wolf: put Steam home on the game drive via symlink, not libraryfolders.vdf

Seeding libraryfolders.vdf never stuck: Steam rewrites that file on every
launch and forces its primary library back to its own install dir
(/home/retro/.local/share/Steam), which is the Wolf session home on the OS
drive. That's why Steam Storage kept showing /home/retro with the OS drive's
size no matter how many times we seeded the vdf.

New approach: relocate_steam_home symlinks each Wolf Steam session home
(/etc/wolf/<id>/Steam, bind-mounted to /home/retro) at
$GAME_STORAGE_DIR/steam-home. Steam's one and only library is then the game
drive, so installs, game files, and Proton prefixes all land there and the
Storage screen reports the game drive's free space. An existing Steam install
is moved over once (no re-download) before the symlink is created.

Wired into first install, manage.sh start (self-heals on reboot), and
manage.sh fix-perms. Dropped the redundant /mnt/games/steam mount and the
vdf seeding everywhere; updated the README heredoc with the one-time
connect / fix-perms / reconnect sequence.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01D8ckUJQtj1pH8jtAddBDZs

services/wolf.sh

@@ -200,6 +200,40 @@ fi
 
 register_service wolf gaming "Cloud gaming via Moonlight (Games-on-Whales Wolf)" 47989
 
+# relocate_steam_home <game_storage_dir>
+# Make Steam's home physically live on the game drive. Wolf bind-mounts each
+# app's session home (/etc/wolf/<id>/Steam) to /home/retro. By replacing that
+# session home with a symlink to <game_storage_dir>/steam-home, everything Steam
+# writes — its install, game files, and Proton prefixes — lands on the game
+# drive, and Steam's Storage screen reports that drive's free space. This is the
+# reliable alternative to seeding libraryfolders.vdf, which Steam overwrites on
+# every launch. Safe to run repeatedly; only acts on real dirs, never symlinks.
+# Returns 0 if it relocated at least one session home.
+relocate_steam_home() {
+    local game_dir="$1"
+    [ -n "$game_dir" ] || return 1
+    local target="$game_dir/steam-home"
+    mkdir -p "$target"
+    chown -R 1000:1000 "$target" 2>/dev/null || true
+    local did=0 src
+    for src in /etc/wolf/[0-9]*/Steam; do
+        [ -e "$src" ] || continue
+        [ -L "$src" ] && continue          # already relocated
+        [ -d "$src" ] || continue
+        # Preserve an existing Steam install: move contents over once.
+        if [ -z "$(ls -A "$target" 2>/dev/null)" ] && [ -n "$(ls -A "$src" 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
+            cp -a "$src/." "$target/" 2>/dev/null || true
+        fi
+        rm -rf "$src"
+        ln -s "$target" "$src"
+        chown -h 1000:1000 "$src" 2>/dev/null || true
+        chown -R 1000:1000 "$target" 2>/dev/null || true
+        echo "  Steam home → $target  (via $src)"
+        did=1
+    done
+    return $((did ? 0 : 1))
+}
+
 install_wolf() {
     require_docker || return 1
 
@@ -701,30 +735,18 @@ UDEV
              "$GAME_STORAGE_DIR/firefox" "$GAME_STORAGE_DIR/minecraft" \
              "$GAME_STORAGE_DIR/kodi" "$GAME_STORAGE_DIR/emulators"
 
