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Valve Officially Launches Steam For Linux
sl4shd0rk writes "Valve has finally released Steam for Linux. Although some of the 57 games listed on the Linux Steam site are previously released from the Humble Bundles, there are others which should provide adequate entertainment for anyone bored with the HB games. Among the games listed, many at deep discounts of 50%-75% off, are HalfLife, CounterStrke Source and Serious Sam 3. Hopefully Valve will keep the ports coming as rumor has it that Left 4 Dead had been ported at least for developers."
It was horrible knowing you.
No amd64 that I saw. 'package architecture (i386) does not match system (amd64)' lame.
I've been looking forward to having a gaming Linux box for a long time, I know there aren't a lot of games but I'll buy pretty much whatever is available.
Website Just Down For Me? Find out
Neither do we.
Allow me to summarize the next five or so hours worth of posts:
Blah blah blah, DRM.
Blah blah blah, "in mother russia".
Blah blah blah, "I, for one, welcome our penguin shaped overlords".
Blah blah blah, "gun control".
Blah blah blah "godwin's law".
You're welcome. (on a side note: wooooo!)
Yeah.. wake me up when they have ported it to the OpenBSD pkgsrc system as part of the official set of packages and maybe I'll think about potentially buying a game. (As long as it contains no DRM and is also part of the OpenBSD pkgsrc system as part of the official set of packages, audited by portaudit, of course.)
// MD_Update(&m,buf,j);
Is this a step towards an optimized valve os built on linux? I don't use linux but it'd be cool.
I'm not a Linux user but I play one on TrueNuff.tv
Just for information really with Serious Sam 3: BFE is available cheaper :) here
http://www.indieroyale.com/
deb packages are effectively just archives from which you can extract the files. This is why it's available on ArchLinux.
I'm running 64-bit Gentoo and noticed Steam in the portage tree so I installed it. Works fine. Tried the free TF2 and it worked perfectly. Just bought SS3 for $8 and it's downloading. Valve is great!
Your distro can't handle deb? Why not? My Gentoo box just has a thin wrapper around the deb to do the install and make it act like any other Gentoo package. I never see a deb package at all.
Ok I wasn't sure I decided if how I felt about steam on Linux...more I suspect that the too negative header to this discussion, when down the side I spotted "Try Linux - Grab Ubuntu Desktop; Ubuntu is our favorite version of Linux. Interested in giving it a whirl? You can install and run Ubuntu from a Live CD or USB stick, or install it to run alongside Windows."
Is that "holy shit I can carry all my steam games around on my USB stick" take it around to my friends...or even work, play a few rounds of team fortress, without any changes to the machine...because if that is true, that is bigger news to me than Steam on Linux, this is Quake Arena/Doom again, only with a raft of cheap choices. I can finally play people I know. [and share an experience with], and socialise with, rather than anonymous strangers on-line [I would rather play off-line than that].
(in testing):
--- /home/thedarkener/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam: /lib/i386-linux-gnu/i686/cmov/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.15' not found (required by /home/thedarkener/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6) /home/thedarkener/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam: /lib/i386-linux-gnu/i686/cmov/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.15' not found (required by /home/thedarkener/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6) /home/thedarkener/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam: /lib/i386-linux-gnu/i686/cmov/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.15' not found (required by /home/thedarkener/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6) /home/thedarkener/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam: /lib/i386-linux-gnu/i686/cmov/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.15' not found (required by /home/thedarkener/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/steam-runtime/i386/usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/libX11.so.6)
thedarkener@c64:~$ steam
---
I saw the above post regarding the i386 libs and I was sure that I had already installed them previously (and confirmed with the following:)
---
thedarkener@c64:~$ sudo apt-get install ia32-libs ia32-libs-gtk ia32-libs-sdl
Place your finger on the fingerprint reader
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
E: Unable to locate package ia32-libs-sdl
thedarkener@c64:~$ sudo apt-get install ia32-libs ia32-libs-gtk
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
ia32-libs is already the newest version.
ia32-libs-gtk is already the newest version.
---
Any ideas?
It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
Ubuntu is a Linux, but Linux is not Ubuntu. As far as I can see they've only released for Ubuntu. And yeah... I know I can make it work through some hoops on other systems (and I do), but that's not the point!
Not that the Steam Keys make a huge difference to me. I've been using my Ubuntu Software Center keys anyways, so uhmmm software inception?
The preceding post was not a Slashvertisement.
to upgrade from 10.04 Lucid
I got to the chocolate box before you, that's why the hard ones have teeth marks.
I simply don't understand why people complain about no 64-bit version of Steam when the games running on Steam are basically all 32-bit anyway, and so you'll have to pull down those 32-bit libraries to use Steam for its intended purpose anyway, regardless of the arch of the client.
