Reworking The Steam Linux Automated Game Tests

As part of the preparations for the year-end Linux benchmarking articles, I've published new versions of the Team Fortress 2, DiRT Showdown, BioShock Infinite, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Linux benchmark test profiles.

The updated test profiles were published to OpenBenchmarking.org yesterday and should go into affect when next running phoronix-test-suite benchmark tf2 csgo dirt-showdown bioshock-infinite.

The big difference with these updated test profiles is that it no longer relies upon a static LD_LIBRARY_PATH override, but will dynamically get the appropriate paths on first-run. These test profiles now have a PTS pre.sh script so that prior to testing it will use Steam to fire up the game via normal means. Then wait a few seconds to collect all the pre-set environment variables. Those environment variables are then set by the benchmarking script at test-time.

This method should be more future-proof since many times already some test scripts have regressed due to changes in the Steam runtime. Additionally, this will ensure all of the other environment variables relating to the GL threaded optimizations, etc, that are defaulted to within Steam will also be carried over to the test profiles. Here's an example of the test profile modifications.

If any run into problems with these changes in running their Steam Linux benchmarks, feel free to post away in the forums.