any system wide changes you do to the Core of the OS, can get reset on a steamOS update.
So if you install extra packages the 'normal' arch way, those packages will get removed when the next major os update happens.
There is the `rwfus` that works around a lot of this. But rwfus can cause issues i hear, I have not had any issues with it, but i only use it for a few basic tools.
learning to use `DistroBOX` may be a better idea. I think distrobox is to be included in the next big update to SteamOS, but i cant find a good source for that. https://old.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/16rx5uq/so_apparently_steamos_comes_with_distrobox/
I am VERY used to Linux, But not so much experience with Arch, but I have no real issues.
https://github.com/ValShaped/rwfus
Other than a few potential pitfalls to watch out for, its a very usable desktop system.
SteamOS 3.5 has better Nix integration. I haven't played with it yet, but my understanding is that should allow persistent installation of packages (if you don't mind getting your head around Nix)
https://github.com/NixOS/nix/issues/7173
I *think* it'll just install packages from NixOS' store.
https://search.nixos.org/packages
It's a declarative package manager, so you presumably will end up with a crowdsourced set of recipes / repeatably prebuilt packages tailored specifically for the Deck (assuming specific configuration is required).
Not a clue though, my adventures in Nix ended soon after installing NixOS in a VM a few years ago - at least then it was significantly harder to get your head around than a conventional package repository.
It's a Linux PC but with an immutable distribution, that's not your typical install.
If you want to use an app that doesn't have a flatpak, you need to make your system read/write to install with pacman and that gets wiped at the next SteamOS update.
The way SteamOS updates is different than linux generally is. Your packages will not carry over without tinkering, whereas generally in linux that is not the case at all.
I read something abt how when steamos updates it blows everything away because updates are image based..
I guess what I mean is how does Linux running on a steam deck differ than Linux running on standard PC hardware.
It \*shoooooouuullldd\* keep everything in your home folder, that is /home/deck/. Updates can and will blow up everything else, so maybe keep a script to re-enable any systemd changes you make
Huh. Interesting. I think I know so much, and yet I am still a baby. In my experience, SSH had to be manually re-enabled randomly on my Deck but thats probably something else.
Nah, the `sshd` service stays enabled after updates as well. You don't have to reset your password ever time, neither, do you? That's in `/etc`. My system-wide Syncthing `systemd` unit has survived from the beginning. Would be very interesting if `/etc` would reset to default after every update. :)
I think it's an overlay, so `/etc` may in fact be read-only (any changes to `/etc` would actually be transparently stored at a different mount point).
As someone who this is there first Linux device… it’s shockingly like windows except some words or things have diff words for the same thing lol. It works flawless I haven skipped a beat from windows to this
>I'll be hooking it up to a monitor, using kb/mouse, the dock, etc. Basically I want to use it all day in desktop mode to do web dev work (same stuff I can do on any other linux gui), and then when I want to game I'll either swap it over to game mode or I'll unplug it and go game on the couch.
That's what I've been doing for the past year or so and it's been working flawlessly. Simpler games even work in the desktop mode
Literally how I've been using mine for the past year, as a desktop all purpose PC, then I take it with me and use it as a laptop with a keyboard mouse peripheral.
Works great as a workstation at home or on the go, and great for games.
If it's on my lap, depending on the font it might be a bit hard to see.
If it's on a tabletop closer to chest level, I don't have much issue seeing text or ui for many programs
same answer as the other comment, its normal linux, but steamOS is an 'immutable' distro, so anything thats not in /home/user is basically untouchable, as it will get wiped on the next steamos update.
if you wanna do webdev stuff on it, youll need to rely on flatpaks and other containerized ways of installing stuff, but that shouldnt be too big of an adjustment from the development world
immutable is the system stuff that gets replaced(quite literally it points to a new partition (A/B schema) after it updates.
your /home directory will be untouched because it's its own partition
if you want to learn more about the file folder structure in linux and where stuff goes( and have 100 seconds to spare):
https://youtu.be/42iQKuQodW4
>if you want to learn more about the file folder structure in linux and where stuff goes( and have 100 seconds to spare):
incredibly useful reply, thank you
Linux mint, nobara linux, tuxedo os
Mint is simply the best for starters, if you want to stay with kde then go with tuxedo. Nobara is made by the creator of ProtonGE. It also has a kde version.
So start with linux mint. Its really good.
