buffaloseven

This is fantastic. I’m not some Linux fanboy, but I am increasingly disillusioned that Microsoft cares to make Windows good in any meaningful way. Vulkan seems to be a far more efficient low-level graphics API compared to DirectX these days, and what’s been coming out of Valve seems to support that idea: a lot of performance issues on Linux are solvable problems.

I’m writing this from my Steam Deck which has become a more than capable general use PC even on its limited hardware. I was planning on getting a Steam Machine, and this ongoing work Valve is doing only makes me more confident in using that cute little box as a full jump away from the Microsoft stack. I recognize that’s not a viable option for everyone out there, but I’m excited to try.

Great article. I’ve used my Steam Deck as a very capable desktop PC. I do about 85% of my work on an iPad I take around with me, but whenever I bump into more friction than I’d like with it, I just pop over to Desktop mode on my Steam Deck.

Flatpaks seem the future for Linux as they simply abstract away the dependency hell that can get less knowledgeable users in big trouble. Having used macOS/OS X for many years, user agents as an alternative to system daemons are familiar to me, but I didn’t realize that SteamOS supported them; good to know!

I think that immutable operating systems are going to become more and more popular purely for the various security benefits that can come with them. Hopefully we continue to see the tools adapt to let us do more and more in user-space so we can get the benefits with few drawbacks.

This is a good list. The reality is that at the end of the day, you have a really important question to answer: Do I want access to this outside of my home network?

If you don’t, this can all be pretty easy; if you do, it gets significantly more complicated for most solutions.

Keeping it internal, it can be very simple: get Docker, fire up some containers of software you like, make sure you have your ports mapped properly and you’re off to the races. You’ll want to set up a system to make sure you’re at least aware if new versions of your software are released so you can upgrade, and that you have a backup system in place for your data.

I have a few things I now run on my home network, including:

• Homebridge - enables non-Homekit smart devices to be used with HomeKit
• Jellyfin - Media sharing
• Bitwarden (via the Vaultwarden fork) - Password manager
• Forgejo - Code repository
• Podsync - Convert YouTube channels to video Podcast feeds

I see your point, but I also think that Steam is so much more than what your example gives. In your case, Steam also has Instagram built in, it has photography forums, it has low-level interfaces to standardize hardware control across multiple camera brands and types, it has a body & lens store, it offers additional software to aid in photo editing, and… and… and…

It’s really an impressive accomplishment what Valve have done with Steam and the hardware/software in its orbit. And that’s not even mentioning all the work that they’ve poured into the open-source community to make Linux a viable gaming platform. Yes, it serves them all in the end, but little of it is easy and it’s all taken a lot of work over the years.

Really, just get whatever peripherals you like. Don’t expect to be able to do a lot of extra doodads since you won’t be running any extra software to enable advanced features, so just get something you like that’s comfortable.

I use the same keyboard and mouse I use with my primary computer: a Nuphy Air75 v2 keyboard and MX Master mouse.

I self-host Bitwarden and it’s been great. Used 1Password back in the day but their shift to SaaS has made it expensive and bloated with a bunch of crap I don’t care about. Made sure to set up a backup of the BW databases and auto-updating the docker image that it runs in. Set up secure access for my family, and even managed to host it for a couple friends.

Keepass has always interested me, but I haven’t been able to figure out if there’s a browser extension that supports accessing databases stored remotely as I use my passwords on a few computers I can’t install applications on, but I can use extensions.

Absolutely. It’s also an immense amount of work to get a platform up to a competitive standard with Steam; I’m not sure a small company will ever be able to catch up in any short term time frame.

But stores like Fanatical, GreenManGaming, GameBillet, etc. have the better idea of just being stores that focus on getting customers better deals. They don’t even attempt to edge onto Steam’s turf because a storefront can’t compete with Steam, nor can a half-baked launcher.

Reality is that Valve has functionally a 20 year head start on any company that wants to try and edge in on their turf. So it can’t be done just to get a cut of sales because you’re not going to have the follow-through to build the user base if that’s your reason.

Power Grid is a game I’ve played twice and…can’t tell if I ever want to play it again. It’s so math-y, yet I think that its market system is so elegant.

I always felt there was promise to a new store with a big backing to challenge Steam. I think Steam is great and it’s my primary PC games store, but I see the concern of only having one real player in the market. But EGS simply hasn’t done it. It feels like they recognized the reasons Steam is such a huge player in the space; it’s not just the library and the sales, but the level of consumer-focused support and features the platform offers. And that’s the key, Steam is a platform, not just a store.

EGS has never become a platform. It’s missing features, it’s social features are anemic, it’s like they put some effort in to get it off the ground and not broken, and then have just hoped giving away free games will somehow magically convince people to spend money there.

I think there’s reasons to be concerned about Steam, but you cannot ignore how broadly consumer friendly the platform is. Their hardware initiatives only highlight what a complete package their ecosystem is and they’re loaded with some of the most consumer-friendly choices in the industry.

EGS is stuck in no-man’s land. Steam is a better platform, GoG is more consumer-friendly. Humble has Choice which can be a good deal. Fanatical does a better job with sales and credit from purchase. EGS just kind of sits in a no-mans land with no compelling features other than you don’t need to spend money to get games, which is great for us but a terrible business strategy for Epic.