feat: SteamOS conversion on NVIDIA with a patched gamescope (GBM scan-out)

The conversion is offered on supported NVIDIA cards again; it builds and installs steamify-gamescope-nvidia and sets gamescope_drm_gbm_scanout=1. It and Gaming on NVIDIA exclude each other.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01KkpbsMw4rQyBsxDG6ebHK2

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ one per merged pull request.
 
 ## 2.11.2 - 2026-10-13
 
+- **feat: the SteamOS conversion is offered on NVIDIA PCs again (RTX 20 series or newer): it builds and installs a patched gamescope from [steamify-gamescope-nvidia](https://github.com/theupriser/steamify-gamescope-nvidia) (GBM-allocated scan-out buffers, NVIDIA's corrupted gaming-mode picture, gamescope#2309; a few minutes to build) and sets `gamescope_drm_gbm_scanout=1` for the session (`lib/gamescope-nvidia.sh`). It and "Gaming on NVIDIA" exclude each other; single user mode works with either. Tested on an RTX 5080 (driver 615.78.08): Steam's gaming UI is clean with it and shows artifacts without. The package is pinned to one gamescope release: updating it is not automatic yet**
+
 - **feat: "Gaming on NVIDIA" also keeps video memory over suspend (`NVreg_PreserveVideoMemoryAllocations=1` in `/etc/modprobe.d/90-steamify-nvidia.conf`, the initramfs is rebuilt), enables `nvidia-suspend`/`nvidia-resume`/`nvidia-hibernate`, and installs `lib32-nvidia-utils` and `lib32-libxkbcommon` (32-bit games, the 32-bit MangoHud preload) on a supported card; off removes only what Steamify added. Untested on hardware yet**
 
 ## 2.11.1 - 2026-10-02

TECHNICAL.md

@@ -238,6 +238,18 @@ no fix known). The kernel parameters `nvidia-drm.modeset=1`/`fbdev=1` and loadin
 window straight to the display. What does work on an RTX 5080: Steam's Big Picture (`steam -gamepadui`) as a normal window of
 the Plasma desktop session, smooth and clean.
 
+Since 2.11.2 there is a second way: gamescope with GBM-allocated scan-out buffers (`lib/gamescope-nvidia.sh`). On an RTX 5080
+(driver 615.78.08, 3440x1440@175) Steam's gaming UI in gamescope's DRM session is clean with it and shows artifacts everywhere
+without. The patch is nine commits of [farnoy/gamescope](https://github.com/farnoy/gamescope) (`nvidia-gbm-wayland`), kept in
+[steamify-gamescope-nvidia](https://github.com/theupriser/steamify-gamescope-nvidia) with its PKGBUILD; `gsn_install_package` clones
+that repository, builds the package as the user (`makepkg -sf`) and installs it with `pacman -U --ask 4` (the package provides and
+conflicts with `gamescope`). It is opt-in inside gamescope: `gamescope_drm_gbm_scanout=1` in
+`~/.config/gamescope-session/environment` and `~/.config/environment.d/99-steamify-gamescope-nvidia.conf`. The SteamOS conversion
+(`gaming_enable`) does this on a supported card (`nvidia_supported`), so on those PCs it is offered next to "Gaming on NVIDIA"
+and the two exclude each other (`toggle_component`, `backend.sh`, `AppState.qml`); single user mode works with either. Turning the
+conversion off removes the setting and keeps the package. The package is pinned to the gamescope release the patch was made for
+(`UPSTREAM_VERSION` in that repository): pacman does not update it, and Steamify does not rebuild it yet.
+
 So with an NVIDIA GPU (PCI vendor 0x10de, display class, its driver providing `nvidia_drm`: `nvidia_present`) the SteamOS
 conversion (`gaming`, and its options `boot`, `single`, `glyphs`) isn't offered, unless it is already on (so it can be turned
 off). `nvidia` ("Gaming on NVIDIA", `lib/nvidia.sh`) takes its place, hidden while the conversion is on (both would start

