Latest Comments by LoudTechie
Steam Frame and Steam Machine will be another good boost for Flatpaks and desktop Linux overall too
9 Jan 2026 at 6:57 pm UTC Likes: 1
The ideal of a Flatpack like situation is that all maintainers together need to do just as much work as one distribution.
Edit: On the different versions support: yeah probably, Debian, Red Hat and Canonical do that too. Backwards compatibility and usability sometimes require work. This time though each of these versions need only to be maintained once for all distros.
9 Jan 2026 at 6:57 pm UTC Likes: 1
Quoting: EikeIt creates a problem for you, because your distribution doesn't have enough manpower to maintain all packages. This means they will skip some packages which might be critical for your workflow.Quoting: Liam DaweI firmly disagree. That is chaos. Every distribution has a different set of packages and versions, with security problems having to go through each distro for each package.How does this create a problem for me? My distribution cares for it.
And doesn't Flatpak support different versions of the same package as the same time? So, you can have one without the security flaw - and at the same time one with the security flaw?
The ideal of a Flatpack like situation is that all maintainers together need to do just as much work as one distribution.
Edit: On the different versions support: yeah probably, Debian, Red Hat and Canonical do that too. Backwards compatibility and usability sometimes require work. This time though each of these versions need only to be maintained once for all distros.
Steam Frame and Steam Machine will be another good boost for Flatpaks and desktop Linux overall too
9 Jan 2026 at 6:45 pm UTC Likes: 2
B. As the history of appimage and android APK's clearly displays those large players you mentioned would've loved a neatly unified approach to package distribution.
C. The third software freedom is formulated by the fsf as and I quote here: "The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this." Clarifying here clearly that shared by those experts you mentioned aren't only meant for themselves, but for the entire community. You might argue that only the developers qualify under the community, but that isn't how I see it used generally. Most of the time it's used to describe all users. The fsf is a group of those contributing experts. This implies that at least some of these experts don't develop it just for experts.
D. The beauty of open source is that it's the tide that lifts all boats. As such Valve indeed gets to lift on the works of others with Linux and the ecosystem. Yet, it also adds to Linux and the ecosystem by submitting its own patches. These patches add value for many beyond Valve. For these patches I'm thankful towards Valve even though they as such benefit from community support and R&D savings. They drastically improved Wine, gave KDE some neat extras, solved several driver issues and enabled equal graphics processing with Windows through their contributions to the Khronos project.
E. Your Snap analysis shows, why Flatpack has massive value for those experienced professionals. They don't want to compile their programs a billion times for a billion different distros and versions. Snap offered insufficient room for competition and customization as such faltpack was introduced.
F. Unverified flatpacks aren't half as dangerous as unverified packages(yes, you can download and install debs straight from the web), since these have full root access. Unverified is just dangerous.
Having said that:
A. You're completely right .deb/.rdp/.snap aren't going away, but they'll be brought back to the place they belong: root level system extensions like drivers, virus scanners and such. I still get shivers every time I install a game or a production program through apt and it requires root.
B. Yes, it makes malware spreading harder, because it makes software distribution generally harder. That's a bug not a feature.
C. Flathub(not Flatpack) does add a level of insecurity Linux didn't previously have. It has a pretty loose security policy. Most repos including the fedora flatpack repository require the repo maintainers to have compiled and understood the code before pushing it(canonicals snap store is an exception). Flathub doesn't. This is dangerous as Canonical has displayed with several cryptoscam wallets in their snap store.
Especially and this probably what you meant with the danger of unverified Flatpacks, because flathub does make it dangerously easy to install non-developer signed(unverified) Flatpacks. Most repos get away with providing non-developer signed packages, because they can check them for themselves. Flathub doesn't do that.
9 Jan 2026 at 6:45 pm UTC Likes: 2
Quoting: GuestA. Liam writes to new users or at least not kernel developer level users"Linux has, historically, been quite messy when it comes to software distribution. We have various distribution-specific packaging formats like .deb (Debian / Ubuntu), .rpm (Fedora) and the list just goes on and on. Canonical also went their own way with Ubuntu for the likes of Snap, but the real winner is going to end up being Flatpak and the main Flathub store."Software distribution under Linux is anything but chaotic. On the contrary, it is extremely orderly.Each distribution offers its own software library and package format. This, among other things, increases system security. This makes it much more difficult to implant malware under Linux.
Snap was most certainly developed by Ubuntu to try to provide unique packages for all variants of its distributions, thus avoiding having to recompile packages x times for each of the Ubuntu versions still in use.
Flatpack will never replace .deb, .rpm, or other packages. Furthermore, unverified Flatpacks can pose serious security problems on a system.
