Super-Shift-S-Omarchy-Deck-Mode/README.md

Super Shift S - Omarchy Deck Mode

Install video

Version 12.27

Turn any Arch Linux + Hyprland desktop into a Steam Deck-like gaming console with a single keybind. Press Super+Shift+S to enter Gaming Mode (Steam Big Picture in Gamescope), and Super+Shift+R to return to your desktop.

Built exclusively for Omarchy - an Arch Linux distribution running Hyprland, SDDM, and iwd.

What It Does

This installer transforms your desktop into a dual-mode system:

• Desktop Mode - Your normal Hyprland session
• Gaming Mode - Full-screen Steam Big Picture running inside Gamescope (the same compositor used by the Steam Deck), with automatic performance tuning, controller support, and external drive mounting

Switching between modes is seamless - SDDM handles session transitions, and all your network, audio, and peripherals carry over automatically.

Requirements

• OS: Omarchy (Arch Linux)
• GPU: AMD (discrete or APU) or NVIDIA (discrete)
  • Intel-only systems are not supported
  • Intel iGPU + AMD/NVIDIA dGPU configurations work fine
• AUR Helper: yay or paru (for ChimeraOS session packages)

Note

: This script is designed specifically for Omarchy and its stack (Hyprland, SDDM, iwd, UWSM, PipeWire). It is not intended for other Arch installations or distributions.

Quick Start

git clone https://git.no-signal.uk/nosignal/Super-Shift-S-Omarchy-Deck-Mode.git
cd Super-Shift-S-Omarchy-Deck-Mode
chmod +x Super_shift_S_release.sh
./Super_shift_S_release.sh

The installer is fully interactive and will walk you through each step.

Usage

Action	Keybind
Enter Gaming Mode	Super + Shift + S
Return to Desktop	Super + Shift + R
Exit to Desktop (fallback)	Steam > Power > Exit to Desktop

Command-Line Options

./Super_shift_S_release.sh              # Full installation
./Super_shift_S_release.sh --verify     # Verify installation only
./Super_shift_S_release.sh --version    # Show version
./Super_shift_S_release.sh --help       # Show help

What Gets Installed

Packages

The installer checks for and offers to install:

Core Steam Dependencies

• steam, gamescope, mangohud, gamemode
• Vulkan loaders and Mesa libraries (32-bit and 64-bit)
• Audio libraries (lib32-alsa-plugins, lib32-libpulse, lib32-openal)
• Networking (networkmanager, lib32-libnm)
• Fonts (ttf-liberation)

GPU-Specific Drivers

• NVIDIA: nvidia-utils, lib32-nvidia-utils, nvidia-settings, libva-nvidia-driver
• AMD: vulkan-radeon, lib32-vulkan-radeon, libvdpau, lib32-libvdpau

AUR Packages (via yay/paru)

• gamescope-session-git - ChimeraOS base session framework
• gamescope-session-steam-git - ChimeraOS Steam session with compatibility scripts
• proton-ge-custom-bin (optional)

Other Requirements

• python-evdev - For the keyboard shortcut monitor
• ntfs-3g - For mounting NTFS game drives
• udisks2 - For external drive auto-mounting
• xcb-util-cursor, libcap, curl, pciutils

Files Created

Session Scripts

Path	Purpose
/usr/local/bin/switch-to-gaming	Switches from Hyprland to Gaming Mode
/usr/local/bin/switch-to-desktop	Switches from Gaming Mode back to Hyprland
/usr/local/bin/gamescope-session-nm-wrapper	Main session wrapper (performance mode, NM, drive mounting)
/usr/local/bin/gaming-session-switch	Helper to toggle SDDM session config between modes
/usr/local/bin/gaming-keybind-monitor	Python daemon monitoring Super+Shift+R in Gaming Mode
/usr/lib/os-session-select	Handler for Steam's "Exit to Desktop" button
/usr/local/lib/gamescope-nvidia/gamescope	NVIDIA wrapper adding --force-composition flag

