Elite:Dangerous for Linux?

[lysan]

The version of what that SteamOS uses? You mean Jessie? Yeah, I agree. That's the version of Debian that I use as well. Well, it does need a few addons and tweaks to get it set up and running the way I want, but it's a nice base to start from.

Can you run all Steam games from steamOS?

 

[WR3ND]

Can you run all Steam games from steamOS?

I don't actually use SteamOS, yet, at least. Just keeping some tabs on it. But no, as far as I know you can only run the Linux/SteamOS compatible ones that they mention. Here's a list of what should currently run on it: http://store.steampowered.com/search/?term=&sort_by=_ASC&os=linux&page=1

 

[Bambi]

A good way to understand why this likely won't happen is the kind of sales you can expect on a given platform.

Maybe you'll get 100.000 sales on windows PC. For a similar game, you might make 10.000 sales on a mac.

You will get 10(!) on linux. If you have a dedicated playerbase.

Linux is not for games, established linux users do not like proprietary games. So nobody buys games, and nobody makes games, which means gamers don't want linux. Self perpetuating but that's how it is.

 

[the100thmonkey]

Can you run all Steam games from steamOS?

No, you can't.

 

[WR3ND]

...

Linux is not for games, established linux users do not like proprietary games. So nobody buys games, and nobody makes games, which means gamers don't want linux. Self perpetuating but that's how it is.

Thanks for telling my that I'm nobody.

With a few exceptions, I pretty much only buy games because they work on Linux as well these days.

Per capita, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Linux "desktop/laptop" users spend more on software and games on average than people who only use Windows.

But yeah, there aren't as many of us.

 

[PiLhEaD]

...I pretty much only buy games because they work on Linux as well these days... But yeah, there aren't as many of us.

I think you've answered your own question.

I'm sorry, but I have never understand the zeal that the linux fans display. Linux is simply too much of a chore, too diverse, too dispirate, too many incompatibilities, and too hard for the average user to download software that works 'out of the box'. It seems to me that Linux is a very broad church where the only commonality is their advocating wearing hair-shirts.

...Per capita, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Linux "desktop/laptop" users spend more on software and games on average than people who only use Windows.

Even if this is true (be it per capita or per person) - which I strongly doubt - a) by and large the expensive software purchased will be running on either windows or mac; b) it is such a tiny community that no one cares.

Sorry - but it's true - the Linux home desktop community is, and always will be, too small and too niche.

 

[WR3ND]

I think you've answered your own question.

...

I wasn't asking a question.

 

[amigacooke]

I've tried various flavours of Linux over the years and it has vastly improved. Installation is as trouble free as either of the other two main OSes and the accessibility seems pretty good as well.

I like the price and I like the fact that there is another OS to keep both Windows and OSX on their toes.

I must say, I've never worked out why some of those who use an OS with around 90% market share are so defensive when requests are made for other operating systems.

 

[WR3ND]

Personally, I don't really care what other people choose to think about the OS I choose to use. It's easy enough for me to use, set up, and get it to do what I want it to. If other people have problems with it, that's their problem, not mine.

There are a ton of great games that work on Linux these days; Elite just happens to not be one of them.

 

[PiLhEaD]

I must say, I've never worked out why some of those who use an OS with around 90% market share are so defensive when requests are made for other operating systems.

No one's being defensive, it's just that Linux is, and will only ever be, a minority and diverse OS (susie, ubuntu, toutou, lubuntu, lxle, MX, porteus, slitaz... I could go on...) and home desktop (kde, gnome, unity, xfce, cinnamon, mate... etc etc etc).

So, I repeat, the Linux home desktop community is, and always will be, too small and too niche.

EDIT: I don't mind people having fun with Linux, but the thread title is 'Elite Dangerous for Linux?', and the answer is 'no', for the reasons given.

 

[WR3ND]

No one's being defensive, it's just that Linux is, and will only ever be, a minority and diverse OS (susie, ubuntu, toutou, lubuntu, lxle, MX, porteus, slitaz... I could go on...) and home desktop (kde, gnome, unity, xfce, cinnamon, mate... etc etc etc).

So, I repeat, the Linux home desktop community is, and always will be, too small and too niche.

So, what is it you're trying to get across exactly? Too small and too niche for what? There are a ton of great games for Linux already. Some of us Linux users would just like it if Elite happened to be one of them so that we could play it on our OS of choice. Your personal feelings regarding Linux are pretty much irrelevant.

I've already said that I think it's rather unlikely that Frontier will port it to Linux, but that doesn't really change my stance on it.

 

[PiLhEaD]

So, what is it you're trying to get across exactly? Too small and too niche for what? There are a ton of great games for Linux already. Some of us Linux users would just like it if Elite happened to be one of them so that we could play it on our OS of choice. Your personal feelings regarding Linux are pretty much irrelevant.

I've already said that I think it's rather unlikely that Frontier will port it to Linux, but that doesn't really chance my stance on it.

Sorry mate, I've nothing personal aginst Linux, I just don't think its good enough for the average everyday home user, and I seriously doubt that it is the sole home/desktop OS for any but a rare (and very clever) few. As Wes Miller said, "sometimes highly technical people forget that the world is not comprised of highly technical people."

My point is simple, have a look at this. Linux is 1.6% of the desktop market - in all its diverse varieties. Windows, in all varieties is 86%, MACs 8%.