Flatpack is used as the primary source of software access on distributions at the stage of development alpha / beta, on distributions that are immutable due to their structural complexity, or on new distributions that do not yet have enough software to offer their users. Flatpack is in no way intended to replace .deb, .rpm or other formats.
To understand Linux, analyze all of this from the perspective of developers and system engineers/architects. As an amateur unfamiliar with Linux, it is impossible to speculate on this subject without making a mistake.
From a down-to-earth point of view, Linux is free and benefits large groups such as IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, etc.
It's not Valve and its Steam client that are giving Linux a boost, but rather the other way around. Linux is provided to Valve in a fully functional state. Valve then simply adds its own layer (just like with Android for telephony), allowing them to launch an operating system bearing their name while drastically reducing research and development costs.
Today Linux is much easier to access for inexperienced users, but it should not be forgotten that this is an operating system developed by and for experienced professionals.
B. As the history of appimage and android APK's clearly displays those large players you mentioned would've loved a neatly unified approach to package distribution.
C. The third software freedom is formulated by the fsf as and I quote here: "The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others (freedom 3). By doing this you can give the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes. Access to the source code is a precondition for this." Clarifying here clearly that shared by those experts you mentioned aren't only meant for themselves, but for the entire community. You might argue that only the developers qualify under the community, but that isn't how I see it used generally. Most of the time it's used to describe all users. The fsf is a group of those contributing experts. This implies that at least some of these experts don't develop it just for experts.
D. The beauty of open source is that it's the tide that lifts all boats. As such Valve indeed gets to lift on the works of others with Linux and the ecosystem. Yet, it also adds to Linux and the ecosystem by submitting its own patches. These patches add value for many beyond Valve. For these patches I'm thankful towards Valve even though they as such benefit from community support and R&D savings. They drastically improved Wine, gave KDE some neat extras, solved several driver issues and enabled equal graphics processing with Windows through their contributions to the Khronos project.
E. Your Snap analysis shows, why Flatpack has massive value for those experienced professionals. They don't want to compile their programs a billion times for a billion different distros and versions. Snap offered insufficient room for competition and customization as such faltpack was introduced.
F. Unverified flatpacks aren't half as dangerous as unverified packages(yes, you can download and install debs straight from the web), since these have full root access. Unverified is just dangerous.
Having said that:
A. You're completely right .deb/.rdp/.snap aren't going away, but they'll be brought back to the place they belong: root level system extensions like drivers, virus scanners and such. I still get shivers every time I install a game or a production program through apt and it requires root.
B. Yes, it makes malware spreading harder, because it makes software distribution generally harder. That's a bug not a feature.
C. Flathub(not Flatpack) does add a level of insecurity Linux didn't previously have. It has a pretty loose security policy. Most repos including the fedora flatpack repository require the repo maintainers to have compiled and understood the code before pushing it(canonicals snap store is an exception). Flathub doesn't. This is dangerous as Canonical has displayed with several cryptoscam wallets in their snap store.
Especially and this probably what you meant with the danger of unverified Flatpacks, because flathub does make it dangerously easy to install non-developer signed(unverified) Flatpacks. Most repos get away with providing non-developer signed packages, because they can check them for themselves. Flathub doesn't do that.
Linaro reveal they're collaborating with Valve for the Steam Frame
9 Jan 2026 at 10:34 am UTC
The problem is just as always third party software compatibility(and this time also less expensive competition).
9 Jan 2026 at 10:34 am UTC
Quoting: fabertaweYeah, there're actually several.Quoting: dannielloAnd in the near future - Steam Pocket. The first true Linux phone with decent performance! (of course advertised as only for gaming, so Google should be OK with it... In the same sense like Steam Machine is just Linux PC so Sony and Microsoft also should be OK with it;)That's already available, it's called the FuriPhone <https://furilabs.com/>. I've been daily driving the FLX1 for almost a year and it's fantastic. Don't really game on it though, apart from chess and the like.
It's incredibly liberating to be free of Google, using Linux 😀
As for the Frame, really looking forward to getting one.
The problem is just as always third party software compatibility(and this time also less expensive competition).
Mesa RADV driver on Linux looks set for a big ray tracing performance boost
8 Jan 2026 at 2:09 pm UTC Likes: 1
8 Jan 2026 at 2:09 pm UTC Likes: 1
Succesfull driver development is always impressive.
Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
8 Jan 2026 at 12:45 pm UTC Likes: 1
I oversimplified some things.
The moment that whitelist was released.
