Turn a CachyOS desktop PC into a SteamOS-style console: it boots straight into Steam's Big Picture (gamescope), and you can switch to the KDE Plasma desktop and back whenever you like - just like on a Steam Deck or Valve's Steam Machine.

One command, then a simple checklist: pick what you want.
Everything is undoable: untick something and it's put back the way it was.
Made for the Steam Machine, and works on any CachyOS KDE desktop PC.

What you get

SteamOS conversion - boots straight into gaming mode. Switch to Desktop in Steam works, and so does going back (the Return to Gaming Mode icon on the desktop). Steam's on-screen keyboard (Steam + X) works on the desktop too.
- Boot into: gamescope / desktop - where the PC starts. Gaming mode is the default.
SteamOS theme - the Vapor look of SteamOS for the desktop, with Add to Steam in right-click menus (details).
Steam Deck/Machine icons - Steam Deck button icons in gaming mode.
Single user mode - like SteamOS: never a login or lock screen, and no KDE wallet password prompts (e.g. from Brave). Typing a password with a controller is no fun (details).
Steamify shortcut - "Steamify CachyOS" on the desktop and in the launcher opens the newest Steamify app, so you don't need the install command again. "Steamify Terminal" in the launcher opens the terminal menu.
HDMI-CEC (experimental; off by default, on by default on a Steam Machine) - use Steam with your TV's remote, and the TV turns on and off with the PC. Needs a PC with CEC (like the Steam Machine) or a USB CEC adapter; most graphics cards, NVIDIA included, don't have it. See CEC.md for which PCs do, and how to add it to your own build (details).

Steam Machine

What Steamify can do on a Valve Steam Machine:

HDMI-CEC - ticked by default here, as on SteamOS: use Steam with your TV's remote, and the TV turns on and off with the Steam Machine (details).
Steam Machine support - the front LED bar works, Steam's hardware settings (fan, performance) work, and the power button puts it to sleep like a console.
- Pin the kernel to 7.1.6-1 - on by default: with newer CachyOS kernels the Steam Machine reboots instead of shutting down. Untick it once CachyOS fixes that. The kernel comes from its own release, checked against CachyOS's signature (details).
- HDMI refresh boost - only with the pinned kernel, never ticked by default: gets the highest refresh rate your HDMI display runs at the desktop resolution (e.g. 110 Hz instead of 60 on a 3440x1440 monitor). Each step is shown and you confirm it; no answer within 15 s switches back. For more (e.g. 175 Hz), use DisplayPort (details).
- Update BIOS - installs Valve's newest Steam Machine BIOS. Never ticked by default, at your own risk, and only after two warnings (details).

Requirements

CachyOS with the KDE Plasma desktop (the default CachyOS Desktop edition)
Your normal user account, with permission to use sudo

Installation

Open Konsole on your Plasma desktop and run:

curl -fsSL https://github.com/theupriser/steamify-cachyos/releases/latest/download/steamify.sh | bash

Prefer to look at the script first? Clone the repository and run ./steamify.sh (keep the whole folder: it needs lib/).

You'll see a checklist:

   [x] SteamOS conversion: boot into gaming mode, Steam on the desktop  (now: off)
         └ Boot into: [gamescope]  desktop
 > [x] Install SteamOS theme: Vapor look (cachyos-vapor)  (now: off)
   [x] Install Steam Deck/Machine icons: Deck button icons in gaming mode  (now: off)
   [x] Single user mode: no password, lock screen or log out (SDDM)  (now: off)
   [x] Steamify shortcut: desktop icon to run this again  (now: off)

  Up/Down move   Space select   Left/Right choose   Enter run
  a run + re-apply what's on   q quit

Tick with Space, run with Enter. It shows what it will change, asks your password once, and offers to restart at the end. Below the list you see every installed kernel, so after an update it's easy to check that everything is in place.

Run it again whenever you like: to change your choices, or after a CachyOS update (press a to re-apply what's on).

Using it

To the desktop: in gaming mode, open the Steam menu and choose Power > Switch to Desktop.
Back to gaming mode: double-click Return to Gaming Mode on the desktop.
Remove it all: run the wizard and untick everything. You get the normal CachyOS login screen back; Steam stays installed.

Prefer to start where you left off last time?

steamos-session-select persistent  # start where you left off last time
steamos-session-select oneshot     # always start in gaming mode (default)

Something wrong?

Stuck on a black screen in gaming mode: press Ctrl+Alt+F3, log in, and run

sudo /usr/lib/steamos/steam-set-session plasma.desktop && sudo systemctl restart display-manager

More in TROUBLESHOOTING.md. How it all works: TECHNICAL.md. Changes per version: CHANGELOG.md. Contributing (or an AI agent)? Read AGENTS.md.

License

MIT - do whatever you want with it. See LICENSE.md.

Disclaimer

Steamify CachyOS is an unofficial community project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Valve Corporation or the CachyOS project. Steam, SteamOS and the Steam logo are trademarks of Valve Corporation. CachyOS is the name of its respective project. They are used here only to describe what this script works with.