# Proton-CachyOS Installation Guide

## PREREQUISITES

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

* A compatible Linux distribution (Arch Linux, CachyOS, or an Arch-based derivative).
* Steam installed.
* An active Internet connection.
* Administrator privileges (`sudo`).

---

## METHOD 1 – Install via CachyOS Hello (Recommended)

This is the easiest and recommended installation method for CachyOS users.

### Steps

1. Open **CachyOS Hello**.
2. Navigate to **Apps / Tweaks**.
3. Click **Install Gaming Packages**.

The following components will be installed automatically:

* Steam
* Proton-CachyOS
* MangoHud
* Gamescope
* Heroic Games Launcher
* Lutris
* Required Vulkan libraries

### Verification

1. Close Steam completely if it is already running.
2. Launch Steam again.
3. Navigate to:

```
Steam
└── Settings
    └── Compatibility
```

4. Verify that **Proton-CachyOS** appears in the list of available compatibility tools.

---

## METHOD 2 – Install with Pacman

If you prefer to install the required components manually, use Pacman.

### Install the Gaming package groups

```bash
sudo pacman -S cachyos-gaming-meta
sudo pacman -S cachyos-gaming-applications
```

### Install Proton-CachyOS only

```bash
sudo pacman -S proton-cachyos-slr
```

### Note

The **Proton-CachyOS-SLR** (Steam Linux Runtime) variant is recommended.

It provides better compatibility with games that use anti-cheat solutions such as **Easy Anti-Cheat (EAC)** and **BattlEye**.
