Talk:SteamOS

Draft article

There appears to be a current consensus that this article should not be created until further details have been released however I've started a draft article at User:Samwalton9/SteamOS in order to collect the current information before expanding and moving when more details are available. Samwalton9 (talk) 17:50, 25 September 2013 (UTC)

It seems that the Spanish article has been copied in, however I have a mostly ready to go article in the draft above... Samwalton9 (talk) 17:30, 29 September 2013 (UTC)

Per talk at WT:VG I've moved Sam's version in here and did a history merge. Sam's version is clearly better than the spanish (including the fact it has numerous sources), but I've brought the logo image over too. --MASEM (t) 17:50, 29 September 2013 (UTC)

Reception section?

Do other editors think it would be a good idea to include an early reception section? Plenty of game developers have expressed interest in SteamOS and commented with their thoughts so I think it could add nicely to the article. Some examples: Mike Bithell Notch Sony UK Boss John D Carmack, Tim Sweeney, and Johan Andersson DICE. Samwalton9 (talk) 19:52, 18 October 2013 (UTC)

Would definitely seem reasonable. We'll probably get more as the beta starts in a few weeks here. Jst make sure its clear its early, pre-release reception (in the prose). --MASEM (t) 19:55, 18 October 2013 (UTC)

Technical details

A game, the Linux kernel, the Simple DirectMedia Layer and OpenGL.

Are tehre plans to add details about the differences with Debian 7.1 and such? It seems SteamOS uses a largely modified custom Linux RT kernel, plus glibc 2.17. It should be interesting to know the details about these changes and if there has been non-upstream changes in the system (including software packages). 188.78.52.110 (talk) 18:25, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

SteamOS does not use RT kernel, check uname -r string. http://phoronix.com/forums/showthread.php?91440-The-First-NVIDIA-GeForce-Benchmarks-On-The-SteamOS-Beta&p=380947#post380947 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.186.147.229 (talk) 19:26, 21 December 2013 (UTC)

So far the diagram on the right is best I've found, well, I created it. It depicts the Linux kernel, SteamOS runs on it, Simple DirectMedia Layer Valve inversted into it, and OpenGL, Valve pushes for it.

As soon as Nvidia releases their GameWorks for Linux, and hence for SteamOS, there should be a different 16:10 diagram, mentioning GameWorks and the proprietary device drivers instead. In case Valve is planing more investments into Linux as a gaming platform, especially to the Kernel components it would be nice to point out what exactly. Linux users care about this kind of details. Why should games run on Linux just as fast as on Windows, when they could run at much higher framerates? ;-) ScotXW (talk) 22:48, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

Image reverting

ScotXW, now that you've reverted two different editors, lets have a discussion about the image you're trying to add to the article. I think it's only tangentially relevant, and good for other more broad articles, but not here. Samwalton9 (talk) 22:33, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

I have not reverted two editors, only you. ScotXW (talk) 22:39, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

You undid both Vaypertrail and myself. Samwalton9 (talk) 22:42, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

I'd have to agree. Unless Valve injected some additional modules into the Linux kernel itself, a discussion of the breakdown of Linux here makes no sense. --MASEM (t) 22:36, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

Do you have a better picture? ScotXW (talk) 22:39, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

It's about the content of the image, not that it is a bad representation. Samwalton9 (talk) 22:42, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

It depicts the Linux kernel, SteamOS runs on it, Simple DirectMedia Layer Valve inversted into it, and OpenGL, Valve pushes for it. So, could you be more concrete? Wasting time here. ScotXW (talk) 22:50, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

None of that is unique to SteamOS (As a Linux distribution), however. Every Linux distribution does the same, and games have been built on SDL and OpenGL for years before Valve's involvement. -- ferret (talk) 23:02, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

It would be much better suited for a "video games on Linux" article, not here, for sure. --MASEM (t) 23:04, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

And who says that the diagram has to depict only unique features? ScotXW (talk) 11:44, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

Right now, the user reading about SteamOS needs to know zero about Linux to understand SteamOS because there is nothing "special" that we are aware of of what Valve did to improve the kernel and module to get SteamOS to work. So an explanation of the inner workings of Linux is unnecessary here and unnecessarily makes the article complex. If Valve had done something for the kernel that merited discussion, then that would make sense. --MASEM (t) 15:34, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

I agree with MASEM here. — Frεcklεfσσt | Talk 18:25, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

Agreed here too. Permafrost46 (talk) 19:37, 3 March 2014 (UTC)

Gaming console OS or not?

I contend that an OS (SteamOS in particular) can be both personal computer-based and a video game console OS.

@Masem: and @Vaypertrail: You both wrote in edit comments that SteamOS is not a console OS. Masem, you added that it is a 'personal computer-based system'. However that second comment confuses me, as Xbox is also based on a personal computer design. Perhaps you can add something to the article that explains this distinction more, as to a naive editor like me, this page contradicts that idea with "The Alienware Steam Machine combines the awesome experience of console gaming with a massive library of over 980 games, all in full 1080p HD on your TV." If consensus goes against my suggestion, we should also fix the lead, which says, as of the current version, "designed to be the primary operating system for the Steam Machine game consoles".

As I naive reader, I would expect to visit Category:Game console operating systems and see SteamOS alongside Playstation, Nintendo and Xbox system software. If not, perhaps that category page can point to a more relevant category.

