Opinionated. Still yours.
A considered starting point for apps and desktop preferences. Choose what fits the way you use your device.
ALPHA Now for Steam devices Your device.
Your device.
Your kind of magic.
A thoughtful setup for your Steam device or Mac. The apps you want. The little details, handled. All in one open-source tool.
Free & open source · No telemetry
magus — SteamOSPreview
magus run
magus_
A setup that feels like yours.
YOUR DEVICE
✓ Steam Deck / SteamOS
CHOOSE YOUR SETUP
›Apps & toolsMake room for your favourites.select
○ Desktop preferences
○ Gaming essentials
↑ ↓ navigateenter selectq quit
Your choices. Your device.No telemetry
Available in alpha
Steam devices
Steam Deck & Steam Machine
From handheld to living room. A guided setup for your SteamOS device.
Coming soon
Linux
A foundation of Flatpaks
A considered collection of apps, with a Flatpak-focused setup for Linux.
Available in alpha
Mac
Apps, settings & portable setups
A native terminal flow for Homebrew apps, reversible preferences, Ghostty, Zed, Firefox, Zsh and Raycast.
LESS SETUP. MORE POSSIBILITY.
A few steps. A fresh start.
From the first install to the next system update, your setup has a home.
~/magusIllustrative preview
$ curl -fsSL https://magus.sh/install | sh
- Download the release for your architecture.
- Check the installer reports a verified checksum.
- Install into ~/.local/bin.
Installation stops here. Your setup starts when you launch Magus.
$ magus run
- Open the guided terminal setup.
- Choose the options that fit your device.
- Save your choices in a local manifest.
The manifest records your setup so Magus can apply it again.
$ magus doctor
- Check the machine against your saved setup.
- Report changes and steps that need attention.
- Run magus reconcile to apply your setup again.
Doctor reports without changing settings. Repair is a separate command.
HeroicLutrisFlatpakFirefoxOBS StudioBitwarden
A LITTLE MORE CONSIDERED
Your setup. On your terms.
A setup you can read.
Your choices live in a local manifest. The installer and source are open to inspect, from the first command onward.
Built to run again.
Check for drift with doctor, then use reconcile to restore supported parts of your setup after they change.
A FEW THINGS TO KNOW
Before you begin.
Small tool. Clear expectations.
What is Magus?
Magus is an open-source setup tool for SteamOS devices and Mac. It brings selected apps and preferences into a guided terminal flow, with a saved manifest for repeatable setup.
Does the install command change my settings?
It downloads and verifies the Magus binary. On Mac it can open the menu when a terminal is available; settings and apps still change only after you review and apply your choices.
Is Steam Machine support ready?
The Steam Machine path is available in alpha. Hardware detection is still unverified on real Steam Machine hardware. HDMI colour range, HDMI-CEC, and the performance power profile are recorded preferences but are not applied yet.
Can I use it on Linux or Mac?
The Mac alpha includes Homebrew apps, updates, reversible settings and portable app setups. General Linux support is still coming soon; a Linux-compatible binary is not a promise of support for every distribution.
Can I choose individual commands instead?
Yes. The advanced Steam Deck command picker lets you select tools, inspect their commands, and review a generated script. It remains a separate option from the guided terminal setup.
Is there a desktop app?
A desktop interface is being explored. It is not part of this release; the terminal tool is the main setup experience.
Make yourself at home.
Your next setup starts with Magus.
Get started with MagusSteam devices and Mac in alpha. General Linux support on the way.