STEAM(6)

📦 version 1.0.0.87, in debian bookworm, debian trixie, ubuntu noble, ubuntu questing, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

STEAM 💅✨ (section 6, games manual, bestie)

okay so you want the tea on steam? say less. it's the steam page from the games manual, and honestly it's short but it's iconic.

✨ NAME ✨

steam — Valve's Steam digital software delivery system 🎮

like. that's it. that's the whole name section. she's concise.

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

steam [OPTIONS] [URL]

the way it's just that. no notes. 💅

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

okay so. Steam is a software content delivery system, and it was developed by Valve Software. 🫶

here's the part where i have to be real with you: there is some free software available on there, but for the most part, the content being delivered is non-free. no cap. that's just the vibe.

now. Debian specifically. Debian provides a wrapper script at /usr/games/steam — and what that lil script does is download and install the proprietary Steam interface on-demand. so it's not shipping the whole thing to you upfront, it fetches it when you ask. main character energy tbh. ✨

💖 OPTIONS 💖

okay bestie, listen. this is the part where the manpage basically says "good luck". 😭

  • all the options — every option you hand to the steam script gets forwarded straight to the proprietary Steam client. every single one. it's giving middleman, but like, a helpful one.

and here's the thing: the options that are available change frequently, and unrecognised options are usually ignored. so if you pass something weird and nothing explodes, that's why. 🙈

an incomplete list lives over at:

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Command_Line_Options#Steam

also!! Steam accepts URLs with the steam: or steamlink: URL schemes. 👑 some of the available actions are documented at:

https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Steam_browser_protocol
fr fr go read those links, the manpage is literally telling you the real list is over there and not in here.

🌈 AUTHOR 🌈

  • Steam is maintained by Valve, and it is proprietary software. periodt.
  • This manual page was written by Simon McVittie for the Debian project (and may be used by others) as a replacement for the non-free man page provided by Valve. 🫶 slay, Simon.
💀 reminder bestie: the proprietary Steam client itself? not free software. the wrapper script is Debian's, the client is Valve's. don't get it twisted.

okay that's the whole page!! this version is the 2023-01-20 one from the Debian Games Manual — dated and sourced and everything, mwah. 💋 go play something, you earned it. 🦋🍓

📦 where this page comes from