Show control · software
Bitfocus Companion troubleshooting
The Bitfocus Companion problems live-event techs bring to Ask Roadie most (also called Companion Satellite, CompanionPi, Stream Deck, StreamDeck). Pick your symptom, or describe your own in plain words, and get the likeliest fix first, with the manual page when there is one.
Common Companion errors & problems
What techs run into most, and what's usually behind it. The step-by-step fix for your exact software is in Ask Roadie.
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Reuse the same image across many buttons (v5.0 Image Library)
Likely cause: Central image assets remove the old per-button copies, so a single update propagates everywhere and reduces config bloat.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Do conditional logic / loops inside an expression (v5.0)
Likely cause: Adding real control flow makes expressions far more capable; the op-limit prevents a runaway loop from taking the show system down.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Shell command action or remote module install does nothing in v5.0 (secure by default)
Likely cause: Companion 5.0 began a secure-by-default effort; the risky features still exist but must be explicitly turned on in the launcher.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Show a live meter/level on a button (v5.0 gauge element)
Likely cause: The gauge element is new in the v5 graphics stack; the early-patch fixes corrected its default intensity and negative-range origin.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Stream Deck not detected
Likely cause: Only one process can claim the Stream Deck's USB HID interface — whichever grabs it first wins, and Elgato's agent grabs it at login.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Upgrading to Companion v5.0 — what changed and platform requirements
Likely cause: A major version bumps the config/graphics architecture and drops older OS support, so validating on a copy first prevents show-day surprises.
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Modules on an offline / air-gapped show network
Likely cause: Pre-staging a version-matched bundle removes the store dependency at showtime.
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New v5.0 surface controls — brightness, startup page, monitor remote surfaces
Likely cause: These give button-level control and status of surface state that previously needed workarounds, especially across remote Satellite surfaces.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Control Companion FROM another system (remote-control APIs)
Likely cause: Companion is both a controller and a controllable endpoint, letting it sit in the middle of a show-control chain.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
All decks show identical buttons
Likely cause: The mirroring comes from the Elgato software's single-profile model shared across decks; connecting decks straight to Companion makes each an independent surface.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Pin a module version so it does not auto-change (Update Policy)
Likely cause: Version pinning keeps show behavior deterministic across restarts and updates.
- Step-by-step fixGet the fix →
Automate actions on a schedule or state change (Triggers)
Likely cause: Triggers are event-driven and run without a physical press, so time/state events fire actions automatically.
Not on the list? Describe it your way, or paste the error code off the display. Ask Roadie works the problem with you until it's fixed or you have a clear next move.
How Ask Roadie helps with the Companion
- 1. Pick the Bitfocus Companion. It's already in the list.
- 2. Describe what you're seeing. In your own words, or the error code off the screen.
- 3. Get the likeliest fix first. Steps in order, the manual page when there is one, and a note when other techs have confirmed it.
- 4. Still broken? Tap 👎 and it keeps going from where you left off.