configuring_linux_steam_runtime.md

Linux Steam Runtime

Rarely, certain native Linux games will require you to have a native Steam runtime running in order to launch. Most Valve games will require this, as well as Shadow of Mordor and probably a couple others. This isn't exactly DRM, but it's something you'll need to fix if you want to play without Steam running. Note that this section is a bit DIY due to the shifting nature of the Linux Steam Runtime and the rarity of any games actually using it in the first place.

Essentially, Valve releases new major versions of Linux Steam Runtime that developers can pin their native Linux games to, but they aren't always backwards compatible, and some games are hardcoded to demand certain versions. This isn't a big deal for Steam itself, since it knows which games want which versions, but if you're setting it up yourself you may need to try the different runtime versions if the latest doesn't work (e.g. complains in logs). Since Valve games are usually the ones that demand this runtime, and presumably Valve continues to pin their games to the latest version, that should be a good bet most of the time.

I couldn't find any easily-accessible clean and native Linux versions of Valve games online, so we're going to compromise and walk through setting up Team Fortress 2 (hereafter referred to as TF2 for my sanity) with a local Steam runtime. TF2 is free to download, so all you need is a Steam account in order to download a copy for our usage. Its only protection is Steamworks API.

1. Source the native Linux version of TF2 and extract it to your workspace

2. Defeat Steamworks API protection

3. Copy runtime-installer.sh to the TF2 directory as runtime-installer.sh, and make it executable

4. Open a terminal in the TF2 directory and run: ./runtime-installer.sh tf.sh. In this case, tf.sh is the normal executable you use to start the game. This will download the Steam runtime and set up a new executable for you to use, named start-runtime.sh

5. Open start-runtime.sh in a text editor. This is where you add arguments to use while launching the game. Valve games require a few of these in order to start correctly. You should generally be able to figure these out by looking at the original executable's launch parameters and by referencing Valve's documentation. You can also check SteamDB's "Configuration" section on a game for the parameters, e.g. for TF2. Note that there must be a "--" between the executable and your arguments. Here are the ones I have recorded:

   Counter-Strike: Global Offensive:

   -vulkan may or may not be needed anymore

   -novid will skip startup videos

   "./SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper/run" "./csgo.sh" "--" "-steam" "-vulkan"

   Counter-Strike: 2:

   -vulkan may or may not be needed anymore

   -novid will skip startup videos

   "./SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper/run" "./cs2.sh" "--" "-steam" "-vulkan"

   Left 4 Dead 2:

   -vulkan may or may not be needed anymore

   -novid will skip startup videos

   "./SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper/run" "./hl2.sh" "--" "-game" "left4dead2" "-steam" "-vulkan"

   Portal:

   -vulkan may or may not be needed anymore

   -novid will skip startup videos

   "./SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper/run" "./hl2.sh" "--" "-game" "portal" "-steam" "-vulkan"

   Portal 2:

   -vulkan may or may not crash the game (they've been updating it recently)

   -novid will skip startup videos

   "./SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper/run" "./portal2.sh" "--" "-game" "portal2" "-steam" "-vulkan"

   Team Fortress 2:

   -vulkan uses new Vulkan renderer. Without this argument my TF2 launches to a black screen.

   -novid will skip startup videos

   "./SteamLinuxRuntime_sniper/run" "./tf.sh" "--" "-steam" "-vulkan"

6. Edit start-runtime.sh to match the TF2 line above

7. Start the game using ./start-runtime.sh