It's Official: Valve Releasing Steam, Source Engine For Linux!

[QuaveringGrape]

Clearing that up...

This is a bit worrying:


From https://support.steampowered.com/kb_...5376-EOSB-3763

Considering that the same games are supported in Windows (and works fine in Linux with Wine). But maybe the drivers on the Mac are that much worse?

The problem is OpenGL support. Intel graphics cards perform well enough on Windows for DirectX, but they only support OpenGL hardware acceleration up to OpenGL 1.2. Games like the HL2 series need hardware acceleration to function. Unfortunately, most laptops these days come with Intel GMAs because of cost, and hence some people think that gaming on Linux is a lost cause when the game simply fails to display.


I've gotten in the habit of building my own computers to run Linux. nVidia and ATI have never let me down.

[SlickMcRunfast]

I still don't see an official post from Valve. Nothing is official Phronix. Please provide real dependable sources.

[pfunkman]

Hey guys lets get some free page hits by claiming its official when there is absolutely nothing official about this shit at all.

This is nonsense. Its not official until Valve makes it official.

[sabriah]

It is the beginning of linux world domination.

Amenhotep FTW!

[bugmenot2]

You referring to the tiny little stuffed penguin? in amongst iPods, iPads and other iFaggotry?

http://aliceteh.com/photos/Madagascar_Penguin.jpg

So Steam is coming to Madagascar?!

[Kamikaze]

Anyone notice the jobs listing?

Valve is advertising for a senior programmer. On looking at the info, 'Windows and Linux platforms' are specifically mentioned:

http://www.valvesoftware.com/jobs/SenProgrammer.html

More evidence for Linux support?? ... I guess that could be just for the server apps though.

[susikala]

Dunno about you, but I'm NOT happy Linux can't get a port of something on its own merit and has to ride the iFag wave. Porting stuff to Apple software could just drive more people to use this horrible evil. :/

[whizse]

The problem is OpenGL support. Intel graphics cards perform well enough on Windows for DirectX, but they only support OpenGL hardware acceleration up to OpenGL 1.2. Games like the HL2 series need hardware acceleration to function. Unfortunately, most laptops these days come with Intel GMAs because of cost, and hence some people think that gaming on Linux is a lost cause when the game simply fails to display.


I've gotten in the habit of building my own computers to run Linux. nVidia and ATI have never let me down.

As I mentioned, Valve supports these game on the same hardware in Windows, so my question was if the driver support on the Mac is that much worse...

It makes me worry that they will block anyone from using Mesa drivers too, once the Linux stuff is released.

[pirast]

Linux distributions and the Linux foundation have failed for years in creating a real cross-distribution way to install third party software, which en plus can be updated in a few steps. In 2006, a former member of the packing group wrote that (software installation) "won't suck in the future" (http://ianmurdock.com/linux/software...ration-part-2/). That status quo has not changed since.

What Valve is now basically doing with Steam is pretty smart, as Steam will become THE gaming platform on Linux. Every game-creator who wants his game to be available on Linux will use Steam, because all users who want to play will install Steam first and look at the content that is available there.

Honestly, I do not know if this is that good.
But basically, the Linux foundation has failed such a thing for years which is a little bit frustrating.

[Remco]

Linux distributions and the Linux foundation have failed for years in creating a real cross-distribution way to install third party software, which en plus can be updated in a few steps. In 2006, a former member of the packing group wrote that (software installation) "won't suck in the future" (http://ianmurdock.com/linux/software...ration-part-2/). That status quo has not changed since.

What Valve is now basically doing with Steam is pretty smart, as Steam will become THE gaming platform on Linux. Every game-creator who wants his game to be available on Linux will use Steam, because all users who want to play will install Steam first and look at the content that is available there.

Honestly, I do not know if this is that good.
But basically, the Linux foundation has failed such a thing for years which is a little bit frustrating.

This problem will not be solved until there is one canonical package repository, from which everybody gets the main bulk of their packages. Like how Ubuntu does it now with Debian. I'd say, let Debian be the universal packager, but I guess the RPM folk don't like that.

Then there is the cadence proposal of Shuttleworth, which will make it much easier for ISVs to depend on distribution libraries. But I guess the Ubuntu haters don't like that.