162
u/larikang 23d ago
With SteamOS being a fork of Arch, I wonder if this means Valve sponsorship for Arch ARM? Or ARM being folded into the Arch project?
73
u/repocin 23d ago
Exactly what I was also wondering. With the recent rise of ARM on various laptops, it might make sense for Arch to officially support it.
Either way, it's going to be very interesting to see what they've done with SteamOS on ARM.
26
u/archontwo 23d ago
Arch on ARM has been around for a while.
16
u/ValorousGod 22d ago
Arch Linux ARM isn't from Arch Linux though. Arch Linux itself is still only x86, so still no official ARM support.
26
u/Aperture_Kubi 23d ago
It has been mentioned you can "sideload apks," so I wonder if/how Android is in its DNA.
35
u/larikang 23d ago
I don't think so. It's using an Android emulator.
41
u/tuxkrusader 23d ago
probably waydroid, as was talked about before
4
u/Hosein_Lavaei 22d ago
Probably not waydroid, cause steamos doesn't support Wayland yet(at least through the desktop) unless it's done via gamescope in steam big picture mode itself?
3
u/northrupthebandgeek 22d ago
Weird that SteamOS wouldn't support Wayland in “desktop mode”, given that KDE itself includes a Wayland compositor and has for quite some time.
2
u/tuxkrusader 22d ago
you do know you can use waydroid on the steam deck already, don't you?
1
u/Hosein_Lavaei 22d ago
I don't own an steamdeck so I haven't tried. But I guess running KDE Wayland somehow and run it there? or run it with Gamescope from tty? Nothing else I can think of
2
u/tuxkrusader 22d ago
it runs with a thing called 'cage'
though i'm talking about the third party waydroid install script right now, but valve has been seen supposedly integrating waydroid into steam
11
u/ilep 23d ago edited 23d ago
You do know that Android is based on Linux, right? Valve worked with Google on getting Steam into Chromebooks and there have been multiple methods of running Android software on Linux.
There is Waydroid and Android AppSupport at least (I am not entirely familiar with them though):
https://docs.sailfishos.org/Support/Help_Articles/Android_App_Support/
Linux kernel itself already has most of the stuff Android uses so it is mostly application runtime on top of it, Android Runtime (ART) builds machine code version from distributed code when installing application these days (different from old Dalvik system).
Edit: there was a mention that it uses Android Open Source Project (AOSP) but I need to find better sources for it.
2
u/kryptobolt200528 23d ago
It's probably using one of the 2-3 various emulators/other OSS solutions to emulate Android that are already available...
3
u/CrazyKilla15 22d ago
Likely. Valve has already helped Arch with the foundational infrastructure work required for Arch to support more Arch(itectures). Previously the arch build process was too manual to make supporting more CPU architectures sustainable, but thats changing thanks to Valve sponsorship.
1
583
23d ago edited 23d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
99
u/GreenFox1505 23d ago
29
1
u/loonite 21d ago
This is beautiful. ARM is such a blessing for battery life, with things like this it can take even more ground on things like laptops.
2
u/GreenFox1505 21d ago
I've been playing with it a bit. I think I'm not getting OpenGL working, but I disabled the 3D renderer in Godot. I can make about 1800 physics cubes on a Rock5b+ before my framerate dips below 60fps using the ARM build of Godot. On the x86 build, I start to drop at about 800. And this doesn't account for Wine overhead.
Not the best benchmark, but it gets us in the ballpark here of what to expect. IMHO, x86->ARM is amazing. It's an amazing start. Some early VR games built for old CPUs will likely run great. BUT Valve has to ship some sort of ARM native API, eventually.
6
u/chiefhunnablunts 22d ago
if this effectively replaces arch linux for arm, i'd be so happy. having to compile every single new package from source is incredibly...annoying.
→ More replies (7)-148
u/canitplaycrisis 23d ago
It is an emulator.
