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Sunshine runs on your gaming PC and sends the video; Moonlight runs on your Linux device and receives it. Install Sunshine on the host, install Moonlight on the client, pair them with the PIN shown by Moonlight, then launch a game or desktop session. Get the local-network connection working first. Internet streaming is a separate networking project that may require router or VPN-style configuration.
What Sunshine and Moonlight do
Sunshine is the self-hosted game-stream host for Moonlight. It captures the host PC, encodes the frames and audio, and accepts input from the client. Moonlight is the client application: it displays the stream on Linux and sends controller, keyboard and mouse input back to Sunshine. Keeping those roles separate makes troubleshooting easier: Sunshine problems are on the gaming PC, while decode, display and local-network problems are usually on the Linux device or the path between them.
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The project documentation describes Sunshine as “a self-hosted game stream host for Moonlight.” See the Sunshine overview and compatibility documentation for the current project description and support notes.
What you need before installing
- A gaming PC that can run the game and Sunshine. Moonlight says most PCs made since around 2010 should work, while older systems may struggle to stream at 60 frames per second; that is project guidance, not a performance guarantee.
- A Linux computer, handheld or other device that can install the Moonlight PC client and decode the selected video format. Hardware H.264 decoding is an important consideration when choosing a low-power client.
- Both devices on the same home network for initial discovery and pairing.
- A strong client Wi-Fi connection, preferably 5 GHz Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) or Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and a wired connection from the gaming PC to the router where practical. These are Moonlight recommendations, not a guarantee that a particular router or cable will cure every problem.
- A browser on the host to create and manage Sunshine’s web-interface account.
Do not buy hardware before checking your existing network. First determine whether the host is already wired, whether the Linux client has a strong signal, and whether both devices are actually connected to the intended LAN rather than an isolated guest network.
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Install Sunshine on the gaming PC
Use the package that matches the host distribution. The Sunshine getting-started guide documents Debian and Ubuntu repositories and downloaded DEB packages, Fedora and openSUSE repositories, plus Flatpak, AppImage, Arch, Alpine and other installation paths. Follow the current instructions for your distribution rather than copying a repository command intended for another release.
Debian or Ubuntu
- Open the Debian/Ubuntu section of the getting-started guide.
- Choose the stable repository for a normal release, or the beta repository only when you deliberately want prerelease software.
- Install the
sunshinepackage with your distribution’s package manager. If you downloaded a DEB instead, install that package with the normal local-package workflow and resolve any dependency message before continuing.
A distribution package is preferable to Flatpak or AppImage when you need KMS capture, because the documented Flatpak and AppImage builds do not support KMS capture.
Fedora, openSUSE, Arch, Alpine and other distributions
Use the matching section of the LizardByte guide. Fedora and openSUSE instructions use documented Cloudsmith repositories and the distributions’ package managers; Arch, Alpine, Flatpak and AppImage have separate instructions. Do not substitute a package from a different distribution simply because the file extension looks familiar.
When Flatpak or AppImage is the only practical choice
Flatpak and AppImage are convenient, but neither provides KMS capture according to the Linux installation documentation. Flatpak also requires an additional post-install script that synchronizes privileged host udev rules. Run that script after every installation or update as directed by the Flathub Sunshine listing and the Sunshine guide, and fix any reported error before starting the host. A Flatpak installation can also trigger a browser warning because Sunshine’s web interface uses a self-signed certificate; that warning is expected for the local interface, but you should still confirm that the address is the one opened by your own Sunshine installation.
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NVIDIA and CUDA builds
CUDA support is a build-time option. If you use a locally built or third-party Sunshine package for an NVIDIA GPU, CUDA must have been selected when that package was compiled; installing CUDA afterward does not add support to an already-built binary. The prebuilt Arch package documented by LizardByte is specifically built with CUDA support. That statement applies to that package, not automatically to every package carrying the Sunshine name.
Start Sunshine and secure the host
- Launch Sunshine from the application menu or the service mechanism provided by your package.
- Open the Sunshine web interface in a browser on the gaming PC. Use the local address displayed by Sunshine or by your distribution’s launcher rather than guessing an address from an unrelated guide.
- On first launch, create the web-interface account. Use a unique, strong password and do not reuse your Linux or gaming-account password.
- Keep the interface restricted to people you trust. The Moonlight setup guide warns that anyone who can access this interface can add clients and obtain remote access to the computer.
