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Following Canonical's pivot away from its internally-developed Unity user interface and Mir display server, Ubuntu has enjoyed two relatively low-drama years, as the Linux Desktop market homogenized during its transition back to a customized GNOME desktop. In a review of the most recent release, TechRepublic's Jack Wallen declared that "Ubuntu 19.04 should seriously impress anyone looking for a fast and reliable Linux desktop platform."
Largely, it's been a slow-and-steady pace for Ubuntu since the pivot from Unity to GNOME, though the distribution made headlines for plans to end support for 32-bit support. This prompted Valve, operators of games marketplace Steam, to re-think its approach toward Ubuntu, which it previously characterized as "as the best-supported path for desktop users."
TechRepublic's James Sanders interviewed Will Cooke, director of engineering for Ubuntu Desktop at Canonical, about the distribution's long-term plans for legacy 32-bit support, shipping a desktop in a post-Unity-era Ubuntu, and why Linux should be the first choice for users migrating from Windows 7 prior to the end of support.
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/ubuntu-what-does-the-future-look-like-post-unity/
(Score: 5, Informative) by Pino P on Wednesday July 10 2019, @03:06PM (10 children)
It's not only that Canonical wanted to stop shipping a 32-bit kernel. Canonical also wanted to stop shipping the 32-bit system libraries that allow a 32-bit user application to run on a 64-bit kernel. This would have broken 32-bit applications in Wine and 32-bit games downloaded through Steam. When Apple dropped support for 32-bit user processes in macOS Catalina (10.15), it led to the nickname "Catalina Wine Killer".
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Wednesday July 10 2019, @03:28PM (2 children)
IIRC graphics cards are mostly 32 bit? Is that Valve's beef?
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Wednesday July 10 2019, @04:17PM (1 child)
Presumably Valve's beef is that they put a "Linux compatible" sticker on some games in their store, and they'd have to review and update that sticker for games built on 32 bit technology.
And valve is super allergic to doing any kind of actual work to actually maintain or support their multibillion dollar free income stream.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Pino P on Wednesday July 10 2019, @08:47PM
It's not only that Valve is allergic to doing work. It's also that developers publishing through Valve's Steam platform are allergic to doing work. Some aren't even in business anymore.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 10 2019, @03:30PM
32 bit is going to the graveyard.
(Score: 1) by fustakrakich on Wednesday July 10 2019, @05:18PM (1 child)
So much for Ubuntu, I mean, really, what do they offer? But is this a real problem [pkgs.org]? Just asking for a friend...
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 2) by Pino P on Wednesday July 10 2019, @08:50PM
It's a real problem if a proprietary application's developer either A. is no longer in business or B. considers a 64-bit build to be an upsell in order to get customers to re-buy its product.
(Score: 2) by melikamp on Wednesday July 10 2019, @08:48PM (3 children)
I am not saying you are wrong about anything, but.... FUCK NONFREE GAMES OMG, ДОКОЛЕ???? Is this really what is holding up teh progress... SAD.
(Score: 2) by Pino P on Wednesday July 10 2019, @08:52PM (2 children)
Let me know when there's a viable business model for producing a video game with AAA production values with the intent of distributing it under a free software license from day one.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by melikamp on Wednesday July 10 2019, @09:07PM (1 child)
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 10 2019, @10:13PM
Huh. Well, I'll bite in AC mode.
The question is: How will people make money at game development without copyright law.
Your predicted answer: WHAT? Why should they? Why can't games just be developed for FREE?
Reply: Because the economy, stupid. The same reason copyright came into being in the first place: Get better quality because of profit motive. Enable profit motive by allowing exclusive right of copy. Doing so produces higher overall quality than the free movement can generate, whether you like that or not.
The "business model" is how people eat in a land where we can no longer produce enough to keep an economy growing because we chose to become rulers of the world by service and governance.
You may not like the model. Fine. You are welcome to produce games for free and participate in communities who do. Fine and you're welcome to do so, as long as you don't tread on the toes of intellectual property! Ain't freedom grand? But there enough intelligent people who realize that there's enough of the economy tied up in having copyright in existence to say, "yeah, let's keep this old and antiquated system because I don't want to have to make a living by putting two rounds through your head and taking everything you have. Copyright might be a better existence than that."