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Comment by tormeh | Hacker News Reader

> a comparable desktop experience to the commercial OSes

Isn't it alteady comparable? My Linux desktop has almost the same game compatibility that Windows has, and none of the advertising and jank. Gone are the legendary days of xorg.conf. Linux has less problems than Windows now. Support from professional software vendors (Dassault, Autodesk, et al) and Nvidia could be better, admittedly, but these restrictions aren't very relevant to me. As for Mac OS it's fine, I guess, but I strongly dislike the settings program, and it's not like you can install an nvidia card there.

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People will buy a Steam Machine who would not buy a Linux desktop.

The perception and the marketing are very different. it is small and looks like games console. This is something people will buy instead of a Playstation or a gaming PC. A lot of people buying it will not know what Linux is.

If you look at this page:

https://store.steampowered.com/sale/steammachine

It does not use the word "Linux" at all and only mentions Arch and KDE right at the bottom of the specs.

> Linux has less problems than Windows now.

I agree, and it has been my experience for the last few years. I am not a gamer nor do I use any of the software you mention so its even better for me. I am very glad not to be using Windows 11 from what I hear of it.

>People will buy a Steam Machine who would not buy a Linux desktop.

I have a Linux desktop and a mental block around playing games on a computer. The computer is supposed to be where I work or write code, etc. If I have leisure time, I "should" do something away from the computer.

Getting a steam deck let me shake some of that. I'd be very tempted by a box that is a Linux computer, but for fun use only.

And this is due to Valve's big investments in Proton, Steam Deck and the new Steam hardware to get game compatibility working from both the Linux/Wine side as well as making game developers aim for compatibility.

One part of it. The other (and arguably bigger in some way) part are drivers (Nvidia, amd, Intel) that improved a great deal over the years.

Kind of helps that most AI work happens on Linux too. ;)

They've been supporting KDE as well for years now.

> Support from professional software vendors (Dassault, Autodesk, et al) and Nvidia could be better, admittedly, but these restrictions aren't very relevant to me.

I think that's maybe what GP was getting at. If you know how to debug stuff and such then Linux is perfectly serviceable today.

With something like this, between Valve presumably publishing some docs and a big community for a single platform it should become a lot easier for people who are less familiar to search "I got xyz error on my steam box what do I do" and get help they can use. For mass adoption I think that's a big step. And then from there they can start venturing further out, if they want.

What do these things have to do with each other? You can't debug your way out of bad Nvidia support or nonexistent Dassault support. You have to just not use these products in combination with Linux, or just accept the issues that come with them.

> You can't debug your way out of bad Nvidia support or nonexistent Dassault support.

With bad Nvidia support very often you can, there exist a lot of workarounds found by people.

With Dassault support you are right, because a lot less people use their products than Nvidia products and those people typically don't share on public forums.

People using Steam Machine will be sharing problems and solutions on public forums and there will be more of them than people using Dassault products.

> Support from professional software vendors [..] and Nvidia could be better, admittedly, but these restrictions aren't very relevant to me.

Quality of support from Nvidia on linux is the reason that I went with AMD for my linux work+gaming rig. That's why probably Valve chosen AMD too. As amount of linux gamers increases, maybe Nvidia will see the light too. For me, linux+AMD+Steam stack "just works".

Nvidia has always had a hard time maintaining good relationships with partners (see the whole Apple fiasco in the early 2010s), their Linux support is anemic and now they're gorged up to the gills with stupid AI money.

They probably don't even bother picking up the phone when Valve calls. Only AMD will sell you an integrated CPU/GPU system with the power envelope needed for modern games.

Yes - but now what would you rather plug into a big screen TV? Supposing you opt for an OS like Bazzite/pop that is TV friendly then you are turning a desktop into a multimedia console foremost. People like stuff that works out of the box.

Conversely You can also turn the Steam Machine into a desktop by installing another OS

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