[BUG] [SteamOS Main 3.8] plugin_loader.service broken by dirlock (expiermental SteamOS encryption)

[feliscatusmeows]

Please confirm

• I have searched existing issues
• This issue is not a duplicate of an existing one
• I have checked the common issues section in the readme file
• I have attached logs to this bug report (failure to include logs will mean your issue may not be responded to).

Bug Report Description

This is an incompatibility with a SteamOS feature only available on the main branch, but it is also expected to be available in SteamOS 3.8 when it releases. I'm pretty sure that not much will change in the release since my SteamOS version already displays 3.9.

After enabling disk encryption with dirlock, decky does not automatically start from the systemd service.
This is because decky is encrypted by dirlock, because it is located under /home/deck, which dirlock encrypts until the user enters their password in the SDDM login screen(not steamos pin). According to the logs, before the user logs in, systemd tries to find /home/deck/homebrew/services/PluginLoader but can't because it is encrypted.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Set your SteamOS to the main update branch and install the update and restart
2. Install decky, verify it loads after a reboot
3. Follow the instructions at https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/holo/dirlock/-/wikis/Enabling-disk-encryption-on-the-Steam-Deck
4. Decky does not load automatically

Expected Behaviour

Decky should start.

As a workaround, I have been able to manually run systemctl start plugin_loader.service from desktop mode, and then return to gaming mode.

Maybe this can be solved with systemd user service?

SteamOS version

SteamOS Main (Version 3.9) (Build 20260205.1000)

Selected Update Channel

Prerelease

Decky Loader Version

v3.2.1

Plugin Info

decky-steamgriddb 1.7.0
decky-terminal 0.5.3
Decky-Udervolt 1.0.8
kodeconnect 0.1.0-1
powertools 2.0.3

Have you modified the read-only filesystem at any point?

No, But I am on SteamOS main and have enabled fscrypt with steamos-enable-dirlock, which encrypts all of /home/deck

Backend Logs

(1)(deck@steamdeck ~)$ systemctl status plugin_loader.service 
× plugin_loader.service - SteamDeck Plugin Loader
     Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/plugin_loader.service; enabled; preset: disabled)
     Active: failed (Result: exit-code) since Thu 2026-02-12 00:23:09 PST; 14min ago
   Duration: 18ms
 Invocation: ed09b4edcc854b45b2ffdf709ef58af1
   Main PID: 1419 (code=exited, status=203/EXEC)

Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 5.
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: Failed to start SteamDeck Plugin Loader.

(3)(deck@steamdeck ~)$ journalctl -u plugin_loader.service -b --no-pager
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: Started SteamDeck Plugin Loader.
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck (inLoader)[1340]: plugin_loader.service: Unable to locate executable '/home/deck/homebrew/services/PluginLoader': No such file or directory
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck (inLoader)[1340]: plugin_loader.service: Failed at step EXEC spawning /home/deck/homebrew/services/PluginLoader: No such file or directory
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=203/EXEC
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 1.
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: Started SteamDeck Plugin Loader.
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck (inLoader)[1361]: plugin_loader.service: Unable to locate executable '/home/deck/homebrew/services/PluginLoader': No such file or directory
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck (inLoader)[1361]: plugin_loader.service: Failed at step EXEC spawning /home/deck/homebrew/services/PluginLoader: No such file or directory
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=203/EXEC
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 2.
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: Started SteamDeck Plugin Loader.
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck (inLoader)[1385]: plugin_loader.service: Unable to locate executable '/home/deck/homebrew/services/PluginLoader': No such file or directory
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck (inLoader)[1385]: plugin_loader.service: Failed at step EXEC spawning /home/deck/homebrew/services/PluginLoader: No such file or directory
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=203/EXEC
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 3.
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: Started SteamDeck Plugin Loader.
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck (inLoader)[1397]: plugin_loader.service: Unable to locate executable '/home/deck/homebrew/services/PluginLoader': No such file or directory
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck (inLoader)[1397]: plugin_loader.service: Failed at step EXEC spawning /home/deck/homebrew/services/PluginLoader: No such file or directory
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=203/EXEC
Feb 12 00:23:08 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 4.
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: Started SteamDeck Plugin Loader.
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck (inLoader)[1419]: plugin_loader.service: Unable to locate executable '/home/deck/homebrew/services/PluginLoader': No such file or directory
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck (inLoader)[1419]: plugin_loader.service: Failed at step EXEC spawning /home/deck/homebrew/services/PluginLoader: No such file or directory
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Main process exited, code=exited, status=203/EXEC
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Scheduled restart job, restart counter is at 5.
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Start request repeated too quickly.
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: plugin_loader.service: Failed with result 'exit-code'.
Feb 12 00:23:09 steamdeck systemd[1]: Failed to start SteamDeck Plugin Loader.
(deck@steamdeck ~)$ 

Frontend Logs

These logs are not relevant, decky has failed to start because systemd could not find decky

[feliscatusmeows]

Maybe it could be a systemd path unit that detects if the steam client has started, and if it has, launches decky loader then kills the steam client, but this seems like a cursed hack