Getting a console-like big-screen experience with Linux gaming was a thing with SteamOS until Valve stopped updating it, then came along GamerOS to carry the torch which has evolved again with a new name of ChimeraOS.
ChimeraOS has the same idea just a fancy rebranding, to remove the terrible GamerOS naming. Nice. It also now has an actual website that's a bit more fancy.
For those not aware of what it actually does: it gives you an experience that boots directly into Steam Big Picture, powered by Linux, for an improved couch-gaming setup. However, it's a lot more than that. It has a built-in web app to manage installing non-Steam games known as "Steam Buddy", enabling you to run games from GOG, emulators and many more services.
Here's all the main changes for what's now ChimeraOS 25:
Key components:
- Linux Kernel 5.12.12
- Mesa 21.1.3
- NVIDIA 465.31
- steamos-compositor-plus 1.8.3
- Steam Buddy 0.11.2
Changelog:
- Rename to ChimeraOS
- Updated installer with wifi support
- Added basic MangoHud configuration support via Steam Buddy
- Added racing wheel support
- Fixed bluetooth pairing through the Steam UI
- Fixed high CPU usage when MS Xbox controller dongle is plugged in
- Added Mr. Rescue, Sonic 3: Angel Island Revisited, Cave Story NX to Flathub
- Added Proton 6.8 GE-2, 6.9 GE-2, 6.10 GE-1
- Added media key support
- Improvements to updater reliability
- Improved reliability when starting flatpak/flathub apps
- Restore default steam play settings for a game when user override is removed
- Merged Steam Tweaks into Steam Buddy
You can download it from the official website.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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[...]a fancy rebranding, to remove the terrible GamerOS naming.
Couldn't agree more, the previous name was absolute cringe.
5 Likes, Who?
I way prefer GamerOS over ChimeraOS at least you know what the target is.
I understand GamerOS is not perfect, but the new one doesn't make any sense at all.
I understand GamerOS is not perfect, but the new one doesn't make any sense at all.
16 Likes, Who?
Yeah, GamerOS was a somewhat cringe name - always made me think of the "How do you do, fellow kids?" meme except with gamers. So I do get why they were looking for something new.
But at least it was one of the only distros that told you what you were getting with the name - a fairly unique attribute.
Now it's kinda like every other distro.
Something was lost here, but not much gained in its place. Chimera? What does that have to do with gaming or ease of use/setup? It's honestly an even worse name...
Of course, "Gamers bad! Hurrr!"-people will love the change. Whatever.
Last edited by TheSHEEEP on 2 July 2021 at 10:29 am UTC
But at least it was one of the only distros that told you what you were getting with the name - a fairly unique attribute.
Now it's kinda like every other distro.
Something was lost here, but not much gained in its place. Chimera? What does that have to do with gaming or ease of use/setup? It's honestly an even worse name...
Of course, "Gamers bad! Hurrr!"-people will love the change. Whatever.
Last edited by TheSHEEEP on 2 July 2021 at 10:29 am UTC
4 Likes, Who?
I understand GamerOS is not perfect, but the new one doesn't make any sense at all.
Well, "Gamer" sounds kind of similar to "Chimer(a)" without people immediately noticing it.
2 Likes, Who?
Chimer? Weren't those the ancient dark elves from Elder Scrolls lore? What do they know about gaming? ;)I understand GamerOS is not perfect, but the new one doesn't make any sense at all.
Well, "Gamer" sounds kind of similar to "Chimer(a)" without people immediately noticing it.
1 Likes, Who?
AFAIK Chimera name was chosen because is a mix of several separated gaming related tools under the same OS, similar with the what a Chimera is:
I don't see why the name should be obviously related to gaming, I mean what "Proton" for example has actually to do with gaming? Is just a name, as good as any.
The devs kept a "branding" channel on Discord for a couple of years, where people came up with various suggestions and this is the result.
For the record, I was OK with the name GamerOS, but the vast majority of reactions towards it was negative, so I think the name change is beneficial.
"ChimeraOS" might puzzle some, but is less likely to trigger such strong negative reactions overall as "GamerOS" did.
Last edited by dubigrasu on 2 July 2021 at 5:27 pm UTC
The term "chimera" has come to describe any mythical or fictional creature with parts taken from various animals, to describe anything composed of very disparate parts, or perceived as wildly imaginative, implausible, or dazzling.
I don't see why the name should be obviously related to gaming, I mean what "Proton" for example has actually to do with gaming? Is just a name, as good as any.
The devs kept a "branding" channel on Discord for a couple of years, where people came up with various suggestions and this is the result.
For the record, I was OK with the name GamerOS, but the vast majority of reactions towards it was negative, so I think the name change is beneficial.
