SteamOS works on Desktop!

Framework Desktop
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We’ve tried SteamOS for kids, and it works great! It’s super cool how connecting Xbox controller makes steamOS show right icons. Anywho, steps to install:

  1. Turn off secure boot (press F2 when booting up, there’s administrator something option. It’s not in BIOS settings)
  2. Ethernet didn’t work until i did BIOS update, but that could be my perception. Wifi worked fine so i used that for initial setup.
  3. Download “main” branch of steamOS instead of current release (see I’ve already been using a “Steam Machine” for months, and I think it’s great - Ars Technica for link)
  4. Flash USB (i used etcher, but any method works i think) with that image
  5. Boot from that USB (F2 when starting up), and rest is just following the steps!

I don’t think most folks will need this, but kids love it! Desktop is just the right size, stickers and panels are very popular too. SteamOS means less maintenance work for me (way less troubleshooting why games and controllers aren’t working), and as kids get older we can move them to another distro.

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Warms my heart that kids will grow up understanding there’s more than Coke or Pepsi, more than crapple and macrosloth.

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I think key is to encourage them to experiment, google, and not be afraid to break things - OS can always be reinstalled in few minutes!

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One thing to note is that some recent games on Steam still do not use cloud saves (looking at you, Paw Patrol World!). A bit of caution is still advisable before wiping the hard drive. But yes, it’s a good OS, even better once the kernel bump finally hits the stable channel :slight_smile: