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steamify-cachyos-live-iso/TODO.md
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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. Names: only the installer says Steamify ("CachyOS with Steamify Installer", productName set by calamares-online.sh); the live session, Hello and About this System keep CachyOS's own names (legal clarity). The ISO file is named by the day, like CachyOS: steamify-cachyos-<version>-[dev-]<YYMMDD>-x86_64.iso.

  3. Check the names after the next build: installer title, Hello and About this System say CachyOS.

  4. 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. A build of an unreleased Steamify change passes it as the input steamify_ref of iso-1-github-tag.yml (a release branch does this by itself); by hand: steamify-prepare.sh <checkout> / vmisobuild.sh --steamify <path>.

  5. Build in the test VM — done: the ISO is built on the Gitea mirror's runner by iso-2-gitea-build.yml (see the steamify-iso-release skill in steamify-cachyos-dev); test the result locally with scripts/vmtest.sh --install.

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

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: only the installer carries Steamify's name; check with the CachyOS team whether that and the ISO file name are fine with them.
  • 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.