Seeing how Gabe Newell's presentation on Linux, focused on making the OS PC games are played on as open-sourced (or at least freely modular) as hardware is, do you think its possible that not only would Valve announce hardware but also a coalition of hardware and software developers to make PC software and hardware (i.e. official graphics card drivers) more linux-friendly? Also with how Gaben was talking about Linux being the future of gaming, do think Valve will release for download a Steam-optimized Linux distro, finally a step towards PC gamers alleviating the need to buy a copy of Windows?
Oh but they will release a "steam optimised" linux, in fact it's already there, it's called Ubuntu Desktop. Except, that is the worst distro to run something like Steam on, because it's not user-optimized, it's corporation-optimized. The next fase in that corporation-optimisation is also already in place: people can subscribe to a Microsoft service that Ubuntu now has a deal with, that allows users to log into Microsoft servers (that also run on linux by the way) so that they can use Windows-software on a non-windows computer, but only when they are online of course, and if they pay a really expensive subscription.
So what you are wishing for, and more than that, is already there, and it's not looking so good from an open source or from a user perspective. There is no need to regulate and inhibit technological evolution, just let open source do what open source does best: user-centric innovation and performance. Open Source is user-driven, the main producer of open source software is not a company, it's a non-regulated collective of users that make this software for themselves. When companies start to make things that are a sideshow to the main user-driven development (like Ubuntu with Mir and Microsoft Jojo), that is not a good thing, that is a dead end that doesn't serve any user, but is just created to be able to squeeze money out of gullible users.
Steam runs on every linux distro out there equally well, linux doesn't need optimizations, by nature it is the most optimized operating system in the world, and it will always be, as long as it is open source and user-driven. I suggest running Steam on anything BUT Ubuntu.
Valve already pushes the graphics driver development. They worked with intel and nvidia to iron out bottlenecks and they have a few people working on open source libraries like SDL.
I... What? What services does microsoft offer for ubuntu?
I get that amazon is using ubuntu as an ad platform, but what does microsoft do?
Yup, the problem is not that linux can't run games, it can run them better than any other platform. The problem is also not that game developers don't develop on linux, because they actually do, even games for windows are often developed on linux. The only problem is that the industry always keeps coming up with ways to shut users out of development, and linux is all about users and what they want, and that clashes with the corporate user exploitation culture. The corporations always pretend that the problem is that linux needs extra development to enable gaming on linux, but that's just not true, the corporate world doesn't want to use the solutions that are abundantly already there, they want to use closed solutions, and the fact is, that they can't keep up technologically with open source solutions, and by the time they have a closed solution in place that works on an open source platform like linux, the open source platform has evolved, and they are back to square one. The corporate industry has been taking advantage of platforms like windows, which have had a technological status quo for more than 20 years. They need newer technologies now because their user base won't pay for the same product with another packaging over and over again, and the users want the new features that are available in open source, but the corporations don't want to play ball.
Yup, it's called "juju", but I like to call it "jojo" because that's a clown's name, and that's what it is. Microsoft's cloud solution, Azure, has a framework that enables connected users to use "charms", which are like a Microsoft version of Google Apps basically. Ubuntu integrates this now, and because Microsoft has a 20 year technological disadvantage, they are letting linux users make the next gen Microsoft applications, they even offer a few grant for an app that people like, after which Microsoft will make billions by providing that app for expensive subscriptions. Lol... it's Microsoft's way of shaming themselves, they know that Windows OS is dying a brutal death, and they know that they don't have the knowhow to set things right, and they don't want to spend much money because they will need their money for their lawyers in the next couple of years because of all the class action cases that will come their way, especially if Microsoft Windows is effectively outlawed in countries, something that has been on the table for a while. So they have put all of their hope now in the Ubuntu users. Hey, if you have a great idea for a "Charm", don't hesitate, you can make a buck from Microsoft, or you can make the application and offer it to users as a SaaS through your own server yourself, and make much more... sad thing is that it doesn't mean anything good for Ubuntu though, Canonical has clearly sold it's soul to the devil, and the devil is starting to claim his contractual right lol...
It will not be easy for Microsoft, nor for Google. Online software services will probably be taxed in the EU soon, as will printers, and computers, and cameras, and scanners. Thing is, if you have to pay the copyright tax on a computer that you buy every five years, or a printer that you buy every 15 years, that's OK, as long as it runs linux and you know that you won't have to buy a new computer or printer because you closed source console operating system decides to no longer support the hardware. But if you have to pay a copyright tax every month for a commercial software as a service like Google Apps or Microsoft Charms or Office/Outlook online, you will be looking for open source alternatives, that cannot be taxed because they are free and open source, and you will be running them locally or on your own cloud.
I'd say that the problem is that linux is still pretty tedious to setup and there are a ton of minor inconveniences that just do not exist on other systems. I personally had to sit down and configure eOS for around 2 hours before i got to the point where i could use it . I had to tweak amd drivers, and then edit configs to get my dual-screen config to work. And then i had the issue with pulse being incompatible with skype when using external USB audio devices.
The point is that linux does not have a distro that will function perfectly without pre-configuration out of the box. ( Actually Crunchbang somehow did when i tried it, but that's an isolated case and openbox is kindof intimidating to a beginner ) and i have to say, amd drivers are pretty shite, atleast for the 7000 series. Realistically, what people want is convenience, and ubuntu is sadly currently the largest distro for linux beginners because it's considered convenient (while it really isnt). (Although as a beginner I much prefer cinnamon mint)
I'd say what linux needs is an AIO setup utility that you run with the installation that allows you to specify exactly what your configuration is and do a bare-bones setup tailored to the machine in question.
Theres lots of other little things that put users off too - like the different FS tree, the thing that the system works much differently than windows and ofcourse that windows is free to anyone who wants to use it without a license.
Oh good Lord, not again...
linux is still pretty tedious to setup
That's why it takes 10 minutes to install linux and at least 1 hour to install windows. On the linux install you enter a user name and a password and that's it. Nothing more is involved if you don't want to.
and there are a ton of minor inconveniences that just do not exist on other systems
Oh really? Like what? And now tell me honestly that the default windows installation doesn't have minor inconveniences. It would take me days to make it at least somewhat usable.
I personally had to sit down and configure eOS for around 2 hours before i got to the point where i could use it
Don't use eOS?
I had to tweak amd drivers, and then edit configs to get my dual-screen config to work.
You wanted to tweak amd drivers. They work perfectly fine with the default settings and you can configure dual-screens with the xrandr extension which is integrated into every damn distro out there.
And then i had the issue with pulse being incompatible with skype when using external USB audio devices
I call this bullshit. When an audio device works with pulse it works with every app that uses pulse. What might be the case is that skype is garbage, has bugs and is produced by microsoft. Use something that actually is supported.
The point is that linux does not have a distro that will function perfectly without pre-configuration out of the box.
Oh really? Every distro I used in the last 3 years worked perfectly out of the box.
and i have to say, amd drivers are pretty shite, atleast for the 7000 series
Depends on the viewpoint.
Realistically, what people want is convenience, and ubuntu is sadly currently the largest distro for linux beginners because it's considered convenient (while it really isnt).
That's like, your opinion, man!
I'd say what linux needs is an AIO setup utility that you run with the installation that allows you to specify exactly what your configuration is and do a bare-bones setup tailored to the machine in question.
Yeah, like windows does! Oh.. right.
That's what distros are for.
Theres lots of other little things that put users off too - like the different FS tree, the thing that the system works much differently than windows
Yeah, people hate superior things!
and ofcourse that windows is free to anyone who wants to use it without a license.
Because obviously, free is better than free.