The absolute worst possible time for system and game updates is when I am booting up the device or starting a game.

My Fedora and Windows OSs both give you a “update and shut down” option. This is the best time to do updates.

When Steam is a desktop program, it obviously is not involved in the OS and not aware when you are shutting down but when Steam IS the OS? Seems like a fairly obvious inclusion.

Now obviously there can be additional mandatory updates between startups, but this would at least help to minimize those.

Why is this not standard? Is this something the community could develop? Maybe via plug-in?

    • HughJanus@lemmy.mlOP
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      I’ve definitely spent more than a few minutes staring at an update screen after I sat down, not to mention games that won’t launch before completing a 30GB+ update.

      • conciselyverbose@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Games are different. You can set whether you want it to download while you play, or you can just leave it on the download screen plugged in at the end of the day to update everything.

        • HughJanus@lemmy.mlOP
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Yes I’m aware of how the update system works.

          Downloading while I play is going to severely limit performance.

          I don’t want my SD left on all day. I want it off.

                • skulblaka@kbin.social
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  7
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  1 year ago

                  That’s definitely not true because there isn’t a computer system that exists in the world that is designed for true 24/7 uptime, and the meaningful benefit to shutting it down is both lack of power consumption and system stability. If you keep it on 24/7 it’s going to start crashing frequently after a few months of uptime and you’ll be paying for a non negligible amount of power you’ve used for no reason.

                  Edit: I stand by my power consumption statement, but re: uptime, my Windows centric history is showing. The Linux gang has shown up to correct me and they should be listened to.

                  • conciselyverbose@kbin.social
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    4
                    arrow-down
                    3
                    ·
                    1 year ago

                    This isn’t correct. Most Linux systems are designed to never need to be rebooted. Multi-year uptimes aren’t unusual at all.

                    Negligible isn’t the word for the power usage. A whole bunch of tiers below that is. If you’re turning off your switch or steam deck, you’re using it wrong.

                  • Björn Tantau@swg-empire.de
                    link
                    fedilink
                    arrow-up
                    1
                    arrow-down
                    2
                    ·
                    1 year ago

                    If you keep it on 24/7 it’s going to start crashing frequently after a few months of uptime

                    That’s such a Windows mindset. My Linux servers keep on trucking for years and years without a single reboot. My laptop as well if I’m not on holidays.