Valve Helping Arch Linux With Build Service Infrastructure & Secure Signing Enclave

[LockedPotato]

Proton for ARM found shortly before Valve announces direct funding to bolster package build infrastructure automation for Arch Linux...coincidence? Maybe. But damn I'm really hoping this is the push needed to get automated builds for an official ARM spin of Arch Linux (potentially laying the groundwork for additional spins like Risc-V).

If the fabled Steam Deck 2 ends up being ARM-based, it'd only make sense for Valve to get upstream supporting the same architecture.


Michael No mention of Valves new updated EULA removing a mandatory arbitration clause in favor of a clause protecting the rights of their customers to take them to court?

I seriously doubt the Deck 2 will use an ARM chip. An ARM chip isn't going to be able to out compete an x86-64 chip watt for watt while also having to deal with translating x86 binaries to ARM. Not to mention GPUs. As far as know none of the ARM chip makers have a GPU that can compete with RDNA 3.5 (or maybe 4 if Valve is working with AMD on a custom chip using their latest still in development tech). The graphics driver support on typical ARM GPUs is a joke compared to amdgpu as well. (The Snapdragon X Elite is a 45W chip that can eat up to 80W under load btw. It does not compete with Van Gogh's 15W TDP or even the Z1 Extreme.)

[ayumu]

I hope this helps the multi-arch support (e.g. RISC-V) and the multi subarch support (e.g. x86-64v1/2/3/4, RVA20, RVA22+V).

[mdedetrich]

Proton on ARM is more likely going to be for running Windows games on MacOS/Windows ARM and/or an upcoming VR device, not in upcoming Steam Deck where you won’t get that much benefit out of an ARM chip given that you will be translating all of the time.

[Chewi]

I have not used Gentoo is years. It is the Linux distro that Google's Chrome OS is built on. Did Google do anything to improve Gentoo as a whole or just create a forked distribution and build system?

Gentoo has a number of Google employees in its ranks, some of whom have worked on ChromeOS at some point. It is never clear which changes are motivated by ChromeOS, but that's fine as long as they benefit Gentoo. Gentoo also has a Microsoft employee in its ranks who does the same for Flatcar. Ahem.

[daftblazer]

Proton on ARM is more likely going to be for running Windows games on MacOS/Windows ARM and/or an upcoming VR device, not in upcoming Steam Deck where you won’t get that much benefit out of an ARM chip given that you will be translating all of the time.

Honestly, it doesn't make much sense to run a Windows translation layer on Windows itself, so I doubt its to make Windows on ARM better. MacOS also doesn't support Vulkan so they would need to replace dxvk with something that translated DirectX to Metal.

It seems more likely that we get a Steam client for Linux on ARM. There is already a basic vulkan driver for Linux on M-series macs. With more ARM devices like the Snapdragon X laptops and even ARM based handhelds like the Odin 2, it makes sense.

[mobadboy]

arch linux was so much better back in the days before they signed packages. now it's a challenge to so much as promote an aur package to main. just unnecessary bloat that tries to fix something that isn't broken. the rot runs deep.

not only that, the braindead decision makers decided to adopt systemd which was basically the final nail in the coffin towards init system diversity. now the package maintainers have become complacent by only having to maintain one init file and are too stupid to learn anything else.

[ZarathustraDK]

Proton on ARM is more likely going to be for running Windows games on MacOS/Windows ARM and/or an upcoming VR device, not in upcoming Steam Deck where you won’t get that much benefit out of an ARM chip given that you will be translating all of the time.

There's no need for proton on ARM if it's a VR-headset, they'd just stream the x86-games from a a capable pc or Steam Deck (for 2d-bigscreen) instead of trying to run a wine compatibility layer through a fex-emulator on ARM. There has been murmurs about waydroid in the code too, so it's much more likely, if it's a VR-hmd, that they're trying to get quest-games to run with minimal portage somehow. IIRC there was also a leak from Valve that betrayed that whatever they are working on, it runs on a Qualcomm XR2 gen 2/3 arm-chip.

But i agree, if they were to release some arm-based hardware right now, my money's on a VR-headset and not a Steam Deck. Desktop and/or SoC ARM-chips just aren't powerful enough to push the kind of games Valve is pushing at acceptable performance.

[Mr.Elendig]

Proton for ARM found shortly before Valve announces direct funding to bolster package build infrastructure automation for Arch Linux...coincidence? Maybe. But damn I'm really hoping this is the push needed to get automated builds for an official ARM spin of Arch Linux (potentially laying the groundwork for additional spins like Risc-V).

If the fabled Steam Deck 2 ends up being ARM-based, it'd only make sense for Valve to get upstream supporting the same architecture.


Michael No mention of Valves new updated EULA removing a mandatory arbitration clause in favor of a clause protecting the rights of their customers to take them to court?

https://chaos.social/@Foxboron/113226409305222252

Edit: It's simply Valve being good citizens and doing the right thing.

[jpegxguy]

Thank you Valve, very cool!