Legal Status

[EoD]

Is there any update on the legal status of this script?

Apparently there is a ticket on the support forums, but I cannot access it: https://support.steampowered.com/view.php?ticketref=7445-RPJK-1768

[sirnuke]

Hello EoD,

Someone opened a support ticket a while ago, and the Steam support staff posted Valve's legal address. Might be the same ticket as that one, but since I didn't create it, I don't have access.

As for the legal address, I never heard back. I assume my letter got put in the pile of not legal letters not written by lawyers or something. I'm going to write another letter to the generic Valve address (...one of these days...) and see if that goes better.

[jloutsenhizer]

Pinging this issue. Any updates? I'm very interested in this project but I don't want to risk my account.

[sirnuke]

My test account hasn't been banned or anything, though I haven't used it that much. Valve hasn't responded to a number of letters & emails I've sent them, and I'm not expecting a response, unless SteamBridge happened to really take off.

The future of SteamBridge is probably a rework/expansion of the Python tool to help bridge between Linux and Windows clients running on the same machine. Aka Python tool starts Windows downloads inside Wine and automagically adds them as shortcuts in the Linux Steam. Not as smooth as the DLL magic of SteamBridge, but I can't imagine any legal issues.

[alien2003]

What about VAC? Can I play Insurgency with it? (Source-based Jihad simulator)

[Ironlenny]

This Python expansion, would it work for games requiring the Steam API? Or would it only work non-SteamWorks games?

[sirnuke]

@alien2003

The moment VAC activates, it would without a doubt in my mind immediately detect an unexpected steam_api.dll, which is the heart and soul of SteamBridge. So no, and I know this is a super late reply, but I strongly recommend not trying either. Also I never implemented the matchmaking and server finding parts of the DLL, so you probably wouldn't get that far.

@Ironlenny

The 'SteamBridge2' tool - which is still bouncing around in my head - would work with any game that runs fine in Wine normally.

The idea is to A. scan the user's game list, B. install Wine, Steam, and compatibility libraries, C. insert shortcuts into the Linux Steam client to start games in Wine. A can be done via official Steam Web APIs, B is already being done by many different tools (like Winetricks) with a high degree of automagic, and C since the format of the shortcuts local library is documented on the Internet.

I'll get to.... eventually.... one day.... Maybe I'll call it SteamFootBridge.

[Ironlenny]

My question is, using the python bridge, how would things like achievements work? Can the native steam keep running and the Windows game talk to it? Or do you have to close the native client and launch the Windows one in Wine?

[sirnuke]

SteamFootBridge, as I'm imagining it, would essentially act as a wrapper for a Windows Steam client running in Wine.

Open SteamFootBridge UI -> Select (Windows) Game to Install -> Bridge opens Windows Client in Wine (if not already running) in silent mode -> Bridge tells Windows Client to install game -> Bridge adds shortcut to native Steam client's game list.

In which case, you'd get all the functionality up to the limitations in Wine itself.