<\/figure>\n The more time I spend with Valve\u2019s Steam Deck, the more I\u2019m fascinated by it. While it\u2019s obviously rad for the incredibly rich selection of games it plays<\/span>, I\u2019ve found it\u2019s actually a really solid mini-PC for work, creation, and just everyday PC-related tasks, so today I\u2019ll show you how to get started using your Deck as a powerful little PC in its own right.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry, none of this involves installing weird software, arcane Linux witchery, or using another OS. While SteamOS has some room for improvement, Valve\u2019s initial offering is very impressive, making for a fun, experimental little computer that\u2019s great for taking a first taste of Linux. It\u2019s cool to also have that in a device that plays AAA games. And indie games. And weird art games. And it\u2019s also a possible peek into the future of PC gaming itself. Valve seems to be all-in on Linux, so maybe it\u2019s a good idea to start learning on this thing.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s see what it has to offer.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n Accessing the Deck\u2019s full-featured Linux \u201cDesktop Mode<\/span>\u201d\u2014which is what many users call its \u201cdesktop\u201d functionality\u2014is easy: After booting into the default Gaming Mode, just hold the power button and select \u201cSwitch to Desktop\u201d and a few short loading screens later you\u2019ll be in. You can\u2019t launch directly into this mode when powering up the device, which is a shame, but switching is quick.<\/p>\n G\/O Media may get a commission<\/p>\n Save Up to $300<\/p>\n Galaxy Z Fold4<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Today, Samsung unveiled everything new in its lineup of Galaxy products. Bundle a pair of Buds 2 Pro with either a Watch5 or Watch5 Pro with the Z Fold4 to receive $300 in Samsung credit.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n From Gaming Mode, you can also access Desktop Mode by hitting the Steam button (or the touchscreen equivalent on the lower left-hand corner), navigating to \u201cPower,\u201d and selecting \u201cSwitch to Desktop\u201d.<\/p>\n If you want to jump back to Gaming Mode, simply reboot.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n Steam Deck runs on SteamOS, which is Valve\u2019s spin on a Linux-based OS. For those outside the dominion of the penguin, Linux presents a compelling alternative to the likes of Microsoft\u2019s Windows and Apple\u2019s MacOS. It\u2019s excellent, and has an endless variety of use cases; desktop computing is just one.<\/p>\n No, we\u2019re not entering the year of the Linux desktop (yet). But the last decade has seen incredible advances in there nonetheless, bringing us some very reliable and functional operating systems. Some even feature style and character. SteamOS\u2019s Desktop Mode is kind of a greatest-hits of different developments in this sphere of computing. Most of the time it looks and performs like Windows: There\u2019s a recognizable file management system, it comes with Firefox for web browsing, and you can run Steam and play games in Desktop Mode just as you would on a PC.<\/p>\n But you should still expect some\u2026Linuxisms. For example, installing apps isn\u2019t as straightforward. It\u2019s best to use SteamOS\u2019s \u201cDiscover\u201d app store for finding and installing apps. Beyond that it\u2019ll be hit or miss, and you\u2019ll likely need to learn some Linux tips and tricks.<\/p>\n Obsidian<\/span>, for example, is a fantastic (the best, even) note-taking app you can download from the internet, but the website will only give you an \u201cAppimage\u201d for Linux. We can skip the details of what that means, but know that it\u2019s not a simple .exe or .msi. Installing it this way leads to a strange icon in the taskbar, and can leave the app tricky to launch. Obsidian is also in the app store, however, and installing it that way guarantees it\u2019ll show up like any other app.<\/p>\n In general, using SteamOS in Desktop Mode won\u2019t be too different from switching to a smartphone OS you\u2019re not as familiar with. Things will be in different places; certain features will work in surprising ways. Discovering these differences is often the fun of learning a new OS, but sometimes a Linux desktop can behave in ways you\u2019re not yet used to. Fortunately, SteamOS includes a lot of modern OS comforts to deal with common problems.<\/p>\n Valve has included an auto-launching \u201cthis program isn\u2019t responding\u201d prompt to deal with stubborn, unresponsive apps, for example. The System Monitor will also allow you to kill frozen programs just as Task Manager does in Windows. You can find that in the Deck\u2019s equivalent of the Start Menu.