Edit: As of five minutes ago, I am aware that there is no official ui for the elgato stream deck which is a huge disservice to the users of this expensive piece of hardware. I was under the impression that streamdeck-ui was the official (and very outdated) official version, which is false. Those who bothered to explain this, thank you very much. To those piling up on someone who just hasn’t as much knowledge as you do: feels bad man. Maybe consider that this is not reddit and schooling someone does not have to be aggressive.
Hi folks!
I have switched to my Linux daily driver this week and after some starting issues, it’s working quite well.
But a few bits and bobs are quite annoying, such as streamdeck ui. The windows version looks and feels like a spaceship compared to the barebones version I have on ubuntu 23.04
Here’s what the windows version looks like.
Additionally, the windows version has plugins and stuff that pretty much make giant scripts that can do pretty much anything and everything. The Linux version doesn’t even have it’s own pictures that come with it.
If you’re curious I just used apt install streamdeck-ui instead of the complex stuff that is on the web (and doesn’t work anymore because outdated).
Am I just using a really outdated version or is the linux version just trash?
TL;DR: Linux version of streamdeck ui looks 20 yrs old while the windows version looks like photoshop.
Thanks for reading. Have a good one!
Just so you’re aware, streamdeck-ui is an unofficial program made by one guy in his spare time, so it’s kinda unfair to call it “trash”, and compare it with official software made by a team of full-time paid developers, who also have full access and documentation for the internals of a device their company created…
And now we are getting somewhere. I‘m sorry, I don’t have the time to find out if the ui for an expensive piece of hardware I bought is made by someone else than the manufacturer.
In this case I retract my question (not statement, thus not unfair btw.) and make the statement that elgato is just not taking care of its linux users.
This is one piece of crucial advice that someone needs to know before buying a streamdeck. They just dont have a ui for linux.
Please look up what you’re using next time, and keep in mind that on Linux, a lot of GUI tools for hardware config are community made, so you’re lucky someone already tried to make something for the streamdeck. With the exception of big software backed up by an organisation, most utilities started by one or two devs start small and are not perfect, but will get better over time as PRs and maintainers come in, so you also have to be patient and work with what you’re offered, or submit PRs yourself to improve it. If that’s something you can’t do because of time or whatever, then in the long run Linux isn’t for you yet.
Documentation for the streamdeck
Tip: when looking up a software for Linux, append Reddit at the end, like “streamdeck Linux Reddit”, plenty of people have already discussed this exact software and some others. Hope you find the tools you need.
You still have to learn that the looks of an UI have absolutely nothing to do with its functionality.
You can asign scripts to each button, and you can write literally anything into a script. So the possibilities are endless. There is nothing you can’t do with that
I‘m totally with you on that. I get it. But I still think users should have the same options on linux than they do on windows if they don’t have hours to write scripts or the knowledge.
Arguing that the possibilities are endless is correct imo but it is leaving out the elephant in the room: This only applies to people who are not typical windows users.
i don’t want the same options as i do have on windows, i actually PREFER the options on linux.
I don’t want developers wasting time in creating “oh-so-beautiful” UIs that makes things unnecessary slow and sluggish. Especially when the program we talk about isn’t even the one you primarily use; It’s the program you open once to configure, and then every now and then to add something…
In the times of ChatGPT that is absolutely capable of writing bash scripts for linux for everything you tell it to…the possibilities are endless for EVERYONE. You can find scripts for literally everything you can imagine online. And if you ask nicely in some communities so that someone writes you a quick script for whatever you need, you have everything you can imagine. More than on windows ^^
I don’t want to bash on you here, but you will see that you can do so much more with scripts on linux (and that they are quite easy to find / learn) than you can do on windows. You can automate soooooo much stuff with the press of a single button on your streamdeck. I do so with mine, it’s amazing
I agree on all points but one. I usually prefer to have more options and freedom as well BUT I am shocked that elgato didn’t even bother to make a ui for the streamdeck on linux. The community made ui (I know of this for like 10 minutes) is the typical “pro version” as most things in linux are. You can basically steer a spaceship with it, I get it.
My point does not seem to compute though: People are switching from windows en masse (as am I, too) and there not being a stream deck windows ui equivalent from the maker, with at least most of the functionality from the windows version is shocking to me. I am solely saying there should be freedom of choice which interface to use. Due to elgatos ignorance or unwillingness or whatever other reason, there is not. This is what surprised me.
Most of big companies don’t bother to make UIs for linux. You will come across this more often in the future.
Community-made is the way to go in 90% of usecases on linux. And i had so much more fun and success when using those programs, compared to the official windows counterparts. Because bug reports or feature requests i made on github for those projects, actually get answered by the programmers. They actually talk with me, listen to what i want to say, and in many cases even fulfilled my wishes for features.