lib/backend.sh

@@ -147,10 +147,15 @@ backend_apply() {
         for id in "${want[@]}"; do [[ "$id" == "$c" ]] && WANTED[$c]=1; done
     done
     # The same rules as the menu's toggles.
-    # (Single user mode only needs the conversion where it is offered: not on NVIDIA PCs.)
-    [[ "${WANTED[single]:-0}" == 1 ]] && component_available gaming && WANTED[gaming]=1
+    # (Single user mode only needs the conversion where it is offered: not on NVIDIA PCs, where it works without it.)
+    [[ "${WANTED[single]:-0}" == 1 ]] && component_available gaming && ! nvidia_present && WANTED[gaming]=1
+    # On NVIDIA the conversion and "Gaming on NVIDIA" exclude each other: the one that is not on yet wins.
+    if nvidia_present && [[ "${WANTED[gaming]:-0}" == 1 && "${WANTED[nvidia]:-0}" == 1 ]]; then
+        if [[ "${CURRENT[gaming]:-0}" == 1 ]]; then WANTED[gaming]=0; WANTED[boot]=0; WANTED[silent]=0; WANTED[glyphs]=0
+        else WANTED[nvidia]=0; WANTED[bigpicture]=0; WANTED[nvsilent]=0; fi
+    fi
     if component_available gaming; then
-        [[ "${WANTED[gaming]:-0}" == 0 ]] && { WANTED[single]=0; WANTED[boot]=0; }
+        [[ "${WANTED[gaming]:-0}" == 0 ]] && { nvidia_present || WANTED[single]=0; WANTED[boot]=0; }
     else
         WANTED[boot]=0
     fi

lib/gamescope-nvidia.sh

@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# gamescope's own gaming mode on NVIDIA: a patched gamescope that allocates its scan-out buffers with GBM, which cures
+# the corrupted picture (https://github.com/ValveSoftware/gamescope/issues/2309). The patch and the build recipe live in
+# https://github.com/theupriser/steamify-gamescope-nvidia; the package `steamify-gamescope-nvidia` is built here, on the PC,
+# and replaces `gamescope` (it provides it). The patch is opt-in: gamescope reads `gamescope_drm_gbm_scanout=1` from its
+# environment, which is set for the gaming session (gamescope-session's environment file, and environment.d).
+# Used by the SteamOS conversion (`gaming_enable`/`gaming_disable`) on a supported NVIDIA card (`nvidia_supported`).
+# Sourced by steamify.sh; not meant to be run on its own.
+
+GSN_PKG=steamify-gamescope-nvidia
+GSN_REPO=${GSN_REPO:-https://github.com/theupriser/steamify-gamescope-nvidia.git}
+GSN_ENV_LINE='gamescope_drm_gbm_scanout=1'
+GSN_ENV_D="${GSN_ENV_D:-$HOME/.config/environment.d/99-steamify-gamescope-nvidia.conf}"
+GSN_SESSION_ENV="${GSN_SESSION_ENV:-$HOME/.config/gamescope-session/environment}"
+
+gsn_package_installed() { pacman -Q "$GSN_PKG" >/dev/null 2>&1; }
+
+gsn_env_set() { [[ -f "$GSN_ENV_D" ]] && grep -qsx "$GSN_ENV_LINE" "$GSN_SESSION_ENV"; }
+
+gsn_status() { gsn_package_installed && gsn_env_set; }
+
+gsn_install_package() {
+    # Builds the package from the repo (makepkg runs as the user, never as root) and installs it. The build needs a few
+    # minutes: gamescope compiles from source. --ask 4 lets pacman replace the stock gamescope it conflicts with.
+    gsn_package_installed && return 0
+    info "Building the patched gamescope for NVIDIA (a few minutes)..."
+    sudo pacman -S --needed --noconfirm base-devel git || { err "Installing the build tools failed."; return 1; }
+    local dir pkg
+    dir="$(mktemp -d)" || return 1
+    if ! git clone --depth 1 "$GSN_REPO" "$dir/src"; then
+        err "Couldn't download $GSN_REPO."
+        rm -rf "$dir"; return 1
+    fi
+    if ! (cd "$dir/src" && makepkg -sf --noconfirm --nocheck); then
+        err "Building the patched gamescope failed (see above). The stock gamescope stays."
+        rm -rf "$dir"; return 1
+    fi
+    pkg="$(ls "$dir"/src/"$GSN_PKG"-*.pkg.tar.* 2>/dev/null | grep -v -- '-debug-' | head -1)"
+    if [[ -z "$pkg" ]] || ! sudo pacman -U --noconfirm --ask 4 "$pkg"; then
+        err "Installing the patched gamescope failed. The stock gamescope stays."
+        rm -rf "$dir"; return 1
+    fi
+    rm -rf "$dir"
+    ok "Patched gamescope installed."
+}
+
+gsn_env_enable() {
+    mkdir -p "$(dirname "$GSN_ENV_D")" "$(dirname "$GSN_SESSION_ENV")"
+    echo "$GSN_ENV_LINE" > "$GSN_ENV_D"
+    touch "$GSN_SESSION_ENV"
+    grep -qsx "$GSN_ENV_LINE" "$GSN_SESSION_ENV" || echo "$GSN_ENV_LINE" >> "$GSN_SESSION_ENV"
+}
+
+gsn_env_disable() {
+    rm -f "$GSN_ENV_D"
+    [[ -f "$GSN_SESSION_ENV" ]] && sed -i "/^${GSN_ENV_LINE}\$/d" "$GSN_SESSION_ENV"
+    return 0
+}
+
+gsn_enable() {
+    # Only on a supported NVIDIA card; elsewhere the stock gamescope is right.
+    nvidia_supported || return 0
+    gsn_install_package || return 1
+    gsn_env_enable
+    ok "gamescope draws NVIDIA's picture through GBM (gamescope_drm_gbm_scanout=1) from the next gaming mode start."
+}
+
+gsn_disable() {
+    # The setting goes; the patched package stays, like the other packages (steam, gamescope-session-cachyos).
+    gsn_env_disable
+}

