Valve Says No Steam for Linux

Well, this is a bit of a bummer. In the wake of Valve's release of Steam for OSX, there were rumors that a Linux version was in the works. In a recent interview with Gamesindustry.biz, Valve's VP of Marketing Doug Lombardi let it slip that Steam for Linux isn't in development. "There's no Linux version that we're working on right now," said Lombardi.

We'd like to point out he did qualify that statement with "right now." That could theoretically mean that a Linux version of Steam could happen in the future. He could have been more categorical in his denial, but it's still sad for fans of Tux. We're still holding out hope Valve is just building suspense for a big reveal at some later date. Hey, it could happen, right?

The Easy Way to Switch to Linux

Back in May, we published a step-by-step guide to switching from Windows to Ubuntu Linux. A few weeks ago, in keeping with its regular release schedule, Ubuntu released an update to its popular and friendly Linux distribution. Known as Gutsy Gibbon, Ubuntu Linux 7.10 makes the install process easier and more streamlined than before, and adds some new features that you'll need to know about. So here's our updated guide to installing Ubuntu on your PC.

We’ve written about Linux in Maximum PC quite a bit over the last few years, but it’s only been in the past year that we’ve really seen this open source OS come into its own as a truly desktop-worthy contender. Apart from high-end gaming, there’s little Linux can’t do well. And since most major distributions come preloaded with all the software typical users are likely to need (as well as instant-download repositories to find any extras), getting up and running with Linux can actually take less time than installing all your apps in Windows.

While the number of choices in Linux distributions is staggeringly large—there are nearly 200 English-language distros that we know of—we recommend only one for the new user. Ubuntu is the most user-friendly distribution we've tested, with the most hardware support, the most intuitive menu interface, and the most widespread support from the PC industry of any other free distribution. So popular has it become, that even Dell now offers pre-installed Ubuntu systems to its customers.

Writing a comprehensive Linux guide is a daunting process—and largely unnecessary. The Linux community does a great job of documenting most of its software, whether it’s the developers actually writing docs or the end users figuring things out and sharing the acquired info with their pals. All the information you need to get running is out there, if you know what to search for on Google, that is.

And that’s where we come in. Books have been written with solutions for all the potential pitfalls the Linux-switcher faces. However, those books are outdated the moment a new version of Linux is released. Instead of just telling you what to do, we're going to tell you how to do things and explain why you’re doing them. We're going to focus on the things that are truly a challenge (and poorly documented), but still give you a head start on the easy stuff.

Before you get started, you need to be prepared to be your own support system. While you can usually get help with Linux problems on different message boards on the web, before you do that, you need to make the effort to solve your own problems. Linux DIYers don’t have much sympathy for people who don’t make an effort to help themselves.

Getting Started

With its modern installation tools, getting Linux on your hard drive is simple--at least compared to the bad old days. And Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon's install process is about as streamlined as Linux gets.

Like a lot of people who try switching to Linux, you’ve probably installed a distro or two, mucked around with it for a few hours, changed the theme, and maybe browsed the web a little. Then, when it was time to work, you jumped back to Windows, and all was right with the world.

Things are much easier now than they were in the early days of Debian, Slackware, and Red Hat. Modern distros such as Ubuntu and openSUSE install with crucial applications (web browser, photo editor, email client, word processor, etc.) and support for most hardware out of the box. With Ubuntu, you can boot off the CD to determine whether or not your rig will work with the OS before you make a single change to the hard drive. You can tell if you’re going to have a problem before you hose your system, which is always a good thing.

Before we get started installing Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon, you’ll need to download the appropriate ISO file from the Ubuntu downloads page and burn it to disc. For neophytes, we generally recommend starting with the x86 versions, even if your CPU supports AMD64 extensions. The proper file name for most people will be ubuntu-7.10-desktop-i386.iso.

To burn the disc, you can use commercial burning software (like Nero) or download and install the free ISO Recorder software. It’s also a good idea to run a backup before you get started (or anytime you muck around with your partitions, for that matter).

