---
name: cachyos-vm-testing
description: Use when testing cachyos-gamescope-boot (setup-gamescope-boot.sh) changes in the CachyOS QEMU test VM - starting/stopping the VM, restoring snapshots, running the wizard over SSH with scripted menu input, checking each component's state, reboot checks and screenshots.
---

# Testing cachyos-gamescope-boot in the CachyOS VM

The wizard (`setup-gamescope-boot.sh` + `lib/*.sh`) opens a menu that detects
which components are on and toggles them to match the user's choice. Menu order:

1. SteamOS conversion (boot into gaming mode via autologin, Return to Gaming Mode shortcut, Steam desktop autostart)
2. SteamOS theme (installs `cachyos-vapor` and applies the Vapor global theme with its desktop and window layout; needs a running Plasma session)
3. Steam Deck/Machine icons (`STEAM_GAMEPADUI_ARGS -steamos3`)
4. Single user mode (SDDM, no lock screen/user switching/log out; enabling it enables 1, disabling 1 disables it)
5. Steam Machine support (only on DMI Valve/Fremont: leds-valve-dkms-git built for every kernel via `/etc/dkms/leds-valve-dkms.conf`, `ensure-kernel-headers.service`, udev rule, steamos-manager)

Undo journals live in `~/.local/state/cachyos-gamescope-boot/` in the guest.

Run everything from the root of this repo on the host. Defaults: user
`theupriser`, SSH port `2222` (the scripts take `VM_USER` / `VM_PORT` / `VM_HOST`).

The VM's disk, `vars*.fd` and `run.sh` copy may live outside the repo
(`~/vms/cachyos-test` on the main dev machine). Find it with
`readlink /proc/$(pgrep -f '^qemu-system')/cwd` when the VM runs; the
snapshot commands below run in that directory. `scripts/vmreset.sh` takes
`VM_DIR` and defaults to the repo if it holds `disk.qcow2`, else `~/vms/cachyos-test`.

## Quick start (the usual loop)

```bash
scripts/vmreset.sh --fremont        # restore ssh-ready, boot, mount repo, autologin, wait for Plasma
scripts/cmp.sh save                 # baseline of the KDE configs
scripts/vmwatch.sh '1\n3\n\ny\nn\n' "Theme only"   # wizard in a visible Konsole in the VM
scripts/vmstate.sh                  # component state
scripts/vmshot.sh /path/shot.png    # screenshot, then view it
```

Prefer `vmwatch.sh` over `vmrun.sh` when the user is watching the QEMU
window: `vmrun.sh` runs invisibly over SSH, so they see nothing happen.

## VM lifecycle

Start in the background:

```bash
./run.sh --fremont > /tmp/vm.log 2>&1 &     # flags: [install] [--fremont] [--nvidia] [--vulkan]
```

Wait for SSH:

```bash
until ssh -p 2222 -o BatchMode=yes -o ConnectTimeout=3 theupriser@localhost true 2>/dev/null; do sleep 3; done
```

Shut down and wait until QEMU is gone. Use `'^qemu-system'`: a plain
`pgrep -f qemu-system` also matches the shell running it.

```bash
ssh -p 2222 -o BatchMode=yes theupriser@localhost sudo systemctl poweroff
while pgrep -f '^qemu-system' >/dev/null; do sleep 2; done
```

## Snapshots

Only while the VM is off. Keep vars.fd together with the disk.

```bash
qemu-img snapshot -l disk.qcow2                                               # list
qemu-img snapshot -a ssh-ready disk.qcow2 && cp vars.ssh-ready.fd vars.fd     # restore
qemu-img snapshot -c my-state disk.qcow2 && cp vars.fd vars.my-state.fd       # create
```

Existing snapshots: `clean` (fresh install) and `ssh-ready` (sshd + host key +
passwordless sudo). Reset to `ssh-ready` before each full test run.

## First-time guest setup

Only when building from `clean`. In the guest console:

```bash
sudo mount -t 9p -o trans=virtio,version=9p2000.L vmtools /media && /media/guest-ssh-setup.sh
```

This installs and enables sshd, opens the firewall (ufw/firewalld if active),
adds the host keys (`share/host-keys.pub`, written by `run.sh`) and a NOPASSWD
sudoers rule for the test user.

## Mounting the project repo

The mount is lost on every reboot (unless the fstab line below was added).
Without it the wizard fails with `/mnt/setup-gamescope-boot.sh: No such file
or directory`, which is easy to miss in filtered output. Remount after each reboot.