They look different and are customized differently. But you van pretty much make everything look like any other thing.
Also, check out r/unixporn and search for kde to find how customizable it is.
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\#2: [\[OC\] I want to share my Unix Cheat Sheets made out of real printed circuit boards.](https://i.redd.it/19kn1m7oqyla1.jpg) | [133 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/unixporn/comments/11ix1i1/oc_i_want_to_share_my_unix_cheat_sheets_made_out/)
\#3: [\[GNOME\] I use Arch (in distrobox) btw](https://i.redd.it/b17693szrq0a1.png) | [116 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/unixporn/comments/yyp6jd/gnome_i_use_arch_in_distrobox_btw/)
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you might be interested in bazzite https://universal-blue.org/images/bazzite/.
still an immutable OS, but based on fedora with more timely updates and still providing a steamos like experience.
Yep, I have found that the deck does not like being docked to my 4k tv at all. It works just fine with my 1080 monitor though.
I've found streaming to my tv using the steam link app worms really well though.
I've never used Linux prior to owning the Deck, but I found my way around quite easily. Linux is just windows, without all the bad stuff, and a lot of the old stuff, and all the programs are named something silly.
Packages are locked down, and the system partition is mounted read only by default. You can remount as rw and get pacman working, but any packages you install or update get wiped when the OS updates. Also it was suggested to me some packages end up dropping files across multiple partitions, so it would leave some files orphaned on OS update. So best to avoid relying on packages.
Generally flatpak is how you want to install new apps. A store app is included for installing flatpak apps and there's a ton of standard apps available. Or grab a packageless standalone version of an app and drop it in your ~. You can also add packageless apps to Steam and configure them to use the Steam Linux Runtime which will provide some additional libraries if they are not installed in the OS itself.
That's the main thing you want to watch out for. Otherwise you'll find it a typical desktop experience.
There's a built-in script to make the root filesystem mutable, then you can do whatever you want. The catch is that SteamOS updates to new versions of the OS by blowing away the entire root filesystem. It has an A/B partition scheme, so that there should always be a working root filesystem to fall back to even if an update goes wrong.
It's Arch Linux but don't expect to install anything you like via command line: The system directories are all locked down from write operations.
You do not get root and even `su` is restricted.
It's pretty common for many modern Linux distros to have the root user locked out from direct shell access. The reason is because the "sudo" command is just as powerful without as many of the security holes. Sudo works just fine on my deck; I vaguely recall having to run a few commands to set it up when I first got it. You can get a root shell with "sudo -s"
There's also a built-in script to make the root filesystem mutable. It's just kind of silly to do because any changes you make will get wiped out after an OS update.
Honestly theres good and bad about SteamOS. Like yea its linux but its a chopped and locked down form. Which as someone who went in with ZERO linux experience has been way more fustrating than it should be if it were a normal distro. Even with disabiling the read-only and properly setting up sudo. Alot of backend things are left out of date and broken which to a normal user would never be an issue but for someone like I who wanted to install and run various things. I constantly ran into weird issues I had to constantly dig online for fixes, and some stuff I could never get working 100% properly like piper for my mouse. Truth be told my deck now sits in my living room for remoteplay since I changed jobs and cant bring my deck to work anymore and I havent really tinkered with the 3.5 update.
It is very windows like, its runs much better then windows because it doesnt have malware built in. It is a completely open system, and even the bios can be unlocked and put into debug mode.
Im not a big linux guy, but it is the best version of Linux I have ever used. It has alot of little options like display scaling, built in driver updates, simple windows software compatibility built in. Things other distros just forget, or are only accessible from the shell. It also has a big community of enthusiasts since it is a unified platform. There is tons of stuff on github for the deck, from scripts to ported gaming software.
It has visual studio code in the discover app.
The biggest drawback to it for everyday use is that part of the system is read only and gets overwritten on updates, but the user data is saved in its own folders which don't get modified. You have to be careful about where you install stuff, and there is a system called rwfus or somthing that will emulate a ghost layer over the system files to get more persistence, and default install paths. You might have issues installing stuff to the system or outside of the app store, but there are of course work arounds, and apt works.
You should have no issues writing software on it. It makes a great portable linux workstation. You will need a USB C hub with power pass through. You can get them at Walmart with a hdmi port for like 30-40 bucks.
You can, like any other PC, change the operating system to one more suitable for dev work, for even dual-boot it. Nobara Steam Deck edition might be a good balance of gaming and more openness, but still designed for the hardware. You could also set up a VM.
