Skip to content

Bazzite Setup Guide

Bazzite

Bazzite is a gaming-focused Linux distribution based on Fedora that provides an excellent out-of-the-box experience for the BC-250. Built on Fedora Atomic (immutable system), it offers SteamDeck-like functionality with enhanced stability.

Status: Recommended for gaming, works out-of-the-box Base: Fedora Atomic (OSTree-based) Mesa Version: 25.1+ included Desktop Options: GNOME, KDE, or Deck UI

Why Choose Bazzite?

Advantages: - Works out-of-the-box (no nomodeset needed) - Mesa 25.1+ included with GPU drivers pre-installed - Immutable system (harder to break, easy rollback) - Gaming optimizations (GameMode, Gamescope, Proton GE ready) - Steam Deck UI option for couch gaming - Automated governor script available - Custom kernel with BC-250 patches available

Considerations: - Package management more complex (rpm-ostree vs dnf) - Some apps require Flatpak - Updates can occasionally cause issues (but easy to rollback)

Prerequisites

BIOS Configuration

Before installing, ensure your BIOS is properly configured:

  1. Flash modified BIOS (P3.00 recommended)
  2. Set VRAM allocation to 512MB dynamic
  3. Configure fan speeds
  4. Disable IOMMU (IOMMU is broken - MUST disable)

See BIOS Flashing Guide for details.

Hardware Requirements

  • 300W+ PSU on 12V rail (250W minimum)
  • 2x 120mm high static pressure fans
  • Active cooling on backplate (80mm+ fan minimum) - VRAM has no temperature sensor and will overheat without it
  • DisplayPort cable or passive DP-to-HDMI adapter
  • USB drive (8GB+) for installation media

Backplate Active Cooling Required

Active cooling backplate solution is critical. Confirmed critical by multiple Feb 2026 sources; strong community consensus on necessity. No VRAM temperature sensor exists on BC-250 - you cannot monitor backplate VRAM thermals.

Installation

Creating Installation Media

  1. Download Bazzite ISO from bazzite.gg
  2. Choose your variant:
  3. Bazzite GNOME - Recommended for beginners
  4. Bazzite KDE - Desktop users (note: fixed as of mid-2025)
  5. Bazzite Deck - Steam Deck UI experience
  6. Flash to USB using Fedora Media Writer or balenaEtcher

Installation Process

  1. Boot from USB (no special parameters needed)
  2. Complete on-screen installation
  3. Select timezone and language
  4. Create user account
  5. Choose disk partitioning
  6. Installation takes 10-15 minutes
  7. Reboot when prompted

Note: Unlike Fedora, Bazzite boots directly without needing nomodeset parameter.

Standard Setup

One-command installation of Oberon governor:

curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vietsman/bc250-documentation/refs/heads/main/oberon-setup.sh | sudo sh

What this script does: - Installs Oberon GPU governor - Enables governor service - Configures voltage settings (1000mV default for stability) - No Mesa modifications needed (already included)

Important: Run on fresh install for best results. Script auto-reboots when complete.

Manual Installation

If automated script doesn't work:

# Add COPR repository
sudo dnf copr enable filippor/bazzite

# Install governor (use cyan-skillfish-governor-tt)
rpm-ostree install cyan-skillfish-governor-tt

# Reboot to apply
systemctl reboot

# Enable service after reboot
sudo systemctl enable --now oberon-governor.service

SMU Governor as Emerging Alternative

The SMU governor (cyan-skillfish-governor-smu) is an emerging alternative that works on CachyOS without requiring kernel patches. Monitor community feedback for stability updates.

GPU Card Naming Issue

The governor may target incorrect device (card0 vs card1). Verify correct device assignment in governor configuration if frequency scaling doesn't work.

Voltage Configuration

Default configuration (/etc/oberon-config.yaml):

voltage:
  - min: 1000  # Safe default
  - max: 1000
frequency:
  - min: 1000  # 1000 MHz
  - max: 2000  # 2000 MHz

Some boards are unstable at lower voltages. The script defaults to 1000mV to prevent crashes. If system is stable, you can try lowering min voltage to 700-900mV.

Performance Setup (Advanced)

"Bazzite on Steroids" - Custom images with GPU frequency range patch for up to 50% performance boost.

Features

  • Custom patched kernel (GPU frequency: 350-2230 MHz vs stock 1000-2000 MHz)
  • Oberon governor pre-configured
  • Weekly automated builds (every Monday)
  • Three variants: GNOME, KDE, Deck

Prerequisites

If you already have Bazzite installed with Oberon:

# Remove existing oberon installation
sudo systemctl stop oberon-governor
sudo systemctl disable oberon-governor
rpm-ostree uninstall oberon-governor

# Remove config
sudo rm -f /etc/oberon-config.yaml

Rebase to Patched Image

Choose your desktop environment:

GNOME (Recommended): 

rpm-ostree rebase ostree-image-signed:docker://ghcr.io/vietsman/bazzite-gnome-patched:latest

KDE: 

rpm-ostree rebase ostree-image-signed:docker://ghcr.io/vietsman/bazzite-kde-patched:latest

Deck: 

rpm-ostree rebase ostree-image-signed:docker://ghcr.io/vietsman/bazzite-deck-patched:latest

