Quick Start
From nothing to streaming in five steps — install a host, open its console, pair a device, play.
Five steps take you from a fresh PC to a stream on your other device. Keep the host on your home network or a VPN (Security).
1. Install the host
On the PC you stream from, follow the page for its system:
| Linux | Windows |
|---|---|
| Ubuntu · Debian · Fedora · Arch / CachyOS · Omarchy · Bazzite · SteamOS · NixOS | Windows 11 |
Check Requirements first if your machine is older or unusual.
2. Start it
- Windows, SteamOS and the guided installer: already running, and it comes back on its own.
- Linux by hand: the Start it step of your install page starts the host and the console; they come back at every login.
The host detects your desktop and announces itself on your network. There is nothing to configure for a first stream.
3. Open the web console
Open https://<host-ip>:47992 in a browser. The certificate is the host's own, so the browser
warns once: continue. Sign in with the console password:
| Host | Password |
|---|---|
| Linux | The one you typed in the guided installer, or print the generated one: sed -n 's/^PUNKTFUNK_UI_PASSWORD=//p' ~/.config/punktfunk/web-password |
| SteamOS | sed -n 's/^PUNKTFUNK_UI_PASSWORD=//p' ~/.config/punktfunk/web.env |
| Windows | The one you set in the installer, or from an elevated PowerShell: punktfunk-host web password |
Read it before you sign in: the console then stores only a hash. Lost it? Reset it.
4. Install a client and pair it
On the device you stream to, install the app from Install a Client. Moonlight works too once you turn GameStream on.
Open the app. Your host is already in the list.
Select it and connect. In the console, open Devices and click Approve next to the device. To pair with a PIN instead, click Pair a device and type the code into the app. A device pairs once and reconnects on its own after that. More: Pairing & Trust.
5. Stream
Select the host and start streaming. The host creates a display at your device's resolution and refresh rate. A desktop client captures your mouse and keyboard: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Q (⌃⌥⇧Q on a Mac) releases them.
Next
- Launch games from the stream: Game library and its plugins.
- Tune resolution, bitrate, codec and HDR per device: Client settings. Start in there can open the app straight into this host.
- Stream with nobody logged in: Running as a service.
- Coming from Sunshine or Apollo: Switching from Sunshine.
- Something wrong: Troubleshooting.