How is steam considered it’s own os?

[kingdragonbg]

Shouldn’t steam be considered an app on steam deck cuz it’s running on Linux like Linux is its own os but steam os is like in a way just an app running on Linux right?


So wouldn’t it be smart for valve to code there own literal “os” instead of an os like app and have there own ecosystem ? There own file manager and everything like Linux only it’s there own thing ???

[Khanjima]

I mean if it works it works, I have yet to dispute any personal issues with it

[kingdragonbg]

Originally posted by ♜♠Doomulus♠♜:

I mean if it works it works, I have yet to dispute any personal issues with it

No issues myself besides desktop mode not responding to trackpads when steam isn’t launching nor going in offline mode but I’d say it be so much smarter if they did there own “legit os” wouldn’t battery life be much better and more optimized since then it isn’t an app relying on Linux but relying only on its own software / os

[WarnerCK]

Steam isn't an OS. SteamOS is an OS that also runs Steam.

[Jake Sully]

Originally posted by WarnerCK:

Steam isn't an OS. SteamOS is an OS that also runs Steam.

Real name is actually Arch Linux that has been built in a way with steam, proton and other stuff and with KDE Plasma graphic desktop. So it's more like a custom Arch Linux that has got custom name called SteamOS.

[Man's Best Friend]

Oh goodness, no. It would be an apocalyptically stupid idea for Valve to write their own OS from the ground up. Why should they reinvent literally everything, just to not have Windows when there was already years (decades, actually) of work already put into a a perfectly functional alternative OS, and a foundation to run Windows/DOS programs within Linux?

[WarnerCK]

Originally posted by Jake Sully:

Originally posted by WarnerCK:

Steam isn't an OS. SteamOS is an OS that also runs Steam.

Real name is actually Arch Linux that has been built in a way with steam, proton and other stuff and with KDE Plasma graphic desktop. So it's more like a custom Arch Linux that has got custom name called SteamOS.

No, it isn't. SteamOS uses Arch packages, but isn't Arch: Arch is rolling release, and SteamOS has frozen releases. Just as Ubuntu is not Debian Sid.

[Jake Sully]

Originally posted by WarnerCK:

Originally posted by Jake Sully:

Real name is actually Arch Linux that has been built in a way with steam, proton and other stuff and with KDE Plasma graphic desktop. So it's more like a custom Arch Linux that has got custom name called SteamOS.

No, it isn't. SteamOS uses Arch packages, but isn't Arch: Arch is rolling release, and SteamOS has frozen releases. Just as Ubuntu is not Debian Sid.

It actually is. Even been proven that it's based on arch Linux

[WarnerCK]

Originally posted by Jake Sully:

It actually is. Even been proven that it's based on arch Linux

It actually isn't. You don't need to prove that it's based on Arch: Valve said so when they announced the Deck, just as SteamOS 1 & 2 were based on Debian, and just as ChromeOS is based on Gentoo. Being based on something doesn't mean that they're the same thing. And SteamOS is not Arch, merely based on it.

[Jake Sully]

Originally posted by WarnerCK:

Originally posted by Jake Sully:

It actually is. Even been proven that it's based on arch Linux

It actually isn't. You don't need to prove that it's based on Arch: Valve said so when they announced the Deck, just as SteamOS 1 & 2 were based on Debian, and just as ChromeOS is based on Gentoo. Being based on something doesn't mean that they're the same thing. And SteamOS is not Arch, merely based on it.

Well you are wrong still everywhere it says it is. So stop playing that you are right because you are wrong.

SteamOS was based on Debian in version 1 and 2 yes but now it is based on Arch Linux in Version 3.

It even says on steam deck specifications and on Wikipedia and tons of other websites are saying it as well.

[WarnerCK]

Originally posted by Jake Sully:

Well you are wrong still everywhere it says it is. So stop playing that you are right because you are wrong.

No, the only people that say that SteamOS is Arch are the uninformed. That SteamOS is based on Arch is entirely uncontroversial.

[Shibby]

Originally posted by Jake Sully:

Originally posted by WarnerCK:

It actually isn't. You don't need to prove that it's based on Arch: Valve said so when they announced the Deck, just as SteamOS 1 & 2 were based on Debian, and just as ChromeOS is based on Gentoo. Being based on something doesn't mean that they're the same thing. And SteamOS is not Arch, merely based on it.

Well you are wrong still everywhere it says it is. So stop playing that you are right because you are wrong.

SteamOS was based on Debian in version 1 and 2 yes but now it is based on Arch Linux in Version 3.

It even says on steam deck specifications and on Wikipedia and tons of other websites are saying it as well.

Amazing how you don't know what you are talking about. They are called "Forks". Don't worry the rest of us will increase the average IQ of the thread.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fork_(software_development)

[retrogunner]

Originally posted by kingdragonbg:

Shouldn’t steam be considered an app on steam deck cuz it’s running on Linux like Linux is its own os but steam os is like in a way just an app running on Linux right?

So wouldn’t it be smart for valve to code there own literal “os” instead of an os like app and have there own ecosystem ? There own file manager and everything like Linux only it’s there own thing ???

Though the OG post sounds a bit of a troll, I'll treat it as legitimate curiosity. This is going to long.

Is Steam OS a legit Linux distribution in and of its own right? When compared to the overall Linux distributions ecosystems and lineages, yes.

In generic terms, a linux distro is "someone constructed" software collection for a target use-case.

Most all Linux Distributions are a GNU/Linux distribution. GNU is the user space utilities. Linux is the kernel for the HAL (hardware abstraction layer). There are also GNU/BSD distros. Even if using the Buildroot (OR LinuxFromScratch) compiling utils to literally compile your own linux installation, those too are GNU/Linux.

