It seems Canonical, creator of Ubuntu, is finally looking to get serious and improve Ubuntu gaming with a new Desktop Gaming Product Manager job waiting to pull someone in.
Currently, Ubuntu is still the most popular Linux distribution on Steam, but the likes of Manjaro have been closing the gap so perhaps with moves like this Canonical can keep Ubuntu on top. It certainly needs the push, as more and more people are recommending new users install something else, such as Pop!_OS. Even Valve have moved away from a Debian base for SteamOS 3 with it being based on Arch Linux. Indeed, their Partner documentation suggests Manjaro for developers who don't have access to a SteamDeck dev-kit (although Ubuntu remains their recommendation for native Linux development outside of the SteamDeck).
According to the job advert, Canonical want to "make Ubuntu the best Linux desktop for gaming" and they "work with partners in the silicon world to ensure the latest graphics drivers and tweaks are built-in for optimal frame rates and latency, as well as with partners in the gaming industry to ensure that mechanisms such as anti-cheat capabilities are available to ensure fairness and product availability".
This role leads the product and go-to-market for gaming on Ubuntu Desktop. You will define product strategy as well as drive engagement and adoption. The role requires an analytical storyteller with a strong sense of message and a deep understanding of Linux graphics, gaming, and desktop technologies and communities. We prefer university-graduated professionals with software engineering and software engineering management experience who want to become business executives and entrepreneurs.
Key points of the job include:
- Lead desktop graphics choices in Ubuntu
- Drive partnerships in the graphics silicon, desktop, and gaming spheres
- Tell the story of Ubuntu for gamers
- Lead engineering design and development
It's a work from home job, so if you think you have what it takes, take a look at the job listing.
While you're here, what do you think Ubuntu can improve to make Linux gaming better? Let us know in the comments. Maybe a potential candidate will get some ideas.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
CyborgZeta Jan 3, 2022
However, it's not going to change the fact that Ubuntu is just not suited for gaming just from the way it's designed. Gaming, particularly on Linux, benefits immensely from having the latest kernel and the latest drivers. Neither of which can be done in Ubuntu without workarounds and PPAs, which I don't think should be relied on. My rule of thumb for several months now and going forward, and this is just MY OPINION, is that if something isn't in the official repos or available as a Flatpak (typically from Flathub), then I'm not going to bother. I'm at a point in my "Linux career" now where I don't want to have to put in a lot of time and effort just to accomplish a particular task.
Valve moved to an Arch-based system for the same reason I did; rolling release, you always have the latest stuff you need, the Arch repositories have tons of software (IMO), and you don't need to worry about point release upgrades.
Also, I don't like that Canonical continues to push Snaps, or that they use GNOME, but that's neither here nor there.
Last edited by CyborgZeta on 3 January 2022 at 1:30 pm UTC
Luke_Nukem Jan 3, 2022
Quoting: CyborgZetaHowever, it's not going to change the fact that Ubuntu is just not suited for gaming just from the way it's designed. Gaming, particularly on Linux, benefits immensely from having the latest kernel and the latest drivers. .
i wonder what leassons valve have learned about developing for linux.
maybe it was an good idea to focus at stability at the begining, focusing on packages that were heavily tested, so they can be sure that any bug they encouter was their fault not fault of some thirdy party code/library, then after building an strong foundation they can "port it" to the latest versions of those libraries, fix any issue that occur and keep their new code compatible with the latest versions of the libraries?
or maybe relying on old but heavily tested packages was an mistake since the begining?
I love Ubuntu, but Shuttleworth has to go.
Quoting: CyborgZetaMy rule of thumb for several months now and going forward, and this is just MY OPINION, is that if something isn't in the official repos or available as a Flatpak (typically from Flathub), then I'm not going to bother.And Flatpaks are basically unsupported on Ubuntu (outdated Flatpak/xdg portals, no support in their GNOME Software fork etc.).
Last edited by AsciiWolf on 3 January 2022 at 8:14 pm UTC
https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/gamebuntu/25544
and
https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/gaming-on-ubuntu-desktop/25439/
to reach the ubuntu staff and community in the best possible way: their own forum.
Hardly anything to add.
Work with hardware manufacturers to convince them to create open source drivers for their devices and upstream these before the hardware hits the shelfes.
Quoting: Luke_NukemBest comment in the same vein as above over on phoronix https://www.phoronix.com/forums/forum/phoronix/latest-phoronix-articles/1299699-canonical-hiring-for-an-ubuntu-linux-desktop-gaming-product-manager#post1299705
If they shipped the recent wine-staging versions and took back the decision for the 32bit libraries, i think we will be in a good position.
Stability and backporting really really important fixes is also valuable for people that just want to play their games and not worry about updating and so on daily.
Ubuntu isn't a rolling distro and shouldn't become one.
Quoting: CyborgZetaHowever, it's not going to change the fact that Ubuntu is just not suited for gaming just from the way it's designed. Gaming, particularly on Linux, benefits immensely from having the latest kernel and the latest drivers. Neither of which can be done in Ubuntu without workarounds and PPAs, which I don't think should be relied on.I dunno. Seems to me there has to be a middle road between "no current software available" and "use the Aur which potentially pulls in bleeding edge bloody everything all the time with no guidance so you've got near infinite chances to break stuff".
I mean, just how many packages are we talking about keeping up to the latest? If you've got a full time staffer for gaming-related stuff, it should be workable for them to maintain a small meta-package of latest gaming stuff, which could be in the official repo or even visible in the update tool. One thing to install, one thing to revert if it causes problems. Then you could have what you needed for gaming without opening up a can of Aur.
Perkeleen_Vittupää Jan 4, 2022
Quoting: mcphailIt'd be worth taking a few moments to digest the Twitter timelines of prominent, recently ex-Canonical employees before considering this position.
I love Ubuntu, but Shuttleworth has to go.
Shuttleworth has to go? Could you give some obvious evidence how that would help? He has been a solid leader thus far, but as always, no one is right in their decisions all the time. Ubuntu (and Canonical) also have become a more larger ship to sail and steer.
CyborgZeta Jan 4, 2022
Quoting: Purple Library GuyThe middle road is to just use a regular Arch-based system. I've been using EndeavourOS for almost a month, and have not needed to touch the AUR once. In fact, I actively avoid the AUR precisely because I'm aware it can mess with Arch's stability.Quoting: CyborgZetaHowever, it's not going to change the fact that Ubuntu is just not suited for gaming just from the way it's designed. Gaming, particularly on Linux, benefits immensely from having the latest kernel and the latest drivers. Neither of which can be done in Ubuntu without workarounds and PPAs, which I don't think should be relied on.I dunno. Seems to me there has to be a middle road between "no current software available" and "use the Aur which potentially pulls in bleeding edge bloody everything all the time with no guidance so you've got near infinite chances to break stuff".
I mean, just how many packages are we talking about keeping up to the latest? If you've got a full time staffer for gaming-related stuff, it should be workable for them to maintain a small meta-package of latest gaming stuff, which could be in the official repo or even visible in the update tool. One thing to install, one thing to revert if it causes problems. Then you could have what you needed for gaming without opening up a can of Aur.
The key things needed for gaming, in my opinion, are the latest Mesa and the latest kernel. Arch gives you both from the official repos: no backporting, no PPA, and no AUR for that matter.
Last edited by CyborgZeta on 4 January 2022 at 9:43 am UTC
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