Linux VM with my whole steam library constantly updates to allow LAN transfer

[mockedarche]

Put simply the biggest annoyance for me with pc gaming is steam updates. They don't happen automatically and since my pc is turned off except when I use it I have to wait for updates often. So If I had a linux VM with steam installed is it possible to make steam update games instantly? Then since steam transfers over LAN would it just pass It to my gaming pc? I have Gbit so the main slowdown is decompressing does steam transfer decompressed versions of the updates? Steam cache would be pointless since my internet speed is easily fast enough to saturate my ssd with decompression. My main goal is to get around decompression. this might sound like a none issue but if the only down side for me is some extra storage space used I don't see it as a waste. Any help appreciated!

[Eigenvektor]

You mean something like this?
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/01/building-a-local-steam-caching-server-to-ease-the-bandwidth-blues/

 

The transfer will likely still be compressed and the update will still need to be applied to your local installation of the game, so it'll still be limited by CPU speed and storage speed.

 

54 minutes ago, mockedarche said:

So If I had a linux VM with steam installed is it possible to make steam update games instantly?

Where would the VM be running? You'd need some machine that is always on, so your computer is out.

[mockedarche]

2 hours ago, Eigenvektor said:

You mean something like this?
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/01/building-a-local-steam-caching-server-to-ease-the-bandwidth-blues/

 

The transfer will likely still be compressed and the update will still need to be applied to your local installation of the game, so it'll still be limited by CPU speed and storage speed.

 

Where would the VM be running? You'd need some machine that is always on, so your computer is out.

Steamcache works well if my slowdown was internet speed but it isn't it's the decompression. I guess I can try on my steam deck to my desktop whenever I see an update for a game I'll download it on my steam deck and see how it goes. The VM will be on my nas pc since I can easily use one of the drives already connected. I'll likely post back here for anyone that is curious about possibly getting around decompression being dreadfully slow.

[Eigenvektor]

4 hours ago, mockedarche said:

Steamcache works well if my slowdown was internet speed but it isn't it's the decompression.

Got it. I just tried installing a game that I already had installed on the Deck on my local machine. Steam's download page clearly shows that it is doing a local transfer.

 

 

However, at 8.2 MB/s the download is a lot slower than what I typically see when downloading from the internet (which usually goes up to 85 MB/s out of a theoretical 125 MB/s).

 

Spoiler

 

Judging by download size vs install size, at least some form of compression (although not a lot) seems to be involved. So my guess would be that you're not going to gain a lot. Whatever you save in decompression, you lose in download speed.

 

Of course in case of the Deck, we are talking about Wi-Fi… so it could be a lot better when we're talking about a Gb cable connection. But I suspect the speed is also partially down to the Deck compressing the data and with its CPU being fairly slow, that takes time and slows down the transfer.