Steam Link App only showing black screen with Linux Host

[sharu]

Hello everyone,
I noticed that the Steam Link App only shows a black screen while using Steam on my laptop as a client works just fine (both Windows 10 & Fedora 34).
It seems that only the video stream is buggy since both audio and input work. I tried both H264 & H265 HEVC in the app settings, and used both soft- and hardware encoding on the host without any luck.
On the client side i used a Huawei Matepad Pro (Android 10), a Oneplus Nord (Android 11) and a Chromecast with Google TV (Android 9), all having the same issue.
My host PC is running Fedora 35 (Gnome) with Steam Beta enabled.

Is anyone else having the same issues?
Is this related to the bug that was fixed on the Oct. 7th Steam Beta but then withdrawn on the 8th?

Steam Client Beta - October 7
8 Oct @ 1:21am - Taylor Sherman
The Steam Client Beta has been updated with the following changes:

Remote Play

Fixed black screen with PipeWire capture under KDE plasma

Kind regards

[Yoric]

ISSUE
Steam Link App showing a black screen when connecting to a Linux host.

Sound and controller work (I can control the host device with a controller connected to my phone, and hear the resultant noises through my phone).

If I focus a different program (Firefox, for example) on the host computer, I can see my mouse cursor on my phone and move it about. I can't see anything else from my host computer, just the cursor. When Steam is active, though, I cannot even see the cursor.

This is the same using Steam Client Beta or non-beta (same issue occurs either way), hardware encoding on or off from host computer. I cannot change the client hardware decoding option in the Steam Link app on my phone; it is set to Enabled and the option to change it is grayed out.

Host OS
Ubuntu 21.10

Host GPU
AMD RX 6900 XT

Steam Link Device
Google Pixel 3

Steam Link Device OS
Android version 12


STEPS
Install Steam Link App on client
Launch Steam on host computer, enter Big Picture mode
Connect client to host computer

RESULTS
Video does not stream from the host computer (though sound does).

EXPECTED
Steam Big Picture mode video streams to the Steam Link Client.

[lamsi1820]

Hi, also have same ISSUE
Linux HOST:
Ubuntu 20.04 with Integrated intel graphics (HD630) + Nvidia 1070Ti (driver 470.74).
Steam client (beta): 1637358733

Steam link App: tries on
Apple MacBook Pro
Android Phone

1) NVIDIA - PROBLEM - BLACK SCREEN
STEPS:
Launch Steam on host computer, enter Big Picture mode with
export __NV_PRIME_RENDER_OFFLOAD=1
export __GLX_VENDOR_LIBRARY_NAME=nvidia
export __VK_LAYER_NV_optimus=NVIDIA_only
/usr/bin/steam
everything works fine on host, Big Picture mode, games started and playing fast with nvidia gpu on ubuntu desktop locally

Install Steam Link App on client
Connect client to host computer

RESULTS
Video does not stream from the host computer (though sound and mouse pointer does).
If i click mouse on invisible screen this actions applied on host (so mouse actions works)


EXPECTED
Steam Big Picture mode video streams to the Steam Link Client.

2) INTEL - no black screen
STEPS
Launch Steam on host computer, enter Big Picture mode with
/usr/bin/steam
(without nvidia variables)
Big Picture mode works on host, games started on intel gpu with slow performance

Install Steam Link App on client
Connect client to host computer

RESULTS
Video successfully stream from the host computer.

I tried:
1) low resolution: from 2K on host to FullHD - no change
2) disable all hardware encoding/decoding - no change
3) compare steam logs:
with disable hardware encoding output the same, like:
Capture method set to Desktop OpenGL NV12 + libx264 main (3 threads)

but there is a difference (i don't understood, is it important):
1) with nvidia:
slow frame rate: game 0.00 capture 17.65 convert 0.32 encode 7.58 network 150.54 decode 1.72 display 0.00 (network)
2) but with intel
slow frame rate: game 0.00 capture 2.75 convert 0.00 encode 5.88 network 34.58 decode 1.44 display 1.25 (network)
so, with nvidia display always 0.00, with intel - with some non-zero numbers

P.S. streaming same games from windows 10 host with same intel gpu + Nvidia 1070ti to same devices works fine without any problems. So, problem only when using Linux on Host