magus.sh — Steam Deck setup

stage_01 2 cmds

Setup

Sudo, dependencies, and Decky foundations.

Set a sudo password

Required for `sudo`. SteamOS ships without one — set it before anything else.

Install Dependencies

Installs nvm and Node.js 22 to ~/. Required for the magus TUI — safe on SteamOS's immutable file system.

rm -rf ~/.nvm && sed -i '/NVM_DIR/d' ~/.bashrc ~/.bash_profile ~/.zshrc 2>/dev/null || true

stage_02 13 cmds

Apps & Tools

Browsers, launchers, media, and desktop tools.

System & Hygiene

Distrobox

User-space Linux containers for development tools without unlocking SteamOS.

curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/89luca89/distrobox/main/uninstall | sh -s -- --prefix "$HOME/.local"

Flatseal

Flatpak permissions GUI.

flatpak uninstall -y com.github.tchx84.Flatseal

Warehouse

Flatpak management GUI. Mass-uninstall, audit user data, snapshot installs.

flatpak uninstall -y io.github.flattool.Warehouse

Mission Center

Pretty, native system monitor. CPU, GPU, RAM, drives, processes.

flatpak uninstall -y io.missioncenter.MissionCenter

Protontricks

Winetricks-style helper for changing individual Steam Proton prefixes.

flatpak uninstall -y com.github.Matoking.protontricks

Capture & Chat

OBS Studio

Streaming and recording.

flatpak uninstall -y com.obsproject.Studio

Discover Overlay

A Discord voice + chat overlay that actually works in Steam games.

flatpak uninstall -y io.github.trigg.discover_overlay

Daily Drivers

Brave

Chromium browser with ad/tracker blocking.

flatpak uninstall -y com.brave.Browser

Firefox

Mozilla browser.

flatpak uninstall -y org.mozilla.firefox

Bitwarden

Open-source password vault.

flatpak uninstall -y com.bitwarden.desktop

Spotify

Music. Add as non-Steam game for Game Mode.

flatpak uninstall -y com.spotify.Client

Vesktop

Lightweight Discord with Vencord baked in. Better screen-share on Linux.

flatpak uninstall -y dev.vencord.Vesktop

VLC

Plays anything you throw at it. The forever-default.

flatpak uninstall -y org.videolan.VLC

stage_03 8 cmds

Optimise

Performance, battery, and Plasma comfort.

Install CryoUtilities

Swap, swappiness, huge pages — one tool. Click "Recommended" after install.

rm -rf ~/.local/share/cryo_utilities ~/Desktop/CryoUtilities.desktop

Force touch mode

Switches Plasma to its touch-friendly layout. Use `auto` to let it decide.

kwriteconfig5 --file kwinrc --group Input --key TabletMode auto
qdbus org.kde.KWin /KWin reconfigure

Larger cursor for touch

Bumps cursor size to 32 px. Easier to track with thumbs in desktop mode.

kwriteconfig5 --file kcminputrc --group Mouse --key cursorSize 24
qdbus org.kde.KWin /KWin reconfigure

Double-click to open

Switches off KDE's single-click activation. The behaviour everyone else uses.

kwriteconfig5 --file kdeglobals --group KDE --key SingleClick true
qdbus org.kde.KWin /KWin reconfigure

Disable Baloo (file indexer)

KDE's file indexer can pin CPU for hours after a fresh install. Disabling reclaims desktop-mode battery and quiets the fans.

balooctl enable
kwriteconfig5 --file baloofilerc --group "Basic Settings" --key "Indexing-Enabled" true

Persistent Wi-Fi power save

Lower background drain by letting the radio idle between frames. Sticks in desktop mode; Game Mode is known to re-enable management after sleep/wake.

sudo rm -f /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/wifi-powersave.conf
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

Btrfs /home conversion

Convert /home to Btrfs for transparent compression. Big storage wins on 64 GB Decks. Survives system updates.

Nested Desktop in Game Mode

A pocketable Plasma session inside Game Mode. Skip the full "Switch to Desktop" dance — pop a 1280×800 KDE window over your library when you just need to tweak something.

rm -f ~/.local/bin/PlasmaNested.sh

stage_04 9 cmds

Customise

Decky plugins, artwork, and interface polish.

/ within customise · sub-area a

Decky Loader plugins

Loader first, plugins after.

8 plugins · 1 loader

00 the loader

Install Decky Loader

The plugin runtime. Same script as Setup — safe to re-run, idempotent.

