Steam Client Now Enables Proton by Default for Games without Native Linux Builds
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Been two years since I've touched Windows. Microsoft isn't needed.
You know, I hate using my work laptop. It's so sluggish and horrible to use with Windows on. And it's always the Microsoft software eating up the memory. Teams and edge being the worse offenders.
For server use Linux has been a better option for decades. But, windows was still pretty decent for desktop use. But Windows 10 started a bad trend and Windows 11 has made it far worse. I don't miss it. This system is dual boot, and I've not booted into windows on it, since November.
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You know, I hate using my work laptop. It's so sluggish and horrible to use with Windows on. And it's always the Microsoft software eating up the memory. Teams and edge being the worse offenders.
For server use Linux has been a better option for decades. But, windows was still pretty decent for desktop use. But Windows 10 started a bad trend and Windows 11 has made it far worse. I don't miss it. This system is dual boot, and I've not booted into windows on it, since November.
My work laptop is Mac, which isn't much better when it comes to bloated MS shit, but that's more the corporate world. If Linux would get on board with supporting corporate overlords spying on every minute of every day, we'd have shitty Linux desktop distros at work, too.
It's just that, for what most of us want to do on our computers all day, Microsoft doesn't offer anything. I can browse, I can run my home, stream movies, play games, and tinker with software all arguably better on Linux. Driver support being the only really spotty thing, but OS getting better at an incredible rate. And if I really fucking hated something, I give myself fair odds of being able to make myself a fix for it.
I remember when I first started playing with Linux, must've been around Windows 8? 7? I was like this would be great if I had nostalgia for Windows 3.1 and fumbling around learning DOS (or technically AmigaOS in my case) for the first time, but I wanted stuff to just work better and look better.
But Linux has caught up in every way except corporate bloat, and I love it for every day use. I have an SSD with my old windows installation laying around gathering dust. Thought I'd need it for emergencies. Haven't had an emergency it would help with — ever.
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Oh. Well, no duh.
Did they ever explain why this wasn't on by default before? Was there a practical reason for it at all? It's one of those things you do once and never think about again, but it's weird that you even had to.
I guess maybe they thought that having some games try to launch and fail by default would look bad? They've recently added compatibility ratings to non-SteamOS Linux systems, so maybe that's the difference now? Still a weirdly annoying choice originally, though.
It was because Proton was still very new relatively speaking, the understanding being that it's potentially fussy and buggy enough that only people with an understanding they're running via a compatibility layer should use it to e.g. reduce game refunds.
I actually really liked the choice. Hopefully we can still at least turn SteamPlay off if we want to, and SteamPlay games are clearly labeled as such vs. native Linux versions.
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I struggled with Steam on Linux to undo enabling Proton on a Linux-native game. I wiped a machine to go back to just the native setting. Still didn't work. Tried hacking the metadata in Steam. Didn't work. Could not disable Proton.
I get it that everyone is thrilled about this. I'm not. -
It was because Proton was still very new relatively speaking, the understanding being that it's potentially fussy and buggy enough that only people with an understanding they're running via a compatibility layer should use it to e.g. reduce game refunds.
I actually really liked the choice. Hopefully we can still at least turn SteamPlay off if we want to, and SteamPlay games are clearly labeled as such vs. native Linux versions.
Its probly still buggy as fuk. I gave up on it.
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I wonder if it will default to Proton-GE or smth, if you install it before you open steam?
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I struggled with Steam on Linux to undo enabling Proton on a Linux-native game. I wiped a machine to go back to just the native setting. Still didn't work. Tried hacking the metadata in Steam. Didn't work. Could not disable Proton.
I get it that everyone is thrilled about this. I'm not.Steam automatically uses the native version if one is available, unless you override the compatibility tool to be Proton instead of the Linux runtime on a per-game basis. Nothing changed in that regard.
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Steam automatically uses the native version if one is available, unless you override the compatibility tool to be Proton instead of the Linux runtime on a per-game basis. Nothing changed in that regard.
It was bugged. Did not work as you say. Its been at least a year. Pissed me right the fuk off tho. I'm done w/steam on linux for now.
