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Steam Deck & Linux setup

Run RecompLauncher natively on SteamOS, Debian/Ubuntu, Arch/CachyOS, and Wayland/X11 desktops with automatic Steam Gaming Mode shortcut sync and GE-Proton fallback.

Compare Linux packages Configure Steam Deck sync
1,766 Catalog entries (32 origins)
281,568 GitHub release downloads
Win · Linux · Mac v0.90.0-beta.47 GPL-3.0
AppImage vs DEB vs ArchGaming Mode shortcuts.vdfumu-run & GE-ProtonFlatpak sandbox notes
Valve Steam Deck handheld running KDE Plasma Linux desktop mode with file manager taskbar
Steam Deck Desktop Mode runs the portable x86_64 AppImage and syncs installed recomps directly into Steam Gaming Mode.

Three native x86_64 Linux package formats

Release v0.90.0-beta.47 ships dedicated artifacts for immutable handheld OSes, Debian/Ubuntu desktops, and Arch-based rolling distributions.

SteamOS & Universal AppImage

File: RecompLauncher_0.90.0-beta.47_amd64.AppImage (87.8 MiB)

chmod +x RecompLauncher_0.90.0-beta.47_amd64.AppImage
./RecompLauncher_0.90.0-beta.47_amd64.AppImage

Recommended for Steam Deck Desktop Mode, Bazzite, ChimeraOS, and Fedora. Survives SteamOS system updates because it lives inside your home folder.

Debian, Ubuntu & Mint (.deb)

File: RecompLauncher_0.90.0-beta.47_amd64.deb (13.2 MiB)

sudo apt install ./RecompLauncher_0.90.0-beta.47_amd64.deb

Links system GTK 3 and libwebkit2gtk-4.1-0, installs /usr/bin/recomplauncher, and registers the recomplauncher:// URI protocol.

Arch, CachyOS & EndeavourOS

File: recomplauncher-0.90.0beta.47-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst (12.9 MiB)

sudo pacman -U recomplauncher-0.90.0beta.47-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst

Added in PR #150. Built from source via makepkg with system webkit2gtk-4.1 and statically linked SDL3 controller support.

Steam Deck Gaming Mode & shortcuts.vdf sync

Verified from src-tauri/src/steam_sync.rs: RecompLauncher writes directly to your Steam user configuration without requiring third-party BoilR or Steam ROM Manager scripts.

Step-by-step Steam Deck setup

  • Press STEAM > Power > Switch to Desktop on your Steam Deck and download the amd64.AppImage from the Download page.
  • Move the AppImage to a permanent path such as ~/Applications/RecompLauncher.AppImage and mark it executable in Dolphin (Properties > Permissions > Is Executable) or Konsole.
  • Launch RecompLauncher, set up your first recomp in ~/Games/Recomp Library, and open Settings > Steam.
  • Enable Keep Steam in Sync (or use Add to Steam on individual titles), then exit Desktop Steam completely so the 120-second sync check or Sync Now writes shortcuts.vdf cleanly.
  • Return to Gaming Mode: every synced title appears inside the RecompLauncher collection with grid artwork and launches directly via --play <id>, alongside a dedicated Big Picture launcher tile (--bigpicture).

Controller & handheld polish

  • Static SDL3 input: Steam Deck controls (sticks, triggers, D-pad, ABXY) work immediately across Discover, Set Up folder browsers, and Big Picture without custom controller templates.
  • Clean removal: Added in 0.90 Beta 45 (`#158` / `#162`), Settings includes a one-click action to remove every shortcut RecompLauncher added to Steam if you reorganize your library.
  • Headless Wayland & Gamescope: Beta 46 falls back cleanly through XWayland when launched inside Gamescope or headless Wayland sessions.

Windows recomps on Linux via GE-Proton

Out of 1,766 catalog projects, 731 compile natively for Linux x86_64. For the remaining Windows-only static recomps (such as several Direct3D 12 Xbox 360 and PS4 translations), RecompLauncher's proton.rs layer bridges the gap automatically.

  • Runner priority: Checks umu-run + GE-Proton first, auto-downloading GE-Proton into Steam's compatibilitytools.d directory if needed, with fallback to Steam Proton or system Wine.
  • Shared prefix path: ~/.local/share/com.recomplauncher.app/proton/pfx keeps DirectX/VC++ runtime overhead in one place rather than duplicating gigabytes per game.
  • Repair Runtime: If a Steam Runtime download is interrupted on handheld Wi-Fi, open Settings > Repair Runtime before relaunching the game.
  • Discover filter notice: If you turn Proton support off in Settings, Discover explicitly notes when Windows-only recomps are hidden (`#148`).
Sapphire AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX triple-fan PCIe desktop graphics card
Static recompilations execute native x86_64 and ARM64 CPU code directly against Vulkan, Direct3D 12, or Metal GPU drivers.

Flatpak sandbox behavior & building from source

From upstream docs/FLATPAK.md and docs/BUILDING.md: what Linux packagers and sandbox users should expect.

Flatpak permissions & AppImage unpacking

The com.recomplauncher.RecompLauncher manifest grants read/write access to ~/Games, /run/media, /media, and /mnt (covering Steam Deck microSD cards). Because Flatpak blocks FUSE inside the sandbox, RecompLauncher automatically unpacks single-file AppImage recomps into an executable AppRun tree during installation. Launcher XDG data lives under ~/.var/app/com.recomplauncher.RecompLauncher/.

Compiling from source on Linux

Building from the GPL-3.0 source zip requires Rust stable, CMake, pkg-config, GTK 3, and WebKitGTK 4.1 (no Node.js dependency):

# Debian / Ubuntu build dependencies
sudo apt install build-essential cmake pkg-config \
  libgtk-3-dev libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libayatana-appindicator3-dev
cargo install tauri-cli --version "^2"
cargo tauri build

Verified gamepads for Big Picture

RecompLauncher compiles SDL3 gamepad support directly into the binary so controllers drive menus, folder browsers, and per-game bindings without external mapper tools. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Steam Deck & Linux FAQ

How do I add RecompLauncher games to Steam Deck Gaming Mode?

Open Settings in RecompLauncher and enable Keep Steam in Sync (or click Add to Steam on a single game). Close Steam so RecompLauncher can safely update shortcuts.vdf; it creates a RecompLauncher collection with per-game --play <id> launch entries plus a Big Picture launcher entry.

Why won't the AppImage open on Ubuntu 24.04?

Ubuntu 22.04+ omits libfuse2 by default, which AppImage mounts require. Either install libfuse2t64 (sudo apt install libfuse2t64) or install the native Debian/Ubuntu .deb package instead, which uses system WebKitGTK 4.1 directly without FUSE.

Where does RecompLauncher store Linux Proton prefixes?

All Windows-only recomps share a managed prefix under ~/.local/share/com.recomplauncher.app/proton/pfx, launched via umu-run, auto-downloaded GE-Proton (in compatibilitytools.d), Steam Proton, or system Wine.

What is different when running RecompLauncher inside Flatpak?

Inside the com.recomplauncher.RecompLauncher Flatpak sandbox, FUSE is unavailable so single-file AppImage games are unpacked into AppRun at install time, and XDG folders map to ~/.var/app/com.recomplauncher.RecompLauncher/ while ~/Games/Recomp Library remains directly writable.