ci: stream the VM tests' progress into the job log

vmtest.yml: newest Steamify ISO release from the mirror (secret GIT_UPRISER_URL), KVM on the hosted runner, boot loaders limine/systemd-boot/grub two at a time, then the suites on a plain VM from the same ISO.

.github/actions/vm-runner/action.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+name: VM runner
+description: KVM, qemu, the big disk for the VMs, the package cache and the cached Steamify ISO (at /mnt/work/iso/steamify.iso)
+inputs:
+  iso-tag:
+    description: The Steamify ISO release the iso job cached
+    required: true
+runs:
+  using: composite
+  steps:
+    - name: KVM, qemu, disk
+      shell: bash
+      run: |
+        echo 'KERNEL=="kvm", GROUP="kvm", MODE="0666", OPTIONS+="static_node=kvm"' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/99-kvm4all.rules
+        sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger --name-match=kvm && sudo udevadm settle || true
+        for _ in $(seq 10); do [ -w /dev/kvm ] && break; sleep 1; done
+        ls -l /dev/kvm 2>&1 || true
+        grep -cE 'vmx|svm' /proc/cpuinfo || true
+        [ -w /dev/kvm ] || { echo "::error::no usable /dev/kvm on this runner (some GitHub runners have none: re-run the job)"; exit 1; }
+        sudo apt-get update -qq
+        sudo apt-get install -y -qq qemu-system-x86 qemu-utils ovmf libarchive-tools openssh-client
+        # The VMs and the ISO on /mnt (the big disk); ~/vms points there.
+        sudo mkdir -p /mnt/work && sudo chown "$USER" /mnt/work
+        mkdir -p /mnt/work/vms/pkg-cache /mnt/work/iso "$HOME/.ssh" && ln -s /mnt/work/vms "$HOME/vms"
+        ssh-keygen -q -t ed25519 -N "" -C steamify-vm -f "$HOME/.ssh/steamify-vm_ed25519"
+        nproc; free -g | sed -n 2p; df -h /mnt | tail -n 1
+    - name: Cache - the VMs' packages
+      uses: actions/cache@v4
+      with:
+        path: /mnt/work/vms/pkg-cache
+        key: vmpkg-${{ github.run_id }}
+        restore-keys: vmpkg-
+    - name: Cache - the ISO (from the iso job)
+      uses: actions/cache/restore@v4
+      with:
+        path: /mnt/work/iso
+        key: steamify-iso-${{ inputs.iso-tag }}
+        fail-on-cache-miss: true

.github/workflows/bundle.yml

@@ -192,18 +192,14 @@ jobs:
             dist/steamify-app.tar.gz
             assets/steam-gaming-settings.svg
 
-      # A new version starts the Steamify ISO's release of the ISO repo: its iso-1-github-tag.yml (always run from
+      # A new Steamify release starts the Steamify ISO's release with it (a test build from the ISO repo's
-      # master) names the ISO after the newest Steamify release, tags it, and the Gitea mirror builds and attaches the ISO.
+      # feat/steamify, until that is its master): its iso-release.yml names it after this version, tags it,
-      # The branch here decides the kind of build (the workflow's input `kind`):
+      # and the Gitea mirror builds and attaches the ISO. Needs a fine-grained token for that repo
-      #   main (publishes the release)            -> release: a real ISO (tag v<steamify>-<date>)
+      # (Actions: read and write) as the secret ISO_DISPATCH_TOKEN; without it, this is skipped.
-      #   release/** (a version not yet released) -> dev: a pre-release (tag v<steamify>-dev.<date>)
-      # Needs a fine-grained token for that repo (Actions: read and write) as the secret ISO_DISPATCH_TOKEN;
-      # without it, this is skipped.
       - name: Start the Steamify ISO's release
         if: >-
           github.server_url == 'https://github.com' &&
-          github.event_name != 'pull_request' &&
+          github.event_name != 'pull_request' && github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' &&
-          (github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' || startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/heads/release/')) &&
           steps.version.outputs.released == 'false'
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.ISO_DISPATCH_TOKEN }}
@@ -211,7 +207,5 @@ jobs:
           if [ -z "$GH_TOKEN" ]; then
             echo "::notice::No ISO_DISPATCH_TOKEN: the Steamify ISO isn't released with this version."; exit 0
           fi
-          # A release branch builds the ISO with its own code (and VERSION): steamify_ref. main builds the release it just published.
+          gh workflow run iso-release.yml -R theupriser/steammachine-cachyos-live-iso --ref feat/steamify
-          if [ "$GITHUB_REF" = refs/heads/main ]; then kind=release; sref=""; else kind=dev; sref="$GITHUB_REF_NAME"; fi
+          echo "Started the Steamify ISO's release (theupriser/steammachine-cachyos-live-iso, feat/steamify)"
-          gh workflow run iso-1-github-tag.yml -R theupriser/steamify-cachyos-live-iso --ref master -f kind="$kind" -f steamify_ref="$sref"
-          echo "Started the Steamify ISO's release (theupriser/steamify-cachyos-live-iso, master, kind $kind, Steamify ${sref:-the newest release})"