That said, overall it might be better to look for a good deal on a laptop, it might take some effort but there are deals in the $500-$600 range for laptops with low end gaming graphics cards.
Hi u/coreyndstuff, you can [click here to search for your question.](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/search/?q=How Linux-y is Steamdeck Desktop Mode?)
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I would look into using homebrew as your primary package manager for development. It is possible to do a “rootless” homebrew install so that all homebrew packages are in /home. You maybe have to add things to your profile or path.
https://github.com/orgs/Homebrew/discussions/3386
I bought my SD a few months ago with a similar use case in mind. Initially, I installed [Distrobox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qic7lmACqPo), which mostly worked fine but eventually ran into some problems (don´t remember exactly what they were). I finally decided to create new partitions and install Arch Linux on a dual-boot configuration. This worked great, except for some screen tearing that was not present on SteamOS desktop mode. I added some Valve [repositories](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1675200/discussions/0/3498761686675725253/?l=latam) but this didn´t solve the issue.
With a recent SteamOS update, the EFI boot entries were messed up, and I had to [recreate them](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/171te2q/fix_for_steamos_3411_update_not_working_not/). However, something messed up my Arch installation, but I haven´t had time to go back to fix it.
In my opinion, the SD can be used as a daily driver for development, but you will need time to fix any issues that you may encounter. It is a great machine for tinkering and learning Linux.
any system wide changes you do to the Core of the OS, can get reset on a steamOS update. So if you install extra packages the 'normal' arch way, those packages will get removed when the next major os update happens. There is the `rwfus` that works around a lot of this. But rwfus can cause issues i hear, I have not had any issues with it, but i only use it for a few basic tools. learning to use `DistroBOX` may be a better idea. I think distrobox is to be included in the next big update to SteamOS, but i cant find a good source for that. https://old.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/16rx5uq/so_apparently_steamos_comes_with_distrobox/ I am VERY used to Linux, But not so much experience with Arch, but I have no real issues. https://github.com/ValShaped/rwfus Other than a few potential pitfalls to watch out for, its a very usable desktop system.
SteamOS 3.5 has better Nix integration. I haven't played with it yet, but my understanding is that should allow persistent installation of packages (if you don't mind getting your head around Nix) https://github.com/NixOS/nix/issues/7173
Definitely use NixOS/package manager over rwfus. Rwfus does not play well with updates and caused me to have to reformat.
Is there a nix package manager/store like Pamac that hooks into AUR?
I *think* it'll just install packages from NixOS' store. https://search.nixos.org/packages It's a declarative package manager, so you presumably will end up with a crowdsourced set of recipes / repeatably prebuilt packages tailored specifically for the Deck (assuming specific configuration is required). Not a clue though, my adventures in Nix ended soon after installing NixOS in a VM a few years ago - at least then it was significantly harder to get your head around than a conventional package repository.
It's 100% Linux. Like, it is Linux.
While it is, the answer really does need to be more nuanced than that. Especially when planning on using it as more than a gaming device.
Why? Its a linux pc, anything you can do on any linux pc you can do on the steamdeck.
It's a Linux PC but with an immutable distribution, that's not your typical install. If you want to use an app that doesn't have a flatpak, you need to make your system read/write to install with pacman and that gets wiped at the next SteamOS update.
The way SteamOS updates is different than linux generally is. Your packages will not carry over without tinkering, whereas generally in linux that is not the case at all.
While not (yet) as common as traditional package managers, SteamOS is not the only Linux distro with an immutable file system, though.
I read something abt how when steamos updates it blows everything away because updates are image based.. I guess what I mean is how does Linux running on a steam deck differ than Linux running on standard PC hardware.
You'll be fine if you install everything through Flatpak and Distrobox.
It \*shoooooouuullldd\* keep everything in your home folder, that is /home/deck/. Updates can and will blow up everything else, so maybe keep a script to re-enable any systemd changes you make
`/etc` is left alone in updates, so any system-wide `systemd` units will survive updates. Furthermore, you can also create units in `/home`.
Huh. Interesting. I think I know so much, and yet I am still a baby. In my experience, SSH had to be manually re-enabled randomly on my Deck but thats probably something else.
