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How to Mirror iPhone Screen to Manjaro Linux using UxPlay

If you are running Manjaro Linux and want to mirror your iPhone or iPad screen to your desktop, UxPlay is the best open-source solution. It acts as an AirPlay server, allowing your Apple devices to see your PC as a "Screen Mirroring" target.

Since Manjaro is based on Arch, we have the advantage of using the AUR and the latest GStreamer plugins for low-latency streaming.

1. Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure your iPhone and Manjaro PC are on the same Wi-Fi network.

2. Install Dependencies

AirPlay requires specific libraries for video decoding (H.264) and network discovery (mDNS). Open your terminal and run:

sudo pacman -Syu --needed base-devel cmake openssl libplist libdns_sd avahi libpulse gst-plugins-base gst-plugins-good gst-plugins-bad gst-plugins-ugly gst-libav

3. Enable Network Discovery (Avahi)

AirPlay uses "Bonjour" to find devices. On Linux, this is handled by the Avahi daemon. You must enable and start it:

sudo systemctl enable --now avahi-daemon

4. Installation UxPlay

The easiest way to install UxPlay on Manjaro is through the AUR (Arch User Repository). You can use pamac(Manjaro's default package manager) or yay.

Using Pamac:

pamac build uxplay

Using Yay:

yay -S uxplay

5. Configuration: The Firewall

Manjaro often comes with a firewall enabled by default. If your iPhone cannot "see" your PC, you must open the ports used by AirPlay.

If you are using UFW, run:

sudo ufw allow 5353/udp
sudo ufw allow 7000,7001,7100,8000,8001/tcp

6. Usage: Mirroring your Screen

  1. Launch UxPlay in your terminal:
uxplay

  1. On your iPhone:

  2. Swipe down to open the Control Center.

  3. Tap the Screen Mirroring icon (two overlapping rectangles).

  4. Select UxPlay (or your PC's hostname).

  5. Enjoy: Your iPhone screen will now appear in a window on your Manjaro desktop.

Pro Tip: Low-Latency Mode with AIC8800

If you are using a high-performance Wi-Fi adapter like the aic8800, you can reduce lag even further by creating a Wi-Fi Hotspot directly on Manjaro.

  1. Go to Network Settings > Wi-Fi.
  2. Enable Wi-Fi Hotspot.
  3. Connect your iPhone to this hotspot.
  4. Run uxplay.

By bypassing your home router and connecting directly to your PC's Wi-Fi card, you eliminate network congestion for a much smoother 60fps experience.

Troubleshooting

  • No Sound? Ensure libpulse or pipewire-pulse is installed and that the volume isn't muted in the pavucontrol mixer.

  • Laggy Video? Ensure you have installed the gst-libav package for hardware-accelerated decoding.

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