<\/p>\n But don\u2019t expect a buggy OS where apps are crashing left and right. SteamOS is one of the most stable Linux desktop environments I\u2019ve tried in a long time. You\u2019re far less likely to burn down the install by doing something you didn\u2019t know you weren\u2019t supposed to in the Terminal\u2014a common enough Linux accident that\u2019s worryingly easy to do even in a very popular and user-friendly Linux distribution like Ubuntu.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re okay getting your hands a little dirty with learning a new OS\u2019s quirks, you\u2019ll be fine. That said, there are a few items you should set up immediately. Like, don\u2019t use the Deck as a desktop computer until you do these things.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n Having Steam running while in Desktop Mode is absolutely essential, but by default, Steam does not launch alongside Desktop Mode. Valve should actually change this.<\/p>\n If we\u2019re going to get the most out of the Steam Deck as a computer, then we need to make sure that Desktop Mode works as efficiently as it can without requiring an external monitor or a physical mouse and keyboard.<\/p>\n That\u2019s where running Steam comes in. Steam, the app, provides you the ability to bring up a virtual keyboard, move the mouse around with the touchpads, and activate other useful SteamOS commands. If you don\u2019t have any peripherals attached and Steam is closed, the Steam Deck is just a tablet with a touchscreen\u2014one that\u2019s not as accurate as your smartphone\u2019s.<\/p>\n You can set this in Steam itself. Enter Desktop Mode, launch Steam, then navigate to Steam\u2019s settings. In \u201cInterface,\u201d check \u201cRun Steam when my computer starts.\u201d While you\u2019re there, uncheck the box at the bottom labeled \u201cNotify me about additions or changes to my games, new releases, and upcoming releases.\u201d That\u2019ll shut off the Steam app\u2019s annoying store deals pop-up. If you didn\u2019t know how to do that yet, you\u2019re welcome.<\/p>\n You can also make Desktop Mode apps accessible through the Deck\u2019s main Game Mode interface (the one that looks similar to Steam\u2019s \u201cBig Picture\u201d). Simply right-click on an app you want to show up in your Steam library and select \u201cAdd to Steam.\u201d Some programs won\u2019t launch this way, while others might have some interface issues, so you\u2019re likely to go through a bit of trial and error from app to app. Any apps you add to Steam Deck\u2019s Gaming Mode this way will show up under \u201cNon-Steam Games\u201d in your library.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n If you connect an external display to the Steam Deck in Gaming Mode, it will switch over automatically. It takes a second longer than it probably should, but it\u2019s pretty seamless. This isn\u2019t the case on Desktop Mode, however. Setting up your displays here can be a little tricky at first. Fortunately, that\u2019s a setting away from being fixed.<\/p>\n In Desktop Mode, the Steam Deck will default to its own little screen as primary and will use your external monitor as a secondary display. In System Settings, you\u2019ll find it refers to its own display as a \u201cLaptop Screen\u201d (aww, it thinks it\u2019s a computer!).<\/p>\n If you want to use your external screen as the main display, complete with the actual main desktop and taskbar, set your external screen to \u201cPrimary\u201d. You might also want to consider unchecking \u201cEnabled\u201d for the Laptop Screen, as this will give the smaller screen a break by shutting it off.<\/p>\n Have some patience when connecting and fiddling with display settings. Desktop Mode seems to get confused easily and might flip back and forth between both screens before stopping on one. This is typically just a quirk of setting it up. Once you\u2019re up and running, your selected screen should stay put while in use. And if you switch back to Gaming Mode while an external monitor is plugged in, usually that external monitor becomes the main, and only, display.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n Steam Deck\u2019s Desktop Mode doesn\u2019t have a password by default. If you\u2019re planning on using this device as a computer, you should change that. Search for \u201cSystem Settings\u201d in the \u201cStart Menu\u201d and under \u201cPersonalization\u201d > \u201cUsers,\u201d you\u2019ll find the ability to edit your account information, including the option to set a password.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll use this password in \u201cKonsole,\u201d SteamOS\u2019s equivalent of a basic Linux \u201cTerminal.\u201d Even if you won\u2019t be doing any Terminal work, a password is a pretty wise thing to set up. Just don\u2019t forget it. (And while we\u2019re at, it\u2019s the Year of our Lord 2022, so you do use a password manager<\/span>, right?)<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n Steam Deck\u2019s Desktop Mode has a Windows-like \u201ctaskbar\u201d running along the bottom that shows you the various apps you have open. There\u2019s a tray of options in the bottom right-hand corner with a clock, as well as a menu reminiscent of a Windows Start Menu on the left. The taskbar has one mission-critical setting that\u2019s remarkably easy to miss.