The browser may warn that the certificate is self-signed. Sunshine’s Linux documentation and the Flathub listing both describe this behavior. Confirm that you are connecting to your own host on your local network before proceeding, and never dismiss certificate warnings for an unfamiliar remote address.
Install Moonlight on Linux
Moonlight lists Linux as a supported PC-client platform. Install the Linux build using the package format maintained by your distribution or the current package offered through the Moonlight Setup Guide. Keep Moonlight on the Linux device and Sunshine on the gaming PC; installing both on one machine does not create a stream.
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How do I pair Moonlight with Sunshine?
- Open Moonlight on Linux. Wait for the gaming PC to appear in the host list. Discovery normally happens automatically on the local network.
- If the host does not appear, choose Moonlight’s option to add a computer manually and enter the gaming PC’s local IP address. Check the host’s network settings rather than guessing an address.
- Select the Sunshine host in Moonlight. The client displays a pairing PIN.
- Switch to Sunshine’s web interface on the gaming PC and open its PIN-pairing page.
- Enter the PIN shown by Moonlight and submit it. Approve the pairing only when you recognize the client.
- Return to Moonlight and open the host. Select a listed application to test the stream.
Sunshine includes Steam and a Remote Desktop entry by default. Add other games or programs through the applications section of its web interface. A first test with the desktop or a lightweight game helps separate pairing and capture issues from a demanding game’s performance.
Run your first game stream
- From Moonlight’s host screen, select Steam, Remote Desktop or another application you added in Sunshine.
- Wait for the stream to open, then confirm that video and audio arrive at the Linux client.
- Move the mouse, press a key and test each controller. Input travels back to the host, so a game that displays correctly can still have an input-permission problem.
- Exit through the streamed application’s normal controls or Moonlight’s stop-stream command. The game may remain running on the host if its own settings or Sunshine’s application definition leave it open.
If the desktop works but a particular game does not, inspect that game’s entry in Sunshine rather than repeating the pairing process. If no application opens, check Sunshine’s Troubleshooting tab and logs for warnings and errors.
What network connection do you need?
Recommended local arrangement
| Link | Practical recommendation | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming PC to router | Ethernet where practical | A wired host avoids a second variable—host-side Wi-Fi interference—while the PC is capturing and encoding. |
| Linux client to router | Strong 5 GHz Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) or Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), or Ethernet | The client must receive a continuous video stream and return input with low interruption. |
| Router | Mid- to high-end wireless router, if the current unit cannot provide a strong client signal | Moonlight describes this as a recommendation, not a guarantee for every home. |
A Cat 6 Ethernet cable is a reasonable way to connect the host when the router is nearby, but check whether a suitable cable is already installed. A Wi-Fi 6 router is relevant only when the existing wireless network is the limiting factor; replacing a working router will not fix a capture or permissions error.
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- Confirm that both devices are on the same network name and not separated by guest-network isolation.
- Check whether the host is wired or using a congested wireless band.
- Move the Linux client closer to the access point and test again before changing software.
- Close large downloads, backups or other traffic that competes with the stream.
- If discovery fails, use the host’s local IP in Moonlight. If manual addition also fails, investigate firewall or network isolation rather than buying a faster cable.
Set up streaming over the internet only after local streaming works
Moonlight’s guide describes automatic setup and alternative networking methods, but remote streaming is not a simple default toggle. Pair and test while both devices are at home first. For an internet connection, the host network may need router port forwarding, firewall changes or a VPN-style network tool, depending on the method you choose.
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Expose as little as possible. Keep Sunshine’s configuration interface protected, use a strong account password, and do not publish the web UI directly to the public internet. A remote connection that cannot be explained or secured is not worth enabling merely to avoid local-network troubleshooting.
Capture backends and Linux display sessions
Current Sunshine documentation lists Linux support for KMS capture, X11 and Wayland, with differences by encoder and capture backend. The compatibility table is marked as a work in progress, so treat it as a guide to supported combinations rather than a definitive hardware-buying matrix.
Package format can change which capture path is available: the documented Flatpak and AppImage builds do not support KMS capture, while a suitable distribution package can provide that path. Choose the package with the capture method you actually need before diagnosing a missing or black desktop.
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Is HDR supported on Linux?
HDR on Linux is experimental, not a guaranteed result of installing Sunshine and Moonlight. The current Sunshine documentation describes a specific path requiring an Intel or AMD GPU encoder, HEVC Main 10 or AV1 10-bit through VAAPI, KMS capture, and an HDR-capable compositor such as Gamescope or KDE Plasma 6. Every part of that chain matters: a compatible display alone is not enough.
