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https://github.com/cryobyte33/steam-deck-utilities

A utility to improve performance and help manage storage on Steam Deck.
https://github.com/cryobyte33/steam-deck-utilities

steam-deck

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A utility to improve performance and help manage storage on Steam Deck.

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README 

        
# CryoUtilities



Scripts and utilities to improve performance and manage storage on the Steam Deck. (May work with other Linux distros.)



[![Watch me on YouTube:](https://img.shields.io/youtube/channel/subscribers/UCJ2wc4hCWI8bEki48Zv45fQ?color=%23FF0000&label=Subscribe%20on%20YouTube&style=flat-square)](https://www.youtube.com/@cryobyte33) 

[![Support me on Patreon](https://img.shields.io/endpoint.svg?url=https%3A%2F%2Fshieldsio-patreon.vercel.app%2Fapi%3Fusername%3Dcryobyte33%26type%3Dpatrons&style=flat)](https://patreon.com/cryobyte33)



## Update



### Notes on the Steam Deck OLED

The latest update resolves the scaling issues on the new OLED Deck, and I figured I should provide an update here:

1. **This (CU2) is still fully compatible with the new OLED models.**

2. Performance improvements should be similar (or possibly slightly better) than on the LCD model (thorough testing pending)



### General Linux Compatibility

As of the latest update, this _should_ be compatible with most Linux systems, with the following limitations:

1. This will not operate on swap partitions, only files.

2. The Game Data and VRAM tabs will likely not work

3. Pop_OS! has a custom swappiness that will override any value set here after reboot.



Please keep in mind that support for non-Steam Deck devices is on a "best effort" basis, and will have a low priority.

Unfortunately, the amount of effort and support that would be needed to guarantee functionality for all distros would

require me to be working on this full-time, which is not the case.



If you want to use the tweaks here without relying on this tool, please see the "How Does it Work" section below.



### VRAM Tab

There's a new VRAM tab which will tell you the current "UMA Frame Buffer Size" setting, and how to configure it if

you haven't already!



### Swap Improvements

The swapfile path is now completely dynamic and the resize functionality can recover in the event of an earlier failure!

You no longer need to manually intervene if a previous swap resize failed, just run the resize again and it'll work its

magic.



### One-Click Game Data Cleanup

There's now a simple "Delete all uninstalled" button in the "Clean Game Data" window. Just click it and all the data

from uninstalled games will be removed! 



**Please keep in mind that non-cloud-saved save games should still be backed up manually before using this.**



## Explanation and Tutorial



If you're interested, please see the [announcement video here](https://youtu.be/C9EjXYZUqUs), where I go over all the

new features and how they work.



## Functionality



* One-click set-to-recommended settings

* One-click revert-to-stock settings

* Swap Tuner

    * Swap File Resizer + Recovery

    * Swappiness Changer

* Memory Parameter Tuning

    * HugePages Toggle

    * Compaction Proactiveness Changer

    * HugePage Defragmentation Toggle

    * Page Lock Unfairness Changer

    * Shared Memory (shmem) Toggle

* Storage Manager

    * Sync shadercache and compatdata to the same location the game is installed

    * Delete shadercache and compatdata for whichever games you select

    * Delete the shadercache and compatdata for all uninstalled games with a single click

* Full CLI mode



Look below for common questions and answers, or go check out my [YouTube Channel](https://www.youtube.com/@cryobyte33)

for examples on how to use this and what performance you can expect.



## Install



### Simple



[Download this link](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/CryoByte33/steam-deck-utilities/main/InstallCryoUtilities.desktop)

to your desktop (right click and save file) on your Steam Deck, remove the `.download` from the end of the file name, 

then double-click it.



This will install the program, create desktop icons, and create menu entries.



### Manual



See [manual-install.md](https://github.com/CryoByte33/steam-deck-utilities/blob/main/docs/manual-install.md).



