Steam Deck Setup Guide

The Steam Deck can be used as the main recording and control platform for the FRUC apparatus. This guide covers the initial setup and recording procedures.

Initial Setup

System Configuration

1. Boot into Desktop Mode:

   • Power on the Steam Deck
   • Press the STEAM button (bottom left front)
   • Select "Power" → "Switch to Desktop"

2. Set User Password: Open Konsole (KDE terminal) and set a password:

   passwd
   

   Use a simple password for convenience, as security is not critical at this stage.

Software Installation

3. Install Homebrew (optional, for package management):

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
   

   ⚠️ Warning: This may affect system PATH behavior. Monitor for unexpected issues.

4. Install Docker/Podman: The system requires container support. Install either Docker or Podman:

   Option A: Using Podman (recommended for rootless operation):

   sudo touch /etc/subgid /etc/subuid
   brew install podman podman-compose
   

   Option B: Using Docker:

   brew install docker docker-compose
   

5. Clone the Repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd fruc_dataset_apparatus
   git submodule init
   git submodule update
   

Recording with Steam Deck

Starting a Recording Session

The Steam Deck supports physical button shortcuts for recording control:

1. Start Recording:

   • Hold the back-left button (button with red circle marked "1")
   • Press the back-right button (button with green circle marked "2")
   • A dialog will appear prompting you to enter a recording name
   • Select which topics to record

2. Monitor Recording: The console output will show:

   • Topic subscription status
   • Message frequencies for each topic
   • Recording progress

3. Stop Recording:

   • Hold the back-left button (red circle marked "1")
   • Press the back-top-left button (button with blue circle marked "3")
   • Recording will stop and the rosbag file will be finalized

Manual Recording Commands

Alternatively, use terminal commands:

# Navigate to apparatus directory
cd ~/fruc/fruc_dataset_apparatus

# Start recording with interactive topic selection
./launch-system.sh

# Or use direct Docker/Podman commands
cd docker
podman-compose up  # or: docker-compose up

# Stop recording (in another terminal)
./stop-system.sh

Recorded Data Location

ROS2 bags are saved to:

~/fruc/fruc_dataset_apparatus/rosbags/

Data is stored in MCAP format (ROS2 native bag format).

Monitoring Tools

Optional tools for system monitoring during recording:

# Process monitoring
btop

# Container monitoring (if using Podman)
podman stats