Valve Finds Value In Open-Source Drivers

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=intel_valve_linux&num=1

by macco • 14 years ago

132 52 14 years ago

jlgreco3• 14 years ago

I think an interesting takeaway from this article even for those who are not really interested in gaming on Linux is that the benefits of open source development can be seen even when source isn't made available to the world, but just within or between organizations.

That is probably something most HNers know or suspect already, but this seems like a particularly clean proof of that concept.

taskstrike• 14 years ago

too many ads on that page.

drcube• 14 years ago

Adblock Plus. Check it out. I don't know how anybody surfs the web with ads anymore. It's just a terrible experience.

fluffyllemon• 14 years ago

For the lazy: http://adblockplus.org/en/

viraptor• 14 years ago

Also Readability / Pocket. I find that page hard to read in the original form for many reasons, not only ads...

donniezazen2• 14 years ago

I really hate reading articles on Phoronix because they divide each article in 5, 10, 15, etc. pages. I understand they want to increase page hit but using an adblocker just defies the purpose.

uxp• 14 years ago

Check out Autopatchwork. It de-paginates sites for you.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/aeolcjbaammbkgaiag...

cookiecaper• 14 years ago

Yeah, I usually don't notice I have AdBlock off until I go to Phoronix. Michael has way overdone it. Phoronix is terrible all around.

prunebeads2• 14 years ago

It's a business, and he probably doesn't have the same readership volume as wintel or apple dedicated sites.

batgaijin• 14 years ago

Playing CS:GO on Fedora 17 with the latest nVidia drivers is an absolute nightmare. However, the framerate and audio lag are doing wonders for building my patience.

thebigshane2• 14 years ago

I haven't been in the linux gaming loop in a while so pardon my ignorance here... are you using Wine or VirtualBox/VMWare or something else?

nilved• 14 years ago

Probably Wine. Virtualization almost always prevents the guest OS from accessing the graphics card, which is very unsuitable for gaming.

lawn• 14 years ago

Playing CS:GO on Slackware 13 64bit with old nvidia drivers is an absolute joy for reference.

bryanh• 14 years ago

I'm guessing Valve's foray into Linux is more or less a hedge against Microsoft. If Windows 8 is a massive flop, the next best option is Mac or straight Linux. If Windows 8 is a success, well, I suppose it is business as usual albeit with some extra pressure from the Windows app store.

smokeyj• 14 years ago

A linux/Steam console would be pretty sick.

sliverstorm• 14 years ago

Yes, I think this is a better explanation than, "If Win8 flops we will go full Linux".

dllthomas• 14 years ago

I'd like to see this as a standard. Somewhere between the Linux Standard Base specification and the periodic Ultimate Linux Box, so I can know what to buy if I want to run the next round of games, developers can know what to target, etc. Then someone can make consoles to the spec.

jl6• 14 years ago

If nobody is interested in Windows 8, I expect the next best option is Windows 7 for the next 10 years - the new XP.

heretohelp• 14 years ago

Please. No.

Shamanmuni• 14 years ago

It's a definite possibility. However, with Android and iOS many people are learning that the world doesn't end after Windows and Ubuntu is very user friendly.

The typical PC user uses a web browser, an office suite and videogames. With Chrome you have an excellent web browser regardless of OS; LibreOffice is fine for many users and it's interface is similar to that of Office pre-Ribbon, which many appreciate. Games have been a painful issue, but with browser-based games and Valve porting to Linux it's getting really better.

I believe it's a matter of time until users begin questioning the Microsoft tax when they can get a useful OS sans viruses and malware for free.

Florin_Andrei2• 14 years ago

> If nobody is interested in Windows 8, I expect the next best option is Windows 7 for the next 10 years - the new XP.

Funny, I'm getting ready to upgrade my gaming PC from XP to Win 7 soon.

nathanb• 14 years ago

> Valve makes games people actually want to run, rather than most of the games we work with now...

BURN!

And I know I've said this before, but there are open-source drivers for the other vendors' cards as well...and I think they'd benefit tremendously from some Valve love.

prunebeads2• 14 years ago

If only those drivers were backed up seriously by their corresponding hw manufacturers, maybe Valve would consider trusting them a bit more. If Valve source code is spotted in the wilde, there will be only that many possible leaks, and all of them would be dependable (i.e. able to pay up in case of successful litigation). With independant teams of developers, it is very understandable that Valve doesn't want to take that risk. The only thing that Valve might do is contribute enginering strength to those other drivers projects, but I suspect that Valve doesn't have the workforce for that. Besides, that wouldn't necessary be seen as a keen move from Intel's perspective. I'm all for more open source drivers, but really it has to come from the manufacturers first and foremost, in this case at least. The only case I know of a game shop working directly on an OSS driver was when John Carmack helped with the Utah GLX driver effort, and that was a long time ago.

aw3c2• 14 years ago

Michael Larabel hates free games: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTExO...

nelmaven• 14 years ago

This will surely increase the Linux popularity as a platform.

Avshalom• 14 years ago

I doubt it will actually bring much in the way of new blood. But it will make the life of existing linux users more pleasant (one less wine/virtualbox work around)

gnarbarian• 14 years ago

Ugh, I don't even want to imagine playing a game in VirtualBox.

geoffhill• 14 years ago

> Valve has granted these Intel Linux developers complete access to the game's source-code, including the Source Engine. This has allowed Intel's Linux developers to better investigate possible optimizations and tweaks to their driver in order to enhance Source-powered games. Valve has even given them commit access to push back changes to the game company.

That sure is something EA and Ubisoft wouldn't do in a million years.

maximilianburke2• 14 years ago

I don't know about Ubi but EA has done this in the past.

missing_cipher• 14 years ago

Do you have a source?

gdc• 14 years ago

We did it all the time with certain hardware OEMs. Not sure where you get that, aside from "LOL EA".

ajross2• 14 years ago

To be clear: they didn't email the code to some random people on the internet or post it to a mailing list. They shared it with employees of Intel Corporation, no doubt under NDA. Those employees happen to work on open source drivers, of course, but they certainly won't be spreading the Source source (heh) around.

Florin_Andrei2• 14 years ago

It's still okay.

TazeTSchnitzel2• 14 years ago

OK, I was thinking of getting a Mac, but now I'm reminded that in not too long I will hopefully be able to play TF2 without WINE...

I have renewed hope.

sirlancer• 14 years ago

It will be interesting to see what Valve _recommends_ as their preferred Linux distribution and even more so if they roll their own.

Ralith• 14 years ago

It's old news that the (first) supported distro will be Ubuntu.

Valve Finds Value In Open-Source Drivers

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