Best Steam Linux Runtime Sniper vs Solider vs ???

[🍪biscuits✨]

I see three Steam Linux Runtime options (Soldier, Sniper, and <no suffix>), but I'm not sure what the difference between them is.
Which is "best" (I guess, newest?)?
I guess I'd start with that and work backwards?

[@R+5]

newest doesnt always mean better: ie, in linux you can also find different types of kernels. some are stable branch, and others experimental (cutting edge). the most recent will be always those experimental, and may include new features and improvements, but also are more likely to have new bugs and cause unexpected issues.

https://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/osrnrj/whats_the_difference_between_these_steam_linux/

also check proton versions: usually "glorious eggroll" versions can run and fix issues with more games, because those include fixes that valve cannot include for copyright reasons.

[🍪biscuits✨]

Ah, thanks!
So it seems that the one with no suffix is actually "Scout" (https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/steamrt/steamrt/-/tree/steamrt/scout#where-can-i-get-it).
Soldier is newer than Scout and Sniper is the newest, with a first public release 3 months ago.
It looks like all three versions are active and stable right now.

Still not clear on what version I'd choose first as my default, though:)

[WarnerCK]

Here's a video that explains what it's all about (in a lot of detail).

[Fully Sick Monaro]

Is there a textual version of that YouTube video? I'm old, and hate watching slow-arse video's.

And I'm not necro-ing this thread; it's just the most relevant information I've found thus far on what the differance's on Scout, Soldier and Sniper are thus far.

Weird it's not coming up on any official Valve channel.

And biscuits, whats your favourite bikkie?

[🍪biscuits✨]

María Oro, "The golden biscuit rich in flavour" is my favourite biscuit, with McVitie's Rich Tea biscuits a close second. I like how very biscuitty they are:)

I watched the video last year, & my memory of it was, it was very technical, but didn't really help me come to a conclusion as a layperson enduser. Skimming it again, It looks slightly like you'd maybe use scout for old games, Soldier/Sniper for new games
Edit: link won't do the time offset, skip to time=855s (14:15):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrbWbBYAolo&t=855s
I kindof gave up, I was only looking at this because I was having problems running XCOM 2 (crashed all the time with proton at the time), but I finished it now:) I'm a fairly light user of my Steam Deck, everything I've run since has just worked.

The video is by Simon McVittie, almost like the biscuit!

[nicoper]

I don’t have time to watch the video linked above atm so I’m not sure what it mentions or not, but these links should provide the info you guys are looking for:

• https://github.com/ValveSoftware/steam-runtime
  
• https://gitlab.steamos.cloud/steamrt/steam-runtime-tools/-/blob/main/docs/container-runtime.md

[🍪biscuits✨]

Cool, so it sounds like "Steam Linux Runtime (scout-on-soldier)" is the current default, what you'd try first. Steam Runtime 3 (sniper) is newer so I guess worth a go for performance or if SLR doesn't work or something. Steam Runtime 2 (soldier) sounds like it's intended kindof for internal use, so not something you'd usually manually select. Medic doesn't properly exist yet.
I think:) The links were pretty technical, but that last one was great, thanks:)

[Fully Sick Monaro]

It's crazy to think Valve/Steam who greenlit 'greenlight', the system to promote unwarranted (ie no returns thanks for coming, ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥) based on Kickstarter et al and allowed alpha level software for profit are now providing us with ecosystems of compatibility for the unforeseeable future utilising WINE. Alpha-level for ever in to the future, but allowing us access to all games for ever using verrr zhunzz.

If one can handle such things these days.

I really need a McVittie (no Yorky tea, so I gets a chocolate one)

[mikko.rantalainen]

If I have understood the Scout/Soldier/Sniper correctly, those are about running Linux native games that require *newer* libraries than your operating system can support. If this was Windows, the games would require Windows 11 specific libraries from the operating system but Scout/Soldier/Sniper are workarounds that allow running the game without having recent enough operating system libraries.

The implementation of that workaround differs and Scout is older tech that uses hack which is based environment variable LD_LIBRARY_PATH to hopefully replace system libraries when the game is trying to load the libraries. Soldier and Sniper are two different implementations using kernel level namespace support which is also used to build containers such as Docker. It appears that Solder and Sniper is the future all native apps are going to use but for now, the framework to start using those technologies is still immature and only companies specifically blessed by Valve can use the most recent tech.

As a result, you may have to have all three runtime environments installed in parallel if you have multiple games each targeting different runtime.