this post was submitted on 20 Nov 2025
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Linux Gaming

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Valve put up a new Steam Linux Runtime 4.0 with a move towards 64-bit (www.gamingonlinux.com)
submitted 6 hours ago by cm0002@no.lastname.nz to c/linux_gaming@lemmy.world
26 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

To ensure games run well on Linux either via Native Linux builds or Windows games with Proton, part of the magic is in the Steam Linux Runtime. A new version of it, the Steam Linux Runtime 4.0 was recently put up with some pretty big changes.

What's the point of it? It ensures Steam and games run through Steam on Linux work properly across all the many different Linux distributions. Another secret Valve sauce for Linux. Well, not secret at all but you get my meaning I'm sure.

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[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 22 points 5 hours ago (2 children)

The runtime is not Steam itself. That's more or less independent from the runtime. The runtimes are a collection of libraries that developers can develop against without having to include them themselves.

Kind of similar to the Visual C++ Runtime on Windows.

[–] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 1 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

So you can use those to develop on a platform and be sure that it work on the other too? Is this runtime steam-indipendent?

[–] _cryptagion@anarchist.nexus 2 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

idk about that, but it's called the Steam Runtime because it's the library files for running Steam. so I'm not sure what context you would use it in that didn't include Steam, since it's used for everything Steam does from connecting you to your friends in multiplayer games, to notifying Steam users that it's their turn in asynchronous games.

if the game wasn't run from Steam, it probably wouldn't need or want to use the Steam Runtime.

[–] bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 3 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

No, it's for running games on Linux. Steam will probably use the libs as well for its own functionality. But the main use is for game developers to target specific libraries so that they are independent of the user's distribution.

And they can indeed be used outside of Steam as well. I sometimes use it to link in specific libraries for other games. @Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it

[–] _cryptagion@anarchist.nexus 3 points 2 hours ago

I stand corrected then