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| {{lang|title = SteamPipe}} | | {{Multipage}} |
| {{stub}}{{todo|Most of the language subpages still use [[SteamPipe|SteamPipe:]]….}} | | {{stub}} |
| '''SteamPipe''' is [[Steam]]'s new content distribution system.
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| It changes the way programs (including [[dedicated server]]s) are downloaded, updated and stored.
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| == Benefits ==
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| === Players ===
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| The benefits to players are:
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| *Faster and smoother downloads
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| *Faster game boot times and map load times
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| *Easier distribution, installation, and management of mods
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| *Smoother dedicated server distribution and update rollover
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| === Server administrators ===
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| Instead of a proprietary delivery protocol, SteamPipe uses HTTP, which allows datacenters hosting multiple servers to set up a caching HTTP proxy, necessitating only a single download of an update from Valve's servers.
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| === Game developers ===
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| Game developers using SteamPipe can [http://garry.tv/2012/08/16/approved-updates/ issue updates themselves]; the previous system required manual intervention by Valve when an update was to be published.
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| === LAN Caching ===
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| As SteamPipe now uses HTTP it allows not only datacenters hosting multiple servers to setup a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caching_proxy#Caching_proxy_servers caching] but is also very useful for [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_area_network LAN's]. Setting up a caching proxy can significantly reduce the amount of bandwidth required for multiple clients or servers to preform updates.
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| [http://blog.multiplay.co.uk/2014/04/lancache-dynamically-caching-game-installs-at-lans-using-nginx/ LANcache – Dynamically Caching Game Installs at LAN’s using Nginx] is an example of how to setup caching proxy for SteamPipe as used at [http://multiplay.com/ Multiplay's] [http://insomniagamingfestival.com/ Insomnia Gaming Festival].
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| [https://hub.docker.com/r/agentgonzo/steam-squid/ steam-squid] is a [https://www.docker.com/ Docker] image containing a Steam-optimised version of the Squid caching proxy for easy installation.
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| == Downsides ==
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| === Players ===
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| * Many {{hl2|4.1}} mods that did not make the jump to the update are broken.<br>Fortunately, there are known fixes for many Half-Life 2 mods. [https://steamcommunity.com/app/420/discussions/0/864971765497379056/ Those fixes can be found here.]].
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| * Most {{src13|4.1}} games (including third-party games) now contain duplicate copies of the {{hl2|4.1}} base files {{hl2|in|addtext-front=''except''|addtext={{hl2ep1}} {{hl2ep2}} {{hl2lc}} {{hls}}}}, wasting storage drive space.
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| :{{warning|While the it is possible to point multiple games to the same VPK, not all VPKs with the same name are the same on all games! For example, the {{src13mp}} "hl2" VPKs are different from the VPKs actually used by {{hl2}}, and the {{tf2}} "hl2" VPKs are different from the other {{src13mp}} "hl2" VPKs.<!--
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| -->{{workaround|Two options are such:<ul><li>Use relative links to the [[VPK]]s (or folders) in [[gameinfo.txt]], so they look something like this:<br><pre>game "../Half-Life 2/hl2/hl2_textures.vpk"</pre><li>Use Symbolic links or Hardlinking [[VPK]]s (or folders) using programs such as [https://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/linkshellextension.html Link Shell Extension] (easier), or via Windows's {{code|mklink}} command; [https://www.howtogeek.com/16226/complete-guide-to-symbolic-links-symlinks-on-windows-or-linux/ more info can be found here].</ul>
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| }} }}
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| === Developers ===
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| The Source SDK Launcher no longer works for {{src13|4}} games. Tools for games that used to be in the Source SDK Launcher must now be launched by going to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\[game name]\bin" (see example path below) then launching the .bat files (Example: Hammer.bat to launch {{hammer|1|nt=1}}).<br><br>
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| Example path to SDK: {{path|C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Half Life 2\bin}}
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| == Changes ==
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| * Downloads are performed using HTTP instead of a proprietary protocol.
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| * Data files are no longer placed into [[GCF]]s but directly into the file system.
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| ** To counteract the performance issues with accessing many tiny files (the reason why GCFs were used in the first place), [[Source]] games distributed via SteamPipe now store their assets in [[VPK]] archives.
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| * Data generated before/during gameplay is no longer stored in user-specific subdirectories of ''SteamApps''; instead, the ''common'' subfolder is used.
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| * Dedicated servers are using [[SteamCMD]] (a stripped-down version of the full Steam client).
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| == See Also ==
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| * [[GoldSource_SteamPipe_Directories]] for the list of directories used by GoldSource engine games
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| * [[IFileSystemV009]] for the C++ interface used to access files through SteamPipe in GoldSource
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| == External links ==
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| # [https://web.archive.org/web/20210419201507/https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7388-QPFN-2491 Steam Support page]
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| [[Category:CDN|SteamPipe]] | | [[Category:CDN|SteamPipe]] |