I never ever in my life, had a programmer from a big company answer my feature requests… This was the moment i realized that i prefer this so much more.
It is a massive change, yes. And most people don’t really like it in the beginning. Many people will get accustomed with it sooner or later but there will always be people who don’t want to embrace this way. And that’s okay - Windows is and always will be an alternative for those.
Now I agree on all points. I actually have had no issues configuring linux server for the past two years and I probably just assumed the desktop variant would be as mature as the server variant. On top came the drastically different ui. And yes, community devs are very approachable. I have solved a lot of issues with minecraft servers that way, thanks to those devs.
Just so you know, these are the reasons I assumed linux is in most parts on par with windows, ui wise:
- firefox = non distinguishable from windows imo
- vs code = non distinguishable
- libre office = looks a bit older than ms office 2013 but is insanely responsive and works like a charm
- linphone = looks and works very good
- steam = looks the same and is a lot faster than on windows
- element desktop = looks and feels the same
- obs = same
- blender = same
These are 8 pieces of software that were mindblowingly good. Three of them are for profit afaik (but still open source) VS Code, Linphone, Element. Steam I think is closed. Imagine the shock I then had when installing streamdeck. All others are 99% on par (and some better) than windows.
I’m definitely impressed with Linux. I just don’t think it is helpful to dogpile on someone who is asking questions instead of just informing them. That is ultimately what a forum is for afaik.
Blender, obs, firefox, element, libreoffice all have big open source backgrounds and philosophies. Steam just went full on linux mode with the steamdeck - So that those all look and feel fantastic are no wonder. VS Code; Obvious aswell - Linux is the most popular OS to program on and even Microsoft uses it… so that they make a nice version of it also no wonder. Linphone, idk
But all of these comes from big markets and the companies you listed here (besides microsoft and steam) are the “alternative”. Firefox the alternative to chrome, element to discord, etc.
The streamdeck, is a niche market. It’s not used by “that” many people. Yes it’s popular, but far far far away from being as often used as firefox for example. So that the company that has closed-source backgrounds in a niche market where literally no alternative exists doesn’t provide a nice UI for the alternative OS… no wonder.
And btw, you were dogpiled on because you called the project trash… Not because you were asking yourself why it doesn’t look as good as on windows.
Thanks for elaborating. That makes sense.
And in the last part comes what I don’t understand. I never called the project trash, even before editing. I asked if it was trash or I was missing something (which I was, and someone could have just said so).
I assumed (wrongly) that is was abandonware or something since it literally looked like the windows version stripped of all but basic functionality.
And this is why people don’t like to come to computer centric, and especially linux centric communities. Being frustrated and maybe even out of line does not give anyone the right to dogpile.
I read through the comments and can’t see the aggression you talk about.
From what I see it perfectly integrates with your gtk(?) theme and is highly configurable. That’s not my definition of trash.
Edit: thanks for downvoting instead of explaining. Someone just told me that the ui is in fact community made and elgato didn’t even bother to make a linux ui. That’s pretty devastating imo. So, the functionality still is a lot less user friendly but quite understandably so.
My issue with it is not the integration but the basic functionality compared to ad-dows. It‘s really frustrating to buy an expensive product, use it for a year on windows and then downgrade to hell when switching to linux. Most FOSS software looks and feels more taken care of than this.
I think a for profit ui that looks and feels like the 20 yr older windows brother is kind of trash, sorry.
A for profit ui? This software is available under the MIT license and is shared for free.
As of 5 minutes ago, I’m aware of this myself since someone bothered to tell me. People need to get that not everyone is on their level of knowledge and it is perfectly normal to assume that an expensive product comes with a linux version of the configuration software. Currently editing my post to reflect that.
an expensive product comes with a linux version of the configuration software
From what I see on their website, it supports Windows and macOS. As you can see, assumptions can be wrong. It’s better to consult with the product’s documentation before buying it or changing your platform.
People need to get that not everyone is on their level of knowledge
We understand. That’s why people are telling you what you didn’t know: this is not an official product, someone made it in their free time. I don’t imply that you’re bad for not knowing that.
Thanks for elaborating. I would simply argue that my question was legit and it upsets me that I get downvoted on every comment (and my post) for asking a question, of which I edited most to reflect the new knowledge I gathered. I assumed something that wasn’t the case, my bad. I still think my post and comments were a good addition to this community for someone who searches for this information in the future. Thats why I dont unterstand the downvotes.
From their perspective, it may have seemed like you were criticizing someone’s work and expecting free open-source software to fulfill all your needs. You tried to explain your point, but by then the negative attitude had already prevailed, leading people to downvote without considering your explanations. Don’t worry about this too much. Social media being social media.
Thanks for explaining. This makes sense. In the subs I moderate I take care of this kind of behavior as it drives away the people I actually want in the community and only keeps bullies.
