Latest 30 Comments
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Pyrate, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:33 pm UTC
The thing I initially wanted to highlight by mentioning the years is that we already have these technologies that can enable our freedoms, but for reasons, including convenience and laziness, we choose to ignore them.
By Pyrate, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:33 pm UTC
Can you enlighten me please?In hindsight yeah I definitely see how that came off cringier than I intended, whoops. But I did mean it when I said most people aren't ready or don't want to bother yet. In a way, they're right to write crypto off because for far longer than not the whole 'industry' (won't even call it that with how fake it overwhelmingly is) is full of scams and ponzi schemes. Bitcoin itself devolved even though it came first and was revolutionary in that regard. What I referred to when I said 2014 was Monero, you can think of it as the cash equivalent of Linux, PGP, the Tor network, and all the other foundational privacy-preserving projects.
Bitcoin launched in 2009, possibly that? He certainly worded that sentence like a true cryptobro.
The thing I initially wanted to highlight by mentioning the years is that we already have these technologies that can enable our freedoms, but for reasons, including convenience and laziness, we choose to ignore them.
News - Crazy Taxi: World Tour announced and it's using generative AI
By Caldathras, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:16 pm UTC
Like power tools, their purpose in the industrial system is to allow one person to more quickly do the work of many. The only difference is that power tools are a physical device while LLMs are digital (software dependent on a computer to function).
As to being incomparable, a team of human researchers (broadly used in the past) could do a better job than even the best LLM. They just wouldn't do it as quickly but they would be considerably more accurate and relevant.
By Caldathras, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:16 pm UTC
Quoting: SlaxerThis analogy only works if your power tools could magically come to life like they were characters in a Pixar movie and do the work you've commanded them to do.Is that truly how you perceive LLMs? There is nothing magical about them. That's just the PR speaking. They scrape data from a broad source and compile together anything that appears to match with your request, substituting your keywords when they are not already present. The heuristics the chat versions employ are slightly more advanced than those used in early text-adventure computer games. They are designed to simulate awareness but, despite the fundamentalism, they will never achieve sentience. They are a digital tool, nothing more.
Like power tools, their purpose in the industrial system is to allow one person to more quickly do the work of many. The only difference is that power tools are a physical device while LLMs are digital (software dependent on a computer to function).
Quoting: SlaxerLLMs are exceptional - and in my opinion - incomparable to anything in human history.There is nothing exceptional about LLMs. They are data scrapers. Unlike a team of human researchers, they are unable to discern context nor are they capable of comprehending the ideas behind the words they are scraping.
As to being incomparable, a team of human researchers (broadly used in the past) could do a better job than even the best LLM. They just wouldn't do it as quickly but they would be considerably more accurate and relevant.
News - Cave Story+ 2026 major update out now - Native Linux version dropped
By rea987, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:15 pm UTC
By rea987, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:15 pm UTC
The community kept warning them to not remove the native Linux version, but they deleted it anyway. Sigh... Time to diddle with old manifestids...
News - Moss: The Forgotten Relic gets Steam Deck Verified ahead of release
By Cley_Faye, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:46 pm UTC
By Cley_Faye, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:46 pm UTC
Oh, I've seen that this game was coming, but did not know it was mostly a port in "non-VR" (I keep myself in the dark with most games that looks interesting).
Unless there's major issues, I'll gladly take this version too. The experience in VR was very enjoyable, and I'd like to see it reimagined for a different medium, as well as the ability to play it in a more casual way.
Unless there's major issues, I'll gladly take this version too. The experience in VR was very enjoyable, and I'd like to see it reimagined for a different medium, as well as the ability to play it in a more casual way.
News - Cave Story+ 2026 major update out now - Native Linux version dropped
By Cley_Faye, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:40 pm UTC
By Cley_Faye, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:40 pm UTC
Nicalis brought some great games, but they really are hard to like.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By LoudTechie, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:13 pm UTC
By LoudTechie, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:13 pm UTC
Quoting: blindcoderOh come ON. The last option to bypass fuckers like Master and Visa policing content on Steam, and OF COURSE they do away with it.American Express, Discover, JCB, PayPal, Wero(for european customers), PaysafeCard and Klarna are all still options.
News - SteamOS 3.8.8 Beta brings fixes for MSI Claw controls in Desktop Mode
By ThatSpoonyBard, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:08 pm UTC
By ThatSpoonyBard, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:08 pm UTC
I have an OG LCD Steam Deck and have not been able to use any of the SteamOS 3.8.x betas. When I have them installed, they cripple my download speeds to just under 3 MB/s. Had anyone else seen this issue? I've tried disabling WiFi power management under developer options, but that hasn't made a difference.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By rea987, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:50 pm UTC
By rea987, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:50 pm UTC
Quoting: scaineThe article does note that digital wallet codes will continue to work and will remain available.
We also continue to offer Steam Digital Gift Cards, and are working to make this an even better experience. Guest checkout, which we added last year, is another way for family members and friends to gift Steam users with a digital card anytime.This doesn't clarify the digital cards being sold in 3rd party sites. Since my country of origin is different than my country of residence, same applies to my Steam account, hence I am not able use my debit card with my Steam account. Therefore, I need to use Steam wallet codes sold in 3rd party sides. If that's ending, this will affect me greatly...
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By tuubi, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:35 pm UTC
By tuubi, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:35 pm UTC
Quoting: mr-victoryYou guys have options other than Visa & MasterCard? All I have is Visa, MC and American Express here.Depends on your region. On top of the card payments, I've got a bunch of options like Skrill, Trustly, Klarna and PayPal. I don't like any of them but tend to choose Trustly.
Quoting: mr-victoryBitcoin launched in 2009, possibly that? He certainly worded that sentence like a true cryptobro.Quoting: PyrateThere has been a way to bypass those who control and dictate your money since 2009, and it's been perfected since 2014, but most people aren't ready for that conversation yet.Can you enlighten me please?
News - Discord joke that it's The Year of the Linux Desktop
By Slaxer, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:21 pm UTC
So when's the long anticipated "year of the Linux desktop"? Well - here's what my usual day of computing looks like...
All this done on Linux, and I've been doing this for about a decade now. I got news for you, the year of the Linux desktop is already here. It isn't a meme anymore.
By Slaxer, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:21 pm UTC
Quoting: LinuxwarperThere are numerous other things threatening Linux also. Like X11 vs Wayland politics, Rust (erosion of GPL license?) being forced, Systemd and so on. For a platform that we say and hope to be about freedom I sure see alot of resistance to people saying "No I dont want this". Somehow software and quality of code you present, what should be at core of Linux projects, is no longer most important. I don't want to discuss these things I've mentioned, my point is simple; Linux has no bulletproof vest. It can be shot down into an stagnating stage yet again. And by Linux I mean all the distros that value what sets Linux apart of all platforms: freedom.X11 still has a use case, but I'm pretty sure the vast majority of people understand that Wayland is the future. That being said, I'm actually one of the people that don't like Systemd, but I also don't think it's an existential threat, just as long as it doesn't become an absolute necessity. No OS has a "bulletproof vest", even Windows doesn't.