For all of the processors that weren't on it, there was at that very moment a paper that explained how to extract or change the things even the OS and BIOS don't have access to or it was some obscure processor Win11 was truly incompatible with(non amd64 or ARM), with physical access.
Most of the time these were side channel attacks, because those are conceptional the simplest.
On your expectation. Oh, totally. Many of the processors on the list have been already broken.
Now on why Microsoft might still want to still rid themselves of old attacks.
In the processor secrets: things like somewhat functional DRM, anti-cheat, secure boot and other attempts at limiting software freedom tend to be based on these secrets(Also bitlocker keys, but those were just an excuse).
These things are in basically all their current implementation all backed by security through obscurity. That's also generally vulnerable, but they don't care, since it still slows attacks and is super profitable.
This could be an attempt to placate their government and media backers.
8 Jan 2026 at 12:45 pm UTC Likes: 1
Quoting: EikeI'll be more clear and accurate.Quoting: LoudTechieThis is, because the reason behind the whitelist is complicated and thus unsuited for marketing.After what I gathered from the side channel attack history (which is not too much), I expect every current processor to have some side channel weakness too, though.
At the time of establishment this whitelist contained only CPU's without known side channel attacks.
They really, really wanted to get rid of old side channel attacks for some reason.
I oversimplified some things.
The moment that whitelist was released.
For all of the processors that weren't on it, there was at that very moment a paper that explained how to extract or change the things even the OS and BIOS don't have access to or it was some obscure processor Win11 was truly incompatible with(non amd64 or ARM), with physical access.
Most of the time these were side channel attacks, because those are conceptional the simplest.
On your expectation. Oh, totally. Many of the processors on the list have been already broken.
Now on why Microsoft might still want to still rid themselves of old attacks.
In the processor secrets: things like somewhat functional DRM, anti-cheat, secure boot and other attempts at limiting software freedom tend to be based on these secrets(Also bitlocker keys, but those were just an excuse).
These things are in basically all their current implementation all backed by security through obscurity. That's also generally vulnerable, but they don't care, since it still slows attacks and is super profitable.
This could be an attempt to placate their government and media backers.
Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
8 Jan 2026 at 12:17 pm UTC Likes: 2
It's not the fault of the TPM2.0 basically every machine, since 2008 has one that can be manually activated.
Microsoft has a processor whitelist for Win11 and that one is at fault for this debacle.
I've done Win11 migrations for many customers and none of them had no TPM2.0.
Most of them had non-whitelisted CPUs.
Microsoft does say it in it's marketing though.
This is, because the reason behind the whitelist is complicated and thus unsuited for marketing.
At the time of establishment this whitelist contained only CPU's without known side channel attacks.
They really, really wanted to get rid of old side channel attacks for some reason.
8 Jan 2026 at 12:17 pm UTC Likes: 2
Quoting: CajunMosesIt's a very nice trend. But there are too many variables to predict what will happen. It helps that Linux seems to be getting more positive press lately. And lot's of disenfranchised desktops/laptop should have been freed up by the TPM 2.0 debacle; so, hopefully some of that will continue to come back online with Linux. But it won't last forever.This isn't your fault, but I'm going to complain about a mistake you make that's intentionally very common.
It's not the fault of the TPM2.0 basically every machine, since 2008 has one that can be manually activated.
Microsoft has a processor whitelist for Win11 and that one is at fault for this debacle.
I've done Win11 migrations for many customers and none of them had no TPM2.0.
Most of them had non-whitelisted CPUs.
Microsoft does say it in it's marketing though.
This is, because the reason behind the whitelist is complicated and thus unsuited for marketing.
At the time of establishment this whitelist contained only CPU's without known side channel attacks.
They really, really wanted to get rid of old side channel attacks for some reason.
Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
8 Jan 2026 at 12:05 pm UTC
I think its function will be very different from what we're expecting.
8 Jan 2026 at 12:05 pm UTC
Quoting: mattaraxiaThe Gabe cube is a fully fledged pc with low RAM requirements in a RAM crisis.Quoting: mr-victoryI feel that the GabeCube *ahem* Steam Machine will be DOA due to anti cheat, I hope to be proven wrong but Windows on ARM laptops being frequently returned item on Amazon doesn't give me confidence, those laptops' game compatibility issues are not that different from ours... the advantage Deck had was being a handheld so who cares if an fps doesn't work.If the Deck wasn't DOA because of anti-cheat, why would the cube be?
That just makes no sense. Will it be a bit limited? Sure. Will there still be tons of people who don't care about games like Battlefield? Clearly the answer is yes.
It's not expected to sell 50 million units, even 5 is a . . . huge success.