-    # Pre-seed Steam library config. Wolf mounts each app's home from
+    # Steam home lives on the game drive — the bulletproof way to make games
-    # /etc/wolf/<id>/Steam — Steam reads libraryfolders.vdf from there.
+    # land where the user chose. Seeding libraryfolders.vdf does NOT work:
-    # We stash a copy in game storage and manage.sh fix-perms propagates it
+    # Steam rewrites that file on every launch and forces library "0" back to
-    # into every Wolf session dir after Wolf has run once.
+    # its own install dir (/home/retro/.local/share/Steam). Instead we make
-    local _VDF_CONTENT
+    # /home/retro itself physically live on the game drive by symlinking the
-    _VDF_CONTENT='"libraryfolders"
+    # Wolf Steam session home (/etc/wolf/<id>/Steam) to $GAME_STORAGE_DIR/
-{
+    # steam-home. Then Steam's one and only library IS the game drive — its
-	"0"
+    # install, games, AND Proton prefixes all land there, and Steam's Storage
-	{
+    # screen reports the game drive's free space. See _relocate_steam_home in
-		"path"		"/mnt/games/steam"
+    # manage.sh, which is run on start / fix-perms / first install.
-		"label"		""
+    mkdir -p "$GAME_STORAGE_DIR/steam-home"
-		"mounted"	"1"
+    chown -R 1000:1000 "$GAME_STORAGE_DIR/steam-home"
-		"contentid"	"1"
-	}
-}'
-    mkdir -p "$GAME_STORAGE_DIR/steam/steamapps"
-    echo "$_VDF_CONTENT" > "$GAME_STORAGE_DIR/steam/steamapps/libraryfolders.vdf"
-    # Also seed into any Wolf session dirs that already exist
-    for _wdir in /etc/wolf/[0-9]*/Steam; do
-        [ -d "$_wdir" ] || continue
-        mkdir -p "$_wdir/.local/share/Steam/steamapps"
-        echo "$_VDF_CONTENT" > "$_wdir/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/libraryfolders.vdf"
-        chown -R 1000:1000 "$_wdir"
-    done
 
     # Pre-create ES-DE ROM directories so the user knows where to drop files
     # and ES-DE shows the system in its list immediately on first launch.
@@ -928,23 +950,34 @@ EOF
 #!/bin/bash
 SCRIPT_DIR="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && pwd)"
 
-_seed_steam_library() {
+# Make Steam's home physically live on the game drive by symlinking each Wolf
+# Steam session home (/etc/wolf/<id>/Steam, mounted to /home/retro) at
+# $GAME_STORAGE_DIR/steam-home. Steam then installs, stores games, and keeps
+# Proton prefixes on the game drive, and its Storage screen shows that drive's
+# free space. Seeding libraryfolders.vdf does NOT work — Steam rewrites it every
+# launch. Safe to run repeatedly; skips dirs already symlinked. Needs the Steam
+# app to be DISCONNECTED (no running container holding the mount).
+_relocate_steam_home() {
     local game_dir
     game_dir=$(grep '^GAME_STORAGE_DIR=' "$SCRIPT_DIR/.env" 2>/dev/null | cut -d= -f2-)
-    local vdf="$game_dir/steam/steamapps/libraryfolders.vdf"
+    [ -n "$game_dir" ] || return 0
-    [ -f "$vdf" ] || return 0
+    local target="$game_dir/steam-home"
-    local changed=0
+    sudo mkdir -p "$target"
-    for wdir in /etc/wolf/[0-9]*/Steam; do
+    local did=0 src
-        [ -d "$wdir" ] || continue
+    for src in /etc/wolf/[0-9]*/Steam; do
-        local dest="$wdir/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/libraryfolders.vdf"
+        [ -e "$src" ] || continue
-        if [ ! -f "$dest" ]; then
+        [ -L "$src" ] && continue
-            sudo mkdir -p "$(dirname "$dest")"
+        [ -d "$src" ] || continue
-            sudo cp "$vdf" "$dest"
+        if [ -z "$(sudo ls -A "$target" 2>/dev/null)" ] && [ -n "$(sudo ls -A "$src" 2>/dev/null)" ]; then
-            sudo chown -R 1000:1000 "$wdir"
+            sudo cp -a "$src/." "$target/" 2>/dev/null || true
-            changed=1
         fi
+        sudo rm -rf "$src"
+        sudo ln -s "$target" "$src"
+        echo "  Steam home → $target"
+        did=1
     done
-    [ "$changed" = 1 ] && echo "Steam library config seeded into Wolf session dir."
+    sudo chown -R 1000:1000 "$target" 2>/dev/null || true
+    [ "$did" = 1 ] && echo "Steam now stores everything on the game drive. Reconnect Moonlight."
 }
 
