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Steam on Linux - Would you consider the move?

  • 16-08-2012 8:54am
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭


    I've heard quite a few people lament the lack of games on Linux as their main reason for not giving it a lash. Steam is now coming to Linux and the source engine has been ported. The initial release will be Left 4 Dead 2. It actually runs slightly faster on Linux than windows. Valve's linux blog here.

    Would you consider trying Linux once steam is available?


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 223 ✭✭Verres


    TBH, no. "Games" is not what's holding me back from using 'nix distros; there's WINE / VMWare / MAME for running games on G / U / Go / Lu / Ku / buntu-style OS's.

    What keeps me from running linux in general is the fact that the OS is the hobby. The OS is supposed to be what you use to do your stuff - it's not supposed to be the stuff you do. Saturday evenings drinking beer and compiling linux drivers is a young mans game.

    No - I want a machine I can boot and use. Sorry to be so blunt, but I've tried 6 or 7 flavours of linux over the last decade and each one ended with me just saying "fvck it" and reinstalling windows. I appreciate what Linux is, what it does and the alternatives it provides, and in a very controlled environment - think a Corporate-dictated OS-image that could be installed on specified hardware, with specified software - it is a real winner as an alternative to M$.

    But on a home built system, or even a commercially built system I just don't have the patience. Things don't "just work".

    I bet I'm not alone in this.

    The end-game for Ubuntu (e.g. as the distro with probably the widest install base) is not to be good-enough. It has to be WAY better than the entrenched systems. Nobody cares that it's free. Nerds like us might, but the ordinary angry-birds playing, facebook reading, twitter-spouting masses won't. Ubuntu needs to "just run" on pretty much any hardware you can install it on - even my home-built systems. Window7 goes off the to web and pulls down commercially developed drivers for all my components as soon as I install it. Until Ubuntu can do this it'll never compete.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,367 ✭✭✭fionny


    Id jump ship in a heart beat to Linux if there was good support for gaming, WINE etc... is very hit and miss. I hope steam dont just do casual stuff for Linux if they released something like HL3 with full Linux support it could be a turning point!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 223 ✭✭Verres


    fionny wrote: »
    Id jump ship in a heart beat to Linux if there was good support for gaming, WINE etc... is very hit and miss. I hope steam dont just do casual stuff for Linux if they released something like HL3 with full Linux support it could be a turning point!

    Granted - fair point about WINE, but why not just run windows through linux with VMWare?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,367 ✭✭✭fionny


    Verres wrote: »
    Granted - fair point about WINE, but why not just run windows through linux with VMWare?

    Doesnt work like that, Virtual Machines will not run Hardware graphics, so most games are a no-no, i learned this the hard way.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Verres wrote: »
    What keeps me from running linux in general is the fact that the OS is the hobby. The OS is supposed to be what you use to do your stuff - it's not supposed to be the stuff you do. Saturday evenings drinking beer and compiling linux drivers is a young mans game.

    Those horrible days are gone tbh. Long gone really and I for one am glad to see them gone. I use Linux now in preference to windows because I get stuff done faster with it. I do miss gaming though and seeing steam move to Linux is a big plus for me.
    fionny wrote: »
    if they released something like HL3 with full Linux support it could be a turning point!

    I fully expect HL3 on Linux now that the grunt work of porting and tweaking the engine has been done.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,367 ✭✭✭fionny


    Khannie wrote: »
    I fully expect HL3 on Linux now that the grunt work of porting and tweaking the engine has been done.


    Thats my hope! Windows 8 is such a mess id love to leave ms behind.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Verres wrote: »
    Window7 goes off the to web and pulls down commercially developed drivers for all my components as soon as I install it. Until Ubuntu can do this it'll never compete.

    It has been doing this for some time now. How long is it since you've given Linux a whirl?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,367 ✭✭✭fionny


    Khannie wrote: »
    It has been doing this for some time now. How long is it since you've given Linux a whirl?

    Ya last time I tried a linux install i had to do nothing.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,170 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Noticed that myself recently, win7 wanst finding a rake of drivers on a vaio box but when I booted a 11.04 live CD it got em all.

    When the vast majority of the steam catalog is avaible on 'nix I might move, until then it'll just be a dual boot on my laptop and on one of the servers.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    Steam on Linux???

