Valve Starts Publishing Packages For Its Own Linux Distribution

An anonymous reader writes "In preparation for the "Steam Box" game console that will make necessary their own Linux-based software platform, Valve developers have started publishing Debian packages for their platform which looks like their first-generation operating system will be derived from Ubuntu 12.04.2 LTS. So far the packages being published include a new "Plymouth" boot splash screen as the operating system loads, a Steam desktop wallpaper, auto-updating system scripts, and experimental NVIDIA Linux graphics drivers."

Comments

Re:Debian? EWWWWW...

[The MAZZTer]

Steam for Linux only formerly supports Ubuntu 12.04 IIRC. So it makes sense they would base their own distro off of that.

Year of the Linux Desktop?

[Nerdfest]

It looks like this might finally be the year. With Windows 8 throwing a lot of users away with a bad interface and a marketplace lock-in, The timing is pretty good. A lot of people always claimed that games were the only reason they were still on Windows.

Re:Year of the Linux Desktop?

[nine-times]

Maybe not the year of the Linux desktop, but instead the year of the Linux set-top-box.

Re:Year of the Linux Desktop?

[telchine]

Maybe not the year of the Linux desktop, but instead the year of the Linux set-top-box.

As long as Valve (and ideally other developers as well) make big-name games availale, then I think a lot of gamers would switch to Linux on their existing computer rather than buy a set-top box.

Plenty of people only use their computers for basic web/email/word processing and games and the only thing that ties them to Windows is games. I'm sure plenty would welcome the opportunity to not have to pay for Windows (or have the hassle of pirating it) so long as the games they want to play are available on Linux.

Unfortunately, right now, the choice is lacking. I see Counter-Strike:Source and Team Fortress 2 being the only big-name games. This is disappointing as they were allegedly beta testing with Left 4 Dead 2 which still isn't available on Linux.

Once the other main Source games become available and new games are written with Linux in mind then I can see adoption of Linux for gaming picking up.

Re:Year of the Linux Desktop?

[sl4shd0rk]

It looks like this might finally be the year.

That's almost comical because we've been asking ourselves that question for so many years. Valve has got a good thing going, but until we start seeing mainstream games on Steam being released with Linux binaries, all Valve is doing is prolonging another inevitable Fail.

Don't get me wrong, I applaud Valve for what they are doing. It takes a lot of balls to take on the Console/Windows gaming behemoth and I think it takes keen insight to recognize the death of your product coming down the road because your main support platform went full-retard. BUT it doesn't feel good to sit at a Linux Steam console staring at all the cool games for Windows, and 90% of Linux selections are stuff repackaged from the Humble Bundles. When a new game comes out, the people on Linux Steam want to be able to play it too. When the industry gets to that point, the everyday Linux desktop headaches may offset the Windows ones enough to make make "YotLD" viable.

Re:Year of the Linux Desktop?

[Nerdfest]

Valve is heading towards Linux because they see where Microsoft is heading. Microsoft is pulling an Apple style lock - in with the new interface and will slowly remove support for the old one. They don't want to pay the cut of all sales that Microsoft will demand. I'm quite surprised more people haven't realised this ... But perhaps I'm just paranoid.

Re:Year of the Linux Desktop?

[smi.james.th]

I've been sort of forced to use Win8 for the last few weeks on my new laptop (yeah I guess I could probably get it to work with 7 instead, but I'm too lazy...) and to be honest it's really not bad. Once you get used to the different interface it's really no problem.

Also, as far as marketplace lock-in, that's complete rubbish. I've installed all my own applications, haven't had to use a single one from the Windows / Metro thingy, most of the time I don't even realise I'm on a new OS. It's somewhat faster than Win7, though that difference isn't huge.

All that being said, I still prefer Linux, I'm one of those who have specific applications packages for work reasons which have to use Windows. But Win8 isn't the big loss for M$ that you make it out to be.

Re:Year of the Linux Desktop?