<\/p>\n Right-clicking on the taskbar will reveal an option titled \u201cEnter Edit Mode.\u201d Here you can thoroughly customize its appearance and add widgets, etc. But it\u2019s essential to navigate to the right part of the screen in Edit Mode and under \u201cMore Options,\u201d enable \u201cWindows Can Cover\u201d in the Visibility section.<\/p>\n This lets you make the most out of the Steam Deck\u2019s small screen by allowing apps to expand over the \u201ctaskbar.\u201d You might be tempted to select \u201cauto-hide,\u201d but if you don\u2019t have a mouse and keyboard connected and Steam ends up crashing or doesn\u2019t start up when entering Desktop Mode, well, you\u2019ll have no \u201ctaskbar\u201d on the desktop as it auto-hides, and you won\u2019t be able to launch the main menu with the touchscreen. This essentially leaves SteamOS in a broken state until you physically plug in a mouse or keyboard.<\/p>\n Letting app windows cover the \u201ctaskbar\u201d guarantees that the critical options it provides are always accessible when you minimize or move a full-screened app window, regardless of what input methods are connected or activated.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n Perhaps taking design inspiration from Apple, the Steam Deck has just a single USB-C port, forcing you to work around this constraint for all your connectivity needs. The Steam Deck is still quite young and doesn\u2019t have a whole bunch of peripheral options available yet. For reasons I\u2019ll explain, you may wish to opt for a comprehensive USB hub over a sleeker (or more home-theater friendly) custom dock. (If you\u2019re really ambitious with peripherals, you might need to find a hub that plugs into the wall and has its own power.)<\/p>\n I\u2019m currently using the Jsaux Steam Deck dock<\/span> and, well, it\u2019s fine. It holds the Deck and provides two USB-A 2.0 ports (gross), an Ethernet port, an HDMI out, and power in. A right-angle USB-C cable plugs into the top of the device and sends everything through there.<\/p>\n Docks, like the upcoming one from Valve itself<\/span>, are very much a \u201cset it and forget it\u201d device. For computing uses, however, you may find yourself needing to pick the device up from time to time, so having everything anchored down to a single spot is just a little too inconvenient. I\u2019ve found that the Steam Deck just needs to be picked up sometimes, especially when used without an external monitor. And a Nintendo Switch-like dock kind of interferes with that.<\/p>\n If the dock life\u2019s not for you, a USB-C hub with a ton of great ports can do the trick, perhaps alongside a structural dock that is useful if you still want to stand the Deck up. Otherwise the Deck can lay flat well enough, provided you don\u2019t obstruct its heat vents.<\/p>\n Moving on to input, you\u2019ll likely want a keyboard with a small footprint. Any tenkeyless or 75%\/60% layouts will probably do fine. You may also want to consider a keyboard that has extra USB ports for a mouse, freeing up the USB hub or dock\u2019s limited ports for other uses.<\/p>\n I recommend a trackball over a traditional mouse. You might be computing in some cramped spaces with the Steam Deck, and not needing to drag a physical mouse around can make life much easier.<\/p>\n You should also keep an audio cable around to connect the headphone jack to speakers; the Deck has a 1\/8-inch output jack. This will come in handy if you\u2019re having issues getting audio out of the device over USB-C for whatever reason.<\/p>\n Finally, consider getting a good set of Bluetooth headphones. Bluetooth connections are pretty reliable on the Deck (especially in Game Mode) though there can be a touch of audio latency if you\u2019re using more performance-intensive applications.<\/p>\n With a set of headphones, a hub or dock, small keyboard, and trackball or mouse, you can hole up in a corner at a coffee shop or library and use the Deck like you would a laptop. People may want to talk to you about this setup, but you\u2019ve no time for them; you\u2019re living in the future.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n Hang on, you vampires. Yes, I too have giant blackout curtains and am surrounded by screens typically featuring user interfaces set to dark mode. When using the Steam Deck\u2019s small screen, though, you might want to switch to light mode, as it really improves visibility and readability. With light mode, I find myself squinting at the screen far less often, and I can even get away with lower brightness settings for the most part.<\/p>\n You can find this option in the System Settings: Just search for \u201cThemes\u201d and navigate to the \u201cGlobal Theme\u201d setting. Here you can try \u201cBreeze\u201d or \u201cBreeze Twilight\u201d as some pretty good light-mode options. You can also download some new themes from the app store\u2026but remember when I said to expect some \u201cLinuxisms?