punktfunk/docs-site/content/docs/install.md

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Install the Host	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.

First, read Security & Safe Use. 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 / Debian	apt	sudo apt install punktfunk-host	Ubuntu — GNOME · Ubuntu — KDE · packaging/debian
Bazzite / Fedora Atomic	systemd-sysext	sudo bash punktfunk-sysext.sh install (no layering, no reboot)	Bazzite · packaging/bazzite
Fedora (dnf)	dnf / rpm-ostree	dnf install punktfunk punktfunk-web	Fedora — KDE · packaging/rpm
Arch	pacman	pacman -Sy punktfunk-host (binary repo)	packaging/arch
SteamOS (host)	on-device script	bash scripts/steamdeck/install.sh	SteamOS (Host)

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.

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.

Windows

punktfunk also runs as a native host on Windows 11 22H2+ (x64), shipped as a signed installer — see Windows Host for what it includes and its limitations.

1. From the packages page (generic group), download the newest punktfunk-host-setup-<ver>.exe and its matching .cer.

2. Trust the publisher certificate once. The installer is signed with a self-signed certificate whose public .cer is published next to it — the same certificate for every release, so this is genuinely one-time and later updates need nothing. In an admin PowerShell:

   Import-Certificate -FilePath .\punktfunk-host-setup.cer `
     -CertStoreLocation Cert:\LocalMachine\TrustedPublisher
   

3. Run punktfunk-host-setup-<ver>.exe (elevated). It installs to C:\Program Files\punktfunk, installs the bundled pf-vdisplay virtual-display driver, and registers + starts the LocalSystem service (/VERYSILENT for an unattended install). Upgrades and uninstall go through Add/Remove Programs.

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.

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 RPM list it explicitly (dnf install punktfunk punktfunk-web) — the Bazzite sysext image already includes it.
• punktfunk-client — the GTK4 desktop client, for streaming to a Linux box (also shipped via apt / RPM / Arch / Flatpak). On a Steam Deck, this is the package you want.

After installing

1. Add yourself to the input group (virtual gamepads 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).

2. Start the host inside your desktop session:

   punktfunk-host serve
   

   Bare serve is the secure native-only default (native punktfunk/1 + the web console). On a trusted LAN, add --gamestream to also serve stock Moonlight clients.

3. Enable the web console and read its login password, then open http://<host-ip>:47992:

   systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-web
   journalctl --user -u punktfunk-web-init | sed -n 's/.*password generated: //p'
   

From there, follow the Quick Start to pair your first client. To run the host automatically at boot, see Running as a Service.

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.