So if the dev environment (IDE) for a game doesn't already include Linux for close to zero-addition effort, then the potential market (vs the cost of support) is way too small.

So, wishing for the next ED port... well, let's think... is it either to a heterogeneous (small user base) Linux or the homogeneous (huge user base) PS4?

TLDR: 'Elite Dangerous for Linux?', the answer is 'no', sorry. It's nothing personal!

 

[Darth Ender]

most of the work for porting to linux should have already been done, via the port for Mac. The difference is, linux actually has the necessary support for compute shaders (and everything else that is only supported by proprietary graphics drivers). This means Horizons and future versions of the game wont hit roadblocks.

That being said, it doesn't seem that FD has the man power to handle multiple ports and probably shouldn't have ever done the mac one to begin with. It's bad enough that there is a bug list the size of a short novel that hasn't been squashed that they've been aware of since the betas, having to deal with issues caused by multiple platforms - no thanks.

I'd love for there to be a linux port. I purchased windows and another SSD just to play this game since Linux is my primary OS. But i'd rather dev time go to _FIXING_BUGS_THAT_HAVE_BEEN_LISTED_SINCE_BETA_ than spending time working through platform issues.

 

[WR3ND]

...

So, wishing for the next ED port... well, let's think... is it either to a heterogeneous (small user base) Linux or the homogeneous (huge user base) PS4?

...

Speaking of the PS4, we were just talking about hacking it to get Linux, more specifically SteamOS, installed on it. I'd get a kick out of getting one to set up as a Steam Machine for my wife to use. Having not bought into the PS4 ecosystem, there would be no loss there.

 

[Kisvakond]

As a network manager (for many years) I can confirm that this is how windows works. It is supposed to be user friendly and will fail things silently rather than flash up cryptic messages. Who can do anything when your .Net code flashes up "catastrophic failure"?

Yes you can run debuggers or go hunting logs. But any code I write always writes it's own logs, because Windows does not give you a clue when something goes wrong.

This is exactly the way DX12 and Vulkan APIs are designed. They fail silently, hoping that it won't be a problem anymore in the next drawn frame. In exchange, minimum return values and status info is provided from GPUs back to application CPU levels, saving a lot of overhead and housekeeping.

http://blog.imgtec.com/powervr/trying-out-the-new-vulkan-graphics-api-on-powervr-gpus

 

[Kisvakond]

...

I'd love for there to be a linux port. I purchased windows and another SSD just to play this game since Linux is my primary OS. But i'd rather dev time go to _FIXING_BUGS_THAT_HAVE_BEEN_LISTED_SINCE_BETA_ than spending time working through platform issues.

I wouldn't be surprised if efforts of cross-platform migration, like code reviews, would also result in existing bugs identified and fixed.

 

[VictorT]

sigh.

I can't wait for Elite: Dangerous to come out for SteamOS. that'll be so awesome, i might even play it on my PC instead of my Steam Machine.

lord knows my Steam Machine is twice the hardware of a PS4, and I won't have to buy it again when the PS5 comes out. (after i'd have to buy a PS5).

=)

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Wow, quite an activity on this old thread.

Regarding Wine work is ongoing and sufficient DX11 support will come at some point this year - there's hope that we will be able to launch ED under Wine at some point, so that's good news.

Regarding Steam Machines - they are finally launched, we don't know sales numbers, but few vendors bow out...nothing huge though. SteamOS itself got solid reviews, Steam Controller too. Only nagging issue for some of reviewers were fact that it is not Windows therefore not all games will work - despite it not being Valve focus.

At this point I expect Steam Machines having sort of update regarding their faith on GDC and maybe at the end of the year. If sales numbers will continue to satisfy vendors, they will continue to support platform, as Windows 10 isn't exactly knight on white horse in shining armor neither. I don't expect have any solid evaluation of market or even traction till next year.

TLDR - Wine is here to save us, natural port might come when Steam Machines reaches some parity within market. Good thing is - Valve and vendors have done solid job at kickstarting them. Bad thing is - it will take time.

I also expect Vulkan to change this drastically - if ED graphics engine start to support it, SteamOS support might be not so expensive for FD.

 

[Agony_Aunt]

Since Apple is a relative of the Unix family

Quite distant.

Its Mach/BSD not GNU/Linux.

Microkernel vs monolithic.

 

[0x666c697473]

Quite distant.

Its Mach/BSD not GNU/Linux.

Microkernel vs monolithic.

I think you are mistaken. BSD *is* UNIX and OS X can be traced back through Next Step, directly to Berkeley. GNU as we know, states explicitly that GNU is Not Unix. Linux was written in response to difficulties with Minix. I'm going to sidestep the whole GNU/Linux/HURD kernel debate though as it is not productive for this thread. You may find http://www.levenez.com/unix/ interesting if OS Archaeology is up your boulevard.

That said, the API and KABI situation is such that the technical challenges to a Linux port are based more around things like moving to Vulkan, and dealing with X11, but hopefully, X11 will soon be relegated to a subsystem of Wayland and the display issues for devs will become simpler (Wayland still has a long way to go though).

Remember moons and moons ago, FD discussed setting the server free when they were unable to support it any more? I think that is when we are likely to see a Linux client.

In the mean time, the best way to get FD interested in a supported Linux client, is, I think, to support Valve and purchase a SteamBox. That doesn't mean I'm not following WINE development like a hawk of course ;-)