That is an excellent suggestion!

I recognise that for almost any one task, Linux has a solution that works better than Windows. My issue is just getting Linux to run not only one specific thing but all the dozens of programs with each having their own dependencies and possible quirks without losing my mind, weeks of my life, data or all three.

If Valve (or really any other large entity capable of handling this for tens of thousands of users) stepped in to act as the guide for setting it all up in a safe manner and such that it just works without constant need for tweaking (unless you want to stray from the "installation wizard"), I could see Linux gain a big surge in users.

Brand recognition. Which apparently is the only thing that matters these days.

Approachability. Valve is a recognizable name and the Steam Deck is notoriously usable in the sea of Linux uncertainty.

Before you say “Linux is totally usable, just look at ” the first question people are prompted with is “What distribution do you want to install?” and there is no singular place that says “this is what you want for this specific use case.”

Valve is not the first name in Linux gaming, but they are a known and trusted name. It’s not just about brand recognition but about trusting a name to guide you through something brand new and extremely daunting. For the vast majority of PC gamers, SteamOS offers a guided introduction to something that previously was stereotyped as complex and difficult to learn.

Is it the best distro? Probably not, but then again it’s extremely easy to migrate from SteamOS to something else when someone discovers they want something else. Until they understand enough about Linux to find that they want something else, SteamOS is currently one of the best ways to get them there

not going to be a steam OS user, but its less what you can't, and more that any changes that valve patches in via their efforts on AMD drivers, users would get it first and without any fuss.

One example is HDR support. various distros and DEs kinda sat on HDR for the longest time, with mixed results on implementation. Valve just walks in and implements it.

It needs to be at least as easy as Windows to install and have good support.

Extra bonus points if they preinstall/bundle it on gaming PCs.

A plug and play system.

VIM is the best because once you try it you are unable to quit.

real linux users don't need a graphical session!!! everything can and should be done on the terminal!

/s

Those editors are toys. Use something with real power. Use nano.

It's actually ed .

I would argue that using an image based system with flatpak is one of the best ways for newbies to transition to Linux. Whether that's SteamOS, Bazzite, Bluefin or Aurora, that doesn't matter all that much.

If people want to ditch Windows then the gaming industry needs to stop gating the community. Either get rid of the shitty anti Linux anticheat or tell them to turn on Linux support naturally. For fucks sake I can't believe I find out most anticheat just needs a simple email to turn it on for Linux.

As someone who uses my desktop for gaming (and maybe web browsing) exclusively, and as someone mildly but not very familiar with OSes, I read this as “SteamOS is bad because of reason I personally don’t like that many people don’t understand, so do more research about Linux”

The barrier to Linux as an OS is not how good it is but how understandable it is. After Pewdiepie’s video went up I’m confident the search phrase “Linux OS download” skyrocketed in popularity because people don’t know let alone understand what a distribution is.

SteamOS is a great intro to Linux for the majority of PC gamers because it’s not only basically ready to use as soon as you boot it up, but also because it is being maintained by a team of people intent on making it the optimal PC gaming platform.

Once Windows users are introduced to a basic Linux experience why not let them take their time learning more about the variables in distros?

Maybe SteamOS is not the perfect distribution because but is there a perfect distribution?

I use Bazzite on my main laptop (basically SteamOS) and it's fantastic.

It's really not that difficult to learn his immutable works, and it's really not that limited at all, just different.

It doesn’t revert things stored in /home according to my experience, that’s good enough for most users

Also, SteamOS would make a dogshit desktop OS. It’s designed specifically for Steam’s Big Picture Mode. It has Arch running in the background, but that’s not the primary focus of the OS.

It would be great for something like an arcade cabinet or a family TV, but not so great for a desktop.

This isn’t about people not wanting to use Windows 11 this is about people not wanting to purchase a new computer

They are if they can't afford a new computer.

I don't know, I think you're clearly underestimating how many people would install Valve's OS. The number of people with a Steam Deck that don't know that what it's running is a Linux distro is pretty high. The other piece to this is that it's not just a forced Windows update for a huge chunk of users, it's a forced device upgrade. Valve offering a free upgrade that negates the need to buy new hardware would absolutely capture people's attention.

They are actively monitoring for "HL3 confirmed" and adds a hour to the release time for each they find.

The current release date is in the year 252525.

SteamOS has been available for years but no general purpose desktop release as of yet. Or anytime in the near future.

The new version on the Steam Deck isn't available - the old version of course is, but you might as well use Bazzite.

I dont think Valve would bother trying to convert people to Linux - regardless of where people's OSes are, they are the gaming store. Plus, Valve really doesn't think developers should develop Linux native ports, so I dont think they're really push people to use Linux - just use whatever you want and play shit with Proton if needed.