Steam Box Software Drops Onto Package Repository

[-smash-]

It appears that Valve's software for their upcoming Steam Box is coming to fruition, as a public repository called "hometest" has emerged on the Steampowered.com web server. The package contains experimental Nvidia video drivers, a Plymouth boot splash screen for Steam, some Valve wallpapers, and of course the Steam for Linux binaries that are already available to Linux users.

Phoronix expects that the Steam Box will use Ubuntu/Debian at the core of the OS, and it'll be accessible by the more enthusiastic users, underneath the Steam Big Picture application (Gabe Newell suggested a few months ago at CES that the Steam Box would be completely open & accessible). But it's also too early to rule out the possibility of a repackaged "Steam Linux" distro altogether.

Valve's willingness to continue keeping their software free and open could mean that we won't ever need to buy a Steam Box. If they wanted to, a user could install the "Steam Linux" software on any machine that's up to hardware specifications. Makes sense, as any PC is technically a "Steam Box" according to Valve.

Anyways, this isn't gigantic news, but things are moving along.

 

[tomemozok]

Slow news week again,i presume?

 

[-smash-]

We aren't here to just report on HL3 rumors. We report on everything that's going on within the Valve community.

 

[Pikminiman]

Indeed. And while this isn't gigantic news, it's still significant. Today alone, we've gotten plenty more Valve news than last week.

 

[trunk_slamchest]

actually, this is rather important news from a developers stand point, as it sheds a very very small glimpse of what valve is planning.

the openess of a closed hardware & software platform is vital to its success. not enough developmental freedom, and it tanks because its too difficult to develop for, which results in no content. too much freedom and you lose control of the platform, which IBM experianced in the 1980's

ive been very curious of how valve is going to handle distros for Linux, and if they are just laying the framework for a SteamOS that is based off debian.

...kinda like a heavy modified version of the Quake Engine...

 

[SpotEnemyBoats]

We aren't here to just report on HL3 rumors. We report on everything that's going on within the Valve community.

Wait, I thought VT.net was concentrating on the Irrational community?

 

['XaDos]

HALF-LIFE 3 CONFIRMED

 

[Mogi67]

Wait, I thought VT.net was concentrating on the Irrational community?

April fools!

 

[SpotEnemyBoats]

April fools!

I was being tongue-in-cheek.

 

[Fetzer777]

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