From 382c9ae4c095d1b5485713bc8191e3042cdb35ad Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: theupriser Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:40:16 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] VM_DESKTOP=gnome for vminstall, GNOME prototype findings --- gnome/PLAN.md | 18 +++++++++++++----- scripts/vminstall.sh | 13 ++++++++----- share/vminstall-post.sh | 8 ++++++++ 3 files changed, 29 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-) diff --git a/gnome/PLAN.md b/gnome/PLAN.md index 5985965..85f8fde 100644 --- a/gnome/PLAN.md +++ b/gnome/PLAN.md @@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ plus pacman hook, relogin by restarting gdm). `CI=1 VM_DESKTOP=gnome VM_STEAMIFY=skip VM_DIR=~/vms/gnome-vm VM_SSH_KEY=~/vms/steamify-vm/vmkey REPO= scripts/vminstall.sh --iso ~/vms/iso-dl/steamify-cachyos-2.12.0-dev-261014-x86_64.iso` (PATH with ~/vms/shim, `sg kvm -c`). Plain CachyOS GNOME, Steamify applied by hand afterwards. ## Steps -1. [ ] GNOME VM installed (install running, log ~/vms/gnome-install.out); snapshots clean/ssh-ready. -2. [ ] Run `steamify.sh --defaults --options gaming` in the VM (repo on 9p /mnt); fix what breaks (kconfig, packages, shellcheck). -3. [ ] Check: custom.conf, AccountsService, hook, sudoers, our tools in place. -4. [ ] Reboot: GDM autologs into the gamescope session (loginctl session desktop/type; gamescope may not render in the VM, a running session is enough). -5. [ ] `steamos-session-select desktop` -> GNOME session; Return to Gaming Mode shortcut -> gamescope again; reboot persistence; `boot` option. +1. [x] GNOME VM installed (~/vms/gnome-vm; the headless installer ignores "desktop":"gnome", so vminstall-post.sh installs cachyos-gnome-settings + gnome + gdm). +2. [x] Run `steamify.sh --defaults --options gaming` in the VM (repo on 9p /mnt); fix what breaks (kconfig, packages, shellcheck). +3. [x] Check: custom.conf, AccountsService, hook, sudoers, our tools in place. +4. [x] (gamescope itself dies in the VM: Vulkan/DRM scanout errors, also without GNOME; GDM did start it) Reboot: GDM autologs into the gamescope session (loginctl session desktop/type; gamescope may not render in the VM, a running session is enough). +5. [~] (gamescope->GNOME and GNOME->gamescope verified with a stand-in gamescope session (Exec=sleep infinity in /usr/share/wayland-sessions/gamescope-session.desktop, original kept as .real); reboot persistence, `boot` option and the shortcut click not yet) `steamos-session-select desktop` -> GNOME session; Return to Gaming Mode shortcut -> gamescope again; reboot persistence; `boot` option. 6. [ ] Turn off: everything restored (custom.conf backup, original tools). 7. [ ] KDE regression: existing suites still pass on the KDE VM. 8. [ ] Commit dev-repo changes (VM_DESKTOP) to main; product branch stays a prototype, no release without the user. @@ -39,3 +39,11 @@ plus pacman hook, relogin by restarting gdm). - GNOME theme based on the Vapor Plasma theme (user idea: colours, wallpaper, icons; shell/GTK parts new). Single user mode and the other KDE-only parts (powerdevil in steam-machine, first-login, update notifier) need GNOME versions or stay hidden. - Decide: keep replacing CachyOS's two files, or get GDM support upstream into gamescope-session-cachyos. - Real hardware: GDM restart behaviour, Steam's Switch to Desktop button. + +## Findings so far (2026-10-14) +- GDM logs in by itself only when it starts. A switch = set the session in AccountsService, `loginctl terminate-user`, `systemctl restart gdm` (patches/steamify-gdm-relogin.sh, run through sudo from inside the session, as a transient unit because ending the user kills the caller). Without ending the user first, GNOME refuses: "A graphical session is already running!". Waiting for the user manager to exit only keeps GDM's login screen up (10 s): no wait = about 1.4 s to GNOME. +- Both `Session=` and `XSession=` are written to AccountsService; GDM picked the right session. (Which one is needed is untested: could drop one.) +- cachyos-gamescope-autologin.service resets the session to gamescope when a desktop session ends (Deck behaviour), so after GNOME the next login is gamescope again. +- A failed gamescope session (VM) lands on GDM's login screen; SDDM relogin loops instead. Real hardware untested. +- Menu: theme and single user mode hidden on GNOME. +- ssh into the VM dies at every switch (terminate-user): reconnect. diff --git