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steam-arm-v1

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@Scrumpper Scrumpper released this 26 Sep 01:24
· 26 commits to main since this release
steam-arm
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Steam-ARM · ARM64 Steam Client Installer

Feature list :
The Steam Frame's ARM64 (VR) client · runs on host GPU as ARM program · x86 titles through emulation with graphics forwarded to native drivers · Windows titles through ARM64 Proton · Remote Play with software decode · controller access rules

This is an ARM64 Steam client installer.

Provides:

Component Scope Note
glx-lax Mesa specific Addresses Mesa client library limit with titles that bind one OpenGL context from several threads.
vk-spoof Mali specific Written for PanVK Vulkan driver on Mali; not needed on other Vulkan drivers.
map-count Generic Raises vm.max_map_count; applies to any Linux system running Proton.
xpad-dedup Generic Applies to any system where kernel exposes duplicate joystick node for pad.
pad-hidraw Generic Applies to any system using kernel xpad driver's device list.
pad-xbox Generic Applies to any XInput pad from maker other than Microsoft.
desktop Generic Application menu entry and desktop icon; no hardware dependency.

Client

  • Native ARM64 build of Steam client; Produced by Valve for the Steam Frame ARM based VR headset.
  • Client package downloads from Valve on first start, then client restarts itself; sign in from Big Picture or click the power button in big picture mode and go to Desktop Mode.
  • Installs into desktop user account, not root: first regular account on system (uid 1000) by default, GAMEUSER to choose another; account is created only when none exists, with generated password printed once
  • Own home directory under game user's account (.local/share/steam-arm by default, ARMHOME_DIR in /etc/steam-arm/steam-arm.conf) and own library, so it coexists with x86 client from other routes; run one at time
  • steam-arm launches Deck interface; steam-arm --desktop launches desktop interface, --bigpicture forces Deck interface, STEAM_ARM_UI=desktop in /etc/steam-arm/steam-arm.conf makes desktop default
  • steam-arm-tray: Steam icon in panel tray with Open, Open in desktop mode, Stop and Quit, started with session through autostart entry; this client build registers no tray item of its own
  • Window rule for KDE: client draws its own frame and asks window manager for none, and this build does not move window when that frame is dragged; rule gives client's normal windows manager's frame so they move and resize like any other window; Big Picture is fullscreen and unaffected

Games

  • x86 Linux titles run through emulation tool client downloads, against x86-64 Ubuntu 24.04 root filesystem installer prepares at /opt/fex-rootfs
  • Windows titles run through ARM64 Proton build client downloads; Direct3D through DXVK
  • steam-arm-compatmap <appid> <tool>: pins title to compatibility tool in client's stored configuration, for title with Linux build on record but Windows files installed
  • Titles protected by anti-cheat do not run: anti-cheat and DRM components require system call filter emulator does not implement

Graphics

  • OpenGL and Vulkan calls from emulated guest forwarded to host's native Mesa libraries through FEX thunks, not emulated; host thunks at /usr/lib/aarch64-linux-gnu/fex-emu/HostThunks, guest thunks at /usr/share/fex-emu/GuestThunks, root filesystem linked as /usr/share/guestos/fex-mesa
  • FEX Multiblock enabled in game user's FEX configuration
  • glx-lax component: private copy of Mesa GLX client library, libGLX_steamarmlax.so.0, with one check relaxed, for titles that bind single OpenGL context from more than one thread; rebuilt against system Mesa when that library changes, own library name through patchelf so system copy is untouched
  • vk-spoof component: implicit Vulkan layer VK_LAYER_STEAM_ARM_feature_spoof, built from source at install, reports device features DXVK lists as mandatory and Mali driver does not expose, then removes them again from device creation; self-check through vulkaninfo when present
  • map-count component: vm.max_map_count = 2147483642 in /etc/sysctl.d/zz-steam-arm.conf, value Proton expects; zz- name so it is read after /etc/sysctl.conf

Remote Play

  • Streaming runs package's x86-64 streaming client under system emulator, with software decoding
  • steam-arm-remoteplay pins hardware decoding off and HEVC off in client's stored configuration, so host keeps to H.264 and software decoder; streaming client decodes through Vulkan Video, which Mali driver does not provide, and with hardware decoding advertised session can sit on launch screen and never finish negotiating
  • Launcher applies setting before every start, including first; --check reports without changing anything
  • Game window in background on host renders nothing new, so stream shows one frame and takes no input; keep game in foreground on host