The repo (`REPO`, default `~/projects/cachyos-gamescope-boot`) is shared
read-write as 9p tag `repo`. The `ssh-ready` snapshot does not mount it:

```bash
ssh -p 2222 -o BatchMode=yes theupriser@localhost bash -s << 'EOF'
sudo mount -t 9p -o trans=virtio,version=9p2000.L repo /mnt
# optional, survives reboots:
grep -q ' /mnt 9p ' /etc/fstab || echo 'repo /mnt 9p trans=virtio,version=9p2000.L,nofail 0 0' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab
EOF
```

## Remote commands: the guest shell is fish

Pass remote commands as bash heredocs, never as inline strings containing `$`:

```bash
ssh -p 2222 -o BatchMode=yes theupriser@localhost bash -s << 'EOF'
echo "$HOME"
EOF
```

## Getting a Plasma session

On a fresh snapshot the plasmalogin greeter is shown. Enable test autologin:

```bash
ssh -p 2222 -o BatchMode=yes theupriser@localhost bash -s << 'EOF'
sudo mkdir -p /etc/plasmalogin.conf.d
printf '[Autologin]\nUser=theupriser\nSession=plasma.desktop\n' | sudo tee /etc/plasmalogin.conf.d/00-test-autologin.conf
sudo systemctl restart plasmalogin
EOF
```

Remove `/etc/plasmalogin.conf.d/00-test-autologin.conf` before testing the
"normal login screen" case.

## Running the wizard non-interactively

`scripts/vmrun.sh '<input>'` does this (log also at `/tmp/wizard.log` in the
guest). Manually, in the guest:

```bash
export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000 WAYLAND_DISPLAY=wayland-0 DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus
printf '\ny\nn\n' | /mnt/setup-gamescope-boot.sh
```

Menu input: a number toggles a component, an empty line continues, `a`
re-applies what is on, `q` quits. Then `y` answers "Go ahead?" and `n` the
restart question.

| Input | Meaning |
|---|---|
| `'\ny\nn\n'` | first run, accept all |
| `'2\n\ny\nn\n'` | toggle the theme |
| `'a\ny\nn\n'` | re-apply what is on |
| `'q\n'` | just show the menu |
| `'1\n3\n\ny\nn\n'` | from all-off: theme only (Steam Machine too with `--fremont`; add `5\n` to drop it) |
| `'1\n\ny\nn\n'` | from a state where 1 is off: turn the conversion on |

**Know the starting ticks before choosing input.** When *everything* is off
(fresh snapshot, or after turning the last component off), the menu treats it
as a first run and pre-ticks **all** components, so `2` means "theme off,
rest on". Otherwise the ticks show what is on now. Unticking 1 also unticks 4,
and ticking 4 ticks 1 again, so `'1\n3\n4\n...'` ends with the conversion on.
When unsure, run `'q\n'` first and read the ticks.

`a` only re-applies components that are already on: it does not retry one that
failed. Re-applying the conversion also resets the autologin session to
gamescope, so set it back to plasma before the next reboot (below).

## Gamescope does not render in this VM

(Also after any re-apply that includes the conversion.)

No suitable Vulkan (venus is unstable with the host NVIDIA driver). After
enabling the conversion, before rebooting:

```bash
sudo /usr/lib/steamos/steam-set-session plasma.desktop
```

so autologin lands in Plasma. Stuck in a gamescope relogin loop: over SSH set
the session to plasma and `sudo systemctl restart display-manager` (or stop the
DM, set the session, start it).

## Checking component state

`scripts/vmstate.sh` prints:

- display manager, SDDM autologin file, plasmalogin `[Autologin]` section
- session sync bridge units (`sync-steamos-session.path`) and sudoers rule (`gamescope-session-switch`)
- Return to Gaming Mode shortcut `Exec=` line
- `steam-desktop-autostart` user unit; glyphs env file (`99-gamescope-steam-glyphs.conf`)
- LookAndFeelPackage, ColorScheme, GTK theme, font
- KDE Action Restrictions (`lock_screen`), kscreenlockerrc Autolock, Lock Session shortcut
- panel floating/thickness in plasmashellrc
- kickoff `primaryActions` / `systemFavorites` / `icon`
- leds-valve-dkms-git package, udev rule, `leds_valve` module, `/sys/class/leds/valve-leds*` count and owner (user must be able to write)
- steamos-manager package and whether it is active
- undo journals present, and duplicate keys (`cut -f1-3 journal | sort | uniq -d`)

`scripts/cmp.sh save` stores a baseline of the KDE/GTK configs in the guest
(`~/.cache/vm-baseline`, not `/tmp`); `scripts/cmp.sh` diffs against it.