Different Linux use-case philosophies establish what to include, legal & feature support, etc. Some have been around so long, they grandfather OG distros. They are forked and improved upon. (I cannot name them all as there's so many)
* Debian -> Ubuntu -> Mint Linux
* Debian -> Raspberry OS
* OG Red Hat -> Fedora -> Centos Stream -> Red Hat Enterprise
* OG SuSE -> Tumbleweed -> OpenSuSE -> SuSE Enterprise
* Slackware
* Gentoo
While newer philosophical practices have created the NG (Next Gen) distros like:
* Arch Linux -> Manajaro
* Apline
Or specialized NG builds:
* PostmarketOS
* AOSP (open source Android) -> Lineage/Omni/and others.

Some of those also have versions for x86 32-bit, x86_64 bit, ARM64, ARMHF, etc

But when someone "forks" and improves (or tailors) the above, we start getting distros regarding convenience or user experience & functionality. That doesn't make them any less a distro than their parent or sibling distro. Each one has added new value and/or software to the Linux eco-system -- that's the whole premise of Free & Open Source Software.

Keep in mind, the deck is using Steam OS 3.x (based on Arch). That means there's been two previous Steam OS (both based on Debian.) Steam OS is also tailored to operate like a Hardware Appliance where most others are general purpose install like Windows. Hardware Appliances (like those in commercial data centers) require fault-tolerant OSes so if an update fails, the owner does not end up with a brick. Steam OS has always had TWO operating system partitions to flip-flop between. While the User's Home Directory has been modifiable.

Everything about Steam OS features is demonstrable it is its own unique Linux Distro even though derived from an upstream source.

Cheers, retro

[kingdragonbg]

Originally posted by HTTP Error 418: I'm a teapot:

Oh goodness, no. It would be an apocalyptically stupid idea for Valve to write their own OS from the ground up. Why should they reinvent literally everything, just to not have Windows when there was already years (decades, actually) of work already put into a a perfectly functional alternative OS, and a foundation to run Windows/DOS programs within Linux?

Reinvent it all control over whole ecosystem and no longer worry of privacy since valve lets you know they want you in control of privacy and cuz oh idk if they did that I bet this steam decks battery life would go from 8 hours max to 12 14 hours max .... cuz then the code from ground up is literally built and optimized for the literal system they made for themself like Sony with PlayStation super fast cuz it’s there own os and ecosystem valve could do that and then add Linux as the side dual boot or even a way to transfer files easily

[WarnerCK]

Originally posted by kingdragonbg:

cuz then the code from ground up is literally built and optimized for the literal system they made for themself like Sony with PlayStation super fast cuz it’s there own os and ecosystem

The PlayStation OS is based on BSD.

[kingdragonbg]

Originally posted by retrogunner:

Originally posted by kingdragonbg:

Shouldn’t steam be considered an app on steam deck cuz it’s running on Linux like Linux is its own os but steam os is like in a way just an app running on Linux right?

So wouldn’t it be smart for valve to code there own literal “os” instead of an os like app and have there own ecosystem ? There own file manager and everything like Linux only it’s there own thing ???

Though the OG post sounds a bit of a troll, I'll treat it as legitimate curiosity. This is going to long.

Is Steam OS a legit Linux distribution in and of its own right? When compared to the overall Linux distributions ecosystems and lineages, yes.

In generic terms, a linux distro is "someone constructed" software collection for a target use-case.

Most all Linux Distributions are a GNU/Linux distribution. GNU is the user space utilities. Linux is the kernel for the HAL (hardware abstraction layer). There are also GNU/BSD distros. Even if using the Buildroot (OR LinuxFromScratch) compiling utils to literally compile your own linux installation, those too are GNU/Linux.

Different Linux use-case philosophies establish what to include, legal & feature support, etc. Some have been around so long, they grandfather OG distros. They are forked and improved upon. (I cannot name them all as there's so many)
* Debian -> Ubuntu -> Mint Linux
* Debian -> Raspberry OS
* OG Red Hat -> Fedora -> Centos Stream -> Red Hat Enterprise
* OG SuSE -> Tumbleweed -> OpenSuSE -> SuSE Enterprise
* Slackware
* Gentoo
While newer philosophical practices have created the NG (Next Gen) distros like:
* Arch Linux -> Manajaro
* Apline
Or specialized NG builds:
* PostmarketOS
* AOSP (open source Android) -> Lineage/Omni/and others.

Some of those also have versions for x86 32-bit, x86_64 bit, ARM64, ARMHF, etc

But when someone "forks" and improves (or tailors) the above, we start getting distros regarding convenience or user experience & functionality. That doesn't make them any less a distro than their parent or sibling distro. Each one has added new value and/or software to the Linux eco-system -- that's the whole premise of Free & Open Source Software.

Keep in mind, the deck is using Steam OS 3.x (based on Arch). That means there's been two previous Steam OS (both based on Debian.) Steam OS is also tailored to operate like a Hardware Appliance where most others are general purpose install like Windows. Hardware Appliances (like those in commercial data centers) require fault-tolerant OSes so if an update fails, the owner does not end up with a brick. Steam OS has always had TWO operating system partitions to flip-flop between. While the User's Home Directory has been modifiable.

Everything about Steam OS features is demonstrable it is its own unique Linux Distro even though derived from an upstream source.

Cheers, retro

Makes sense but wouldn’t it be better for valve to built from group up there own code / os instead of relying on these ? If you think about it they would have control over there own code / software way better and be even better for battery for example iPhone doesn’t rely on any software or other stuff that’s been used to help built and save time they have there own “Mac” or Apple os” and that makes the iPhones battery 10x better so what if valve from group up did there own ? Bet the battery life be like 12+ hours instead of this 8 max hours we have