Steam for Linux Enters Internal Beta in October

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Thunderfox

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So Steam for Linux will be carrying all of the modern OpenGL games out there. You know, like... um.... that one... and the other one...
 

samkl

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Steam is a variation of a cloud service. Cross platform cloud services make it easier for consumers to switch because they aren't locked into an ecosystem. Kudos to Valve!
-SK
 

john_4

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[citation][nom]Thunderfox[/nom]So Steam for Linux will be carrying all of the modern OpenGL games out there. You know, like... um.... that one... and the other one...[/citation]
Any that run on Mac will run on STEAM you MS fanboy.
 

john_4

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There is already a growing list for OS X, soon to be OS X/Linux. The time of the proprietary Direct X and M$ is coming to an end.
 

azraa

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We need better drivers for it to happen!
More compatibility, something like DirectX does
OpenCL is really good, I know, but it lacks, a lot, in certain key aspects in modern mainstream titles.
The day Linux can partner with AMD/ATI and nVidia (I hardly think so after that F-Bomb xD) to create such a software accelerator, that will be the golden era of gaming
 

booyaah

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[citation][nom]samkl[/nom]Steam is a variation of a cloud service. Cross platform cloud services make it easier for consumers to switch because they aren't locked into an ecosystem. Kudos to Valve!-SK[/citation]

Aren't locked in? If something happens to Steam and they go under or get bought out *EA* you may find your self unable to play the games you already paid for. I always prefer to use a full download not tied to steam for any game over $5.
 
G

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Too bad gpu drivers for linux are on the worst stage at this moment...even the native ones have subpar performance.
 
People will still continue to use Windows 7 for quite some time like XP, but I can't see Linux becoming anywhere near as big as Windows is for gaming, at least not for years. Windows 9 will likely be a much better improvement of Metro, hopefully.

Linux is great and all, but for normal desktop use, it will never be good for consumers, it's to much work to get things installed and so many different flavors; it's just simply not user friendly and simple as Windows.
 

xrodney

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Day Steam manage to port most of games I play to Linux is day i will give M$ big goodbye.
Most of applications I am using is already available also for Linux and few that don't, have good alternatives.
 

xrodney

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[citation][nom]edogawa[/nom]People will still continue to use Windows 7 for quite some time like XP, but I can't see Linux becoming anywhere near as big as Windows is for gaming, at least not for years. Windows 9 will likely be a much better improvement of Metro, hopefully. Linux is great and all, but for normal desktop use, it will never be good for consumers, it's to much work to get things installed and so many different flavors; it's just simply not user friendly and simple as Windows.[/citation]
That depend what you are trying to install and what distro are you using.
There are distros that are only for experts and hardcore users, but you can also find distro that looks similar to windows and you can install it just by clicking on NEXT.
As long as you are using installation packages you are fine. Its only when you are using source code and need to compile stuff when things can easily get out of hand.
 

digitalvampire

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Additionally, the company also suggests new Linux users sit this beta out, because it's looking for more experienced Linux users.

I'd say this is a catch-22. It's being packaged for Ubuntu, but Valve is looking for more experienced Linux users, who, of course, don't use Ubuntu. ;-)
 
[citation][nom]xrodney[/nom]That depend what you are trying to install and what distro are you using.There are distros that are only for experts and hardcore users, but you can also find distro that looks similar to windows and you can install it just by clicking on NEXT.As long as you are using installation packages you are fine. Its only when you are using source code and need to compile stuff when things can easily get out of hand.[/citation]

Yeah, I've tried and used lots of distros, but even Ubuntu just isn't consumer freindly enough for the average person. Linux just doesn't offer enough stuff to make it worth switching to when Windows offers so much more.
 

Vladislaus

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[citation][nom]edogawa[/nom]Linux is great and all, but for normal desktop use, it will never be good for consumers, it's to much work to get things installed and so many different flavors; it's just simply not user friendly and simple as Windows.[/citation]
Installing Windows isn't too much work for most consumers because almost everyone uses computers built by OEMs like ASUS, HP,... and they come loaded with a pre-installation image. For most users searching for drivers is completely out of their capacity.
Certain software is difficult to install in linux because you have to compile it, specially if you're using a relatively unknown distro. But if you use a distro like Ubuntu/Mint most software is available through software sources, meaning that tons of software is available through a few clicks. Those that aren't available there are available through deb packages, and one can install it with simple double click. In those distros the software that must be compiled is almost non existent.