.github/workflows/git-upriser-sync.yml

@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-name: Sync git.upriser.nl mirror
-
-# Trigger the Gitea pull-mirror immediately instead of waiting for its interval,
-# so Gitea builds/tests right after any branch or tag lands on GitHub (the mirror has no sync interval of its own).
-on:
-  push:
-    branches: ['**']
-    tags: ['*']
-  workflow_dispatch:
-
-jobs:
-  sync:
-    # Gitea also reads .github/workflows on the mirror; only run on GitHub
-    if: github.server_url == 'https://github.com'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - name: Trigger mirror-sync
-        env:
-          GITEA_URL: ${{ secrets.GIT_UPRISER_URL }}
-          GIT_UPRISER_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GIT_UPRISER_TOKEN }}
-          # Gitea "owner/repo"; defaults to the same path as on GitHub
-          GITEA_REPO: ${{ vars.GITEA_REPO || github.repository }}
-        run: |
-          curl --fail-with-body -sS --retry 5 --retry-delay 10 --retry-all-errors -X POST \
-            -H "Authorization: token ${GIT_UPRISER_TOKEN}" \
-            "${GITEA_URL%/}/api/v1/repos/${GITEA_REPO}/mirror-sync"

.github/workflows/vmtest.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,156 @@
+# Steamify's own VM tests on GitHub's runners (4 vCPUs, 16 GB, KVM; skipped on the Gitea mirror): the same as
+# `scripts/vmtest.sh` in steamify-cachyos-dev, on this commit's steamify.sh. The base is the newest Steamify ISO
+# release (steamify-cachyos-live-iso, built and kept on the git.upriser.nl mirror: GitHub releases take at
+# most 2 GB per file): the boot loader tests (limine, systemd-boot, grub) install it with this commit's
+# Steamify, then the suites (cli, menu, hw, installer, toggles) run on a plain VM from the same ISO (its
+# Steamify step skipped: the suites start from a system without Steamify).
+# The ISO is fetched once (the iso job, cached) and restored by the others.
+# Needs the secret GIT_UPRISER_URL (the mirror's address, for the ISO). Every job has its own runner, so everything runs in parallel: one job per boot loader and per suite, each with its own VMs (2 vCPUs, 4-6 GB).
+name: Steamify VM tests
+
+# Only on main and the release branches (and by hand): the runners' time is limited, so not on every pull request.
+on:
+  push:
+    branches: [main, 'release/**']
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+# A new run on the same branch stops the old one.
+concurrency:
+  group: vmtest-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: true
+
+jobs:
+  iso:
+    name: Newest Steamify ISO
+    if: github.server_url == 'https://github.com'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    outputs:
+      tag: ${{ steps.find.outputs.tag }}
+    steps:
+      - name: Find the newest ISO release on the mirror
+        id: find
+        env:
+          MIRROR: ${{ secrets.GIT_UPRISER_URL }}
+        run: |
+          [ -n "$MIRROR" ] || { echo "::error::the secret GIT_UPRISER_URL is not set"; exit 1; }
+          read -r tag url < <(curl -fsS "${MIRROR%/}/api/v1/repos/theupriser/steamify-cachyos-live-iso/releases?limit=20" | python3 -c '
+          import json, sys
+          for r in json.load(sys.stdin):
+              for a in r["assets"]:
+                  if a["name"].endswith(".iso"):
+                      print(r["tag_name"], a["browser_download_url"]); raise SystemExit
+          ')
+          [ -n "$tag" ] || { echo "::error::no ISO release on the mirror"; exit 1; }
+          echo "Using $tag"
+          { echo "tag=$tag"; echo "url=$url"; } >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+      - name: Cache - the ISO
+        id: cache
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: /mnt/work/iso
