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Valve Offers Free Subscription To Debian Developers: Paying It Forward

Posted by samzenpus on from the a-little-something-for-you dept.

sfcrazy writes "Valve Software, the makers of Steam OS, is already winning praise from the larger free and open source community – mainly because of their pro-community approach. Now the company is 'giving back' to Debian by offering free subscription to Debian developers. This subscription will offer full access to current and future games produced by Valve. Since Steam OS is based on Debian GNU/Linux it's a nice way for Valve to say 'thank you' to Debian developers."

25 of 205 comments (clear)

  1. OK... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    and now nothing will get done.
    This is obviously effort to thwart Debian.

    1. Re:OK... by bug1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Games are one of the oldest and most powerful learning systems we have. Computer games obviously lose the physical benefit of RL game,s but they still have mental benefits.

      They can teach Logic, promote social skills (as compared to TV), and can be good emotionally just ot blow of some steam.

      I understand the drama with debian and non-free games, but surely you can seperate the two concepts.

    2. Re:OK... by hairyfeet · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This is something that personally bugs the shit out of me.....tell me EXACTLY how YOUR freedom is being blocked by having CHOICE in the matter? Nobody is holding a gun to your head, nobody is making you use non free anything, so why should those that want it have to jump through flaming fucking hoops just because it doesn't follow YOUR personal feelings on the subject?

      Why is those that are supposedly "for" freedom damned near ALWAYS translate to "free to be like me and do what I like?".

      --
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    3. Re:OK... by Pav · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There are plenty of non-free choices... not so many free. I'd like to keep my little free sandbox thanks. Why do you want to take it from me? Obviously many feel the same way or else Debian wouldn't have such a vital community, and perhaps it follows that one of the historical reasons for this vital community is its philosophy and relatively uncompromising attitude (though too compromising for RMS apparently). I have contributed to Debian, though granted in very small ways, and frankly I'd be less motivated with the community soured and schitzophrenic with concerns completely unrelated to the Debian core mission. I have a friend who has abandoned desktop BSD because the community around it as collapsed after Apples involvement... I really don't want to see RMS being right AGAIN, this time about Debian not being strict enough.

    4. Re:OK... by tlhIngan · · Score: 3, Informative

      This is something that personally bugs the shit out of me.....tell me EXACTLY how YOUR freedom is being blocked by having CHOICE in the matter? Nobody is holding a gun to your head, nobody is making you use non free anything, so why should those that want it have to jump through flaming fucking hoops just because it doesn't follow YOUR personal feelings on the subject?

      Why is those that are supposedly "for" freedom damned near ALWAYS translate to "free to be like me and do what I like?".

      Except Debian tends to be one of the more Free distributions out there - turning down a LOT of stuff.

      In fact, it's why Ubuntu was created - Debian is a great distribution with very powerful open and free beliefs. Even when they get in the way of users. Ubuntu forked Debian, trying to apply a more "user-centric" view by adding appropriate non-free stuff to create something that users expect - including stuff like non-free codecs and such that users expect, and Debian lacks on purpose.

      Hell, the non-free repos are barely tolerated.

    5. Re:OK... by Sun · · Score: 4, Informative

      I'll just add that Debian split the non-free stuff into a separate repository, not enabled by default. Not only are you free not to install non-free software, you get an easy way of making sure that non-free doesn't creep in by mistake.

      Shachar

    6. Re:OK... by mwvdlee · · Score: 3, Interesting

      In this case, should vendors have the "freedom" to keep customers and users in the dark?

      Yes. They do.
      I don't like it, but that's what "freedom" means; not being able to force others to do as you'd like.
      The problem here isn't vendors being evil, it's customers paying them to be evil then complaining about it.

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    7. Re:OK... by gbjbaanb · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You are not free to enslave people, deny education to women as the Taliban wants to do, recklessly endanger property and lives, litter, trespass, and so on.

      actually you are. You can do all of those things - there isn't anyone actively stopping you; there's no Tom Cruise watching everything you do and jumping in just before you do it; there's no robot 'guardian' following you around ready to zap you the moment it thinks you're going to do something bad.

      Of course, society is also free to to lock you away, and/or otherwise punish you to ensure you don't do it again, or attempt to persuade you not to do it again once you're released.

      That's what freedom is all about - the ability to make your own choices and not have someone decide for you, but it also doesn't mean there's no responsibility for your actions either.

    8. Re:OK... by serviscope_minor · · Score: 3, Interesting

      when it comes to his rabid idealism that that is how the world absolutely has to be.

      Yay it's the daily "make up random shit about RMS day" today, same as every day.

