Is Linux the Future?

[Wheaties-Of-Doom]

With Valve's recent push for grater Linux support, both through encouraging compatibility in hosted games and the development of the SteamOS, I've been wondering what people's general thoughts on the matter are. I personally use Ubuntu (think Linux made [somewhat] more user-friendly) for most computing, and I greatly prefer it to windows (though I still use w7 to access the other half of my game library).

So with the direction Microsoft is headed, [would you be / do you think people are] willing to jump to a new OS for the sake of The Future of the Industry? Can Valve convince people this is a change worth making?

 

[SpotEnemyBoats]

Not going to happen for a variety of reasons. Unless Microsoft goes out of business, Windows is here to stay.

 

[Dr. House]

Reminds me of this:
https://asouthernspace.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/vlcsnap-2012-08-27-22h13m53s142.png
-A gay president in 2084?
+We're realistic.

Who knows, maybe 2084 is also the year Linux finally takes of, not like those previous 20+ years it was predicted to take off but never did.

 

[-smash-]

Microsoft and Windows are too big to dethrone.

 

[Wheaties-Of-Doom]

I suppose the next question aught to be, "Would anyone get a Steam Machine after its release?"

 

[-smash-]

Steam itself was an innovation, so it exploded in popularity. Steam Machines are re-branded "consoles" with a Steam logo competing against the behemoths Microsoft and Sony. I don't see them taking off.

 

[Pikminiman]

I suppose the next question aught to be, "Would anyone get a Steam Machine after its release?"

Personally, I still really want the Steam Machine chassis that Valve made themselves -- you know, the one that they gave to 300 random people. With that chassis, I can really see myself building a powerful media center. I know I have plenty of other options, but almost none of them support full-sized PCI-E 3.0 video cards.

More to the point of this thread, though, even if I did get my hands on that particular chassis, I wouldn't run Linux on it. Even then, I'd probably install Windows, if only because Windows has the most universal and widespread support for different types, streams, and formats of media.

 

[Krynn72]

I work in computer repair, and have to deal with end users. Linux is still nowhere near friendly enough to be the future right now. I tried to install Linux on my custom built machine at home just last week and I gave up. The amount of trouble I had with drivers (and I'm talking, stuff like the Nvidia proprietary drivers designed specifically for this card) drove me nuts. Plus people need support, and the ONLY support out there available to linux users right now are people telling you to write terminal commands that you have no idea what they are.

Software support is still complete shit compared to even OSX, let alone Windows. Hardware support is still shit compared to windows. Support support is shit like I said already, and especially so when compared to support for OSX or Windows. Nah, Linux ain't gaining any significant traction any time soon. There's no money in it, so nobody big is getting behind it. At least, not as a home-use operating system.

And as such, most games are going to stick to windows. I think the amount of games we're seeing now may increase a little bit for awhile, but then drop down again, simply because its trendy and cool to support Linux right now. Once people realize nobody wants a Linux PC (relative to people who want a windows/OSX pc), they'll stop supporting it.

 

[henriquecd]

Ps4 uses Freebsd kernel, Then the kernel does not matter, no one will need to install drivers on SteamOS, the experience that Valve will create is the console.

SteamOS have to be compared with ps4 and xbone

And Android uses Linux as the kernel, then It all depends on Valve's work

 

[Omnomnick]

SteamOS have to be compared with ps4 and xbone

Hahahahaha, no.

 

[Wheaties-Of-Doom]

Ps4 uses Freebsd kernel, Then the kernel does not matter, no one will need to install drivers on SteamOS, the experience that Valve will create is the console.

SteamOS have to be compared with ps4 and xbone

And Android uses Linux as the kernel, then It all depends on Valve's work

Bit like saying you have to compare a bicycle with a car on account of them both using rubber tires. Two vastly different things.

I work in computer repair, and have to deal with end users. Linux is still nowhere near friendly enough to be the future right now. I tried to install Linux on my custom built machine at home just last week and I gave up. The amount of trouble I had with drivers (and I'm talking, stuff like the Nvidia proprietary drivers designed specifically for this card) drove me nuts. Plus people need support, and the ONLY support out there available to linux users right now are people telling you to write terminal commands that you have no idea what they are.

So the current "flavors" of Linux clearly won't fly with the average user. Suppose that's why Valve is trying their hand at an OS of their own.

 

[Krynn72]

So the current "flavors" of Linux clearly won't fly with the average user. Suppose that's why Valve is trying their hand at an OS of their own.

no one will need to install drivers on SteamOS, the experience that Valve will create is the console.

The only system that a end user will guaranteed not need to install drivers or pull any BS configuring for will be the pre-configured, Name-Brand Steam Machines. Steam OS is just another linux, but with limited functionality, and will require drivers like any other OS. If you want to build a gaming PC and use SteamOS, I guarantee you that you'll encounter significantly more trouble than if you use Windows. You'd have to buy pre-selected hardware, known to have worked with Linux first, and there'll still be problems most likely. Normal people don't want to even reload windows, let alone jump through all the extra hoops linux still requires.

 

[richy17nl]

Steam OS is just another linux, but with limited functionality.

Nope, it's just Debian with Steam pre installed.

 

[Krynn72]

Nope, it's just Debian with Steam pre installed.

By that logic, there's only like three linux distros.

 

[richy17nl]

By that logic, there's only like three linux distros.

Calling SteamOS a distro is like calling every pre-installed version of windows that comes with bloatware (not that i mean that steam is bloatware) a new OS or like calling a Sourcemod a game.

 

[Krynn72]

Calling SteamOS a distro is like calling every pre-installed version of windows that comes with bloatware (not that i mean that steam is bloatware) a new OS or like calling a Sourcemod a game.

Do you think any distro's first version prerelease alpha test based on Debian or redhat or the other one was any different? Any well known, user friendly distros start as "just x with y preinstalled".