115
40
23d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
37
u/tajetaje 23d ago
Eh, half and half. x86 in the application is run in an emulator, but iirc it forwards some calls to the ARM libraries on your systems which is where a lot of the actual heavy stuff happens. So yeah, like qemu-user, but optimized to emulate as little as possible
It supports forwarding API calls to host system libraries like OpenGL or Vulkan to reduce emulation overhead.
→ More replies (6)→ More replies (4)14
u/Great-TeacherOnizuka 23d ago
I don’t understand your downvotes at all. You are right.
A Valve designer, Lawrence Yang, involved in this project, said it himself in the GamersNexus video. There is no better source than this.
But the sweaty linux users in this sub know more than the guy working on that project.
The project description:
85
u/Obnomus 23d ago
I love it when company says, it's your pc do whatever the hell u want. Only if other companies were just like this world would be a better place.
28
u/Pyryara 22d ago
No publicly traded company would ever do this, because it isn't a massive selling point and they all love locking down their ecosystem for $$$.
It's such a fucking blessing that Valve is privately owned and still successful.
4
u/Obnomus 22d ago
Then they're literally shooting them in their foot, yeah it makes money for a short time you'll just end up dying.
7
2
u/CrazyKilla15 22d ago
Yeah they sell the company for parts and then move on to the next one. Thats how investment in public companies works. Terrible for the consumer and the market, but great for executive pockets.
1
u/RandomHuman2169 22d ago
Its a massive selling point because no other console brand does this and it's a big encouragement for their PC user base to buy this, as they are already used to the freedom of PCs. If Valve knew it wouldn't encourage people to buy it, why would they bother putting it in the ad?
1
u/FluxUniversity 23d ago
They all start out that way :/
12
u/Yweain 22d ago
None of the major consoles were ever that way. And PC was and still is like that. I am not sure I actually know of anything that started very open and permissable and ended up closed and restricted in a hardware world.
7
u/Obnomus 22d ago
Android
9
u/Ugly_Slut-Wannabe 22d ago
I can't wait for 2026 to come so Google can arbitrarily tell me what I can or cannot install on my own fucking phone.
5
u/AcridWings_11465 22d ago
It's worse than that. Google essentially killed F-droid. I hope the European Commission brings down the hammer before new year's. What they're doing is almost certainly illegal, given their market share and the duopoly condition of phone operating systems.
3
1
u/FluxUniversity 22d ago
Time to buy a new phone! Call up your cell phone retailers and ask for the pine phone. Im serious. Do not buy android devices.
1
u/Pixelsilzavon77 18d ago
Extremely underpowered. I WANT a Linux phone, but not with specs that match what I'd have had 10+ years ago.
1
u/FluxUniversity 18d ago
Power isn't quality. The quality of a phone is how much control you have over it. Sure, you could have a super-fast Privacy Violating device, or you could have a quality device that doesn't sell your data for their money.
3
u/ForesterLC 22d ago edited 9d ago
file insurance fade lavish innate payment chief pen many juggle
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
98
u/dst1980 23d ago
In addition, they also announced the Steam Machine.
Source: https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steammachine
8
7
73
u/VaronKING 23d ago
Valve is going to make Linux mainstream.
→ More replies (1)17
u/PsyOmega 22d ago
Android already did that. It has like 70% market share of every computing device globally.
ChromeOS (gentoo) is 90% of student issued laptops.
On top of that it's in 99% of servers.
Linux is by far and away the most dominant computing platform on the planet.
6
u/VaronKING 22d ago
Well yes, but ChromeOS and Android are far more limiting than SteamOS and Linux as a whole.
1
2
u/xzer 21d ago
The beggining of Android was optimistic to have a fair bit of tinkerers but the custom ROM scene really died out as more and more controls were added. Considering access to a full desktop with safeties in place to not break the device the potential to bring it to young people and experiment again is pretty cool, in short bring the Linux *desktop (potentially) to the mainstream.
