Please don’t use that guide. That’s the old 2.x line of SteamOS which hasn’t been updated since 2019 and is based on a very old version of Debian. The SteamOS that the deck uses is 3.x and has also moved from Debian to Arch. Valve really needs to update that page.
If you want to build your own SteamOS machine, take a look at something like HoloISO (https://github.com/HoloISO/holoiso) which is built on the current branch of SteamOS with the deck-exclusive OS/hardware items swapped out for standard kit.
That’s basically what this is though. From the project page:
Is this official?
No, but it may as well be 99% of the way there. Most of the code and packages, are straight from Valve, with zero possible edits, and the ISO is being built same rootfs bootstrap as all HoloISO installations run.
And also:
I have an NVIDIA G-
No. Not even questionable. If you have an NVIDIA GPU, You’re on your own. Latest Valve updates for Steam client including normal and Jupiter bootstraps have broken gamepadui on NVIDIA GPUs, and if so, no support will be provided for you.
If this was a reimplementation, Nvidia GPUs would work because they’re supported on Arch. But this isn’t, it’s just a repackaging of what Valve has already done.
Proton GE is to Proton what HoloISO is to SteamOS 3, an unofficial repackaging with some small tweaks.
Yeah, you could probably grab the PKGBUILD from Arch and build it, You might need to make some tweaks and perhaps build some other packages as well. There’s nothing stopping you, but why do it?
You can just use regular Arch (or any other distro) and not have the limitations of SteamOS (read only filesystem, old and fewer packages, etc). Install Steam and use Big Picture Mode and you’re good.
If you’re making a handheld, it’s probably worth the effort. If it’s a desktop PC, just use a regular desktop Linux distro and add stuff you like from SteamOS.
Please don’t use that guide. That’s the old 2.x line of SteamOS which hasn’t been updated since 2019 and is based on a very old version of Debian. The SteamOS that the deck uses is 3.x and has also moved from Debian to Arch. Valve really needs to update that page.
If you want to build your own SteamOS machine, take a look at something like HoloISO (https://github.com/HoloISO/holoiso) which is built on the current branch of SteamOS with the deck-exclusive OS/hardware items swapped out for standard kit.
Man, I didn’t know HoloISO is the only way to get the Arch-based SteamOS 3. I thought it’s a custom fork like Proton vs Proton GE.
That’s basically what this is though. From the project page:
And also:
If this was a reimplementation, Nvidia GPUs would work because they’re supported on Arch. But this isn’t, it’s just a repackaging of what Valve has already done.
Proton GE is to Proton what HoloISO is to SteamOS 3, an unofficial repackaging with some small tweaks.
Could you get the Nvidia drivers on your own?
Yeah, you could probably grab the PKGBUILD from Arch and build it, You might need to make some tweaks and perhaps build some other packages as well. There’s nothing stopping you, but why do it?
You can just use regular Arch (or any other distro) and not have the limitations of SteamOS (read only filesystem, old and fewer packages, etc). Install Steam and use Big Picture Mode and you’re good.
If you’re making a handheld, it’s probably worth the effort. If it’s a desktop PC, just use a regular desktop Linux distro and add stuff you like from SteamOS.