Transform Arch Linux into a Steam Machine.
Gaming Mode integration and SteamOS sessions switcher.
Hi, I'm Daniele, and I’m a hardcore gaming fanatic! 🕹️
If you love the Steam Deck gaming experience as much as I do, you’re in the right place.
I developed this project to faithfully simulate the SteamOS ecosystem on standard desktops and laptops, bringing that seamless "console-like" feeling to your Linux machine.
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🔄 Seamless Session Switching: Native support for the "Switch to Desktop" button. Transition between Gamescope and KDE Plasma without ever seeing a login screen or typing a password.
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🎮 Pure Console Experience:
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Standard Boot: Launches at 1080p@60Hz by default for maximum compatibility.
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Safety Watchdog:If a session fails to initialize, it automatically triggers a "Naked Recovery" fallback. This launches a pure session with dynamic resolution to prevent black screens and ensure system accessibility.
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Fully Customizable: All parameters (Resolution, Refresh Rate, HDR, VRR) can be easily tweaked in your user config file.
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📏 Hardware-Aware Scaling: Automatically detects your monitor's limits to prevent "Out of Range" errors while allowing full customization via user config.
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🔴 Performance Ready: Integrated with Feral GameMode and MangoHud for real-time monitoring and maximum CPU priority.
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🧹 Argument Scrubbing: Automatically cleans conflicting flags from your custom arguments to ensure a stable standalone session.
- For detailed guides and technical information, please visit our Project Wiki. https://github.com/dlucca1986/SteamMachine-DIY/wiki
This project wouldn't have been possible without the amazing work and guides from the Linux gaming community. A special thanks to:
- shahnawazshahin: For writing a wonderful guide that served as a primary inspiration for this project.
- berturion: For the brilliant technical insights that helped finalize the desktop switching logic.
- The SteamOS & Gamescope Teams: For building the foundation of handheld gaming on Linux.
- Community Guides: Big thanks to the developers and enthusiasts on Reddit (r/SteamDeck, r/LinuxGaming) and the Arch Wiki contributors.
- Open Source Contributors: To everyone sharing scripts and ideas to make Linux a better place for gamers.
Built with ❤️ by a gaming fan for the Linux Community.
If you like this project, please leave a ⭐ Star on GitHub! It helps other gamers find it.
- GPU: AMD Radeon or Intel Graphics (Open Source Mesa drivers required).
- Desktop Environment: KDE Plasma (6.x recommended).
- Display Manager: SDDM (Required for session switching logic).
- Core Software:
steam,gamescope,mangohud,gamemode. - Driver: Vulkan RADV: (Handled automatically by the installer).
To get started, copy and paste these commands into your terminal:
- Clone the repository:
git clone https://github.com/dlucca1986/SteamMachine-DIY.git
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Enter the folder:
cd SteamMachine-DIY -
Run the installer:
chmod +x install.sh && ./install.sh
- 💡 Note: The installer is interactive and will automatically verify your AMD/Intel hardware, install missing dependencies, and configure the necessary system permissions.
I value your system's integrity. This project is designed to be as non-intrusive as possible:
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No Overwriting: This project does not modify core system files; it uses /usr/local/bin and dedicated config directories.
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Transparent Sudoers: A minimal rule is added to /etc/sudoers.d/ only for the session-switching logic.
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Full Reversibility: Every change made by the installer can be undone using the uninstaller.
If you wish to revert all changes, I’ve included a dedicated uninstaller.
It will completely remove all scripts, symbolic links, desktop shortcuts, and the sudoers rule:
chmod +x uninstall.sh
sudo ./uninstall.sh