[Gambas-user] SteamOS and GAMBAS

[Kevin Fishburne]

On 12/14/2013 06:21 PM, Rob Kudla wrote:
> On 12/14/2013 04:50 PM, Kevin Fishburne wrote:
>> SteamOS is Valve's attempt to circumvent the walled
>> gardens that are Microsoft Windows and Apple iOS/OSX and allow the
>> digital distribution of their games though
> ...their own walled garden.
>
> I think SteamOS is a great development, but let's not kid ourselves: Valve
> is using Linux to push their own DRM-based app store. It's about pushing
> Steam, not pushing Linux. I appreciate that they're growing the market for
> Linux games, because now there's more than just Icculus porting Humble
> Bundle games to Linux. But I think it's telling that they call SteamOS a
> "fork" of Debian, and I certainly have no interest in assisting people who
> want to create DRM-encumbered Gambas apps.

I completely agree with you as to Valve's motives. I also believe the 
proverb "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" and think that applies 
here. From my initial research it also appears as though Valve allows 
apps to be published without DRM:

http://www.gog.com/forum/general/list_of_drmfree_games_on_steam/page1

Many independent studios release their games DRM free, which is nearly a 
requirement for their market. I'm against DRM of any kind, and while 
most apps on Steam have DRM I think the more apps that -don't- have it 
the better the chance of turning the tide against it. Steam also now 
allows applications that are not games, making the possibility of GAMBAS 
apps on Steam endless.

> I think it's more likely that someone who wants to use a high-level
> language is going to use C# or VB with Monogame, since it works on not just
> Linux but everything from the iPhone to the Ouya, and the form design
> advantage that Gambas provides is erased if you're using the SDL/OpenGL
> components for your game.

That could be so, but we're all about choice and I think GAMBAS is an 
excellent one. I also think a program's viability is strengthened by the 
number of its users, and in turn the number of its users is increased by 
the program's platform availability.

> That said, here at home, our next desktop PC will most likely be a Steambox
> hooked up to our television.
>
> As for the Gambas packaging question, since it is essentially a console OS,
> if Gambas development is supported at all, in all likelihood you'll just
> have whatever version of Gambas available that the version of Debian
> they're based on does, and you'll need to make your code work on that.
> Breaking APIs between minor releases is not going to work, so they'll
> probably just pick one and freeze it.
>
> Their beta page says "Most of all, it is an open Linux platform that leaves
> you in full control. You can take charge of your system and install new
> software or content as you want," and says they use apt for their own
> package management. I take that to mean that you'll be able to add your own
> software sources and install whatever you like, being cautious not to stomp
> on Valve's own ABIs. Whether it'll be easy for your app's non-technical
> audience to add your repo and install your stuff -- as easy as it is on
> Win8 or OSX or Android, at least -- is another question, but one that
> should become clear within the next few months.
>
> Rob

That's awesome...I didn't read that. I'm hoping (will be testing today) 
that an app published through Steam can issue a sudo or gksudo to add a 
PPA or install packages. If so, the only question is will OEMs disable 
this capability or otherwise make it difficult for the end user. I'll 
see what I can see and keep everyone posted.

-- 
Kevin Fishburne
Eight Virtues
www: http://sales.eightvirtues.com
e-mail: sales at ...1887...
phone: (770) 853-6271