That would be a massive headache because you’d have to make it work on any hardware. And if you bork your users’ PCs you’re in for a really bad time. It would be much better to come up with a new Steam machine.

And they haven’t managed to come up with a decent product in decades.

I’ve built my latest PC myself and yes, i could absolutely do that. But that’s not the point. The point is that i want Linux to succeed as a mainstream OS. A machine like that would go a long way, even more so than the Steam Deck.

Absolutely. But now is the time. They have a huge game library that’ll run without any hassle and anyone who can use a console can use Steam. I’m honestly surprised nobody has done that yet. If I had a few million lying around in the bank, I’d do it myself.

Yes, that is what I mean. Installing an OS is just too hard and/or too much bother for most people. If Linux is finally to achieve mainstream acceptance, the product needs to be ready to run as soon as you unpack it. You know, like the Steam Deck. And yes, I could do the install myself, but I can’t be bothered.

Sure. But the Deck is a bit underpowered for a 4k TV. It would have to be powerful enough to play most games at 4k with some frame generation.

Sure. But that was then and this is now. Gaming on Linux has come a very long way since then.

Yes, I could just use Bazzite. But i want something that works out of the box.

Box, machine, whatever.

What I’m really waiting for is a Steam box that I can hook up to my TV. I’d buy that in a heartbeat. I really don’t understand why they haven’t come out with one of those yet. Should be much easier to do than a handheld.

They’re starting to sell their second generation of discrete GPUs right now. They’ve had integrated GPUs for a long time.

There have been rumours like that for as long as the GPU business has existed.

Only white people will be allowed to play.

Nah. They’re probably going to kill it because it doesn’t provide high enough margins.

Sure. Or you could use Bazzite. But I want something I don’t have to faff around with, like the Steam Deck. Plug it in and start gaming. That’s the selling point. If Valve can achieve that, make it perform well and be affordable, they have yet another goldmine.

Any old mini PC will run steam link.

I have a gaming PC, a Steam Deck and a PS4. But I’ll buy a Steam machine in a heartbeat.

They’re less open about it but you can bet they’re still at it. Any OEM that sells anything but Windows will be penalised in licensing deals.

And you really believe they’re not doing that any more?

Let’s see what MS has to say about that. Although they won’t say anything officially, of course. But they’ll certainly try to prevent this sort of thing from catching on from behind the scenes.

They’re the kind of people who write “Git gud, n00b!” in Linux forums.

Anyone who is just starting out with Linux and doesn’t want to put in a lot of effort should definitely choose Mint over Arch. If you really want to learn the ins and outs, Arch is great. If you just want a usable computer, Mint is your daddy.

Good. The more nonsensical projects he starts, the less damage he can do elsewhere.

We have a Twitter alternative already. And it’s not going to be enshittified now or in the future.

This is all pretty much out in the open. We have a pretty clear idea on where they stand and what are still open issues. One word: heat shield. That’s probably the bit where they’re furthest away from a definite solution. And the reliability of those raptors is also a huge issue. Just look at the fire in the booster after the catch today. So yeah, great achievement, long way to go.

Weight. It always comes down to weight. Landing legs will add a lot of extra weight.

Those damn POPUS! I hate them!

There’s going to be a cooking minigame and you can choose between 75 kinds of cheese.

I do think it’s about time for a successor. But that didn’t mean the current Steam deck isn’t viable any more. There are still thousands of games it will happily play. And the others can probably be made to run with some TLC from the developers.

Cool. Then, during the next boom they’ll hire just anybody which leads to shittier games, which leads to another bust, and so on.

Let’s set up a steering committee to develop guidelines for an approval process for allocating funds to the creativity enhancement subcommittee.

There’s been a lot of positive buzz about Bazzite.

What distros did you try?

I have a 4k Chromecast but I’ll be replacing it with the streamer once it comes out. Mine has been a bit flaky lately, requiring frequent reboots.

They’re going to run out of industries to fuck up soon.

I’ve never heard of that. Do you have a source on that? And how would it run like shit if you’re using something like a Chromecast?

The simple trick to turn a “smart” TV into a regular one is too cut off its internet access.

I’m sure that’s coming up.

Yeah that’s called having a YouTube channel. You try to make content that people want to watch. How very nefarious.

That’s easily fixed.