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I struggled with Steam on Linux to undo enabling Proton on a Linux-native game. I wiped a machine to go back to just the native setting. Still didn't work. Tried hacking the metadata in Steam. Didn't work. Could not disable Proton.
I get it that everyone is thrilled about this. I'm not.I never encountered that, but Steam can get weirdly stuck on a Proton update or setting if you start manually messing with its library folders. For as much as people like their contributions to the ecosystem it's still a private, for-profit storefront and they're not particularly keen on you fiddling with it or in supporting you when/if you do.
That said, I haven't had that issue. In theory Proton shouldn't mess with your native software regardless of your options setting being on or off. Presumably even with it defaulted to on if you switch it off manually things would go back to showing all non-native software as "unavailable" again, right?
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I never encountered that, but Steam can get weirdly stuck on a Proton update or setting if you start manually messing with its library folders. For as much as people like their contributions to the ecosystem it's still a private, for-profit storefront and they're not particularly keen on you fiddling with it or in supporting you when/if you do.
That said, I haven't had that issue. In theory Proton shouldn't mess with your native software regardless of your options setting being on or off. Presumably even with it defaulted to on if you switch it off manually things would go back to showing all non-native software as "unavailable" again, right?
No. The slider did not turn off. I hacked the metadata to turn it off. That didn't work either. Annoying as hell.
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No. The slider did not turn off. I hacked the metadata to turn it off. That didn't work either. Annoying as hell.
Yeah, that sucks. I've had it get stuck trying to update Proton for a game that no longer existed on an external drive. Steam definitely isn't as "works every time out of the box" as people around here like to claim, and its reliance on reproducing itself to its last state, even if that state is broken, can be super annoying.
But hey, I still think having access to all the games it can run in your system should be the default, even if it warns you when you are doing so under Proton.
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Microsoft did nothing because they thought they had the upper hand, then they started pleasing investors.
Maybe that wasn’t the best idea. Anyway, I’m using Mint "Cinnamon" since Friday and it’s amazing.
Mint is love. Mint is life.
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Yeah, that sucks. I've had it get stuck trying to update Proton for a game that no longer existed on an external drive. Steam definitely isn't as "works every time out of the box" as people around here like to claim, and its reliance on reproducing itself to its last state, even if that state is broken, can be super annoying.
But hey, I still think having access to all the games it can run in your system should be the default, even if it warns you when you are doing so under Proton.
Right. I'm just being cranky because it irritated me. Steam is an outstanding tool. When I had my issues, the linux version was probably less developed.
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NO FUCKING WONDER!
I was messing around with a new fedora install last night and when I clicked the “Linux compatible “ button nothing changed and I could not figure out why. Everything was just able to be installed. This is great!
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Nice. Saves a step.
Now I wish there were a way to force Proton games to run in Gamescope. I usually add it as a launch option because it makes some games play nicer with the window manager.
I know it can be done with steamtinkerlaunch, but that is still kind of a workaround.
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I wonder if it will default to Proton-GE or smth, if you install it before you open steam?
You set the version in compatibility options (per Steam, not per game).
Unless they changed something, it won't automatically update GE-Proton though like it does Proton Experimental.
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I struggled with Steam on Linux to undo enabling Proton on a Linux-native game. I wiped a machine to go back to just the native setting. Still didn't work. Tried hacking the metadata in Steam. Didn't work. Could not disable Proton.
I get it that everyone is thrilled about this. I'm not.Right click the game, click settings, click "compatibility" and choose "Linux Runtime" from the drop down.
If it is not a Linux native game, it will not be an option.
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You set the version in compatibility options (per Steam, not per game).
Unless they changed something, it won't automatically update GE-Proton though like it does Proton Experimental.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]I mean, you can* absolutely also set it per game. I only switch over to GE-Proton if there's an issue with a specific game.
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This post did not contain any content.wrote on last edited by [email protected]
I wish they* would add the ProtonDB rating to the store pages now when you're browsing from the Linux client (or as an account setting). The SteamOS compatibility rating just doesn't tell the whole story.
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You set the version in compatibility options (per Steam, not per game).
Unless they changed something, it won't automatically update GE-Proton though like it does Proton Experimental.
Oh ok, thank you.
