Valve Issues A Big Steam Beta Update With Better Overlay, Linux Hardware Acceleration

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Valve Issues A Big Steam Beta Update With Better Overlay, Linux Hardware Acceleration

Valve is working toward the end of April on a high note as they issued a "significant" update to the Steam client beta...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Steam-Beta-Big-EO-April-2023

[naoliv]

Yet they can't fix simple stuff like https://github.com/ValveSoftware/ste...ux/issues/7222 or https://github.com/ValveSoftware/ste...ux/issues/7716

[stormcrow]

If it's not 64 bit clean on Linux (and Windows), a universal binary (Intel/Apple - that's right, outside of 64 bit binaries required since Monterey, Steam client is still Intel only) on MacOS, and ends the practice of dropping all files in a game with all permissions enabled on Unix-like filesystems (rwx or r-x, 777 or 755) regardless of the type of file , then the release is not at all interesting. I mean, come on, it's even making icon files executable! WTF. It's just more of the same cosmetic changes - lipstick on a pig. They've been dragging their feet on these things for 15 years on the 64 bit clean part, since 2020 on universal binaries for Apple, and since its original release on Linux and OS-X/MacOS for the stupidly awful permissions. Enough is enough. This company deserves no praise.

[mos87]

Linux Steam client with precious few Linux games that is.

[mos87]

the practice of dropping all files in a game with all permissions enabled on Unix-like filesystems (rwx or r-x, 777 or 755) regardless of the type of file , then the release is not at all interesting. I mean, come on, it's even making icon files executable! WTF.

Calm down Sir, my code below, provide help ASAP Sir.

(Really who cares about perms on ones localhost, even if its ugly.
I perosnally care about the lack of Linux games and it's 2023 and hetero-platformism is in full swing... Yet still they produce windoze-only rubbish)

[toastal]

Will this finally be the one that can support 10-bit color for modern displays? Or will it continue to segfault?

[edxposed]

Valve: 32 bits is enough

[Melcar]

Still no way to change font size without resorting to dubious custom skins or hacking?

[rabcor]

I tried it. Short of it is:
Steam client scrolling and video playback is smoother, but otherwise client is buggy as ever.
Steam overlay is nicer, but still just as buggy as ever (weird, I thought the point was for it to not be as buggy as ever... was that not the point of this update?)
Steam settings menus are a bit nicer.
Some games will hard freeze on launch or shortly after if you have steam overlay enabled with them in this beta. (Like Valheim; maybe other unity games too?)

[stormcrow]

Calm down Sir, my code below, provide help ASAP Sir.

(Really who cares about perms on ones localhost, even if its ugly.
I perosnally care about the lack of Linux games and it's 2023 and hetero-platformism is in full swing... Yet still they produce windoze-only rubbish)

Because it's a known security risk that would have been trivial to fix at the outset (now it's a big issue because it was ignored for 2 decades). Duh. So anyone with half a brain should care. Proper file and escalation permissions are a basic security feature even on Windows let alone Unix-like systems and Valve can't even get that right. You're right, it's a local problem. But local problems have a regular habit of becoming part of attack chains. Only someone living under a rock, both fingers in their ears, and singing at the top of his lungs would miss contemporary security trends that regularly feature poor local security practices into viable exploits - including using Steam when available. But that's fine, you don't care, you do you. But those that do care about the security of their machines shouldn't be using Steam on an important machine (full stop right here if it's a really important machine - Steam is an attack vector already even if all you are is a gamer, your Steam account itself is a target, the rest of your local user account is just gravy for gangs, that doesn't even include state targeted individuals) till they actually fix the basic problems with security implications they've ignored for too damned long.

As for all the Windows games... maybe because developer time is money and Linux systems only account for less than 1% of Steam's clientele according to Valve's reports? Most gamers are on consoles beyond Steam's reach to begin with because many people don't like Windows either.

If any development house is developing commercial games for Linux it's not because they're making a big (if any) profit off it. It's because some of their devs want to for whatever reason and somehow get the funding (probably through Valve subsidies), or the tools just create a Linux & Mac version as part of the build process with no extra effort like Ren'Py or relatively minor extra effort like with Unity. Valve has been subsidizing Linux ports and that's why most larger scope Linux games are appearing at all. You can show your contempt for Windows all you want, but Linux is not and probably never will be a major stand alone gaming platform outside of Android or a mostly invisible-to-the-user locked down gaming console. Steam Deck is unlikely to reach a critical mass as a gaming console in its current incarnation.

I have a sneaky suspicion that some of that shift from Linux to Windows Valve's last reporting cycle is fueled by Steam Deck owners switching OSes after the previous report, but we never get real numbers to crunch so that's supposition.

Personally, I'm at the point where I'm migrating off Steam anyway. I'm just fed up with it. My Linux system doesn't have it installed. The Mac only has it for a couple of games. And I'm replacing the games I can and want to keep with equivalents from GOG.com when they go on deep discounts. Any new games I buy on GOG, other marketing platforms for small and niche indie devs like supporting their efforts via Patreon and Itch.io, or I just don't buy it.