Linux X11: Sunshine streams TTY only

[bczhc]

Hello. I have a gaming laptop with Intel and Nvidia video cards. Currently I'm using an external monitor connected via HDMI, and this uses the NVIDIA card wholly (X11 config was generated by nvidia-xconfig). When connecting to the sunshine server, it only shows the tty from the laptop's integrated monitor.

I have no idea how to let Sunshine stream content from the external monitor. Does Sunshine really need va-api? Seems the proprietary NVIDIA driver has no support for va-api, just nvenc/nvdec?

~ ❯ vainfo --display drm --device /dev/dri/renderD129                                 20:33:36
Trying display: drm
[1]    6221 segmentation fault (core dumped)  vainfo --display drm --device /dev/dri/renderD129

~ ❯ LIBVA_DRIVER_NAME=nvidia vainfo --display drm --device /dev/dri/renderD129 ✘ SEGV 20:33:42
Trying display: drm
[1]    6315 segmentation fault (core dumped)  LIBVA_DRIVER_NAME=nvidia vainfo --display drm --device /dev/dri/renderD129

With renderD129 specified, Sunshine encounters errors:

Log

~ ❯ sunshine                                                                          20:37:53
[output_name] -- [1]
[adapter_name] -- [/dev/dri/renderD129]
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: Sunshine version: 0.23.0
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: System tray created
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Error: Failed to create session: This hardware does not support NvFBC
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm

(sunshine:7303): Gdk-CRITICAL **: 20:37:55.607: gdk_window_thaw_toplevel_updates: assertion 'window->update_and_descendants_freeze_count > 0' failed
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Error: Environment variable WAYLAND_DISPLAY has not been defined
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: Detecting monitors
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: Detected monitor 0: DP-0, connected: false
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: Detected monitor 1: DP-1, connected: false
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: Detected monitor 2: HDMI-0, connected: true
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: Detected monitor 3: DP-2, connected: false
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: Detected monitor 4: DP-3, connected: false
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: // Testing for available encoders, this may generate errors. You can safely ignore those errors. //
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: Trying encoder [nvenc]
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:37:55]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: Encoder [nvenc] failed
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: Trying encoder [vaapi]
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: Encoder [vaapi] failed
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: Trying encoder [software]
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: Encoder [software] failed
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Fatal: Unable to find display or encoder during startup.
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Fatal: Please ensure your manually chosen GPU and monitor are connected and powered on.
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Error: Video failed to find working encoder
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Error: Failed to create client: Daemon not running
[2024:04:22:20:37:56]: Info: Configuration UI available at [https://localhost:47990]
[2024:04:22:20:38:13]: Info: // Testing for available encoders, this may generate errors. You can safely ignore those errors. //
[2024:04:22:20:38:13]: Info: Trying encoder [nvenc]
[2024:04:22:20:38:13]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:38:13]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:38:13]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:38:13]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:38:13]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:38:13]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:38:13]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: Encoder [nvenc] failed
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: Trying encoder [vaapi]
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: Encoder [vaapi] failed
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: Trying encoder [software]
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: Screencasting with KMS
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card1 -> i915
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Info: /dev/dri/card0 -> nvidia-drm
[2024:04:22:20:38:14]: Error: Couldn't find monitor [1]
[2024:04:22:20:38:15]: Info: Encoder [software] failed
[2024:04:22:20:38:15]: Fatal: Unable to find display or encoder during startup.
[2024:04:22:20:38:15]: Fatal: Please ensure your manually chosen GPU and monitor are connected and powered on.

OS: Arch rolling; kernel 6.8.7
NVIDIA driver: 550.76
CUDA: 12.4

Thanks!

[LiamGallagher737]

Did you manage to solve this?

[bczhc]

Nope yet :(

[pjreed]

For what it's worth, I'm having this same issue. Using Pop!_OS 22.04 on a laptop with a hybrid Intel / Nvidia RTX 3060, driver version 550.90.07, and when I run sunshine and connect to it with a moonlight client, I just get a video of a text console. I've fiddled with a bunch of different options and configurations, but nothing is working.

[ReenigneArcher]

I think you need to set your DISPLAY environment variable. See here: https://docs.lizardbyte.dev/projects/sunshine/en/master/md_docs_2guides.html#stream-launcher-script

[agamkohli9]

I am having the same issue. Has a solution been found?

[ReenigneArcher]

Did you set your DISPLAY environment variable before starting Sunshine?

[Martinius]

I had the same problem. I was able to solve it by forcing the capture mode to X11 in the advanced config section. https://localhost:47990/config/#capture

I am running on Nixos 24.05 and X11+i3 on an Nvidia GPU. Hope this helps.

[bczhc]

This does work! ..Even without bothering with Adapter Name and Monitor Number at all (leaving them all the wrong values is okay). Just don't know the drawbacks using this method. Thanks for the solution.

[Martinius]

This issue may be related: NixOS/nixpkgs#305891

[bczhc]

For unknown reason I'm even unable to reproduce the original issue (showing the tty screen) anymore (Moonlight just says 503), no matter how I tweak the settings... Don't know why. But forcing X11 capturing mode is a good workaround (may be considered as a "workaround"?).

When I disconnect the external monitor and delete /etc/X11/xorg.conf generated by nvidia-xconfig, the graphics will be displayed using Intel GPU, and in such case with the default settings Sunshine works fine.