Steam – transfer Steam Games from Win7 to Linux

linuxsteam

Does the Linux version of Steam use the same .vpk files as the Windows version? And if so where is the Steam install located by default on a *nix system? /usr/share/ or /home/user/.steam or somewhere else?

To expound on my question: What I'm trying to accomplish is taking the majority of Steam's files, and moving the compatible bits to Linux. It is my understanding that when Steam is presented with partial/incomplete data, it will download only what it needs, leaving the usable pieces intact, thus saving bandwidth.

So what I'm wondering is: am I able to copy the Steam folder from a Windows install to a Linux install and nothing break? Will Steam download the proper Linux binary version of the game? Do I need to delete the Windows binaries? Do I need to delete file associated with Windows-only games? Et cetaera.

Best Answer

Yes, you can for many of the files.

I've migrated most of my Couter-Strike:Source files to Linux.

You should pick the biggest files, such as textures, sounds, models and maps to copy. Then, under your Steam directory in Linux (~/.local/share/Steam/SteamApps) create the directory structures that will hold these files, following the structure on your Windows partition.

Then when you go to install the game on Linux, after saying "Preparing to install game..." it will say "Discovering existing files...".

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Steam – How to disable Steam from starting up with Windows without logging in to Steam

If you want to do this without starting Steam and logging in, you can modify the setting in the Windows registry. The autostart checkbox is directly tied to a registry key — simply deleting it is all the Steam client does when said checkbox is unchecked.

Navigate to HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and delete the Steam key. Or as a .reg file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]
"Steam"=-

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Presumably your copy has some method of circumventing Steamworks that persists even when you attempt to download changed files from Steam. Backup your saves (located in "C:\Users\Your Username\Documents\My Games\Borderlands\SaveData" for Windows 7/Vista and somewhere similar for XP) and remove Borderlands entirely. Ignore step one and step three, simply let Steam install the game. This should restore full Steam compatibility.

Best Answer

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