Lighthouse Manager - Linux Edition

This is a Linux port of OVR Lighthouse Manager by kurotu. This application manages SteamVR base station (lighthouse) power via Bluetooth LE.

Linux Port Maintainer: @xi-ve

Installation

Arch Linux (AUR)

This package is available on the Arch User Repository (AUR):

yay -S openvr-lighthouse-manager-linux

Or using makepkg:

git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/openvr-lighthouse-manager-linux.git
cd openvr-lighthouse-manager-linux
makepkg -si

AUR Package: openvr-lighthouse-manager-linux

The AUR package will automatically:

• Install binaries to /usr/bin
• Register the overlay with SteamVR on installation
• Handle updates and uninstallation

Building from Source

If you prefer to build from source or are using a different distribution, see the Building section below.

Requirements

System Requirements

• Linux with BlueZ Bluetooth stack
• Bluetooth LE support (Bluetooth 4.0+)
• SteamVR Base Station 1.0 or 2.0

Build Dependencies

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install build-essential pkg-config libbluetooth-dev libdbus-1-dev libglfw3-dev

Fedora/RHEL:

sudo dnf install gcc-c++ pkg-config bluez-libs-devel dbus-devel glfw-devel

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S base-devel pkg-config bluez-libs dbus glfw

Runtime Dependencies

• OpenVR SDK (included in project at ../lib/openvr)
• SteamVR (for base station detection)

Building

If you're building from source:

./scripts/build.sh

The build script will:

• Clean the build directory by default (use --no-clean or --incremental to skip)
• Compile both CLI and GUI versions
• Output binaries to build/bin/

Manual Installation (from source)

To install as a SteamVR addon (auto-launches with SteamVR):

./scripts/install.sh

This will:

• Install the binary to ~/.local/share/SteamVR/drivers/lighthouse-manager/bin/linux64/
• Register the manifest with SteamVR
• Enable automatic base station management when SteamVR starts

To uninstall:

./scripts/uninstall.sh

Usage

Automatic Mode (SteamVR Addon)

When installed as a SteamVR addon, the application will automatically:

• Start when SteamVR launches
• Scan for base stations and wake them when SteamVR starts
• Put base stations to sleep when SteamVR shuts down

Manual Usage

GUI Mode (Default)

./scripts/run.sh

Or run directly:

./build/bin/lighthouse-manager-gui

CLI Mode

./scripts/run.sh --cli

Or run directly:

./build/bin/lighthouse-manager

CLI Commands

# List detected base stations
./build/bin/lighthouse-manager --list

# Enable/wake a base station
./build/bin/lighthouse-manager --enable <id>

# Disable/sleep a base station
./build/bin/lighthouse-manager --disable <id>

# Auto-manage base stations (monitor SteamVR and control stations)
./build/bin/lighthouse-manager --auto

Credits

• Original Project: OVR Lighthouse Manager by kurotu
• Linux Port: @xi-ve