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I'm seriously curious about their sound and graphics framework more than the actual games (unless it is HL3). I am betting (and hoping) that they are going to

I'm seriously curious about their sound and graphics framework more than the actual games (unless it is HL3). I am betting (and hoping) that they are going to start using Wayland as well as a custom sound framework. I also wonder if they are using a custom packaging format based on top of .deb .

viraptor 13y ago
Why do you think they wouldn't go for straight deb-s? (apart for game data - I assume that will be downloaded the same way it is in typical steam application)
- sandGorgon 13y ago
  Because it is not based on Ubuntu and nobody knows for sure what the base distro is - earlier they had claimed Ubuntu 12.04 but that was refuted by an Engadget team recently [1] As promised, the OS is built on Linux (not based on Ubuntu, we're told, but entirely custom), though you'd never know it as the only interactive layer is all Steam [1] http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/04/valve-steam-machine-hands-on/?ncid=rss_truncated http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/04/valve-steam-machine-hands...
  - TsiCClawOfLight 13y ago
    They will probably base of Debian testing with custom backports.
    - thomasknowles 13y ago
      Description: Beta build of SteamOS 1.0 distribution based on Debian 7.1 Wheezy
  - mackal 13y ago
    Its Ubuntu, the Engadget guy interpreted the Dev wrong. Or I should say for most of its history its been Ubuntu based but it is still entirely possible they changed it, but I think its more likely the reporter is wrong.
    - Arelius 13y ago
      Do you have any evidence to back this up? We've never seen SteamOS so we can't say what it's been for any of it's history. This sounds like pure speculation to me, and if I had to speculate I think it's more likely that the reporter is correct, and it is unlikely Ubuntu.
      - TsiCClawOfLight 13y ago
        What makes you think that? Valve has been focusing on Ubuntu up to now, and they have an APT repo. If they don't base SteamOS on Ubuntu, they will probably base directly of Debian testing. Debian makes up most of desktop linux anyway...
        Arelius 13y ago
        > Debian makes up most of desktop linux anyway Actually, I'm pretty sure that spot belongs to Ubuntu, which is why: > Valve has been focusing on Ubuntu up to now They focus on Ubuntu release because that is where their target players are. SteamOS, being it's own release, doesn't have the same restriction. > If they don't base SteamOS on Ubuntu, they will probably base directly of Debian testing Nice save, anyways, the argument is moot now: http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/buildyourown http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/buildyourown Debian being, indeed, The most obvious choice.
        TsiCClawOfLight 13y ago
        what save? I thought it was probable, so I wrote it.
dubcanada 13y ago
No they will most likely use .deb that's what they use now for everything. Games will be downloaded and installed the way they currently are in Steam, a giant pile of files with random game data stuff.
jcastro 13y ago
From what they've said publicly they're pushing OpenGL and SDL, I don't see why they would make up another sound framework.
- sandGorgon 13y ago
  This is taken from their website - I dont know what they intended, but it sure looks like a possibility. In SteamOS, we have achieved significant performance increases in graphics processing, and we’re now targeting audio performance and reductions in input latency at the operating system level.
  - jcastro 13y ago
    They have a guy working on SDL directly, and they've been doing a bunch of work around GL and working with driver manufacturers: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btNVfUygvio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btNVfUygvio - http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2012-07-19T18:54:37Z-The_zombies_cometh/ http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2012-... You could take the statement on the site to seem that they could be working on their own stuff, but if you watch their video it seems that they are keen on working on existing things like SDL and participating in the Khronos group than building things from scratch.
    - cheald 13y ago
      They don't just have "a guy", they have Sam Lantinga, the guy who created SDL. I don't know if he's working on it or not, but the fact that they have him at the company speaks volumes about where they're headed.
hansjorg 13y ago
Wayland is missing the driver support right now. It's also one abstraction down from what game developers should worry about. I imagine Valve are going to focus on SDL. Sam Latinga, the original SDL dev, is employed by them now (was with Blizzard before).

viraptor 13y ago

Why do you think they wouldn't go for straight deb-s? (apart for game data - I assume that will be downloaded the same way it is in typical steam application)

sandGorgon 13y ago
Because it is not based on Ubuntu and nobody knows for sure what the base distro is - earlier they had claimed Ubuntu 12.04 but that was refuted by an Engadget team recently [1] As promised, the OS is built on Linux (not based on Ubuntu, we're told, but entirely custom), though you'd never know it as the only interactive layer is all Steam [1] http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/04/valve-steam-machine-hands-on/?ncid=rss_truncated http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/04/valve-steam-machine-hands...
- TsiCClawOfLight 13y ago
  They will probably base of Debian testing with custom backports.
  - thomasknowles 13y ago
    Description: Beta build of SteamOS 1.0 distribution based on Debian 7.1 Wheezy
- mackal 13y ago
  Its Ubuntu, the Engadget guy interpreted the Dev wrong. Or I should say for most of its history its been Ubuntu based but it is still entirely possible they changed it, but I think its more likely the reporter is wrong.
  - Arelius 13y ago
    Do you have any evidence to back this up? We've never seen SteamOS so we can't say what it's been for any of it's history. This sounds like pure speculation to me, and if I had to speculate I think it's more likely that the reporter is correct, and it is unlikely Ubuntu.
    - TsiCClawOfLight 13y ago
      What makes you think that? Valve has been focusing on Ubuntu up to now, and they have an APT repo. If they don't base SteamOS on Ubuntu, they will probably base directly of Debian testing. Debian makes up most of desktop linux anyway...
      - Arelius 13y ago
        > Debian makes up most of desktop linux anyway Actually, I'm pretty sure that spot belongs to Ubuntu, which is why: > Valve has been focusing on Ubuntu up to now They focus on Ubuntu release because that is where their target players are. SteamOS, being it's own release, doesn't have the same restriction. > If they don't base SteamOS on Ubuntu, they will probably base directly of Debian testing Nice save, anyways, the argument is moot now: http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/buildyourown http://store.steampowered.com/steamos/buildyourown Debian being, indeed, The most obvious choice.
        TsiCClawOfLight 13y ago
        what save? I thought it was probable, so I wrote it.

dubcanada 13y ago

No they will most likely use .deb that's what they use now for everything. Games will be downloaded and installed the way they currently are in Steam, a giant pile of files with random game data stuff.

jcastro 13y ago

From what they've said publicly they're pushing OpenGL and SDL, I don't see why they would make up another sound framework.

sandGorgon 13y ago
This is taken from their website - I dont know what they intended, but it sure looks like a possibility. In SteamOS, we have achieved significant performance increases in graphics processing, and we’re now targeting audio performance and reductions in input latency at the operating system level.
- jcastro 13y ago
  They have a guy working on SDL directly, and they've been doing a bunch of work around GL and working with driver manufacturers: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btNVfUygvio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btNVfUygvio - http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2012-07-19T18:54:37Z-The_zombies_cometh/ http://www.paranormal-entertainment.com/idr/blog/posts/2012-... You could take the statement on the site to seem that they could be working on their own stuff, but if you watch their video it seems that they are keen on working on existing things like SDL and participating in the Khronos group than building things from scratch.
  - cheald 13y ago
    They don't just have "a guy", they have Sam Lantinga, the guy who created SDL. I don't know if he's working on it or not, but the fact that they have him at the company speaks volumes about where they're headed.

hansjorg 13y ago

Wayland is missing the driver support right now. It's also one abstraction down from what game developers should worry about. I imagine Valve are going to focus on SDL. Sam Latinga, the original SDL dev, is employed by them now (was with Blizzard before).