2 years Linux-gaming

SteamOS and Steam for Linux have really progressed the last two years. And with this year showing AAA-titles also wanting "teh' working Linux", things are really looking good for VALVe ;) :)

Personally, the bugs I've encountered playing beta- and alpha-games on Linux since December 2012 really weren't all that bad.

I really only had one major issue; the Steam-for-Linux client itself had some CPU-bugs.

In VALVe's defense, that was due to the fact I was launching it on a low-powered Asus Eee 900 netbook that sported an Intel Celeron 900MHz uni-processor (single-core). One lousy, 32-bit, barely-functioning little crappy "mini-computer".

This low-end CPU did not sport certain CPU-flags that Steam-for-Linux expected it to have, so they had to make workarounds for low-powered devices with integrated graphics (in part because of yours truly).

Apart from that VALVe-specific debugging, I've also sent a few bug reports to various game-studios about specific library-support issues, audio-bugs, and similar low-priority bugs. Nothing big.

Steam for Linux...

Ok, time for a little summary of my "Steam for Linux"- / "SteamOS"-testing:

All of my current Linux-based Steam-games (50 out of 67) run flawlessly on both Linux Mint v13 (with backports) and Ubuntu Desktop v12.04 (vanilla).

• They do not require a top-of-the-line gaming graphics-card.
• They (also) do not require vast amounts of memory (8GB will do fine).

List of mentioned games is available on my Steam-profile.

Will be adding a new picture-album entitled "Linux-gaming" on my G+ profile soon. Stay tuned!

"Linux-gaming" Google+ photos:
https://plus.google.com/photos/104557379246577572135/albums/5977405744473413313

SteamOS is still in it's early testing-stage(s). You basically have to posess a fair amount of advanced Linux-tinkering skills to be able to utilize it properly, but things are progressing. There are some automated versions being made (custom ISO-images) to let anyone install, test and even debug it on hardware (without the earlier requirement of a EFI-capable motherboard, you can manage with a BIOS-version now).

SteamOS

Steam OS in it's early stages. Fairly straightforward installer actually no need for command-line magic or anything. It's a modified Debian GNU/Linux 7.1 ("Wheezy") distribution, maintained by Valve.

Bootscreen.

Live-CD installer, loading components.

Installing SteamOS base system.

SteamOS desktop, after exiting the Steam for Linux client.

"Steam controller"

Interesting design. Wonder how it will perform in practical use.

Article-link:
http://www.linuxgames.com/archives/19124

Steam for Linux

Steam for Linux has officially been released to the public :) I have been beta-testing the client and various Steam-powered Linux-games. I'm also beta-testing Spotify Linux preview at the moment (and have been for the past two years). Comparing the two projects wouldn't be fair, since the Spotify-team have limited development-resources compared to the Steam for Linux-team.

But, I have to admit, the few (about 2) months spent beta-testing Steam for Linux really showed real development progress throughout. Bugs were rapidly being adressed and worked out, properly. Thus the Linux-client beta-phase just flew by.

The link below shows how to install Steam for Linux on a Ubuntu-machine ;)

http://www.zdnet.com/how-to-install-the-steam-gaming-client-on-ubuntu-gallery-7000011391/

Steam for Linux beta

It pays off to invest in bleeding-edge hardware and modder-Linux ;D especially if you're willing to do some experimentation.

I got my candidate-mail from Valve today :P guess I'll be testing Linux-gaming for them :)

 "Big Picture" mode @ 1080p

 "Big Picture" mode @ 1080p

"Big Picture" mode @ 1080p

Valve - Steam > Linux

I recently logged in to my Steam-account because I wanted to check out it's status. Mostly since Valve announced they will be releasing the Steam-client for Linux. And to my surprise, all games I had bought earlier were still available in my "Library" :)

I had bought "Counter-Strike" (the original) a few years ago. Though it was the CD-ROM release copy, it included a booklet on activating the product on Steam.

I'm SO glad I actually did, because I can no longer find the original CD-ROM, nor can I find the DVD-ROM for Half-Life 2 / Counter-Strike: Source. But that didn't matter :) Steam had all the games, already activated and ready to download and install :P Woohoo!

If they are successfull at porting the client to Linux, and consequently; games. They will definitely have opened a whole new market-target for online game distribution ;)

Way to go Valve! ;D

Coincidentally, Valve recently published a press-release claiming Linux as the new de-facto open (gaming) platform. Beating both Windows and Mac OS X on the "technicalities" ;P

Linux, being an openly developed platform, gives game-developers a technical road-map of the OS' inner workings, it's limitations and structure details that give an immensely comprehensive base for advanced game programming.

Personally, I don't think they've even tapped the tip of what is possible with a Linux-system when it comes to serious gaming. I see promising development if this takes off, as we all hope it does :)

PC Games N:
http://www.pcgamesn.com/article/valve-linux-better-windows-8-gaming

Norwegian e-zine:
http://www.idg.no/computerworld/article259040.ece

Stallman, on Steam? :o

Forkjemper og leder for fri programvare (FSF), Richard M. Stallman, innrømmer at Steam-plattformen vil være positivt (og fra Stallmans synspunkt, også veldig negativt) for Linux.

Spillselskapet Valve vil nå (etter mye frem-og-tilbake) slippe "Steam Client" for Linux (online rammevek for leveranse av PC-spill), og etterhvert også portere populære spill-titler til Linux uten bruk av masse kompatibilitetslag (les: wine, DirectX, osv.).

I denne anledning ble Richard M. Stallman spurt om tankene rundt dette. Svaret ble ganske overraskende, spesielt fordi han er mest kjent for sine ekstreme meninger om proprietær programvare (Windows, Mac OS X, o.l.), bruker-rettigheter og personlig frihet (med ekstra god trykk på "personlig frihet"). Men han medgir nå altså at selv om spill er proprietære, kan de virke som et lokkemiddel for Linux-plattformen, som i seg selv kan resultere i at flere åpner opp øynene for FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) og kanskje er mer bevisste over hvilke faktiske friheter de besitter ved å benytte forskjellige typer programvare og operativsystemer.

"I suppose that availability of popular nonfree programs on GNU/Linux can boost adoption of the system. However, our goal goes beyond making this system a “success”; its purpose is to bring freedom to the users. Thus, the question is how this development affects users' freedom."
--Richard M. Stallman, 2012

"Thus, in direct practical terms, this development can do both harm and good. It might encourage GNU/Linux users to install these games, and it might encourage users of the games to replace Windows with GNU/Linux. My guess is that the direct good effect will be bigger than the direct harm. But there is also an indirect effect: what does the use of these games teach people in our community?"
--Richard M. Stallman, 2012

Nåja, forventer ikke litt vel mye her da Richie? Jaja, man vet jo aldri... :)

Link til artikkel:
Richard M. Stallman - Steam is good for GNU/Linux

Link til Computerworld-artikkel:
http://www.idg.no/computerworld/article250349.ece

Link til FSF-artikkel:
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/nonfree-games.html