      If you want to not be an idiot, don't parrot lies you read on the internet, actually find out what RMSs views are before talking about them.

      RMS is not forcing you or anyone to do anything or even trying to. He believes that non-Free software is user hostile and unethical. He is also putting his money where his mouth is and doing his level best to bring the world of Free software about.

      He's quite clear about what you should do if you have no choice: he himself used proprietary software to build the GNU userland system, and continued to use proprietary software until the kernel came about. In fact only very recently has he been able to get a computer which runs nothing but Free software end-to-end, meaning that he has kept up his use of proprietary software until able to do otherwise.

      It's not about how the world has to be it's about how the world should be.

      to eat my ass when it comes to his rabid idealism

      Basically you're mocking him for trying to live his life as ethically as possible and helping others do the same. That makes you worse than any insult you could lay upon him.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    9. Re:OK... by serviscope_minor · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I am disagreeing with him trying to force / coerce other people into agreeing with him.

      Well, then you're an idiot because you're disagreeing with him over something he doesn't do.

      He does not try to coerce or force, he tries to persuade. Massive difference.

      As for the complete bullshit about RMS using non-free software, no shit he had to build the first toolchain from non-free compilers et al. they won't spring up from nothing.

      He could have bootstrapped, should he have chosen to. You know, you used to be able to buy Z80 systems where you could key in machine code on the front panel. I've actually used one.

      He could have gone that route. It would have been much more painful and slower but it would have been possible. He chose to use a more expedient route.

      Yet after that I know for a fact he has said, in the last decade no less - on multiple occasions, that he would rather use crippled hardware rather than use non-free drivers that are available gratis from manufacturers.

      Yes, and? He's not forcing you to do the same.

      He also said everyone should do the same, stating it in plain and unambiguous language no less.

      Yes and? He's not forcing you to do the same. I think everyone SHOULD buy free range produce. I will argue (like RMS) why it's the ethical choice. I will state clearly and unambiguously that OI think you should live your life ethically.

      Those are opinions which we both have a right to (as you so graciously conceed). What use are opinions if one is not going to voice them?

      He's not forcing you to do anything.

      So yes, his viewpoints are quite well known on the issues of non-free software - if it isn't open, do without.

      Except again you misrepresent him with subtelty. I get the feeling you are not interested in an honest discussion.

      You flipped smoothly from "crippled" to "doing without". The big distinction is you can work with crippled stuff but not with nonexistent stuff.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
  2. This is a Triumph by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS

    1. Re:This is a Triumph by AlphaWolf_HK · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Could be...for Valve, though that's not a bad thing. I'm not even angry; I'm being so sincere right now.

      If the debian developers were more interested in something consumer focused like games, then Linux could have a better chance at entering the consumer space (whereas right now it is mostly enterprise focused.) Free games that work with the thing you created isn't a bad way to attract that.

      --
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    2. Re: This is a Triumph by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      instead of free games, THEy should offer free food, something like CAKE. this IS A great way to attract linux coders, not gonna LIE.

  3. 5 years later ... by TrollstonButterbeans · · Score: 5, Funny

    Q: Why did Debian development stop?
    A: The entire development team was given dozens of free video games.

    --
    Priest: "Universe from nothing, no laws of physics, sped up time"+ huge discrepancies. Creationism? No. Big Bang Theory
  4. Re:Now all we need is rolling release by Trepidity · · Score: 4, Informative

    Debian unstable is the rolling release. Debian testing is a slightly more conservative rolling release, with updates screened mostly automatically. Stable is for people who want a manually "release-managed" approach with multi-year support lifetime.

    --
    10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10
  5. Typo in list.debian.org link by Oliver_Etchebarne · · Score: 5, Informative

    There is a extra 'v' in the link. The real link is https://lists.debian.org/debia...

    --
    drmad
  6. A wise move.... by Dega704 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not just because this builds rapport with the community, but also because debian developers playing lots of Valve games will be debian developers with lots of firsthand exposure to any bugs or areas that could be improved; and the best work often comes from someone scratching a personal itch. Valve plays the game well (no pun intended).

  7. Developer approval by tepples · · Score: 4, Interesting

    But Debian's approval process for developers might get swamped by people trying to gain Debian Developer status just for the free games.

    1. Re:Developer approval by petermgreen · · Score: 5, Informative

      which begs the question: Who is considered a developer?

