The login screen and the need for a security code to unlock the GUI is wonky!

[ghost]

The biggest problem I've seen and I've mentioned this numerous times to Valve Software customer support but seems to go nowhere. The problem is this, when you first install SteamOS and everything is all ready, then you go to login you fill in your account information and then it asks for your security code but there is a serious problem. How do you get to the browser to get at your E-Mail to read the code and put it into the box that's asking for it?

Surely you people at Valve Software have thought this one through. You expect the person using SteamOS to have a smartphone or another computer to access your E-Mail account to get that code so you can unlock the Big Picture Mode GUI. Then do, what? Access the Steam browser? This should be accessible before you're asked for the security code to unlock the GUI.

Some of us don't have smartphones, so that makes it very tough. For me as a developer, I have multiple computers and I can check my E-Mail on any of them but there will be someone that doesn't have a smartphone nor an extra computer, just a Steam Machine.

Do you see the problem in your logic? As a matter of fact; all of the GUI, including the browser should be accessible after the install is done. When it boots into Big Picture mode, the GUI should be accessible without having to login to your system. People should be able to use the system and tweak / tune the settings to their liking, start the browser, login and go from there. Either that or allow people to Alt-Tab to the desktop and open a browser there, in this case, Ice Weasel or another browser that you've put in your repositories. Tell people they can Alt-Tab to get to the desktop on the login screen, so they can get to their E-Mail.

This is the reason why I prefer to use Xubuntu, SteamOS it's not quite up to par just yet.

[mdeguzis]

How would a console system do 2 factor? How does the Roku do this kind of authentication? You open the browser on another device to enter the code (e.g. Plex setup), plain and simple. Not saying it wouldn't be nice, but this wasn't and issue back in 2013, and it really isn't one now

Question is, how did you sign up for Steam, and setup steam guard and/or 2-factor authentication without a computer or a phone?

[Plagman]

Suggestion to have the browser available before logging in makes sense, we don't have UI to let you access it right now so we'd have to think about how to enable it exactly.

[ghost]

ProfessorKaos64,

I don't have a console system, it's a computer with SteamOS on it, also have a SteamBox with SteamOS on it. I don't know anything about Roku, never used it, never mentioned it either. A SteamBox is nothing more than a computer that's in an ITX or Micro ATX case, it's not a console in the sense like X-Box One or Sony PS4 is.

How did I sign up for an account? On my development computer running Xubuntu 16.04 LTS (was Xubuntu 12.04 LTS). Also, I didn't sign up for 2-factor authentication at all, there is an app for that however, I am referring to the security code that Steam kicks out that you go check your E-Mail for to enter into the box that pops up. It's the same box that asks for the friendly name of your computer. This is the standard security for Steam and SteamPowered.com, I didn't enable it, it comes like this. I've been using Steam for quite awhile and never seen it without it, it's called Steam Guard, the security that is, that asks for the code, it asks you first if you received an E-Mail from them.

[ghost]

Plagman, thanks for looking into this, it would help quite a few people that don't know how to use SteamOS and don't have access to what I have, other network connected devices or smart phones.

How about this one? Make the entire UI accessible to the user and in order to get at the said library in your SteamCloud, they have to login and go through Steam Guard. By keeping the UI open, people can use the UI to locate their music and other files they want to use when they're in online and offline mode (while playing a game with friends, for example). The UI that needs authorization and to be online should appear to be disabled and greyed out so that the user can't get at it. A tool tip over the greyed out areas gives them the hint to login to get access to those items.

[Snowman3456]

At least it is consistent with the normal client in that you can't see any Steam interface before logging in. You do have access to the rest of the PC UI in that case though.

If not access to the BPM browser, access to the desktop should be given.

[ghost]

That's very true, Enigma0, it is consistent with the desktop variant, because, well, it's the same application in Linux, except for it starts in Big Picture Mode (fullscreen). That would be wise, that if Valve Software doesn't want to fiddle with their GUI, the least they could do is unlock the desktop GUI of Gnome 2. That would help users a lot more.

Perhaps switch from Gnome desktop to XFCE4, MATE 2 or LXDE (custom desktop) would be better? At least with LXDE they could lighten the load even further for the CPU and GP-GPUs, also, not use as much memory as the traditional DEs do they use Gnome's libraries or Qt's in the case of Plasma, KDE or others. Having a desktop based off of OpenBox or HackedBox would be good on a SteamMachine, if done right, it would be awesome.

[Snowman3456]

I wouldn't hold your breath over an entire DE change. Also typically the resource usage is only there if someone logs into the desktop once in the session. i.e. if you reboot and don't log in to the desktop, there will be no desktop resource utilization. (Pretty sure but not 100%)

That being said, there ought to also be a way to effectively shut down the desktop session and go back to only BPM session. (if there isn't already)

Since this is Linux, I'm sure if you worked at it you could switch over the DE to whatever you wanted. I'll continue looking forward to some SteamOS spin-offs - there are a few already but IIRC they still all use GNOME.

[ghost]

Well, in order for the GNOME desktop to work the GTK+ libraries have to be loaded and all the other jazz necessary to get it ready, otherwise loading from disk would takes quite awhile, it wouldn't be almost instantaneous as it is now.

Actually, switching the DE is really easy. Perhaps I should look at doing a polished SteamOS spin-off (with Valve Software's permission and blessing, of course). Perhaps it should be a live media version so they can use the system before it's installed, like what you see in Ubuntu and forks. Would be an interesting twist on SteamOS.

[Snowman3456]

Those kinds of enhancements would be very welcome.