I think its function will be very different from what we're expecting.
Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
8 Jan 2026 at 11:43 am UTC Likes: 2
Their current market share was handed to them out of anti-trust concerns and thanks to their vendor lock in they can expand to whatever they like, usually.
Even their development they tend to leave to the bsd community. Valve wins by doing nothing, Apple thrives by doing nothing.
On the lacklusterness. Lets not forget that Mac is a very different platform than the Linux desktop.
It's not a path to freedom, it's a path to chains and protection.
Apple losing the EA lawsuits was also a boost for Apple gaming, since this slashed the prices.
For small companies that mostly make money through initial sales, Apple gaming is still too expensive, but AAA players now can make some pretty sweet money.
These AAA players also much more trust Mac for anti-cheat than Linux.
8 Jan 2026 at 11:43 am UTC Likes: 2
Quoting: PhlebiacApple isn't used to having to do an effort to achieve market share.Quoting: LoudTechieApple finally started nearly caring for gaming(Game porting toolkit). Also Valve has been sponsoring Apple gaming, since around the same moment they started sponsoring Linux gaming(MoltenVK), modifying open source is just easier.Good points, I had forgotten about GPTK and MoltenVK. Both lackluster compared to what we get on Linux, but certainly positive steps. Seems like MoltenVK is on the way to being deprecated in favor of KosmicKrisp that is part of Mesa.
Their current market share was handed to them out of anti-trust concerns and thanks to their vendor lock in they can expand to whatever they like, usually.
Even their development they tend to leave to the bsd community. Valve wins by doing nothing, Apple thrives by doing nothing.
On the lacklusterness. Lets not forget that Mac is a very different platform than the Linux desktop.
It's not a path to freedom, it's a path to chains and protection.
Apple losing the EA lawsuits was also a boost for Apple gaming, since this slashed the prices.
For small companies that mostly make money through initial sales, Apple gaming is still too expensive, but AAA players now can make some pretty sweet money.
These AAA players also much more trust Mac for anti-cheat than Linux.
Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
7 Jan 2026 at 2:52 pm UTC Likes: 1
2) That's part Microsoft, part Valve and part Apple. Most consumers consider the choice Apple(expensive, but less espionage) and Windows(espionage, but cheap and capable). Microsoft has been behaving pretty shitty lately including becoming more expensive(Win10 EOL). Apple finally started nearly caring for gaming(Game porting toolkit). Also Valve has been sponsoring Apple gaming, since around the same moment they started sponsoring Linux gaming(MoltenVK), modifying open source is just easier.
7 Jan 2026 at 2:52 pm UTC Likes: 1
Quoting: Phlebiac1) yeah, Valve went into it pretty cautiously the Steam Deck is a pretty niche product as you expressed before.Quoting: CatKillerIn case you'd like a graphThanks for making that, it illustrates two perhaps surprising points:
1) Steam Deck usage has stayed relatively flat - or more accurately, has scaled at the same rate as total Steam usage.
2) macOS usage declined for years, but in recent times it has scaled at nearly the same rate as desktop Linux. I wonder what factors are involved with that; I don't think Valve has done anything major on that front, and to my knowledge Apple hasn't done anything to improve things for gaming (they are actively hostile to it in some ways).
2) That's part Microsoft, part Valve and part Apple. Most consumers consider the choice Apple(expensive, but less espionage) and Windows(espionage, but cheap and capable). Microsoft has been behaving pretty shitty lately including becoming more expensive(Win10 EOL). Apple finally started nearly caring for gaming(Game porting toolkit). Also Valve has been sponsoring Apple gaming, since around the same moment they started sponsoring Linux gaming(MoltenVK), modifying open source is just easier.
Valve amended the Steam survey for December 2025 - Linux actually hit another all-time high
7 Jan 2026 at 7:44 am UTC Likes: 3
7 Jan 2026 at 7:44 am UTC Likes: 3
Quoting: ertuquequeEspecially in combination with Win10 EOL. You can't hold to on it, but you can't replace it, maybe ditch it.Quoting: EssojeI'd love to appreciate these small victories for Linux, but together with the RAM crisis and the news lately, all I can see here is the gruesome death of consumer PC hardware. It's like partying on top of a sinking ship.I'm most likely wrong, but if I dare to speculate (and dream), maybe the RAM crisis will persuade people to stick with their current, aging PCs and what better for an aging PC than Linux?... Some people won't be able to afford a new PC to install Windows 11 so they'll try Linux.
This will likely force people who want to play games to be part of a closed garden like game consoles, or to pay for remote applications/machines. It really feels like we are going back to the remote terminal days, as ironic as that is.