Steamify on GNOME (GDM): prototype plan

RESUME HERE (written 2026-10-14, end of the first session)

State: product branch feature/gnome-prototype in steamify-cachyos (pushed, not merged; main is the 2.12.0 release), the theme repo github.com/theupriser/steamify-gnome-theme (main). Everything is committed; the VM image is NOT in git (it lived in ~/vms/gnome-vm on one laptop).

Rebuild the GNOME test VM on another machine (steamify-cachyos-dev tooling, see its vm-install skill; needs KVM, the Steamify ISO, ~30 min):

CI=1 VM_DESKTOP=gnome VM_STEAMIFY=skip VM_BOOTLOADER=limine VM_DIR=~/vms/gnome-vm VM_SSH_KEY=<key> REPO=<steamify-cachyos checkout> scripts/vminstall.sh --iso <steamify iso> (plain CachyOS + GNOME + GDM with autologin; the headless installer ignores "desktop":"gnome", so share/vminstall-post.sh installs cachyos-gnome-settings, gnome, gdm). Boot it with run.sh in that dir (add --vulkan --amd for venus; gamescope still can't render in the VM).
In the VM, mount the repo (sudo mount -t 9p -o trans=virtio,version=9p2000.L repo /mnt; lost at every reboot) and apply the whole set: cd /mnt && bash steamify.sh --backend apply --reapply --boot desktop gaming glyphs silent launcher notify gnometheme (--backend apply <ids> means EXACTLY that set: ids left out are turned off.)
GNOME Settings with the Desktop panel: copy steamify-gnome-theme/settings/ into the VM and makepkg -si there (~15 min; replaces gnome-control-center).
Gamescope doesn't run in the VM, so to test session switching use a stand-in: sudo cp -n /usr/share/wayland-sessions/gamescope-session.desktop{,.real} and set its Exec=/usr/bin/sleep infinity. Switch from an ssh session with systemd-run --user --pipe --quiet /usr/bin/steamos-session-select gamescope|desktop (the ssh connection dies at every switch; reconnect after ~35 s).
Screenshots from inside the VM: gdbus call --session --dest org.freedesktop.portal.Desktop --object-path /org/freedesktop/portal/desktop --method org.freedesktop.portal.Screenshot.Screenshot "" "{'interactive': <false>}" (allow the permission prompt once; files land in ~/Pictures). Needs XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/1000 DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/1000/bus. Simulated mouse input (ydotool) was unreliable: don't count on it.
The released Steamify app/shortcut doesn't know GNOME: run the branch's app with python3 /mnt/ui/steamify-ui (set XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP=GNOME when starting it from ssh).

Open items, in order: (1) dock icon of the Steamify app after a clean login (id + full-path icon are in; unconfirmed after relogin), (2) click-test minimize/maximize in the app's own frame (close works), (3) the Settings panel: trim Ubuntu-specific strings, rebuild with the new icon, distribute the package as a release asset, (4) single user mode for GNOME (lock screen, keyring), (5) KDE+GNOME together: the "preferred desktop" menu row, (6) GNOME regression run in the VM; the KDE regression run is the user's (at home), (7) the app's light/dark: the Qt app is always dark, only its frame is ours. Tips learned: pkill -x fails for names over 15 chars (use pkill -f); polling the VM over ssh during a relogin keeps the old user manager alive; never edit a launcher entry while the shell runs and judge the icon right away (relogin first).

Started 2026-10-14. Goal: Steamify's SteamOS conversion on a GNOME desktop (GDM), detected automatically; KDE keeps working. First a prototype to see it work, then something solid. Product branch: feature/gnome-prototype in steamify-cachyos (from main = 2.12.0). Notes live here, never in the product repo.

Why it needs work

CachyOS's steam-set-session only handles plasma-login-manager/SDDM (silent no-op on GDM) and steamos-session-select ends the session with a KDE-only qdbus6 org.kde.Shutdown call. GDM logs in by itself only when the daemon starts, so a session switch needs a GDM restart. Prior art, unverified: https://git.upriser.nl/theupriser/cachyos-gamescope-boot-gnome (setup-gamescope-boot-gnome.sh: AccountsService Session=, replaced tools plus pacman hook, relogin by restarting gdm).

Prototype design (written, not yet run)

lib/desktop.sh: desktop_kind (gnome|kde from XDG_CURRENT_DESKTOP, else GDM = gnome), desktop_session_file, choose_login_manager (gdm on GNOME).
lib/login-manager.sh: gdm branch in gaming_status/enable/disable; configure_gdm_autologin (/etc/gdm/custom.conf), gdm_fix_install (our tools in /usr/local/share/steamify-gdm, copied over the real paths, pacman hook 95-steamify-gdm.hook, sudoers rule for systemctl restart gdm.service).
patches/steamify-gdm-{steam-set-session,session-select}.sh, patches/steamify-gdm.hook: the GDM-aware tools. Session goes into /var/lib/AccountsService/users/<user> (Session= and XSession=: which one GDM honours is OPEN, check in the VM). select restarts GDM directly instead of the old repo's shutdown.target unit.
Menu: theme and single hidden on GNOME (Plasma only). Packages: kconfig + accountsservice instead of plasma-keyboard on GNOME (kreadconfig6 is used by the undo journal). KWIN_IM_SHOW_ALWAYS only on KDE. Boot-into-desktop unit uses the detected session. Shortcut also goes to ~/.local/share/applications (GNOME shows no desktop icons).