    Rejoyce... spyware is coming to Linux. :D


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,367 ✭✭✭fionny


    Torqay wrote: »
    Steam on Linux???

    Rejoyce... spyware is coming to Linux. :D

    Ya......... Hey you know you dont need to install it right?

    This can only be a good thing for Linux.

    It reminds me of all the Arma2 players wondernig why nobody would play their game, then DayZ came along and people flooded in and all of a sudden they were giving out about the new players... cannot win.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭PrzemoF


    Verres, you really should give linux a go again - it's a completely different story than it was a couple years ago.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 223 ✭✭Verres


    @Khannie - it's been about 3 years. Since then I've had Win7 and I've been completely happy with it. To be honest, I think Win7 is a terrific OS. Stable fast, does what I need it to...

    The last Ubuntu I tried was Heron, I think. 8.04 (?) - the long term support one. It just didn't cut the mustard and I ended up having to compile drivers for my sound card (at the time). It was grand as I had no kids and it was just a hobby. I also tried Damn Small Linux, Puppy Linux, and I managed to get Fedora 14 running on my Macbook Pro from scratch (without OSX), but IIRC I also had to recompile drivers for the iSight camera.

    While I had Heron I used VMWare to run MAME and (IIRC) Far Cry. If VMware doesn't use the graphics card in the box I'm not sure how FarCry ran at all, but I'm 99% sure I remember running it. MAME defo ran, but that would work with onboard graphics I'm sure.

    maybe I'll try again, but it's just so - needless? Windows 7 is a great piece of software and I see no reason to move from it for the moment.

    Windows 8 looks like being a total cluster-fvck (I'm downloading the RTM version as we speak from MSDN) if it's anything like the Customer Preview - if it is, I might have reason to jump ship when M$ do the inevitable and start to wind down production support for Win7. I can't see that being for many years though, considering the corporate install base they have.

    TBH, I'm more interesting in getting my iPhone to boot Android (iDroid project) than I am in getting 'nix back on my boxes.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    Verres wrote: »
    To be honest, I think Win7 is a terrific OS. Stable fast, does what I need it to...

    Yeah, I think the stability issue was conquered with XP tbh. I consider Windows to be a perfectly good OS. Lots of people seem very nervous about Win 8 (Valve included. It seems to be a primary driver for porting to Linux).
    Verres wrote: »
    The last Ubuntu I tried was Heron, I think. 8.04

    It has come a long, long way since then. :) Automated retrieval and install of latest graphics drivers on an ongoing basis, yada yada.

    But yeah, sounds like Windows does what you need it to.

    I have only used Win 7 once and found it a bit....chaotic. Lots of stuff flashing at me and demanding my attention. The windows version of skype popped up a little pop up letting me know that I had credit and suggesting that I call one of my friends while I was trying to concentrate on work for example. I nearly punched it in the ear. :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,931 ✭✭✭PrzemoF


    @Verres: get a ubuntu livecd and give it a 30 minutes session. Why? Just to "update" your feelings about linux :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 36,170 ✭✭✭✭ED E


    Khannie wrote: »
    The windows version of skype popped up a little pop up letting me know that I had credit and suggesting that I call one of my friends while I was trying to concentrate on work for example. I nearly punched it in the ear. :D

    The skype client for windows has been going downhill for a while.



    Valve, if they want to succeed IMO, really need to push for the likes of afterburner to be ported. There's no way I'm gaming without afterburner(and clockgen).


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,246 ✭✭✭✭Dyr


    given that "linux user" is an amagram for "immature twat" I don't think giving them access to FPS's is wise move. :pac:

    Serious version:

    F**k no, Windows 7 just works, my games just work, my many many peripherals just work, why would I touch a Linux version that will "work" instead


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 223 ✭✭Verres


    Khannie wrote: »
    I have only used Win 7 once and found it a bit....chaotic. Lots of stuff flashing at me and demanding my attention. The windows version of skype popped up a little pop up letting me know that I had credit and suggesting that I call one of my friends while I was trying to concentrate on work for example. I nearly punched it in the ear. :D

    Win7 does need to be "tamed" when installed fresh - there is plenty of noise; no argument there. If Linux has really come on all that much I might burn a liveCD of the latest version and give it a whirl.

