Locked out mid-trip - update screen without internet?
Hello.
I’m currently mid-trip and pretty frustrated. I played on my Steam Deck last night, left it charging so it would be ready to go today, and threw it in my bag. I get settled in for my ride, power it on, and instead of my library, I’m greeted by a "Steam Update" screen that isn’t moving because I have zero Wi-Fi or internet access for the next several hours.
I’m running Bazzite, and I’m trying to understand the "why" behind this. My planned fun is basically ruined because the OS has decided to lock me out of my offline ready games until it "checks in" with a server I can’t reach.
A few questions for the Bazzite and Deck experts:
Is this a Bazzite-specific behavior? Does the atomic nature of Bazzite (ostree) trigger a mandatory Steam client check on boot that SteamOS handles differently?
Why can’t it just "fail-to-desktop"? If there’s no connection, why doesn't the client just timeout and let me into Offline Mode automatically instead of hanging on the update screen?
Is there a way to prevent this in the future? Are there specific service settings or "Game Mode" tweaks I should have toggled before leaving the house to ensure the handheld stays a handheld and doesn't turn into a paperweight the moment it loses a signal?
Any insight into how the update handshake works (and how to bypass it when offline) would be greatly appreciated.