Files
punktfunk/docs-site/content/docs/requirements.md
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enricobuehler 12843fe253 feat(protocol,clients): codec preference negotiation + Linux client decodes per Welcome (Phase 2a)
Adds a client-selectable **preferred codec** and wires the core + ABI + probe + Linux client to
negotiate and decode it. (Windows/Apple/Android follow in 2b.)

**Core:**
- `Hello.preferred_codec` (a single CODEC_* bit, 0 = auto) — a soft hint appended after
  `video_codecs`. `resolve_codec(client, host, preferred)` now honors the preference when the host
  can also emit it, else falls back to precedence (HEVC > AV1 > H.264). Roundtrip + preference tests.
- `NativeClient::connect` takes `video_codecs` + `preferred_codec`; `NativeClient.codec` exposes the
  resolved `Welcome.codec`.
- ABI: `punktfunk_connect_ex7` (adds the two codec params; `ex6` delegates to it advertising
  HEVC-only) + `punktfunk_connection_codec` getter + `PUNKTFUNK_CODEC_{H264,HEVC,AV1}` constants
  (drift-guarded against the wire values). Header regenerated.

**Host:** passes `hello.preferred_codec` into `resolve_codec`.

**probe:** `--codec h264|hevc|av1|auto` sets the preference (still advertises it can decode all
three); the dump extension already follows the resolved codec.

**Linux client:** advertises the codecs FFmpeg can actually decode (`decodable_codecs()`), threads
the user's `codec` setting as the preference, and builds the decoder — both the software and VAAPI
paths, plus the mid-session VAAPI→software demotion — from the negotiated `Welcome.codec` instead of
hardcoding HEVC. New "Video codec" dropdown in Preferences (Automatic/HEVC/H.264/AV1).

Live-validated on the dev box: probe `--codec hevc` against a software (H.264-only) host resolves to
H.264 (graceful soft-preference fallback), no failure. clippy + core (57) + host (133) tests green.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-07-02 00:13:26 +00:00

71 lines
3.7 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. 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.