~/homebrew/services/uninstall.sh

01 recommended plugins

CSS Loader

Custom themes for SteamOS — fonts, colours, layouts. Has its own installer.

rm -rf ~/homebrew/plugins/SDH-CssLoader && sudo systemctl restart plugin_loader.service

SteamGridDB

Replace ugly default artwork on non-Steam shortcuts and EmuDeck entries.

rm -rf ~/homebrew/plugins/SteamGridDB && sudo systemctl restart plugin_loader.service

ProtonDB Badges

Shows the ProtonDB rating next to every game in the library.

rm -rf ~/homebrew/plugins/protondb-badges && sudo systemctl restart plugin_loader.service

HLTB for Deck

How Long to Beat estimates on every game page. Useful for handheld sessions.

rm -rf ~/homebrew/plugins/HLTB-for-Deck && sudo systemctl restart plugin_loader.service

PlayTime

Per-session tracker that covers non-Steam games Steam ignores.

rm -rf ~/homebrew/plugins/Playtime && sudo systemctl restart plugin_loader.service

AutoFlatpaks

Background Flatpak updates without dropping to desktop mode.

rm -rf ~/homebrew/plugins/AutoFlatpaks && sudo systemctl restart plugin_loader.service

Decky AutoSuspend

Battery threshold alerts and automatic suspend for low power situations.

rm -rf ~/homebrew/plugins/decky-autosuspend && sudo systemctl restart plugin_loader.service

SimpleDeckyTDP

Decky plugin for per-game TDP, power governor, CPU boost, and GPU controls.

stage_05 47 cmds

Gaming

Emulators, launchers, streaming, and source ports.

Retro & Emulation

RetroArch

The big-tent emulator frontend. Cores for nearly every retro console.

flatpak uninstall -y org.libretro.RetroArch

PCSX2

PlayStation 2 emulator. Requires your own dumped PS2 BIOS.

flatpak uninstall -y net.pcsx2.PCSX2

RPCS3

PlayStation 3 emulator and debugger. Requires official PS3 firmware.

flatpak uninstall -y net.rpcs3.RPCS3

Steam ROM Manager

Adds ROMs and emulator entries to Steam with artwork and collections.

flatpak uninstall -y com.steamgriddb.steam-rom-manager

shadPS4

Early PlayStation 4 emulator for compatible titles and homebrew.

flatpak uninstall -y net.shadps4.shadPS4

Dolphin Emulator

GameCube and Wii. Buttery-smooth on the Deck.

flatpak uninstall -y org.DolphinEmu.dolphin-emu

PPSSPP

PSP emulator with high resolution rendering and save-state support.

flatpak uninstall -y org.ppsspp.PPSSPP

bsnes

Accurate SNES emulator with HD Mode 7 and strong shader support.

flatpak uninstall -y dev.bsnes.bsnes

DeSmuME

Nintendo DS emulator with a long compatibility history.

flatpak uninstall -y org.desmume.DeSmuME

melonDS

Nintendo DS emulator with local multiplayer and accuracy-focused emulation.

flatpak uninstall -y net.kuribo64.melonDS

DuckStation

PS1 emulator. Per-game compatibility, sharp upscaling. Installed as an AppImage — no longer on Flathub.

rm -f ~/Applications/DuckStation.AppImage

Cemu

Wii U emulator with broad compatibility and graphics pack support.

flatpak uninstall -y info.cemu.Cemu

xemu

Original Xbox emulator with local controller and resolution scaling support.

flatpak uninstall -y app.xemu.xemu

MAME

Arcade and computer preservation emulator for MAME ROM sets.

flatpak uninstall -y org.mamedev.MAME

Flycast

Dreamcast, Naomi, and Atomiswave emulator.

flatpak uninstall -y org.flycast.Flycast

EmuDeck

One-shot installer that sets up a curated emulator stack with sane defaults.

RetroDeck

Every major emulator in a single flatpak. A drop-in EmuDeck alternative.

flatpak uninstall -y net.retrodeck.retrodeck

Mega Bezel

HSM's reflection shader for RetroArch — CRT scanlines, glass reflections, and bezel art. Foundation for the Duimon preset pack below.

rm -rf ~/.var/app/org.libretro.RetroArch/config/retroarch/shaders/shaders_slang/bezel/Mega_Bezel

Duimon Mega Bezel Shaders

CRT shader presets with reflections and bezels for RetroArch. Requires RetroArch and the Mega Bezel shader pack installed first.

rm -rf ~/.var/app/org.libretro.RetroArch/config/retroarch/shaders/Mega_Bezel_Packs/Duimon-Mega-Bezel

Tools & Overlays

BoilR

Finds games from other launchers and adds them to Steam with SteamGridDB art.

flatpak uninstall -y io.github.philipk.boilr

GOverlay

GUI for MangoHud — FPS, frametime, sensors. Skip the config file edit.

flatpak uninstall -y io.github.benjamimgois.goverlay

Ludusavi

Save game backup. Pair with cloud sync for resilience.