"ChimeraOS" might puzzle some, but is less likely to trigger such strong negative reactions overall as "GamerOS" did.
Last edited by dubigrasu on 2 July 2021 at 5:27 pm UTC
2 Likes, Who?
Ludological Jul 2, 2021
I quite like the new name. The OS has always been a bit of a hybrid, so it makes sense.
0 Likes
slaapliedje Jul 2, 2021
I like the name, though I don't think it fits for what is essentially Steam on top of Arch. StarchOS. 😜
3 Likes, Who?
ChimeraOS" might puzzle some, but is less likely to trigger such strong negative reactions overall as "GamerOS" did.
Probably less limiting for the developers, too, as adding a non gaming feature would seem much less taboo.
There are real Chimeras. Not fantastical at all. It's just... They're plants. There might be others but that's all I can remember from school 20 years ago.
2 Likes, Who?
Woah, this is totally awesome! I've been meaning to check out GamerOS for a while now (guess I'll be checking out ChimeraOS now haha) 
You mentioned that the Steam Buddy tool helps to install GOG games and all of that, but what about those Windows-only GOG games that need special tweaks (the older ones, the kind you really can only easily install-and-play using Lutris with its custom install scripts)? It would be great to have out-of-the-box capability for such games.
Last edited by Jozua on 3 July 2021 at 12:26 am UTC
You mentioned that the Steam Buddy tool helps to install GOG games and all of that, but what about those Windows-only GOG games that need special tweaks (the older ones, the kind you really can only easily install-and-play using Lutris with its custom install scripts)? It would be great to have out-of-the-box capability for such games.
Last edited by Jozua on 3 July 2021 at 12:26 am UTC
0 Likes
There are real Chimeras. Not fantastical at all. It's just... They're plants. There might be others but that's all I can remember from school 20 years ago.Not just plants. It's an organism that contains more than one distinct genotype (the set of genetic material). Most marmosets are chimeras.
3 Likes, Who?
Most marmosets are chimeras.I did a take, went and looked it up . . . man, marmosets are weird.
1 Likes, Who?
I like the name, though I don't think it fits for what is essentially Steam on top of Arch. StarchOS. 😜Chimera uses an update mechanism called frzr, which delivers pre-built read-only systems images. It happens right now to be Arch based, but it can be switched to any other OS if needed.
Is very likely that Arch will be used for the foreseeable future, but the relation between Chimera and its underlying OS is not fixed.
2 Likes, Who?
Not just plants. It's an organism that contains more than one distinct genotype (the set of genetic material). Most marmosets are chimeras.
Very cool. I didn't know it existed in the animal kingdom.
0 Likes
Very cool. I didn't know it existed in the animal kingdom.It happens in people, too. It comes up every now and then with questions of maternity, organ donation, and things like that, or if there's mosaic skin colouration or differently-coloured eyes. Otherwise no one notices. It's become more common since the invention of fertility treatment, since you're then more likely to be carrying more than one embryo.
1 Likes, Who?
It happens in people, too.Can make a personal confirmation to that. Double DNA club. Does sadly not make me able to breathe fire.
2 Likes, Who?
There is a really cool group of cartilagenous fish (related to stingrays and sharks) that are also called chimaeras:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimaera
I don't really get why the old name was so disliked, but it's ok, names apart it's great that this distro is alive and well.
It occupies a very special niche and does so much better than SteamOS.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimaera
I don't really get why the old name was so disliked, but it's ok, names apart it's great that this distro is alive and well.
It occupies a very special niche and does so much better than SteamOS.
1 Likes, Who?
I way prefer GamerOS over ChimeraOS at least you know what the target is.
I understand GamerOS is not perfect, but the new one doesn't make any sense at all.
Oh I know! Imagine coming up with a name that shows this version has the DNA of two different distributions and is combined into a single usable platform! How awesome would that be! It'd also be just like what a Chimera is!!! Oh wait! Maybe they did think this out and people are just ignorant...
0 Likes
Oh I know! Imagine coming up with a name that shows this version has the DNA of two different distributions and is combined into a single usable platform! How awesome would that be! It'd also be just like what a Chimera is!!! Oh wait! Maybe they did think this out and people are just ignorant...The only ignorant thing is assuming that having to know the entire backstory of a distribution in order to understand the name is a good idea.
Names are used to attract new people, not reaffirm existing ones. It is an advertisement of sorts and should be chosen with that in mind.
Once you're already "in", the name becomes kinda irrelevant as long as it isn't totally terrible. I use Manjaro - but at this point I couldn't care less if they changed the name to Everest.
Last edited by TheSHEEEP on 4 July 2021 at 9:39 am UTC
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