / PF_BROWSE=1 + PF_MGMT=<port> (on-screen library); ids are validated space/quote-free at pin AND launch time. |
src/backend.ts |
Typed callable bridges to main.py. |
bin/punktfunkrun.sh |
The launch wrapper the Steam shortcut runs (so the window is focusable); maps PF_LAUNCH/PF_BROWSE/PF_MGMT to --launch/--browse/--mgmt. An older flatpak ignores the flags harmlessly (plain stream / hosts page). |
main.py |
Backend: discover (via avahi-browse) / pair / library (headless flatpak --library, TSV) / pins store (decky-pinned.json) / settings / kill_stream / check_update (with an explicit CA-bundle search — Decky's embedded Python has no usable default TLS roots on SteamOS). |
scripts/test-backend.py |
Stdlib-only checks for the backend's pure parsers (TSV, error classes, avahi TXT) + the pins round trip. |
plugin.json · update.json |
Decky manifest; CI-baked update channel. |
Limitations / next steps
- No manual "add host by IP" entry yet (discovery is mDNS-only).
- No in-stream overlay inside the plugin — the client owns the session once launched.
- Pairing needs the operator to arm pairing on the host so it shows the PIN; the plugin can't arm it remotely.
Related
- Documentation — Steam Deck setup guide
- Linux client — the app this plugin launches
- Project README — the host, the other clients, and how it all fits together