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Linux interop is maturing fast thanks to a games console

theregister.com

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Re: Linux interop is maturing fast thanks to a games console

#101

Post by knitHacker »

kibwen wrote: post #30

Windows is enshittifying so rapidly that I firmly believe that, if Valve really wanted to, they could eat Microsoft's lunch when it comes to the non-enterprise desktop market, which is almost exclusively gamers these days. Fortunately for Microsoft, Valve seems content to officially position and market SteamOS as just for its handheld, even though it's entirely possible to run it on other hardware.

You don't even need SteamOS to use proton. I have played one game on my Windows partition in the last 5 years. Now I assume games will work on my Linux computer until proven differently instead of the other way around.

Re: Linux interop is maturing fast thanks to a games console

#102

Post by phendrenad2 »

guenthert wrote: post #96
phendrenad2 wrote: post #72

> optional case-insensitivity to the F2FS, the Flash-friendly file system Gosh, I've been lambasted for years for telling Linux folks that case-insensitive file systems are actually good for the average user. Maybe we'll actually get it now that Valve paved the way.

Why would the average gamer on a couch with a steam controller as sole input device (that's what SteamOS is about, isn't it?) care about case sensitivity of file names? It's not like they would actually type those.

Well, Valve is probably adding it to better support games that expect a case-insensitive filesystem. However, case-insensitive filesystems are beneficial for the average business software user. I'm just hoping that they accidentally make this work for ext4 also, and some distro maintainer sees the potential there.

Re: Linux interop is maturing fast thanks to a games console

#103

Post by zem »

lproven wrote: post #99
zem wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it was a good article :) plus I've been a register fan since the slashdot days, I like y'all's style!

That is great to hear. :-) Me too, FWIW. I have been freelancing for them since 2009 but I've only been on staff for just under a couple of years. It's a fun, if challenging, job. P.S. is your screen-name mattress-related, at all?

> P.S. is your screen-name mattress-related, at all?

it is indeed :) i've been using hitchhiker's guide-derived usernames ever since i got on the net.

Re: Linux interop is maturing fast thanks to a games console

#104

Post by unaindz »

pjmlp wrote: post #84
yesco wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree, Proton simply ports the most popular desktop application API to Linux. If this trend continues, perhaps one day win32 will outlive Windows itself...

Giving no reason for game studios to care about GNU/Linux games, just like OS/2 with its Win32 compatibility, really successful.

The issue with gaming on Linux was the typical chicken or egg. Why would companies make games for Linux if no one plays on Linux and why gamers would use Linux if no games are being made for it.

Between wine/proton and more engine OS cross compatibility in general this is starting to become a non issue. Not that hard anymore to find someone who plays exclusively on Linux and if some game is not there it's not going to buy it.

Re: Linux interop is maturing fast thanks to a games console

#105

Post by JuanPosadas »

cacois wrote: post #43
kibwen wrote: post #30

Windows is enshittifying so rapidly that I firmly believe that, if Valve really wanted to, they could eat Microsoft's lunch when it comes to the non-enterprise desktop market, which is almost exclusively gamers these days. Fortunately for Microsoft, Valve seems content to officially position and market SteamOS as just for its handheld, even though it's entirely possible to run it on other hardware.

I am continually in awe of how rapidly terrible its gotten since Windows 7. I loved Win7 - it just worked, with a sleek presentation. Every release after was worse overall (I'm not saying good features weren't added, mind you - but the aggregate experience has been worse with every release for me). (Note: I fully realize Win7 had a ton of windows warts under the hood - I'm just talking about the user experience)

I feel like if there was some way to backport whatever useful things are in windows 11 (and/or windows 8/10/11+ exclusive games somehow detect their expected OS via polyfills) it would be something I might actually pay for.

Or at least someone should upload a no-BS win11 ISO somewhere.

Re: Linux interop is maturing fast thanks to a games console

#106

Post by pjmlp »

unaindz wrote: post #104
pjmlp wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Giving no reason for game studios to care about GNU/Linux games, just like OS/2 with its Win32 compatibility, really successful.

The issue with gaming on Linux was the typical chicken or egg. Why would companies make games for Linux if no one plays on Linux and why gamers would use Linux if no games are being made for it. Between wine/proton and more engine OS cross compatibility in general this is starting to become a non issue. Not that hard anymore to find someone who plays exclusively on Linux and if some game is not there it's not going t…

Enjoying games written for Windows/XBox, while studios targeting Android, don't even care to easily port their games to GNU/Linux.

Re: Linux interop is maturing fast thanks to a games console

#108

Post by BlackLotus89 »

lproven wrote: post #100
BlackLotus89 wrote: post #35

> The snag is that Steam OS 3 uses Btrfs No it doesn't? There are converter that inject some services that handle even the update process, but by default steamos uses ext4.

Are you thinking of Steam OS 1/2? That was a whole different distro, based on Debian. SOS3 is based on Arch, uses dual Btrfs boot partitions and an ext4 games partition.

Probably, but I also had to manually convert my home directory to btrfs so maybe this is why I remembered ot wrongly? I seem to remember that earlier steamos releases also had ext4 as rootfs, but I can be wrong.

To be extra sure I downloaded a fresh steamos install and yes my rootfs is btrfs

Re: Linux interop is maturing fast thanks to a games console

#109

Post by [deleted] »

guenthert wrote: post #96
phendrenad2 wrote: post #72

> optional case-insensitivity to the F2FS, the Flash-friendly file system Gosh, I've been lambasted for years for telling Linux folks that case-insensitive file systems are actually good for the average user. Maybe we'll actually get it now that Valve paved the way.

Why would the average gamer on a couch with a steam controller as sole input device (that's what SteamOS is about, isn't it?) care about case sensitivity of file names? It's not like they would actually type those.

[deleted]

Re: Linux interop is maturing fast thanks to a games console

#110

Post by thefurdrake »

arp242 wrote: post #27
JodieBenitez wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Proton is basically just Wine, right? That's the thing with desktop linux: almost everything already exists. But there's always an extra mile to go. Sometimes it's tiny bugs, sometimes it's bad default settings, sometimes it's questionnable UI... all things that may not be a problem for tweakers but will stop people that want a good out-of-the-box experience. I'm glad commercial companies go that extra mile. But ye…

The major bit from "extra mile" here being "adding a button in their proprietary vendor lock-in platform".

Theorycrafting here, but wine and proton will make it pretty easy to decouple Steam platform DRM.

It should be noted that it's perfectly possible to release your game on steam in a way where the steam client doesn't even need to be running in order to launch the game. The choice to tie Steam's service into the ability to run the software you purchase /seems/ to be a decision made entirely by the people publishing their games.

If that's the case, you should really be more concerned about that behavior rather than Steam's DRM existing. Don't buy games whose behaviors you disagree with!

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