SteamOS, the Valve-made Linux distribution that was originally for the failed Steam Machine initiative has gradually vanished into the sidelines but it seems it won't be forever.
A while ago, we did see indications that Valve would work on SteamOS 3.0 "Clockwerk" back in 2018 but they've still been very quiet on it since apart from a few minor package updates to SteamOS 2 "Brewmaster".
Valve have been extremely active on other fronts though of course. As a quick bit of history: for Linux they put out Steam Play Proton, the ACO shader compiler for AMD, this new Steam Linux Runtime container system, the micro-compositor Gamescope and there's more with people working on all sorts under contract for Valve to improve Linux.
Still, SteamOS though, what are Valve going to do with it? Sounds like when they go back to it eventually, it might not be Debian-based. In a GitHub issue on the SteamOS page about it "languishing", another user replied with an email from Valve developer Pierre-Loup A. Griffais:
Yes, definitely lots of work still going on. Right now the focus is on core technology itself rather than distributing it, but we intend to get back to that in the future. I wouldn't expect much more movement on Debian-based Brewmaster at this point, however.
"Debian-based Brewmaster"—huh? Speculation here, but that sounds like they might be looking at a different base for whatever SteamOS 3.0 turns into.
One day then, we can clearly expect to see some movement on SteamOS once Valve get all the pieces of the Linux gaming puzzle into a state where they're truly happy with properly pushing it again. Perhaps, this will be after we finally find out what the heck Steam Cloud Gaming(#1, #2) turns out to be? Whenever we find out, we will of course let you know.
Thanks for the tag, mdeguzis.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
rustybroomhandle Mar 25, 2020
That would not make sense at all, considering the efforts. I moved away from steamOS myself, but the only reason for this was because it is stuck with old software and the lack of e.g. Kodi
Quoting: rustybroomhandleI think Arch-based would be the sensible option here. Arch-derived distros just seem way more stable and upgrade-fubar-proof than debian-derived ones.Really? Debian is the gold standard for stability. The problem is that people want a stable OS with a "bleeding edge" graphics stack, and that's where the house of cards falls over.
Arch can provide the bleeding edge, but it requires that YOU (the end user) know what you're doing.
Last edited by WorMzy on 25 March 2020 at 10:00 am UTC
That said I remember Valve at some point was evaluating other distributions like Arch. Again, I did't see any definite statement yet..
Did I overlook one?
Now to be frank : the distro upon which SteamOS is based does not affect me as long as Steam remains available for other distros. The lack of official support, as it is the case for Debian, has proven not to be that problematic as Steam is put aside from the rest of the OS for most parts.
Quoting: WorMzyArch can provide the bleeding edge, but it requires that YOU (the end user) know what you're doing.Which would make it the ideal distribution to base another one on that can provide some additional testing.
See Manjaro - not once did I have any upgrade trouble with it in the year or so that I'm using it, yet my software is much more recent than most on Debian or Ubuntu.
I could imagine SteamOS going a similar route, though I'm not even certain that moving away from Debian is what the statement implied.
Not seeing much of a reason to do that, tbh. Except if there was something that couldn't be done on Debian, but can be on something else.
Last edited by TheSHEEEP on 25 March 2020 at 10:18 am UTC
Either way I wouldn't care about the underlying distribution ... the SteamOS thing (for me) should just work as-is, I wouldn't use that for desktops anyway.
Quoting: michaWhat I'm I missing here? I understand that the next version won't be based on a specific Debian version (Brewmaster) but I don't see statement saying it certainly won't be Debian based.It's all in the wording, how it was very specifically mentioned as "Debian-based Brewmaster".
That said I remember Valve at some point was evaluating other distributions like Arch. Again, I did't see any definite statement yet..
Did I overlook one?
SteamOS for sure won't go arch, they will stay on Debian or Ubuntu base, or maybe go rpm CentOS, Suse, Redhat base and will use a bleeding edge hw stack for needed stuff in their own repo and thats it.
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