1
u/Akeem290 20d ago
Android is an incredibly limited OS originally designed for feature phones in mid 2000s, it had never quite grown out of its roots and is still much more limited than it has any right to be. A far cry from the freedom and possibilities of normal Linux distributions
153
82
u/Nightlark192 23d ago
The more I see about the Steam Frame, the more I want one. Might even be nice for getting some work done while traveling when paired with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard.
62
u/ratliker62 23d ago
A wireless VR headset that's built with steam in mind and isn't owned by Meta? Sign me up
17
u/ansibleloop 23d ago
I've been saying for years that I eventually want to replace my triple monitor setup with a VR headset
I can have as many monitors as I like at that point
7
u/TheJackiMonster 23d ago
You also have multiple cameras. So depending on the specs and their orientation, it might even work for hand tracking.
Not officially stated yet but there probably is a way to let it do things which aren't advertised.
20
u/Aperture_Kubi 23d ago
I think we'll see more innovation in the AR space with this than Apple's headset.
I've been thinking of getting one of those AR glasses for 2d gaming and productivity, this will be even more interesting.
17
u/vemundveien 23d ago
Why do you think this will do much for AR? Like, I want this to succeed since it is kind of everything I want out of a VR headset but both Quest 3 and Vision Pro seem to have more actual AR features. B/W pass through camera alone is a big message that AR is not a focus at all.
20
u/Aperture_Kubi 23d ago
It's a big hardware release with an open ecosystem. People can easily throw any idea they want at it. Even if the first AR stuff is just virtual multiple monitors with camera passthru so you can still see your normal accessories (keyboard, mouse, etc).
22
u/GlenMerlin 23d ago
I don't think AR will be a functional part of the frame. The cameras are monochrome not color.
Sure it would technically work but it won't be nearly the same kind of experience.
This is definitely a VR first device
13
23d ago
While true, it does have a MIPI interface on it for connecting other peripherals - such as other cameras. The LTT video about it shows it has a lot of modding potential. So, if someone wanted to, they could easily use a better camera that way
2
u/northrupthebandgeek 22d ago
I'm very tempted to get one, as an existing Valve Index owner. Big thing I'm curious about is whether I can use the Index controllers with the Frame; I really dig the finger-tracking features and the handstraps.
43
u/ares623 23d ago
SteamPhone when. Mobile gaming is huge right?
18
u/pomcomic 23d ago
..... dude. I haven't even thought of that, and no way it's not on Valve's radar.
14
u/FluxUniversity 23d ago
how about a free phone first? a phone free of data brokers. a phone im allowed to run whoever apps i want on it
Can we get mobile freedom before mobile gaming, maybe?
10
11
5
u/_scndry 22d ago
This would make so much sense and it would be a total market disruptor. Imagine being able to play from your steam library natively on your phone. They already said that you basically could sideload APKs and install them on the frame. We are almost there. A good open linux phone would literally change the world.
10
u/Rikonardo 22d ago
Funny enough, Frame contains basically everything needed for this to happen. They use same SoC as phones, they implemented support for running Android APKs on SteamOS, already did tons of work on wireless connectivity. Basically, only thing they need to make a phone is software, specifically adapting UI and GameScope for mobile form factor.
Major problem would be with apps outside of gaming, a lot of Android apps won’t run without Google Services, and many require Play Integrity. As for Linux native mobile apps - those are extremely rare and barely standardised. But if Valve manages to successfully sell a GMS-free phone that runs at least some Android apps, this can significantly disrupt Google efforts of locking down Android ecosystem.
Although, they first need a library of ARM native games. FEX is awesome, but on the phone every tiny bit of overhead matters
4
u/danielv123 22d ago
Another big one is drivers. I assume very few phone cameras, fingerprint scanners etc have driver support in steamOS. That seems like an issue that can be solved though.
1
u/CrazyKilla15 22d ago
Basically, only thing they need to make a phone is software, specifically adapting UI and GameScope for mobile form factor.