So when's the long anticipated "year of the Linux desktop"? Well - here's what my usual day of computing looks like...
- Do my work on Blender and Substance Painter
- Concept art on Krita
- Do internet stuff (browse, email)
- Play a game (Lately CS2 and emulators, sometimes Elden Ring)
- Talk to friends and family on Signal
- Possibly watch something streamed from my Jellyfin server (server is running Debian)
All this done on Linux, and I've been doing this for about a decade now. I got news for you, the year of the Linux desktop is already here. It isn't a meme anymore.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By mr-victory, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:57 pm UTC
By mr-victory, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:57 pm UTC
You guys have options other than Visa & MasterCard? All I have is Visa, MC and American Express here.
Quoting: PyrateThere has been a way to bypass those who control and dictate your money since 2009, and it's been perfected since 2014, but most people aren't ready for that conversation yet.Can you enlighten me please?
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Slaxer, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:51 pm UTC
By Slaxer, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:51 pm UTC
Well that sucks. I wish they'd start accepting Bitcoin again like they used to.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Pyrate, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:39 pm UTC
I do feel like with all these recent developments around the world, adapting to these technologies out of necessity is increasingly becoming a reality for a number of people.
By Pyrate, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:39 pm UTC
Quoting: blindcoderOh come ON. The last option to bypass fuckers like Master and Visa policing content on Steam, and OF COURSE they do away with it.There has been a way to bypass those who control and dictate your money since 2009, and it's been perfected since 2014, but most people aren't ready for that conversation yet.
I do feel like with all these recent developments around the world, adapting to these technologies out of necessity is increasingly becoming a reality for a number of people.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Nagezahn, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:20 pm UTC
By Nagezahn, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:20 pm UTC
How exactly will this stop scammers? Yes, they can't use Steam gift cards anymore, but there are a ton of other gift cards they will continue to use. So all this will do is a) harm legitimate users and b) shift the scammers to something else. Not a single person will be scammed less because of this change IMO. Or did I miss something crucial here? Please let me know.
News - EXODUS looks like a good fit for Mass Effect fans wanting something more
By Jarmer, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:49 pm UTC
By Jarmer, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:49 pm UTC
Quoting: AllwyndI remember playing through all 3 Mass Effect games in 2017 in the span of one weekwhoa. I wouldn't have even thought this to be humanly possible. That's ... impressive dedication.
News - Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney throws shade at Valve / Gabe Newell for Steam Deck pricing
By dtwx, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:46 pm UTC
By dtwx, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:46 pm UTC
we all know companies are not our friendsAmen, brother.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Huddle, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:39 pm UTC
By Huddle, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:39 pm UTC
This is unfortunate, but I understand. I put Steam gift cards on my Christmas Wishlist every year because it's just so convenient and it's an excuse to tackle some Steam Sales with more games that I don't need 😆
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Breizh, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:37 pm UTC
By Breizh, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:37 pm UTC
I’ve made almost all my purchases on Steam (except for the Deck) using gift cards bought with cash… how are we supposed to buy games with cash now?
News - Moss: The Forgotten Relic gets Steam Deck Verified ahead of release
By Platanito, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:21 pm UTC
By Platanito, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:21 pm UTC
Really recommend these ones in VR, charming games that feel like handling a living toy in a fantasy world. With this conversion to flat screens, I guess they are trying to show more people what the fuss is about (and get more income in the process, now that VR sales hasn't pulled off as expected).
News - Cave Story+ 2026 major update out now - Native Linux version dropped
By missingno, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:03 pm UTC
By missingno, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:03 pm UTC
As if I didn't have enough reasons to hate Nicalis.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By PlayingOnLinuxphone, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:02 pm UTC
By PlayingOnLinuxphone, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:02 pm UTC
We should push GNU-Taler to the game stores. It would be an anonymous way to pay while also secure and implemented in a way where companies cannot hide the payment for tax reasons. It is the most close thing you can have to a digital cash and fully free(dom) software.
Really, we need this as a way to get power back into hands of us users.
Really, we need this as a way to get power back into hands of us users.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By blindcoder, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:57 pm UTC
I _guess_ there's Paysafecard left now...
By blindcoder, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:57 pm UTC
Quoting: RonDamonOnly Klarna (which requires FULL ACCESS to your bank account if you use it) and PayPal for me. Both obviously no-go.Quoting: blindcoderOh come ON. The last option to bypass fuckers like Master and Visa policing content on Steam, and OF COURSE they do away with it.Fortunately in my country we have Pix, so you can use the money from the bank directly without giving money to Visa/MC.
I _guess_ there's Paysafecard left now...
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Carolly, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:53 pm UTC
That still doesn't mean that scammers won't just move on to another gift card, they will. But the observation that Steam cards are frequently involved in scams is valid.
By Carolly, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:53 pm UTC
Quoting: HippohopThat is a real shame. I wish there remained a way to pay cash for this stuff without running it through PayPal or MC/Visa’s middleman practices. Unironically would like a digital currency option in my country.It does happen. I used to work in electronics retail and Steam cards were a common target of scammers because they are so easy to resell/launder.
All that being said, I haven’t bothered to do so for at least 8 years so I suppose the joke is on me when it comes to enabling it.
Steam says it’s to combat fraud but I personally have never heard gift card scams related to Steam cards compared to many other companies (Apple being the biggest one).
That still doesn't mean that scammers won't just move on to another gift card, they will. But the observation that Steam cards are frequently involved in scams is valid.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Carolly, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:51 pm UTC
By Carolly, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:51 pm UTC
Unfortunately, like so many things, this is going to disproportionately affect people who aren't able to get a payment method that works online. Scammers will just move onto the next gift card, there's literally thousands to choose from, but a lot of people who depend on physical gift cards to be able to buy games at all are getting left out in the cold.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By RonDamon, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:42 pm UTC
By RonDamon, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:42 pm UTC
Quoting: blindcoderOh come ON. The last option to bypass fuckers like Master and Visa policing content on Steam, and OF COURSE they do away with it.Fortunately in my country we have Pix, so you can use the money from the bank directly without giving money to Visa/MC.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Hippohop, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:24 pm UTC
By Hippohop, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:24 pm UTC
That is a real shame. I wish there remained a way to pay cash for this stuff without running it through PayPal or MC/Visa’s middleman practices. Unironically would like a digital currency option in my country.
All that being said, I haven’t bothered to do so for at least 8 years so I suppose the joke is on me when it comes to enabling it.
Steam says it’s to combat fraud but I personally have never heard gift card scams related to Steam cards compared to many other companies (Apple being the biggest one).
All that being said, I haven’t bothered to do so for at least 8 years so I suppose the joke is on me when it comes to enabling it.
Steam says it’s to combat fraud but I personally have never heard gift card scams related to Steam cards compared to many other companies (Apple being the biggest one).
News - Cave Story+ 2026 major update out now - Native Linux version dropped
By Ehvis, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:02 pm UTC
By Ehvis, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:02 pm UTC
Not only did they drop support, they deleted the depot. Time for a support issue.
