Field notes: boot-loop recovery, the SteamVR health check, T3 Code desktop

- Recovery menu (AUX + Power), USB and EDL re-imaging, from Valve's docs.
- Verified cause and fix of a boot loop: steamvr-health-check wipes
  ~/.local/share/Steam after repeated SteamVR start failures, which then
  repeat while Steam re-downloads, until the Frame reboots.
- T3 Code desktop running natively as a panel (from an earlier session).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

docs/how-the-frame-works.md

@@ -48,7 +48,10 @@ Lepton (Android 11, podman container "lepton-dev") ← its own panel, app 305600
 | **DeoVR (Steam app 837380, Windows/Unity) runs immersively** under Proton ARM64 + FEX: Unity's OpenVR XR plugin finds `OpenVR Headset(Steam Frame)` and the `frame_controller`, the GPU shows as Turnip Adreno 750, and AVPro Video decodes through `MF-MediaEngine-Hardware`. It played 7680×3840 and 8192×4096 H.265 VR180 SBS streams in dome/fisheye mode (`FirstFrameReady`). Unity's own `VideoPlayer` (used for grid thumbnails) fails with `0xc00d36bb`, so thumbnail previews stay blank. The first launch takes about 45 s (`ComputeShaders: InitAsync`). Log: `compatdata/837380/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/LocalLow/Deo VR/Deo VR/Player.log`. **Verified 2026-09-25**, BUILD_ID 20260922.6101926. | [vr-video.md](vr-video.md) |
 | **Wolvic (VR browser APK) runs in Lepton against SteamVR's OpenXR**, with limits. The stock Lynx build aborts (`Runtime doesn't support selected swapChain color format`: it wants `GL_RGBA8`), and the stock Quest build fails with `XR_ERROR_API_VERSION_UNSUPPORTED`. Patching `DeviceDelegateOpenXR::GetSwapChainCreateInfo` in the Lynx build's `libnative-lib.so` to `GL_SRGB8_ALPHA8` (0x8C43) and re-signing fixes start-up. The Gecko engine then segfaults in `libxul`. The Chromium-engine build (Lynx v1.3-chromium) browses fine as an immersive app. Its page reports `isSessionSupported("immersive-vr") == true`, and `requestSession` succeeds, running about 36 rAF/s, but the headset shows **black** for WebXR content, or Wolvic's loading spinner that never clears, until the session is ended. Video decodes on the software `OMX.google.h264.decoder`. Tapping the URL bar's selection menu crashes it (no clipboard service). Open URLs with `am start -a VIEW -n com.igalia.wolvic/.VRBrowserActivity -d <url>` over the instance's ADB. DevTools is at `localabstract:content_shell_devtools_remote`. **Verified 2026-09-25**, BUILD_ID 20260922.6101926. | Web VR video, [apks.md](apks.md) |
 | Tailscale runs without root as a userspace `tailscaled` user service (static arm64 build in `~/.local/share/tailscale`, lingering on). In userspace mode, inbound tailnet connections reach the Frame's **loopback**, so every port, including DevTools on 8080, is reachable from the tailnet. **Verified 2026-09-25.** | [tailscale.md](tailscale.md), `scripts/tailscale-on-frame.sh` |
+| **T3 Code desktop runs natively.** The stock release `T3-Code-0.0.42-arm64.AppImage` in `~/Applications/T3CodeDesktop/` starts with no extra setup: glibc 2.39, `libfuse.so.2`, GTK 3, NSS and libsecret are on the image. `panel-on-frame.sh --name t3code-desktop -- '~/Applications/T3CodeDesktop/T3-Code.AppImage'` gives it its own panel (`valve.steam.desktopgame.2000281357`, `--ozone-platform=x11`). Its bundled server listens on `127.0.0.1:3773` and shows up in onboarding as the `frame` computer, with `passwordStore: gnome-libsecret`. The image has no agent CLI and no `node`. Agents run through the LAN CLIProxyAPI (`llm-proxy.lan:8317`, which resolves on the Frame). Claude Code 2.1.283 comes from `claude.ai/install.sh`, and Codex 0.157.1 from the `codex-aarch64-unknown-linux-musl` release tarball, both into `~/.local/bin`. `with-cliproxy` and a mode-600 `~/.config/cliproxyapi/secrets.env` are copied from the Mac. The wrappers `claude-cliproxy` and `codex-cliproxy` (a `-c model_provider=cliproxy`, `wire_api="responses"`, `env_key="CLIPROXY_API_KEY"`) are set as `providers.claudeAgent.binaryPath` and `providers.codex.binaryPath` in `~/.t3/userdata/settings.json`, and T3 picked that up without a restart. Through the wrappers, `claude auth status` reports `loggedIn: true` (`oauth_token`), and both CLIs answered a prompt with `kimi-k3`. `gamescopectl screenshot` captured another layer (the Lepton T3 app) rather than this panel. `DISPLAY=:0 xwd -id <win>` piped to `ffmpeg` captures the window itself (1920×1080). **Verified 2026-09-26**, BUILD_ID 20260922.6101926. | Running T3 Code as a host on the Frame |
