Edit: As of five minutes ago, I am aware that there is no official ui for the elgato stream deck which is a huge disservice to the users of this expensive piece of hardware. I was under the impression that streamdeck-ui was the official (and very outdated) official version, which is false. Those who bothered to explain this, thank you very much. To those piling up on someone who just hasn't as much knowledge as you do: feels bad man. Maybe consider that this is not reddit and schooling someone does not have to be aggressive.
Hi folks!
I have switched to my Linux daily driver this week and after some starting issues, it's working quite well.
But a few bits and bobs are quite annoying, such as streamdeck ui. The windows version looks and feels like a spaceship compared to the barebones version I have on ubuntu 23.04
Here's what the windows version looks like.
Additionally, the windows version has plugins and stuff that pretty much make giant scripts that can do pretty much anything and everything. The Linux version doesn't even have it's own pictures that come with it.
If you're curious I just used apt install streamdeck-ui instead of the complex stuff that is on the web (and doesn't work anymore because outdated).
Am I just using a really outdated version or is the linux version just trash?
TL;DR: Linux version of streamdeck ui looks 20 yrs old while the windows version looks like photoshop.
Thanks for reading. Have a good one!
You still have to learn that the looks of an UI have absolutely nothing to do with its functionality.
You can asign scripts to each button, and you can write literally anything into a script. So the possibilities are endless. There is nothing you can't do with that
I‘m totally with you on that. I get it. But I still think users should have the same options on linux than they do on windows if they don’t have hours to write scripts or the knowledge.
Arguing that the possibilities are endless is correct imo but it is leaving out the elephant in the room: This only applies to people who are not typical windows users.
i don't want the same options as i do have on windows, i actually PREFER the options on linux.
I don't want developers wasting time in creating "oh-so-beautiful" UIs that makes things unnecessary slow and sluggish. Especially when the program we talk about isn't even the one you primarily use; It's the program you open once to configure, and then every now and then to add something....
In the times of ChatGPT that is absolutely capable of writing bash scripts for linux for everything you tell it to...the possibilities are endless for EVERYONE. You can find scripts for literally everything you can imagine online. And if you ask nicely in some communities so that someone writes you a quick script for whatever you need, you have everything you can imagine. More than on windows ^^
I don't want to bash on you here, but you will see that you can do so much more with scripts on linux (and that they are quite easy to find / learn) than you can do on windows. You can automate soooooo much stuff with the press of a single button on your streamdeck. I do so with mine, it's amazing
I agree on all points but one. I usually prefer to have more options and freedom as well BUT I am shocked that elgato didn't even bother to make a ui for the streamdeck on linux. The community made ui (I know of this for like 10 minutes) is the typical "pro version" as most things in linux are. You can basically steer a spaceship with it, I get it.
My point does not seem to compute though: People are switching from windows en masse (as am I, too) and there not being a stream deck windows ui equivalent from the maker, with at least most of the functionality from the windows version is shocking to me. I am solely saying there should be freedom of choice which interface to use. Due to elgatos ignorance or unwillingness or whatever other reason, there is not. This is what surprised me.
Most of big companies don't bother to make UIs for linux. You will come across this more often in the future.
Community-made is the way to go in 90% of usecases on linux. And i had so much more fun and success when using those programs, compared to the official windows counterparts. Because bug reports or feature requests i made on github for those projects, actually get answered by the programmers. They actually talk with me, listen to what i want to say, and in many cases even fulfilled my wishes for features.
I never ever in my life, had a programmer from a big company answer my feature requests... This was the moment i realized that i prefer this so much more.
It is a massive change, yes. And most people don't really like it in the beginning. Many people will get accustomed with it sooner or later but there will always be people who don't want to embrace this way. And that's okay - Windows is and always will be an alternative for those.
Now I agree on all points. I actually have had no issues configuring linux server for the past two years and I probably just assumed the desktop variant would be as mature as the server variant. On top came the drastically different ui. And yes, community devs are very approachable. I have solved a lot of issues with minecraft servers that way, thanks to those devs.
Just so you know, these are the reasons I assumed linux is in most parts on par with windows, ui wise:
These are 8 pieces of software that were mindblowingly good. Three of them are for profit afaik (but still open source) VS Code, Linphone, Element. Steam I think is closed. Imagine the shock I then had when installing streamdeck. All others are 99% on par (and some better) than windows.
I'm definitely impressed with Linux. I just don't think it is helpful to dogpile on someone who is asking questions instead of just informing them. That is ultimately what a forum is for afaik.
Blender, obs, firefox, element, libreoffice all have big open source backgrounds and philosophies. Steam just went full on linux mode with the steamdeck - So that those all look and feel fantastic are no wonder. VS Code; Obvious aswell - Linux is the most popular OS to program on and even Microsoft uses it... so that they make a nice version of it also no wonder. Linphone, idk
But all of these comes from big markets and the companies you listed here (besides microsoft and steam) are the "alternative". Firefox the alternative to chrome, element to discord, etc.
The streamdeck, is a niche market. It's not used by "that" many people. Yes it's popular, but far far far away from being as often used as firefox for example. So that the company that has closed-source backgrounds in a niche market where literally no alternative exists doesn't provide a nice UI for the alternative OS.... no wonder.
And btw, you were dogpiled on because you called the project trash... Not because you were asking yourself why it doesn't look as good as on windows.
Thanks for elaborating. That makes sense.
And in the last part comes what I don’t understand. I never called the project trash, even before editing. I asked if it was trash or I was missing something (which I was, and someone could have just said so).
I assumed (wrongly) that is was abandonware or something since it literally looked like the windows version stripped of all but basic functionality.
And this is why people don’t like to come to computer centric, and especially linux centric communities. Being frustrated and maybe even out of line does not give anyone the right to dogpile.
I agree with you, but on the other hand i can see why people might think you call it trash...unlucky wording.
Thanks. It actually means a lot to me that you get me to an extent. I was born like this. My thinking is harshly different and most people agree with me after long winded explanation but the initial reaction is often hostile. It even gets to a point where people get violent. These days more emotionally but also physically when I was young. It's how I experience autism.
@RandomLegend @Haui steam deck needs to be more open. Have the option to go into desktop mode without having to sign into steam and drm free games be automatically be free of steam engine.
It is open; if you want that, just install Linux on it yourself. Valve explicitly left it open so you can do that. The version Valve ships on the system is tailored for the Steam Deck. Obviously it's going to prioritize Steam for ease of use. But nearly all of their work is open source and already merged upstream. You can just put regular Linux on in it.
Anyways, I think you're on the wrong thread.
I understand where you're coming from with this, but i disagree.
The steamdeck as it is right now, doesn't have to do that. It's not meant to be a PC. It's meant to be a handheld console that can also function as a PC. It's main purpose is to open steam handheld, and play games from your steam account.
The people who would use this thing as their main PC would have the technical know-how to configure it to boot into desktop mode without steam open.
@RandomLegend @Privatepower42 I'm confused, are you talking about the stream deck or the steam deck? Completely different products.
The OP was about the stReamdeck, but @Piratepower42 started talking about the steamdeck because I guess we mentioned steam earlier?