News - Wordless prehistoric point and click adventure Theropods looks wonderful in the new trailer
By CatKiller, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:36 am UTC
By CatKiller, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:36 am UTC
It's giving me Another World/Dragon's Lair vibes. I can get with that.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Lin-Ursin, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:35 am UTC
By Lin-Ursin, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:35 am UTC
Man! this hit me just in the face...
Has been years since I use exclusively this pay method... it was so so convenient to me aaaah!
Has been years since I use exclusively this pay method... it was so so convenient to me aaaah!
News - Mouthwashing devs next project is co-op tank horror Carcass Clad
By Petethegoat, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:20 am UTC
By Petethegoat, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:20 am UTC
immediately became one of my most anticipated games, looks incredible. it's a bit shocking that this sort of small scale coop isn't more common!
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Pyrate, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:33 pm UTC
The thing I initially wanted to highlight by mentioning the years is that we already have these technologies that can enable our freedoms, but for reasons, including convenience and laziness, we choose to ignore them.
By Pyrate, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:33 pm UTC
Can you enlighten me please?In hindsight yeah I definitely see how that came off cringier than I intended, whoops. But I did mean it when I said most people aren't ready or don't want to bother yet. In a way, they're right to write crypto off because for far longer than not the whole 'industry' (won't even call it that with how fake it overwhelmingly is) is full of scams and ponzi schemes. Bitcoin itself devolved even though it came first and was revolutionary in that regard. What I referred to when I said 2014 was Monero, you can think of it as the cash equivalent of Linux, PGP, the Tor network, and all the other foundational privacy-preserving projects.
Bitcoin launched in 2009, possibly that? He certainly worded that sentence like a true cryptobro.
The thing I initially wanted to highlight by mentioning the years is that we already have these technologies that can enable our freedoms, but for reasons, including convenience and laziness, we choose to ignore them.
News - Crazy Taxi: World Tour announced and it's using generative AI
By Caldathras, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:16 pm UTC
Like power tools, their purpose in the industrial system is to allow one person to more quickly do the work of many. The only difference is that power tools are a physical device while LLMs are digital (software dependent on a computer to function).
As to being incomparable, a team of human researchers (broadly used in the past) could do a better job than even the best LLM. They just wouldn't do it as quickly but they would be considerably more accurate and relevant.
By Caldathras, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:16 pm UTC
Quoting: SlaxerThis analogy only works if your power tools could magically come to life like they were characters in a Pixar movie and do the work you've commanded them to do.Is that truly how you perceive LLMs? There is nothing magical about them. That's just the PR speaking. They scrape data from a broad source and compile together anything that appears to match with your request, substituting your keywords when they are not already present. The heuristics the chat versions employ are slightly more advanced than those used in early text-adventure computer games. They are designed to simulate awareness but, despite the fundamentalism, they will never achieve sentience. They are a digital tool, nothing more.
Like power tools, their purpose in the industrial system is to allow one person to more quickly do the work of many. The only difference is that power tools are a physical device while LLMs are digital (software dependent on a computer to function).
Quoting: SlaxerLLMs are exceptional - and in my opinion - incomparable to anything in human history.There is nothing exceptional about LLMs. They are data scrapers. Unlike a team of human researchers, they are unable to discern context nor are they capable of comprehending the ideas behind the words they are scraping.
As to being incomparable, a team of human researchers (broadly used in the past) could do a better job than even the best LLM. They just wouldn't do it as quickly but they would be considerably more accurate and relevant.
News - Cave Story+ 2026 major update out now - Native Linux version dropped
By rea987, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:15 pm UTC
By rea987, 10 Jun 2026 at 5:15 pm UTC
The community kept warning them to not remove the native Linux version, but they deleted it anyway. Sigh... Time to diddle with old manifestids...
News - Moss: The Forgotten Relic gets Steam Deck Verified ahead of release
By Cley_Faye, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:46 pm UTC
By Cley_Faye, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:46 pm UTC
Oh, I've seen that this game was coming, but did not know it was mostly a port in "non-VR" (I keep myself in the dark with most games that looks interesting).
Unless there's major issues, I'll gladly take this version too. The experience in VR was very enjoyable, and I'd like to see it reimagined for a different medium, as well as the ability to play it in a more casual way.
Unless there's major issues, I'll gladly take this version too. The experience in VR was very enjoyable, and I'd like to see it reimagined for a different medium, as well as the ability to play it in a more casual way.
News - Cave Story+ 2026 major update out now - Native Linux version dropped
By Cley_Faye, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:40 pm UTC
By Cley_Faye, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:40 pm UTC
Nicalis brought some great games, but they really are hard to like.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By LoudTechie, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:13 pm UTC
By LoudTechie, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:13 pm UTC
Quoting: blindcoderOh come ON. The last option to bypass fuckers like Master and Visa policing content on Steam, and OF COURSE they do away with it.American Express, Discover, JCB, PayPal, Wero(for european customers), PaysafeCard and Klarna are all still options.
News - SteamOS 3.8.8 Beta brings fixes for MSI Claw controls in Desktop Mode
By ThatSpoonyBard, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:08 pm UTC
By ThatSpoonyBard, 10 Jun 2026 at 4:08 pm UTC
I have an OG LCD Steam Deck and have not been able to use any of the SteamOS 3.8.x betas. When I have them installed, they cripple my download speeds to just under 3 MB/s. Had anyone else seen this issue? I've tried disabling WiFi power management under developer options, but that hasn't made a difference.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By rea987, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:50 pm UTC
By rea987, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:50 pm UTC
Quoting: scaineThe article does note that digital wallet codes will continue to work and will remain available.
We also continue to offer Steam Digital Gift Cards, and are working to make this an even better experience. Guest checkout, which we added last year, is another way for family members and friends to gift Steam users with a digital card anytime.This doesn't clarify the digital cards being sold in 3rd party sites. Since my country of origin is different than my country of residence, same applies to my Steam account, hence I am not able use my debit card with my Steam account. Therefore, I need to use Steam wallet codes sold in 3rd party sides. If that's ending, this will affect me greatly...
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By tuubi, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:35 pm UTC
By tuubi, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:35 pm UTC
Quoting: mr-victoryYou guys have options other than Visa & MasterCard? All I have is Visa, MC and American Express here.Depends on your region. On top of the card payments, I've got a bunch of options like Skrill, Trustly, Klarna and PayPal. I don't like any of them but tend to choose Trustly.
Quoting: mr-victoryBitcoin launched in 2009, possibly that? He certainly worded that sentence like a true cryptobro.Quoting: PyrateThere has been a way to bypass those who control and dictate your money since 2009, and it's been perfected since 2014, but most people aren't ready for that conversation yet.Can you enlighten me please?
News - Discord joke that it's The Year of the Linux Desktop
By Slaxer, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:21 pm UTC
So when's the long anticipated "year of the Linux desktop"? Well - here's what my usual day of computing looks like...
All this done on Linux, and I've been doing this for about a decade now. I got news for you, the year of the Linux desktop is already here. It isn't a meme anymore.
