Linux 6.7 Adding New Feature To Btrfs For The Steam Deck

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Linux 6.7 Adding New Feature To Btrfs For The Steam Deck

Queued up into the Btrfs file-system driver's "for-next" branch ahead of the Linux 6.7 cycle is the Temp-FSID (Same-FSID) feature that is being pursued for use by Valve's Steam Deck game console. The functionality is to overcome a limitation of allowing Btrfs to mount two different devices holding the same file-system image and therefore the same file-system ID...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Linux-6.7-Btrfs-Same-FSID

[Eirikr1848]

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again:

I for one welcome Valve’s style of corporate-yet-truly-open approach to open-source software and upstream software development.

All the other companies doing “open” projects really need to take a look at this model and replicate it.

In Valve’s case: their contributions benefit those down the line to want to run Steam on Linux overall.

This also sets up HoloOS to be its own mainstream OS down the line!

[Chugworth]

Why are they even still looking at a partition model when dealing with Btrfs? It already provides the perfect solution for them through subvolumes.

[bple2137]

Why are they even still looking at a partition model when dealing with Btrfs? It already provides the perfect solution for them through subvolumes.

It's all about reliability. SteamOS is installed twice, because if one filesystem goes down, the other can still work, therefore the device can heal itself without user even noticing. Sub-volumes won't do that as they're basically directories with extra steps that you can mount as individual filesystems among other features, but in fact they all sit in a single BTRFS instance.

[Chugworth]

It's all about reliability. SteamOS is installed twice, because if one filesystem goes down, the other can still work, therefore the device can heal itself without user even noticing. Sub-volumes won't do that as they're basically directories with extra steps that you can mount as individual filesystems among other features, but in fact they all sit in a single BTRFS instance.

And two partitions would sit on a single SSD drive, which can fail. They could keep the system data on a read-only subvolume, and when an update happens, create a new read-only subvolume but not delete the first. They could have two separate copies of the system data, or as many as they desire.

Though personally I think having two completely separate copies of the data is a waste of space for a gaming device where games take up a huge amount of storage. They should store the system data on a read-only subvolume, and use the Btrfs send/receive feature to receive an updated snapshot of the changed data. That would reduce download size as well as the amount of storage used. And applying the update would be almost instant once it's downloaded.

[Quackdoc]

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again:

I for one welcome Valve’s style of corporate-yet-truly-open approach to open-source software and upstream software development.

All the other companies doing “open” projects really need to take a look at this model and replicate it.

In Valve’s case: their contributions benefit those down the line to want to run Steam on Linux overall.

This also sets up HoloOS to be its own mainstream OS down the line!

I've been saying this for years, we need more corporate influenced consumer oriented companies working on linux, this is why I really like what S76 is doing, I am not the biggest fan of their design style, but that is entirely preference. I do like it when companies come in and try to make a product actually worth selling

[cynic]

And two partitions would sit on a single SSD drive, which can fail. They could keep the system data on a read-only subvolume, and when an update happens, create a new read-only subvolume but not delete the first. They could have two separate copies of the system data, or as many as they desire.

Though personally I think having two completely separate copies of the data is a waste of space for a gaming device where games take up a huge amount of storage. They should store the system data on a read-only subvolume, and use the Btrfs send/receive feature to receive an updated snapshot of the changed data. That would reduce download size as well as the amount of storage used. And applying the update would be almost instant once it's downloaded.

I don't know the architecture or the needs of Valve's products, but indeed the solution you proposed is the same I would use.

The only reason to not use it I can think of is that they don't want to be too reliant on btrfs features and have a more generic solution that they can use on any filesystem.

[darkbasic]

I think they still can't use btrfs though, because of the lack of case insensitive options.

[andrea76]

A question: their Steam Deck can be used as a desktop computer?

[carewolf]

A question: their Steam Deck can be used as a desktop computer?

Yes it can.