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fix(packaging): create the punktfunk group everywhere the udev rule needs it
60-punktfunk.rules chgrp's the usbip vhci attach/detach nodes to a dedicated
`punktfunk` group (security-review 2026-08-05 M-4: writing `attach` materialises
an arbitrary emulated USB device, so it must not ride on `input`). Four of the
six install paths shipped that rule in 0.25.0 without ever creating the group.
chgrp then failed, the nodes stayed root:root 0644, and the virtual Steam Deck
pad silently never attached — while `usermod -aG punktfunk` failed outright with
"group 'punktfunk' does not exist".

Affected and fixed:

  * arch  — post_upgrade() called only _ensure_update_group, so every box that
            reached 0.25.0 by `pacman -Syu` missed it; post_install was correct.
  * nix   — no users.groups.punktfunk at all, though host.users' own description
            already promised the usbip/vhci pad. Declares it now and adds
            host.users to both groups.
  * bazzite sysext — a group is host state and cannot ride an image, and the
            deb/rpm scriptlets that would create it never run there.
  * steamdeck install.sh/update.sh — handled `input` only. Both now create the
            group and join it: running that script IS the statement "make my
            Deck a host with native pad passthrough".

deb and rpm were correct throughout (one postinst/%post for install + upgrade).

Also on the Deck path: web.env secret hygiene. install.sh's `chmod 600` sat
inside the create-only branch despite a comment calling it "the idempotent belt
for a pre-existing file", and update.sh never touched the config dir at all — so
an install set up once and only updated since kept web.env world-readable
(0644) with the console password and session secret in it. Both scripts now
harden ~/.config/punktfunk to 0700 and web.env to 0600 on every run, and say so
loudly, because a chmod does not un-leak an already-readable secret: the
password still needs rotating.

Both group blocks are `if ensure_group ...` rather than `ensure_group || true`:
a failed groupadd must not fall through to a usermod against a nonexistent
group, which under `set -e` aborted install.sh after the long build and
update.sh before the service restart (verified: exit 6, no restart).

Docs: the group is now documented where people actually look — the per-distro
guides, install.md, steamos-host.md, a new troubleshooting entry for "pad
arrives as an Xbox 360 controller", and the uninstall pages. The 0.25.0 notes
gain the "group does not exist" caveat and turn the password bullet from
"consider rotating" into a real instruction, and CHANGELOG records the known
issue against the breaking change that introduced it.

Verified: bash -n on all four scripts; the arch scriptlet's post_upgrade driven
in a container (creates the group, idempotent on re-run); the ensure_group
helper and both membership branches, including a control that reproduces the
original bug (chgrp to a missing group leaves the node root:root 0644); the
find -perm /0077 probe across 0644/0640/0604/0600/0400 on GNU findutils;
`nix flake check --no-build` (the exact CI gate) and a NixOS eval showing
alice.extraGroups == ["input","punktfunk"]; docs-site build + typecheck.
2026-08-08 17:53:36 +02:00