 case "$1" in
@@ -952,7 +985,7 @@ case "$1" in
         docker compose up -d
         echo "Wolf started. Pair Moonlight to this server's IP."
         sleep 3
-        _seed_steam_library
+        _relocate_steam_home
         ;;
     stop)    docker compose down ;;
     restart) docker compose restart ;;
@@ -1057,7 +1090,7 @@ CATALOG = {
         name='WolfSteam', title='Steam',
         icon='https://games-on-whales.github.io/wildlife/apps/steam/assets/icon.png',
         image='ghcr.io/games-on-whales/steam:edge',
-        mounts=[f'{games}/steam:/mnt/games/steam:rw'],
+        mounts=[],  # Steam home is symlinked onto the game drive (relocate_steam_home)
         env=['PROTON_LOG=1', 'RUN_SWAY=true',
              'GOW_REQUIRED_DEVICES=/dev/input/* /dev/dri/* /dev/nvidia*'],
         cap_add=['SYS_ADMIN', 'SYS_NICE', 'SYS_PTRACE', 'NET_RAW', 'MKNOD', 'NET_ADMIN'],
@@ -1241,18 +1274,10 @@ PYEOF
             echo "  fixed: $GAME_DIR"
             found=1
         fi
-        # Propagate the Steam library seed into every Wolf session home so Steam
+        # Relocate Steam's home onto the game drive so games install there
-        # uses /mnt/games/steam rather than defaulting to /home/retro.
+        # (and stay there). This moves an existing Steam install over once,
-        if [ -n "$GAME_DIR" ] && [ -f "$GAME_DIR/steam/steamapps/libraryfolders.vdf" ]; then
+        # then symlinks the session home — no re-download needed.
-            for _wdir in /etc/wolf/[0-9]*/Steam; do
+        _relocate_steam_home
-                [ -d "$_wdir" ] || continue
-                sudo mkdir -p "$_wdir/.local/share/Steam/steamapps"
-                sudo cp "$GAME_DIR/steam/steamapps/libraryfolders.vdf" \
-                        "$_wdir/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/libraryfolders.vdf"
-                sudo chown -R 1000:1000 "$_wdir"
-                echo "  seeded libraryfolders.vdf → $_wdir"
-            done
-        fi
         [ "$found" = 0 ] && echo "  Nothing to fix (no Wolf app dirs found yet)."
         echo "Done. Reconnect from Moonlight to relaunch the app."
         ;;
@@ -1337,7 +1362,7 @@ CATALOG = {
         name='WolfSteam', title='Steam',
         icon='https://games-on-whales.github.io/wildlife/apps/steam/assets/icon.png',
         image='ghcr.io/games-on-whales/steam:edge',
-        mounts=[f'{games}/steam:/mnt/games/steam:rw'],
+        mounts=[],  # Steam home is symlinked onto the game drive (relocate_steam_home)
         env=['PROTON_LOG=1', 'RUN_SWAY=true',
              'GOW_REQUIRED_DEVICES=/dev/input/* /dev/dri/* /dev/nvidia*'],
         cap_add=['SYS_ADMIN', 'SYS_NICE', 'SYS_PTRACE', 'NET_RAW', 'MKNOD', 'NET_ADMIN'],
@@ -1500,31 +1525,15 @@ PYEOF
         docker compose restart wolf
         log_success "Wolf restarted with updated config"
 
