Since extensions are just collections of files they can be used to add new applications but also other things like system services, development tools, language packs, etc. Merged extensions are seamlessly integrated with the rest of the OS. From then on the user can open and run them normally as if they had been installed with a package manager. When extensions are enabled (aka “merged”) those files will appear on the root filesystem using overlayfs. Each one of these extensions contains a set of files. This is a tool included in recent versions of systemd and it is designed to add additional files (in the form of system extensions) to an otherwise immutable root filesystem. I will probably talk about some of them in the future, but in this post I’m going to focus on one that is already available in the system: systemd-sysext. However, while Flatpak works great for desktop applications not every piece of software is currently available, and Flatpak is also not designed for other types of programs like system services or command-line tools.įortunately there are several ways to add software to the Steam Deck without touching the root filesystem, each one with different pros and cons. Flatpak is already installed and integrated in the system via the Discover app so I won’t go into more details here. The simplest and safest way to install additional software is with Flatpak, and that’s the method recommended in the Steam Deck Desktop FAQ. Modifying the rootfs can also be dangerous if the user is not careful. How to do that though? It is possible for the user to become root, make the root filesytem read-write and install additional software there, but any changes will be gone after the next OS update. Nevertheless, the OS also has a desktop mode which provides a standard Linux desktop experience, and here it makes sense to be able to install more software. This is not a problem for most users since they are only going to run Steam and its games (which are stored in the home partition). Although derived from a standard package-based distro, the OS in the Steam Deck is immutable and system updates replace the contents of the root filesystem atomically instead of using the package manager.Īn immutable OS makes the system more stable and its updates less error-prone, but users cannot install additional packages to add more software. The Steam Deck runs SteamOS, a single-user operating system based on Arch Linux.
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