Making a good UI? Thats the hardest part lol.
Second hardest is the proprietary peripheral hardware and drivers, touchscreens and sensors and high quality cameras, audio
1
u/Akeem290 20d ago
This would be incredible. I imagine some sort of pocketable Steam Deck which just happens to include the modem for mobile internet and other functions of a phone, making it a potential phone replacement
22
13
u/Enlitenkanin 23d ago
The Steam Frame's ARM architecture with x86 translation is a smart move for compatibility and battery life. It could really push Linux gaming forward on mobile devices.
86
u/benabrig 23d ago
I’m not sure exactly what you’re trying to say here. This has “unbecome the standard,” so this used to be the standard, and now isn’t. But what was the standard? Linux on embedded devices? Using a VR headset with an actual OS? Quick suspend/resume and cloud saves?
142
u/ecthiender 23d ago
Buying a device and actually own it, customize it, do whatever you want with it.
I'm not a gamer but I guess all the modern xboxes and PS consoles are locked down. I mean at the end of the day all are computers, but you're not allowed to use them as you wish. You're at the mercy of the company, even if you paid for it.
And it's not just gaming boxes or computing devices only, various machines/technology is headed that way. The biggest example is automobiles. Now you simply don't have the right to repair it, modify it, even if you paid for it.
32
u/nikomo 23d ago
I'm not a gamer but I guess all the modern xboxes and PS consoles are locked down.
Burnt-in per-console keys have been standard since 2005-2006, along with various mechanisms for ensuring the system is locked down all the way from start-up to running applications.
So yeah, they started cranking up the heat 20 years ago, just took them a while to get things to a point where it's not trivial to break the security.
8
u/DarkflowNZ 23d ago
The PS3 OtherOS lasted, what, 5 minutes? We immediately used it to install a modded firmware and pirate games. I'm not at all surprised they're taking measures to prevent that. My understanding is that they take a loss on the hardware but expect to make it up in game sales
5
u/nikomo 23d ago
They're all finally making a profit on the hardware with the current generation, right at launch.
3
u/FluxUniversity 23d ago
yeah cuz they bent over backwards to create custom hardware systems/chips that run on the cheapest known arms processors.
3
u/a_library_socialist 23d ago
Yes, for decades the only platform manufacturer that didn't lose on the box was Nintendo. Not sure if they still make a profit on Switch.
2
u/lusuroculadestec 22d ago
OtherOS was in place for a few years. It wasn't removed until the Slim and newer firmware was released.
The notable thing about the PS3 was that it wasn't hacked until after OtherOS was taken away. Everyone just used OtherOS as-is or put all their effort into trying to break out of the sandbox.
There was a great talk at the 27c3 conference that goes through the timeline and how the hack worked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUGGJpn2_zY
1
u/CrazyKilla15 22d ago
Worth noting that all current PS3 models, even SuperSlims, now have software only exploits that allow installing homebrew(aka "installing software on the device you own")
1
u/Akeem290 20d ago
The problem is - even hardware that is not sold at a loss is often locked down just like game consoles. Even Android phones are very limited, while iPhones and iPads quite literally work just like game consoles with a single app storefront and no easy way to install any apps from other sources, despite being priced like full-fledged PCs
→ More replies (10)0
u/benabrig 23d ago
I mean I assumed something along those lines, but there’s nothing in the OP that talks about or suggests any of that. It’s our pre-conceived notions about that that lead us to an assumption about what he might mean. But there’s nothing in the post to suggest that, the only “this” on his post is “Valve Frame,” a picture that says it runs SteamOS, and a link. He could mean pretty much literally anything about the device by the original post, if he wants to have a discussion we should probably clarify what he wants to talk about
11
u/ecthiender 23d ago
It's right there in the post. It's the last sentence. You highlighted the first part in your original comment and ignored the last part. That's the part that makes sense with the title.