By Slaxer, 10 Jun 2026 at 3:21 pm UTC
Quoting: LinuxwarperThere are numerous other things threatening Linux also. Like X11 vs Wayland politics, Rust (erosion of GPL license?) being forced, Systemd and so on. For a platform that we say and hope to be about freedom I sure see alot of resistance to people saying "No I dont want this". Somehow software and quality of code you present, what should be at core of Linux projects, is no longer most important. I don't want to discuss these things I've mentioned, my point is simple; Linux has no bulletproof vest. It can be shot down into an stagnating stage yet again. And by Linux I mean all the distros that value what sets Linux apart of all platforms: freedom.X11 still has a use case, but I'm pretty sure the vast majority of people understand that Wayland is the future. That being said, I'm actually one of the people that don't like Systemd, but I also don't think it's an existential threat, just as long as it doesn't become an absolute necessity. No OS has a "bulletproof vest", even Windows doesn't.
So when's the long anticipated "year of the Linux desktop"? Well - here's what my usual day of computing looks like...
- Do my work on Blender and Substance Painter
- Concept art on Krita
- Do internet stuff (browse, email)
- Play a game (Lately CS2 and emulators, sometimes Elden Ring)
- Talk to friends and family on Signal
- Possibly watch something streamed from my Jellyfin server (server is running Debian)
All this done on Linux, and I've been doing this for about a decade now. I got news for you, the year of the Linux desktop is already here. It isn't a meme anymore.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By mr-victory, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:57 pm UTC
By mr-victory, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:57 pm UTC
You guys have options other than Visa & MasterCard? All I have is Visa, MC and American Express here.
Quoting: PyrateThere has been a way to bypass those who control and dictate your money since 2009, and it's been perfected since 2014, but most people aren't ready for that conversation yet.Can you enlighten me please?
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Slaxer, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:51 pm UTC
By Slaxer, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:51 pm UTC
Well that sucks. I wish they'd start accepting Bitcoin again like they used to.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Pyrate, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:39 pm UTC
I do feel like with all these recent developments around the world, adapting to these technologies out of necessity is increasingly becoming a reality for a number of people.
By Pyrate, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:39 pm UTC
Quoting: blindcoderOh come ON. The last option to bypass fuckers like Master and Visa policing content on Steam, and OF COURSE they do away with it.There has been a way to bypass those who control and dictate your money since 2009, and it's been perfected since 2014, but most people aren't ready for that conversation yet.
I do feel like with all these recent developments around the world, adapting to these technologies out of necessity is increasingly becoming a reality for a number of people.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Nagezahn, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:20 pm UTC
By Nagezahn, 10 Jun 2026 at 2:20 pm UTC
How exactly will this stop scammers? Yes, they can't use Steam gift cards anymore, but there are a ton of other gift cards they will continue to use. So all this will do is a) harm legitimate users and b) shift the scammers to something else. Not a single person will be scammed less because of this change IMO. Or did I miss something crucial here? Please let me know.
News - EXODUS looks like a good fit for Mass Effect fans wanting something more
By Jarmer, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:49 pm UTC
By Jarmer, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:49 pm UTC
Quoting: AllwyndI remember playing through all 3 Mass Effect games in 2017 in the span of one weekwhoa. I wouldn't have even thought this to be humanly possible. That's ... impressive dedication.
News - Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney throws shade at Valve / Gabe Newell for Steam Deck pricing
By dtwx, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:46 pm UTC
By dtwx, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:46 pm UTC
we all know companies are not our friendsAmen, brother.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Huddle, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:39 pm UTC
By Huddle, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:39 pm UTC
This is unfortunate, but I understand. I put Steam gift cards on my Christmas Wishlist every year because it's just so convenient and it's an excuse to tackle some Steam Sales with more games that I don't need 😆
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Breizh, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:37 pm UTC
By Breizh, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:37 pm UTC
I’ve made almost all my purchases on Steam (except for the Deck) using gift cards bought with cash… how are we supposed to buy games with cash now?
News - Moss: The Forgotten Relic gets Steam Deck Verified ahead of release
By Platanito, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:21 pm UTC
By Platanito, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:21 pm UTC
Really recommend these ones in VR, charming games that feel like handling a living toy in a fantasy world. With this conversion to flat screens, I guess they are trying to show more people what the fuss is about (and get more income in the process, now that VR sales hasn't pulled off as expected).
News - Cave Story+ 2026 major update out now - Native Linux version dropped
By missingno, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:03 pm UTC
By missingno, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:03 pm UTC
As if I didn't have enough reasons to hate Nicalis.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By PlayingOnLinuxphone, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:02 pm UTC
By PlayingOnLinuxphone, 10 Jun 2026 at 1:02 pm UTC
We should push GNU-Taler to the game stores. It would be an anonymous way to pay while also secure and implemented in a way where companies cannot hide the payment for tax reasons. It is the most close thing you can have to a digital cash and fully free(dom) software.
Really, we need this as a way to get power back into hands of us users.
Really, we need this as a way to get power back into hands of us users.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By blindcoder, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:57 pm UTC
I _guess_ there's Paysafecard left now...
By blindcoder, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:57 pm UTC
Quoting: RonDamonOnly Klarna (which requires FULL ACCESS to your bank account if you use it) and PayPal for me. Both obviously no-go.Quoting: blindcoderOh come ON. The last option to bypass fuckers like Master and Visa policing content on Steam, and OF COURSE they do away with it.Fortunately in my country we have Pix, so you can use the money from the bank directly without giving money to Visa/MC.
I _guess_ there's Paysafecard left now...
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Carolly, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:53 pm UTC
That still doesn't mean that scammers won't just move on to another gift card, they will. But the observation that Steam cards are frequently involved in scams is valid.
By Carolly, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:53 pm UTC
Quoting: HippohopThat is a real shame. I wish there remained a way to pay cash for this stuff without running it through PayPal or MC/Visa’s middleman practices. Unironically would like a digital currency option in my country.It does happen. I used to work in electronics retail and Steam cards were a common target of scammers because they are so easy to resell/launder.
All that being said, I haven’t bothered to do so for at least 8 years so I suppose the joke is on me when it comes to enabling it.
Steam says it’s to combat fraud but I personally have never heard gift card scams related to Steam cards compared to many other companies (Apple being the biggest one).
That still doesn't mean that scammers won't just move on to another gift card, they will. But the observation that Steam cards are frequently involved in scams is valid.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Carolly, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:51 pm UTC
By Carolly, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:51 pm UTC
Unfortunately, like so many things, this is going to disproportionately affect people who aren't able to get a payment method that works online. Scammers will just move onto the next gift card, there's literally thousands to choose from, but a lot of people who depend on physical gift cards to be able to buy games at all are getting left out in the cold.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By RonDamon, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:42 pm UTC
By RonDamon, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:42 pm UTC
Quoting: blindcoderOh come ON. The last option to bypass fuckers like Master and Visa policing content on Steam, and OF COURSE they do away with it.Fortunately in my country we have Pix, so you can use the money from the bank directly without giving money to Visa/MC.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Hippohop, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:24 pm UTC
By Hippohop, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:24 pm UTC
That is a real shame. I wish there remained a way to pay cash for this stuff without running it through PayPal or MC/Visa’s middleman practices. Unironically would like a digital currency option in my country.
