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enricobuehler 5c05246098 feat: M10 — FFmpeg is gone from the client 
cargo tree -p punktfunk-client-session finds no ffmpeg. The host still does,
which is the whole point: pf-encode keeps libavcodec unconditionally and no
host workflow, packaging script or licence file was touched.

Deleted: crates/pf-ffvk, video_vulkan.rs, video_vaapi.rs, video_libav.rs, the
libavcodec half of video_d3d11.rs, the av_log machinery, ffmpeg::codec::Id as
the decoder's vocabulary (the quic CODEC_* wire constants now serve, which is
why the evidence table was keyed on them), DecodedImage::VkFrame and ::Dmabuf,
the presenter's AVVkFrame lane, and the ffmpeg-fallback feature with
everything behind it. DrmFrameGuard collapses from an enum to a newtype, which
removes an unsafe impl Send. Roughly 25,000 lines.

Then the CI, packaging, licensing and docs work the plan's §6 lists: the
Windows workflows lose FFMPEG_DIR, PF_FFVK_VULKAN_INCLUDE and their PATH
prepend; the MSIX loses its DLL wildcard; the client .deb stops emitting libav
sonames on its own because depends come from dpkg-shlibdeps; arch, flatpak and
nix drop the dependency; and the README's "FFmpeg 7 or 8" contract narrows to
the host.

Three defects reached users' machines in the first cut, and none was in the
deletion itself.

All three desktop Settings UIs offer vulkan, vaapi and d3d11va as stored
decoder values, so those strings sit in shipped settings files today. Refusing
them by name — which is the correct rule for a stale pin — would have bricked
every upgraded client whose owner ever touched that dropdown. They now migrate
onto the native rung for the same hardware family, at decoder construction AND
at each dialog's lookup, because a legacy value that matches no preset
displays as "Automatic" and silently rewrites the user's preference on the
next save.

M9's evidence filter was deleted on the argument that with no libavcodec twin
below, barring an unproven rung removes hardware decode rather than moving
down one rung. That is true on Windows and false on Linux for Intel and every
unknown vendor id, where prefer_vulkan_first is false and the order is
native-vaapi → native-vk: a rung that has decoded nothing anywhere sitting
above one that is 250/250 on three drivers. Every Intel Linux desktop would
have moved from libavcodec VAAPI, shipping for years, onto pf-vaadec by
default — and a rung that constructs and then produces wrong pixels leaves
only by the error-streak demotion, which this codebase already documents as
not tripping on the B580's strobing. The filter is restored as a narrow, pure,
testable rule: an unproven rung yields to a proven one, and to nothing else.
Windows deliberately passes no rung below, because that vendor family is the
one with a measured wrong-pixel report against Vulkan decode, and trading no
evidence for evidence of corruption is the wrong direction.

And the notices still said FFmpeg was bundled. The root file is what both
desktop clients include_str! and what the MSIX ships, three lines under the
new card saying no FFmpeg is bundled; Apple's Acknowledgements said it too, on
iOS, tvOS and macOS. The generator now emits four per-client files scoped by
transitive closure — 0 FFmpeg mentions in each, verified — while the root file
keeps it for the host. That also ends the standing false attribution of
ffmpeg-next, GTK4, windows-rs and the NVENC SDK to an iPhone.

Windows has no reachable box, so it was compiled instead: a cross clippy at
-D warnings on x86_64 and aarch64-pc-windows-msvc with the C toolchain stubbed
so build scripts run without linking. That gate immediately caught an
include_str! path one directory too deep, which nothing else could have.

Gates: container clippy -D warnings, 160 tests, workspace check, both Windows
targets clean, client ffmpeg count 0 and host 2. The four decode crates are
untouched, so the hardware rungs' 250/250 stands.

⚠ Owed and unrun: no GPU has executed any of this milestone. M8's on-glass
software check, M7's D3D11 and VAAPI AV1 hardware legs, and M9's field bake
all still want hardware, and the bake window and criteria remain the user's.
2026-08-07 08:58:47 +02:00

229 lines
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---
title: Clients
description: The ways to connect to a Punktfunk host — the Apple app, Moonlight, or the Linux client.
---
A Punktfunk host accepts clients over its own `punktfunk/1` protocol (the macOS, Linux, Windows, and
Android apps) and over GameStream (Moonlight). Pick whichever fits the device you're streaming *to*.
Ready to install?
**[Install a Client](/docs/install-client)** has the step-by-step for every device — plus how to
[update](/docs/install-client#keeping-a-client-up-to-date) and
[remove](/docs/install-client#removing-a-client) each one.
Two things apply to every app, whichever you pick:
[profiles and `punktfunk://` links](#profiles-and-links-every-app), and the keys and chords that
work [while you're streaming](#while-youre-streaming). What each one lets you change — resolution,
bitrate, codec, HDR, audio, controllers — is catalogued in
[Client settings](/docs/client-settings).
## Apple app (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV)
The native app for Apple devices speaks Punktfunk's own [`punktfunk/1`](/docs/how-it-works#two-protocols)
protocol — the lowest-latency, most resilient path, with the full feature set:
- **Automatic host discovery** — hosts on your network appear under *On this network*; no IP typing.
- **PIN pairing** built in, and pinned reconnects after that.
- **Controllers**, including DualSense — rumble, adaptive triggers, lightbar, motion, and touchpad.
- A **[game library](/docs/game-library)** — browse the host's installed games with cover art and
launch one straight into the stream.
- A live **stats overlay** (resolution, fps, bitrate, latency) and a built-in **network speed test**
to pick a bitrate for your link.
- **Widgets, Live Activities and Shortcuts** — a hosts widget for the home screen, a Live Activity
while a session runs, and App Intents so Siri and the Shortcuts app can start a stream.
Open the app, pick your host, [pair](/docs/pairing) once, and stream. It builds from the
`clients/apple` directory in the repo (Swift / VideoToolbox / Metal).
## Moonlight (anything else)
Punktfunk also speaks the **GameStream** protocol, so any [Moonlight](https://moonlight-stream.org/)
client — a browser, a smart TV, an old phone, a games console — connects with no punktfunk-specific
software. (Most platforms also have a native Punktfunk app below — Moonlight is the catch-all.) See
[Connect with Moonlight](/docs/moonlight).
This is the broadest-compatibility option and great for couch gaming. It doesn't use the native
protocol's FEC/encryption extensions, but for a healthy LAN that rarely matters.
## Linux desktop client (GTK4)
`punktfunk-client` is the native graphical Linux client — a GTK4 / libadwaita app that speaks
`punktfunk/1` directly, with vendor-ordered hardware decode (**Vulkan Video first on NVIDIA and
AMD**, **VAAPI dmabuf first on Intel**; whichever isn't first is the fallback, and software decode
is last), PipeWire audio, and SDL3 controllers (rumble, lightbar, DualSense touchpad/motion). The
decoders are Punktfunk's own — the client links no FFmpeg at all, and talks to your GPU's Vulkan
and VAAPI drivers directly. To force one, pick it in *Preferences → Display → Video decoder* or
set `PUNKTFUNK_DECODER=native-vulkan|native-vaapi|software`. Like the Apple app it discovers hosts
on your network automatically, does PIN pairing, pins reconnects, and browses the host's
**game library** (with cover art) so you can launch a title straight into the stream.
It ships as a real package, not just a source build — full steps in
[Install a Client](/docs/install-client#linux-desktop-flatpak):
- **Any Flatpak distro (recommended)** — one command from the hosted `flatpak.unom.io` repo; the
guide linked above has the exact command and how updates work. It's also the client the
[Decky plugin](/docs/steam-deck) uses by default, though the plugin drives a native
`punktfunk-client` just as well.
- **Ubuntu 26.04 or newer** — `apt install punktfunk-client` from the Punktfunk apt registry. The
client package needs SDL3 and GTK4 ≥ 4.20, which Ubuntu 24.04 LTS doesn't ship — on 24.04 use the
Flatpak above.
- **Fedora** — `sudo dnf install punktfunk-client` from the Gitea RPM registry (add the repo as in
the [Fedora guide](/docs/fedora)).
- **Fedora Atomic / Bazzite** — use the Flatpak above. `rpm-ostree install punktfunk-client` works,
but layering slows every OS update, so it's a last resort on an image-based system (see
[Bazzite](/docs/bazzite)).
- **Arch** — `sudo pacman -Syu punktfunk-client` from the signed binary repo (see [Arch Linux](/docs/arch)).
Launch it, pick your host from the list, and stream. For scripting, use the
[`punktfunk` CLI](#scripting-the-punktfunk-cli) that ships in the same packages:
```sh
punktfunk launch <host-ref> # start a session, waking the host first if it's asleep
punktfunk-client --connect <host>:9777 # the older flag — still supported for existing scripts
```
The client also updates itself (`punktfunk-client --check-update` / `--apply-update`) — see
[Keeping a client up to date](/docs/install-client#keeping-a-client-up-to-date).
## Android app (phone + Android TV)
The native Android app speaks `punktfunk/1` directly, on both phones and Android TV. It does hardware
HEVC decode (including [HDR10](/docs/hdr#per-client)), Opus audio with a mic uplink, game
controllers with rumble and DualSense feedback, automatic host discovery, PIN pairing with pinned
reconnects, the host's **game library** with cover art, and a live stats overlay — with D-pad and
game-controller focus navigation for the couch. It builds from the `clients/android` directory
(Kotlin + a shared Rust core).
**Controllers.** Plug a **DualSense**, **DualSense Edge** or **DualShock 4** into the phone or tablet
by USB and grant the USB permission Android asks for when it attaches — Punktfunk then drives the pad
itself instead of taking what Android's gamepad layer exposes, so the host gets rumble, adaptive
triggers, the lightbar and gyro. The app's **Controllers** screen lists attached pads and their
capture state, and the switch that turns this off is *DualSense / DualShock passthrough (USB)* in
Settings. Over **Bluetooth** the pad still works as an ordinary gamepad, but adaptive triggers and
the lightbar need the USB connection.
The app is on **[Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.unom.punktfunk)** as a
public listing — no invite — or you can sideload the public APK instead (see
[Install a Client](/docs/install-client#android)); canary builds ride a separate, invite-only Play
Internal testing track. Then open the app, pick your host, [pair](/docs/pairing) once, and stream.
## Windows desktop client
`punktfunk-client` for Windows (`clients/windows`) is the native graphical client for Windows — pure
Rust, the same `punktfunk/1` core as the Apple, Linux, and Android apps, with a **WinUI 3** UI (host
list, settings, PIN pairing); the stream itself runs in Punktfunk's Vulkan presenter. Its decoder
order is per-vendor: **Vulkan Video, then D3D11VA, then software** on NVIDIA and AMD, and
**D3D11VA first** on Intel and other GPUs (Intel's driver advertises Vulkan Video, but DXVA is the
proven path there), with [10-bit/HDR present](/docs/hdr#per-client), WASAPI audio + mic,
SDL3 controllers (rumble, lightbar, DualSense), network discovery, the host's **game library** with
cover art, and the full PIN-pairing trust surface. It builds for both `x86_64` and `aarch64` and
ships as a **signed MSIX**. Launch it and pick a host from the list, just like the other native apps.
The package installs **two** Start-menu entries — **Punktfunk**, the desktop window, and
**Punktfunk Console**, a controller-driven fullscreen interface for a TV or HTPC (host list, pairing,
settings and game library, all navigable with a pad) — plus the headless
[`punktfunk` command](#scripting-the-punktfunk-cli) on your PATH.
> Hardware decode and HDR10 present are validated on glass on NVIDIA and Intel (including HDR
> pass-through on the Intel D3D11VA path). If anything misbehaves, **[Moonlight](/docs/moonlight)**
> is a proven alternative for Windows.
For scripting, prefer the [`punktfunk` CLI](#scripting-the-punktfunk-cli). The window binary's own
headless flags stay supported too:
```sh
punktfunk-client # open the WinUI 3 window (host list / settings)
punktfunk-client --discover # list hosts on the network
punktfunk-client --headless --speed-test --connect <host>:9777 # no window: probe the link, print measured/recommended bitrate
```
Prefer the broadest compatibility, or no install? **Moonlight** also streams to Windows (see below).
## webOS (LG TV) — community
[`pf-webos`](https://github.com/dyptan-io/pf-webos) is a native client for LG webOS TVs, built and
maintained by the community ([dyptan-io](https://github.com/dyptan-io)) on top of Punktfunk's
`punktfunk/1` protocol and core. It's not an official Punktfunk app, but it speaks the real protocol
directly (not Moonlight/GameStream) — LAN discovery or add-by-IP, PIN pairing with pinned reconnects,
hardware video decode via webOS's NDL DirectMedia API, and a browsable game library with cover art,
navigable with the Magic Remote.
It ships as a sideloadable `.ipk` (homebrew package) rather than through the LG Content Store — see
[Install a Client](/docs/install-client#lg-webos-tv-community) for the sideload steps.
## Scripting: the `punktfunk` CLI
`punktfunk` is the headless client — the same core the graphical apps use, with no window. It ships
