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davidbrooke
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Joined: 03 Jan 2015
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 Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2016 3:50 pm Post subject: Steam usage |
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I'm new to steam and have a few questions and also wanted to get your personal feedback.
1. I would like to create a home server/client environment. Basically use the lan and have all the games storage on a server so that the clients can have access to the games. It seems that the Family Library Sharing and Steam Guard maybe the way to do this but I would like for someone to give more detail as to a setup or another solution. Also can Offline mode be used in the home server/client environment?
2. Concerning multi-player and a home lan, can more than one player play the same game from different computers? Example: person A on computer #1 vs person B on computer #2.
Can more than one player play the same game on the same computer? Example: person A and person B on computer #1.
3. Can linux and wine (windows) setups be used on the home server/client environment? Refer to question #1.
Example #1 single player: person A on computer #1 using game xyz with linux. Person B on computer #2 using game abc with wine (windows).
Example #2 multi-player: person A on computer #1 using game xyz with linux. Person B on computer #2 using game xyz with wine (windows).
4. Can other controllers be used with steam...xbox, playstation, 3rd party, etc...?
5. Can the steam controller be used for other non-steam gaming? I see where Dolphin-emu can be used through steam and the the steam controller can be used in place of the wii remote, nu-chuck and gamecube controller. |
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audiodef
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Joined: 06 Jul 2005
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Location: The soundosphere
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Chiitoo
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Joined: 28 Feb 2010
Posts: 2573
Location: Here and Away Again
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| Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2016 1:00 pm Post subject: Re: Steam usage |
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| davidbrooke wrote: | | 1. I would like to create a home server/client environment. Basically use the lan and have all the games storage on a server so that the clients can have access to the games. It seems that the Family Library Sharing and Steam Guard maybe the way to do this but I would like for someone to give more detail as to a setup or another solution. Also can Offline mode be used in the home server/client environment? |
Offline mode can be useful to some extent. It will disable some features, however, such as Steam Guard which in turn disables Family Library Sharing.
Family Library Sharing may seem misleading at first thought. I know it definitely isn't quite what I first thought it would be!
It allows for one, and only one user to access the library at a time. This means even if users wanted to play a different game at the same time, they would not be able to. I'm unsure, but I would guess that it is possible to go around this slightly by the actual library owner being in offline mode, and the other user online (to be able to access a shared library, the non-owner has to be online). In theory, depending on the game(s), this would allow them to play the same/different games and even connect via the LAN, if the game supports peer-to-peer or other such means of connectivity unaffected by Steam's network status.
But that's just a theory. My theory.
| Quote: | 2. Concerning multi-player and a home lan, can more than one player play the same game from different computers? Example: person A on computer #1 vs person B on computer #2.
Can more than one player play the same game on the same computer? Example: person A and person B on computer #1. |
Mostly depends on the game, and if using one single Steam account or not (which should not be shared). Multiple users on one Linux machine (no idea about Windows) can run their own Steam clients in online mode with their separate accounts, but one and the same account can be online from only one place at a time. This also means that, while it's possible to run the Linux and Windows (via Wine for example) clients simultaneously by one and the same user on one and the same machine, only one of them will be online.
| Quote: | 3. Can linux and wine (windows) setups be used on the home server/client environment? Refer to question #1.
Example #1 single player: person A on computer #1 using game xyz with linux. Person B on computer #2 using game abc with wine (windows).
Example #2 multi-player: person A on computer #1 using game xyz with linux. Person B on computer #2 using game xyz with wine (windows). |
If using Family Library Sharing: no, at least not if both are online. Refer to answers to question #1. ^^
If using separate accounts and separate libraries: yes. It's also possible to use one and the same account on different machines, but only one of them will be online (sharing a single account isn't permitted, however).
| Quote: | | 4. Can other controllers be used with steam...xbox, playstation, 3rd party, etc...? |
As long as they are detected by the operating system, and the game, they should work. Steam itself can be doing a poor job with this. Many games, when launched outside of Steam, will detect my PS2-controller connected via a USB-adapter, but when launched from Steam, not so much (this at least used to be due to the (probably more sane) permissions we have set on devices, differing from those on Ubuntu).
| Quote: | | 5. Can the steam controller be used for other non-steam gaming? I see where Dolphin-emu can be used through steam and the the steam controller can be used in place of the wii remote, nu-chuck and gamecube controller. |
I believe it should be possible as long as the operating system, and the game detects it correct-like. I don't have one, so I can't really say for sure, nor have I read much about them.
I'm not entirely sure about the current state of family sharing especially, as I never actually made use of it, but I've looked into it a little bit, so I believe I'm at least mostly correct on those parts as well. Or so I maybe guess. ^^
At least it seems that my memory was good on most of it, having looked at the official knowledge base article, here: Family Library Sharing User Guide
Also the original(?) promotion: Steam Family Sharing
All in all, I believe having separate accounts and separate libraries, while more costly, is often the best way to go about using Steam. Of course, if the family members have different times for their gaming sessions, then Family Library Sharing should work very well, but in other cases... probably not. As for family members sharing a single account (which is a no-no in terms of terms of service, or Steam Subscriber Agreement as they call it at the time of writing), they might want their own achievements and stuff and things in the future, and they will probably hope they had one from the beginning then.
Timing the game purchases at around Steam Sales is often a good idea to save some/a lot of money, though if the users are after the latest and greatest, it might not be an option. ^^;
Just some thoughts... I hope they helps!
