Help
Controls, updates, the shared folder and the most common questions. Something missing? Ask on GitHub.
Controls
| Controller | Keyboard | Mouse | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move | D-pad / left stick | Arrow keys | point, wheel scrolls |
| Open / select | A | Enter | Click |
| Back | B | Esc / Backspace | Right-click |
| Close program, favorite | X / Y | Del, F, Y | ✕ on the tile |
| Next / previous group | RT / LT | PgDn / PgUp | Arrows at the top right |
| Volume down / up | LB / RB | − / + | |
| Open update (when shown at the bottom right) | Select | U | Click the notice |
| Power off | Start | ⏻ at the top right | |
| Back to the start screen (from any program) | Guide / Home | Win |
The arrows at the top right appear as soon as a page is wider than the screen; the bright dot marks the current group. Pair Bluetooth gamepads under Settings → Bluetooth.
Updates
Settings → Updates → Update is the only update button. It checks and installs everything in one go: Void packages (including the kernel), Flatpaks, AppImages, Proton-GE and VoidStation itself. Your tiles, favorites and settings are kept.
- Devices check shortly after startup and then every six hours. A yellow notice at the bottom right announces a new VoidStation version right away.
- Plain system updates are only flagged once the system hasn't been updated for 30, 60 or 90 days (Settings → Updates, default 90).
- Update channel: Stable for everyone, or Testing if you want new versions first.
- In the terminal,
vsctl updatedoes the same as the button.sudo xbps-install -Suupdates only the Void packages – VoidStation notices that.
Shared folder: files from your PC
Every VoidStation has a Windows share. On your PC, type \\<hostname>\share into Explorer (e.g. \\livingroom\share) and log in with the user name and password from the installation. Movies, music, pictures and games go in there.
Games and emulators
Emulators are in the AppCenter under Emulators. ROMs go into the shared folder under share/ROMs/<system>, for example gba, snes, nes, psx, psp, nds, gamecube or dreamcast. The emulator tile then shows a game list; without games, the emulator starts directly.
TV program guide
Off by default. To turn it on, enter the address of an XMLTV file (.xml or .xml.gz) – it is downloaded daily:
echo 'https://…/epg.xml.gz' | sudo tee /usr/local/share/voidstation/epg-urlFrequently asked questions
Do I need an account?
No. VoidStation does not sign you in to any service. Only streaming apps like Netflix want their own account, of course.
Does it run on a Raspberry Pi?
No, only on 64-bit PCs (x86_64). A used mini PC or office PC is ideal.
Can I keep Windows?
Yes: the live ISO installs next to Windows (in UEFI mode). Turn off Fast Startup in Windows first and shut Windows down instead of hibernating it. A short boot menu then appears at startup.
The interface doesn't start – what now?
After two failed starts, VoidStation reinstalls the XLibre display server once. If it still fails, a rescue console appears. sudo /usr/local/sbin/voidstation-pkg xserver status helps there.
Where are the logs?
In ~/.local/share/voidstation/logs/. During installation, the installer's log is at /run/voidstation-installer/install.log and can be saved straight to a USB stick.
Is VoidStation an official Void Linux project?
No. VoidStation is an independent project built on Void Linux. Please don't take questions about VoidStation to the Void team – ask here instead.