All that being said, I haven’t bothered to do so for at least 8 years so I suppose the joke is on me when it comes to enabling it.
Steam says it’s to combat fraud but I personally have never heard gift card scams related to Steam cards compared to many other companies (Apple being the biggest one).
All that being said, I haven’t bothered to do so for at least 8 years so I suppose the joke is on me when it comes to enabling it.
Steam says it’s to combat fraud but I personally have never heard gift card scams related to Steam cards compared to many other companies (Apple being the biggest one).
News - Cave Story+ 2026 major update out now - Native Linux version dropped
By Ehvis, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:02 pm UTC
By Ehvis, 10 Jun 2026 at 12:02 pm UTC
Not only did they drop support, they deleted the depot. Time for a support issue.
News - Wordless prehistoric point and click adventure Theropods looks wonderful in the new trailer
By CatKiller, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:36 am UTC
By CatKiller, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:36 am UTC
It's giving me Another World/Dragon's Lair vibes. I can get with that.
News - Valve to no longer offer physical gift cards due to scammers
By Lin-Ursin, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:35 am UTC
By Lin-Ursin, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:35 am UTC
Man! this hit me just in the face...
Has been years since I use exclusively this pay method... it was so so convenient to me aaaah!
Has been years since I use exclusively this pay method... it was so so convenient to me aaaah!
News - Mouthwashing devs next project is co-op tank horror Carcass Clad
By Petethegoat, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:20 am UTC
By Petethegoat, 10 Jun 2026 at 11:20 am UTC
immediately became one of my most anticipated games, looks incredible. it's a bit shocking that this sort of small scale coop isn't more common!
Guide - Anticheat check - which competitive games actually work on Linux?
By Zakaria_Shalih, 31 May 2026 at 2:44 am UTC
By Zakaria_Shalih, 31 May 2026 at 2:44 am UTC
games whose anti-cheats makes them never works in Linux(even with wine/proton) aren't ended up in my Library for whatever reason
Guide - How to give Valve feedback when Proton games have issues on Linux / SteamOS
By ProfessorKaos64, 30 May 2026 at 8:57 pm UTC
By ProfessorKaos64, 30 May 2026 at 8:57 pm UTC
Quoting: StellaIs that really worth doing though? I uploaded logs and gave really detailed information for 3 different games that have issues with Proton. The Witcher 3, Vampyr, Doom TDA. All 3 are Steam Deck Verified. In all 3 reports, i gave detailed repro steps along with proton logs, and the issue was 100% reproducible. In Vampyr, the report was specifically about a regression in Proton 8 or later on the Steam Deck. I have never heard back from Valve on any of these 3 reports. This effort feels like a waste of time now.😫This. I have a plugin called decky-proton-pulse, and as soon as I started reading this I was excited to maybe work this in some native easy way, but I remembered that so many do these seem to be ignored. Maybe they are not though, and we just don't see what goes in in Valve's world. Perhaps they ingest these etc... for trends and fixes.
Guide - Anticheat check - which competitive games actually work on Linux?
By kaisellgren, 29 May 2026 at 11:29 pm UTC
By kaisellgren, 29 May 2026 at 11:29 pm UTC
If you're completely stuck, want to use Linux for gaming but need specific gamesThe simplest option is to have Windows on another SSD and then you just boot into it for few select competitive games while using Linux for all the rest. This is what I do.
Guide - How to give Valve feedback when Proton games have issues on Linux / SteamOS
By Stella, 22 May 2026 at 10:27 am UTC
By Stella, 22 May 2026 at 10:27 am UTC
Is that really worth doing though? I uploaded logs and gave really detailed information for 3 different games that have issues with Proton. The Witcher 3, Vampyr, Doom TDA. All 3 are Steam Deck Verified. In all 3 reports, i gave detailed repro steps along with proton logs, and the issue was 100% reproducible. In Vampyr, the report was specifically about a regression in Proton 8 or later on the Steam Deck. I have never heard back from Valve on any of these 3 reports. This effort feels like a waste of time now.😫
Guide - How to give Valve feedback when Proton games have issues on Linux / SteamOS
By Cley_Faye, 21 May 2026 at 5:32 pm UTC
By Cley_Faye, 21 May 2026 at 5:32 pm UTC
Ah, there must be a rule somewhere to state that a solution to a problem will show up when you don't need it anymore :D
I was facing an issue with a game last week, and ended up getting proton logs out this way. It was quite helpful. Ubuntu 24.04 have nvidia 595 drivers, but for some reason they didn't ship with the 32 bit builds of the various libraries. The proton logs showed that the game (a 32-bit windows executable) was just not seeing the GPU *at all* and moved to llvmpipe.
Still, a useful post; I'm sure there are issues that can't quite get fixed on our end.
I was facing an issue with a game last week, and ended up getting proton logs out this way. It was quite helpful. Ubuntu 24.04 have nvidia 595 drivers, but for some reason they didn't ship with the 32 bit builds of the various libraries. The proton logs showed that the game (a 32-bit windows executable) was just not seeing the GPU *at all* and moved to llvmpipe.
Still, a useful post; I'm sure there are issues that can't quite get fixed on our end.
Guide - How to give Valve feedback when Proton games have issues on Linux / SteamOS
By Yasri, 21 May 2026 at 2:44 pm UTC
By Yasri, 21 May 2026 at 2:44 pm UTC
You can upload the log file, first I have heard of this. I've just been chopping them up and making dozens of posts per bug report.
/this is a joke, don't do this.
/this is a joke, don't do this.
Guide - How to setup OpenMW for modern Morrowind on Linux / SteamOS and Steam Deck
By Savor592, 10 Apr 2026 at 1:32 pm UTC
By Savor592, 10 Apr 2026 at 1:32 pm UTC
I would welcome a post (or an edit) introducing https://modding-openmw.com/ and especially showing a setup that works well on Steam Deck.
Their scripts make modding really easy. But unfortunately the Total Overhaul seems to be too much for the Deck. Would be nice to see a configuration close to it which can be run on the Deck.
Their scripts make modding really easy. But unfortunately the Total Overhaul seems to be too much for the Deck. Would be nice to see a configuration close to it which can be run on the Deck.
Guide - How to get Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 online working on Linux, SteamOS, Steam Deck
By lucasgomesbz, 7 Apr 2026 at 11:44 pm UTC
By lucasgomesbz, 7 Apr 2026 at 11:44 pm UTC
Thanks so much!
Your trick work!
Your trick work!
Guide - How to install Battle.net on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck for World of Warcraft and Starcraft
By esapolundead, 11 Feb 2026 at 11:37 pm UTC
Close Lutris, then
Open Lutris, start Battle.net. You will have to login again, but it should be working now. Hope this helps.