Controllers

  • pad-hidraw component: /etc/udev/rules.d/60-steam-arm-gamepad-hidraw.rules hands pad's /dev/hidraw node and /dev/uinput to logged-in user, so client reads pad directly for rumble and battery level; covers every pad kernel xpad driver recognises, 243 devices, matched on vendor and product so keyboards and mice from same makers stay excluded
  • xpad-dedup component: /etc/udev/rules.d/71-steam-arm-xpad-dedup.rules unbinds driver from headset interface some third-party Xbox 360 style pads expose, so one pad is one joystick and two-player game does not hand player 2 copy of player 1; steam-arm-xpad-dedup does same for pads already connected
  • pad-xbox component, off by default: steam-arm-pad-xbox.service presents XInput pads from other makers as Xbox 360 pads through uinput; off because client's own Steam Input re-identifies pads, and launcher pauses service while client runs in case another route enabled it

Emulation

  • FEX-Emu installed from project's PPA: fex-emu-armv8.2, 32-bit and 64-bit binfmt
  • steam-arm-fex-binfmt.service: FEX owns x86 execution persistently; box64 and box32 binfmt registrations off while it runs
  • x86-64 root filesystem: Ubuntu 24.04, prepared by installer at /opt/fex-rootfs/Ubuntu_24_04; about 2 GB
  • Client's runtime container built through bubblewrap

Installer

  • Package: steam-arm-setup_1.0_arm64.deb, installs command steam-arm-setup and installer script; nothing downloads at package install
  • sudo steam-arm-setup installs core (host packages, root filesystem and graphics provider, client package, launcher) and offers optional components: glx-lax, vk-spoof, map-count, xpad-dedup, pad-hidraw, pad-xbox, desktop
  • Component choice through keyboard checklist, or --select a,b, --skip a,b, --defaults; --list prints components
  • Idempotent: re-running refreshes every file, and component deselected on re-run is removed again
  • desktop component: application menu entry and desktop icon for account client installs into
  • Header names no board; same script runs on its own or from units, TTY gated, NO_COLOR honoured
  • Removal: re-run with components deselected, or delete client's directory in account it installed into; apt purge steam-arm-setup removes package

Requirements

  • ARM64 system with working Vulkan driver; Debian or Ubuntu family distribution, since installer uses apt
  • Mesa graphics stack for glx-lax; vk-spoof written for PanVK on Mali
  • Ubuntu family system for FEX PPA; other systems need FEX from another source
  • No hardcoded GPU render node, card index or board detection

Compatibility

  • Tested on one device: H96 Max V58, RK3588 board with Mali-G610 GPU
  • COMPATIBILITY.md records what has and has not been tested, per device class and per driver

How routes compare

Legend: ✅ yes ⚠️ partly, or with conditions ❌ no ❓ not publicly verified

Route Client itself is native ARM Installs onto your system Mali and PanVK Adreno Apple GPU Remote Play handled
This package ✅ ✅ host, no sandbox ✅ tested on one RK3588 board ⚠️ untested, skip vk-spoof ⚠️ untested, needs 4K page environment ✅ decode pinned before first start
Canonical arm64 Steam snap ❌ x86 client under FEX ⚠️ snap confinement ❌ open issue #471 since 2026-01-10 ⚠️ other driver loading bugs open ❓ ❓
Box86 and Box64 ❌ x86 client under Box64 ✅ host ✅ long standing SBC route ✅ ❓ ❓
steamclienttermux, Android ✅ ⚠️ Termux and PRoot ❌ Adreno only ✅ Turnip ❌ ❓
ROCKNIX and pocknix-os ✅ ❌ replaces OS ❌ Snapdragon only ✅ ❌ ❓
UbuntuAsahi steam-arm64 ✅ ✅ host, in microVM ❌ ❌ ✅ Honeykrisp ❓
Windows on ARM, Prism ❌ x86 under Prism ✅ host ❌ ✅ Snapdragon X ❌ ✅ native to Windows
macOS on Apple Silicon ✅ since 2025-06 beta ✅ host ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅

Reading table: routes that run native client are this package, Android and
handheld projects, UbuntuAsahi, and macOS. Of those, everything except this one targets
Adreno or Apple GPUs. Routes that cover Mali at all run x86 client under
emulation, or fail on driver.

Not included

  • Anti-cheat titles
  • VR runtime; Steam Frame's runtime is not part of this package
  • Steam client, emulation tool, root filesystem, Proton: all downloaded at run time from their own sources, none bundled

This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Valve Corporation. Steam, Proton, Steam Deck and Steam Frame are trademarks of Valve Corporation.

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