227 lines
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Markdown

---
title: Install the Host
description: Install the Punktfunk host — on Linux from its package registry, or on Windows from a signed installer.
---
On Linux, the package registries are the real distribution channel. Pick your distro, add the repo, and
install with your native package manager. Each row links to the full per-distro guide (add the repo,
first-run steps, the web console) — those are the source of truth, so this page doesn't duplicate them.
On **Windows**, the host ships as a signed installer instead — see [Windows](#windows).
> **First, read [Security & Safe Use](/docs/security).** A streaming host is remote control of the
> machine. It's built for trusted local networks — don't expose it to the internet, and be thoughtful
> about which machine you host on (especially on Windows).
## Pick your distro
| Distro | Package manager | One-command happy path | Guide |
|--------|-----------------|------------------------|-------|
| **Ubuntu** | apt | `sudo apt install punktfunk-host` | [Ubuntu](/docs/ubuntu) · [packaging/debian](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/debian/README.md) |
| **Bazzite / Fedora Atomic** | systemd-sysext | `curl -fsSLO https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/raw/branch/main/packaging/bazzite/punktfunk-sysext.sh && sudo bash punktfunk-sysext.sh install` (no layering, no reboot) | [Bazzite](/docs/bazzite) · [packaging/bazzite](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/bazzite/README.md) |
| **Fedora (dnf)** | dnf / rpm-ostree | `sudo dnf install punktfunk` | [Fedora](/docs/fedora) · [packaging/rpm](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/rpm/README.md) |
| **Arch** | pacman | `sudo pacman -Syu punktfunk-host` (binary repo — always a full `-Syu`, never `-Sy`) | [Arch Linux](/docs/arch) · [packaging/arch](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/arch/README.md) |
| **SteamOS (host)** | on-device script | clone the repo, then `bash ~/punktfunk/scripts/steamdeck/install.sh` (builds on-device) | [SteamOS (Host)](/docs/steamos-host) |
| **NixOS / Nix** | nix flake | `nix run git+https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk#punktfunk-host -- serve --gamestream` | [NixOS](#nixos) · [packaging/nix](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/nix/README.md) |
Each registry is public — no auth, you just trust the repo's signing key. Adding the repo is a
one-time step covered in the linked guide; after that, normal `apt upgrade` / `dnf upgrade` /
`pacman -Syu` (or `sudo punktfunk-sysext update` on Bazzite) tracks new builds. On **NixOS** there
is no repo to add — you add the flake as an input and enable its module, see [NixOS](#nixos).
> **Stable vs canary.** The repos in the per-distro guides are the **stable** channel — it only
> moves when a `vX.Y.Z` release is cut. For the latest `main` build (fast, possibly broken), point
> at the **canary** channel instead (`canary` apt distribution / `*-canary` rpm group). See
> [Release Channels](/docs/channels).
## Windows
Punktfunk also runs as a native host on **Windows 11 22H2+ (x64)**, shipped as a signed
installer — see [Windows Host](/docs/windows-host) for what it includes and its limitations.
For hardware encode you need a GPU — NVIDIA (NVENC), AMD (AMF), or Intel (QSV); there's a software
fallback without one. More detail — including the CLI `punktfunk-host service install` path — is in
[Running as a Service → Windows](/docs/running-as-a-service#windows).
### winget (recommended)
In an **admin** PowerShell, register the Punktfunk source once, then install:
```powershell
winget source add -n punktfunk https://winget.punktfunk.unom.io -t Microsoft.Rest
winget install unom.PunktfunkHost
```
Later, `winget upgrade unom.PunktfunkHost` updates it in place. Add `--interactive` to get the full
wizard instead (the optional task checkboxes, the web-console password page). winget carries
**stable** releases only — canary builds are not published there.
### Manual download
Download `punktfunk-host-setup-<ver>.exe` and run it elevated. The full procedure — where to get it,
everything the installer puts on the machine, its optional tasks, the console password, and the
`/VERYSILENT` unattended switch — lives on one page: [Windows Host → Install](/docs/windows-host#install).
This is also the path for **canary** builds, which winget doesn't carry — see
[Release Channels](/docs/channels) for that download.
> **About the Unknown Publisher prompt.** The installer is signed with a self-signed certificate, so
> Windows warns before it runs — accepting the prompt is enough, nothing else is required. The winget
> route is no different: it downloads and runs that same installer. If you'd
> rather silence it, the matching **`punktfunk-host-windows_<ver>.cer`** is published next to the
> installer, and it's the **same certificate for every release**, so this is one-time. A self-signed
> certificate is its own root, so it has to go in both stores. In an **admin** PowerShell:
>
> ```powershell
> Import-Certificate -FilePath .\punktfunk-host-windows_<ver>.cer `
> -CertStoreLocation Cert:\LocalMachine\Root
> Import-Certificate -FilePath .\punktfunk-host-windows_<ver>.cer `
> -CertStoreLocation Cert:\LocalMachine\TrustedPublisher
> ```
>
> This is a different certificate from the one the bundled **drivers** are signed with — the
> installer imports that one for you.
## NixOS
The repo's `flake.nix` is a supported install path: it builds `punktfunk-host`, `punktfunk-client`,
`punktfunk-web` and `punktfunk-scripting`, and ships a NixOS module. **`x86_64-linux` only**, and
NixOS **24.11 or newer**.
You can run it straight from the flake without NixOS (on other distros, wrap it in
[nixGL](https://github.com/nix-community/nixGL) so the GPU drivers resolve):
```sh
nix run git+https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk#punktfunk-host -- serve --gamestream
```
On NixOS, add the flake as an input, add `punktfunk.nixosModules.default` to your system's modules,
and enable the host:
```nix
services.punktfunk.host = {
enable = true;
users = [ "alice" ]; # added to the `input` group, for virtual gamepads
