ValveSoftware
SteamOS is languishing
Your system information
- Steam client version: Jan 18 2020, at 03:31:10; 1579321278
- SteamOS version: SteamOS 2.0 update 1:2.195
- Opted into Steam client beta?: No
- Opted into SteamOS beta?: No
- Have you checked for updates in Settings > System?: Yes
Please describe your issue in as much detail as possible:
A number of games which used to run under SteamOS have now stopped running after being updated. For example, all of the Paradox catalogue and most recently, Planetary Annihilation: TITANS.
Paradox games now seem to all require a newer libstdc++.so (no idea why). And it looks like they're also starting to need a newer libdbus-1.so. This has been discovered a few times after extensive debugging and faffing around in concert with Paradox support. Copying .so binaries from Ubuntu .debs has fixed this for specific games. During my last interaction with Paradox support, they had this to say:
Because this is only happening on an unsupported OS I cannot log a bug report on it. I'm afraid I can only predict this will keep happening until and unless Steam produce a version based on Debian 9 instead of the outdated 8.
Steps for reproducing this issue:
- Run some games that used to run on SteamOS.
- Feel sad when the game either crashes or displays an error and brings you back to the SteamOS library.
I think this is one of those issues that the steam containers try to contain. I only have no idea how to get updated libs into an environment that's old.
I've tried to prod folks on Twitter and such and was told in the past (late last year via email) that SteamOS was still being worked on. Though I am frustrated that there has been no communication or work being added to https://repo.steampowered.com/. As a day 1 supporter, I (for better or for worse) have not given up on the vision. The only time I will drop it is if Valve makes an announcement as so. Until such a date, I'll continue to use it.
The last updates to files seems to be July-timeframe 2019.
I got a response from @Plagman (Pierre) over email.
Yes, definitely lots of work still going on. Right now the focus is on core technology itself rather than distributing it, but we intend to get back to that in the future. I wouldn't expect much more movement on Debian-based Brewmaster at this point, however.
Keep the hope alive friends. Take care and stay safe.
Cc. @LiamDawe