Frametop--frametop/host/linux/README.md

Frametop host for Linux

A Linux PC can be a host for Frametop's remote displays with Frametop's build of Vibepollo, from Frametop/frametop-vibepollo. Vibepollo's Linux version is in beta, and Frametop hasn't been tested on a Linux host yet. If you try it, please report what works and what doesn't, on GitHub or in the Frametop Discord.

There's no setup script for Linux. These steps use Vibepollo's own installer with Frametop's package.

Requirements

These are Vibepollo's:

• Arch Linux or CachyOS, x86_64. Other distributions have no package.
• KDE Plasma 6 on Wayland, started by SDDM or Plasma Login Manager. GNOME, X11 sessions and other compositors aren't streamed.
• Linux 6.16 or newer, with the headers for the running kernel. The installer installs them if they're missing.
• A graphics card with a hardware H.264 encoder: NVENC on NVIDIA, VAAPI on AMD and Intel.
• The PC and the Steam Frame on the same network.

Set up

1. Download Frametop's package and Vibepollo's installer, and check the package:

   mkdir -p ~/frametop-host && cd ~/frametop-host
   release=https://github.com/Frametop/frametop-vibepollo/releases/download/frametop-2.0.0-2
   curl -fLO "$release/vibepollo-2.0.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst"
   curl -fLO "$release/vibepollo-2.0.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst.sha256"
   sha256sum -c vibepollo-2.0.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst.sha256
   curl -fLO https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Frametop/frametop-vibepollo/frametop-2.0.0-2/scripts/linux_install.sh
   

   sha256sum -c should print OK.

2. Install it:

   sudo bash linux_install.sh --package ./vibepollo-2.0.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst
   

   The installer checks the requirements, installs the kernel headers if needed, installs the package, and opens the firewall (firewalld or ufw). Given a package, it doesn't add Vibepollo's own package repository. Don't add that repository later: an update from it would replace Frametop's build.

3. Restart the PC after the first install, and log in to Plasma (Wayland).

4. Open https://localhost:47990 on the PC and create the Web UI login. The Steam Frame signs in with it once.

5. If you'll use virtual displays, turn on "Remove Remote Monitor when its client disconnects" in the Web UI's settings. Then a virtual display goes away when Frametop disconnects it, as on Windows.

6. On the Steam Frame, open Frametop Remote Displays and choose Add computer. Pick this PC, sign in with the Web UI login, and choose the displays to show.

If the installer couldn't open the firewall, open it yourself:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=vibepollo && sudo firewall-cmd --reload   # firewalld
sudo ufw allow Vibepollo                                                                # ufw

Good to know

• The resolution switch and the HDR guard of Frametop's build are Windows-only for now. On Linux, a monitor keeps its own resolution and the stream scales it.
• Vibepollo runs as system services. sudo systemctl status vibepollo-session-controller.service vibepollo.service shows them, and sudo journalctl -u vibepollo-session-controller.service -u vibepollo.service --since '-10 minutes' shows their log. Don't start vibepollo.service yourself: the session controller starts it when you log in.
• Settings, the Web UI login and pairings are in /var/lib/vibepollo.
• Vibepollo's Linux install guide has the details and troubleshooting.

Remove

sudo vibepollo reset      # only to delete its settings, login and pairings too
sudo pacman -R vibepollo

Source

Vibepollo is Nonary's, and Frametop's build is Frametop/frametop-vibepollo, both under GPL-3.0.