Over the past few years Valve has helped make Linux a viable platform thanks to the Proton compatibility layer that lets you play many Windows games on Linux, and the SteamOS operating system that powers the Steam Deck handheld gaming PC and the Steam Machine mini PC that's launching this week. But you don't need to buy Valve's hardware to use SteamOS. And soon it may be easier than ever to build your own gaming PC for use with Valve's gaming-focused Linux distro. Third-party operating systems like Bazzite have allowed you to install unofficial builds on non-Valve hardware for years.