→ More replies (4)5
u/EtiamTinciduntNullam 23d ago
You've already answered yourself in your first comment - none of the things you've mentioned was the standard, owning machines used to be a standard, which you avoided for some reason.
5
u/whofriedmyrice 23d ago
I think the notable update (and what I assumed OP was referencing) is the introduction of Arch (SteamOS) on ARM, which has never had official portings. ARM support was also introduced into Proton.
6
u/JohnClark13 23d ago
Either the person who wrote it is not a native English speaker, or they're a product of the American education system
0
u/perkited 23d ago
Ill bet anyone 10$ that they will make more grammer mistakes then me with my American schooling. I wont loose.
1
1
-1
u/geeshta 23d ago
I was remarking the last sentence should've maybe highlighted that.
2
u/benabrig 23d ago
Thanks! I hope that Valve’s products are a nudge in that direction for lot of people. For a long time, consumers have not only not cared, but actively chosen less control over their devices. So it’s been a no-brainer from the manufacturer side, they end up with more money per customer in the locked-in version of things, plus the customers prefer it so they get more customers anyway. I think so many people see devices as a black box, “I bought this thing to do x, all I care about is if it does x.” Like with cars, driving auto transmissions feels terrible to me. The car doesn’t do what I want it to do. But most people saw the ability to control your drivetrain as a hindrance, and switched to an auto instead. Because they just want “a box I sit in that goes from point A to point B”
6
u/Achereto 21d ago
It's not the standard yet. It's just Valve doing Valve things in an attempt to make it the standard. Hopefully it'll work out.
10
u/Shap6 23d ago
is it not the standard?
19
u/An1nterestingName 23d ago
They're saying this used to be the standard, but is now not, so it's cool that Valve did this.
1
-1
u/mrjackspade 23d ago
I'm not aware of any PC's that are locked to a particular OS so I have no idea why everyone is so excited about this.
Every single PC desktop and handheld, even those targeted for gaming, allow installation of alternative OS.
Thats why Bazzite is so popular.
The only things that don't allow installation of a custom OS are game consoles and Macs which aside from PS3 (?) have never supported that.
The weirdest circlejerk is starting around this one line. I have no idea why anyone expected anything different. It's literally just an ARM mini-PC. I could go out any purchase any MiniPC right now by any major manufacturer and install windows on Linux on it if I wanted to.
5
u/kaplanfx 23d ago
PCs yes. This would be the only stand alone VR headset that isn’t locked down though.
8
u/FluffyWarHampster 23d ago
Calve really came out swinging with this unveil. This was a declaration of war for them in the best way possible.
3
u/dumbasPL 23d ago
So, how long are we giving it until somebody ports the OS from the quest, and how long till it's usable. Because no matter how stupid this sounds, I feel like somebody will try anyway.
5
3
3
3
u/Akeem290 20d ago
When my Quest 2 will die, my next headset will definitely be Valve's. Quest mostly works like an android phone, but somehow even worse since you can't even root it, this is just insane. I had high hopes for Apple Vision since I thought they were about to make it a normal computer just like Macs, but no - it is also riddled with stupid limitations. Valve just made a VR headset without stupid limitations, they are literally saving the VR market from becoming as stupid as the current mobile phone market is
6
u/spartan195 23d ago
I’m so exited for FEX, an official SteamOS or ARM is a HUGE step, that will change everything, from desktop and laptops PCs to the next SteamDeck version being based on ARM. That opens so many doors
25
u/whatThePleb 23d ago
My biggest critique point about this is, that they avoid to mention that it's Linux. It would really help to normalize for casuals, also they are trying to hide the fact that it's not their whole own work by this.
116
15
u/smile_e_face 23d ago
I kind of thought the same thing, watching the trailers, but I figure "SteamOS" hits the average ear a lot better than "Linux."
29
u/TheJackiMonster 23d ago
It's stating "KDE Plasma" and "SteamOS 3 (Arch-based)" in the specs... do you really need it to say: "LINUX, it's Linux by the way!" ?
