Polaris v1.3.8

Polaris v1.3.8 turns the private Linux stream path into a safer daily driver: true-headless GPU-native capture, session-only launch choices, exact PIDFD process ownership, an evidence-gated Doctor, bounded diagnostics, and a rebuilt Mission Control.

Important: upgrading from v1.3.7

Nothing extra is required beyond the usual package, --setup-host, and restart sequence. Existing configuration remains valid.

This release is especially relevant if you use the private headless compositor, launch from Nova with per-game mode choices, rely on detached commands, or need diagnostics that cannot grow without bound.

Fedora 44

wget --output-document=./Polaris-fedora44-x86_64.rpm https://github.com/papi-ux/polaris/releases/download/v1.3.8/Polaris-fedora44-x86_64.rpm &&
sudo dnf install "./Polaris-fedora44-x86_64.rpm" &&
sudo -H polaris --setup-host &&
systemctl --user restart polaris

Arch Linux / CachyOS

wget --output-document=./Polaris-arch-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst https://github.com/papi-ux/polaris/releases/download/v1.3.8/Polaris-arch-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst &&
sudo pacman -U ./Polaris-arch-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst &&
sudo -H polaris --setup-host &&
systemctl --user restart polaris

Ubuntu 24.04

wget --output-document=./Polaris-ubuntu24.04-x86_64.deb https://github.com/papi-ux/polaris/releases/download/v1.3.8/Polaris-ubuntu24.04-x86_64.deb &&
sudo apt install ./Polaris-ubuntu24.04-x86_64.deb &&
sudo -H polaris --setup-host &&
systemctl --user restart polaris

Bazzite users should follow the exact-output rpm-ostree flow in the Bazzite guide. SteamOS 3.8 uses an exact output target and a read-only restoration trap; follow the SteamOS guide. SteamOS remains an experimental Desktop Mode package rather than certified Game Mode support.

Changes

Private streaming and launch intent

• Enables a true-headless Vulkan/ext-image-copy path and preserves its initialization frame, allowing supported NVIDIA/NVENC hosts to stream a real HEADLESS-1 session without a visible-window fallback.
• Accepts a validated per-launch streamMode override. It applies to that session only, re-evaluates capture sources at the boundary, and restores the unchanged host default after teardown. Matching client support is versioned separately in Nova v1.3.6; it is not embedded in the Polaris repository.
• Reports display-mode fallback explicitly and keeps mode-aware optimization recommendations tied to the resolved stream path.
• Hardens single- and multi-GPU render-node selection, VAAPI-safe device choice, virtual-display routing, resume refresh restoration, HDR/YUV444 capability probes, and launch/resume error responses.

Lifecycle safety

• Retains exact PIDFD identity for detached-only workloads before detaching and signals/reaps only the captured session generation.
• Fails closed when attribution is incomplete and prevents a replacement launch from inheriting ambiguous ownership.
• Stops an owned private compositor even when wider generation evidence must remain retained.
• Makes portal request subscription, cancellation, restore-token handling, media-start fencing, and disconnect teardown session-aware and bounded.
• Recaptures demonstrably transient /proc identity and environment races to bounded quiescence while preserving fail-closed behavior for persistent or ambiguous failures.

Doctor and diagnostics

• Makes Doctor require current evidence before reducing quality. Polaris exposes actions to recheck the network, lower bitrate by one guarded step, restore a clean history-capped profile gradually, verify against live telemetry, and offer Undo through the web console. Matching Nova client controls are versioned and released independently.
• Caps runtime logs at an 8 MiB active file plus one 8 MiB backup, bounds asynchronous queues, preserves record creation timestamps, and rejects oversized records.
• Adds an authenticated binary-safe tail API and a bounded 256 KiB / 2,000-line browser view whose cursor/generation and truncation state remain truthful across clear, rotation, gaps, and empty polls.

Benchmark and web console

• Adds authenticated benchmark-run create/start/stop/get/delete controls with bounded T0-T2 host-stage evidence and explicit session-generation/population guards.
• Rebuilds Mission Control around one status hero, one live strip, the Doctor, a safer preview, and five Nova-aligned themes.

Field proof

• The exact source commit tagged as v1.3.8 passed the bounded Retroid Pocket 6 release smoke with true-headless HEADLESS-1 capture, changing frames, session-only stream mode, durable Doctor apply/verify/Undo, exact-generation teardown, and clean restoration.
• The reporter’s AMD/VAAPI 4K60 scenario still needs a current v1.3.8 retest; the post-v1.3.7 GPU-selection and capture-path fixes are included, but that external scenario is not claimed proven yet.
• Host Virtual Display source/output routing is included but still needs its queued end-to-end device confirmation.

Official assets

• Polaris-arch-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst
• Polaris-fedora44-x86_64.rpm
• Polaris-steamos3.8-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst
• Polaris-ubuntu24.04-x86_64.deb