Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox

gjacobse

Moving to a Linux system, it would be nice to still be able to run my STEAM games, it has the screens after all.

After having a quick discussion with @scottalanmiller about his Linux PC and Gaming PC, I find that they are ASUS RoG laptops, but they are different computers. I don't think I realized this in all the discussions previously.

So now I have the delima of how to access and play the games I have already downloaded and remain within Linux. A quick search returned a STEAM guide on setting up Steam on a VM using Virtualbox and a SteamOS ISO, and off I went to get the needed files.

SteamOS Basic Guide Installation on VirtualBox & VMWare Player

Virtualbox installed, ISO created and now,.. I'm rather at a loss.

I have gone through the setting up SteamOS on Virtualbox, but have into a sang in that it doesn't 'boot'. I get a screen showing

GNU GRUB Version 2.02~beta2-22+steamos3+bsos1

Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB lists possible commands. Anywhere else TAB lists possible device or file completions.


grub>

I've gone over the guide a time or four and can not determine the problem as of yet. The page does mention another SteamOS, and after downloading it, I get the Steam Screen shown in step 4 of Guide to Install SteamOS (same link as above). However, going through that, when the system boots, I hear audio, but have no video.

Any suggestion?

scottalanmiller

Installing SteamOS will be useless. You already have Linux installed, so the SteamOS VM will be nothing but a VM of Linux on top of Linux. All the same limitations as your base OS, but virtualized in a Type 2 hypervisor, which will make the performance suck. It solves nothing (as your goal was to have Windows) but will take the already poor situation of trying to game on Linux and then adding in, for no reason, the complication and overhead of a VM.

gjacobse

@scottalanmiller

Well that is inconvenient.

scottalanmiller

@gjacobse said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

@scottalanmiller

Well that is inconvenient.

LOL.. solving the wrong problem.

gjacobse

@scottalanmiller said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

@gjacobse said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

@scottalanmiller

Well that is inconvenient.

LOL.. solving the wrong problem.

Which is why this is not a fail, but a learning what doesn't work.

scottalanmiller

Your issue is that AoE2 only runs on Windows. So a second copy of Linux doesn't fix it. Running Windows in a VM "might" fix it, if the VM is fast enough.

Alex Sage

@scottalanmiller

System Requirements

Minimum:
    OS:Windows Vista, 7, 8 Pro+
    Processor:1.2GHZ CPU
    Memory:1 GB RAM
    Graphics:Direct X 9.0c Capable GPU
    DirectX®:9.0c
    Hard Drive:2 GB HD space

Dashrender

So the question is will it run in WINE.

scottalanmiller

@Dashrender said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

So the question is will it run in WINE.

POssible, but don't know anyone that has tried that.

coliver

@scottalanmiller said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

@Dashrender said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

So the question is will it run in WINE.

POssible, but don't know anyone that has tried that.

https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=27985

gjacobse

I'm not saying I gave up,... I would like to give it another go. Sadly work doesn't really allow for that, so I am - for the time being - back to Windows 10.

Unrelated to STEAM - but I'm again reminded that just about every time I do try to make the move to Linux there is some application that just doesn't run on it.

But that is a limitation to all three platforms; MAC, Linux, Windows, and one you have to adjust to if you wish to work within that system. IT is what IT is,.. which is part of what makes IT so much fun but also IT can be quite frustrating.

scottalanmiller

@gjacobse said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

I'm not saying I gave up,... I would like to give it another go. Sadly work doesn't really allow for that, so I am - for the time being - back to Windows 10.

Unrelated to STEAM - but I'm again reminded that just about every time I do try to make the move to Linux there is some application that just doesn't run on it.

But that is a limitation to all three platforms; MAC, Linux, Windows, and one you have to adjust to if you wish to work within that system. IT is what IT is,.. which is part of what makes IT so much fun but also IT can be quite frustrating.

Outside of gaming, it is rarely that an application doesn't run, it is that you are trying to keep Windows tools outside of the Windows world.

scottalanmiller

What tool are you lacking on Linux that you feel you need except for AOE2? Steam runs fine under Linux, it's only specific games that are issues.

dafyre

@scottalanmiller said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

What tool are you lacking on Linux that you feel you need except for AOE2? Steam runs fine under Linux, it's only specific games that are issues.

... Like many games written for Windows, lol.

Dashrender

@scottalanmiller said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

What tool are you lacking on Linux that you feel you need except for AOE2? Steam runs fine under Linux, it's only specific games that are issues.

Let's assume that Gene is managing mostly windows systems - I assume the answer for - how do I get the Windows RSAT to work on Linux - is - move to Powershell?

gjacobse

@dafyre said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

@scottalanmiller said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

What tool are you lacking on Linux that you feel you need except for AOE2? Steam runs fine under Linux, it's only specific games that are issues.

... Like many games written for Windows, lol.

LOL - no,.. I don't play that many games. I am only playing AoE2 because I have great co-workers who are also playing it.

@scottalanmiller it's difficult to say directly. There are known programs in common use today that don't like:

iTunes
MS Outlook
Something else I can't think of right now,.. but know it's there.

There are OF COURSE equivalents to most of this, LibreOffice installs natively with Linux Mint 18.1 and others. OWA can replace Outlook on all platforms.

But there are some that just are not written for the Linux Kernel and likely won't be. They are non-IT related, some Amateur Radio software for example is not written for the Linux kernel. There are a few that are - and can exchange data between the two.. sometimes.

@Dashrender Ugh Powershell - Don't even. If I can avoid using it I do..

Dashrender

@gjacobse said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

OWA can replace Outlook on all platforms.

Depending on plug-ins, not really.

Dashrender

@gjacobse said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

@Dashrender Ugh Powershell - Don't even. If I can avoid using it I do..

The reality is that us Windows Admins need to stop avoiding it.

gjacobse

@Dashrender said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

@gjacobse said in Running Steam on Linux via Virtualbox:

@Dashrender Ugh Powershell - Don't even. If I can avoid using it I do..

The reality is that us Windows Admins need to stop avoiding it.

sigh agreed... but I protest...

Hey, getting me to use the Linux CLI is a step forward,.. I know (a few of) the commands now,.. while I just may no recall the context. I was able to find the mount that was at 100% usage yesterday using df -h... so that is a move forward..