--Hroðulf (or Hrothulf) (Talk) 09:35, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

The idea for consoles is that they are hard-locked to a specific configuration made by one vendor, with perhaps some optional changes (primarily HD size). Steam Machines is not a single unit confirmation, but basically computers designed with minimum specifications to run SteamOS, but they are not locked to any vendor or configuration at all. Some vendors may want to sell what they have as the idea of a console to home users, in that the user will buy a pre-fab unit and never have to worry about upgrading/etc., and that makes it like a console from the consumer side, but from a technical definition, we are talking about personal computer systems. --MASEM (t) 13:02, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

• That there might be 20 different Steam consoles from different vendors doesn't make it any less a console from the point of view of an encyclopedia reader, unless we explain that technical distinction to them. Neither Valve nor the vendors seem keen to say "it is not a console, it is a computer". Like Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft, I think Valve wants to blur the categories to sell "entertainment devices", "gaming machines" and "living room PCs".[1][2]
• Perhaps we can agree to differ: some Steam Machines will be PCs, and others will be consoles, so let's describe the OS as relevant to both.

--Hroðulf (or Hrothulf) (Talk) 16:42, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

• Yes, most consoles are single configuration. But even so, Steamboxes could be considered consoles, and thus Steam OS is a console OS, albeit an unusual one. It's not an unreasonable categorisation. —ajf (talk) 17:02, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

Release version to note in infobox

Should we really be including the beta OS release versions in the infobox? I'd propose only the official Brewmaster release versions be counted, not the beta channel. If the consensus is to keep the beta channel latest version, it can be updated to 2.40 from 20151019. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Professorkaos64 (talk • contribs) 14:59, 23 October 2015 (UTC)

Both "Stable release" and "Preview release" are supported by the infobox template. If you'll let me know both versions/dates I'll make sure it's displayed right. -- ferret (talk) 15:01, 23 October 2015 (UTC)

Valve has not yet done away with Alchemist as being the "stable" target. It has been mentioned countless times on Steam Universe and IRC, that Brewmaster will be the release target come November's official launch. In that light, we could keep stable the brewmaster release tag, and preview being brewmaster_beta's release tag. I'm not opposed to this, as Alchemist is only updated with security fixes at this point and is not suggested to be used. The best place to monitor this, is the "SteamOS" discussion sub-channel on Steam Universe. Currently, Brewmaster is at release 4.20, and Brewmaster_beta is at release 2.40. The top two pinned posts there will show that. They are currently "in sync." --Professorkaos64 (talk) 15:22, 23 October 2015 (UTC)

I have populated the necessary templates. If you view the article, notice that the "Latest stable" and "Latest preview" have a little +/- icon. Click it to update the template for each. I used today's date because I can't visit the Steam site right now, please update with the correct dates. -- ferret (talk) 16:28, 23 October 2015 (UTC)

Got it, thank you very much. I was hesitant to include the real logo too, but I cannot vouch for the rights, nor find compliant icon. The current one is alright, but a nice PNG would be good. In any case, this new template will work just fine. --Professorkaos64 (talk) 16:55, 23 October 2015 (UTC)

Incorrect reverts

> Again, you've removed source content, and CN tagged things that are sourced. Gnome IS available, even if it's not default. Per BOLD, please use talk page before changing again.

I removed content that was incorrect.

I CN tagged things that need sources or had sources that had nothing to do with the context

I know "Gnome IS available, even if it's not default." but the name of the category is "Default user interface". Default as in DEFAULT. NOT Available.

Gnome is not the default therefore it should not be listed in the DEFAULT user interface.

Gnome removed, I'll agree on that one after further review. -- ferret (talk) 14:49, 3 January 2016 (UTC)

Streaming Services on SteamOS

Currently the information regarding streaming services is not fully correct. I personally don't know to put this on the page, but some streaming services like Netflix and Youtube work just fine in the Steam browser. I'm not sure about other services.

Abandoned

This seems to need an update on its (temporary?) abandonment, and how out of date it is. I'm not familiar with the situation myself. —Darxus (talk) 15:39, 4 January 2021 (UTC)

I found a better article, and edited it. —Darxus (talk) 00:53, 7 January 2021 (UTC)

Where in the official repos is Arch Linux?

Why do people keep on changing the 3.0 release to Arch Linux when it's nowhere to be found here: https://repo.steampowered.com/steamos/dists/clockwerk/

Because that repository directory listing is 2 years old at least (look at the modification dates in the directory listings), things seems to have changed internally since then. Valve says themselves that the Steam Deck is going to be running on SteamOS 3.0 which is based off of Arch Linux (Official FAQ), and news sites (ZDNet, GamingOnLinux, ShackNews 9To5Linux) say this as well. I don't think it's "nowhere to be found" as you said. ROllerozxa (talk) 08:46, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

Until the team actually provides the repo it's all just words, also it's a bit hard to believe they would risk it with such an unstable distro and why would the official repo already have debian 9 in place? 188.21.103.184 (talk) 09:24, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

@188.21.103.184: Valve has stated that SteamOS 3 is Arch-based. Multiple reliable sources have repeated this. Why would Valve lie about it? They have a working prototype too so it's unlikely they would change their mind at this point. Saucy^{[talk – contribs]} 11:10, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

@188.21.103.184: Here is a repo: https://repo.steampowered.com/arch/valveaur/. While this is not in the steamos directory, Saucy already mentioned that this directory was not updated since a long time. Arch got endorsed by Valve after Ubuntu wanted to drop 32bit libraries: https://steamcommunity.com/games/221410/announcements/detail/2957094910196249305. Also rolling-release != unstable. You fell for a common myth. 77.182.25.44 (talk) 16:35, 16 July 2021 (UTC)

This seems to be the new repo: https://steamdeck-packages.steamos.cloud/archlinux-mirror/ James (talk) 04:11, 22 July 2022 (UTC)

I'm failing to understand how this infobox works.

SteamOS has both beta and preview releases, they are on different channels. I'm failing to recognize where should I add a new entry into the infobox for beta release, because there is nothing between "source model" and "marketing target" in the code where the latest releases supposed to be. LinuxPower (talk) 17:49, 21 November 2022 (UTC)