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Why would I want to do this?

neuropie 10y ago
At a guess it's to sandbox the Steam ecosystem? There was a Steam bug in the past where it would delete all contents of the user's home folder. I guess also Steam and its games are all closed source and people might not trust them as much.
- _asummers 10y ago
  Bug: https://github.com/valvesoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/3671 https://github.com/valvesoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/3671 HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8896186 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8896186 I regularly reference the # scary! comment at work.
tormeh 10y ago
I don't know much about Docker, but I know Steam for Linux is built for Ubuntu. Maybe Docker helps for distros like Fedora? The benefit is probably highest in the case of NixOS, because Steam changes stuff behind the scenes and so isn't really compatible with declarative package managers.
- aidenn0 10y ago
  NixOS generates a FHS compliant chroot for steam to be installed to, so it can do whatever it wants in that playground.
- arno1 10y ago
  @tormeh look at a Docker just like at a system that gets you the images (in "tar" archives) from the Docker Hub repo (or build them by yourself) and lets you run these "tar" images by leveraging the cgroups (Linux kernel abstraction feature that limits, isolates resource usage of a process). You may basically look at a Docker like at "chroot-on-steroids". And yes, it helps to run the images wherever you have Docker installed. There are few limitations though, especially when it comes to the point one needs to pass something from the host into a container (e.g. driver libraries, devices, special system paths or environment variables), since they may differ from distro to distro, from Platform to Platform.
- vertex-four 10y ago
  NixOS supports Steam wonderfully - it creates a half-container (alternate filesystem root, shared networking) which looks like what Steam expects, has full access to graphics drivers and your home directory, and can be executed like any other app (run "steam"). The full Docker infrastructure isn't really necessary.
aidenn0 10y ago
I'm interested because linux distros not named "Ubuntu" have varying difficulties running steam. The distributions with smaller communities often will figure out how to do it, and then shortly a steam update breaks it. Or 32-bit games work but not 64, or vice-versa. Or ...
- arno1 10y ago
  Yeah, one of the points which pushed me creating this image! I have tested HL engine based games and CS:GO which has its csgo_linux64 binary, causing lots of people to complain they could not run it, since Steam itself is 32-bit one. With this image it is not a problem, since I am preloading all the necessary libraries. It, though, still needs some polishing... @all: I appreciate your advice / PR !
- lisivka 10y ago
  Yeah, it is why we (Linux Users) hate proprietary software.

At a guess it's to sandbox the Steam ecosystem? There was a Steam bug in the past where it would delete all contents of the user's home folder. I guess also Steam and its games are all closed source and people might not trust them as much.

_asummers 10y ago
Bug: https://github.com/valvesoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/3671 https://github.com/valvesoftware/steam-for-linux/issues/3671 HN discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8896186 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8896186 I regularly reference the # scary! comment at work.

tormeh 10y ago

I don't know much about Docker, but I know Steam for Linux is built for Ubuntu. Maybe Docker helps for distros like Fedora? The benefit is probably highest in the case of NixOS, because Steam changes stuff behind the scenes and so isn't really compatible with declarative package managers.

aidenn0 10y ago
NixOS generates a FHS compliant chroot for steam to be installed to, so it can do whatever it wants in that playground.
arno1 10y ago
@tormeh look at a Docker just like at a system that gets you the images (in "tar" archives) from the Docker Hub repo (or build them by yourself) and lets you run these "tar" images by leveraging the cgroups (Linux kernel abstraction feature that limits, isolates resource usage of a process). You may basically look at a Docker like at "chroot-on-steroids". And yes, it helps to run the images wherever you have Docker installed. There are few limitations though, especially when it comes to the point one needs to pass something from the host into a container (e.g. driver libraries, devices, special system paths or environment variables), since they may differ from distro to distro, from Platform to Platform.
vertex-four 10y ago
NixOS supports Steam wonderfully - it creates a half-container (alternate filesystem root, shared networking) which looks like what Steam expects, has full access to graphics drivers and your home directory, and can be executed like any other app (run "steam"). The full Docker infrastructure isn't really necessary.

aidenn0 10y ago

I'm interested because linux distros not named "Ubuntu" have varying difficulties running steam. The distributions with smaller communities often will figure out how to do it, and then shortly a steam update breaks it. Or 32-bit games work but not 64, or vice-versa. Or ...

arno1 10y ago
Yeah, one of the points which pushed me creating this image! I have tested HL engine based games and CS:GO which has its csgo_linux64 binary, causing lots of people to complain they could not run it, since Steam itself is 32-bit one. With this image it is not a problem, since I am preloading all the necessary libraries. It, though, still needs some polishing... @all: I appreciate your advice / PR !
lisivka 10y ago
Yeah, it is why we (Linux Users) hate proprietary software.