By esapolundead, 11 Feb 2026 at 11:37 pm UTC
Quoting: iliyalesanitried wine, wine-staging-tkg, proton experimental, proton-ge, proton-tkg, reinstalled battle.net multiple times on different prefixes even cleared appdata and programdata but still nothing. gave VPN and tethering mobile network a shot as well. the result was always the same:This happened to me as well. Looks like the latest Battle.net launcher update broke something. This is how I fixed it in Lutris.
"Battle.net Update Agent went to sleep. Attempting to wake it up... BLZBNTBNA00000005".
Close Lutris, then
# pkill -9 Battle.net
# pkill -9 Agent
# pkill -9 Blizzard
# rm -rf ~/Games/battlenet/drive_c/ProgramData/Battle.net/Agent
# rm -rf ~/Games/battlenet/drive_c/ProgramData/Blizzard\ EntertainmentOpen Lutris, start Battle.net. You will have to login again, but it should be working now. Hope this helps.
Guide - How to install Battle.net on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck for World of Warcraft and Starcraft
By iliyalesani, 11 Feb 2026 at 9:46 pm UTC
By iliyalesani, 11 Feb 2026 at 9:46 pm UTC
tried wine, wine-staging-tkg, proton experimental, proton-ge, proton-tkg, reinstalled battle.net multiple times on different prefixes even cleared appdata and programdata but still nothing. gave VPN and tethering mobile network a shot as well. the result was always the same:
"Battle.net Update Agent went to sleep. Attempting to wake it up... BLZBNTBNA00000005".
same thing with lutris using different versions of wine runners. even tried starting up the agent before and after launching battle.net to no avail:
EDIT / FIX:
using bottles (AUR, not flatpak) with proton-ge 10-30 worked. bottles also applied this launch option:
"Battle.net Update Agent went to sleep. Attempting to wake it up... BLZBNTBNA00000005".
same thing with lutris using different versions of wine runners. even tried starting up the agent before and after launching battle.net to no avail:
WINEFSYNC=1 WINEPREFIX="$HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/2240255771/pfx/" "$HOME/.steam/steam/compatibilitytools.d/Proton-Tkg-2634/files/bin/wine" "$HOME/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/2240255771/pfx/drive_c/ProgramData/Battle.net/Agent/Agent.exe"EDIT / FIX:
using bottles (AUR, not flatpak) with proton-ge 10-30 worked. bottles also applied this launch option:
WINEDLLOVERRIDES="locationapi=d" WINE_SIMULATE_WRITECOPY=1 %command%
Guide - How to install Battle.net on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck for World of Warcraft and Starcraft
By mr-victory, 23 Jan 2026 at 4:01 pm UTC
By mr-victory, 23 Jan 2026 at 4:01 pm UTC
Proton will also do however the default wine is ancient and does not work. I had to give this info in universal blue discord so many times I started to meme about "days since last Battle.net install failure on Lutris: 0". It is a pet peeve of mine😅
Guide - How to install Battle.net on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck for World of Warcraft and Starcraft
By tuubi, 23 Jan 2026 at 2:55 pm UTC
Lutris really needs to cut a new release at some point and make this the default.
By tuubi, 23 Jan 2026 at 2:55 pm UTC
Quoting: mr-victoryI forgot this guide existed lol. Option 1 (Lutris) does not work and hasn't for months unless the default Wine version is changed from Wine GE 8.26 to something newer. Other wine versions can be installed by clicking a tiny button that looks like an open box in the main page of Lutris, next to "Wine" button.For most games you'll want to select "GE-Proton (Latest)" instead. No need to download anything manually. Lutris (UMU) will automatically download and manage the latest Proton version for you.
Lutris really needs to cut a new release at some point and make this the default.
Guide - How to install Battle.net on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck for World of Warcraft and Starcraft
By mr-victory, 23 Jan 2026 at 12:44 pm UTC
By mr-victory, 23 Jan 2026 at 12:44 pm UTC
I forgot this guide existed lol. Option 1 (Lutris) does not work and hasn't for months unless the default Wine version is changed from Wine GE 8.26 to something newer. Other wine versions can be installed by clicking a tiny button that looks like an open box in the main page of Lutris, next to "Wine" button.
Guide - How to install Battle.net on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck for World of Warcraft and Starcraft
By dbarreda, 23 Jan 2026 at 4:54 am UTC
By dbarreda, 23 Jan 2026 at 4:54 am UTC
I did install Steam thru Flatpak (K)ubuntu 25.10;
Proton 9 did not work, but Proton 10 did. It got stuck on "agent went to sleep attempting to wake it up steam".
The location for the directory is here: `~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/`
Hope this helps someone.
Proton 9 did not work, but Proton 10 did. It got stuck on "agent went to sleep attempting to wake it up steam".
The location for the directory is here: `~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/`
Hope this helps someone.
Guide - How to install Battle.net on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck for World of Warcraft and Starcraft
By Liam Squires-Hand, 14 Jan 2026 at 12:57 pm UTC
By Liam Squires-Hand, 14 Jan 2026 at 12:57 pm UTC
I've added the Steam Snap path into the guide now, thanks.
Guide - How to install Battle.net on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck for World of Warcraft and Starcraft
By jurquizo, 14 Jan 2026 at 12:55 pm UTC
*mod snip: we prefer note to have user scripts here, especially from an AI*
By jurquizo, 14 Jan 2026 at 12:55 pm UTC
Quoting: Liam DaweThanks for the quick reply. The folder compatdata is in ~/snap/steam/common/.local/share/Steam/steamapps, and there are a two folders with random numbers as names with the same created/modified date. In my case it was easy to find the correct because there were only 2 candidate folders.Quoting: jurquizoFirst of all, great guide. I tried following the steam method and I couldn't find the folder of the Steam installation folder to change the shortcut, I think it is because I installed Steam via snap and I can't find similar paths inside the .snap folder. Could you help me?Ah, that's an interesting one. Snap is a whole different can of worms.
Could you try looking in: ~/snap/steam/common/.local/share/Steam/steamapps
See if the compatdata folder is there? Once we find the correct path, I'll add it to the guide.
*mod snip: we prefer note to have user scripts here, especially from an AI*
Guide - How to install Battle.net on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck for World of Warcraft and Starcraft
By Liam Squires-Hand, 13 Jan 2026 at 8:25 pm UTC
Could you try looking in: ~/snap/steam/common/.local/share/Steam/steamapps
See if the compatdata folder is there? Once we find the correct path, I'll add it to the guide.
By Liam Squires-Hand, 13 Jan 2026 at 8:25 pm UTC
Quoting: jurquizoFirst of all, great guide. I tried following the steam method and I couldn't find the folder of the Steam installation folder to change the shortcut, I think it is because I installed Steam via snap and I can't find similar paths inside the .snap folder. Could you help me?Ah, that's an interesting one. Snap is a whole different can of worms.
Could you try looking in: ~/snap/steam/common/.local/share/Steam/steamapps
See if the compatdata folder is there? Once we find the correct path, I'll add it to the guide.