NetworkManager Integration

Path	Purpose
/usr/local/bin/gamescope-nm-start	Starts NetworkManager on gaming session entry
/usr/local/bin/gamescope-nm-stop	Stops NetworkManager and restores iwd on session exit
/etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/10-iwd-backend.conf	Configures NM to use iwd backend (if iwd detected)
/etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/20-unmanaged-systemd.conf	Prevents NM/systemd-networkd conflicts (if networkd detected)

External Drive Support

Path	Purpose
/usr/local/bin/steam-library-mount	Auto-detects and mounts drives with Steam libraries

Session & Display Manager

Path	Purpose
/usr/share/wayland-sessions/gamescope-session-steam-nm.desktop	SDDM session entry for Gaming Mode
/etc/sddm.conf.d/zz-gaming-session.conf	SDDM autologin session switching config

Permissions & Security

Path	Purpose
/etc/sudoers.d/gaming-session-switch	Passwordless sudo for session switching, NM, bluetooth
/etc/sudoers.d/gaming-mode-sysctl	Passwordless sudo for performance sysctl tuning
/etc/polkit-1/rules.d/50-gamescope-networkmanager.rules	Polkit rules for NM D-Bus access
/etc/polkit-1/rules.d/50-udisks-gaming.rules	Polkit rules for external drive mounting
/etc/udev/rules.d/99-gaming-performance.rules	Udev rules for CPU/GPU performance control
/etc/security/limits.d/99-gaming-memlock.conf	Memory lock limits (2GB) for gaming

Performance & Environment

Path	Purpose
/etc/environment.d/99-shader-cache.conf	Shader cache optimization (12GB Mesa/DXVK cache)
/etc/environment.d/90-nvidia-gamescope.conf	NVIDIA Gamescope environment variables
/etc/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/10-gaming-latency.conf	PipeWire low-latency audio config

User Config

Path	Purpose
~/.config/environment.d/gamescope-session-plus.conf	Gamescope session config (resolution, refresh rate, GPU)
~/.config/hypr/bindings.conf	Hyprland keybind for Super+Shift+S (appended)

How It Works

Session Switching Flow

Desktop Mode (Hyprland)
    │
    ├─ Super+Shift+S pressed
    │   └─ switch-to-gaming runs:
    │       ├─ Masks suspend targets (prevents sleep during switch)
    │       ├─ Updates SDDM config to gaming session
    │       └─ Restarts SDDM → boots into Gaming Mode
    │
Gaming Mode (Gamescope + Steam Big Picture)
    │
    ├─ On session start (gamescope-session-nm-wrapper):
    │   ├─ Enables performance mode (CPU governor, GPU tuning)
    │   ├─ Starts NetworkManager (for Steam network access)
    │   ├─ Launches steam-library-mount (external drive detection)
    │   ├─ Starts gaming-keybind-monitor (Super+Shift+R listener)
    │   └─ Launches gamescope-session-plus with Steam
    │
    ├─ Super+Shift+R pressed (or Steam > Exit to Desktop)
    │   └─ switch-to-desktop runs:
    │       ├─ Unmasks suspend targets
    │       ├─ Restores Bluetooth
    │       ├─ Shuts down Steam gracefully
    │       ├─ Kills gamescope
    │       ├─ Updates SDDM config to Hyprland session
    │       └─ Restarts SDDM → boots into Desktop Mode
    │
    └─ On session cleanup (trap handler):
        ├─ Kills steam-library-mount and keybind-monitor
        ├─ Stops NetworkManager, restores iwd WiFi
        └─ Restores balanced power mode

Performance Mode

When Gaming Mode starts, the session wrapper automatically:

• Sets CPU governor to performance on all cores
• NVIDIA: Enables persistence mode, sets power limit to maximum, disables runtime suspend
• AMD: Sets GPU to high performance via power_dpm_force_performance_level
• Applies kernel sysctl tuning (scheduler, VM, inotify, network buffers)
• Sets power profile to performance (if power-profiles-daemon is available)

On exit, everything is restored to balanced/powersave defaults.