As a side note, I'm considerably mixed about Steam for Linux since it means more Linux games... locked to Steam. I would have preferred separate DRM-free installers for things like Serious Sam 3 that didn't require a vendor-hosted platform (and hence having to ensure your account is in good health and the game's lifetime being limited to how long Valve remains around), but apparently that was too much to ask, otherwise we'd have more commercial games before Steam on Linux anyway.
I think you're using deprecated packages
Here's a Steam installer for Wheezy: https://gist.github.com/grindars/4231563. It only installs per user, not for the whole system, but so far, it works.
our WIndows smashing overloards Steam should play this when Steam Linux loads http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uEnPB9Mz18
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
she loves Mr Penguin.
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
Wow, thought you were joking for a second but I see it is indeed true.
http://www.diffchecker.com/h14Uhs74
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122119-Valves-Newell-Issues-Firings-Statement
Looks like Valve is focusing on the Steam Box + Linux.
As mentioned by someone else, this is because Debian doesn't have libc6 ver 2.15. You have to download the ubuntu libc6 libraries, and extract them to your ~/.local/share/Steam/ubuntu12_32/ directory.
There are debian testing install scripts for Steam which will automatically do this for you. Go forth and search for them.
Also, don't install the ia32-libs package. Enable multiarch support in Debian: dpkg --add-architecture i386
You can now install individual i386 library packages, instead of having one large package.
It's possible.
At one point, I was responsible for a good sized Windows application. Something along the lines of Photoshop. Tested it under Wine, and Wine choked in a few obvious ways. As we thought it'd be nice if it worked under linux, if indirectly, I reported the issues to them. They blithely informed me that if we wanted the bugs fixed, we'd have to pay. Needless to say, we shelved the whole idea.
Is that still the service model?
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Fish to Penguin - "You complete me".
Bring me Tribes!!!
This sig intentionally left blank.
According to Phoronix, Windows 7 graphics "destroys the Linux and OS X drivers", and "Only in a few workloads was the Windows 7 driver not the distant frontrunner".
Apparently the latest version in Debian is 2.13 this thread suggests using the version from the experimental branch
A game has objectives and is competitive, anything else is just play
Steam is an online game distribution network run by Valve Software. It's a little bit like iTunes in the sense that you can buy stuff through it and it handles DRM for your downloads, but it's significantly more integrated with the games you're playing to the extent that physical copies of many games these days still require a steam account. It involves DRM and "always on" functionality, but doesn't pretend to be selling you a physical product. That is to say it doesn't allow you to resell your games and if you're a douche and get yourself banned from Steam you lose your games, but you can install your games on as many systems as you want and download any game you are licensed for whenever you want(even if you bought it on physical media). Unlike a lot of companies they don't try to have their cake and eat it to.
Why you care depends on what your position on Linux is, if you don't care about it, there's no need for you care about any story mentioning the word "Linux". If you're a disciple of RMS you care because it's a proprietary(not open source) system delivering DRM'd product which is the very antithesis to all you believe in. If you like Linux and want it to succeed in the desktop market, you care because gaming is one of the places where Linux really suffers and having a controlled reliable method of distribution should at least mean that companies for whom a Linux port is very little work should be willing to port their games to Linux and if that happens eventually companies for whom a Linux port is a significant amount of effort may start to do so. Lastly if you rabidly hate Linux or Ubuntu specifically you care because it makes them slightly more successful.
Is it like iTunes for FPS games?
Pretty much, yes. Specifically games that people who are hard core into FPS consider to be "vintage" or "classic" - even though said games are many years younger than Wolfenstein, Doom, or even Quake. People who are big fans of it see it as a great gift to be able to buy Half-Life for $8 even though they bought it for $40 the first time, then bought the first special edition of it the year after for another $40, and the uber-mega-titanium-coated-diamond-edition of it the third year for another $60.
For the most part, it is a way for a company to extract a little more money from a large number of gamers who like to keep buying the same thing repeatedly.
And yes, I know I will be lucky to not be moderated down for this. Bombs away.
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
Has anyone tried it on Debian and other distros beside Ubuntu?
please post you experiences.
You removed tar and g(un)zip from your system?
I was comparing Win 7 and OS X. Yes, I realize the Nvidia Linux drivers are improving rapidly, I've got them working nicely on my openSUSE 12.2 (Tumbleweed) rig.
I played Serious Sam 3 month ago during the beta. Bought yesterday SS3 DLC plus the original Half-life. The latter seems to run perfectly on my Intel HD4000-based laptop (SS3 will surely not...)
I'd expect that some of the big titles are bound to come to Linux if and when Steambox finds traction. Many of the big titles are already ported to Mac OSX, which of course, means OpenGL instead of DirectX.
I look for the day when I can finally and permanently delete my Windows partition, which exists solely for gaming purposes.
A couple of parts of that aren't quite right.
Steam doesn't actually require an "always on" net connection. The offline mode "just works" these days (I know this having been dependant on it for a couple of weeks when I moved house last year). Offline mode got a bad rep in Steam's early years, because back then it would usually either just plain "not work", or work for a day or two and then demand to see a connection. It's not like that any more.
