Build from source

Compile the Linux host yourself, or build a client, the web console, the docs site or the Windows drivers from a clone.

For the host, the package repos are the supported path (Install the host). Build from source when no package fits your release, or to work on it. A source build gets no packaged service and no updates: you set up the service yourself.

Rust comes from rustup. rust-toolchain.toml pins the version, and rustup installs it on the first build:

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

Linux host

Build with the nvenc and vulkan-encode features, as the packages do. Without nvenc an NVIDIA box has no hardware encoder; without vulkan-encode AMD and Intel fall back to VAAPI, which needs a keyframe to recover from every lost frame.

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt install build-essential clang libclang-dev pkg-config cmake git curl \
  libpipewire-0.3-dev libopus-dev libwayland-dev libxkbcommon-dev libdrm-dev \
  libgl-dev libegl-dev libgbm-dev
git clone https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk.git && cd punktfunk
cargo build --release --locked -p punktfunk-host -p punktfunk-encode-worker \
  --features punktfunk-host/nvenc,punktfunk-host/vulkan-encode

Fedora

sudo dnf install gcc gcc-c++ clang clang-devel cmake nasm git pkgconf-pkg-config \
  pipewire-devel wayland-devel libxkbcommon-devel opus-devel \
  mesa-libGL-devel mesa-libgbm-devel
git clone https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk.git && cd punktfunk
cargo build --release --locked -p punktfunk-host -p punktfunk-encode-worker \
  --features punktfunk-host/nvenc,punktfunk-host/vulkan-encode

Without mesa-libGL-devel the link fails with cannot find -lGL. To build an RPM instead, use the CI toolchain: docker build --build-arg FEDORA_VERSION=NN -f ci/fedora-rpm.Dockerfile -t pf-rpm ci, then run packaging/rpm/build-rpm.sh inside it.

Arch (PKGBUILD)

The split PKGBUILD in packaging/arch/ builds punktfunk-host and punktfunk-client. Set PF_WITH_WEB=1 to also build punktfunk-web and PF_WITH_SCRIPTING=1 for punktfunk-scripting (both need bun):

git clone https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk.git && cd punktfunk/packaging/arch
PF_SRCDIR="$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)" makepkg -f --holdver   # builds the working tree
sudo pacman -U punktfunk-host-*.pkg.tar.zst

NVENC and EGL come from nvidia-utils. On a builder without a GPU, link the CUDA stub first (the PKGBUILD header says how). Packager notes: packaging/arch. For a SteamOS host use the on-device installer instead; it builds against the running OS.

Running what you built

The box also needs what Requirements lists for your GPU. Run the host from inside your desktop session; it detects the compositor:

target/release/punktfunk-host serve              # native clients only
target/release/punktfunk-host serve --gamestream # plus Moonlight (trusted LAN only)

The host finds punktfunk-encode-worker beside itself and runs PyroWave there at raised GPU priority. Grant it the capability the packages grant: sudo setcap cap_sys_nice=ep target/release/punktfunk-encode-worker.

To run the host as a user service from a clone at ~/punktfunk, copy scripts/punktfunk-host.service to ~/.config/systemd/user/, then:

systemctl --user daemon-reload && systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-host

Running as a service covers the rest.

Workspace prerequisites

The whole Cargo workspace, clients and tools included, builds on Ubuntu 26.04 with the packages CI installs (ci/rust-ci.Dockerfile):

sudo apt install build-essential clang libclang-dev pkg-config cmake git curl \
  libpipewire-0.3-dev libopus-dev libwayland-dev libxkbcommon-dev \
  libgl-dev libegl-dev libgbm-dev libgtk-4-dev libadwaita-1-dev libsdl3-dev

The first build downloads a prebuilt Skia (about 19 MB) for the console UI.

Linux client

cargo build --release -p punktfunk-client-linux -p punktfunk-client-session -p punktfunk-cli
target/release/punktfunk-client

It needs GTK 4.16+, libadwaita 1.5+ and SDL3. The shell starts punktfunk-session from beside itself, so build both. More: clients/linux.

Windows host and client

Install the MSVC toolchain, CMake and LLVM (libclang). In PowerShell, keep the target path short and let CMake 4 build the vendored libraries:

$env:CARGO_TARGET_DIR = 'C:\t'; $env:CMAKE_POLICY_VERSION_MINIMUM = '3.5'
cargo build --release -p punktfunk-host --features nvenc,qsv
cargo build --release -p punktfunk-tray
cargo build --release -p punktfunk-client-windows -p punktfunk-client-session -p punktfunk-cli

CARGO_HOME must be an ASCII path; SDL3's build breaks otherwise. Pack the host installer with pwsh -File packaging\windows\pack-host-installer.ps1 -Version 0.0.0-dev -TargetDir C:\t\release (-NoDriver skips the driver build). More: packaging/windows, clients/windows.

Windows drivers

The drivers are a separate workspace that needs the WDK. scripts/ci/ensure-windows-toolchain.ps1 installs it. From an MSVC developer shell:

cd packaging\windows\drivers
$env:Version_Number = '10.0.26100.0'
..\drivers-cargo.ps1 'build --release --locked'

drivers-cargo.ps1 runs cargo through a short drive letter, because the CMake builds inside overflow MAX_PATH. To install a build on a test box, run deploy-dev.ps1 -Install from an elevated shell after stopping the host (punktfunk-host service stop). Signing and the dev loop: packaging/windows.

Apple client

On a Mac with Xcode 26.5:

rustup target add aarch64-apple-darwin
bash scripts/build-xcframework.sh     # BUILD_IOS=1 / BUILD_TVOS=1 add those slices
cd clients/apple && open Punktfunk.xcodeproj

tvOS slices build on a pinned nightly with rust-src; the script names it. More: clients/apple.

Android client

Install the Android SDK with NDK r30 (30.0.14904198), cmake;3.22.1, JDK 21 and cargo-ndk:

cargo install cargo-ndk
rustup target add aarch64-linux-android armv7-linux-androideabi x86_64-linux-android
cd clients/android && ./gradlew :app:assembleDebug

The APK lands in app/build/outputs/apk/debug/. More: clients/android.

Steam Deck plugin

cd clients/decky
pnpm install && pnpm run package                # → out/punktfunk-v<ver>.zip
DECK=deck@<deck-ip> pnpm run deploy              # install on a Deck and restart the loader

More: clients/decky.

Web console, runner and docs site

All three run on Bun. Run bun install in the directory first.

PUNKTFUNK_MGMT_URL points the console's dev server at another host. More: web, sdk, docs-site.

Client builds on 32-bit ARM

A client that embeds punktfunk-core can add the chacha-aws-lc-rs feature to cut streaming CPU on 32-bit ARM devices such as webOS TVs. The client still has to ask for ChaCha20 when it connects; hosts need no change.