Test VM

VM_DESKTOP=gnome added to dev scripts/vminstall.sh + share/vminstall-post.sh (uncommitted): CI=1 VM_DESKTOP=gnome VM_STEAMIFY=skip VM_DIR=~/vms/gnome-vm VM_SSH_KEY=~/vms/steamify-vm/vmkey REPO=<steamify-cachyos> 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

GNOME VM installed (~/vms/gnome-vm; the headless installer ignores "desktop":"gnome", so vminstall-post.sh installs cachyos-gnome-settings + gnome + gdm).
Run steamify.sh --defaults --options gaming in the VM (repo on 9p /mnt); fix what breaks (kconfig, packages, shellcheck).
Check: custom.conf, AccountsService, hook, sudoers, our tools in place.
(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).
[~] (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.
Turn off: everything restored (custom.conf backup, original tools).
KDE regression: existing suites still pass on the KDE VM.
Commit dev-repo changes (VM_DESKTOP) to main; product branch stays a prototype, no release without the user.

Later (solid version)

Tests: GNOME suite in the dev repo, TESTPLAN rows; ISO with a GNOME variant.
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!". Starting the new login at once fails (the session dies in 0.2 s), so the helper stops GDM first (no login screen), ends the user, waits for the user manager to go (about 10 s in the VM), then starts GDM. Shortcut click (gtk-launch) and steamos-session-select desktop verified both ways with the stand-in session. Open: the ~10 s (what keeps the user manager up? Steam?), and what the screen shows during it.
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.

Status 2026-10-14 (evening)

Verified in the VM with screenshots (portal screenshot: permission granted once in the VM, gdbus ... org.freedesktop.portal.Screenshot.Screenshot "" "{'interactive': <false>}", file in ~/Pictures): desktop icons (DING) show Home, Trash, Return to Gaming Mode, Steam; Steam tray icon shows in the top bar (AppIndicator); Steam starts and logs in. GNOME extras installed on GNOME: kconfig, accountsservice, gnome-shell-extension-desktop-icons-ng, gnome-shell-extension-appindicator, extension-manager.
The relogin helper waits on /run/user/, not loginctl show-user (which lingers ~10 s).
NOT done: the launcher option (Steamify shortcut/app in the launcher and Steamify Terminal): only gaming was applied in the VM, so no Steamify app is installed. On GNOME it still needs: Konsole -> GNOME terminal (Ptyxis/Console) for Steamify Terminal; it downloads the newest GitHub release (without GNOME support until released).
Not done either: silent (Steam starts on the desktop), the other options (notify, glyphs, ...), boot option, turn-off, KDE regression.

KDE and GNOME installed together (open, user asked 2026-10-14)

Gamescope is its own session and doesn't depend on either desktop. What does:

choose_login_manager (lib/desktop.sh) uses the RUNNING desktop: from KDE it would switch a GDM system to plasma-login-manager/SDDM, from GNOME to GDM. With both installed it should keep the login manager that is active (current_display_manager), switching only when none of ours is.
Which desktop "Switch to Desktop" / "Boot into the desktop" go to: now fixed when the conversion is applied (DESKTOP_SESSION in the GDM tools, plasma.desktop in CachyOS's own). Needs a "preferred desktop" state (menu choice), maybe the last used one.
Both themes are offered (desktop_installed) and independent (kdeglobals vs gsettings), but ~/.config/gtk-4.0/gtk.css is shared: the GNOME theme's colors reach GTK4 apps under KDE too (consider only applying under GNOME, e.g. @media-less: write it from a GNOME-only login hook, or leave it to the user).
Single user mode (SDDM + KDE) with GNOME also installed: untested.
Test: install plasma-desktop on the GNOME VM (or GNOME on the KDE VM), run the conversion from each, switch both ways.

Open: Steamify app icon in GNOME's dock (2026-10-14)

The running Steamify (Qt) window shows a blank grey icon in the dock. Facts: the window's app_id is steamify-ui (WAYLAND_DEBUG), GLib accepts steamify-ui.desktop (icon steamify, StartupWMClass steamify-ui), icon as SVG, as PNG and as absolute path all stay blank, StartupWMClass is in. A plain GTK test window with app id steamify-ui, and with a second launcher probeapp.desktop (also system-wide), gets GNOME's generic blue icon, also with the Ubuntu Dock extension off (stock dash): so GNOME Shell doesn't match these windows to their launchers here (system apps match). Not the icon file, not the dock. Ideas: launch through the desktop/DING click and gnome-shell's own launch (startup sequence) instead of systemd-run; check gnome-shell logs; try on real hardware; check Qt's app_id handling (xdg-toplevel-icon). The tray icon is fine (single-color steamify-symbolic.svg), the notification too.

Update (same day): dock icon and window frame

Cause of the blank dock icon: GNOME Shell on Wayland matches a window to its launcher only by a reverse-DNS app id (steamify-ui never matched; a GTK probe with io.github.theupriser.SteamifyProbe did). Steamify's id is now io.github.theupriser.Steamify (app, launcher entry io.github.theupriser.Steamify.desktop, notifier); the old steamify-ui.desktop entries are removed when the shortcut is applied.
The icon must be given as a full path (Icon=/home/.../icons/hicolor/scalable/apps/steamify.svg): a name from the user's icon folder, and a PNG path, stayed blank in the dock; the SVG path worked in one test. After the wizard rewrote the entry the dock stayed blank until a fresh login: NOT confirmed after a relogin yet.
Qt's own frame on GNOME is light grey: on GNOME (Wayland, windowed) the app draws its own dark header with minimize/maximize/close, drag and resize edges. Close confirmed working by the user; minimize and maximize not click-tested.

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