-        # Seed Steam library config so games go to game storage on first launch.
+        # Point Steam's home at the game drive (see steam-home note above).
-        # Wolf creates session dirs after the restart; wait up to 30s for them.
+        # Wolf only creates the Steam session dir on first Moonlight connect,
+        # so it almost certainly doesn't exist yet here — relocate any that do,
+        # and tell the user the one-time step for the rest.
         if echo "$APP_KEYS" | grep -qw steam; then
-            log_info "Waiting for Wolf session dirs to appear..."
+            relocate_steam_home "$GAME_STORAGE_DIR" || true
-            local _sw
+            log_info "Steam storage: after your FIRST Moonlight connection, run"
-            for _sw in $(seq 1 30); do
+            log_info "  cd $WOLF_DIR && ./manage.sh fix-perms"
-                compgen -G "/etc/wolf/[0-9]*/Steam" >/dev/null 2>&1 && break
+            log_info "to move Steam onto the game drive, then reconnect. (Once only.)"
-                sleep 1
-            done
-            local _INSTALL_VDF="$GAME_STORAGE_DIR/steam/steamapps/libraryfolders.vdf"
-            if [ -f "$_INSTALL_VDF" ]; then
-                local _seeded=0
-                for _wdir in /etc/wolf/[0-9]*/Steam; do
-                    [ -d "$_wdir" ] || continue
-                    mkdir -p "$_wdir/.local/share/Steam/steamapps"
-                    cp "$_INSTALL_VDF" "$_wdir/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/libraryfolders.vdf"
-                    chown -R 1000:1000 "$_wdir"
-                    ((_seeded++))
-                done
-                if [ "$_seeded" -gt 0 ]; then
-                    log_success "Steam library config seeded — games will install to $GAME_STORAGE_DIR/steam"
-                else
-                    log_warning "Steam session dir not found yet. Run: ./manage.sh fix-perms  after first Moonlight connection."
-                fi
-            fi
         fi
     else
         log_warning "Wolf config not generated in time. Add apps manually to /etc/wolf/cfg/config.toml"
@@ -1678,7 +1687,7 @@ cd $WOLF_DIR
 ## Game storage: \`$GAME_STORAGE_DIR\`
 On-disk dirs are bind-mounted into each app container under \`/mnt/games/\`:
 - \`roms/<system>/\` → /ROMs (EmulationStation — drop ROMs here)
-- \`steam/\`         → /mnt/games/steam (add as a Steam Library Folder once)
+- \`steam-home/\`     → Steam's home (/home/retro) — installs, games, prefixes
 - \`saves/\`         → /mnt/games/saves (RetroArch saves & states)
 - \`emulators/\`     → /mnt/games/emulators (Azahar 3DS AppImage, etc.)
 
@@ -1686,9 +1695,24 @@ Mounting under \`/mnt/games\` (not the container's \`/home/retro\`) avoids
 clobbering the app's home directory, which Wolf manages per-session under
 \`/etc/wolf/<id>/<App>\`.
 
-## First Steam launch
+## Steam storage — how games land on the game drive
-Steam → Settings → Storage → add \`/mnt/games/steam\` and set it default,
+Steam rewrites \`libraryfolders.vdf\` on every launch and forces its primary
-so game installs land on the storage disk instead of the ephemeral home.
+library back to its own install dir, so seeding that file does NOT work.
+Instead, this setup symlinks Steam's session home
+(\`/etc/wolf/<id>/Steam\` → \`/home/retro\`) at \`steam-home/\` on the game
+drive. Steam's one and only library is therefore the game drive — installs,
+game files, and Proton prefixes all land there with nothing to configure.
+
+Wolf creates the Steam session dir only on your FIRST Moonlight connection.
+So the one-time sequence is:
+1. Connect once and let Steam open (it lands on the OS drive this first time).
+2. Disconnect, then run \`./manage.sh fix-perms\` (moves Steam to the game
+   drive and symlinks it — no re-download).
+3. Reconnect. Steam → Settings → Storage now shows the game drive's free
+   space, and everything installs there from here on.
+
+\`./manage.sh start\` re-applies this automatically, so it self-heals on
+reboots.
 
 ## 3DS emulation
 Azahar (open-source Citra fork) AppImage lives in \`emulators/\` → mounted at