a/scripts/vminstall.sh b/scripts/vminstall.sh index beb2c85..269bf16 100755 --- a/scripts/vminstall.sh +++ b/scripts/vminstall.sh @@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ # VM_INSTALL_MEM (RAM of the live installer VM only; default VM_MEM, else run.sh's 8G), # VM_CACHE (host dir for the packages, default ~/vms/pkg-cache; empty = none), # VM_STEAMIFY (a Steamify ISO also runs steamify-install: the Steamify page's ids, -# empty = defaults, skip = plain CachyOS), VM_BOOTLOADER (limine; or systemd-boot, grub), VM_TIMEZONE (the host's), VM_HOST_IP (the host as the guest sees it, +# empty = defaults, skip = plain CachyOS), VM_DESKTOP (kde; or gnome: GDM, autologin into GNOME), VM_BOOTLOADER (limine; or systemd-boot, grub), VM_TIMEZONE (the host's), VM_HOST_IP (the host as the guest sees it, # 10.0.2.2 with QEMU's user networking). # The VM's user and key are recorded in $VM_DIR (vm-user, ssh-key) for the # other scripts. Never touches your existing SSH keys or ~/.ssh/known_hosts. @@ -134,11 +134,11 @@ port="$(python3 -c 'import socket; s=socket.socket(); s.bind(("127.0.0.1",0)); p sed -e "s/@PORT@/$port/" -e "s/@HOST_IP@/$host_ip/" "$repo/share/vminstall-live.sh" > "$www/vminstall-live.sh" cp "$repo/share/vminstall-post.sh" "$www/" { - printf 'VM_USER=%q\nVM_HOSTNAME=%q\nVM_PUBKEY=%q\nDEVICE=/dev/vda\nVM_STEAMIFY=%q\n' "$VM_USER" "$hostname" "$pubkey" "${VM_STEAMIFY:-}" + printf 'VM_USER=%q\nVM_HOSTNAME=%q\nVM_PUBKEY=%q\nDEVICE=/dev/vda\nVM_STEAMIFY=%q\nVM_DESKTOP=%q\n' "$VM_USER" "$hostname" "$pubkey" "${VM_STEAMIFY:-}" "${VM_DESKTOP:-kde}" } > "$www/vminstall.env" -python3 - "$www/settings.json" "$VM_USER" "$password" "$timezone" "$hostname" "${VM_BOOTLOADER:-limine}" << 'PY' +python3 - "$www/settings.json" "$VM_USER" "$password" "$timezone" "$hostname" "${VM_BOOTLOADER:-limine}" "${VM_DESKTOP:-kde}" << 'PY' import json, sys -out, user, pw, tz, host, bootloader = sys.argv[1:] +out, user, pw, tz, host, bootloader, desktop = sys.argv[1:] json.dump({ "install_type": "simple", "headless_mode": True, "device": "/dev/vda", "fs_name": "btrfs", "subvolumes": "default", @@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ json.dump({ ], "hostname": host, "locale": "en_US.UTF-8", "xkbmap": "us", "timezone": tz, "user_name": user, "user_pass": pw, "user_shell": "/bin/fish", "root_pass": pw, - "kernel": "linux-cachyos linux-cachyos-lts", "desktop": "kde", "bootloader": bootloader, + "kernel": "linux-cachyos linux-cachyos-lts", "desktop": desktop, "bootloader": bootloader, }, open(out, "w"), indent=2) PY python3 "$here/vminstall-server.py" "$www" "$port" & @@ -208,6 +208,9 @@ if [[ -f /etc/sddm.conf.d/10-gamescope-autologin.conf ]]; then # Steamify's gaming mode (gamescope, no Plasma, and it doesn't render in the VM): the login manager has to be up. for _ in $(seq 60); do systemctl is-active --quiet display-manager && break; sleep 3; done systemctl is-active --quiet display-manager || { echo "The login manager didn't start." >&2; exit 1; } +elif pacman -Q gdm >/dev/null 2>&1; then + for _ in $(seq 60); do pgrep -u "$USER" -x gnome-shell >/dev/null && break; sleep 3; done + pgrep -u "$USER" -x gnome-shell >/dev/null || { echo "GNOME didn't start." >&2; exit 1; } else for _ in $(seq 60); do pgrep -u "$USER" -x plasmashell >/dev/null && break; sleep 3; done pgrep -u "$USER" -x plasmashell >/dev/null || { echo "Plasma didn't start." >&2; exit 1; } diff --git a/share/vminstall-post.sh b/share/vminstall-post.sh index 6528fe7..e7d3fe5 100755 --- a/share/vminstall-post.sh +++ b/share/vminstall-post.sh @@ -28,6 +28,14 @@ chmod 440 /etc/sudoers.d/99-test-vm # doesn't need a desktop. if [[ -f /etc/sddm.conf.d/10-gamescope-autologin.conf ]]; then echo "Steamify's gaming-mode login (SDDM) kept." +elif [[ "${VM_DESKTOP:-kde}" == gnome ]]; then + # GNOME install (VM_DESKTOP=gnome): GDM logs in by itself, like the Plasma one below. + # The headless installer only lays down the base for "gnome": the desktop is installed here, the set CachyOS's installer picks. + pacman -Q gdm >/dev/null 2>&1 || pacman -S --needed --noconfirm cachyos-gnome-settings gnome gdm || + pacman -S --needed --noconfirm gnome gdm + systemctl enable gdm.service + mkdir -p /etc/gdm + printf '[daemon]\nAutomaticLoginEnable=True\nAutomaticLogin=%s\n' "$VM_USER" > /etc/gdm/custom.conf else pacman -Q plasma-login-manager >/dev/null 2>&1 || pacman -S --needed --noconfirm plasma-login-manager systemctl disable sddm.service 2>/dev/null || true