(SOLVED) How to resize Steam Link Client (I'm a Linux noob)

[ulrickai]

Short Version: Need a way to resize the Steam Link Client, is there a way to force resize a program using the command line?

Long Version: I'm using an old Macbook Pro 2012 but the sides and corners of the screen are damaged. It means when in fullscreen, the sides and corners aren't visible. The Steam Link Client (the screen that the game/program/desktop gets streamed to) forces fullscreen mode and pressing Alt-F8 does nothing, pressing Alt-Space, the resize option is grayed out and of course there doesn't seem to be an option to resize the window within the settings of the program. I read somewhere that --windowed in the command line option would do the trick but I'm quite the noob at linux so I don't really know what that means. If someone would be willing to take the time to explain that, or has a different solution, that would help greatly.

Extra note: I'm aware that I could just use Moonlight Streaming but sometimes Steam Link does better at streaming when I'm just running a game. So having BOTH options available would helps me out at times.

[1000]

forces fullscreen mode

Maybe you mean Big Picture mode?

Settings --> Display --> Interface -->
uncheck " Start Steam in Big Picture "
Exit from Steam, open again and check.

Options for game with you can test ( but may not work )
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/v ... -D75E-2955

[ulrickai]

Oh no, I mean like the Steam Link Window will take up the entire screen. Regardless if it starts in desktop, big picture or just running a game. My issue is the Client side, so where I'm streaming to. So let say I'm on my Host computer, lets call it WindowsPC. I'm playing Dead Cells. Now I want to stream and play my game on the Client computer, LinuxPC. LinuxPC will open Steam Link and now I'm playing my Dead Cells game on LinuxPC. LinuxPC has my broken screen boarder problem where I can't see the sides. If I try to resize the Steam Link window, it's not possible.

[rene]

Assuming you're talking about starting/streaming the game on/from WindowsPC trough the normal Steam client on LinuxPC (as in, not through some other more specific "Steam Link" software on LinuxPC) then I'm just testing now, and it for me and with Portal 2 works fine on LinuxPC to hit Alt+Enter to un-fullscreen the game and resize its window -- although the Steam client(s) needing to scale no doubt costs a fair bit of performance.

[ulrickai]

Unfortunately I'm not talking about the Normal Steam Client but the Steam Link one. It's basically the one you use on the phone but a Linux version. I'd use the normal Steam Client but unfortunately, an error often pops up when I try. I think it's something to do with either being a Mac or being an Old Mac.

The Steam Link Client I'm talking about is similar to this Image:

That one isn't exactly my Desktop (just a picture that got from googling) but it's basically how it looks like. But like the image, it take up the entire screen. I'd post my own image but I guess you can't post an image that's 400+ KBs here?

The second image is what I'd like for it to look. It streams my WindowsPC but I can resize it. Though the application used is Moonlight not Steam Link in that case.

Also allow me to say that I do apologize for asking about such a specific use case. I know I should just settle for less since some other methods do work but if there's an answer for this that allows me to finally get this working, I'd really like to really know it.

[rene]

The Steam Link Client I'm talking about is similar to this Image:

That then seems to be this: https://flathub.org/apps/details/com.va ... .SteamLink, i.e., a flatpak.

That one's as far I'm myself aware not very old yet and as such needed specification; most/many/some of "us" will not be aware of it.

Just now tried it, and although I can after starting the streaming also leave "big picture mode" and simply find myself on WindowsPC's desktop I tried with a few games which I'm sure of can be run windowed and not just full-screen when run natively, and I couldn't get it to work either; they were still full-screen in/through that Steam Link client.

That is, sorry, but I don't believe you'll be able to do as you need through that client. May want to try to get the regular Steam client going or buy a new laptop or screen to be/for LinuxPC.

[ulrickai]

That one's as far I'm myself aware not very old yet and as such needed specification; most/many/some of "us" will not be aware of it.

Ah, I see. Sorry about that. Didn't realize that it wasn't that old yet, I'll keep note of that for next time.

That is, sorry, but I don't believe you'll be able to do as you need through that client. May want to try to get the regular Steam client going or buy a new laptop or screen to be/for LinuxPC.

Oh, alright. Well thanks for trying anyway. Much appreciated

[ulrickai]

Alright, I figured it out. Going to go step by step on how it's done
1. First you must locate the location of the Steam Link Application. Got to File System on your file manager and go to /var/lib/flatpak/app/com.valvesoftware.SteamLink/x86_64/stable/(random string of letter and numbers)/export/share/applications

2. Open it's properties. Under the Basic tab you'll see Command:. Copy that into the command line and add --windowed to the end of it. Looks like this "/usr/bin/flatpak run --branch=stable --arch=x86_64 --command=/app/bin/steamlink --file-forwarding com.valvesoftware.SteamLink --windowed"

3. It should now run in windowed mode. Though you need to write that command every time

4. Now to make it run like this without going into the command line all the time, on the file manager where you had the program, right click on the empty space and "Open as Root". Put in your Password and you should now have Elevated Privileges.

5. Right click on the "Steam Link" program and Open With a Text Editor. You'll see things like Name=, Comment= and Exec=. Exec is the one that's important. Like before, you'll see the line you saw on Command when you went into properties. Like with that, in the Text Editor, put in the --windowed in the end of that.

6. Save and close the Text Editor and the Elevated Privilege File Manager. Open Steam Link in from the File Manager and it should run windowed now. If it doesn't run windowed from the Applet and the Menu bar. Restart your computer and it should do so now.

[rene]

Good one -- but even if probably only then to make it explicit: did this not cause only the Steam Link client as such to be windowed but also games to be such?

[ulrickai]

Good one -- but even if probably only then to make it explicit: did this not cause only the Steam Link client as such to be windowed but also games to be such?

Yes when a game is open, the Steam Link App will still be Windowed. To be more precise, the game will take the whole space of the windowed Steam Link Window. The Steam Link Window can be resized though and it doesn't affect anything from the Host PC. Though I did notice if your streaming the game to the Steam Link and you press X to close Steam Link, it'll close the game and the Steam Link will now show your Host Desktop. Doing so again will close the connection.

[rene]

Thank you for specifying!