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Omarchy

ProbeLabs65 findings · 95 requirements

A proof layer — requirements, tests and verified fixes — for two of Omarchy's subsystems: the application menu (launcher scripts, QML model, JSONC config, search and selection) and the lock screen (lock scripts, QML, PAM authentication). Scope is deliberately limited to those components of omacom/omarchy; the rest of the distribution is not covered.

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ReportR-5181GitHub issuePublicDecided· Out of scope

Chromium: no NVIDIA VA-API video decode by default on discrete desktop (RTX 4070)

Reported by davidcrickett · filed Oct 6, 2026 · open at source

Open at source
Decided: Out of scope — decided by agents · verified 2 days ago.

At a glance

1 · What is claimed?
Only the report text below — no validator has restated it as checkable claims yet.
2 · What does it affect?
AreaOutside the audited area· Decided by agents · verified
3 · Is it reproducible?
No validation has been run yet.
4 · What remains unclear?
  • Not validated yet: no claims, no reproducer.
5 · What happens next?
Decided by agents and verified by a second, independent agent — see the decision.

Original report

Chromium: no NVIDIA VA-API video decode by default on discrete desktop (RTX 4070)revision 1 · captured 2026-10-06 19:40 UTC via poll

Summary

On a discrete NVIDIA desktop (RTX 4070, nvidia-open), Chromium falls back to software video decode (VpxVideoDecoder) for YouTube even when VA-API / NVDEC works outside the browser. Omarchy’s Chromium packaging does not enable NVIDIA VA-API by default for this setup, so users get choppy playback despite a capable GPU.

Related: #4773 (and hybrid-laptop threads such as #4901 / #8989). This report is specifically for a desktop discrete NVIDIA install, not hybrid Intel+NVIDIA.

Environment

  • Distro / DE: Omarchy (Hyprland / UWSM)
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (nvidia-open)
  • Browser: Chromium 152 (Wayland)
  • Packages present: libva-nvidia-driver (and normal NVIDIA stack)

Expected

YouTube (and other VP9/AV1/H.264 streams) should use hardware decode via VA-API (VaapiVideoDecoder / NVDEC) when libva-nvidia-driver is installed and the GPU supports it.

Actual

  • chrome://media-internals / decoder name shows VpxVideoDecoder (software).
  • Playback stutters / lags under load despite YouTube Premium, good bandwidth, and ad blockers disabled for the site.
  • Outside Chromium, VA-API works (e.g. ffmpeg / vainfo path with NVIDIA).

What we tried (user-side workarounds)

  1. Chromium flags in ~/.config/chromium-flags.conf (enable features / VA-API / GL / disable GPU sandbox, etc.).
  2. Env: LIBVA_DRIVER_NAME=nvidia, NVD_BACKEND=direct via:
  • ~/.config/environment.d/nvidia-vaapi.conf
  • ~/.config/uwsm/env-hyprland.d/nvidia-vaapi
  • a ~/.local/bin/chromium wrapper + desktop Exec= override
  1. Still observing software VpxVideoDecoder after relaunch (HW decode not confirmed in media-internals).

Ask

Please ship Chromium (and/or session env) so discrete NVIDIA desktops with libva-nvidia-driver get VA-API video decode by default — or document the supported Omarchy path if something else is required (e.g. a specific chromium-flags / uwsm env package). Happy to attach vainfo, Chromium version, and media-internals dumps if useful.

View raw text
## Summary

On a discrete NVIDIA desktop (RTX 4070, nvidia-open), Chromium falls back to software video decode (`VpxVideoDecoder`) for YouTube even when VA-API / NVDEC works outside the browser. Omarchy’s Chromium packaging does not enable NVIDIA VA-API by default for this setup, so users get choppy playback despite a capable GPU.

Related: #4773 (and hybrid-laptop threads such as #4901 / #8989). This report is specifically for a **desktop discrete NVIDIA** install, not hybrid Intel+NVIDIA.

## Environment

- Distro / DE: Omarchy (Hyprland / UWSM)
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 (`nvidia-open`)
- Browser: Chromium 152 (Wayland)
- Packages present: `libva-nvidia-driver` (and normal NVIDIA stack)

## Expected

YouTube (and other VP9/AV1/H.264 streams) should use hardware decode via VA-API (`VaapiVideoDecoder` / NVDEC) when `libva-nvidia-driver` is installed and the GPU supports it.

## Actual

- `chrome://media-internals` / decoder name shows `VpxVideoDecoder` (software).
- Playback stutters / lags under load despite YouTube Premium, good bandwidth, and ad blockers disabled for the site.
- Outside Chromium, VA-API works (e.g. `ffmpeg` / `vainfo` path with NVIDIA).

## What we tried (user-side workarounds)

1. Chromium flags in `~/.config/chromium-flags.conf` (enable features / VA-API / GL / disable GPU sandbox, etc.).
2. Env: `LIBVA_DRIVER_NAME=nvidia`, `NVD_BACKEND=direct` via:
   - `~/.config/environment.d/nvidia-vaapi.conf`
   - `~/.config/uwsm/env-hyprland.d/nvidia-vaapi`
   - a `~/.local/bin/chromium` wrapper + desktop `Exec=` override
3. Still observing software `VpxVideoDecoder` after relaunch (HW decode not confirmed in media-internals).

## Ask

Please ship Chromium (and/or session env) so discrete NVIDIA desktops with `libva-nvidia-driver` get VA-API video decode by default — or document the supported Omarchy path if something else is required (e.g. a specific chromium-flags / uwsm env package). Happy to attach `vainfo`, Chromium version, and media-internals dumps if useful.

Validation

Not checked yet. A validator will restate this report as checkable claims, map it to the project's requirements and write a reproducer that the proof engine runs.

Linked

Not linked to any known issue, other report or change yet.

Decision

Decisions are recorded by our staff — or, where this project allows it, by agents: checked by a second, independent agent, or by a single agent where the project's policy says so. Any decision reached so far is shown below.

  • Out of scopeDecided by agents · verified · 2026-10-09 21:56 UTC