Guide - How to install Battle.net on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck for World of Warcraft and Starcraft
By jurquizo, 13 Jan 2026 at 8:17 pm UTC
By jurquizo, 13 Jan 2026 at 8:17 pm UTC
First of all, great guide. I tried following the steam method and I couldn't find the folder of the Steam installation folder to change the shortcut, I think it is because I installed Steam via snap and I can't find similar paths inside the .snap folder. Could you help me?
Guide - How to setup OpenMW for modern Morrowind on Linux / SteamOS and Steam Deck
By Caldathras, 4 Jan 2026 at 7:16 pm UTC
By Caldathras, 4 Jan 2026 at 7:16 pm UTC
This is for those looking for a solution that doesn't involve Flatpak. It is primarily intended for desktop Linux users. Although, I imagine with a little tweaking, It might work for Steam Deck as well.
Option 3) Direct Download
https://openmw.readthedocs.io/en/stable/manuals/installation/install-openmw.html#direct-download
Recently, I discovered that OpenMW offers a Direct Download "installer" on their GitHub site. This archive acts just like the Windows installer, allowing you to keep multiple versions of OpenMW installed in Linux.
The problem is that the installation instructions from the online guide are written very poorly. All they say is "run the install package once downloaded. It’s now installed!". It is not that easy. For one, the "installer" is an archive, not an executable. For two, they assume that you know what file to run once the archive is extracted. Here are my expanded instructions:
1) Download the latest Direct Download archive from the GitHub Releases page.
2) Extract the archive to the folder/location of your choice.
3) Launch the "openmw-launcher" script from within the folder.
.... a) If you are simply upgrading, it will use your existing configuration. You are good to go.
.... b) If this is a fresh installation, the launcher will offer to run the OpenMW Wizard to help you set everything up (see Option 1 of Liam's guide above for the rest of the steps).
4) If the launcher script will not start, then you have very likely encountered the rather infamous glibc issue (you can verify this by trying to launching the script in a terminal).
5) Make sure to download the latest version of the Steam Linux Runtime (currently Steam Linux Runtime 4).
6) To add OpenMW to the Steam client, choose the option "Add a Non-Steam Game ...". You may have to manually point Steam at the location of the openmw-launcher script (I did).
7) Go to the Properties menu for openmw-launcher and select "Install Compatibility Tool". Choose the latest Steam Linux Runtime, which you downloaded in Step 5.
8) Update and customize the Steam Library entry to your preferences. You should now be good to go.
Spoiler, click me
There are many ways to install OpenMW. There is even an unofficial AppImage available. The distro repositories almost always offer an out-of-date version. In the past, I used to install via the LaunchPad PPA (only works for Ubuntu derivatives). The problem with PPAs is that they have to be reinstalled with every major version upgrade of your distro. If you are slow to upgrade, the PPA will eventually update to a version of OpenMW that will not run on your outdated distro. Updating uninstalls the version that currently works and then fails on installing the new version.
Option 3) Direct Download
https://openmw.readthedocs.io/en/stable/manuals/installation/install-openmw.html#direct-download
Recently, I discovered that OpenMW offers a Direct Download "installer" on their GitHub site. This archive acts just like the Windows installer, allowing you to keep multiple versions of OpenMW installed in Linux.
Spoiler, click me
NOTE: By default, all installations share the same saves and configuration. There is a feature that was introduced with version 0.48 that allows you to set up a "portable install", which allows you to isolate a particular version with its own configuration and save files.
https://modding-openmw.com/tips/portable-install/
https://modding-openmw.com/tips/portable-install/
The problem is that the installation instructions from the online guide are written very poorly. All they say is "run the install package once downloaded. It’s now installed!". It is not that easy. For one, the "installer" is an archive, not an executable. For two, they assume that you know what file to run once the archive is extracted. Here are my expanded instructions:
1) Download the latest Direct Download archive from the GitHub Releases page.
2) Extract the archive to the folder/location of your choice.
Spoiler, click me
NOTE: If you want to maintain multiple versions, keep in mind that only one of them can be in your default PATH. In fact, it would probably be better to keep the lot of them out of your PATH altogether. Instead of treating the executable/script like a system command, you will just have to provide the entire folder address to launch the game.
This, however, also makes the installation somewhat portable since you can place folder wherever you want. Combined with the "portable install" feature described above, this means you won't even have to have the game installed in your File System partition at all.
This, however, also makes the installation somewhat portable since you can place folder wherever you want. Combined with the "portable install" feature described above, this means you won't even have to have the game installed in your File System partition at all.
3) Launch the "openmw-launcher" script from within the folder.
.... a) If you are simply upgrading, it will use your existing configuration. You are good to go.
.... b) If this is a fresh installation, the launcher will offer to run the OpenMW Wizard to help you set everything up (see Option 1 of Liam's guide above for the rest of the steps).
4) If the launcher script will not start, then you have very likely encountered the rather infamous glibc issue (you can verify this by trying to launching the script in a terminal).
Spoiler, click me
GLIBC Compatibility Issues
One of the big concerns that I have with the OpenMW project is that they don't clearly notify Linux users of a change in system requirements (which they could include with the text for each release on GitHub). The OpenMW Team occasionally increases the version of the glibc library required without clearly advising their Linux users of this change.
For example, the latest version of OpenMW (0.50.0) requires glibc 2.38. This is only available on Ubuntu 24.04 (Mint 22) or higher. (Still running an earlier distro version? Surprise!)
The solution is quite simple. You need to integrate the game into the Steam Client and set the compatibility to Steam Linux Runtime 4, which is based on Debian 13.2 Trixie (and supports glibc 2.38).
One of the big concerns that I have with the OpenMW project is that they don't clearly notify Linux users of a change in system requirements (which they could include with the text for each release on GitHub). The OpenMW Team occasionally increases the version of the glibc library required without clearly advising their Linux users of this change.
For example, the latest version of OpenMW (0.50.0) requires glibc 2.38. This is only available on Ubuntu 24.04 (Mint 22) or higher. (Still running an earlier distro version? Surprise!)
The solution is quite simple. You need to integrate the game into the Steam Client and set the compatibility to Steam Linux Runtime 4, which is based on Debian 13.2 Trixie (and supports glibc 2.38).
5) Make sure to download the latest version of the Steam Linux Runtime (currently Steam Linux Runtime 4).
6) To add OpenMW to the Steam client, choose the option "Add a Non-Steam Game ...". You may have to manually point Steam at the location of the openmw-launcher script (I did).
7) Go to the Properties menu for openmw-launcher and select "Install Compatibility Tool". Choose the latest Steam Linux Runtime, which you downloaded in Step 5.
8) Update and customize the Steam Library entry to your preferences. You should now be good to go.
Guide - How to get Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 online working on Linux, SteamOS, Steam Deck
By subzero, 19 Dec 2025 at 9:04 pm UTC
By subzero, 19 Dec 2025 at 9:04 pm UTC
Quoting: Liam Daweyes im trying to play battlefield 3, apologiesQuoting: subzeroThis doesnt seem to be working for me, i am on the official steam version of the game and i followed all the steps but for some reason the browser menu doesnt seem to detect the EA app on my computer that's already open, i am on fedora cinnamonSince the guide covers two games, which game are we talking about? Battlefield 3?