GPU Detection

The installer automatically detects your GPU configuration:

• AMD dGPU: Detected via PCI device names (Navi, RDNA, Vega discrete cards)
• AMD APU: Detected via integrated GPU codenames (Phoenix, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, etc.)
• NVIDIA: Detected via lspci, configures nvidia-drm.modeset=1 if missing
• Multi-GPU: Correctly identifies discrete vs integrated, selects dGPU for gaming

Monitor Detection

The installer scans DRM connectors on your gaming GPU to find connected displays. If multiple monitors are connected to the dGPU, you can choose which one to use for Gaming Mode. Resolution and refresh rate are auto-detected from EDID data.

NetworkManager Integration

Many systems running Hyprland use iwd or systemd-networkd instead of NetworkManager. Since Steam requires NetworkManager for its network settings UI, the installer creates a managed handoff:

1. On Gaming Mode entry: NetworkManager starts, takes over networking
2. On Gaming Mode exit: NetworkManager stops, iwd/networkd resumes

This avoids conflicts and ensures both desktop and gaming sessions have network access.

External Drive Auto-Mount

The steam-library-mount daemon runs during Gaming Mode and:

1. Scans all connected drives for Steam library folders
2. Mounts drives containing steamapps/ directories via udisks2
3. Monitors udev for hot-plugged drives
4. Unmounts non-Steam drives to avoid clutter

Supports ext4, NTFS, btrfs, xfs, exfat, f2fs, and vfat filesystems.

Configuration

Config File

The installer reads from /etc/gaming-mode.conf (or ~/.gaming-mode.conf if it exists):

PERFORMANCE_MODE=enabled   # Set to "disabled" to skip performance tuning

Gamescope Session Config

After installation, you can edit ~/.config/environment.d/gamescope-session-plus.conf:

SCREEN_WIDTH=2560
SCREEN_HEIGHT=1440
CUSTOM_REFRESH_RATES=165
OUTPUT_CONNECTOR=DP-1
ADAPTIVE_SYNC=1            # AMD only
ENABLE_GAMESCOPE_HDR=1     # AMD only

NVIDIA note: Resolution is capped at 2560x1440 due to Gamescope limitations with NVIDIA GPUs.

Shader Cache

The installer configures a 12GB shader cache by default in /etc/environment.d/99-shader-cache.conf. This reduces stutter in games by caching compiled shaders. Values can be adjusted:

MESA_SHADER_CACHE_MAX_SIZE=12G
__GL_SHADER_DISK_CACHE_SIZE=12884901888
DXVK_STATE_CACHE=1

NVIDIA-Specific Notes

• Kernel parameter: nvidia-drm.modeset=1 is required. The installer can configure this for Limine, GRUB, or systemd-boot.
• Resolution cap: Gamescope on NVIDIA is limited to 2560x1440 maximum.
• Force composition: The NVIDIA wrapper automatically adds --force-composition if supported by your Gamescope version.
• Environment: GBM_BACKEND=nvidia-drm and related vars are set automatically.
• Persistence mode: Enabled during gaming to keep the GPU initialized, disabled on exit.

Bootloader Support

The installer can automatically configure nvidia-drm.modeset=1 for:

• Limine - Appends to cmdline: in /boot/limine.conf
• GRUB - Adds to GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT and regenerates config
• systemd-boot - Provides manual instructions for /boot/loader/entries/*.conf

A backup is created before any bootloader modification.

