Steam Linux Usage Drops During August

[Zan Lynx]

And the steam_latest.tar.gz does not run on RHEL. I know. I've tried it. It throws errors about GLIBC 2.15 not found. Which makes sense, since RHEL uses 2.12. There is no option for GLIBC 2.15 on RHEL6. Not possible.

I haven't tried it on RHEL 6 but I did similar surgery on old RedHat Advanced Server 2.1 systems. So I would take a RPM source package for glibc 2.15 and the current glibc 2.12 and look at the differences, especially build options to see if there are settings you need to change or patches you need to apply to the newer version. Then build a glibc 2.15 from source for RHEL 6. Cross your fingers and install, but it'll probably work fine.

This is generally the only way to do it because taking, say, a Fedora 19 glibc and force installing it on a RHEL 6 would likely kill it because of the build options selected and possibly that version of GCC used to build it.

[ninez]

Wrong wrong wrong. I'm running RHEL 6.4 which is the very latest and greatest version. I did not "make a choice to use older software" and it isn't at all like someone running Ubuntu 10.10. RHEL6 is current latest and greatest from Red Hat, not some outdated supersceded version.

Not wrong. RHEL is steps behind Fedora, so yes - it is superceded and legacy comparing it to Modern Linux (desktop) Distributions. And it is like running Ubuntu 10.10 <being as it shipped with glibc 2.12 - or were you not aware as to why i said 10.10 specifically? ie: i was trying to give you some perspective; you are using legacy software (excluding enterprise use)>.

It is not Red Hat that "can't support Steam". Steam wrote the app. It's their responsibility to write it to work on an OS. Even more so when that OS comes from the biggest vendor in the business.

Valve's Business isn't to support *Enterprise Linux*. There are supporting Desktop Linux- which is using much newer software than RHEL does... and repeating this same slogan "biggest vendor in the business" is moronic, being as you've already been given ample and valid reasons as to why RHEL prolly isn't a good choice / not even in the same market for that matter.

At the very least, there ought to be a note or statement somewhere that clearly states "Steam doesn't run on RHEL because of -insert reason-". Instead, as you can clearly see in this thread, you have confused users all claiming they "disagree" with me and that "there's no reason it shouldn't work".

No, that is absurd. Valve tells you what platforms they support - not everything under the sun that they don't... And i haven't confused anything - nor was my response based on other users - i replied to YOUR nonsensical comment. I'm sorry that you are disappointed that RHEL isn't supported - but that is your problem for wanting to use Steam on an unsupported Platform that isn't equipped with the proper minimum requirement to run Steam...

It has nothing to do with "old". What they are providing is a stable API. Glibc is at the core of the OS, like the kernel. Red Hat is the largest Linux vendor because they provide a stable product with excellent commercial support. Yes the majority of their sales are for servers, but what do you think all those RHEL server admins run when they get home from work? They run RHEL or CentOS. I know this, because my day job is as a RHEL server admin. Why should I bother learning a whole different distribution for at-home use? I use RHEL Server at work, and I use RHEL Workstation at home.

Nothing to do with being "old"??! LOLOLOL. - You sir, continue to make yourself look extremely stupid. Which is older glibc 2.12 or 2.15?? - if you agree that 2.15 is newer, then sorry 2.12 is an old release; thus it has EVERYTHING to do with RHEL shipping older S/W. You don't need to explain RHEL to me - I'm quite familiar thanks - they ship older S/W, period. ~ Again, RHEL isn't supported - YOU choose to run it at home and have expectations that are ridiculous. ie: this is entirely your own fault. Use a supported distro or wait for RHEL to be able to support S/W that requires > glibc 2.12... it's really that simple... It's just too bad to are too stubburn to grasp the obvious.

[ninez]

I haven't tried it on RHEL 6 but I did similar surgery on old RedHat Advanced Server 2.1 systems. So I would take a RPM source package for glibc 2.15 and the current glibc 2.12 and look at the differences, especially build options to see if there are settings you need to change or patches you need to apply to the newer version. Then build a glibc 2.15 from source for RHEL 6. Cross your fingers and install, but it'll probably work fine.