 | Power actions need `sudo`, which asks for the Developer Mode password over SSH. | Frame Control's power buttons |
+| **Boot / recovery menu.** Hold Power ~10 s until the LED goes off, then power on while holding the **AUX button on top of the Power button** (not the volume keys) until a text menu appears. Entries: `Current` (SteamOS-A/B + build), `Previous` (the other A/B slot), `Boot from USB`, `Repair Steam Installation`, `Erase User Data` (factory reset), `ADB mode`, `Battery Ship Mode`. It auto-boots `Current` after a ~15 s countdown. **Volume Up/Down (left side) move, AUX (right side) selects.** For a boot loop, Valve says pick `Previous` (keeps user data); then `Repair Steam Installation`; `Erase User Data` wipes `~` (SSH keys, Tailscale, Flatpaks, T3 setup). Last resort is a full re-image, two ways: (1) USB: write `steamframe-repair-latest.img.bz2` to an 8 GB+ USB-C stick (Balena Etcher on the Mac), pick `Boot from USB`, then use "Wipe Device & Install SteamOS" / "Repair SteamOS" (keeps games and personal content) from the recovery desktop; (2) cable/EDL: `steamframe-repair-qdl-latest.tar.gz`, run `flash.sh` (Linux) or `flash.cmd` (Windows), then with the Frame off for 10 s hold Power + Vol Up + Vol Down for 10 s and plug it in; it reflashes and reboots. Both images: `https://steamdeck-images.steamos.cloud/recovery/` (build 20260922.5153644, 0.3.0, ~4 GB each, no published checksums); local copies in `~/Downloads/steam-frame-recovery/`. Source: Valve's [SteamOS Recovery FAQ](https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/1B71-EDF2-EB6D-2BB3) and [Installation and Repair FAQ](https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/65B4-2AA3-5F37-4227), plus a menu photo in [EloiStree/HelloSteamFrame#9](https://github.com/EloiStree/HelloSteamFrame/issues/9). **Inferred** (Valve docs, 2026-09-26); not yet tried on our Frame. | Recovering from a boot loop |
+| **Boot loop cause: the SteamVR health check.** `steamvr.service` runs `/usr/share/deckard/steamvr-health-check`, which appends `frog:glasses:` to `$XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/steamvr-short-session-tracker` on every failed or <10 s SteamVR run. At 3 it runs `steam-health-check --repair-now`, which **deletes all of `~/.local/share/Steam` (games, login, Developer Mode) and `~/.steam`**, keeping only `registry.vdf`. At 4 it also tries `steamos-bootconf set-mode reboot-other` (fails as the user: `bootenv: Permission denied`). SteamVR normally fails 1–2 times per boot while it waits for the Steam client (`SteamAPI_InitEx failed … Steam is probably not running`, then `fatal stalled cross-thread pipe`). Once Steam has been wiped, it has to re-download a ~210 MB client on every boot, so SteamVR keeps failing, Steam keeps getting wiped and the Frame reboots, in a loop. Also, the Steam updater can deadlock at `Installing update...` (main process blocked writing to the `-child-update-ui` process, which is stuck in `drm_syncobj_array_wait_timeout`). Killing only the `-child-update-ui` process lets the install finish (`package/*.installed` appears). **Fix without sudo:** over USB-C ADB (`adb -s frame shell` works as `steamos` while the Frame is looping; SSH is refused once Developer Mode is lost), truncate both `/run/user/1000/steam{,vr}-short-session-tracker` files and `chmod 444` them (the health check then logs `Permission denied` and does nothing; this is tmpfs, so it resets on reboot). Unstick the updater if needed, let Steam finish installing, then hold Power 10 s and start the Frame normally. `systemctl reboot` over ADB needs interactive auth. After the fix, sign in to Steam and turn Developer Mode back on. **Verified 2026-09-26**, BUILD_ID 20260922.6101926, slot B (clean boot: 0 SteamVR failures, SSH and Tailscale back). | Diagnosing a boot loop |
 
 ## Debug recipes