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Is it possible to download Steam platform updates using something that isn't the Steam client (i.e. HTTP) The steam client doesn't provide file size or time indications and I find this irritating when I launch a game and have to update.
Appolagies if this is a duplicate of something, I did search and didn't find anything.
Yes, Steam client updates can be downloaded manually via HTTP, if the names of the update files are known.
In my case, Steam seems to be unable to handle the poor Internet connection. When the network gets interrupted briefly, Steam just issues an error and exits; if I start it again, it can't resume the process and everything have to be downloaded again. So I'd like to use a robust download utility that supports pause and resume (i.e. HTTP Range Request).
The files it failed to download can be found in bootstrap_log.txt. (It is located under the directory ~/.local/share/Steam/logs on Linux). For example, this is one of the entries in the log:
Package file tenfoot_dicts_all.zip.c74a3a9beb77a280cfd8761b901a80ed0f6a3173 missing or incorrect size
To apply the updates manually:
Using your favourite download utility, download http://media.steampowered.com/client/ + package file name. In this case, it's http://media.steampowered.com/client/tenfoot_dicts_all.zip.c74a3a9beb77a280cfd8761b901a80ed0f6a3173.
Put the files you've downloaded where Steam Client would. On Linux it is ~/.local/share/Steam/package/
Start Steam.
And now Steam should be extracting the updates right away, without downloading them again.
Credit: aiusepsi on the r/Steam community on Reddit. Link to post
To answer the question – and not focus on updates in general: No, Steam uses a proprietary protocol for file transfers.
That is a strange behavior because in my Steam client version it's clearly written in Library -> Download what you are downloading, the total size of the update and the estimated time needed to complete the download.
Anyway the only "official" way to download Steam updates are through Steam client.
Of course, if you have friends that play that game and they have already download the patch/update, you can exit from Steam and copy those files in the right position of your Steam folders; when Steam restarts it recognizes those new files and you are ready to launch the game.
You can disable the auto-update facility on a per-game basis. R-click the game in the Library and (off the top of my head) go to Properties and the option is on one of the tabs there.
However, if you are going to be playing what is primarily a multi-player game, you'd be best of just leaving it on otherwise you'll probably not be able to join any games.