There are three ways to make space for your Linux install: You can delete an unused partition, install another hard drive, or let the Linux installer resize an existing partition. If you have an unused partition on your hard drive that you want to use for Linux, it’s a good idea to remove that partition before you start the install process, since Linux can’t install to an NTFS partition. We recommend dedicating at least 20GB of space for your Linux install. To get rid of the partition, open the Computer Management tool in Windows and delete that partition. In Linux, you’ll have a tough time telling which partition is which, so to avoid heartbreak, do your deleting in Windows. If you don’t have an unused partition, we’ll talk about resizing your existing partition during the Linux install portion of this story.

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Why (almost) Everyone Should Try Ubuntu

If you're a hardcore Gentoo or Slackware type, go away and read something else. You're probably not going to like what I'm about to say. (But rest assured that I respect and admire your dedication to running the leanest GNU/Linux install you can muster, and I do indeed care about preserving your freedom of choice.) For now, however, I'm talking to the newbs out there.

If you've just started using Linux in the last year or two, chances are you're running Ubuntu. And if you're sitting on the fence contemplating trying Linux for the first time, you should definitely be considering Ubuntu. Here's why.

The arguments for choosing Ubuntu fall into two categories: immediate practicality and long-term viability. For sheer practicality, Ubuntu is a no-brainer. It installs in minutes, recognizes most hardware immediately, hides root from those who have no business messing with it, and comes pre-configured to let you get to work right away. For long-term viability, Ubuntu offers a well established coalition of developers, rapid growth among OEM vendors, and – most importantly – a massive base of users around the world.

First, the practical stuff.

Almost nobody actually enjoys installing an operating system. You might be an exception, because you read Maximum PC, and that probably means you're into computers. But for the most part, OS installation is a mundane and sometimes irritating process that the overwhelming majority of end users prefer to avoid. Unlike most other distros, you can get Ubuntu preinstalled from Dell, System76, and ZaReason, which means you can skip all the hassle of installation and just get started with a working PC. (Recent rumors also indicate that HP may soon be joining the list of Ubuntu-installed vendors.)

If you do choose to install Ubuntu yourself, you can look forward to one of the most streamlined installation routines available on any operating system. While Ubuntu's install process does give you options for custom drive partitioning, you could also just keep clicking Forward, pausing only to enter your time zone, username, and password, until the installation is complete. This is almost identical to what you'd experience with Windows Vista and Mac OS X.

New iPhone Vulnerability Exposes Data to Linux

A new report from security expert Bernard Marienfeldt illustrates a fairly big security hole in the way the iPhone secures user data. When plugged into a Windows or OSX box, and iPhone will only display the DCIM pictures folder. But on the newest Lucid Lynx build of Ubuntu Linux, users can get full read access to the phone. If you think setting a security PIN will help, you're wrong - it doesn't seem to do a thing.

This doesn't require the phone to be specially configured, or compromised in any way. Part of the problem is that in order to make syncing easier, the iPhone does not need any software switches to be flipped in order to exchange data with a computer. Another problem that allows this bug is the iPHone's lack of data encryption.

Marienfeldt says that full write access may be easy to gain as well with further investigation. If this is accomplished, an unauthorized party could access phone functions like calls and text messaging. The real lesson here is that maybe enterprise users should think twice about deploying iPhones. Does this change to calculation for anyone out there?

Google Chrome 5 Now Available for Download, Linux and Mac Users Welcome

Google Chrome 5 has finally graduated from beta and is now a stable release, Google announced in a blog post on Tuesday. The latest version of Chrome also happens to be the first stable release for Linux and Mac users.

"Today’s stable release also comes with a host of new features," Google said. "You’ll be able to synchronize not only bookmarks across multiple computers, but also browser preferences -- including themes, homepage and startup settings, web content settings, preferred languages, and even page zoom settings. Meanwhile, for avid extensions users, you can enable each extension to work in incognito mode through the extensions manager."

In addition, the Chrome 5 browser incorporates several HTML5 elements, including Geolcation APIs, App Cache, web sockets, and file drag-and-drop, Google said. To try some of these features out, you can navigate to HTML5 specific websites like scribd.com, or head over to your Gmail account and drag and drop attachments.

Not included in Chrome 5 is Adobe Flash integration, though Google says this will change with the full release of Flash Player 10.1.

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