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually, they've said this is the exact reason they're jumping ship. Microsoft doesn't want a cut of Steam's sales. Microsoft fully intends to replace Steam and other digital distribution channels with the Windows Store. Simple as that.

I would buy a Steam Box if...

[Soluzar]

1) The hardware is open so that you can (if you wish) put a different Linux distribution on it.

2) If the Steam Box software works on any distribution you so install.

3) The games are protected only by Steam's own DRM and not encumbered by anything more onerous.

4) All games use the controller. The keyboard and mouse can be an option, but it should not be the only option.

I know this makes it nothing more than a nice small form factor PC with a standard spec. I'm happy for it to be exactly that.

Re:Maybe

[TheSpoom]

As desktop, Linux still sucks

...for you. Which is fine. I love it and use it every day.

Windows have serious security problems, etc etc but it does not break the existing applications on each relevant update and have behavior/interface consistence

There's an argument to made that this has happened in the Windows world a few times, but I digress. Gnome fucked up badly with Gnome 3. We get that. A lot of us still hold a grudge against them for that. That sort of update is in the minority. Most (as in 99.9%) updates I install work without any sort of configuration changes needed, and as an additional nice point, don't require a reboot (usually only kernel updates need a reboot in Linux).

I'm not trying to sell you, I'm just pointing out that what you've heard doesn't mesh with my experience.

Wish I had a mod point for you.

[doug141]

When XP was introduced, I switched to windows for the games. I have happily paid for newer versions of Windows since because they are very usable and I don't want to learn linux. Now, there's no good new version of windows to switch to, based on what I'm reading about windows 8. Apparently valve and steam are making gaming on linux easier than ever. I'm at risk of trying it and finding I like it. The real threat to Microsoft may be their own vision with Windows 8.

Re:Wish I had a mod point for you.

[TrancePhreak]

based on what I'm reading about windows 8.

Which is the real problem. Most people I've seen who say it's bad haven't even used it. In the future, it should become the de-facto Windows gaming iteration, as they cleaned up and refined the graphics systems.

Re:Wish I had a mod point for you.

[jxander]

I've used it. Fairly extensively over the past few months, much to my chagrin

Both of my younger sisters were gifted with Windows 8 laptops last Christmas, and figuring out how to set them up has been harder than learning Linux. And I'm an MCSE. Not that the cert means all that much, but I've always leaned Windows-way for the majority of my computing needs, only delving into *nix for some back end stuff and my HTPC.

Up until now, even the bad versions of windows (ME, Vista, etc) were at least functional and somewhat familiar. I could use them, even if they crapped their pants every hour or two. With windows 8, this is no longer the case. Maybe windows 9 will rectify this, but by then it might be too late.

Re:please, whynot a simple debian base, *buntu fub

[cervesaebraciator]

Seriously, I'd like the /. feedback on this... haven't all real linux users abandoned *buntu since a year or 2 back?

Well, first of all, they're going to derive their distro from Ubuntu. This is sort of like Mint which I, a former Ubuntu user, currently run. I would guess that much of what has frustrated Ubuntu users will be excluded and replaced with custom, in-house frustrations. Secondly, "all real linux users"? I'm afraid I don't know what you mean. A Linux user, by definition, is a person who uses Linux. Ubuntu is a Linux distribution. Therefore, a person who uses Ubuntu is also a Linux user. There is no place for "real" qualifiers to enter this any more than someone can be a "real bachelor" or a "true Scotsman". To count oneself a real Linux user and to deny that to others who happen to use a distro one doesn't like is just self-indulgent.

Re:Maybe

[Microlith]

Try to install a new X server from source, or try to update some relevant library (to be able to use shiny new application with obscure or alpha dependencies), and you will see the problem that I are talking about.

Wait, when is a user of Ubuntu, particularly a non-technical user, ever going to do that?

The kernel Linux is stable, but the software needed to make the desktop work are incomplete, inconsistent or simply broken.

Your arguments are more incomplete, inconsistent, or simply broken than the platform you're trying to attack is.