openFirewall = true;
settings = { RUST_LOG = "info"; }; # these become host.env
};
```
The module does declaratively what the deb/RPM scriptlets do — the systemd user service, udev rules,
kernel modules, sysctl tuning, the firewall ports and `input` group membership — and brings in the
web console alongside the host. Because `settings` writes the environment file for you, skip the
`host.env` step in [After installing](#after-installing). The user services are defined but not
started, so from your graphical session enable the host and the console:
```sh
systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-host punktfunk-web
```
The full option reference (client, console and scripting options, GPU driver notes, headless
appliance setup) is in
[packaging/nix](https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/src/branch/main/packaging/nix/README.md). To
update, run `nix flake update punktfunk` in your flake directory, then `sudo nixos-rebuild switch`.
## What the packages are
- **`punktfunk-host`** — the streaming host. Install this on your Linux gaming machine.
- **`punktfunk-web`** — the browser management console (pairing + status). Recommended alongside the
host. On apt and RPM the host package *recommends* it, so your package manager pulls it in by
default, and the Bazzite sysext image already contains it. On **Arch** it's an optional
dependency, so name it yourself: `sudo pacman -Syu punktfunk-web`.
- **`punktfunk-client`** — the GTK4 desktop client, for streaming *to* a Linux box (shipped via
apt / RPM / Arch, and as a Flatpak). On a **Steam Deck** take the Flatpak instead — SteamOS's
`/usr` is read-only, so the native package isn't the path there:
```sh
flatpak install --user https://flatpak.unom.io/io.unom.Punktfunk.flatpakref
```
For Gaming Mode, add the [Decky plugin](/docs/steam-deck) on top of it. Full client instructions
for every device: [Install a Client](/docs/install-client).
- **`punktfunk-scripting`** — the plugin/script runner. Install it if you want
[plugins](/docs/plugins) or [automation](/docs/automation). It's inert until you add something to
run, so its user unit ships **disabled** — enable it once you have:
```sh
systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-scripting
```
## After installing
These three steps are for the **Linux packages**. On Windows the installer does the equivalent for
you; on NixOS the module does steps 1 and 2, and [NixOS](#nixos) above has the units to enable.
1. Add yourself to the `input` group — virtual gamepads and [pen
input](/docs/input#pen-and-stylus) both need `/dev/uinput` — then re-login. The exact
command differs per distro — see your guide (`usermod -aG input "$USER"`, or `ujust
add-user-to-input-group` on Bazzite).
Only if you want the **virtual Steam Deck controller** (paddles, trackpads, gyro), also join
`punktfunk`: `sudo usermod -aG punktfunk "$USER"`. Your package created that group at install
time; it gates the usbip nodes that pad attaches through, and it is separate from `input` on
purpose, because writing them can present arbitrary emulated USB hardware. Join it only on a
machine you trust — skipping it costs you nothing but that one pad type.
2. Put your `host.env` in place, then start the host. Every Linux package ships a systemd **user**
unit, so you don't run the host by hand — but that unit reads `~/.config/punktfunk/host.env` and
won't start until the file exists. Each package ships a template to copy; your distro and desktop
guides say which one to pick (on Bazzite it's `host.env.bazzite`):
```sh
mkdir -p ~/.config/punktfunk
# /usr/share/punktfunk/ on Fedora/Arch/Bazzite, /usr/share/punktfunk-host/ on Ubuntu
cp /usr/share/punktfunk/host.env.example ~/.config/punktfunk/host.env
systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-host
```
The shipped unit runs `serve --gamestream` — the native `punktfunk/1` plane **plus** the
GameStream/Moonlight-compatible planes, so stock [Moonlight](/docs/moonlight) clients work out of
the box. Those extra planes are only appropriate on a trusted LAN. To run native-only, drop the
flag with a drop-in (`systemctl --user edit punktfunk-host`):
```ini
[Service]
ExecStart=
ExecStart=/usr/bin/punktfunk-host serve
```
The empty `ExecStart=` is required — without it systemd adds a second command instead of
replacing the first — and the binary path has to match your install (`systemctl --user cat
punktfunk-host` shows it; the distro packages use `/usr/bin`). Save the drop-in, then
`systemctl --user restart punktfunk-host`. For what each mode starts, see
[Host CLI → `serve`](/docs/host-cli#serve).
3. Enable the web console:
```sh
systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-web
```
Then open `https://<host-ip>:47992`. Reading its [login password](/docs/web-console#login-password)
and [arming PIN pairing](/docs/web-console#arm-pairing) are covered in
[The Web Console](/docs/web-console).
### Configure your desktop
How the virtual display and input work depends on your desktop — see [KDE](/docs/kde),
[GNOME](/docs/gnome), [Steam / gamescope](/docs/gamescope), [Hyprland](/docs/hyprland), or
[Sway](/docs/sway) for the compositor-specific setup.
From there, follow the [Quick Start](/docs/quickstart) to pair your first client. To run the host
automatically at boot, see [Running as a Service](/docs/running-as-a-service). If something doesn't
come up, [Troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting) starts from the symptom.
## Updating and removing
The web console's **Host → Updates** card tells you when a newer host is out and shows the exact
command for the way you installed — the full list, plus one-click updating and how to turn the check
off, is on [Updating the Host](/docs/updating).
To take it back off, see [Uninstall](/docs/uninstall) — it covers every install method and what is
deliberately left behind (your `~/.config/punktfunk` — identity certificate, paired devices, console
password — survives package removal).
## Building from source
If no package exists for your platform, you can build from source — see the repository README. Source
builds are a fallback; the registries are the supported path.