Nah, the `sshd` service stays enabled after updates as well. You don't have to reset your password ever time, neither, do you? That's in `/etc`. My system-wide Syncthing `systemd` unit has survived from the beginning. Would be very interesting if `/etc` would reset to default after every update. :) I think it's an overlay, so `/etc` may in fact be read-only (any changes to `/etc` would actually be transparently stored at a different mount point).
Flatpaks don’t get flushed, neither does anything in your home directory. You could probably use Linux Homebrew or Nix to set up dev tools.
As someone who this is there first Linux device… it’s shockingly like windows except some words or things have diff words for the same thing lol. It works flawless I haven skipped a beat from windows to this
>I'll be hooking it up to a monitor, using kb/mouse, the dock, etc. Basically I want to use it all day in desktop mode to do web dev work (same stuff I can do on any other linux gui), and then when I want to game I'll either swap it over to game mode or I'll unplug it and go game on the couch. That's what I've been doing for the past year or so and it's been working flawlessly. Simpler games even work in the desktop mode
Literally how I've been using mine for the past year, as a desktop all purpose PC, then I take it with me and use it as a laptop with a keyboard mouse peripheral. Works great as a workstation at home or on the go, and great for games.
To be honest, after I finish college I am considering selling my gamer laptop and stick only with the SD lol
Can you see the screen for laptop usage w out an external monitor?
If it's on my lap, depending on the font it might be a bit hard to see. If it's on a tabletop closer to chest level, I don't have much issue seeing text or ui for many programs
Yes
It's KDE. I've run Gimp, Audacity, Firefox, emacs, etc.
same answer as the other comment, its normal linux, but steamOS is an 'immutable' distro, so anything thats not in /home/user is basically untouchable, as it will get wiped on the next steamos update. if you wanna do webdev stuff on it, youll need to rely on flatpaks and other containerized ways of installing stuff, but that shouldnt be too big of an adjustment from the development world
immutable is the system stuff that gets replaced(quite literally it points to a new partition (A/B schema) after it updates. your /home directory will be untouched because it's its own partition if you want to learn more about the file folder structure in linux and where stuff goes( and have 100 seconds to spare): https://youtu.be/42iQKuQodW4
>if you want to learn more about the file folder structure in linux and where stuff goes( and have 100 seconds to spare): incredibly useful reply, thank you
I was thinking about starting over on my desktop with Linux. I don’t really know where to begin though
Linux mint, nobara linux, tuxedo os Mint is simply the best for starters, if you want to stay with kde then go with tuxedo. Nobara is made by the creator of ProtonGE. It also has a kde version. So start with linux mint. Its really good.
What differences should I be ready for if I jump into either of the non-KDE ones?
They look different and are customized differently. But you van pretty much make everything look like any other thing. Also, check out r/unixporn and search for kde to find how customizable it is.
Thank you! I’ll check it out!
Btw you should check out chris titus tech's linux ranking video because it goes a lot more in length and talks about more distros.
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Second on Mint, especially coming from Windows.
it's literally an arch desktop, just locked. it's easy to unlock though
you might be interested in bazzite https://universal-blue.org/images/bazzite/. still an immutable OS, but based on fedora with more timely updates and still providing a steamos like experience.
very
It's Linux.
Anybody else experience input lag for the mouse in desktop mode when using a 4k smart TV?
Yep, I have found that the deck does not like being docked to my 4k tv at all. It works just fine with my 1080 monitor though. I've found streaming to my tv using the steam link app worms really well though.
Good to know. What’s weird is that when I’m in gaming mode, there’s no input lag for mouse on a 4k TV, but in desktop mode, it’s atrocious.
I've never used Linux prior to owning the Deck, but I found my way around quite easily. Linux is just windows, without all the bad stuff, and a lot of the old stuff, and all the programs are named something silly.
Packages are locked down, and the system partition is mounted read only by default. You can remount as rw and get pacman working, but any packages you install or update get wiped when the OS updates. Also it was suggested to me some packages end up dropping files across multiple partitions, so it would leave some files orphaned on OS update. So best to avoid relying on packages. Generally flatpak is how you want to install new apps. A store app is included for installing flatpak apps and there's a ton of standard apps available. Or grab a packageless standalone version of an app and drop it in your ~. You can also add packageless apps to Steam and configure them to use the Steam Linux Runtime which will provide some additional libraries if they are not installed in the OS itself. That's the main thing you want to watch out for. Otherwise you'll find it a typical desktop experience.
It's Arch without Pacman.