After changing the theme, `cmp.sh` should show only spectacle's
`kglobalshortcutsrc` entries (from screenshots) and keys whose value equals
`~/.config/kdedefaults` (e.g. `ColorScheme=BreezeDark`, `widgetStyle=Breeze`):
KDE drops or writes those on its own.

## Reboot checks

- Single user mode on: SDDM autologin without greeter: `pgrep sddm-greeter` empty, `plasmashell` running.
- Everything off: plasmalogin greeter shown: `loginctl list-sessions` shows a greeter session, no user `plasmashell`.

## Full test matrix

Reset to `ssh-ready`, start with `--fremont`, mount the repo, enable test
autologin, then (all passed last run; `scripts/vmstate.sh` after every step):

1. Fresh run turning everything on (`'\ny\nn\n'`), set session to plasma, reboot.
2. Rerun: all shown on, "Everything is already the way you want it".
3. `a` re-apply: no duplicate journal entries.
4. Theme on: Steam Deck wallpaper, full-width 46px panel, `distributor-logo-steamdeck` launcher icon, `dark-lnf=com.valve.vapor.desktop` (Brightness & Color's Dark Mode toggle is on, hint "Switch to Breeze"); with single user on, kickoff keeps `primaryActions=3`. Theme off: CachyOS wallpaper, floating 30px panel, CachyOS launcher icon, BreezeDark colors (not light), `cachyos-vapor` removed, `cmp.sh` clean.
5. Single user off: switches to plasmalogin + sync bridge + sudoers; shortcut Exec uses `sudo -n`.
6. Single user on: back to SDDM.
7. Icons + Steam Machine support off: driver, udev rule, modules-load, steamos-manager removed; yay kept.
7b. DKMS: `vmstate.sh` shows `installed` for every kernel. Headers at boot:
   `sudo pacman -R --noconfirm linux-cachyos-lts-headers` (DKMS drops the LTS
   build), set the session to plasma, reboot, then `journalctl -b -u
   ensure-kernel-headers` shows the install and DKMS lists LTS again.
8. Conversion off: single user auto-unticked, plasmalogin `[Autologin]` back to CachyOS's `Session=plasma`, journals empty.
9. Remove the test autologin file, reboot: normal login screen.

## Visual checks

`scripts/vmshot.sh <out.png>` does the below. Starting `spectacle` straight
from SSH core-dumps; it has to run as a user unit (`systemd-run --user --wait`).

```bash
ssh -p 2222 -o BatchMode=yes theupriser@localhost bash -s << 'EOF'
export XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000 WAYLAND_DISPLAY=wayland-0 DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus
qdbus6 org.kde.plasmashell /PlasmaShell org.kde.PlasmaShell.activateLauncherMenu   # optional, toggles
sleep 1; systemd-run --user --wait -q spectacle -b -n -f -o /tmp/x.png
EOF
scp -P 2222 theupriser@localhost:/tmp/x.png /tmp/x.png    # then view it
```

The launcher call toggles; retake if the screenshot misses it. Apps started
directly over SSH lack the session's Qt platform theme and look light; start
them with `systemd-run --user <app>`.

## Pitfalls

- Broken mirror: `mirror5.krfoss.org` served a bad `.sig` ("Maximum file size
  exceeded"), failing the conversion's package install. Comment it out:
  `sudo sed -i '/krfoss/s/^Server/#Server/' /etc/pacman.d/*mirrorlist*`.
- Windows open in the snapshot (System Settings, CachyOS Hello) show stale
  data (e.g. a theme list from before `cachyos-vapor`) and cover screenshots;
  `vmreset.sh` closes them.

- The guest's `/tmp` is cleared on reboot; keep baselines elsewhere.
- The fake Fremont DMI makes leds-valve load 17 LED nodes, but there is no real hardware.
- shellcheck: `sudo pacman -S shellcheck`, then in `/mnt`:
  `shellcheck -S warning -x setup-gamescope-boot.sh lib/*.sh`
  (SC2154/SC2034 cross-file warnings are false positives).
- This repo's `.gitignore` is an allowlist: it ignores everything and
  un-ignores only the tracked scripts/docs. Add any new tracked file to it
  explicitly, or git will silently ignore it.