    I've no idealogical objection to it (and indeed, I think it's a great idea in certain circumstances - as mentioned earlier) it's just that thus far I've had no compelling reason to try it again. Vista raising my blood pressure was the prime reason I tried it before - with Win7 there's no problem with the status quo.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 223 ✭✭Verres


    PrzemoF wrote: »
    @Verres: get a ubuntu livecd and give it a 30 minutes session. Why? Just to "update" your feelings about linux :D

    Sure why not? Maybe it's changed for the better. I'll give it a lash when I get a chance, but what with work and the nipper it might be a while!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    No, I like windows, always have, I've tried Linux and Mac stuff briefly and I'm sticking to windows. It's compatibility with all sorts of uses from home to gaming to business is just unmatched. Windows 7 has been it's crowning achievement to date.

    I never used Vista so I've never had my view of windows soured.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,367 ✭✭✭fionny


    Bambi wrote: »
    given that "linux user" is an amagram for "immature twat" I don't think giving them access to FPS's is wise move. :pac:

    Wow...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    fionny wrote: »
    Wow...

    Clearly a joke to be fair....otherwise he'd be calling me a twat. ;)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,455 ✭✭✭RUCKING FETARD


    Bambi wrote: »
    given that "linux user" is an amagram for "immature twat" I don't think giving them access to FPS's is wise move. :pac:
    Khannie wrote: »
    Clearly a joke to be fair....otherwise he'd be calling me a twat. ;)
    ban-hammer.jpg

    21083209.jpg


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    Khannie wrote: »
    Those horrible days are gone tbh. Long gone really and I for one am glad to see them gone. I use Linux now in preference to windows because I get stuff done faster with it. I do miss gaming though and seeing steam move to Linux is a big plus for me....

    TBH I don't have any problems with Windows. So no reason to change.

    I've installed Linux a few times over the years and a couple of times this year, and I always hit some problem, that I don't have the time to resolve. Last time it was a USB WiFi card I couldn't get working.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,518 ✭✭✭matrim


    I've been exclusively using Linux at home for the last 5 odd years so I'll have no need to change. But I will have to invest in a new laptop that can play games :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 693 ✭✭✭Gyck


    I'd certainly give it a go - I can't see a reason not to. The distros are free, all you need is a spare hard disk (or partition), a Steam account and a bit of time.
    If the platform was robust under Linux it can only be a good thing: it would put it up to the hardware vendors to increase their support for Linux and add to its viability as an alternative to the Windows platform.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    I've said it before on one of these threads but I reckon Steam could have their eye on making their own gaming platform through linux.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,367 ✭✭✭fionny


    ScumLord wrote: »
    I've said it before on one of these threads but I reckon Steam could have their eye on making their own gaming platform through linux.

    RPS speculate that too:
    http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/16/heres-a-thought-what-if-valve-were-making-steamos/


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    fionny wrote: »

    Windows 8 is looking likely to be awful for desktop PCs, forcing a tablet interface onto a system that doesn’t want or need it in any way.
    To be fair in win8 you can switch back to the standard win7 desktop at any time it's just got touch built in as standard, it's a bit like how media centre and multi touch are built into win 7, your not actually forced to use either of those things.

    I don't see anything matching Microsoft.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,367 ✭✭✭fionny


    ScumLord wrote: »
    To be fair in win8 you can switch back to the standard win7 desktop at any time it's just got touch built in as standard, it's a bit like how media centre and multi touch are built into win 7, your not actually forced to use either of those things.

    I don't see anything matching Microsoft.

    Thats debated strongly in the Windows 8 thread,


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    ScumLord wrote: »
    To be fair in win8 you can switch back to the standard win7 desktop

    Not quite... they will give you an "app" (is that even a word now?) that will emulate the old desktop, sans all the bells and whistles of Aero Glass of course, so at best you get the Windows 7 Basic theme without the rounded window corners. Although they have kept the old "fake" Aero Glass look in Windows Setup. :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    Torqay wrote: »
    Not quite... they will give you an "app" (is that even a word now?) that will emulate the old desktop, sans all the bells and whistles of Aero Glass of course, so at best you get the Windows 7 Basic theme without the rounded window corners. Although they have kept the old "fake" Aero Glass look in Windows Setup. :D
    Oh, on the videos I saw he just pressed an on screen button to bring back the desktop.

