build: make the receiver service headless-console ready

The receiver does not need a window manager: SDL3's KMSDRM backend
renders straight to the kernel display pipeline, which is the right
setup for a small-board appliance. But a systemd system service has
no controlling terminal, and SDL's KMSDRM backend expects one for
its VT handling — so the headless path would have failed at boot.
Give the unit StandardInput=tty with TTYPath=/dev/tty1 (harmless in
desktop mode), and document the headless recipe in the unit, the
install script output, and the RUNBOOK: Raspberry Pi OS Lite with
Console Autologin, no desktop enabled (a compositor would hold the
DRM master), and consoleblank=0.
This commit is contained in:
2026-09-07 13:11:02 +02:00
parent 6e68300d05
commit 47905004eb
3 changed files with 38 additions and 5 deletions
+16
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@@ -90,6 +90,22 @@ Verified behavior: `systemctl stop` results in a clean exit (success,
no restart) and the mDNS announcement is withdrawn — senders stop finding
the receiver immediately.
## Headless receiver (no window manager)
The receiver does not need X11, Wayland, or any window manager: SDL3's
KMSDRM backend renders straight to the kernel display pipeline. This is
the recommended setup for small boards (Raspberry Pi OS **Lite**):
1. `sudo raspi-config` → System Options → Boot → **Console Autologin**.
2. No desktop may be enabled — a running compositor holds the DRM master
and the receiver cannot take it (the two modes are mutually exclusive).
3. Disable console blanking: append `consoleblank=0` to
`/boot/firmware/cmdline.txt` and reboot.
A window manager only comes with the desktop-session alternative, where
the receiver runs inside it (uncomment the `Environment=` lines in the
service file as described above).
## Sender / receiver loopback (Phase 5, manual)
Two terminals on the same desktop session:
+8 -4
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@@ -138,13 +138,17 @@ The receiver is installed and starts automatically at boot.
sudo systemctl disable --now screencast-receiver # turn autostart off
Notes for small boards (e.g. Pi Zero 2 W):
- No window manager is required: the receiver renders directly to the
kernel display pipeline (SDL KMSDRM). Use Raspberry Pi OS Lite with
Console Autologin (raspi-config) and no desktop enabled — a running
compositor would own the display and the receiver could not start.
- Disable console blanking so the picture never goes dark: add
consoleblank=0 to /boot/firmware/cmdline.txt and reboot.
- Decoding is software H.264; expect smooth playback for small streams
and a lower frame rate at high resolutions.
- Stop the receiver via systemctl (never kill -9; stale mDNS records
would break discovery for ~75 minutes).
- The service runs on the headless console via KMSDRM. On a desktop
session instead, edit /etc/systemd/system/screencast-receiver.service:
uncomment the Environment lines and point XDG_RUNTIME_DIR at the
session owner's /run/user/<uid> (see the comments in that file).
- On a desktop session instead, edit the installed service file and
uncomment the Environment lines for XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/WAYLAND_DISPLAY.
- avahi-daemon must stay enabled; it is what senders discover.
EOF
+13
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@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ StartLimitBurst=10
Type=simple
User=__SC_RECEIVER_USER__
ExecStart=__SC_RECEIVER_BIN__ --receive
# SDL's KMSDRM backend (headless console) expects a controlling terminal
# for its VT handling; system services have none by default. Harmless in
# desktop mode, where the process never touches the tty.
StandardInput=tty
TTYPath=/dev/tty1
# SIGTERM (systemctl stop) shuts the receiver down gracefully, which
# withdraws its mDNS announcement. Never SIGKILL it; the systemd default
# KillMode escalates only after the graceful timeout.
@@ -44,3 +49,11 @@ PrivateTmp=true
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
# Headless console recipe (no window manager needed — SDL renders directly
# to the kernel via KMSDRM):
# * Raspberry Pi OS Lite, no desktop enabled (a running compositor would
# hold the DRM master and the receiver could not take it)
# * raspi-config → System Options → Boot → Console Autologin
# * disable console blanking: add consoleblank=0 to
# /boot/firmware/cmdline.txt