Great news for Linux users. More and more attention from big name companies are looking at linux which imo, is a good thing.

It's Official: Valve Releasing Steam, Source Engine For Linux!

Valve Corporation has today rolled out their Steam Mac OS X client to the general public and confirmed something we have been reporting for two years: the Steam content delivery platform and Source Engine are coming to Linux. This news is coming days after we discovered proof in Steam's Mac OS X Client of Linux support and subsequently found more Linux references and even the unreleased Steam Linux client. The day has finally come and Linux gamers around the world have a reason to rejoice, as this is the biggest news for the Linux gaming community that sees very few tier-one titles.

Those enthusiasts within the Phoronix community even managed to get the unreleased Steam Linux client running up to a partially drawn UI and other modifications, but now that work can stop as Valve is preparing to officially release the Steam Linux client from where they will start to offer Linux native games available for sale. For all those doubting our reports that Source/Steam would be coming to Linux, you can find confirmation in the UK's Telegraph and other news sites. An announcement from Valve itself is imminent.

Found already within the Steam store are Linux-native games like Unreal Tournament 2004, World of Goo, and titles from id Software such as Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and Doom 3. Now that the Source Engine is officially supported on Linux, some Source-based games will be coming over too. Will we finally see Unreal Tournament 3 surface on Linux too? Only time will tell, but it is something we speculated back in 2008. Postal III is also being released this year atop the Source Engine and it will be offering up a native client. We have confirmed that Valve's latest and popular titles like Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, and Team Fortress 2 are among the first of the Steam Linux titles, similar to the Mac OS X support. The released Linux client should be available by the end of summer.

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=valve_steam_announcement&num=1

also.

It is said that this page has been closed months ago http://www.valvesoftware.com/job-SenSoftEngineer.html

On the page, Valve mentions it inttrest in "Port Windows-based games to the Linux platform."

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

Awesome. Ubuntu owns. :D

Interesting news, but this belongs in the PC forums.

I don't use, and have never used Linux. Good for users though, hopefully it turns out to be worthwhile, which Valve sees it as.

edit: Teufelhuhn seems to have solved the mystery. No announcement, no dice.

I am not seeing an announcement from Valve here...

Too bad I can't use Linux on my PS3 :P

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

The_Capitalist

Using Linux as the operating system used in order to play games would be great for developers and players as it is free and nearly everyone has access to it. Which will help more people be able to play games without having to upgrade their operating system and hardware every few years to keep playing current games.

[QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

DarkGamer007

Using Linux as the operating system used in order to play games would be great for developers and players as it is free and nearly everyone has access to it. Which will help more people be able to play games without having to upgrade their operating system and hardware every few years to keep playing current games.

[QUOTE="DarkGamer007"]

[QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

RogueShodown

Using Linux as the operating system used in order to play games would be great for developers and players as it is free and nearly everyone has access to it. Which will help more people be able to play games without having to upgrade their operating system and hardware every few years to keep playing current games.

[QUOTE="DarkGamer007"]

[QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

RogueShodown

Using Linux as the operating system used in order to play games would be great for developers and players as it is free and nearly everyone has access to it. Which will help more people be able to play games without having to upgrade their operating system and hardware every few years to keep playing current games.

I can play most Steam games, my point was that Microsoft has stated that they want to release a new OS every three years or so, which means new DirectX versions and requirements for games that will only get confusing and constantly change. The nice thing about XP was it was around forever so there was no question if you had the right operating system or DirectX version, and if you didn't have the newest DirectX version, most games installed the newest version for you.

[QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

DarkGamer007

Using Linux as the operating system used in order to play games would be great for developers and players as it is free and nearly everyone has access to it. Which will help more people be able to play games without having to upgrade their operating system and hardware every few years to keep playing current games.

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

The_Capitalist

OpenGl does the same thing but allows for compatibility with any platform. Midnightshade29

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

The_Capitalist

I am hopeful but also skeptical. I have been using Linux long enough to see a few capable gaming solutions come and go:

Loki: a company dedicated to porting games to Linux

Cedega/WINEX: a compatibility layer that allows most Windows games to run on Linux. Works well when it works but many games require tweaking to run (Steam already works under this but many of it's games do not).

[QUOTE="RogueShodown"][QUOTE="DarkGamer007"]

Using Linux as the operating system used in order to play games would be great for developers and players as it is free and nearly everyone has access to it. Which will help more people be able to play games without having to upgrade their operating system and hardware every few years to keep playing current games.

ferret-gamer

"It's Official" How exactly is this official? :| Dante2710

If it's true there finnaly be gameing boom on linux, Mac atleast have more games, linux only had dedicated servers and everything based on Quake-engine... thats it. Hopefully Blizzard will move on (they got Mac versions), then i will be fully happy and i won't need to run Windows offen like i do today ^^

Woot! I'll be able to play steam games on my ps3 now!!!!!!!

Or......R...R....RAGE!!!!!

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

The_Capitalist

Woot! I'll be able to play steam games on my ps3 now!!!!!!!

Or......R...R....RAGE!!!!!

Filthybastrd

1. They would need to compile it in to PowerPC architecture and most likely it won't happen since last most popular PowerPC computer (aka Mac) switched to x86 :p

2. Linux on PS3 can't get DRI support on RSX because hardware access restrictions ijn Other OS mode, No DRI = No hardware acceleration = No modern games

[QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

adamosmaki

Linux users are too cheap to purchase a real OS and they use free software so how are you going to get them to pay for anything.