\u201d Yeah, right now, at least for me, themes appears to be a bit buggy. They won\u2019t crash or anything, but display elements don\u2019t seem to always render or behave correctly.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n I\u2019m kind of surprised I haven\u2019t completely broken SteamOS yet; Compared to more typical LInux distributions, Valve\u2019s operating system seems to have a few extra guardrails that prevent inadvertent software destruction. Still, I\u2019d expect it\u2019s easier to accidentally break this OS than a Windows or a Mac installation. As is the case with computing in general, have a good backup plan for your data, but also plan to have a backup of SteamOS itself should events take an unexpected turn.<\/p>\n Fortunately, Valve provides some pretty straightforward documentation on recovering the Deck<\/span>. It seems a good idea to get a compatible USB drive and dedicate it to storing a copy of the OS should you find yourself needing recovery in a place where you can\u2019t create a bootable disk from another computer.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/figure>\n So once you have the right peripherals and you\u2019ve made all the software tweaks to maximize the Deck\u2019s desktop efficiency, what\u2019s next?<\/p>\n This is where the fun begins (sorry). First, the Steam Deck\u2019s Desktop Mode does basic computing without worry. Email, IM, web browsing (watch the tab count though), playing music, watching videos, text editing\u2026it\u2019s all here.<\/p>\n One of the most immediate benefits of the Deck\u2019s Desktop Mode, however, is that it\u2019s a great opportunity to start using Linux. Given how many games are playable on the Deck through the Proton compatibility layer, it\u2019s not so farfetched to see a future when a gaming PC running Linux alone will satisfy most needs. The Deck offers a way to start planning for that exodus. Fire up a few Linux tutorials and gain some familiarity with using the Terminal (called Konsole on the Deck), package managers, sudo commands, all of it. As a PC replacement (or complement) the Deck offers a ton of computing capability in an amazingly tiny package.<\/p>\n Out in the wild, folks are using the Deck to program code<\/span> and play around with music production<\/span>. Other brave souls are finding workflows to develop games directly on the device<\/span> too. But if those are beyond your computing needs or interests, the Deck could serve easily as a lightweight computing device for daily productivity tasks<\/span> and it doesn\u2019t take up much space. And if you can find an art program you like that runs on Linux, drawing tablets aren\u2019t too hard to set up, with some being just plug-and-play<\/span>.<\/p>\n There are also a variety of great productivity and multimedia apps that run on SteamOS\u2019s Desktop Mode without much issue. For music, I highly recommend Bitwig<\/span>; it can be challenging to learn, but it\u2019s a genuine piece of music creation software. VCV Rack 2<\/span> is also a great piece of music software that runs well, but as it\u2019s a simulated modular synthesizer, it requires a whole other set of knowledge to even use effectively. Also, that program will introduce you to the confusing world of audio on Linux and you might easily crash the program by selecting the wrong audio driver. The learning process can be fun though.<\/p>\n Other great programs include KdenLive<\/span> for video editing, Krita<\/span> for art, and even Blender<\/span> for 3D stuff. SteamOS\u2019s Discover app is very well populated, so you\u2019re very likely to find apps that fit your needs. <\/p>\n
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Getting In And Out Of Desktop Mode<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Galaxy](\"https:\/\/i.kinja-img.com\/gawker-media\/image\/upload\/c_fill,fl_progressive,g_center,h_180,q_80,w_320\/93350bdca60b39cdc3ab37bb14d33859.jpg\")
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Welcome To Linux, Expect A Few Hiccups<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Set Steam To Launch On Startup<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Set The Displays Appropriately<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Set A User Password<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Cover, Not Auto-Hide: The Essential \u201cTaskbar\u201d Setting<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Get Some Essential Peripherals<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Embrace Light Mode<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Have A Backup Plan (Just In Case)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Don\u2019t Temper Expectations, Set Effective Use-Cases Instead<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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