in **every Linux client package** (apt, dnf, pacman and the Flatpak) and in the **Windows MSIX**, so
if you have a desktop client you already have it:
```sh
punktfunk hosts list --probe # saved hosts, each with a live reachability check
punktfunk pair <host>[:port] --pin 1234 # enrol this device with a host
punktfunk library <host-ref> --json # the host's games, machine-readable
punktfunk launch <host-ref> --game <id> # stream, waking the host first if it's asleep
punktfunk open 'punktfunk://connect/<host-ref>'
punktfunk speed-test <host-ref> # measure the link, print the recommended bitrate
```
A `<host-ref>` is a saved host's id, its name, or an address — the same reference a `punktfunk://`
link takes. There is also `hosts add` / `hosts forget`,
[`wake`](/docs/wake-on-lan#from-the-command-line), `reachable`, `profiles list` and `reset`; run
`punktfunk help <command>` for a verb's flags.
Exit codes are stable, so a script can branch without parsing prose: **0** ok, **2** connect failed,
**3** trust rejected (re-pair), **4** the renderer couldn't start, **5** nothing matched what you
named, **6** it needs a person (pairing, or an unknown host).
Under the Flatpak, run it as `flatpak run --command=punktfunk io.unom.Punktfunk <args>`.
> The older headless flags stay supported for existing scripts — `punktfunk-client --connect`,
> `--discover` and `--headless --speed-test` on both Linux and Windows. `punktfunk` is the surface
> to build new things on: it wakes a sleeping host before connecting, which those never did.
>
> `punktfunk-probe` is a different thing again — an in-repo protocol test and latency-measurement
> tool for development. It isn't shipped in any package; you build it from source.
## Profiles and links (every app)
Two things work the same in the Apple, Linux, Windows and Android apps. **Settings profiles** are
named sets of stream overrides — bitrate, resolution, codec, HDR and the rest — that you bind to a
host or pick for a single connect, with every field you didn't touch still following your defaults.
And a **`punktfunk://` link** starts a stream from a browser, a desktop shortcut, a home-automation
rule or `punktfunk open`, carrying only *references* to things that already exist on your device —
never a setting, and never a trust decision.
[Profiles and links](/docs/profiles-and-links) has both in full: the link grammar, where each app
puts **Copy link** and **Create shortcut…**, and what a link is refused for. From a script,
`punktfunk profiles list` and `punktfunk launch --profile <ref>` reach the same profiles.
## While you're streaming
Click the stream and the desktop clients **capture** your keyboard and mouse — everything goes to
the host until you let go. **Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Q** (⌃⌥⇧Q or ⌘⎋ on a Mac) gives it back.
That chord, the three others a stream reserves, the controller chord that works with no keyboard in
reach, which app honours which of them, the two mouse modes, the three touch modes and stylus input
are all on [Mouse, touch and pen](/docs/input#getting-your-input-back).
Copying between the two machines is a separate opt-in: the host operator allows it in `host.env`
and you turn it on for that one host in your client. Content crosses today from the macOS, Windows
and Android apps — the Linux client has the switch but no bridge behind it yet, and iOS, iPadOS and
tvOS have neither. See [Shared clipboard](/docs/clipboard).
## Which should I use?
| You're streaming to… | Use |
|---|---|
| A Mac, iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV | The **[Apple app](#apple-app-mac-iphone-ipad-apple-tv)** |
| A Linux desktop or laptop | **[`punktfunk-client`](#linux-desktop-client-gtk4)** (GTK4) |
| A **Steam Deck** | The **[Decky plugin](/docs/steam-deck)** in Gaming Mode, or the [GTK4 client](#linux-desktop-client-gtk4) in Desktop Mode |
| An Android phone or TV | The **[Android app](#android-app-phone--android-tv)** |
| Windows | The native **[`punktfunk-client`](#windows-desktop-client)** (signed MSIX) or **[Moonlight](/docs/moonlight)** |
| An **LG webOS TV** | The community **[`pf-webos`](https://github.com/dyptan-io/pf-webos)** client, or **[Moonlight](/docs/moonlight)** |
| A browser, another smart TV, or any other device | **[Moonlight](/docs/moonlight)** |
| Scripts, plugins, home automation | The headless **[`punktfunk`](#scripting-the-punktfunk-cli)** CLI |
| Protocol development / latency measurement | **`punktfunk-probe`** (source build only) |
Whichever you choose, the first connection needs a one-time [pairing](/docs/pairing), and
[Install a Client](/docs/install-client) covers installing, updating and removing it.
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