Also there won't be that much flavors for Steam since they said they only support Ubuntu 12.04 onwards.

It's not user friendly or easy as Windows because most people go to Linux expecting it to be identical to Windows.
 

digitalvampire

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Also there won't be that much flavors for Steam since they said they only support Ubuntu 12.04 onwards.

Valve will SUPPORT Steam for Ubuntu, but that does not mean that it will not work for other distributions (unless Valve goes out of their way to prevent this). I can guarantee that there will be builds/packages for every major Linux distribution within the first week of release.
 

technoholic

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[citation]Yeah, I've tried and used lots of distros, but even Ubuntu just isn't consumer freindly enough for the average person. Linux just doesn't offer enough stuff to make it worth switching to when Windows offers so much more.[/citation]
Ubuntu has a very very bright future. I am not an "experienced" linux user, but it doesnt require a genius to see that anyway. So, in my years of "acquaintance" with linux (familiar with distros like pardus, mandriva, suse, red hat and finally ubuntu) i have never had to write a line of code YET i can install any driver in my system which is not recognised by the OS with ease. Google knows everything and linux/ubuntu community is so huge. I can just run an internet search for what software i need (if it is not readily available in system/software center) and never have to remember a piece of code to install it. I think Linux world as a high degree of maturity in its core.
The biggest problems i see about Linux: Some giant software makers like Adobe don't release products for linux. Due to some reasons. I can guess some as a basic pc user. Too many linux variants/distros. This can be very difficult to maintain. Worries about profit. Much less "home" users than Windows. So that means a much smaller market etc etc. In my own experience Ubuntu is faster than Windows. Assuming this, there is big possibilty that most games can run better in Ubuntu. So there is a big potential here. Because most pc users don't favor linux/ubuntu just because there is the lack of quality games available. Also lack of productivity software from big developers. We have the good hardware but we don't have the quality software to use our hardware at its limits. So i think Steam is on the right way. If they can encourage more companies to produce more and quality games for linux, they earn good and linux community grows better. Right now i am writing this from my ubuntu 12.04 with a beautiful gnome 3.4 shell :) Sorry for my bad English :)
 

samkl

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[citation][nom]booyaah[/nom]Aren't locked in? If something happens to Steam and they go under or get bought out *EA* you may find your self unable to play the games you already paid for. I always prefer to use a full download not tied to steam for any game over $5.[/citation]

Eco-system I referred to is the OS platform, ie - Windows, OSX, Linux, etc. If I buy a game on Valve it's more likely to work across all platforms and because I basically "stream", even thought it has local files. And of course if games supports it.

Physical disk you mention is a distribution ecosystem instead of the platform. Two different values in user's eyes. Makes sense?
-SK


 
Ubuntu has a very very bright future. I am not an "experienced" linux user, but it doesnt require a genius to see that anyway. So, in my years of "acquaintance" with linux (familiar with distros like pardus, mandriva, suse, red hat and finally ubuntu) i have never had to write a line of code YET i can install any driver in my system which is not recognised by the OS with ease. Google knows everything and linux/ubuntu community is so huge. I can just run an internet search for what software i need (if it is not readily available in system/software center) and never have to remember a piece of code to install it. I think Linux world as a high degree of maturity in its core. The biggest problems i see about Linux: Some giant software makers like Adobe don't release products for linux. Due to some reasons. I can guess some as a basic pc user. Too many linux variants/distros. This can be very difficult to maintain. Worries about profit. Much less "home" users than Windows. So that means a much smaller market etc etc. In my own experience Ubuntu is faster than Windows. Assuming this, there is big possibilty that most games can run better in Ubuntu. So there is a big potential here. Because most pc users don't favor linux/ubuntu just because there is the lack of quality games available. Also lack of productivity software from big developers. We have the good hardware but we don't have the quality software to use our hardware at its limits. So i think Steam is on the right way. If they can encourage more companies to produce more and quality games for linux, they earn good and linux community grows better. Right now i am writing this from my ubuntu 12.04 with a beautiful gnome 3.4 shell Sorry for my bad English

Yeah, it does have a very bright future, just no software for a lot of things and it needs improved drivers, and all that. If I can game and use all my programs on Linux, I would seriously consider switching no problem.

Steam is a good start for sure. For now I see zero reason to even use Linux; so many things I would be without.
 
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