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punktfunk/docs-site/content/docs/requirements.md
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enricobuehler ab17acbd11 feat(host/vaapi): fall back to the low-power (VDEnc) entrypoint — unblocks modern Intel
Gen12+/Arc iHD exposes ONLY EncSliceLP, so the default open fails with
'no usable encoding entrypoint'. Try full-feature first (AMD unchanged,
validated on the 780M), retry low_power=1, cache the mode per codec;
PUNKTFUNK_VAAPI_LOW_POWER pins it. Probes inherit the ladder. Docs note
the Intel HuC firmware requirement.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-07-02 15:03:45 +00:00

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4.0 KiB
Markdown

---
title: Requirements
description: What you need to run a punktfunk host — GPU, driver, desktop, and network.
---
## Supported setups
A punktfunk host runs primarily on a Linux machine with a dedicated GPU — NVIDIA (NVENC) is the
most-exercised path, and AMD/Intel GPUs work via VAAPI (a native
[Windows host](/docs/windows-host) is also available — see below). These are the Linux desktop
environments it supports today, each with its own guide:
| Setup | Desktop / compositor | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| **Ubuntu** (Desktop or Server) | GNOME (Mutter) | [Ubuntu — GNOME](/docs/ubuntu-gnome) |
| **Ubuntu** (Desktop or Server) | KDE Plasma (KWin) | [Ubuntu — KDE](/docs/ubuntu-kde) |
| **Fedora** | KDE Plasma (KWin) | [Fedora — KDE](/docs/fedora-kde) |
| **Bazzite** | gamescope (Steam) | [Bazzite](/docs/bazzite) |
Other wlroots compositors (Sway/Hyprland) also work but aren't a primary target. If your desktop isn't
listed, the host still needs one of these compositor backends to create a virtual display.
> **Windows host:** punktfunk also runs as a native host on **Windows 10/11 (x64)** — a signed
> installer that registers a service and bundles a virtual-display driver. It encodes on NVIDIA
> (NVENC), AMD (AMF), or Intel (QSV), with a software fallback, and is newer than the Linux host; see
> [Windows Host](/docs/windows-host).
## GPU and driver
- **An NVIDIA GPU** with NVENC — effectively any GeForce RTX or workstation card. NVENC is what
encodes the video in hardware.
- **NVIDIA driver 535 or newer** (550+ recommended). The driver must include the **GL/EGL userspace**,
not just `nvidia-utils` — without it the compositor can't initialise the GPU and capture fails. Each
setup guide installs the right package (e.g. `libnvidia-gl-<version>` on Ubuntu).
- **`nvidia-drm modeset=1`** must be enabled (Wayland on NVIDIA needs it). The setup guides cover this.
- **AMD / Intel GPUs** encode via **VAAPI** instead (install `mesa-va-drivers` or
`intel-media-driver`; validated live on AMD RDNA3). The NVIDIA-specific notes above don't apply
there. On modern Intel (Gen12/Tiger Lake and newer, including Arc) the driver only offers the
**low-power (VDEnc)** encode entrypoint — the host detects this and falls back automatically
(`PUNKTFUNK_VAAPI_LOW_POWER=1|0` pins it) — and low-power encode needs the **HuC firmware**
loaded (the kernel default on those platforms; check `dmesg | grep -i huc` if encoding fails).
A GPU-less software H.264 encoder also exists (`PUNKTFUNK_ENCODER=software`), meant as a
fallback rather than a daily driver.
> Consumer GeForce cards historically cap the number of **concurrent** NVENC sessions (a few at once);
> workstation cards don't. This only matters if you stream to many devices simultaneously.
## Desktop session
The host attaches to a **Wayland** desktop session and creates virtual displays in it, so a session
needs to be running for the user the host runs as. This can be:
- a **normal logged-in desktop** (you're sitting at the machine, or it auto-logs-in), or
- a **headless session** that comes up at boot with no monitor or login — see
[Running as a Service](/docs/running-as-a-service).
Minimum compositor versions (newer is fine):
- **KWin ≥ 6.5.6** (KDE Plasma) — headless virtual outputs.
- **GNOME ≥ 48** (Mutter) — virtual-monitor screen-cast.
- **gamescope ≥ 3.16.22** (Bazzite/Steam) — older versions deadlock during capture.
## Network
- Host and client on the **same network** — a LAN, or a VPN that puts them on one subnet. punktfunk
assumes a trusted local network; it's not built to be exposed to the public internet.
- For best results, a wired or fast Wi-Fi link. The host can run a built-in **speed test** to pick a
bitrate for your link (see [Configuration](/docs/configuration)).
## A client
You also need something to stream *to* — see [Connect a Client](/docs/clients). There are native
punktfunk clients for **Apple (macOS, iOS, iPadOS, tvOS), Linux, Windows, and Android**, and any
Moonlight client works too. All of them can discover the host on your network automatically.