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The main benefit is that it makes Steam not depend anymore on the installed packages of the host Linux distribution. Part of this is that Steam can still use 3

by simosx 7y ago

The main benefit is that it makes Steam not depend anymore on the installed packages of the host Linux distribution. Part of this is that Steam can still use 32-bit libraries even when the host Linux distribution has fully moved to 64-bit. See recent discussion at https://ubuntu.com/blog/statement-on-32-bit-i386-packages-for-ubuntu-19-10-and-20-04-lts https://ubuntu.com/blog/statement-on-32-bit-i386-packages-fo... While you would have expected from Valve to use an existing container platform, they went ahead and used directly the security features of the Linux kernel in Steam.

the8472 7y ago
Assuming your kernel is compiled with IA32 emulation
- yjftsjthsd-h 7y ago
  It's not emulation; x86_64 processors are backwards compatible (to a fault, arguably...), so it's just a little bit of support that AFAIK everyone leaves enabled because why not.
  - the8472 7y ago
    I am aware, nevertheless the flag is called CONFIG_IA32_EMULATION because the 64bit kernel is emulating the 32bit syscall interface.
    - non-entity 7y ago
      I'm building a new PC soon and plan on trying my hand at a Gentoo box. Is this something I want to make sure is set if I wish to use steam?
      - icebraining 7y ago
        For now, I think it's the default everywhere.
AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
> The main benefit is that it makes Steam not depend anymore on the installed packages of the host Linux distribution. Now if only most other Linux software could do that.
- vpzom 7y ago
  Aah no!
- navigatr 7y ago
  You get this with Snaps, Flatpak and AppImages
  - AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
    I'd argue you really only get it with AppImage, which is treated like garbage by the community as a whole.
- baroffoos 7y ago
  Its not needed since most linux software is open source and gets packaged properly for each distro.
  - AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
    And when it isn't one of those things, well, fuck you I guess. That's one of the biggest reasons I think a lot of people don't use Linux, yet the Linux Desktop community consistently ignores and dismisses the issue and then wonders why Linux Desktop isn't more popular.
    - jdnenej 7y ago
      Flatpak exists to solve this problem.
      - AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
MertsA 7y ago
This might actually get me back into using Steam on Linux. I've bought cheap old school games "ported" to Linux that were just Wine underneath and the endless hassle of trying to get the dependencies fixed to where it wouldn't crash took literally hours and then halfway through the game it crashes and I wasn't even able to fix that one. Being able to just wrap everything up all nice and neat in a fixed environment could be a godsend for some of these old games.

by simosx 7y ago

the8472 7y ago

Assuming your kernel is compiled with IA32 emulation

yjftsjthsd-h 7y ago
It's not emulation; x86_64 processors are backwards compatible (to a fault, arguably...), so it's just a little bit of support that AFAIK everyone leaves enabled because why not.
- the8472 7y ago
  I am aware, nevertheless the flag is called CONFIG_IA32_EMULATION because the 64bit kernel is emulating the 32bit syscall interface.
  - non-entity 7y ago
    I'm building a new PC soon and plan on trying my hand at a Gentoo box. Is this something I want to make sure is set if I wish to use steam?
    - icebraining 7y ago
      For now, I think it's the default everywhere.

AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago

> The main benefit is that it makes Steam not depend anymore on the installed packages of the host Linux distribution. Now if only most other Linux software could do that.

vpzom 7y ago
Aah no!
navigatr 7y ago
You get this with Snaps, Flatpak and AppImages
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
  I'd argue you really only get it with AppImage, which is treated like garbage by the community as a whole.
baroffoos 7y ago
Its not needed since most linux software is open source and gets packaged properly for each distro.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago
  And when it isn't one of those things, well, fuck you I guess. That's one of the biggest reasons I think a lot of people don't use Linux, yet the Linux Desktop community consistently ignores and dismisses the issue and then wonders why Linux Desktop isn't more popular.
  - jdnenej 7y ago
    Flatpak exists to solve this problem.
    - AnIdiotOnTheNet 7y ago

MertsA 7y ago

This might actually get me back into using Steam on Linux. I've bought cheap old school games "ported" to Linux that were just Wine underneath and the endless hassle of trying to get the dependencies fixed to where it wouldn't crash took literally hours and then halfway through the game it crashes and I wasn't even able to fix that one. Being able to just wrap everything up all nice and neat in a fixed environment could be a godsend for some of these old games.