The SteamBox Countdown Is Complete

[iniudan]

Not too impressive, we all knew this was coming. We want details!

Will it use X or Wayland? I know they said X at some point, but it's not like a binding promise. The webpage speaks of audio improvements (better latency etc.) Will this mean Valve will contribute to ALSA/Pulseaudio or are they making their own sound system? Frankly, the last thing Linux needs is another sound system...

Will it use systemd? Will it be compatible with non-steam games and all regular Linux applications? Can it be used as a general-purpose OS or is it limited to only function as a steam client?

This update gave more questions than answers.

I think it is more a question of Mir or Wayland, has until now Ubuntu has been the only distro with official support and official hardware will not come before 2014.

Has for can it be use for general purpose OS, I think it more a question of whatever will it have official package repository for such support, has I am certain someone will create package to make a desktop OS out of it if they don't.

[johnc]

lol @ Ars. The MS fanboys are in total meltdown.

[cyring]

Those Windows games will contanimate Linux

[b15hop]

Why do I have this gut feeling that I'm going to miss windows?

For a lot of Linux users, they use Linux just because windows is windows. Much like desktop gamers are desktop gamers and not console gamers, I know some are both... Not the point though.... It's when the line is blurred, both sides suffer. A lot of PC gamers complain already that console games have ruined big title releases by being too far implemented towards console gamers. Thus tainting the game to the point that PC gamers won't even bother... I bet console gamers complain that some games suck because they're not made for that platform either. So tell me, how is a steam console going to improve my gaming experience?

This is why I'm in a few minds about this machine.

I love Linux. I also love steam (though I once hated DRM)... DRM on Linux almost seems like a scam. Windows / Mac go hand in hand with DRM but Linux is all about open source... I have a bad feeling that this so called steam box is going to be nothing more than an micro sized PC, running custom propriety Linux distro which would resemble something more along the lines of an Apple product or Google device. It kind of defeats the purpose of having Linux. I can understand why they would use their own OS, because every cracker under the planet is going to try break into that machine.

Think of all the outcomes:

Your PC is now a console, does the consumer really want that?
New Steam games that were once targeted towards PC are now even more likely built towards console. How well the machine sells will dictate this...
I Love steam because I can buy PC games. Especially games that are better on PC. Think -> Keyboard + Mouse. Not touchscreen, propriety OS, propriety hardware and now propriety games!

I just hope Gabe is being honest with himself when he tells the world that he's got the gaming community at heart. He states that the community contributes more than his whole company, but if he locks the community out, why bother?
At the end of the day, how well it sells is going to dictate a lot of factors regardless of what I say...

[OneTimeShot]

Binary BLOBs and the GPL Kernel

One thing that I may have missed with all the excitement about the Steam Box is "how does the NVidia/ATI BLOB work with the GPL"?

My understanding was that the *end user* has to download the BLOB, compile the wrapper that references the GPL headers, and install it. If someone were to compile the module (and thus include links to the GPL symbols) and try to ship that, it would be considered a derivative work of the GPL bits.

Can Valve ship an OS that includes the kernel module-link BLOBs? Or are they going to make the user download and install them? I know that Debian/Ubuntu/Fedora don't ship with the BLOBs for this reason...

Can I just say "Hmm... Could I have the source code for everything that you ship linked to GPL licensed code?"

[sarmad]

Why do I have this gut feeling that I'm going to miss windows?

For a lot of Linux users, they use Linux just because windows is windows. Much like desktop gamers are desktop gamers and not console gamers, I know some are both... Not the point though.... It's when the line is blurred, both sides suffer. A lot of PC gamers complain already that console games have ruined big title releases by being too far implemented towards console gamers. Thus tainting the game to the point that PC gamers won't even bother... I bet console gamers complain that some games suck because they're not made for that platform either. So tell me, how is a steam console going to improve my gaming experience?

This is why I'm in a few minds about this machine.

I love Linux. I also love steam (though I once hated DRM)... DRM on Linux almost seems like a scam. Windows / Mac go hand in hand with DRM but Linux is all about open source... I have a bad feeling that this so called steam box is going to be nothing more than an micro sized PC, running custom propriety Linux distro which would resemble something more along the lines of an Apple product or Google device. It kind of defeats the purpose of having Linux. I can understand why they would use their own OS, because every cracker under the planet is going to try break into that machine.

Think of all the outcomes:

Your PC is now a console, does the consumer really want that?
New Steam games that were once targeted towards PC are now even more likely built towards console. How well the machine sells will dictate this...
I Love steam because I can buy PC games. Especially games that are better on PC. Think -> Keyboard + Mouse. Not touchscreen, propriety OS, propriety hardware and now propriety games!

I just hope Gabe is being honest with himself when he tells the world that he's got the gaming community at heart. He states that the community contributes more than his whole company, but if he locks the community out, why bother?
At the end of the day, how well it sells is going to dictate a lot of factors regardless of what I say...

Not quite. Here is some points for you to consider, maybe it makes you more optimistic:
1- Games, music, and videos are quite different from applications or operating systems in that they are not evolving products. You play the game once and you throw it away. That's why people don't care much about DRM for these kind of things. Game engines, however, are different because the engine itself keeps evolving. In short, Valve's strategy doesn't affect the openness of Linux.

2- Our PCs are not a console now because Valve mentioned in their SteamOS announcement that "Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want." I think this means they will provide their own hardware, which will probably be pretty much a console, but that doesn't prevent others from using their own PCs if they don't like Valve's hardware.

In short, I think Valve's strategy is very good to both Linux and PC gaming. Yes, PC gaming will benefit a lot from this because it will create a reference hardware that can help bring more customers and developers to the platform while keeping the openness nature of the PC hardware.

[philip550c]

When did Gabe say that?

he said it at the linux con 2 weeks ago

[LEW21]

Has anybody noticed that they've just spoiled that Total War: Rome II, and 4 other games that I can't identify, are coming to Linux? (They're on the screenshots at the top.)

[e8hffff]

And we are going to hear all the whinners since it will use Mir and Nvidia and AMD will do their drivers for it.

[yogi_berra]

Has anybody noticed that they've just spoiled that Total War: Rome II, and 4 other games that I can't identify, are coming to Linux? (They're on the screenshots at the top.)

You can play all your Windows and Mac games on your SteamOS machine, too. Just turn on your existing computer and run Steam as you always have - then your SteamOS machine can stream those games over your home network straight to your TV!

They haven't spoiled anything, you just assumed something from a promotional shot that really can't be assumed.