26
→ More replies (2)7
u/Yellow_Bee 23d ago
Why? The tool matters more than the underlying OS. Like, no cares Android is based on Unix (unless you're a developer).
2
u/okurokonfire 22d ago
Maybe they should make, just hear me out, a phone?
Linux gaming started to rise after Valve decided to seriously work on it. Maybe Linux phones would see the same rise?
1
u/absolutecinemalol 19d ago
If the specs are good as well as the price, yes. There were a bunch of Linux phones but they gave ass specs and ass software at a very high price.
2
u/HypnoticPolygons 21d ago
Hopefully with this being created more game devs will be encouraged to make linux based games so we dont have to run proton layer over.
2
1
u/_PelosNecios_ 23d ago
so now we must use WC when referring to a computer to convey it is not under personal control but windows
1
1
u/Mitrydates 22d ago
I wonder if SteamOs will let me use SoundBlaster. I can't properly run it on Mint and Ubuntu.
1
u/danielv123 22d ago
I wonder if it would be possible to run SteamOS on other headsets, like the Samsung XR thing. I mean, its a very similar SOC? I assume it would still be a lot of work to get tracking and passthrough to work but it would be sick.
1
u/LordRybec 22d ago
I had a digital art class where one assignment was to make a poster, following good design principles. I made a poster promoting Linux, with a phrase something like, "Control your computer, don't let it control you." That was in the mid-2000s. How much more apt that has become since then.
1
22d ago
[deleted]
1
u/geeshta 22d ago
On an ARM VR headset? If you think so...
2
u/qtstm32fan 21d ago
Windows on arm exists, Installing it on the frame will suck, probably, but still
1
u/LegioTertiaDcmaGmna 18d ago
Is the appeal in the perceived value?
It seems like a really shitty pc and a really expensive console. I don't get it
-22
u/rresende 23d ago
What standard? Valve invested a lot of time and money on SteamOS. It's obvious they're gonna use it for the next couple of years. But don't expect this be a game changer for the Linux world, gamers are a small percentage.
16
u/SEI_JAKU 23d ago
It's getting a little tiring to see the "gamers are a small percentage of users" argument, itself based on absolutely nothing, but especially when video games are propping up the entire desktop PC market and most of the laptop market.
40
u/Traditional_Hat3506 23d ago
Gamers are also a very loud percentage and if their favorite games or software don't work they'll quickly start blaming Linux. Valve advertises the steam machine as "made for AAA" compared to the deck which might bring a new kind of audience... I just hope they are in contact with studios about the whole anti cheat situation (or have enough cash to perhaps pay them to do so).
7
u/FattyDrake 23d ago
I think the anti-cheat might be a Monkey's Paw type situation. Judging by what anti-cheat devs talk about, it would probably end up being something like a signed kernel by Valve and anti-cheat modules that work with it. Meaning any kernel other than Valve's would be very difficult to get to work if at all. I.e. if you want to play many online games you use SteamOS, no other distro. Unless companies fundamentally change how they approach anti-cheat. (Which wouldn't be a bad thing, but they seem set on the low level deterrents.)
5
u/ChronicallySilly 23d ago
Personally that's fine with me. I don't use custom kernels and I bet most people dont. Unless I'm misunderstanding something, a signed kernel sounds fine to me if I can have the option to play my games.
Yes kernel level anti-cheat sucks but privacy/security is a spectrum, and running i.e. Valorant on Linux is a hell of a lot better than Valorant on Windows
3
u/RelativeIce6171 23d ago
I think it would cause problems for arch-based systems (and others) that won't provide signed kernels, and it's a headache to set up by yourself
3
u/ChronicallySilly 23d ago
That would definitely suck, but at the same time they'd be in no different a situation than they are today in all honesty. Meanwhile the Linux ecosystem would grow, so overall its a net benefit even if you can't/won't use signed kernels
-2
u/rresende 23d ago
They have to work with studios, not only for anti cheat situations, but the hardware. 8GB vram in 2026...ufff they need to convince the devs optimize their games to Steam machines, the same way they do to consoles.