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Kindest of regardses. |
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davidbrooke
Guru
Joined: 03 Jan 2015
Posts: 341
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| Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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| audiodef wrote: | | I think for the game storage, simply mounting your networked drive in /etc/fstab and pointing Steam to that drive as the install dir should do the trick. |
I used the steam overlay with the meta packages for the install but don't remember the process letting me choose the installation directory. How can I change that?
Also I have tried to change the steam library folder to a NFS share (another drive in the same computer) but I keep getting this message:
"New Steam library folder must be on a filesystem mounted with execute permissions"
The folder is new and has all the requirements:
1. Properly mounted and accessible
2. Has all write, read and execute permissions.
Thoughts? |
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davidbrooke
Guru
Joined: 03 Jan 2015
Posts: 341
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| Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 8:18 pm Post subject: Re: Steam usage |
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| Chiitoo wrote: | | davidbrooke wrote: | | 1. I would like to create a home server/client environment. Basically use the lan and have all the games storage on a server so that the clients can have access to the games. It seems that the Family Library Sharing and Steam Guard maybe the way to do this but I would like for someone to give more detail as to a setup or another solution. Also can Offline mode be used in the home server/client environment? |
Offline mode can be useful to some extent. It will disable some features, however, such as Steam Guard which in turn disables Family Library Sharing.
Family Library Sharing may seem misleading at first thought. I know it definitely isn't quite what I first thought it would be!
It allows for one, and only one user to access the library at a time. This means even if users wanted to play a different game at the same time, they would not be able to. I'm unsure, but I would guess that it is possible to go around this slightly by the actual library owner being in offline mode, and the other user online (to be able to access a shared library, the non-owner has to be online). In theory, depending on the game(s), this would allow them to play the same/different games and even connect via the LAN, if the game supports peer-to-peer or other such means of connectivity unaffected by Steam's network status.
But that's just a theory. My theory.
| Quote: | 2. Concerning multi-player and a home lan, can more than one player play the same game from different computers? Example: person A on computer #1 vs person B on computer #2.
Can more than one player play the same game on the same computer? Example: person A and person B on computer #1. |
Mostly depends on the game, and if using one single Steam account or not (which should not be shared). Multiple users on one Linux machine (no idea about Windows) can run their own Steam clients in online mode with their separate accounts, but one and the same account can be online from only one place at a time. This also means that, while it's possible to run the Linux and Windows (via Wine for example) clients simultaneously by one and the same user on one and the same machine, only one of them will be online.
| Quote: | 3. Can linux and wine (windows) setups be used on the home server/client environment? Refer to question #1.
Example #1 single player: person A on computer #1 using game xyz with linux. Person B on computer #2 using game abc with wine (windows).
Example #2 multi-player: person A on computer #1 using game xyz with linux. Person B on computer #2 using game xyz with wine (windows). |
If using Family Library Sharing: no, at least not if both are online. Refer to answers to question #1. ^^
If using separate accounts and separate libraries: yes. It's also possible to use one and the same account on different machines, but only one of them will be online (sharing a single account isn't permitted, however).
| Quote: | | 4. Can other controllers be used with steam...xbox, playstation, 3rd party, etc...? |
As long as they are detected by the operating system, and the game, they should work. Steam itself can be doing a poor job with this. Many games, when launched outside of Steam, will detect my PS2-controller connected via a USB-adapter, but when launched from Steam, not so much (this at least used to be due to the (probably more sane) permissions we have set on devices, differing from those on Ubuntu).
| Quote: | | 5. Can the steam controller be used for other non-steam gaming? I see where Dolphin-emu can be used through steam and the the steam controller can be used in place of the wii remote, nu-chuck and gamecube controller. |
I believe it should be possible as long as the operating system, and the game detects it correct-like. I don't have one, so I can't really say for sure, nor have I read much about them.
I'm not entirely sure about the current state of family sharing especially, as I never actually made use of it, but I've looked into it a little bit, so I believe I'm at least mostly correct on those parts as well. Or so I maybe guess. ^^
At least it seems that my memory was good on most of it, having looked at the official knowledge base article, here: Family Library Sharing User Guide
Also the original(?) promotion: Steam Family Sharing
All in all, I believe having separate accounts and separate libraries, while more costly, is often the best way to go about using Steam. Of course, if the family members have different times for their gaming sessions, then Family Library Sharing should work very well, but in other cases... probably not. As for family members sharing a single account (which is a no-no in terms of terms of service, or Steam Subscriber Agreement as they call it at the time of writing), they might want their own achievements and stuff and things in the future, and they will probably hope they had one from the beginning then.
Timing the game purchases at around Steam Sales is often a good idea to save some/a lot of money, though if the users are after the latest and greatest, it might not be an option. ^^;
Just some thoughts... I hope they helps! |
Thanks for all your insight! |
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Naib
Watchman
Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 6051
Location: Removed by Neddy
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2016 9:56 am Post subject: |
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The steam essentially is exposed as a mouse+KB to the OS (shoulder buttons as mouse buttons)
I have a steam link and a couple of controllers and when a game "minimises" I am controlling my desktop with the controller
It is equally reported as a HID
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| Quote: | | Removed by Chiitoo |
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davidbrooke
Guru
Joined: 03 Jan 2015
Posts: 341
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2016 6:25 pm Post subject: Re: Steam usage |
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| davidbrooke wrote: | 4. Can other controllers be used with steam...xbox, playstation, 3rd party, etc...?
5. Can the steam controller be used for other non-steam gaming? I see where Dolphin-emu can be used through steam and the the steam controller can be used in place of the wii remote, nu-chuck and gamecube controller. |
I ended up getting several used xbox 360 controllers. They can be used on Steam as well as Dolphin. This seemed like the best fit overall. |
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