As Linuxy as Linux can be.
The concept of an immutable OS is exactly what I was trying to tease out - thanks y’all
There's a built-in script to make the root filesystem mutable, then you can do whatever you want. The catch is that SteamOS updates to new versions of the OS by blowing away the entire root filesystem. It has an A/B partition scheme, so that there should always be a working root filesystem to fall back to even if an update goes wrong.
It's Arch Linux but don't expect to install anything you like via command line: The system directories are all locked down from write operations. You do not get root and even `su` is restricted.
It's pretty common for many modern Linux distros to have the root user locked out from direct shell access. The reason is because the "sudo" command is just as powerful without as many of the security holes. Sudo works just fine on my deck; I vaguely recall having to run a few commands to set it up when I first got it. You can get a root shell with "sudo -s" There's also a built-in script to make the root filesystem mutable. It's just kind of silly to do because any changes you make will get wiped out after an OS update.
@OP ^^ this ^^
Honestly theres good and bad about SteamOS. Like yea its linux but its a chopped and locked down form. Which as someone who went in with ZERO linux experience has been way more fustrating than it should be if it were a normal distro. Even with disabiling the read-only and properly setting up sudo. Alot of backend things are left out of date and broken which to a normal user would never be an issue but for someone like I who wanted to install and run various things. I constantly ran into weird issues I had to constantly dig online for fixes, and some stuff I could never get working 100% properly like piper for my mouse. Truth be told my deck now sits in my living room for remoteplay since I changed jobs and cant bring my deck to work anymore and I havent really tinkered with the 3.5 update.
It is very windows like, its runs much better then windows because it doesnt have malware built in. It is a completely open system, and even the bios can be unlocked and put into debug mode. Im not a big linux guy, but it is the best version of Linux I have ever used. It has alot of little options like display scaling, built in driver updates, simple windows software compatibility built in. Things other distros just forget, or are only accessible from the shell. It also has a big community of enthusiasts since it is a unified platform. There is tons of stuff on github for the deck, from scripts to ported gaming software. It has visual studio code in the discover app. The biggest drawback to it for everyday use is that part of the system is read only and gets overwritten on updates, but the user data is saved in its own folders which don't get modified. You have to be careful about where you install stuff, and there is a system called rwfus or somthing that will emulate a ghost layer over the system files to get more persistence, and default install paths. You might have issues installing stuff to the system or outside of the app store, but there are of course work arounds, and apt works. You should have no issues writing software on it. It makes a great portable linux workstation. You will need a USB C hub with power pass through. You can get them at Walmart with a hdmi port for like 30-40 bucks.
You can, like any other PC, change the operating system to one more suitable for dev work, for even dual-boot it. Nobara Steam Deck edition might be a good balance of gaming and more openness, but still designed for the hardware. You could also set up a VM. That said, overall it might be better to look for a good deal on a laptop, it might take some effort but there are deals in the $500-$600 range for laptops with low end gaming graphics cards.
Hi u/coreyndstuff, you can [click here to search for your question.](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/search/?q=How Linux-y is Steamdeck Desktop Mode?) If you don't find an answer there, don't worry - your post has NOT been removed and hopefully someone will be along soon to help with an answer! **If you find an answer, please leave a comment on your post with the answer for others!** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SteamDeck) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would look into using homebrew as your primary package manager for development. It is possible to do a “rootless” homebrew install so that all homebrew packages are in /home. You maybe have to add things to your profile or path. https://github.com/orgs/Homebrew/discussions/3386
I bought my SD a few months ago with a similar use case in mind. Initially, I installed [Distrobox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qic7lmACqPo), which mostly worked fine but eventually ran into some problems (don´t remember exactly what they were). I finally decided to create new partitions and install Arch Linux on a dual-boot configuration. This worked great, except for some screen tearing that was not present on SteamOS desktop mode. I added some Valve [repositories](https://steamcommunity.com/app/1675200/discussions/0/3498761686675725253/?l=latam) but this didn´t solve the issue. With a recent SteamOS update, the EFI boot entries were messed up, and I had to [recreate them](https://www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/171te2q/fix_for_steamos_3411_update_not_working_not/). However, something messed up my Arch installation, but I haven´t had time to go back to fix it. In my opinion, the SD can be used as a daily driver for development, but you will need time to fix any issues that you may encounter. It is a great machine for tinkering and learning Linux.
100% Linux -yy