    Touch is useless for desktops, I can't realistically use photoshop using touch and we won't be replacing all our monitors at work so they're windows 8 compatible. It looks like it could be a case of skip 8 like vista and wait for them to fix it in the following version.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,246 ✭✭✭✭Dyr


    Khannie wrote: »
    Clearly a joke to be fair....otherwise he'd be calling me a twat. ;)

    It's not really an anagram, I just made that bit up :eek:


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    ScumLord wrote: »
    Oh, on the videos I saw he just pressed an on screen button to bring back the desktop.

    On Screen button, tsk tsk ... they're called Charms* now (Diablo II LoD anyone). :D

    There are a couple of other ways to start the desktop app as well.

    * As someone put it, Windows 8 is a clear message from Microsoft to those who referred to Windows XP as "Fisher Price OS": "You ain't seen nothing yet!"


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,805 ✭✭✭Setun


    [quote=Verres
    ]What keeps me from running linux in general is the fact that the OS is the hobby. The OS is supposed to be what you use to do your stuff - it's not supposed to be the stuff you do. Saturday evenings drinking beer and compiling linux drivers is a young mans game.[/quote]

    I had been running Debian (Stable) on my laptop for about a year - in this case, the OS was a hobby as it often needed to be tweaked and modified to get certain jobs done. That was fine with me as I wanted to learn how the OS is constructed (and I certainly learned a lot from things going wrong :P). Anyway recently I decided to see how Ubuntu had improved the stability of Unity over the last year or so, and I have to say I've been very surprised by the progress made since 11.04. My wireless card (Broadcom 4313, which was a royal pain in the ass to work with when I first got the laptop), the correct nvidia proprietary driver, printer etc were all installed automatically without any trouble whatsoever. 12.04LTS runs very smoothly, and in my opinion is easily as user-friendly as the latest releases of Windows and OSX. It all makes for a very impressive first experience, and I won't be surprised if curious gamers wanting to give steam on linux a quick go end up sticking around for longer than intended.

    I'll just be happy to be playing Portal 2 :D


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    Torqay wrote: »
    Not quite... they will give you an "app" (is that even a word now?) that will emulate the old desktop, sans all the bells and whistles of Aero Glass of course, so at best you get the Windows 7 Basic theme without the rounded window corners. Although they have kept the old "fake" Aero Glass look in Windows Setup. :D

    Where did you get the idea that the traditional desktop is just an app?

    I've turned off metro in W8 using Classic Shell and use the same as I would W7 on my laptop.

    Works fine. Quicker than W7 on a n older machine too.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,835 ✭✭✭Torqay


    BostonB wrote: »
    Where did you get the idea that the traditional desktop is just an app?

    To be more precise, the "old style desktop" is a shell replacement for the new Windows shell "Modern UI" (the far less appealing replacement name for "Metro"). Now, shell replacements aren't exactly new to Windows, even that you can switch between shells "on the fly" isn't news. But coming from Microsoft is a first.
    BostonB wrote: »
    Works fine. Quicker than W7 on a n older machine too.

    That's because it is based on the W7 Basic theme and not Aero Glass, which is a drag on older machines.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    Windows 7 in basic theme is slower than Windows 8 on the same hardware, in my opinion and experience so far anyway. So its not just a change in theme causing the speed bump IMO.

    I'm confused why you think it is a shell and/or an app. Underneath you can still code for it the same as Windows 7 using the same Win32 API as Windows 7. Writing for the metro apps is different, but classic is the same. Its not simple a shell or an app setting on new architecture. The Classic Desktop is still sitting on the same architecture as windows 7.

    http://community.devexpress.com/blogs/ctodx/Windows8Architecture_485458D4.png

    Perhaps I don't understand it fully, so I'm not assuming I've got this right.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,367 ✭✭✭fionny


    Rock Paper Shotgun did this nice little article about assessing the ease of use Linux has become for those wanting to play PC games on its platform and its getting better and better:

    http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/21/how-easy-is-it-to-play-windows-games-on-linux/


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