### Offline/Firewalled



In case you're in a firewalled country like China, please see [this post on my website](https://cryobyte.io/posts/2023/03/cryoutilities-offline-installation/)

for install directions and a non-GitHub download link.



## Usage



**NOTE:** This **REQUIRES** a password set on the Steam Deck. That can be done with the `passwd` command.



### GUI



After installation, just run the "CryoUtilities" icon on the desktop or the application menu under "Utilities".



### CLI



The latest version has a full CLI handler, which can be used to perform all tweaks, but doesn't perform game data

operations.



```

sudo ~/.cryo_utilities/cryo_utilities  [parameter]

```



If you want to see the available commands and accepted values, you can use:



```

sudo ~/.cryo_utilities/cryo_utilities help

```



**Note:** You _need_ to use sudo for the tweaks to work, otherwise it can't write to the necessary locations on disk.



## Upgrade



Double-click the "Update CryoUtilities" icon on the desktop, you will get a dialog box when the update is complete.



## Uninstall



Double-click the "Uninstall CryoUtilities" icon on the desktop, you will be asked if you're sure, then asked if you want

to revert the tweaks that have been made.



## Revert To Default Settings



To revert to the Steam Deck defaults, do one of the following:



* Boot CryoUtilities and click "Stock" on the homepage.

* Uninstall CryoUtilities, you'll be asked if you want to revert to stock settings. Choose yes.



After choosing these options, the Deck will be identical to an unmodified version.



## Known Issues



* If the drive becomes full during the swap file resize, you can trigger a known SteamOS bug that causes boot loops.

    * CryoUtilities is programmed in such a way to not allow this, but in the very worst cases it's still possible if

      something is operating/downloading in the background, at the same time CryoUtilities resizes the swap file.

    * In the event that it happens, you need to either get into a live environment and delete some files, or reinstall

      SteamOS with the non-destructive method.

* While using CLI mode, it is possible that the swap file resize takes long enough that the sudo credentials will time

  out.

    * This does not occur in GUI mode, due to how I was able to implement authentication, and will be patched out of

      CLI-only mode soon.



## FAQ



See [the FAQ page](https://github.com/CryoByte33/steam-deck-utilities/blob/main/docs/faq.md).



## What does it do?



See [the tweak explanation page](https://github.com/CryoByte33/steam-deck-utilities/blob/main/docs/tweak-explanation.md).



## Troubleshooting



### CryoUtilities doesn't appear after double-clicking the icon on the desktop



* Make sure that you're using SteamOS 3.4 or later

* Verify that `/home/deck/.cryo_utilities/cryo_utilities` and `/home/deck/.cryo_utilities/launcher.sh` exist

    * `/home/deck/.cryo_utilities` is a hidden directory, so ensure that you can view hidden files



If the above doesn't work, please open an issue here or contact in the [Discord](https://discord.gg/ySe8WGVNPv)!



### I have instability in a game after using CryoUtilities' recommended settings



Try rebooting the Deck and trying again, I haven't heard of instability post-reboot, but if you find some please let

me know!



### Right-clicking the link to save it doesn't open a dialog box



Reboot the Deck or restart desktop mode, afterwards the link should work.



### The .desktop file just opens with KWrite after I download it.



Make sure the `CryoUtilities.desktop` file is on the desktop when you run it. If that still doesn't work, try one of the

following:



* Run `chmod +x ~/Downloads/InstallCryoUtilities.desktop` and then try again.

* Add `CryoUtilities.desktop` as a Non-Steam game and run it from Steam.



### The swap resize times out



Go to Game Mode, navigate to Settings > System, then press "Run storage device maintenance tasks" at the very bottom.

After it's completed, you should be able to resize the swap file easily.



### Trying to do anything crashes the program



Make sure that you installed using the installer. If you can't, then run:



```bash

chown -R deck:deck ~/.cryo_utilities

chmod -R 777 ~/.cryo_utilities

```



These permissions are more open than necessary, though, so only do it as a last resort.