Troubleshooting

Verify Installation

Run the built-in verification to check all files, permissions, packages, and services:

./Super_shift_S_release.sh --verify

Common Issues

Gaming Mode doesn't start / black screen

• Check NVIDIA kernel params: cat /proc/cmdline | grep nvidia
• Verify gamescope works: gamescope -- steam
• Check session logs: journalctl --user -u gamescope-session -n 50

No network in Gaming Mode

• Test NM manually: sudo systemctl start NetworkManager && nmcli general
• Check polkit rules: ls -la /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/50-gamescope-*
• Check logs: journalctl -t gamescope-nm -n 20

Super+Shift+R doesn't work in Gaming Mode

• Ensure python-evdev is installed: pacman -Qi python-evdev
• Ensure user is in input group: groups | grep input
• Check keybind monitor: journalctl -t gaming-keybind-monitor -n 20
• Fallback: Use Steam > Power > Exit to Desktop

External drives not mounting

• Ensure udisks2 is installed: pacman -Qi udisks2
• Check polkit rules exist: ls /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/50-udisks-gaming.rules
• Check mount logs: journalctl -t steam-library-mount -n 20

Audio stuttering in Gaming Mode

• Check PipeWire config exists: cat /etc/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/10-gaming-latency.conf
• Try lower quantum: edit the config and set default.clock.min-quantum = 128

"NO DICE CHICAGO - INTEL DETECTED"

• This system has only Intel graphics. Gaming Mode requires AMD or NVIDIA.
• If you have a discrete GPU, check that its driver is loaded: lspci -k | grep -A2 VGA

Log Locations

Component	Command
Gaming session	journalctl --user -u gamescope-session
NetworkManager	journalctl -t gamescope-nm
Drive mounting	journalctl -t steam-library-mount
Keybind monitor	journalctl -t gaming-keybind-monitor
Session wrapper	journalctl -t gamescope-wrapper
Installation	journalctl -t gaming-mode

Uninstalling

To remove Gaming Mode, delete the files listed in the Files Created section. Key cleanup:

# Remove scripts
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/switch-to-gaming
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/switch-to-desktop
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/gamescope-session-nm-wrapper
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/gaming-session-switch
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/gaming-keybind-monitor
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/gamescope-nm-start
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/gamescope-nm-stop
sudo rm -f /usr/local/bin/steam-library-mount
sudo rm -f /usr/lib/os-session-select
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/lib/gamescope-nvidia

# Remove session entry
sudo rm -f /usr/share/wayland-sessions/gamescope-session-steam-nm.desktop

# Remove permissions
sudo rm -f /etc/sudoers.d/gaming-session-switch
sudo rm -f /etc/sudoers.d/gaming-mode-sysctl
sudo rm -f /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/50-gamescope-networkmanager.rules
sudo rm -f /etc/polkit-1/rules.d/50-udisks-gaming.rules
sudo rm -f /etc/udev/rules.d/99-gaming-performance.rules
sudo rm -f /etc/security/limits.d/99-gaming-memlock.conf

# Remove configs
sudo rm -f /etc/sddm.conf.d/zz-gaming-session.conf
sudo rm -f /etc/environment.d/99-shader-cache.conf
sudo rm -f /etc/environment.d/90-nvidia-gamescope.conf
sudo rm -f /etc/pipewire/pipewire.conf.d/10-gaming-latency.conf
sudo rm -f /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/10-iwd-backend.conf
sudo rm -f /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/20-unmanaged-systemd.conf
rm -f ~/.config/environment.d/gamescope-session-plus.conf

# Remove keybind from Hyprland (edit manually)
# Remove the "bindd = SUPER SHIFT, S, Gaming Mode..." line from ~/.config/hypr/bindings.conf

# Optionally remove AUR packages
yay -Rns gamescope-session-git gamescope-session-steam-git

Credits

• Omarchy - The Arch Linux distribution this was built for
• ChimeraOS - gamescope-session packages
• Valve - Steam, Gamescope, and the Steam Deck inspiration
• Hyprland - Wayland compositor

License

This project is provided as-is for the Omarchy community.