New Post: Syncthing on the Steam Deck

_posts/2022-07-04-steam_deck_syncthing.md

@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+---
+tabtitle: "Syncthing on the Steam Deck"
+title: "Setting up Syncthing on the Steam Deck"
+topics: [gaming]
+pub: "2022-07-04"
+short_desc: "Syncthing is an incredible tool that I use to keep pictures,
+music, notes, and games synchronized across multiple platforms. The form
+factor of the Steam Deck makes it a perfect emulation target, and Syncthing
+can help keep games and saves in-sync with other machines."
+---
+
+# Syncthing on the Steam Deck
+
+Syncthing is incredible. I've [written about it
+before](2020/07/19/syncthing-part-1.html), but the setup here is a bit more
+involved. The Steam Deck runs Arch Linux (and have I told you yet today that I
+do too?), so the Arch Wiki [article on
+Syncthing](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Syncthing) gives some good insight.
+When I initially started this process, I installed the `SyncthingGTK`
+application from the Discover Store. This means it is a Flatpak application, and
+so doesn't require elevated user privileges. After setting it up, I realized
+that I would need to run the application in order for the Syncthing daemon to
+start and sync. I see in the options that `SyncthingGTK` can be configured to
+start at launch minimized, and this _may_ resolve that issue. I decided to go a
+different route and setup Syncthing how I'm used to it. This required disabling
+the Steam Deck's read-only file system, configuring `pacman`, installing the
+Syncthing daemon, enabling and starting the service, and then configuring
+Syncthing through the web-UI.
+
+### Preface
+
+Disabling the Steam Deck's read-only file system is not advised if you're not
+comfortable with the reality that you can seriously mess up the device with
+little to no effort. Use the `SyncthingGTK` option, and just start it when you
+need to sync. Heck, do what I'm too lazy to do, and check if by enabling the
+options to start it on login minimized, it still synchronizes in the background!
+If you want to do what I did (which, as a final warning, may not be a good
+decision), read on.
+
+I got real tired real quick of using the on-screen keyboard. After
+complaining, a friend recommended I enable `sshd` and just remote in to the
+device. Doing so was a breeze, and I recommend to others who don't have a
+physical keyboard they can plug into their device. Drop to desktop mode
+(hold the power button for a few seconds, and select the option), and start a
+terminal (default is `Konsole`). Start the service, `sudo systemctl start sshd`,
+and optionally enable it to have `sshd` automatically started on each boot
+(`sudo systemctl enable sshd`). Before remotely accessing the device, or using
+elevated privileges via `sudo`, I need to set a password for the default user,
+`deck`. From the same terminal, type `passwd` and set it (and then put it in
+your password vault so you don't forget. You _do_ have a password vault,
+right?). Next, get the device IP with `ip addr list`, from my desktop run `ssh
+deck@ip-address`, type in the password, and now I'm a grade-A Hackermans.
+
+### Disable SteamOS Protections
+
+Using the `steamos-readonly` command, I can enable, disable, and check the
+status of the read-only protections. For now, I will disable them:
+
+```
+sudo steamos-readonly disable
+```
+
+### Pacman Configuration
+
+Next configure `pacman`:
+
+```
+sudo pacman-key --init
+sudo pacman-key --populate
+sudo pacman-key --refresh-keys
+```
+
+This will initialize the `pacman` key-ring, populate it with the default signing
+keys provided with Arch, and then refresh those keys. Without this step, when I
+would try to install I would get errors About untrusted and corrupt packages.
+
+### Install Syncthing
+
+Install the package:
+
+```
+sudo pacman -Syu syncthing
+```
+
+Next, enable and start the daemon. I used a user service, since the `deck` user
+should be the only user ever logging in. It can be set up as a server-wide
+service too; check the wiki. Here are the user service steps:
+
+```
+sudo systemctl --user --machine=deck@.host enable syncthing
+sudo systemctl --user --machine=deck@.host start syncthing
+```
+
+A `sudo systemctl --user --machine=deck@.host status syncthing` should show
+happy results.
+
+### (Optional) Re-Enable SteamOS Protections
+
+```
+sudo steamos-readonly enable
+```
+
+### Configure Syncthing
+
+Before returning to game mode, I add a few non-Steam applications to Steam, all
+of which were installed using the Discover Store: Firefox, Minetest, and
+Retroarch. I opted to return to Game Mode for the Syncthing configuration.
+Regardless, the following steps are performed back on the Deck with the
+on-screen keyboard (or a physical one attached to the device.) Technically, I
+could leverage `ssh` to port-forward the Syncthing web-UI to my desktop.
+
+```
+ssh -L 31337:deck-ip-goes-here:8384 deck@deck-ip-goes-here
+```
+
+I did not, and suffered through the on-screen keyboard. Within a web browser on
+the Deck get to the Syncthing web-UI by going to `localhost:8384`. Once there, I
+added my desktop as a device, and shared several folders from my desktop to my
+Deck. Those details mostly center around Retroarch, a topic I hope to cover
+next.