THIS FUNCTIONALITY HAS BEEN INTRODUCED INTO THE STEAMOS UI (STABLE UPDATE) AS OF AT LEAST 2026-10-10

GAME MODE: Settings -> General -> Default to Desktop Mode on startup

DESKTOP MODE: Open Steam -> Settings -> Interface Default to Desktop Mode on startup

As the goal of this app was to provide help changing this setting from a UI until it received an option in the official UI, I do not plan to introduce any further updates to this app. It can still be used as of 2026-10-10, and it simply changes the same toggle as the Steam UI option does, but it may eventually stop working.

SteamOS Session Manager

A lightweight GUI for SteamOS to manage your default boot state (Game Mode vs. Desktop Mode) using native steamosctl commands.

Features

• Set Boot Mode: Boot directly to Game Mode or Desktop Mode on startup.
• Current Status: Displays your currently configured boot mode.

Usage

1. Download the latest .AppImage from the Releases page.
2. Right-click the file, check Is executable in Properties (or use chmod +x), and double-click to run.

Building from Source

Python 3 is required. The included script sets up an isolated environment and builds the AppImage automatically.

git clone https://github.com/MisterAnderson91/SteamOS-Session-Manager.git
cd SteamOS-Session-Manager
chmod +x make_appimage.sh
./make_appimage.sh

Manual Session Selection

If you wish to change the current session on SteamOS without downloading this app, use the commands below in Konsole in Desktop Mode:

Boot into Game Mode:

steamosctl set-default-login-mode game

Boot into Desktop Mode:

steamosctl set-default-login-mode desktop

Check the current setting:

steamosctl get-default-login-mode

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPLv3).