FOSSPicks
Steam player
Goldberg Emulator
This isn't an emulator in the way you might be expecting for a small games section. It performs a similar job to Wine and actually occupies a similar legal netherworld, because Goldberg Emulator has been designed to remove the requirement that many Steam games have on Steam's own network API. This isn't a problem when you're using Steam to launch your games, but it's a problem if you want to unshackle your games collection from any Steam requirements. This is something that should be feasible when many games run as executables from their own directories, and you can even download games directly without the Steam client using the SteamCMD command-line tool. However, games won't get very far if they need Steam's network API to work, and that's where Goldberg Emulator helps.
Installation is usually as simple as replacing the libsteam_api.so
file that's bundled with your Steam game with the resultant libsteam_api.so
that the emulator package builds. You need to make sure you match the original's 32- or 64-bit architecture, and you can find the location of each game if you still have the Steam client installed by right-clicking on the game, selecting Properties, and switching to the Local Files tab. The only real difference you should notice is that game saves are now in a Goldberg folder off your home directory, and you can edit global emulator parameters in the Settings folder to change things like your account name and the network port where each game listens. The emulator doesn't affect a game's DRM, which means some games may not work, but many Steam games don't use DRM outside of their requirement for Steam, so it should work with many. In tests, we found it worked well, especially with slightly older games. It's great to know that if someday Steam drops support for these games, or even if Steam goes away, we'll still be able to play these legally bought old classics, even without Valve's infrastructure.
Project Website
https://gitlab.com/Mr_Goldberg/goldberg_emulator
Shoot, explore, and solve
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Canonical Releases Ubuntu 24.04
After a brief pause because of the XZ vulnerability, Ubuntu 24.04 is now available for install.
-
Linux Servers Targeted by Akira Ransomware
A group of bad actors who have already extorted $42 million have their sights set on the Linux platform.
-
TUXEDO Computers Unveils Linux Laptop Featuring AMD Ryzen CPU
This latest release is the first laptop to include the new CPU from Ryzen and Linux preinstalled.
-
XZ Gets the All-Clear
The back door xz vulnerability has been officially reverted for Fedora 40 and versions 38 and 39 were never affected.
-
Canonical Collaborates with Qualcomm on New Venture
This new joint effort is geared toward bringing Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core to Qualcomm-powered devices.
-
Kodi 21.0 Open-Source Entertainment Hub Released
After a year of development, the award-winning Kodi cross-platform, media center software is now available with many new additions and improvements.
-
Linux Usage Increases in Two Key Areas
If market share is your thing, you'll be happy to know that Linux is on the rise in two areas that, if they keep climbing, could have serious meaning for Linux's future.
-
Vulnerability Discovered in xz Libraries
An urgent alert for Fedora 40 has been posted and users should pay attention.
-
Canonical Bumps LTS Support to 12 years
If you're worried that your Ubuntu LTS release won't be supported long enough to last, Canonical has a surprise for you in the form of 12 years of security coverage.
-
Fedora 40 Beta Released Soon
With the official release of Fedora 40 coming in April, it's almost time to download the beta and see what's new.