Steam On GNU/Linux: MX-18.2 Continuum

MX-18.2 is an update of the MX-18.1 release I wrote about back on February 18th & February 20th. It consist of many bug fixes and application updates since their original release of MX-18. 18.2 has updates from Debian 9.8 (stretch), antiX and MX repos. MX Linux is a XFCE desktop distro based on Debian stable and antiX. This distro is also augmented by ongoing backports and additions. Last month MX Linux introduced their new website here...

Note: Existing users do not need to reinstall.
Note: MX-18.2 Continuum includes "non-free software" to assure that the system works out of the box as much as humanly possible.

Test System: Pre Built HP Pro Desk 400 G1 MP
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Ti AERO 8G
RAM: 12 GB
CPU: Intel i7 4770 3.6 GHz

MX Linux seems to have three kinds of releases. An Official release once a year, a point release when needed and monthly snapshots to update all software. If you are installing Mx 18.1 for the first time you will find the MX-18.2 installer easy to navigate. The MX installer is straight forward and in my opinion easy to set up. The MX-18.2 installer will walk you through step-by-step in a very clear and understandable manner. MX-18.2 properly detected all of my HP Pro Desk hardware. It has preinstalled the right amount of software like Firefox and Libreoffice to help users get started. Should there be a title missing from the mix, the MX Package Installer is there to help users find and easily install the Apps they want.

MX Package Installer.

The package manager is straight forward. I like how the tabs are laid out so that you can choose where you are getting your software.

    Popular Apps: Rather than hunting for software. The best hand picked free applications are found there.

    The MX Repos (Software repositorys), consist of 4 separate sections:
    Main: Most users should stick with the stable Repo
    Test: MX Linux Test Repo contains packages that are being tested before moving to Main.
    Debain Backports: Backports are packages taken from the next Debian release (called "testing")
    Flatpak: Is a universal packaging format. Applications there are not in the regular repositories

    Codecs installer

All operating systems use codecs to allow users to view a video file or listen to an audio file. In Mx Linux some multimedia content requires additional codecs to be installed such as libdvdcss2, w32codecs, and libtxc-dxtn0 “S3” texture packs.


    Installing GPU drivers

If you prefer to use the open source "Nouveau" driver for nVidia graphics graphics cards you dont have to do anything. Nouveau is maintained by a community of developers and for non-gaming purposes, that driver is perfectly fine. However Nvidia's proprietary driver is considerably more performance than the open source Nouveau driver.If you want Both Steam-Linux and Proton games to run smoothly, you'll need to execute one additional step to get a proprietary  graphics driver installed. You can install the Nvidia driver using the Nvidia Graphics Installer found in MX Tools.

ATI/AMD free open software MESA graphics drivers are included by default (and thus ready to go immediately). However if you want to get the most out of your Radeon card you will need to install the Mesa-vulkan-driver. Launch terminal from menu; System-Xfce terminal. Then copy and paste: apt install libvulkan1 mesa-vulkan-drivers vulkan-utils inside terminal.


   Installing Steam Client


Note: Steam is a proprietary content delivery and management application for PC software with GNU/Linux support.

Steam is easily the most popular PC gaming client available today. Installing it on MX Linux is very easy, especially considering Debian is the basis for Valve's SteamOS. MX Linux ships its own Steam executable, easily found and installed via the MX Package Installer. Go to the popular Apps tab in the section under games, Check the box then follow the displayed steps to install the Steam client. Once you have installed the Steam installer, go to the application menu and start Steam. You’ll be asked to either create an account or log in to an existing account. When you run it for the first time,  additional software will need to be installed, but this is handled by the client, so all you will need to do is enter your password to confirm. During the install process, you will be prompted to accept Steam's license agreement. If you wish to continue, do so, and the software will complete its install.

Proton

Is a tool that allows GNU-Linux users to buy and play Windows based games within the Linux Steam client, complete with native Steamworks and OpenVR support.Proton uses the Vulkan graphics API to translate DirectX 11 and 12, leading to better compatibility and performance. By default you can only play whitelisted titles. Being on the whitelist means that a game will run, but there may be moderate performance decreases compared to running the game natively on Windows. Any game that has major bugs will not be put on the whitelist. Whitelisted Games.

Play none whitelisted games

If you want to play the thousands of Windows-exclusive games available inside Steam for Linux, all you have to do check the "Enable steam Play for all other titles" box in the Steam Play options section.

Note: Not all windows games will work.
Note: Valve's refund policy. You have 14 days to request a refund with no questions asked, provided you've played the game for less than 2 hours.

Mileage may vary depending on GPU driver version and Linux-Distro.

(My PC Build)
Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3
Proton: 4.2-3
Distro: MX-18.2_x64
Kernel: 4.19.5
RAM: 12 GB
GPU Driver: NVIDIA 396.54
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 1070 Ti AERO 8G
CPU: Intel i7 4770 3.6 GHz

PC Peripherals

• 21.5" Acer Nitro IPS LED Monitor (VG220Q)
• Xbox One S controller  (Wired via USB)
• HORI Fighting Commander Wired controller (For Xbox One)
• Logitech - Prodigy G213 Wired key Keyboard
• Zelotes T-90 Wired mouse

I've been doing my own Proton testing since last year. Every game test previously relied on a Windows 10 installation. I used a friends Steam account due to the fact I don't personally own many windows based games. I played every game for at least 5 hours.

Games that worked Perfectly.

Tekken 7
Doom (2016)
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
Deus Ex: Invisible War

Games that worked not so perfectly.

THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIV 
The Elder Scrolls Online
Ultra Street Fighter IV
Batman: Arkham Origins
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Games I had some issues with but was playable most of the time.

Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition
MONSTER HUNTER: WORLD
Quake Champions
Devil May Cry 5

Games that did not work for me.

Batman: Arkham Knight
Injustice 2
Fallout 4
QUAKE II
Shenmue I & II
 
So far it looks like Proton allows many Windows PC games to work on MX-18.2 but there are still thousands of games that aren’t supported.

Boxing glove sizes are not standard 2

Q..Aren't size and weight of glove the same thing?

A..No. Glove size and glove weight are not the same thing. In some cases the sizing can correspond with the weight of a glove, but many times it is not true.

At a glance, boxing gloves all look the same. While the weight of boxing gloves may be the same, their actual "Hand Compartment"sizes differ. Boxing gloves are made with a Hand Compartment called the "hand cage". This is the portion of the glove that directly cradles your fist. Boxing gloves come in a variety of weights, ranging from 8 oz. to 20 oz. The larger the weight,the more padding on the glove, so larger weight dose not really effect the hand cage size. Machina Carbonado gloves and Hayabusa Tokushu Plus gloves both come in 16 oz. The thing is, my hands with wraps on won't fit well into a pair of Machina 16 oz gloves. Their hand cages are more narrow and shallow than a traditional boxing glove. So Hayabusa Tokushu Plus 16 oz gloves have the same weight as Machina gloves but will appear larger and bulkier.

Hand Compartment/hand cage sizes differ across brands.
 
Different people have different needs. There are brands which specialize in a certain area, some offer more protection than others. Just because a glove is more popular does not mean the glove is the best fit for you. Brands like Everlast, Revegear and Windy, all have big hand cages, while brands like Twins, Society Nine, and Danger, have smaller hand cages. To know the right size for you. Test my statements. Go to a real boxing gym and try on different types and brands of boxing gloves they have. Check out the shape, padding, and comfort. Then just go home and order the brand that fits you well online.

I wrote about hand cage sizes before: Boxing glove size are not standard.