      Debian Developer is a well defined status with full upload rights and voting rights. The application process is also documented but well basically it consists of

      1: get your key signed by a couple of existing debian developers (in a pinch one debian developer and one
      2: find an existing dd to advocate for you
      3: make your application
      4: wait to be assigned an application manager
      5: go through a questioning/testing process with the application manager
      6: wait for final approval, account creations etc from front desk, DAM and keyring maint

      Nowadays it's generally reccomended to go for the lower status of "Debian Maintainer" (restricted upload rights, no voting rights) first and then move on to applying for Debian Developer (I went straight to DD myself so it IS still possible to go directly in the right circumstances but it's not considered the normal route anymore).

      The process of becoming a Debian Developer can take quite some time both in terms of overall process length and the ammount you will have to learn about debian and the contributions you will have to demonstrate you have made to pass it. If you are serious about contributing to Debian then it's worth it, if you are just doing it for the handful of goodies (the ones i'm aware of are lwn subscription, ghandi.net hosting discount, and now valve games) that are given out debian developers then you are wasting your time.

      --
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  8. Re:So only a small subset of people get this by Anonymous+Freak · · Score: 4, Insightful

    WHINE WHINE WHINE I DIDN'T GET ANY WHINE WHINE WHINE

    This is news because it is someone giving free stuff to open source developers!

    Solely as a thank you for being developers that helped them succeed.

    --
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    The purpose of that site was not known.
  9. Re:"Rewarding" free software with non-free softwar by Thantik · · Score: 5, Informative

    Cough cough: http://linux.slashdot.org/stor...

  10. Re:The amount of BS here is legendary: by dcooper_db9 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Somehow I lost my rating points between loading the page and reading your post. Sorry I couldn't mod you up.

    In the future we're going to have locked down devices running proprietary drivers, with proprietary apps and DRM'd content. But it'll run on open-source software. And the community is happy because "we finally got the manufacturers to write drivers for Linux".

    And the free game was nice too.

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  11. Re:The FOSS community is praising this move? by Microlith · · Score: 4, Insightful

    why the hell should the open source community praise Valve for bringing proprietrary software to its most famous platform?

    Because if anything is going to bring users to Linux it'll be games. Games are what tie me to Windows, and I'd be more interested in testing Wine on my existing library if I can get my newest games out of the (proverbial) box on Linux.

    The fact is that an addition of proprietary software to a largely open ecosystem is not a benefit, but a threat.

    Not as much of a threat as Microsoft's exclusive ownership of the PC gaming world.

    This statement that the FOSS is praising Valve sends out the message that the FOSS community wants another Windows or Mac OS, i.e. another operating system with a great amount of support by proprietary software vendors. That is not what the FOSS community is about.

    Please stop talking as if the "FOSS community" was a unified front. I would love to move to a FOSS operating system if I could still play my proprietary games on it. Valve may actually give me a chance.

  12. Thanks! unit tests, naming standards, documentatio by raymorris · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Thanks for contributing! I've contributed very little code directly to Debian, but it may well be like some open source projects where developers are expected to spend ten times as much time on a feature than it takes to submit a patch.

    In Moodle, for example, I added a feature that took about two hours to develop a working patch. Just before submitting the patch, I became an official developer. Seven MONTHS later I was done with that two hour patch. First, I needed to document the proposal for the new feature, then get (documented) community feedback. I had to apply a huge list of style rules to the patch, covering things like variable naming standards, whitespace, etc. Then I needed the component owner to review it. He pointed out that while it complied with the CURRENT standards, it didn't use the newly developed APIs that were chosen for the upcoming release. I recoded it to use the upcoming standards, and some design changes the component owner wanted. This process involved rebasing against master at several times - any time someone else needed to look at it. The new feature required very minor tweaks to some existing classes. Since I had touched those classes, I needed to update those old classes to the new coding standards as well. Then the integrator pointed out I was missing the suites of unit tests, etc.

    In all, a two hour patch submission turns out to be 80 hours when you do all of the "official developer" stuff like unit tests and all. So that's one distinction between a developer, who is on the hook for all of that stuff vs. a contributor who graciously submits code.

    Please understand I'm in no way devaluing any contributions. For most open source projects, I contribute patches only. I now have a new appreciation for the committed developers who do the grinding work required to have my code integrated into a high quality project.

    Ps - a LOT of what I mentioned above are tasks a non-programmer or newbie programmer can help with, if anyone is looking for ways to contribute to projects you enjoy or are interested in.

  13. Re:Now all we need is rolling release by Trepidity · · Score: 3, Interesting

    No, Debian unstable is equivalent to a nightly build. At times it is usable, but many times it is broken so bad that you cannot even install it.

    No, breaking changes are tested in experimental first. Unstable is usable by an end-user absent some really rare breakage. I've been using it as a regular user who isn't any kind of Debian developer as my desktop system for 10 years.

    --
    10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10