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Game Launcher

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podiki edited this page Mar 16, 2021 · 7 revisions

stl comes with a small Game Launcher, which starts selected games using the steam -applaunch parameter. The Launcher has several modes, which can be selected via Command Line:

  • Without additional command line parameters: stl launcher (will start the Game Launcher with all installed games)

  • Optional arguments for launcher are:

  • stl launcher $CATEGORY (will show only the installed games in the steam category $CATEGORY)

  • stl launcher menu (will open a small menu with all available steam categories)

  • stl launcher last (will open the last played game as 'menu')

  • stl launcher auto (automatically creates/downloads required data for all installed games before opening the launcher with all installed games)

  • stl launcher update (recreates the already auto-generated category menus - can be combined with auto')

  • stl launcher $INVALID (with any invalid parameter all faound valid Steam Categories will be listed)

The contents of the corresponding categories are auto-generated on the fly (in /dev/shm/) using Game Pictures and Desktop Files. With above auto both Game Pictures and Desktop Files are auto-generated/downloaded if missing.

stl Game Launcher

Game Pictures

By default stl downloads automatically the main header.jpg picture from (configurable STASSURL) if not found and saves it under the SteamAppID name. Those pictures are for example used in the Game Launcher (via Desktop File) and also in the Wait requester, in the Editor Dialog and in the Settings Menu.

Downloading of the Game Pictures can be disabled with DLGAMEDATA in the GLOBAL SETTINGS of the Settings Menu. Displaying the Game Pictures can be disabled in the GLOBAL SETTINGS of the Settings Menu as well or directly by disabling USEGAMEPICS. Displaying the Game Pictures only can be disabled in the Settings Menu or directly by disabling USEGAMEPICINMENU.

Desktop Files

The Game Launcher (yad) takes a directory containing desktopfiles as argument and lists all of them. Those Desktop-Files are auto-generated using the (big) Game Pictures in the STLCFGDIR and therefore are of no use for generic usage.

Game Data

Both Game Pictures and Desktop Files (for the Game Launcher) are auto-generated/downloaded per game start by default but also can be batch created via Command Line:

  • stl update gamedata (updates missing desktopfiles and pictures of installed games and exits - depending on the missing files this might need some time)
  • stl update gamedata $APPID (updates missing desktopfiles and picture for game $APPID)
  • stl update allgamedata (updates missing desktopfiles and pictures of all games in 'sharedconfig.vdf' and exit - depending on the missing files this might need some time)

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