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Moonlight’s Linux HDR guidance adds client-side conditions. The HDR client must be launched directly from the console, and the guide lists an Intel GPU and an HDR10 display among its requirements. HDR streaming is described as beta on supported clients. Verify the exact host GPU, encoder profile, capture backend, compositor, Moonlight build and display combination before buying hardware for HDR; do not assume that a configuration working for SDR will also produce HDR.
Fix common setup failures
| Symptom | Likely area | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Host is missing from Moonlight | Discovery or network isolation | Put both devices on the same LAN, check guest-network isolation, then add the host manually by local IP. |
| PIN is shown but pairing fails | Sunshine interface or account | Open Sunshine’s PIN page, verify the host is the intended computer, submit the current PIN and check the Troubleshooting tab and logs. |
| Browser reports an untrusted certificate | Self-signed local certificate | Confirm the browser address belongs to your own Sunshine host. The documented local self-signed warning is expected; an unfamiliar remote address is not. |
| Desktop is black or capture mode is unavailable | Package or capture backend | Check whether you installed Flatpak or AppImage, which do not support KMS capture, and compare your session with Sunshine’s current Linux compatibility notes. |
| Video works but controller or keyboard input does not | Linux permissions | Follow Sunshine’s instruction to add the user running Sunshine to the input group, restart the relevant session if required, and inspect logs for permission warnings. |
| Flatpak starts with udev-related errors | Required privileged-rule synchronization | Run the post-install synchronization script documented for Sunshine Flatpak after installation or update, then resolve its reported errors before restarting Sunshine. |
| Stream stutters or drops frames | Network quality or client decode | Wire the host to the router, improve the client’s 5 GHz signal, stop competing traffic and confirm that the Linux hardware can decode the selected codec. |
| HDR does not appear | Experimental multi-part HDR path | Check GPU encoder/profile, VAAPI, KMS capture, compositor, Moonlight’s console launch requirement and HDR10 display support together. Do not treat one compatible component as proof of end-to-end HDR. |
How to choose an upgrade or change
When the basic setup works but quality is inconsistent, change one variable at a time. Use the following decision order rather than assuming a more expensive component is the answer.
- Host link: replace host Wi-Fi with a wired router connection if possible.
- Client signal: improve the Linux device’s position or use Ethernet before replacing the router.
- Client decoding: verify hardware H.264 (and any other codec you select) decoding support on the Linux device.
- Sunshine package: select a distribution package when KMS capture is required; use Flatpak or AppImage only with their documented limitations.
- HDR requirements: validate encoder/profile, KMS, compositor, Moonlight launch method and HDR display as one chain.
The official pages do not provide controlled comparisons of particular router models, Ethernet cables, mini-PCs, graphics cards or Linux distributions. No model can therefore be promised to deliver a particular frame rate, latency or HDR result from these instructions alone.
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Security and maintenance checklist
- Keep the Sunshine web-interface account protected with a unique password.
- Approve only Moonlight clients you recognize during PIN pairing.
- Keep the web interface off public exposure when configuring remote access.
- After updating Flatpak Sunshine, repeat the required udev-rule synchronization step.
- Review Sunshine’s Troubleshooting tab and logs whenever a stream fails instead of repeatedly pairing the same client.
- Re-test locally after changing the package, display session, GPU driver or network topology.
Sunshine and Moonlight setup at a glance
| Task | Where it happens | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| Install Sunshine | Gaming PC | Host application and web interface are available. |
| Create account | Sunshine web interface | Configuration access is protected. |
| Install Moonlight | Linux client | Client can discover or add the host. |
| Pair | Moonlight plus Sunshine PIN page | The Linux device is authorized to connect. |
| Launch test | Moonlight host screen | Steam, Remote Desktop or an added game streams locally. |
| Tune network | Router and both devices | Host is wired where possible and client has a strong connection. |
| Attempt remote access | Router or VPN-style network tool | Only after local streaming is stable and the exposed services are secured. |
Sources and version notes
Installation and troubleshooting details come from LizardByte’s Sunshine getting-started guide. Client pairing, network recommendations, remote-networking cautions and Linux HDR client notes are documented in the Moonlight Setup Guide, last edited October 21, 2024. Sunshine’s Linux compatibility and HDR notes are in the version 2026.214.224301 documentation. Flatpak-specific installation information is available from the Flathub Sunshine listing. Package behavior and compatibility can change, so use those pages’ current instructions for your distribution and display stack.
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