I notice that Dota2 gets updated a lot. I wonder if that's a security measure or if it is just actively updated. I think it got updated twice in one day.

Advice; if you want to download a Windows game from Steam just to play it with a Linux-native engine (like ScummVM, gzdoom, Quakespasm, eduke32, etc), then use SteamCMD.

DOTA 2 is actively updated, they just recently switched to Valve's new Source 2 engine.

What type of drive did you install to, HDD or SSD?

How was the partitioning experience?

Does SteamOS only stay in Big Picture Mode?

I checked and it is one of the top played games so it is very popular. No doubt valve works on it a lot due to that. I think it has updated every time I started steamos. Not an issue but just an observation.

Installed to HDD. It creates all the partitions automatically, wiping the entire disk. But you can go to expert mode and change things. I didn't but probably would if I do it again.

Yes I think steam client on steamos only runs in BPM. Steamos is meant to be like a console. You know, you turn it on and there's one interface only.

I think they may have plans to disable a desktop linux mode. I saw some errors about a missing library called libpreventmodeswitching.so or something like that. So I was thinking maybe they intend to enable that prevention. I may also be 100% wrong on this though. Pure speculation with a touch of a hunch thrown in due to the missing lib name.

I am trying to get a game called redeclispse to play under steamos BPM but so far have not been able to make it work. I think I am close and just need to figure out which display to set the game to.

DISPLAY=:0.N

Where N is the right sub-display or something, but I'm really not sure. I did hear the intro music playing but could not see the game anywhere.

Dota2 continues to get large updates and it seems like everyday is normal for this game. It is played in teams for big bucks so I guess making the game secure keeps the game competitive. So lots of updates.

Also lots of updates to the steam client. Recently there were two in one day so they are really working hard for the launch as Oct. 16th approaches. There also were recent updates to steamos. I think two in the last week or so.

Just try to omit the .N part, usually this worksThough, usually the DISPLAY variable is already set to that value on systems that run only one X server.

That's the one i tried first, of course.

I think the problem I have is due to the use of overlays in steamos/BPM. I know nothing about them, so will have to look into them.

I do not like that steamos boots so SLOW. I think it is about 40 seconds until login prompt in BPM.
Maybe that is the steam client starting and connecting to valve. I am not sure.

Half-life 3 rumours are making the rounds since hl3.txt files have been found under directories for other games.
One was found under Dota2.

Maybe that's why there have been so many Dota2 updates. If I was going to be super sneaky and release HL3 I might send it out in pieces. Then one day reassemble all the pieces and say "Hey you have Half-Life 3 in your library! Play now?"

Hell yes I'll play now and there goes the day/night, whatever.

And you want have to download the entire game just a small update.


I found hl3.txt under a different game but I didn't look inside it yet. I will have to look closer at that.

Maybe they'll give hl3 away to loyal steamos users for helping them with feedback, betas, etc.

Booting is still slow. Also valve are updating steamos automatically now. On a couple of releases at least it required a check for updates by the user. I don't like the BPM mode, especially in the store. It's crippled compared to the steam client on linux.

I don't think I am going to stick with steamos in the long run. I am going to leave it as it is but eventually I am just going to put linux on and run the steam client. Steamos is a good start but it has a long, long way to go.

I ran into a bug recently. If you add another user to steamos then when steamos boots it stops at a GUI login screen. On this screen there is a gear icon to get to the settings menu. I guess the settings are for the steam user, which is the user that things run as, but you don't login as the steam user. Under this settings menu beta client participation is not selected. But if you login as your self then select beta participation it does download a new client. So it seems a normal user does have some permissions to the steam account. Might be a security issue but I'm not sure.

Also it seems that multiple users on one steamos box can overwrite another's game save data. This is a huge problem. Seems like such a basic thing. I am surprised about this.

A quick update and a query to you. I haven't turned on the steamos box in weeks. SteamOS is a long-play by Valve and I think it is the right play and in time it will matter a lot more than it does now. The 10-foot experience is really poor right now. The BPM is missing features that the linux steam client has, as mentioned before.

Currently if I turn on the steamos box now I will probably have to manually repair the update. It's always a problem now it seems. Something to do with the packaging system. Last time I had to run apt, apt-get, and I even used dpkg, to get things working.

I have read similar complaints from owners of official steam boxes.

As far as games on steamos, I haven't followed that real close. But I know there's little to no verification process done by Valve to determine if a game even runs on steamos. They seem to take the word of the developer while users, who are unable to play steamos games, are ignored.

My query to you is have you tried steamos? What do you think?