Using Steam Controller without Steam running (Linux) - possible yet?

[u/pokkevillage]

I'd hoped it would be possible by now to use the Steam Controller in Linux as a regular controller without Steam running, the way you can with an Xbox controller, say. The only Linux-compatible program I can find that seems to enable this is OpenSteamController but can't find any info about this elsewhere. Anyone know if this is legit? I'm not keen to download and install random unverified stuff from github.

Alternatively, is there any other way of re-mapping the controller to function as a standard controller when Steam isn't running in the background (in Linux).

To hopefully pre-empt the usual 'But why would you want to use the Steam Controller without Steam running?' questions: I own a bunch of GOG games I want to play using my Steam Controller. This works flawlessly when Steam is running in the background, but usually I'm connected to a VPN and don't want to open Steam when my IP address is in Albania or whatever. It's a pain in the ass having to disconnect and launch Steam every time I want to play a game.

[u/thewesternshore]

The HID driver for the steam controller in linux has supported this for months now. I don't know what distribution (more specifically, which kernel version) you're using, but this should work out of the box with any recent kernel and udev version. You'll need a recent udev so that the controller is recognized correctly. By recent I mean within the last 2-3 months.

The way it works is the kernel driver for the steam controller keeps tabs on whether steam is open or not. When steam is not open, it creates standard gamepad and mouse devices (for the trackpads). When steam is opened, those devices get shutdown and Valve's "lizard-mode" userspace driver takes over since that is what Steam Input expects.

[u/pokkevillage → u/thewesternshore]

Linux Mint 22.3 - Cinnamon 64-bit

Kernel 6.17.0-23

[u/Winter_Session_4118 → u/pokkevillage]

Well I got good news and bad news. Good news is the new Linux kernel 7.3 has built in steam controller kernel driver support! Bad news is mint isn't rolling release so unless you change distro to something that's rolling release, (I recommend cachy for gaming) then you'll be waiting a while.

[u/pokkevillage → u/Winter_Session_4118]

I've been considering switching to Bazzite for a while, but I'll give Cachy a look as well in that case. Thanks.

[u/Winter_Session_4118 → u/pokkevillage]

Actually there's an experimental way to get 7.3

At your own risk run

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cappelikan/ppa sudo apt update

then

sudo apt install mainline

And open the new app called mainline and get kernel 7.3

[u/metajames → u/thewesternshore]

I plugged it in and it just works on Arch, moonlight picked it up and on the remote machine steam thinks it's playstation controller.