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Update: Canonical are now saying 32bit libraries will be "frozen" and not entirely dropped.

Original article:

Things are starting to get messy, after Canonical announced the end of 32bit support from Ubuntu 19.10 onwards, Valve have now responded.

Speaking on Twitter, Valve dev Pierre-Loup Griffais said:

Ubuntu 19.10 and future releases will not be officially supported by Steam or recommended to our users. We will evaluate ways to minimize breakage for existing users, but will also switch our focus to a different distribution, currently TBD.

I'm starting to think we might see a sharp U-turn from Canonical, as this is something that would hit them quite hard. Either way, the damage has been done.

I can't say I am surprised by Valve's response here. Canonical pretty clearly didn't think it through enough on how it would affect the desktop. It certainly seems like Canonical also didn't speak to enough developers first.

Perhaps this will give Valve a renewed focus on SteamOS? Interestingly, Valve are now funding some work on KWin (part of KDE).

Looks like I shall be distro hopping very soon…

To journalists from other websites reading: This does not mean the end of Linux support, Ubuntu is just one distribution.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Steam, Valve
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246 comments
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Nezchan Jun 22, 2019
I seriously don't want to be pressured into changing distros, so this is a tragedy for me from both sides. I've been using Ubuntu-MATE for years and I'm very comfortable with it, so this feels in a way like being evicted from my home. It's not pleasant to say the least.
iiari Jun 22, 2019
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Quoting: NezchanI seriously don't want to be pressured into changing distros, so this is a tragedy for me from both sides. I've been using Ubuntu-MATE for years and I'm very comfortable with it, so this feels in a way like being evicted from my home. It's not pleasant to say the least.
Then write to Ubuntu, as the rest of you who are on Ubuntu and don't want to forced off the distro should do...
Arten Jun 22, 2019
Quoting: mphuZOK. Let's see if Valve will be consistent in their decision:
https://appletoolbox.com/2019/06/macos-catalina-and-your-32-bit-apps


MacOS as different case. When Apple remove 32bit support, there is no other way. You want play Duke Nuke 3d? Valve on Mac can say "It Apple thing. We have hands cuffed. But you can be blamed, you know, Apple do this regularly, remember PowerPC and you chosed MacOS" but in Ubuntu case, Valve recomended distro and now what? I like to play old game sometimes. Yes they can build Steam client for 64bit. Now i think valve start distribute 64bit steam, and change officialy suported distro to another. For wine, i don't know what they do. CodeWeavers need their solution support 32 bit windows app, because without that they are done. "Your acounting windows software is 32bit? And you use ubuntu? Great, that we cant do... can you pls pay for nothink?"
vector Jun 22, 2019
Quoting: Arten
Quoting: mphuZOK. Let's see if Valve will be consistent in their decision:
https://appletoolbox.com/2019/06/macos-catalina-and-your-32-bit-apps


MacOS as different case. When Apple remove 32bit support, there is no other way. You want play Duke Nuke 3d? Valve on Mac can say "It Apple thing. We have hands cuffed. But you can be blamed, you know, Apple do this regularly, remember PowerPC and you chosed MacOS" but in Ubuntu case, Valve recomended distro and now what? I like to play old game sometimes. Yes they can build Steam client for 64bit. Now i think valve start distribute 64bit steam, and change officialy suported distro to another. For wine, i don't know what they do. CodeWeavers need their solution support 32 bit windows app, because without that they are done. "Your acounting windows software is 32bit? And you use ubuntu? Great, that we cant do... can you pls pay for nothink?"
I heard from an anonymous source on the Internet that Valve plans to pivot away from macOS to one of the many other interchangeable Darwin distributions which will be maintaining 32-bit support. Valve may be developing, or have already developed, its own Darwin distribution.


Last edited by vector on 22 June 2019 at 5:58 pm UTC
slaapliedje Jun 22, 2019
Quoting: riddleyAs a long-time Debian user, I have no dog in this fight, but man these comments are odd. First, Debian isn't difficult to install.

Second, we're half-way through 2019. When should we drop support for architectures that were obsoleted 20 years ago? Why is no one in these comments finding fault with Valve? Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad and grateful that they support Linux, but at the same time they don't do a very good job of it. Perhaps Steam is easy to install on Ubuntu, I'll never know. On Debain it's an exercise in frustration every time.

Technology moves forward. The people deserving of your ire are those refusing to move forward.

I want to be clear I agree with the first part, that Debian isn't difficult to install.

The other part... we support the libraries for compatibility because there is old software that is only available as binaries that we otherwise would not be able to run. This is why most people are pissed about this.

There are still many things that would break with ditching 32 bit library compatibility.
Someone should compile a list of all the things this breaks.
I know of Wine, dgen (genesis emulator), zsnes, PCSX2, steam.
Beamboom Jun 22, 2019
I don't even understand how this has managed to become such a surprise for so many. Evidently Canonical should make a bigger and bolder announcement over this, but really, it's been in the pipeline for a long time already.

And like I said in that other discussion: One can't expect an old binary to run on new computers for all eternity.

Maybe it's too soon. Maybe it should have been handled differently. But the notion that the entire backlog of the history of gaming should be forever kept able to run across all future generations of operating systems... It's just dumb.

If you want to run old software, keep an old OS on your drive. Just like if you want to play your cassettes, keep a cassette player.


Last edited by Beamboom on 22 June 2019 at 6:13 pm UTC
Userwithaname Jun 22, 2019
I hope they do pick a different officially supported distro, as this will break the majority of people's Steam libraries. I'll switch my gaming system to whichever distro they officially support next.
Maybe this will result in more software and games being 64-bit, which could be a good thing, but it kinda makes Ubuntu useless for most people.


Last edited by Userwithaname on 22 June 2019 at 6:12 pm UTC
massatt212 Jun 22, 2019
i know other people use ubuntu base to make their OS, Could PopOS get ubuntu 19.10 with 32bit support if they wanted to implement it ?
mphuZ Jun 22, 2019
Quoting: ArtenMacOS as different case. When Apple remove 32bit support, there is no other way.
And? I still do not see the arguments why Valve should continue to support macOS. Not only because of the rejection of 32-bit support, but in general.
riusma Jun 22, 2019
QuoteCurrently, Steam for Linux is only supported on the most recent version of Ubuntu LTS with the Unity, Gnome, or KDE desktops.

Source

Steam on Linux is only supported on LTS versions of Ubuntu... so 18.10 wasn't, 19.04 isn't and 19.10 wouldn't have been officially supported btw. (sorry but Pierre-Loup Griffais post reminds me those from Octave Klaba during OVH vs Ubuntu / Canonical clash some years ago on a totally unrelated subject... but the way of communicating around the issue is a bit similar)
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