+          key: steamify-iso-${{ steps.find.outputs.tag }}
+      - name: Download the ISO (once for every job)
+        if: steps.cache.outputs.cache-hit != 'true'
+        run: |
+          sudo mkdir -p /mnt/work/iso && sudo chown -R "$USER" /mnt/work
+          curl -fL --retry 5 --retry-all-errors -o /mnt/work/iso/steamify.iso "${{ steps.find.outputs.url }}"
+          ls -la /mnt/work/iso
+
+  boot:
+    name: Boot loader ${{ matrix.loader }}
+    needs: iso
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 120
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        loader: [limine, systemd-boot, grub]
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          path: steamify-cachyos
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          repository: theupriser/steamify-cachyos-dev
+          path: steamify-cachyos-dev
+      - uses: ./steamify-cachyos/.github/actions/vm-runner
+        with:
+          iso-tag: ${{ needs.iso.outputs.tag }}
+      - name: Boot loader test (${{ matrix.loader }})
+        env:
+          CI: "1"
+          VM_TIMEZONE: UTC
+          VM_CPUS: "4"
+          VM_INSTALL_MEM: 6G
+        run: |
+          cd steamify-cachyos-dev
+          touch ~/vms/test.log; tail -n +1 -F ~/vms/test.log & tailpid=$!   # the test's progress, as it happens
+          trap 'kill $tailpid 2>/dev/null' EXIT
+          VM_ISO=/mnt/work/iso/steamify.iso scripts/vmbootloadertest.sh "${{ matrix.loader }}" --install
+      - name: Logs
+        if: always()
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: boot-${{ matrix.loader }}
+          path: |
+            /mnt/work/vms/bl-${{ matrix.loader }}.test.log
+            /mnt/work/vms/bl-${{ matrix.loader }}/vm.log
+          retention-days: 7
+          if-no-files-found: ignore
+
+  suites:
+    name: Suite ${{ matrix.suite }}
+    needs: iso
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    timeout-minutes: 180
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        suite: [toggles, hw, cli, 'menu installer']
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          path: steamify-cachyos
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          repository: theupriser/steamify-cachyos-dev
+          path: steamify-cachyos-dev
+      # vmtest.sh reads which boot loaders the ISO advertises from this repository.
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+        with:
+          repository: theupriser/steamify-cachyos-live-iso
+          path: steamify-cachyos-live-iso
+      - uses: ./steamify-cachyos/.github/actions/vm-runner
+        with:
+          iso-tag: ${{ needs.iso.outputs.tag }}
+      # A plain VM for the suites: the ISO's installer with its Steamify step skipped (the suites start without Steamify).
+      - name: Base VM from the ISO
+        env:
+          CI: "1"
+          VM_TIMEZONE: UTC
+          VM_CPUS: "4"
+          VM_INSTALL_MEM: 6G
+          VM_STEAMIFY: skip
+        run: |
+          cd steamify-cachyos-dev
+          VM_DIR="$HOME/vms/steamify-vm" scripts/vminstall.sh --iso /mnt/work/iso/steamify.iso
+      - name: vmtest.sh ${{ matrix.suite }}
+        env:
+          CI: "1"
+          VM_CPUS: "2"
+          MAX_PARALLEL: "2"
+        run: |
+          cd steamify-cachyos-dev
+          touch ~/vms/test.log; tail -n +1 -F ~/vms/test.log & tailpid=$!   # the suites' progress, as it happens
+          trap 'kill $tailpid 2>/dev/null' EXIT
+          scripts/vmtest.sh ${{ matrix.suite }}
+      - name: Logs
+        if: always()
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: suite-${{ strategy.job-index }}
+          path: |
+            /mnt/work/vms/last-test.txt
+            /mnt/work/vms/run-*.log
+          retention-days: 7
+          if-no-files-found: ignore

