Linux: What I did to get Sunshine "Headless"

[Sudrien]

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This means

• No Keyboard in regular Operation
• No Mouse in regular Operation
• No Monitor in regular operation

I am doing a clean Manjaro install, with a Ryzen 2800 (not too important) and A Radeon RX 6700 (slightly more important because drivers), and with XFCE.

My Goal: big steamdeck to stream to my quiet OS X box.

An abridged list of steps

1. Download and flash current Manjaro XFCE minimal ISO to a usb drive
   1a. I use BalenaEtcher for this. You must sacrifice the contents of a USB drive or SD card for this.
   1b. While installing, choose to automatically log in to XFCE.

2. Update system
   2a. Enable AUR
   2b. Install steam
   2c. Install Sunshine

3. Set steam to autostart in XFCE controls

4. Set sunshine to autostart in XFCE controls
   4a. systemctl --user enable sunshine goes in terminal
   4b. systemctl --user start sunshinegoes in the xfce UI

5. systemctl enable sshd
   5a. systemctl start sshd

6. Set static IP in router (probably based on mac address, possibly on system name)

7. reboot manjaro box and make sure everything took

8. Test ssh from osx to manjaro

9. Install moonlight on osx
   9a. you probably just want to put in your newly assigned static IP.
   9b. You should be able to connect and see your manjaro desktop. Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Q to exit.

10. Grab the unused Raspberry Pi Pico you surely have in arms' reach
    10a. It has to be circuitpython. There is a Uf2 (currently adafruit-circuitpython-raspberry_pi_pico-en_US-9.2.7.uf2) to download and install to the pico, and a zip of libraries (currently adafruit-circuitpython-bundle-9.x-mpy-20250405.zip). Set the pi up to look like

CIRCUITPY/
├── code.py
└── lib/
└── adafruit_hid/
├── init.py
├── keyboard.py
├── keyboard_layout_us.py
├── keycode.py
├── mouse.py
└── ...

There can be more files, but not fewer. adafruit_hid comes from the zip file.

code.py should be

import usb_hid
from adafruit_hid.keyboard import Keyboard
from adafruit_hid.mouse import Mouse

# Create the HID devices
kbd = Keyboard(usb_hid.devices)
mouse = Mouse(usb_hid.devices)

# Optional: do nothing in a loop
while True:
    pass

Once saved, now you have a dummy Keyboard and Mouse, so XFCE will believe everything is normal when it starts up with no actual keyboard and mouse attached.

Alternatively, thrift a keyboard and mouse if you don't have spares, and don't want to do clever things.

11. Set up Grub to lie that you have a monitor attached
    11a. just need to edit

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash video=HDMI-A-1:1980x1080@60e"

Add the video= bit. You can do different resolutions, or refresh rates. video=HDMI-A-1:2560x1080@60e is mine. The 'e' at the end is the forcing part. Don't get too stupid about the refresh rate. There's no real advantage of Display Port vs HDMI here.

sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

pushes the new config into the appropriate files.

12. shut down manjaro
13. unplug the monitor from manjaro box
14. start up manjaro box

In a few moments, Moonlight should say your machine is available again.
You will probably have to tell XFCE to use your specified resolution. It will only give you two options. If so, Steam Big Picture will match that resolution after a reboot.

[Sudrien]

Why XFCE? Lightweight. Unlikely to break everything in the next upgrade cycle. Latest Build still works with X11 and not just Wayland.

Why Manjaro? The steamdeck OS is built off Arch Linux, like Manjaro. You want to try somthing else, try somthing else.

Why Pi Pico? It was in reach. Literally. For a while this one controlled a LED wall clock.

Why SSH? You are likely going to need more than one point of entry for a headless system. That second point should be terminal based, in case it's x11/xorg that is not working.

Wouldn't an HDMI dummy plug be better? Yes, an HDMI dummy plug would allow you to pick from more resolutions. It will also cost you time and shipping. This is the quickest free option.