[QUOTE="adamosmaki"][QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

Jamex1987

Linux users are too cheap to purchase a real OS and they use free software so how are you going to get them to pay for anything.

Steam is only available for Windows, Mac, and Linux? What about FreeBSD and Solaris users?!?! :|PandaBear86

Too small gameing interest i suppose ^^' besides they got low offical (from hardware vendors) hardware support, Linux atleast have something

Steam is only available for Windows, Mac, and Linux? What about FreeBSD and Solaris users?!?! :|PandaBear86

[QUOTE="PandaBear86"]Steam is only available for Windows, Mac, and Linux? What about FreeBSD and Solaris users?!?! :|kuraimen

All 27 FreeBSD users and 6 Solaris users will be outraged if Seam does not come to their OS!!!! :evil:

[QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

Midnightshade29

[QUOTE="Midnightshade29"][QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

dc337

Says someone who got Quake logo on avatar :P

[QUOTE="Jamex1987"]

[QUOTE="adamosmaki"] Same here. The only trhink that keeps me on windows is games. Ubuntu is much better than windowskuraimen

Linux users are too cheap to purchase a real OS and they use free software so how are you going to get them to pay for anything.

[QUOTE="Jamex1987"]

[QUOTE="adamosmaki"] Same here. The only trhink that keeps me on windows is games. Ubuntu is much better than windowskuraimen

Linux users are too cheap to purchase a real OS and they use free software so how are you going to get them to pay for anything.

Linux distros are much more efficient and well designed and the only thing that keeps it from being the absolute best is some compatibility problems due to market share issues. It is not true that with every update things break. I could say that Windows users are too ignorant to use a real OS. Google uses a lot of free software and they are one of the most wealthy software companies. You clearly don't know what you're talking about.kuraimen

Windows 7 is very good and does not have any of the problems you are talking about. Windows XP and Vista were horrible in certain ways, but Windows 7 works perfectly fine. And its not like Linux is perfect either, I used to have Fedora Linux on my PC and was horrible and used to crash alot.PandaBear86

[QUOTE="kuraimen"] Linux distros are much more efficient and well designed and the only thing that keeps it from being the absolute best is some compatibility problems due to market share issues. It is not true that with every update things break. I could say that Windows users are too ignorant to use a real OS. Google uses a lot of free software and they are one of the most wealthy software companies. You clearly don't know what you're talking about.dc337

Emmm... real deal video card drivers for linux are made by NVidia, same as ATI i suppose, Linux is not kenel is not fully made by amatures:

http://www.kernel.org/

Go see change log and u notice patch submiter emails adresses you can see Intel, VMware, IBM, HP and more

[QUOTE="adamosmaki"][QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

Jamex1987

Linux users are too cheap to purchase a real OS and they use free software so how are you going to get them to pay for anything.

[QUOTE="adamosmaki"][QUOTE="The_Capitalist"]

If Linux gaming ever kicks off within the next ten years, I will gladly use Linux full time. Seems like we are starting to see the horizon.

Jamex1987

Linux users are too cheap to purchase a real OS and they use free software so how are you going to get them to pay for anything.

And one note people when you speak about "Ubuntu software" say Linux software ^^' all that runs on Ubuntu will run on any other distro even in binary form (specially games)

[QUOTE="dc337"]

Linux is actually a lousy choice for opengl performance when compared to Windows:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=linux_windows_part1&num=11

He was right about there being a problem with Linux updates breaking hardware. They kernel developers are always making changes and don't care if they break your video or wireless card. Linux makes an ok browsing system but it's a waste of time when it comes to gaming.

ShadowriverUB

Emmm... real deal video card drivers for linux are made by NVidia, same as ATI i suppose, Linux is not kenel is not fully made by amatures:

http://www.kernel.org/

Go see change log and u notice patch submiter emails adresses you can see Intel, VMware, IBM, HP and more

[QUOTE="kuraimen"] Linux distros are much more efficient and well designed and the only thing that keeps it from being the absolute best is some compatibility problems due to market share issues. It is not true that with every update things break. I could say that Windows users are too ignorant to use a real OS. Google uses a lot of free software and they are one of the most wealthy software companies. You clearly don't know what you're talking about.dc337

[QUOTE="kuraimen"][QUOTE="Jamex1987"] Ubuntu better than Windows? Are you kidding me? Windows users don't use a terminal and rely on applications that have no graphical user interface. Many of the linux drivers are really bad like the Audio drivers on linux are terrible. Each update ends up breaking something, so many different distros and packages and the list goes on and on. They released 10.04 and it has so many problems. Raid installation is completely screwed up even though people reported the bug during the beta. Linux is a bag of problems if you ask me and designed for people with plenty of time on their hands. i honestly don't see Steam coming to any linux distro.

Linux users are too cheap to purchase a real OS and they use free software so how are you going to get them to pay for anything.

PandaBear86

Windows 7 is very good and does not have any of the problems you are talking about. Windows XP and Vista were horrible in certain ways, but Windows 7 works perfectly fine. And its not like Linux is perfect either, I used to have Fedora Linux on my PC and was horrible and used to crash alot.

I agree Fedora is pretty bad but Debian-based distros are much better. And yes Windows 7 has the same problems, it still uses the registry and basic Windows OS design. It can be more efficient but it still is the same crap under the hood.