After rebase:

systemctl reboot
systemctl status oberon-governor  # Verify running

Power and Cooling Warnings

Performance patch increases power draw and temperatures:

  • PSU: Minimum 240W on 12V rail, recommended 320W+
  • Cooling: High static pressure fans required
  • Temps: Expect 85-95°C under full load (normal for this board)

To reduce power consumption, edit /etc/oberon-config.yaml:

voltage:
  - min: 700
  - max: 950  # Reduced from 1000
frequency:
  - max: 1800  # Reduced from 2230

Then restart: sudo systemctl restart oberon-governor

Disable CPU Mitigations (Optional)

For additional gaming performance, disable CPU security mitigations:

rpm-ostree kargs --append-if-missing="mitigations=off"
systemctl reboot

Security Trade-off

This disables Spectre/Meltdown mitigations for improved performance (+18 FPS in some games). Only recommended for dedicated gaming systems. See Kernel Configuration for details.

Post-Installation Configuration

Temperature Sensors

Enable NCT6687 module for PWM fan control:

echo 'nct6687' | sudo tee /etc/modules-load.d/nct6687.conf
systemctl reboot

Verify:

sensors
# Should show nct6687-isa-0a20 with GPU temp, fan speeds

CoolerControl (Optional)

GUI for fan curve management:

ujust install-coolercontrol

Flatpak Mesa Override (Old Versions Only)

As of August 2025, Bazzite ships with Mesa 25.1+ for Flatpaks. This section only applies to older installations:

# Add flathub-beta
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub-beta https://flathub.org/beta-repo/flathub-beta.flatpakrepo

# Install mesa-git for runtime 24.08
flatpak install --system flathub-beta org.freedesktop.Platform.GL.mesa-git//24.08
flatpak install --system flathub-beta org.freedesktop.Platform.GL32.mesa-git//24.08

# Set environment
sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/system/service.d
sudo bash -c 'echo -e "[Service]\nEnvironment=FLATPAK_GL_DRIVERS=mesa-git" > /etc/systemd/system/service.d/99-flatpak-mesa-git.conf'

systemctl reboot

System Updates

# Update everything
ujust update

# Or manually:
rpm-ostree upgrade
flatpak update

Rollback if update breaks:

rpm-ostree rollback
systemctl reboot

Known Issues & Solutions

Screen Freezes When Loading Levels On Newer Games

Symptom: Screen freezes indefinitely when loading in levels on newer games

Cause: CMOS clear didn't happen after flashing the BIOS

Solution: - Clear the CMOS - Confirm it worked by verifying that the time/clock in the BIOS was reset and shows the wrong value - Reapply the BIOS settings changes, such as the VRAM allocation

Governor Voltage Instability

Symptom: Graphics artifacts, crashes, black screens

Cause: Default voltage too low for some boards

Solution:

sudo nano /etc/oberon-config.yaml

# Change:
voltage:
  - min: 1000  # Increase from 700
  - max: 1000

sudo systemctl restart oberon-governor

Flatpak Apps Don't See GPU

Symptom: Flatpak games use software rendering (llvmpipe)

Solution: See Flatpak Mesa Override section above

GPU Locked at 1500MHz

Symptom: GPU frequency stuck, won't scale

Solution:

# Check governor status
systemctl status oberon-governor

# If not running:
sudo systemctl enable --now oberon-governor.service

# Restart if running:
sudo systemctl restart oberon-governor

# Verify frequency scaling
cat /sys/class/drm/card0/device/pp_dpm_sclk

Boot Slow / Black Screen During Boot

Symptom: 30-60 seconds black screen during boot

Cause: Normal - display output doesn't initialize until late in boot

Solution: Wait - system will boot. Check uptime after boot to confirm it was actually fast.

Desktop Environment Notes

Most tested, fully working with no known issues.

KDE Plasma

Historical issue: Before mid-2025, KDE would crash due to BC-250's faulty RDRAND CPU instruction.

Current status: Fixed in recent Qt releases. Works properly now.

Deck UI

If you rebase from Deck to Desktop image, "Return to Game Mode" won't work. Rebase to Deck-patched image if you want Big Picture mode.

Troubleshooting

Diagnostic Commands

# Check Mesa version
rpm -qa | grep mesa

# Check Vulkan device
vulkaninfo | grep deviceName
# Should show: AMD Radeon Graphics (RADV GFX1013)

# Check GPU frequency
cat /sys/class/drm/card0/device/pp_dpm_sclk

# Check temperatures
sensors

# Check OSTree deployment
rpm-ostree status

Performance Issues

# Verify GPU is being used
vulkaninfo | grep deviceName
# Should NOT show llvmpipe

# Monitor GPU usage
nvtop

# Check governor scaling
watch -n 1 cat /sys/class/drm/card0/device/pp_dpm_sclk

Quick Reference

# Update system
ujust update

# Check governor
systemctl status oberon-governor

# Check GPU frequency
cat /sys/class/drm/card0/device/pp_dpm_sclk

# Check temps
sensors

# Rollback update
rpm-ostree rollback && systemctl reboot

# Rebase to patched GNOME
rpm-ostree rebase ostree-image-signed:docker://ghcr.io/vietsman/bazzite-gnome-patched:latest

Community Resources

Related Guides: - Fedora Setup - CachyOS Setup - Arch Linux Setup - GPU Governor Configuration