SteamOS 2.115 Switches From AMDGPU-PRO To AMDGPU+RadeonSI

[Danniello]

The Valve strategy for linux is confusing to me.

For me it is also mystery. They are doing something like VR support, but "change rate" is extremely slow.

It is clear that after "big excitement" in previous years - they almost abandoned SteamOS. The last announcement is from 2016. They even not updated FAQ - there are still questions/answers like Steam Machines prototypes will be "this year" and about 300 beta participants...

But there is a hope... SteamOS was Valve answer to Windows 8/RT MatroAppStore. Metro it is commercial failure - the same like Steam Machines and SteamOS. But Microsoft do not give up - Windows 10S it is new Microsoft approach to close software PC market like it is closed on mobile side by Android Play and iOS AppStore.

For Valve win32 it is "to be, or not to be", so it is possible that they will pull out SteamOS from the refrigerator...

[slalomsk8er]

Who uses SteamOS? I have not seen systems with this OS on the market, at least in my country. Ιf I have to install it myself, I don't see why I should bother with that instead of going using Steam on top of a normal distribution. The Valve strategy for Linux is confusing to me.

tl;dr: Perfect as console for the living room.

I have a Zotac Magnus en970 which has the same specs as there steam machine. This is a 2015 PC with enough WAF for the living room and enough power for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. I had SteamOS installed but it sadly crashed every time I connected the ASUS Xonar U7 USB sound card. Ubuntu 16.04 with the Steam client has no problem with the Xonar. It is not quite the console like experience I had with SteamOS but it works. All in all I prefer the Ubuntu experience to Windows 10 with Steam on the same machine but have to boot into Windows for the few games that only run in Windows.

Some time ago Microsoft told me via popup that Windows in no longer a product but a service: https://winblogs.azureedge.net/win/2...s-Update-4.png

I absolutely hate this and hope Valve puts more resources into SteamOS as it has the potential to be exactly what I need in my living room.
And no I don't buy a console any more as the higher cost of a console like PC is made up more then one fold, by me not having to buy my favorite games again every 5 years!

PS: Yes, I did file a bug for this: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/SteamOS/issues/483

[oooverclocker]

It is clear that after "big excitement" in previous years - they almost abandoned SteamOS.

It's not almost abandoned. Valve just doesn't really care which distribution you use to install the Steam client. SteamOS is made for preinstalled devices as soulsource mentioned. But to release such device there are still several necessities lacking. For example a fully mature RADV, VR solution, FreeSync support etc., and finally the most important part: reasonable hardware.
Perhaps AMD will not produce it before they switch to 7nm. But surely somewhere in the future we will see Zen(X) APUs with Vega/Navi GPU and HBM2 - nearly every requirement seems to be ready. In my opinion Valve will release their own console when these premises are given.

[L_A_G]

I'm probably going to annoy some people by saying this, but for what's essentially a home console OS this is a bit early to start adopting Mesa over AMDGPU-PRO when DAL/DC and thus also audio over HDMI isn't in the kernel just yet. There's obviously kernels where DAL/DC has already been put in, but those are development kernels and not ready to be put into something sold to consumers just yet.

[mitch074]

I'm probably going to annoy some people by saying this, but for what's essentially a home console OS this is a bit early to start adopting Mesa over AMDGPU-PRO when DAL/DC and thus also audio over HDMI isn't in the kernel just yet. There's obviously kernels where DAL/DC has already been put in, but those are development kernels and not ready to be put into something sold to consumers just yet.

It completely depends on whether you intend to support your patched kernel or not. Since Valve is currently recruiting Linux driver developers, they just might be able to support their own packages. On top of that, I can attest that a DAL/DC patched mainline kernel works quite well (sound and RADV both) even with GCN 1.0 hardware - it's actually more stable than shipping Intel IGP drivers.

[dungeon]

These are normal Debian's 8 point 8 security updates, existing kernel and mesa, llvm... just rebuilded/backported from Debian experimental repo. Usual updates and something to have for summer sort of At fall users will probably get SteamOS 3 based on Debian 9 and so on.

[L_A_G]

It completely depends on whether you intend to support your patched kernel or not. Since Valve is currently recruiting Linux driver developers, they just might be able to support their own packages. On top of that, I can attest that a DAL/DC patched mainline kernel works quite well (sound and RADV both) even with GCN 1.0 hardware - it's actually more stable than shipping Intel IGP drivers.

As far as I know they're still using completely bog standard kernels so what they did was that they broke HDMI audio for people using SteamOS on machines with an AMD GPU. If they are going to switch to using self-patched kernels and supporting those they probably should have done that before moving away from AMDGPU-PRO and not after.

[andre30correia]

look like the end of amd pro finally

[boltronics]

On the bright side, it gives AMD a very big incentive to hurry up in getting the DAL/DC patches ready for mainline.

[dungeon]

On the bright side, it gives AMD a very big incentive to hurry up in getting the DAL/DC patches ready for mainline.

On the dark side, if all that thing isn't mainlined including full Vega support in next 3 months of vacations season time ... then, see you this time next year sounds more reasonable

Which is right somewhat time of next Ubuntu 18.04 LTS So average Joe wouldn't lose much even if he skip a year.

Mesa might get even proper s3tc support by default, so year 2018. really sounds like an year of Linux Desktop