There are a small number of games sold over Steam that contain "always on" third party DRM, because the game's publisher insisted on having DRM above and beyond that built into Steam. Any such requirement is identified on the game's info page alongside the system requirements. There aren't too many of these; Ubisoft, which was the main publisher behind this, has actually caved in and removed it from a good number of games.
A few of the "vintage" games sold through Steam, such as the old id titles are actually DRM free - you can copy the games out of your Steam folder and launch them without Steam running if you want.
Also, worth clarifying your point on Steam bans. There are two types of ban here. Simple "bad behaviour" such as being a complete cock to other players, trolling the forums, cheating in online multiplayer etc will not lose you access to your games. It may lose you the ability to access the online modes of certain games and in others you may be restricted to playing alongside people who have engaged in similar behaviours. I cannot see any problem with this; it's actually good for legitimate players to be protected from the arseholes.
The second and more draconian level of ban does lose you access to your games, but this is reserved for activities such as credit card fraud or scamming/phishing other Steam users. There are occasional false positives here (eg. if somebody has an unexpected problem with their credit card at the bank's end) and Valve has a reputation for being slow to act on these, so I'm not trying to absolve Valve from blame completely. But you will not lose access to your games (barring some multiplayer modes) for simple "lame behaviour".
Speaking as someone who has a crappy net connection, Steam's offline mode very often doesn't 'just work'.
It often refuses to let me play a game, or says 'there are no account credentials on this computer' if the network's acting up. Or Steam will load theoretically in Offline Mode, but when I try to play a game it mysteriously reports the game isn't ready to play.
YEAR OF THE LINUX DESKTOP.
He didn't say he'd potentially buy a game - he said he'd think about potentially buying a game.
Arch has a steam metapackage that installs a bootstrap type deal. I never saw a deb package either.
Damned with faint praise.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
A comment well deserving of the Anonymous Coward moniker.
The TF2 gamers that log on with a Linux box before March 1 get an exclusive item; Don't underestimate the power of tchotchkes!
They feared that it could be used to suppress protest or support unpopular rule.
People who are big fans of it see it as a great gift to be able to buy Half-Life for $8 even though they bought it for $40 the first time
You can enter the cd key from your original Half-Life CD and it will accept it. No need to rebuy.
Also, under OSX, the system-wide menubar doesn't work well in a multi-monitor environment. Even in a single-monitor environment, it maximizes the amount of mouse movement required to get to and from it, which can also lead to the wrong application being activated as you're often forced to move outside the bounds of your application's window. Miss the menu (overshoot on a multi-monitor setup, for instance) and now input (keyboard, for instance) is no longer directed to your application. Scripts cannot send output to an application that is not currently the active window without actually activating that window, adding completely unnecessary hoop jumping. OSX's input model is barely adequate in these regards, and I also say that as a long time OSX user. These problems are first a result of stupid UI design, and second a result of Apple being almost universally unable to admit they screwed up.
I've fallen off your lawn, and I can't get up.
Until Valve releases a distro-agnostic client, it should be called "Steam for Ubuntu".
Linux is much more than just Ubuntu.
I am, however, appreciative of Valve's efforts and wish them well.
"I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it." : Dogbert
If you own the Windows or Mac version of a game and there is also a Linux version. Guesss what? That game is also available on Steam Linux for your enjoyment.
I forgot how awesome Half-Life is/was. I was pleasantly surprised about how well some of these older games hold up.
Half-Life, Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike!
For every benefit you receive a tax is levied. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Thank you - I seriously didn't know what Steam was and why this was interesting.
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
Nothing wrong with you being modded down when your wrong. I bought an original retail copy of half-life and was able to enter the CD-key when Steam went live. Never had to rebuy the game at all.
Nothing wrong with you being modded down when your wrong
Actually, there is, because there is no down moderation for "wrong" or "disagree". Some people get moderator points and seem to feel otherwise...
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
Wrong posts deserve no moderation. Wrong (meaning factually wrong) posts with positive moderation should get modded "overrated" as a correction and meta-mods should appropriately rate the misguided positive moderations. In the case of your Great-grand-parent post it could be reasonably argued that you were flamebaiting with your factually incorrect post as well.
Most excellent! Thank you for your very kind assistance.
I actually have no beef with steam because it doesn't try to be two things. A steam game is a license no matter where you bought the game, but you get all the benefits of that a license should give you. Most DRM companies try to give you as physical copy when it suits them and a license when it doesn't.
It runs native.
Drivers are already improving, and they will continue to improve as there is more demand. Steam and gaming on Linux will incentive that demand.
This is a big step to ramping up GNU/Linux as a gaming platform. There are still a lot of hurdles to get many games working, but this move is a big step forward and I look forward to others jumping on board and following in these footsteps.