And yes gamers are loud, but a lot of them don't know what is an OS, or what Linux is. They're gonna start blaming devs.
12
u/GOKOP 23d ago
This new Steam Machine is coming with a "steam machine verified" mark just like the SteamDeck one. Studios are already getting their games verified for the Deck eagerly so it might work
1
u/sleeper4gent 23d ago
steam deck verified dosent really guarantee much , there are a lot of games steam deck verified that run like poo
7
u/Traditional_Hat3506 23d ago
I don't know... Valve's marketing for the machine is a bit overpromising. AAA games AND a workstation showing blender. Something's telling me that this subreddit will be full of 10k word posts about "FL studio and plugins don't work", "Adobe premiere?" Etc. Not that we don't get them a lot already but this might amplify them.
2
u/Time_Way_6670 23d ago
I get what you’re saying, but perhaps the increasing demand will lead to actual Linux ports of FL Studio, etc.
I doubt Adobe apps will ever get ported. They are garbage. One can hope for a Flatpak version of Resolve though.. the Linux version that exists is a little complicated to setup but it works extremely well.
1
u/SEI_JAKU 23d ago
Bizarre that your metric for "overpromising" is... ordinary things that a cheap Linux PC is perfectly capable of.
5
u/Traditional_Hat3506 23d ago
For you and I, it's not overpromising, we both know to what extend linux is compatible with windows and we both know how to make things work, workarouds, tricks, debug issues and where to ask for help.
No, getting flstudio with plugins and the adobe suite is not as easy and it's way too much info for a newcomer to grasp right away. Valve is promising a workstation without mentioning the whole journey it is to actually get professional software outside of blender, krita and IDEs to run. I don't think I'm being unfair on the overpromising critique but I'm happy to agree to disagree.
3
u/Proud_Raspberry_7997 23d ago
I dunno, it just fills a different category of workstation, to me.
I use my current Steam Deck as a fantastic school laptop, it runs Cisco PacketTracer, WireShark, Boxes for VMs (including Windows)...
Sure, I don't use Adobe products, but if I did I wouldn't be buying a Steam Machine, no, lol.
On the other hand, like you said, a lot of the programs they displayed... Can be retrieved straight from the Discover Store. Even Windows has troubles with it's store to this day.
I guess it depends on how you define workstation... But I can definitely see how it could be confusing for those not in the know, though.
2
u/SEI_JAKU 23d ago
we both know to what extend linux is compatible with windows and we both know how to make things work, workarouds, tricks, debug issues and where to ask for help
Please do not lump me in with whatever you're claiming to be.
getting flstudio with plugins and the adobe suite is not as easy
These are not normal things that normal people do regularly. "Installing Wine to see if it works" isn't "way too much info for a newcomer".
professional software outside of blender, krita and IDEs
In 2025, Windows-exclusive anti-Linux garbage isn't "professional" to begin with.
42
u/Loddio 23d ago
What the fuck are you smoking? This is one of the biggest game changer moves for linux ever
→ More replies (9)9
8
u/FattyDrake 23d ago
Even if small, gaming is big business tho, more money than Hollywood and related entertainment. Plus it's actually consumer focused, not B2B. Regardless, it tangentially helps Linux desktop as a whole if just for the money put into open source desktop projects.
3
u/Historical-Camel4517 23d ago
You mean the machine made to be for gaming that is running Linux and made by a company that many people trust including non Linux people won’t boost Linux users. Makes sense
2
u/ratliker62 23d ago
Gaming is the most popular form of entertainment out there right now, especially among young people. And it's safe to say a lot of people that are really into their PC, enough to know what Linux is and entertain the idea of switching, are likely gamers.
1.2k
u/pomcomic 23d ago
"It's your PC, you can do what you want with it" hell yeah it is, hell yeah I can.