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  • #51
    I am really wondering what is Other, i mean it should be pretty simple to identify wine or Linux 32 bit systems (uname -m is not x86_64 but should be i686 in all cases where Steam can run). Maybe there are some prelease Win versions out there which are counted like that, thats more likely than counting Other completely as Linux.

    With Kanotix LinuxTag Special i even created the 2nd Kanotix release with Steam preinstalled, so if somebody likes to test it in live mode or from usb hd (gfx driver is autodetected in gfxdetect mode even on hd installs) and mesa is even newer than in Ubuntu 13.04 (it has even UVD patches to try). As the number of Kanotix users is much smaller than Ubuntu users, i don't think that Valve will add a check for /etc/kanotix-version to identify em, would be interesting to know however.
    Last edited by Kano; 03 June 2013, 07:04 AM.

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    • #52
      Originally posted by Kano View Post
      I am really wondering what is Other, i mean it should be pretty simple to identify wine or Linux 32 bit systems (uname -m is not x86_64 but should be i686 in all cases where Steam can run). Maybe there are some prelease Win versions out there which are counted like that, thats more likely than counting Other completely as Linux.

      With Kanotix LinuxTag Special i even created the 2nd Kanotix release with Steam preinstalled, so if somebody likes to test it in live mode or from usb hd (gfx driver is autodetected in gfxdetect mode even on hd installs) and mesa is even newer than in Ubuntu 13.04 (it has even UVD patches to try). As the number of Kanotix users is much smaller than Ubuntu users, i don't think that Valve will add a check for /etc/kanotix-version to identify em, would be interesting to know however.
      We already know that Other is made up almost entirely of Linux distros. At one time Valve listed every hobbiest distro even when the usage had to be rounded to 0.00% and there was only 0.02% left for "Other".

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      • #53
        Originally posted by peppercats View Post
        Funny, I had to reinstall windows lately(and it was a nightmare, didn't even detect my networking drivers and I found out the hard way that an OS made in 2012 doesn't come with any support for opening archive files), but I did get a blackscreen after installing my drivers.
        At least Linux is kind enough to give me a console to fix it myself, with Windows I just get a blackscreen. Guess I should go pay for some official Microsoft? tech support.
        Funny you should mention MS tech support. Last time I was in contact with them, I'm pretty sure I was more qualified than the person I was talking to...

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        • #54
          Originally posted by GreatEmerald View Post
          Funny you should mention MS tech support. Last time I was in contact with them, I'm pretty sure I was more qualified than the person I was talking to...
          You do know that frontline support staff are required to adhere to a scripted diagnostic procedure right...

          Speaking from personal experience.

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          • #55
            I think another relevant factor is that for many games, is still annoyingly over complicated to get some games running on linux distros. Specially because of the fact that most people this days use 64 bit OS, but games and the steam client as well are 32 bit apps. Also for the poor bastards like me who has optimus, the story is still depressing, having to rely on third party tools to make the damn discrete card to work. I mean, I can deal with it, but for the vast majority of users, is very VERY discouraging. I don't want to even think who it is for AMD users.

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            • #56
              Originally posted by Sonadow View Post
              You do know that frontline support staff are required to adhere to a scripted diagnostic procedure right...
              That was not frontline support, and those were not diagnostic procedures. I had a problem with Windows Update on a 64-bit version of Windows. The tech suggested a tool... which had, on the front page of its website, a large notice saying that it didn't work on 64-bit. After that, his suggestion was to just reinstall the OS...

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              • #57
                Originally posted by TheScorpion View Post
                I think another relevant factor is that for many games, is still annoyingly over complicated to get some games running on linux distros. Specially because of the fact that most people this days use 64 bit OS, but games and the steam client as well are 32 bit apps. Also for the poor bastards like me who has optimus, the story is still depressing, having to rely on third party tools to make the damn discrete card to work. I mean, I can deal with it, but for the vast majority of users, is very VERY discouraging. I don't want to even think who it is for AMD users.
                Actually, it's extremely good for AMD users. Because AMD sells APUs, they have no integrated/dedicated split. It's all controlled by either fglrx or radeon.

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                • #58
                  Originally posted by Ishayu View Post
                  First you need to set up video drivers. Windows will in some cases manage to pre-install these but when, and if, it does, they're old and have to be updated. With Windows, you need to visit a website. With Ubuntu, when you launch Steam, Steam itself proposes the drivers for you, you install them, and that's it. It's arguably easier, actually.
                  On windows, Steam does have a menu entry called "Check for video driver updates..." that opens a browser window and takes you to the nvidia/amd/intel drivers website. I assume it can probably do this automatically if it detects you're running an old version.
                  Last edited by smitty3268; 03 June 2013, 11:50 PM.

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                  • #59
                    @GreatEmerald

                    I don't think it is easier to select the correct driver on the amd website for Linux compared to Win. When you use legacy hardware it is of course a bit harder to find and for Linux users the driver is not even supported anymore with current versions of Ubuntu - amd's target distro). If you need a tool to select the correct driver then you do something really wrong At least for desktop hardware it is pretty simple. For laptops you should look at the support site for the laptop itself, generic mobile drivers do not always work - especially for intel+amd gfx it can be really tricky. same for Linux btw...

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                    • #60
                      Originally posted by Kano View Post
                      @GreatEmerald

                      I don't think it is easier to select the correct driver on the amd website for Linux compared to Win. When you use legacy hardware it is of course a bit harder to find and for Linux users the driver is not even supported anymore with current versions of Ubuntu - amd's target distro). If you need a tool to select the correct driver then you do something really wrong At least for desktop hardware it is pretty simple. For laptops you should look at the support site for the laptop itself, generic mobile drivers do not always work - especially for intel+amd gfx it can be really tricky. same for Linux btw...
                      Eh? The one device that I have with an AMD APU, I installed Mageia on it. Installing the proprietary driver was accomplished literally by putting a checkbox on "use the proprietary driver". Going back to radeon is as easy as clearing it. No need to go to any websites at all.

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