AGENTS.md

@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ gamescope and the Plasma desktop. Primary target: the Valve Steam Machine
   `upload-artifact@v4` on GitHub and `christopherhx/gitea-upload-artifact@v4` elsewhere: never mention
   `upload-artifact@v3`, GitHub fails a workflow for a deprecated version even in a skipped step); the
   release is `gh` on GitHub and `akkuman/gitea-release-action` on Gitea. A new release on GitHub also starts the
-  Steamify ISO's release (`gh workflow run iso-1-github-tag.yml` in steamify-cachyos-live-iso, secret
+  Steamify ISO's release (`gh workflow run iso-release.yml` in steammachine-cachyos-live-iso, secret
   `ISO_DISPATCH_TOKEN`; skipped without it): the ISO repo's GitHub tag names it, the Gitea mirror builds it.
   CI (`.github/workflows/bundle.yml`) publishes the bundle as release
   `v$VERSION` on pushes to `main`; an existing version is never overwritten,
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ gamescope and the Plasma desktop. Primary target: the Valve Steam Machine
   (`state_get vram installed_pkgs`).
 - Install-time mode (`steamify.sh --defaults`, 2.6.0): applies what the menu
   would preselect, no menu or prompts (needs passwordless sudo). The Steam
-  Machine ISO ([steamify-cachyos-live-iso](https://github.com/theupriser/steamify-cachyos-live-iso))
+  Machine ISO ([steammachine-cachyos-live-iso](https://github.com/theupriser/steammachine-cachyos-live-iso))
   runs it in the installer for a user who has never logged in: no session
   bus, user systemd or plasmashell. So every `systemctl --user` goes through
   `user_systemctl` (`lib/common.sh`; without a session only unit files change,

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -5,23 +5,6 @@ All notable changes, per version and per commit. Versions follow
 `steamify.sh`. Versions before 0.7.0 were numbered afterwards,
 one per merged pull request.
 
-## 2.9.6 - 2026-09-30
-
-- **fix(ci): a dev ISO from a release branch is built with that branch's own Steamify (input steamify_ref of the ISO workflow), not the newest published release: release/2.9.6 kept producing 2.9.5 ISOs**
-- **docs: changelog hashes for 2.9.6**
-- `9a2965d` **fix(ci): the ISO workflow always runs from master; main asks for a release ISO, a release branch for a dev ISO (input `kind` of iso-1-github-tag.yml; feat/steamify is no longer needed)**
-- `c42d545` **fix(ci): a version published from main starts a real ISO release, a release branch a dev ISO (it always started the dev one)**
-- `b3bed43` **chore: Version 2.9.6**
-
-## 2.9.5 - 2026-09-30
-
-- `70ecb56` **ci: trigger a mirror sync**
-- `a7276cf` **ci: sync the git.upriser.nl mirror on every branch and tag**
-- `b3549d4` **ci: sync the mirror on release branch pushes too**
-- `a232a55` **feat(ci): sync the git.upriser.nl mirror on every push to main and every tag (git-upriser-sync.yml calls the mirror-sync API: the Gitea mirror builds at once instead of at its interval; secrets GIT_UPRISER_URL and GIT_UPRISER_TOKEN, retried, skipped on Gitea itself)**
-- `3676c64` **docs: link the renamed steamify-cachyos-live-iso repo (the release dispatches the ISO workflow iso-1-github-tag.yml there)**
-- `971e792` **chore: Version 2.9.5**
-
 ## 2.9.4 - 2026-09-29
 
 - `619ef1f` **docs: AGENTS.md and TECHNICAL.md: the CEC driver cache, the one workflow for GitHub and a Gitea mirror, and that a new release starts the Steamify ISO's release**

README.md

@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ curl -fsSL https://github.com/theupriser/steamify-cachyos/releases/latest/downlo
 ```
 
 Installing CachyOS on a Steam Machine? The
-[Steamify CachyOS ISO](https://github.com/theupriser/steamify-cachyos-live-iso)
+[Steamify CachyOS ISO](https://github.com/theupriser/steammachine-cachyos-live-iso)
 has Steamify built into the installer: pick the options there, and the
 first boot is already set up.
 

steamify.sh

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 set -uo pipefail
 
 # Release version, see CHANGELOG.md.
-VERSION=2.9.6
+VERSION=2.9.4
 
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")" && pwd)"