This is generally the only way to do it because taking, say, a Fedora 19 glibc and force installing it on a RHEL 6 would likely kill it because of the build options selected and possibly that version of GCC used to build it.

This is just a guess - but I bet Steam is going to require more than just a newer glibc. (glibc is probably just the first major blocker. I can imagine that other libraries on the system will also require newer versions, no?)

[smitty3268]

Wrong wrong wrong. I'm running RHEL 6.4 which is the very latest and greatest version. I did not "make a choice to use older software" and it isn't at all like someone running Ubuntu 10.10. RHEL6 is current latest and greatest from Red Hat, not some outdated supersceded version.

It is not Red Hat that "can't support Steam". Steam wrote the app. It's their responsibility to write it to work on an OS. Even more so when that OS comes from the biggest vendor in the business.

At the very least, there ought to be a note or statement somewhere that clearly states "Steam doesn't run on RHEL because of -insert reason-", or maybe "Steam only runs on glibc 2.15 based distros". Instead, as you can clearly see in this thread, you have confused users all claiming they "disagree" with me and claiming "there's no reason it shouldn't work". How many people have wasted time trying to install it, because Valve has chosen to ignore the biggest player in the Linux business?


It has nothing to do with "old". What they are providing is a stable API. Glibc is at the core of the OS, like the kernel. Red Hat is the largest Linux vendor because they provide a stable product with excellent commercial support. Yes the majority of their sales are for servers, but what do you think all those RHEL server admins run when they get home from work? They run RHEL or CentOS. I know this, because my day job is as a RHEL server admin. Why should I bother learning a whole different distribution for at-home use? I use RHEL Server at work, and I use RHEL Workstation at home.

As for your "give it a rest" comment, my replies were all to people who were asserting that Steam *does* run on RHEL. Which is flat out wrong. My responses were to them.

Stop being an idiot. RHEL is an ENTERPRISE distro. Expecting it to run the latest games is stupid. No one (except you, apparently) even wants to run Steam on RHEL.

You have 3 choices:
1 - run a desktop distro
2 - manually hack RHEL to fit your needs (unsupported)
3 - STFU - or don't, and keep whining on here and we'll just ignore you

I don't expect Valve to support running on Windows 2012 Enterprise edition, either, just Windows XP, 7, and 8.

[Gps4l]

Linux is all purpose. Put some modules in and take some out and you have a hypervisor host, smartphone kernel, fridge controller or car controller... Same with games. I'm not sure what hard-core linux users don't use steam... All the ones I know do use it. By the way, you're talking BS.

I agree 100%, even Richard Stalman said steam might be good for Linux.

[Gps4l]

Your link does not include any information on RHEL / CentOS.

And the steam_latest.tar.gz does not run on RHEL. I know. I've tried it. It throws errors about GLIBC 2.15 not found. Which makes sense, since RHEL uses 2.12. There is no option for GLIBC 2.15 on RHEL6. Not possible.

So as I said in my previous post, RHEL & CentOS cannot run the native Linux Steam client. We can only run the Windows Steam client via CrossOver.

Which part of my post do you not agree with?

You can't expect Valve to support every distro around.

There are already 6 to pick from.

[DanLamb]

Less Steam!! Great news!! Please, break the Steam chokehold on PC gaming.

My favorite PC games are Steam only: ugh!

[Zan Lynx]

This is just a guess - but I bet Steam is going to require more than just a newer glibc. (glibc is probably just the first major blocker. I can imagine that other libraries on the system will also require newer versions, no?)

Yes. It was the "not possible" statement that really made me respond. I wanted to make the point that it is possible to install a newer glibc on RHEL 6.

[squirrl]

Steam will probably be following whatever Ubuntu does.

[johnc]

Can you plop the glibc version you need in a separate directory and then set the LD_LIBRARY_PATH before launching Steam?