Valve joins the Linux Foundation

Valve has joined The Linux Foundation, a nonprofit organization "dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux."

December 4, 2013 12:45 PM

Valve has joined The Linux Foundation, a nonprofit organization "dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux." Valve now joins the ranks of companies like IBM, Intel, AMD, and Google, in their efforts to promote the open-source OS. The move is especially unsurprising given that the company's upcoming SteamOS is based on Linux.

“Joining the Linux Foundation is one of many ways Valve is investing in the advancement of Linux gaming," Valve's Mike Sartain said in the announcement. "Through these efforts, we hope to contribute tools for developers building new experiences on Linux, compel hardware manufacturers to prioritize support for Linux, and ultimately deliver an elegant and open platform for Linux users."

Valve plans on launching SteamOS-based Steam Machines in 2014. And while Valve is heavily pushing for Linux, the company has pledged that there will be no games exclusive to SteamOS.

Andrew Yoon

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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December 4, 2013 12:45 PM

Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Valve joins the Linux Foundation.

Valve has joined The Linux Foundation, a nonprofit organization "dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux."
- Nali4Freedom
  
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  December 4, 2013 1:19 PM
  
  And Richard Stallman starts asking everyone to call it the GNU/SteamOS
  - Vividvoid
    
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    December 4, 2013 3:59 PM
    
    I don't understand how anybody could be that anal about something so insignificant.
    - Novan Leon
      
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      December 5, 2013 7:33 AM
      
      You just described most internet arguments ever.
  - rgoer
    
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    December 4, 2013 4:03 PM
    
    Steam: No way! That's nonfree (freedom-denying) software.
    Use TuxRacer or an ordinary chess set
    - spazzium
      
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      December 4, 2013 4:48 PM
      
      *eats toe cheese*
- Maarc
  
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  December 4, 2013 4:44 PM
  
  Perhaps I'm just overly finicky but I find this disturbing:
  
  "Through these efforts, we hope to contribute tools for developers building new experiences on Linux, compel hardware manufacturers to prioritize support for Linux, and ultimately deliver an elegant and open platform for Linux users."
  
  Compel in any form is a bad thing, smells of strong arm tactics ... but I can't see how they'd be in a position to do so anyway, so I find it an odd phrasing. But if it were MS saying such a thing, I'd see a lot of people getting cranky.
  
  Or maybe just a throwaway phrase I'm seeing too much into. But improvements to the ecosystem are always welcome.
  - Herman Toothrot
    
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    December 4, 2013 4:49 PM
    
    You're reading too much into it. Compel doesn't have to mean anything shady or unscrupulous. All they mean is they want hardware developers to pay more attention to Linux support.
    - Teiresias
      
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      December 4, 2013 4:54 PM
      
      Exactly. The pressure on manufacturers is intended to come from users who want to use shiny new hardware with SteamOS.
      - the archvile
        
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        December 4, 2013 6:55 PM
        
        "NVidia has been the single worst company we have dealt with!" -- Linus Torvalds, June 14, 2012, at a conference at the Aalto Center for Enterpreneurship (prior to saying, "NVidia, FUCK YOU!" and flipping off the camera)
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MShbP3OpASA#t=48m08s
    - Maarc
      
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      December 4, 2013 5:22 PM
      
      Yeah, I figured as much too - but I guess I've never really seen Compel used in a good context, which is why it leapt out at me.
      - R@zzle
        
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        December 4, 2013 5:23 PM
        
        compel in this sense is pretty much the same as persuade
- boarder2
  
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  December 4, 2013 6:16 PM
  
  Valve now joins the ranks of companies like IBM, Intel, AMD, and Google, in their efforts to promote the open-source OS.
  
  I'm sure Valve will be the tipping point for Linux on the desktop. Yup. Positive of it. 2015. Year of the Valve Linux desktop. You heard it here first everyone!
  - owly
    
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    December 4, 2013 6:25 PM
    
    Maybe year of the Linux Living Room :)