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SteamOS updated with some major new drivers and an updated Debian base

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SteamOS isn't being left out in the cold like some would believe, as it too today got a big update with new shiny stuff.

Note: This is currently in Beta.

jvert, ValveThis is a large update. Notably it includes updates to Mesa 13.03, NVIDIA driver 375.26 and Debian 8.7

While this doesn't give SteamOS any major new features, it is really great to see SteamOS get much more recent drivers. With a more recent version of Mesa, this should make it a much better experience for AMD GPU owners who want to try out SteamOS.

Once this update goes stable, it should make SteamOS better for everyone.

See the full update notes here.

I am hoping to see more interesting work on SteamOS this year. Notably absent on Linux/SteamOS is that we still don't have Steam Broadcasting.

What are your hopes for SteamOS this year? Sometime this year Linux and SteamOS directly should get Virtual Reality support on Steam, so that's something to look forward to. Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Beta, Steam, SteamOS
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opera Jan 20, 2017
Quoting: libgradevI've got a 1060GTX - they run fine. The driver required for it was added in an update months back...
What driver version do you have? Current SteamOS Nvidia drivers are at version 367.27.
According to Nvidia documentation this version does not support the Gtx 1060.
http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverresults.aspx/104284/en-us
Mike Jan 20, 2017
Quoting: operaGreat! I was waiting desperately for updated graphics driver. Now I can finally upgrade my SteamMachine graphics card to a Nvidia Gtx 1060. Hope it doesn't take too long until these updates get out of beta.

QuoteNotably absent on Linux/SteamOS is that we still don't have Steam Broadcasting.
I sometimes watch some broadcasts when I am kinda bored. The viewer numbers are ridiculously low. That feature looks pretty dead. They should remove it and better get some decent Twitch integration.

QuoteWhat are your hopes for SteamOS this year?
I would like to have some streaming apps for Youtube, Twitch, Amazon Prime and Netflix. But I actually don't expect any big updates besides VR support.

While I agree that the user base is kinda low, I don't see it as a competitor to Twitch or Youtube Broadcast but more as a way to show my Steam friends a game that they might buy to play together without having another layer of app like Twitch. They can come and leave whenever they want without having anything more than the steam client opened.
Nanobang Jan 20, 2017
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I'm interested in SteamOS, but haven't been keeping close tabs on it across the years. I'd love to see a live version available to just get an idea how well it would suit me, even if it weren't any use to actually launch games with. (I'm thinking in particular about the handful of desktop apps I simply won't do without on my living room media box, and wondering in general whether SteamOS shares the shortcomings of BPM: resource guzzling, incomplete lists, deficient chat client, etc. etc.).

[Addendum:] And that broadcasting feature, I'd like that as well, please. And a pony.


Last edited by Nanobang on 20 January 2017 at 2:04 pm UTC
niarbeht Jan 20, 2017
Quoting: opera
QuoteWhat are your hopes for SteamOS this year?
I would like to have some streaming apps for Youtube, Twitch, Amazon Prime and Netflix. But I actually don't expect any big updates besides VR support.

I, too, want to see YouTube/Twitch/Netflix/Hulu/Crunchyroll/ALL_THE_THINGS available to watch from inside SteamOS. That'd be good. That's currently one of the things that makes me sad about my Steam Machine. If it could do those things, it would probably replace my Apple TV (that I got for free).
libgradev Jan 20, 2017
Quoting: opera
Quoting: libgradevI've got a 1060GTX - they run fine. The driver required for it was added in an update months back...
What driver version do you have? Current SteamOS Nvidia drivers are at version 367.27.
According to Nvidia documentation this version does not support the Gtx 1060.
http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverresults.aspx/104284/en-us

You're officially correct! I had it in my mind they had done a small driver bump SteamOS update...

It, however, runs fine:

lscpi:
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GP106 [GeForce GTX 1060 6GB] (rev a1)

Xorg.0.log:
[    12.527] (II) NVIDIA dlloader X Driver  367.27  Thu Jun  9 17:57:30 PDT 2016

See also: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamuniverse/discussions/1/340412122414605537/#c340412122416978964


Last edited by libgradev on 20 January 2017 at 4:36 pm UTC
Xicronic Jan 20, 2017
Mesa 13.03? When did they switch from AMDGPU-PRO?
opera Jan 20, 2017
Quoting: libgradevIt, however, runs fine:
Thanks for the info. Looks like I waited for nothing. Just ordered my new GTX 1060...

Also found this on phoronix:
QuoteFor my GTX 1060 testing I was using the 367.27 driver that's been available for a few weeks. The only driver issue encountered is that the GTX 1060 isn't formally recognized, but NVIDIA is said to be releasing a new driver today that will add the formal product string for the GeForce GTX 1060.
dmantione Jan 20, 2017
Quoting: XicronicMesa 13.03? When did they switch from AMDGPU-PRO?

They did not. The update is mostly relevant for Intel GPU users, allthough if I am not mistaken, there are a few AMD cards that are powered through Mesa as well. VMWare virtual Steam Machines also benefit from the updated Mesa, because it unlocks higher OpenGL versions in the guest system.

Because of the relevance of Vulkan for Valve, I expect that they are not in a hurry to drop AMDGPU-PRO, at least not until the open-source Vulkan driver provides equivalent functionality.


Last edited by dmantione on 20 January 2017 at 6:15 pm UTC
libgradev Jan 20, 2017
Quoting: opera
Quoting: libgradevIt, however, runs fine:
Thanks for the info. Looks like I waited for nothing. Just ordered my new GTX 1060...

Also found this on phoronix:
QuoteFor my GTX 1060 testing I was using the 367.27 driver that's been available for a few weeks. The only driver issue encountered is that the GTX 1060 isn't formally recognized, but NVIDIA is said to be releasing a new driver today that will add the formal product string for the GeForce GTX 1060.

You're welcome :)

I haven't had any issues with it as far as I can tell and it's possible that I saw that Phoronix article before I purchased the card!
skinnyraf Jan 21, 2017
Quoting: PicoboomI'm interested in SteamOS, but haven't been keeping close tabs on it across the years. I'd love to see a live version available to just get an idea how well it would suit me, even if it weren't any use to actually launch games with. (I'm thinking in particular about the handful of desktop apps I simply won't do without on my living room media box, and wondering in general whether SteamOS shares the shortcomings of BPM: resource guzzling, incomplete lists, deficient chat client, etc. etc.).

[Addendum:] And that broadcasting feature, I'd like that as well, please. And a pony.

SteamOS is the BPM running on Debian, with a tweaked compositing manager that scales everything to 1080p and performs some other tricks. The system is configured to log directly into the BPM.

That's SteamOS, nothing else.
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