Why I switched from OS X to Linux

Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by kagamine on Thursday January 12, 2017 @02:58AM (#13380587)

Is Steam supported? Steam is in the Ubuntu repos and available for download, but it seems like it's impossible to install for thousands of Linux users and this has been the case for 4 years. The problem seems to either be that it wants 32bit libraries that 64 bit linux does not include (and the problem is impossible to fix, I have tried) or that Steam wants a different GPU driver to the one you have installed (why a browser and installer need a particular GPU driver idk).

At this stage in Steam use on Linux, I would say it exists, but it does not appear "supported" by Valve.

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by npolet on Thursday January 12, 2017 @06:11AM (#13381373)

I think valve very much supports Linux. Their steamOS is built on top of Linux, so it is in their best interest to support it.

I've been running steamboat. Linux for a while now and have never had any issues running g it. Sure, there aren't a huge number of games for like us, but that has more to do with the game development ecosystem at the moment. Developing on Windows or Mac is just easier. You have access to all the 3d packages from autodesk and other companies.

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by kagamine on Thursday January 12, 2017 @06:42AM (#13381496)

I'm not talking baout the games, I'm talking about the Steam client delivered by Valve. It seems that a great many people share my frustration (1) You can tell me I'm wrong a hundred times but the link speaks for itself.

https://www.google.no/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&es...

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by babuskov on Thursday January 12, 2017 @06:05AM (#13381349)

Steam it fully supported. I run it on Ubuntu 16.04 and 14.04 without any problems. Just run it like this:

    env LD_PRELOAD='/usr/$LIB/libstdc++.so.6' steam

I have no idea why Valve doesn't make that command the default.

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by kagamine on Thursday January 12, 2017 @06:38AM (#13381478)

I have tried that and many other solutions and forums are still piling up with hacks to get the steam client to work on 16.04 and as far back as 14.x.

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by babuskov on Thursday January 12, 2017 @10:50AM (#13383137)

Just tried on fresh 16.04 install. Works out of the box.

Make sure you download Steam from official website, not the version packaged with the distro.

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by kagamine on Friday January 13, 2017 @02:20AM (#13389052)

I have tried both on identical PCs.

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by babuskov on Saturday January 14, 2017 @06:17AM (#13397942)

That's interesting (I assume 64bit version of Ubuntu, right?). What GPU do you have?

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by perakojotgenije on Thursday January 12, 2017 @05:39AM (#13381265)

Well, as a linux (latest linux mint, 64 bit) steam user for more than two years I can tell you it is pretty much supported.

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by kagamine on Thursday January 12, 2017 @06:39AM (#13381485)

I had it working on 14.x but cannot get it to start on 16.4 after hours of trying. Just because it works for you...

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by jeena on Thursday January 12, 2017 @07:53AM (#13381797)

I am on Arch and I followed the documentation https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Steam and it just worked on every machine I tried it.

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by kagamine on Thursday January 12, 2017 @08:50AM (#13382132)

Bully for you. As an Arch user you must not flinch at having to tweak to get something working, but on Ubuntu for an app in the repository I would expect apt to install and resolve any dependencies and for the app to ten start.

From your link: If you have a 64-bit system, you must install the 32-bit Multilib version of your graphics driver, lib32-alsa-plugins to enable sound, and lib32-curl, lib32-libgpg-error to enable update at first run.

Maybe someone can explain why I need a GPU driver for what is in essence a browser and install wizard? Not being facetious, I honestly want to know why drivers have anything to do with the Steam client working or not.

And is it not time for 64bit Steam client on Linux so that users of 64 bit systems can be free of all these hacks?

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by Zelmor on Thursday January 12, 2017 @07:33AM (#13381717)

>(and the problem is impossible to fix, I have tried)

Somehow I managed. 'dpkg add-architecture i386' ? Also, the steam client never asked for a driver on my machine. Proprietary nvidia does the magic I need for everything to run.

pebkac?

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Re:Why I switched from OS X to Linux by kagamine on Thursday January 12, 2017 @08:43AM (#13382093)

As I said, I had tried "everything" and that includes the "add-architecture-i386" fix. I have the proprietary Nvidia driver installed.

pebcak yourself, I linked to a very long list of google results for this very problem, suggesting quite strongly that the problem does not just lie with me but with the way in which Valve choose to roll out the Steam client. Or are you suggesting that dpkg -i steam.deb and resolving some dependencies is beyond all of those Linux users? Or maybe the problem does actually lie with Valve.

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