Files
lhns--steam-frame-nix/docs/session.md
T
Pierre Kisters b0131338de Keyring launchers, Firefox default browser, rootless Docker
- keyring.flatpaks / keyring.programs: desktop entries shadowing an app's
  own that run it on the outer bus (one kwalletd6 for both sessions), with
  the wallet's D-Bus names as `flatpak run --talk-name` options (no Flatpak
  overrides), --password-store=kwallet6 for Electron, and login callback
  schemes as default + recommended handlers.
- firefox.defaultBrowser: the launcher as default for http, https and
  text/html.
- docker: rootless dockerd as a user service, socket in the outer runtime
  dir, CLI with DOCKER_HOST for both sessions.
2026-09-29 01:13:47 +02:00

3.8 KiB
Raw Blame History

Session fixes

Four fixes for the Frame's two graphical sessions: session settings and services, the portal, the keyboard layout and the clipboard. Options: README, Options (session.*, keyboard.layout, keyboard.variant, clipboardSync.*).

Session settings and services

Module session (session.nix), used by the other modules; normally nothing to set.

Problem: the nested desktop can't see the Steam session's runtime dir and bus (services, KDE wallet), and switching from the nested desktop, Home Manager can't reach the service manager ("User systemd daemon not running") and skips reloadSystemd.

What you get:

  • session.runtimeDir / session.bus point at the Steam session's runtime dir and bus; session.busEnv is a launcher prefix to reach them.
  • After every switch this module reloads the Steam session's user manager and applies session.services.start / stop / restart, which other modules fill (you can add your own units).

Configuration: apps that keep secrets in the wallet get launchers from keyring. Another launcher that must reach the outer session (its bus, services or wallet) uses the prefix:

{ config, ... }: {
  xdg.dataFile."applications/org.example.App.desktop".text = ''
    [Desktop Entry]
    Type=Application
    Name=Example
    Exec=${config.steamFrame.session.busEnv} flatpak run org.example.App %U
  '';
}

Portal fix

session.portalFix.enable, module portal. On by default.

Problem: the Frame image (SteamOS 0.3.0, build 20260922) points the Steam session's xdg-desktop-portal at /usr/share/xdg-desktop-portal/gamescope-portals, which lacks gamescope-portals.conf: no backend, no OpenURI, so no app in the Steam session can open links.

What you get: a working OpenURI portal in the Steam session; the desktop's portal is unaffected.

Remove when SteamOS ships gamescope-portals.conf.

How it works: a portal dir in ~/.local/share linking Valve's .portal files plus a config (default=holo;gamescope), and a drop-in on xdg-desktop-portal.service.

Keyboard layout

keyboard.layout, keyboard.variant, module keyboard-layout.

Problem: gamescope and its Xwayland displays use US unless XKB_DEFAULT_* is set; KDE's layout only affects the nested desktop, and ~/.config/environment.d isn't read on the Frame.

What you get: the layout in the Steam session, from the next Steam session start. The layout also picks the VR keyboard's default dictionary language.

Configuration: keyboard.variant picks a variant of the layout, e.g. for de: null (standard, with dead keys: ^, `, ´ wait for the next key), "nodeadkeys" (those are typed immediately), "mac", "neo", "e1", "us" (German letters on a US layout). List them with localectl list-x11-keymap-variants <layout>.

steamFrame.keyboard = { layout = "de"; variant = "nodeadkeys"; };

Remove when SteamOS applies a layout setting to gamescope.

How it works: a drop-in on gamescope-session.service setting XKB_DEFAULT_LAYOUT/VARIANT.

Clipboard sync

clipboardSync.enable, module clipboard-sync. On by default.

Problem: the Steam session's X displays and the nested desktop have separate clipboards.

What you get: one clipboard: copy in one session, paste in the other.

Configuration: clipboardSync.package replaces the package. Switch from a desktop terminal: each switch restarts clipboard-sync if outdated, and it must restart with the desktop's environment.

How it works: clipboard-sync, built from source (its flake is x86-only), started via KDE autostart (the desktop can't reach the user manager, and :2 must exist first).