cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/49721314

I just discovered this. Has anyone tried it?

Basically, you install it on your home server and use it to stash your DRM-free games, and then install the client on your PC, Steam Deck, whatever... log in to your server and just use it like your own, selfhosted Steam app. Any PC gamer already running Jellyfin, RomM, or other selfhosted entertainment-related server might be interested in trying it, if you do... please share your experience! I'll try it myself when I have time and post back here. If you know of any other alternatives, please share!

  • Self-hosted & open-source. Run Drop entirely on your own hardware. Your library, your data, your rules — all under the AGPLv3.

  • Rich metadata editing. Customise names, descriptions, and icons with full Markdown and image support.

  • Automatic imports. Pull cover art and game details straight from IGDB, GiantBomb, and PCGamingWiki.

  • A built-in store. Let users browse, filter, and collect games through a fully featured store.

  • Flexible authentication. Use simple accounts or hook into your existing SSO.

  • Native desktop client. Download, install, and play your whole library through a cross-platform desktop client.

Available for Windows, Mac & Linux (their web page lists a deb, their github repo publishes packages for all major distros and also an Appimage)

Website:
https://droposs.org/

Docs:
https://droposs.org/docs/admin/quickstart/

top 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 26 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (13 children)

Oh neat!

Ive always had a inling in my mind if valve wanted to be assholes it would suck in many ways. Projects like this may help in the long run.

Im just glad valve has proven to have integrity and actively helps open source.

  • source
  • hideshow 13 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago* (12 children)

    Its a matter of when. Theres no way they'll keep enshittification at bay into 2030. Start planning now.

    Steam subscription, limits of downloads/reinstalls on games, the end of family sharing, will be the norm.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 12 child comments
  • [–] 17 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    Whyzzat? Do you have some foreknowledge that others dont? Why 2030 specifically?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    Just a guess. I can't imagine steam will continue being profitable when data storage costs $300 per terabyte, youre not gonna get free unlimited game download data for much longer. Also taking into account the inevitable great depression thats on the way, a game company is going to struggle and do anything they can for profit.

    Steam is fine. Theyre still a capitalistic corporation that must grow to infinity and feed off consumption. Best to be prepared for the shitshow.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 14 points 2 months ago (6 children)

    Citation needed.

    Steam is a privately owned corporation that has no need to justify their extraction of maximum profits to shareholders. There's no reason to expect them to risk destroying their incredibly profitable business to chase short-term profits.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (4 children)
  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago

    Yupp. It will be a power vacuum almost like how dictators take over countries every single facet of it will change. It is inevitable.

    Sure is bitchin for now though while he is alive. Buy I like this project a LOT I'm going to use it

  • source
  • parent
  • load more comments (3 replies)
  • load more comments (1 reply)
  • [–] 21 points 2 months ago (7 children)

    Looks like their desktop app is archived on github

    https://github.com/Drop-OSS/drop-app

    Wonder what happened

  • source
  • hideshow 7 child comments
  • [–] [S] 15 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Apparently they are rewriting it in another repo in the same org.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (2 children)

    Is it a private repo? I couldn't see any other public repos about a desktop app that are active (there's a kotlin one, also archived)

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (2 children)

    Well, this de-incentivizes me from even trying this out. Thank you for sharing!

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 16 points 2 months ago (6 children)

    Too many of my games collection are from Steam, so I don't think I can get much use out of this, if I'm understanding correctly. If I wanted to prep for the day Valve enshittifies, would I have to pirate the copies of games I own?

  • source
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] [S] 15 points 2 months ago* (4 children)

    You might have some DRM free games in your Steam library, maybe you could backup those folders.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 8 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Oh, I'm such a dummy. I didn't know Steam games could be DRM-free. Thank you!

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] [S] 16 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    It would be awesome if someone wrote a Drop plugin to import DRM free games from a steam account.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • load more comments (1 reply)
    [–] 10 points 2 months ago (17 children)

    This is cool as shit.

    What’s it for though? Lan parties where guests are instructed NOT to bring games?

  • source
  • hideshow 17 child comments
  • [–] [S] 23 points 2 months ago (15 children)

    Think Plex / Jellyfin, but for games. Stash them on an old PC with lots of long term storage space. Install them whenever you want on your gaming rig, uninstall when you're done. Your game is still safe on your server, ready to re-install in the future.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 15 child comments
  • load more comments (1 reply)
    [–] 7 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    The server side doesn't seem to have a container-free install. I hope it works well for you but for me and mine it ceases to exist.

  • source
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • load more comments (1 reply)
    [–] 7 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    So how do updates work? If I download an Offline Installer, then the original developers/publishers post an Update to the game will this grab that update for me automatically or do I have to redownload a new version of the Offline Installer and stash it on the box running this?

  • source
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] [S] 5 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    I guess it depends. Where does the update come from? GOG? Then there's a CLI tool that automates that.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    Yeah GOG is where I get my current offline installers from. Could you point me in the direction of the CLI tool that automates updates?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    You are literally the distributor of the games on Drop. You add the game installer to the Drop backend and from the client you and friends can run the installer. If there’s ever an update, you will have to replace the original game installer files with the new ones and then you and your friends can update the game on the Drop client.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    This looks awesome, not gonna lie. I thought to check the Unraid app store and found the Drop OSS docker there! It dropped yesterday! (Pun intended)

    Sweet!

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago*

    Seems like a really cool project! I might start running this at home to make it easier to keep track of my humble bundle collection, open source games, and emulators. Looks like a good way to get friends set up those games for multiplayer as well.

    Looks like there's plans to implement cloud saves as well, that would be really cool for syncing emulator saves across my systems. I think retrodeck was doing something similar but there's so much local configuration.

  • source
  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago

    This greatly interest me. I may check this out.

  • source
  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    This looks awesome, although i might be occupied converting my existing storage into something that can work with this. installing 20k repacks to pack them into archives again might take a while ... fuck.

    My watercooler for my CPU comes in about 2 weeks - after moving my PC into it's nice new case i'm gonna start migrating lol

  • source
  • hideshow 5 child comments
  • [–] [S] 2 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    Are you sure you need to unpack them? That part of the isn't very clear to me.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Does it have cloud saves ?

  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
  • load more comments
    view more: next ›