lib/login-manager.sh

@@ -94,6 +94,8 @@ gaming_enable() {
     # LOGIN_MANAGER (sddm with single user, else plasmalogin) is set by the
     # menu. Re-running with the other value switches over cleanly.
     install_required_packages || return 1
+    # NVIDIA: gamescope's picture is corrupted unless it is the patched one (no-op elsewhere).
+    gsn_enable || return 1
     case "$LOGIN_MANAGER" in
         sddm)
             switch_to_sddm || return 1
@@ -122,6 +124,7 @@ gaming_disable() {
     switch_to_plasmalogin
     remove_desktop_shortcut
     steam_disable
+    gsn_disable
     krevert gaming
     os_name_disable
     ok "The PC boots to the normal login screen again (from the next boot)."

lib/menu.sh

@@ -57,9 +57,10 @@ declare -A CURRENT WANTED
 
 component_available() {
     case "$1" in
-        # gamescope's own session is broken on NVIDIA: the conversion is replaced by "Gaming on NVIDIA" there (shown
-        # anyway when it's already on, so it can be turned off).
-        gaming|boot|silent|glyphs) ! nvidia_present || gaming_status ;;
+        # gamescope's own session shows a corrupted picture on NVIDIA unless it is the patched one (lib/gamescope-nvidia.sh,
+        # installed with the conversion on a supported card); "Gaming on NVIDIA" is the alternative there. Older NVIDIA
+        # cards only get the alternative (the conversion is shown anyway when it's already on, so it can be turned off).
+        gaming|boot|silent|glyphs) ! nvidia_present || gaming_status || nvidia_supported ;;
         nvidia) nvidia_available ;;
         bigpicture|nvsilent) bigpicture_available ;;
         machine|poweroff) machine_available ;;
@@ -297,8 +298,8 @@ toggle_component() {
     WANTED[$c]=$(( 1 - WANTED[$c] ))
     # Single user mode only makes sense on top of the SteamOS conversion.
     # (On NVIDIA the conversion isn't offered: single user mode logs in by itself, see lib/single-user.sh.)
-    if [[ "$c" == single && "${WANTED[single]}" == 1 ]] && component_available gaming; then WANTED[gaming]=1; fi
-    if [[ "$c" == gaming && "${WANTED[gaming]}" == 0 ]]; then WANTED[single]=0; WANTED[boot]=0; fi
+    if [[ "$c" == single && "${WANTED[single]}" == 1 ]] && component_available gaming && ! nvidia_present; then WANTED[gaming]=1; fi
+    if [[ "$c" == gaming && "${WANTED[gaming]}" == 0 ]]; then nvidia_present || WANTED[single]=0; WANTED[boot]=0; fi
     # Where to boot to is part of the conversion, too.
     if [[ "$c" == boot && "${WANTED[boot]}" == 1 ]]; then WANTED[gaming]=1; fi
     # Big Picture is opt-out: ticked along with "Gaming on NVIDIA".
@@ -310,6 +311,15 @@ toggle_component() {
     if [[ "$c" == gaming && "${WANTED[gaming]}" == 0 ]]; then WANTED[silent]=0; WANTED[glyphs]=0; fi
     if [[ "$c" == silent && "${WANTED[silent]}" == 1 ]]; then WANTED[gaming]=1; fi
     if [[ "$c" == glyphs && "${WANTED[glyphs]}" == 1 ]]; then WANTED[gaming]=1; fi
+    # On NVIDIA the SteamOS conversion and "Gaming on NVIDIA" exclude each other (both would start Steam at login);
+    # single user mode works with either.
+    if nvidia_present; then
+        if [[ "$c" == nvidia && "${WANTED[nvidia]}" == 1 ]]; then
+            WANTED[gaming]=0; WANTED[boot]=0; WANTED[silent]=0; WANTED[glyphs]=0
+        elif [[ "$c" =~ ^(gaming|boot|silent|glyphs)$ && "${WANTED[$c]}" == 1 && "${WANTED[gaming]}" == 1 ]]; then
+            WANTED[nvidia]=0; WANTED[bigpicture]=0; WANTED[nvsilent]=0
+        fi
+    fi
     # The power-off fix is opt-out: ticked along with Steam Machine support.
     if [[ "$c" == machine ]]; then WANTED[poweroff]=${WANTED[machine]}; fi
     if [[ "$c" == poweroff && "${WANTED[poweroff]}" == 1 ]]; then WANTED[machine]=1; fi

