Steam Deck is just a computer. You can install any other Linux distro. Or Windows, if you are into that. I wouldn't recommend anything other than SteamOS, though.
this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2025
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Steam Deck
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Yeah I know, but I want a OS preconfigured for handhelds
Doesn't SteamOS satisfy that requirement? What do you dislike about it?
Just only because KDE, I want GNOME
Bazzite offers a Gnome image, on the download page select Steam Deck then on the second drop down it'll ask what desktop environment you want.
Yes bazzite offers GNOME but I prefer something not fedora
You're going to have to go with whatever you prefer and then manually configure it for the Deck, pretty much every popular gaming distro with an image for the Deck is either based on Arch or Fedora.
Thanks! I will give Cachy a try, seems it has everything i need
Heads up CachyOS is based on Arch.
I'm fine with Arch based distros
In that case you should really try OpenSUSE Tumbleweed. I used the Gnome based live image to install (although I wanted KDE) because it's the only one with a usable on screen keyboard.
You should instantly have a usable system. Then you just need to install Steam.
That's a fair desire for a touchscreen device. Don't know why people are downvoting so much. You want GNOME on something that's not Bazzite. To be honest, I'm looking for a good non SteamOS and non Bazzite distro pre-configured for Deck too (when I get one), for my own reasons. So you're not the only one.
They’re being downvoted because they made a lazy post, then proceeded to say “no” to all the suggestions based on requirements they were too lazy to include in the post.
I don't see why it matters that they didn't include every detail. They are asking what alternatives there are; they weren't asking for alternatives based on their specific needs; just alternatives, and that's what people gave them. And they accepted Chimera OS as a (to them) seemingly good option and what they are choosing to install. Not every post needs to be extravagantly laid out in perfect detail. If it's a complex support post, sure. But a simple question can have more details added when necessary in the comments.
Preferences:
- Preconfigured for handhelds
- GNOME
- Not Fedora
Not so extravagant, huh? You wrote more to excuse a lazy post then OP did making it.
Thx, I know nobara too. No thanks fedora
There is ChimeraOS for gaming. You can install most modern distros and the gamepad will still work like a gamepad. Navigating most Desktop Enviroments will be problematic without a keyboard and mouse though.
At least the mouse is emulated by default in the gamepad's "lizard mode". And when you run Steam you get the same functionality as on the Deck.
There’s ChimeraOS. Not sure what it’s based on.
No OLED SD support (As far as I can read based on their site)
There's also PikaOS. It's using Debian mechanics (so apt as the package manager and such), but a modern kernel and their own repos. If you're more used to this world, might be worth a look. 8 didn't know how well it'll handle the controller and specific button inputs from the deck though.
I personally also came from a mostly debian background, but ended up going with CachyOS for my desktop needs (my deck is still on steam os). It's arch based, and just very polished and well thought out. It has a version specifically for mobile consoles, like the steam deck.
Just about any distribution should work out of the box. At least on the LCD model. Don't know how far the kernel sources are upstreamed for the OLED model.
I run OpenSUSE on my Deck. I did some tinkering to get it to a state I like. Unfortunately I don't have the energy to list everything. For many things I have created posts on Lemmy, should be my older stuff.
At https://gitlab.com/evlaV you can find all the sources from Valve's changes. If you have an OLED model you should be able to get a fully working kernel from here. For my LCD I created DKMS modules for the fan and controller.