flatpak uninstall -y com.github.mtkennerly.ludusavi

Syncthing GTK

Desktop GUI for Syncthing continuous file sync between devices.

flatpak uninstall -y me.kozec.syncthingtk

Shortix

Human-readable symlinks for Proton prefixes and shader cache folders.

systemctl --user disable --now shortix.service; rm -rf /home/deck/Shortix /home/deck/.config/systemd/user/shortix.service; systemctl --user daemon-reload

Shader Cache Killer

Steam Deck script for clearing or moving shader cache and compatdata.

rm -rf /home/deck/.local/share/scawp/SDSCK

Launchers & Compat

ProtonUp-Qt

Proton-GE, Wine-GE, Luxtorpeda installer.

flatpak uninstall -y net.davidotek.pupgui2

Wine Cellar

Manage Proton-GE and Wine-GE from Game Mode. Decky alternative to ProtonUp-Qt.

rm -rf ~/homebrew/plugins/decky-wine-cellar && sudo systemctl restart plugin_loader.service

Bottles

Run Windows apps in pre-tuned wine bottles.

flatpak uninstall -y com.usebottles.bottles

Cartridges

One library that reads from Steam, Heroic, Lutris, emulators.

flatpak uninstall -y page.kramo.Cartridges

Heroic Games Launcher

Epic, GOG, Amazon Prime in one launcher.

flatpak uninstall -y com.heroicgameslauncher.hgl

Lutris

Wine, emulators, Battle.net, Origin, Ubisoft Connect.

flatpak uninstall -y net.lutris.Lutris

Waydroid (Android container)

Run Android apps and games inside a Wayland container. Useful for the handful of titles that never came to PC — gacha launchers, mobile-only ports, that one casual game your friends still play.

cd ~/SteamOS-Waydroid-Installer && ./uninstall-waydroid.sh
rm -rf ~/SteamOS-Waydroid-Installer

NonSteamLaunchers

Installs popular Windows launchers and adds them to Steam automatically.

Minigalaxy

Lightweight client for downloading and playing GOG Linux games.

flatpak uninstall -y io.github.sharkwouter.Minigalaxy

Prism Launcher

Minecraft launcher with modpack and instance management.

flatpak uninstall -y org.prismlauncher.PrismLauncher

itch

Client for itch.io indie games, jams, tools, and prototypes.

flatpak uninstall -y io.itch.itch

Streaming & Remote Play

GeForce Now

Cloud-stream your Steam, Epic, and Ubisoft library. RTX 4080 tier on a handheld.

flatpak uninstall -y io.github.hmlendea.geforcenow-electron

PS Remote Play

Stream PS4 / PS5 over LAN or internet. Chiaki4deck — controller-mapped for Steam Deck.

flatpak uninstall -y io.github.streetpea.Chiaki4deck

Moonlight

Stream games from a GPU-equipped PC to your Deck. Open-source NVIDIA GameStream client.

flatpak uninstall -y com.moonlight_stream.Moonlight

Sunshine

Self-hosted GameStream server. The Deck-side counterpart to Moonlight.

flatpak uninstall -y dev.lizardbyte.app.Sunshine

LocalSend

Share files with nearby devices over your local network, no cloud account needed.

flatpak uninstall -y org.localsend.localsend_app

Steam Link

Stream games from another computer running Steam on your local network.

flatpak uninstall -y com.valvesoftware.SteamLink

Greenlight

Open-source Xbox Cloud and Xbox home streaming client.

flatpak uninstall -y io.github.unknownskl.greenlight

Parsec

Low-latency remote desktop and co-op streaming client.

flatpak uninstall -y com.parsecgaming.parsec

Source Ports

GZDoom

Modern source port of Doom, Doom II, Heretic, Hexen, Strife. Point it at your WADs and play.

flatpak uninstall -y org.zdoom.GZDoom

OpenMW

Open-source Morrowind engine. Modern resolution, longer view distance, better mod support than the original.

flatpak uninstall -y org.openmw.OpenMW

DevilutionX

Diablo 1 + Hellfire, rebuilt. Widescreen, controller support, bug fixes, no DRM scaffolding.

flatpak uninstall -y org.diasurgical.DevilutionX

/ future spells

Still being conjured.

6 drafts

planned

Lossless Scaling

Frame interpolation, wired through Decky.
planned

CSS Loader themes

Restyle SteamOS with community-made themes.
planned

Save sync & rescue

Cloud-sync safety net for native Linux saves.
draft

Productivity & dev

Browsers, editors, terminals worth keeping around.
research

Steam Machine mode

Run SteamOS as a console UI on non-Deck hardware.
research

Terminal picker

Pick commands without ever opening a browser.

0 selected

Still being conjured.

Lossless Scaling

CSS Loader themes

Save sync & rescue

Productivity & dev

Steam Machine mode

Terminal picker