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Arch - Steam

This example shows how to create a portable Steam FlatImage using Arch Linux as the base distribution. The image works on any Linux distribution, stores all configurations in a portable folder, and doesn't pollute the user's HOME directory. Two methods are provided: using recipes for simplified installation, and manual package installation for full control.

Method 1: Using Recipes

Recipes provide a simplified way to install common package groups with automatic dependency resolution.

Step 1 - Download FlatImage

Download the Arch Linux-based FlatImage:

wget -O steam.flatimage https://github.com/flatimage/flatimage/releases/latest/download/arch-x86_64.flatimage
chmod +x ./steam.flatimage

Step 2 - Configure Recipe Remote

Set up the recipe repository URL:

./steam.flatimage fim-remote set https://raw.githubusercontent.com/flatimage/recipes/master

Step 3 - Configure Permissions

Grant Steam access to necessary system resources:

./steam.flatimage fim-perms set wayland,xorg,audio,gpu,network,dbus_user

Step 4 - Install Steam Using Recipes

Install Steam and dependencies using pre-configured recipes:

./steam.flatimage fim-recipe install steam

Step 5 (Optional) - Enable Desktop Integration

Enable the desktop integration that was set up during recipe installation:

./steam.flatimage fim-desktop enable entry,icon,mimetype

Step 6 - Set Boot Command

Configure Steam as the default application:

./steam.flatimage fim-boot set steam

Step 7 - Compress the Image

Commit all changes to a compressed read-only layer:

./steam.flatimage fim-layer commit binary

Method 2: Manual Package Installation

This method provides full control over package selection without using recipes.

Step 1 - Download FlatImage

Download the Arch Linux-based FlatImage:

wget -O steam.flatimage https://github.com/flatimage/flatimage/releases/latest/download/arch-x86_64.flatimage
chmod +x ./steam.flatimage

Step 2 - Configure Permissions

Grant Steam access to necessary system resources.

./steam.flatimage fim-perms set wayland,xorg,audio,gpu,network,dbus_user

Step 3 - Update Package Database

Update the Arch package database:

./steam.flatimage fim-root pacman -Syy --noconfirm

Step 4 - Install Xorg and Dependencies Manually

Install X11 server and libraries:

./steam.flatimage fim-root pacman -S --noconfirm xorg xorg-apps \
  mesa lib32-mesa glxinfo lib32-gcc-libs gcc-libs pcre freetype2 lib32-freetype2 \
  libx11 libxext libxrender libxrandr libxinerama \
  libxi libxfixes libxdamage libxcomposite libxcursor \
  libxkbcommon libxkbcommon-x11 libxtst libxss

Step 5 - Install GPU Drivers

Install GPU drivers for hardware acceleration:

# Amd drivers
./steam.flatimage fim-root pacman -S --noconfirm xf86-video-amdgpu vulkan-radeon lib32-vulkan-radeon vulkan-tools
# Intel drivers
./steam.flatimage fim-root pacman -S --noconfirm xf86-video-intel vulkan-intel lib32-vulkan-intel vulkan-tools

Step 6 - Install Steam

Install Steam:

./steam.flatimage fim-root pacman -S --noconfirm steam

Step 7 - Set Boot Command

Configure Steam as the default application:

./steam.flatimage fim-boot set steam

Step 8 - Compress the Image

Commit all changes to a compressed read-only layer:

./steam.flatimage fim-layer commit binary

Optional Additional Configuration

Configure Alternative HOME

Set up the user environment and home directory:

./steam.flatimage fim-exec mkdir -p /home/steam
./steam.flatimage fim-env add 'USER=steam' \
  'HOME=/home/steam' \
  'XDG_CONFIG_HOME=/home/steam/.config' \
  'XDG_DATA_HOME=/home/steam/.local/share'

Desktop Integration

Set up desktop menu integration and icon:

# Create desktop integration configuration
tee steam.json <<-'EOF'
{
  "name": "steam",
  "icon": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Steam_icon_logo.svg",
  "categories": ["Game"],
  "integrations": ["ENTRY", "MIMETYPE", "ICON"]
}
EOF

# Apply desktop integration
./steam.flatimage fim-desktop setup ./steam.json
./steam.flatimage fim-desktop enable icon,mimetype,entry

# Enable startup notifications
./steam.flatimage fim-notify on

Running Steam

After completing either method, run Steam with:

./steam.flatimage

All steam data will be stored in the .steam.flatimage.data directory alongside the executable, making it fully portable across different Linux distributions.