lib/nvidia.sh

@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ nvidia_present() {
     return 1
 }
 
-# Shown on NVIDIA PCs, unless the SteamOS conversion is already on there (it
-# has to be turned off first: both would start Steam at login).
-nvidia_available() { nvidia_present && ! gaming_status 2>/dev/null; }
+# Shown on NVIDIA PCs. It and the SteamOS conversion exclude each other (both
+# would start Steam at login): the menu unticks one when the other is ticked.
+nvidia_available() { nvidia_present; }
 bigpicture_available() { nvidia_available; }
 
 nvidia_status() {

steamify.sh

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ VERSION=2.11.2
 
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"
 
-for lib in common state packages login-manager single-user steam-desktop steam-machine fremont-poweroff vram-booster hdmi-refresh nvidia controllers cec boot-session vapor-theme steamos-extras bios desktop-shortcut wizard-shortcut steam-game update-notifier first-login menu backend; do
+for lib in common state packages login-manager single-user steam-desktop steam-machine fremont-poweroff vram-booster hdmi-refresh nvidia gamescope-nvidia controllers cec boot-session vapor-theme steamos-extras bios desktop-shortcut wizard-shortcut steam-game update-notifier first-login menu backend; do
     # shellcheck source=/dev/null
     source "$SCRIPT_DIR/lib/$lib.sh"
 done

ui/qml/AppState.qml

@@ -78,14 +78,21 @@ Item {
         w[id] = !w[id];
         // The same rules as the terminal menu (toggle_component).
         var hasGaming = items.some(function (i) { return i.id === "gaming"; });
-        if (id === "gaming" && !w.gaming) { w.single = false; w.silent = false; w.glyphs = false; }
-        if (id === "single" && w.single && hasGaming) w.gaming = true;
+        var hasNvidia = items.some(function (i) { return i.id === "nvidia"; });
+        // Single user mode works without the conversion on NVIDIA PCs.
+        if (id === "gaming" && !w.gaming) { if (!hasNvidia) w.single = false; w.silent = false; w.glyphs = false; }
+        if (id === "single" && w.single && hasGaming && !hasNvidia) w.gaming = true;
         if (id === "nvidia") w.bigpicture = w.nvidia;
         if (id === "bigpicture" && w.bigpicture) { w.nvidia = true; w.nvsilent = false; }
         if (id === "nvsilent" && w.nvsilent) { w.nvidia = true; w.bigpicture = false; }
         if (id === "nvidia" && !w.nvidia) w.nvsilent = false;
         if (id === "silent" && w.silent) w.gaming = true;
         if (id === "glyphs" && w.glyphs) w.gaming = true;
+        // On NVIDIA the conversion and "Gaming on NVIDIA" exclude each other (both would start Steam at login).
+        if (hasGaming && hasNvidia) {
+            if (id === "nvidia" && w.nvidia) { w.gaming = false; w.silent = false; w.glyphs = false; }
+            else if ((id === "gaming" || id === "silent" || id === "glyphs") && w[id] && w.gaming) { w.nvidia = false; w.bigpicture = false; w.nvsilent = false; }
+        }
         if (id === "machine") w.poweroff = w.machine;
         if (id === "poweroff" && w.poweroff) w.machine = true;
         if (id === "machine" && !w.machine) w.kpin = false;