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Valve beta testing Steam on Linux

Seeking experienced Linux users.

Valve is seeking to extend the Steam gaming platform to Linux operating systems, and is looking for experienced Linux users to beta test the software. The move comes after Microsoft launched Windows 8 - an operating system criticized by a co-founder of Valve.



The company had previously outlined a Vision to build a Steam client for Ubuntu 12.04 that would function just as well as the Windows client.

Valve co-founder Gabe Newell had publicly criticized Microsoft's direction with Windows 8, describing it in July as a "catastrophe" for people working in the PC space. Speculation following his comments surround fears that the new OS could lead to content update filtering by Microsoft, potentially bottlenecking Steam updates.

Minecraft creator Markus Persson also criticized Windows 8, going as far as to claim the game wouldn't be ported to Windows 8.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 29 Oct 2012 19:26

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• 4 comments

• KSib

  That's cool. I'm not getting Linux for Steam... ever because I don't like using Linux because nothing "just works" on it, but the more OSes the better I guess as long as they aren't taking manpower off of other projects to do it.
  

  29.10.2012 20:04 #1

• lamain

  I hope there is never a need to make a choice. But I am glad that Valve is here planning for the future.
  
  All Microsoft has to do to solve this problem is let other people open there own stores that compete with Microsoft. There is no advantage to the user to limit the option of places to buy to one company and there definitely is not an advantage to the developers.

  29.10.2012 23:23 #2

• YellowApple

  Originally posted by KSib: That's cool. I'm not getting Linux for Steam... ever because I don't like using Linux because nothing "just works" on it, but the more OSes the better I guess as long as they aren't taking manpower off of other projects to do it. Linux has made dramatic improvements in the last couple years; nowadays, things do indeed "just work" - more so than Windows in my experience and observation. Ubuntu is especially pain-free to set up and use, and if you haven't given it a whirl lately, I strongly recommend you do :)

  31.10.2012 12:12 #3

• ronatola

  I haven't re-tried Linux in over 2 years, mostly because of the lack of gaming support. But this could fill the void, and convince me to switch for good.

  1.11.2012 15:47 #4