Guide - How to get Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 online working on Linux, SteamOS, Steam Deck
By Liam Squires-Hand, 19 Dec 2025 at 5:57 pm UTC
By Liam Squires-Hand, 19 Dec 2025 at 5:57 pm UTC
Quoting: subzeroThis doesnt seem to be working for me, i am on the official steam version of the game and i followed all the steps but for some reason the browser menu doesnt seem to detect the EA app on my computer that's already open, i am on fedora cinnamonSince the guide covers two games, which game are we talking about? Battlefield 3?
Guide - How to get Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 online working on Linux, SteamOS, Steam Deck
By subzero, 19 Dec 2025 at 5:47 pm UTC
By subzero, 19 Dec 2025 at 5:47 pm UTC
This doesnt seem to be working for me, i am on the official steam version of the game and i followed all the steps but for some reason the browser menu doesnt seem to detect the EA app on my computer that's already open, i am on fedora cinnamon
Guide - How to install Battle.net on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck for World of Warcraft and Starcraft
By Mirrored, 29 Nov 2025 at 9:52 am UTC
By Mirrored, 29 Nov 2025 at 9:52 am UTC
On CachyOS:
I was not able to get the Lutris method to work. The installer kept complaining about a file system error and the Battle.net installer would freeze. I attempted this installation many times (~10) and eventually managed to install it without a file system error appearing, but even then, Battle.net would give either the "Battle.net Agent Went to Sleep" error or the "An error occurred while loading game information" error. I tried changing the Runner configuration to many other options than the default, but they all resulted in Battle.net freezing immediately after launch. I didn't try Jiloup's suggestion of using Proton Plus, though, so look at that if you insist on Lutris.
I was able to get the Steam method to work. Use Steam to run the Battle.net setup exe, and then re-target it to the launcher exe that is installed. However, the suggested Compability setting of Proton 9.0-4 still lead to the "Battle.net Agent Went to Sleep". Once I switched it to proton-cachyos-10.0-20251120, that error went away, Battle.net started normally, and I was able to install games. I then tried Proton 10.0-3, which also worked.
TL;DR: I'd recommend the Steam method, and Proton 10.0+
I was not able to get the Lutris method to work. The installer kept complaining about a file system error and the Battle.net installer would freeze. I attempted this installation many times (~10) and eventually managed to install it without a file system error appearing, but even then, Battle.net would give either the "Battle.net Agent Went to Sleep" error or the "An error occurred while loading game information" error. I tried changing the Runner configuration to many other options than the default, but they all resulted in Battle.net freezing immediately after launch. I didn't try Jiloup's suggestion of using Proton Plus, though, so look at that if you insist on Lutris.
I was able to get the Steam method to work. Use Steam to run the Battle.net setup exe, and then re-target it to the launcher exe that is installed. However, the suggested Compability setting of Proton 9.0-4 still lead to the "Battle.net Agent Went to Sleep". Once I switched it to proton-cachyos-10.0-20251120, that error went away, Battle.net started normally, and I was able to install games. I then tried Proton 10.0-3, which also worked.
TL;DR: I'd recommend the Steam method, and Proton 10.0+
Guide - How to get Battlefield 3 and Battlefield 4 online working on Linux, SteamOS, Steam Deck
By Turkeysteaks, 23 Nov 2025 at 5:12 pm UTC
By Turkeysteaks, 23 Nov 2025 at 5:12 pm UTC
Realise this is a bit old now, but I've been playing with BF4 for a year or so and one thing is really annoying - no steam overlay. Which also means no steam recorder.
Do you or anyone have any experience with getting the steam overlay to work with this?
Do you or anyone have any experience with getting the steam overlay to work with this?
Guide - How to install, update and see what graphics driver you have on Linux and SteamOS
By Eike, 17 Nov 2025 at 12:27 pm UTC
Installing nvidia-drivers on Debian is basically
> apt install nvidia-driver
I made I video talking way too long for the easy task of installing Steam plus Nvidia drivers on a virgin Debian:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS6mXW7KPoU
By Eike, 17 Nov 2025 at 12:27 pm UTC
Added some notes for Debian.Our wiki is bad.
Installing nvidia-drivers on Debian is basically
> apt install nvidia-driver
I made I video talking way too long for the easy task of installing Steam plus Nvidia drivers on a virgin Debian:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS6mXW7KPoU
Guide - How to install, update and see what graphics driver you have on Linux and SteamOS
By Liam Squires-Hand, 17 Nov 2025 at 11:58 am UTC
By Liam Squires-Hand, 17 Nov 2025 at 11:58 am UTC
Added some notes for Debian.
Guide - Why are there so many different Proton versions? Proton 8, Proton 9, Experimental, GE-Proton
By vertigo, 3 Nov 2025 at 6:40 pm UTC
By vertigo, 3 Nov 2025 at 6:40 pm UTC
Great write up, very useful for new users. It could be worth adding [proton-cachyos](https://github.com/CachyOS/proton-cachyos) given how popular CachyOS is now.
Guide - An idiots guide to setting up Minecraft on Steam Deck / SteamOS with controller support
By blindcoder, 28 Oct 2025 at 10:07 am UTC
By blindcoder, 28 Oct 2025 at 10:07 am UTC
Thank you, I just setup the Steam Deck using this guide and now my kid and I can play together on my own server! <3
Guide - How to setup OpenMW for modern Morrowind on Linux / SteamOS and Steam Deck
By Cu5t0m1z3, 19 Oct 2025 at 8:43 pm UTC
By Cu5t0m1z3, 19 Oct 2025 at 8:43 pm UTC
I think you missed a huge part of playing a TES game by leaving out modding. I know modding on Linux tends to be difficult but the website modding-openmw makes it so easy.
I followed their Automatic Installation guide for the Total Overhaul of 589 mods on Linhx Mint and it worked flawlessly with no crashing after a few hours of playing. It downloads mods from Nexus through your terminal into your game install. If you pay for Nexus it'll be quicker and smoother, otherwise you have to acknowledge all 589 mods so it can take a few hours.
I followed their Automatic Installation guide for the Total Overhaul of 589 mods on Linhx Mint and it worked flawlessly with no crashing after a few hours of playing. It downloads mods from Nexus through your terminal into your game install. If you pay for Nexus it'll be quicker and smoother, otherwise you have to acknowledge all 589 mods so it can take a few hours.
Guide - How to setup OpenMW for modern Morrowind on Linux / SteamOS and Steam Deck
By quot, 10 Oct 2025 at 2:47 pm UTC
By quot, 10 Oct 2025 at 2:47 pm UTC
The next release is focused around their new gamepad UI feature.
https://openmw.org/2025/openmw-0-50-0-is-now-in-rc-phase/
It's not officially released, but the RC releases of OMW are very stable.
https://openmw.org/2025/openmw-0-50-0-is-now-in-rc-phase/
It's not officially released, but the RC releases of OMW are very stable.