steamify-cachyos-live-iso/TODO.md

To do (Steam Machine edition)

Open

1. Steamify installer page (2026-09-28, working end to end; see AGENTS.md for the module/build/testing details and gotchas behind this). packagechooserq (custom QML) is built with each ISO by build-calamares-modules.sh into archiso/airootfs/usr/lib/calamares/modules/packagechooserq/. netinstall (checkbox tree) stays as a manually-swappable fallback (steamify-cachyos-dev/share/sn.sh + nisteamify.conf) for when the module can't load, but isn't wired into calamares-online.sh automatically yet.

   • Still open:
     • A Python job (e.g. steamifychoice, before packages@online) to normalize either page's choice (packagechooserq's packagechooser_steamifypage GS key, or netinstall's packageOperations markers) into one steamifyChoice GS key, so shellprocess_steamify.conf doesn't need to know which page ran.

2. Check the live name (the build tree has it right: build/x86_64/airootfs/etc/os-release) after the next build: Hello's subtitle should say "Steamify CachyOS, based on CachyOS rolling" (steamify-customize.sh, run by mkarchiso after the packages; the airootfs copy of os-release is overwritten by a package).

3. Steamify PR for feat/defaults-options — done: 2.7.0 (--options, --boot, steamify.sh --boot standalone) and 2.8.0 (--defaults --list, what the Steamify page's rows come from) are both released. The ISO builder is up to date with this: no checkout argument needed, steamify-prepare.sh (no args) and calamares-online.sh at boot both just fetch the newest release, so the ISO always has 2.8.0+ without a rebuild for a Steamify-side change alone. Only pass steamify-prepare.sh <checkout> / vmisobuild.sh --steamify <path> when testing an unreleased Steamify change.

4. Build in the test VM instead of on the Steam Machine (steam-machine-iso skill), and install the result unattended with scripts/vminstall.sh --iso (vm-install skill; the Calamares Steamify step then needs steamify-install run from the live script).

5. Test on the real Steam Machine from a USB stick (gamescope, LEDs, CEC, power-off) before calling the ISO usable.

Done

• Boot choice as a switch on the Steamify page ("Boot into gaming mode" under the SteamOS conversion; the user confirmed it's done).
• Full ISO install with the Steamify page (2026-09-28, ISO VM, --fremont, Start in: desktop): Summary listed the choices, the install step ran Steamify 2.8.0 with every item OK, --boot desktop applied, exit: 0; the installed system boots into the desktop.
• Steamify Summary (2026-09-28, ISO VM): an unordered list of the chosen items' names plus "Starts in gaming mode/the desktop" (patches/packagechooserq-steamify-summary.patch), with items.json written by the launcher (its $sdir bug fixed, 0cc7367).
• packagechooserq built with the ISO (2026-09-28): build-calamares-modules.sh builds it in the build container/VM from CachyOS's Calamares source against the current cachyos-calamares-next (no prebuilt .so in git), with built-for; calamares-online.sh leaves the Steamify page out when the Calamares it runs differs (the step then installs everything on) instead of risking "Initialization Failed".
• Steamify 2.6.0 released (--defaults, install-time mode).
• Live session (VM, --fremont): Vapor look and layout (Steam Deck wallpaper) at the live login; the power-off module is built for both ISO kernels and loaded at boot, in the VM it returns "No such device" (no AMDI0030 GPIO controller), as designed. Whether it keeps the real Steam Machine off is part of the hardware test.
• Regression test 2.6.0 on an existing desktop install (test VM from ssh-ready, --fremont): full first run, re-apply, notifications/CEC/theme off and on again. No errors; user units enabled and running, theme applied and restored live, no first-login autostart with a session.
• ISO name: steamify-cachyos-<date>-x86_64.iso (iso_name in archiso/profiledef.sh); the volume label stays COS_<yyyymm>.
• VM install from the ISO (2026-09-27, f42859a): a VM install from the ISO (Hello's Install, no manual fixes) ran Steamify's step: every component OK, exit: 0, SDDM autologin into gamescope. First desktop login (session switched to plasma in the VM) passed too: Vapor layout, the app opened with everything on. The first-login script runs the newest release, so it only works once 2.6.0 is released (in the test it was pointed at the bundle). The VM's text console doesn't show (virgl): read the installed disk with qemu-nbd -r + mount -o ro,rescue=nologreplay,subvol=@ (logs in @log).

Later

• Branding: the live session's os-release says "Steamify, based on CachyOS" (Hello's subtitle); Hello's window title and the boot menu still say CachyOS. Check with the CachyOS team.
• Release: a CI job that builds the ISO (privileged container, flags from the steam-machine-iso skill) and hosts it (>2 GB, not a GitHub release asset).
• Drop the Boost 1.91 workaround in steamify-prepare.sh once cachyos-calamares-next is rebuilt against the repos' Boost.

Build and test details: the steam-machine-iso skill in steamify-cachyos-dev.