Valve is paying open-source developers to work on Proton, Mesa, and more (old.reddit.com)

Article summary

Valve is paying open-source developers to work on Proton, Mesa, and other projects. The company's efforts have led to improvements in Linux gaming and the development of the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck is a portable gaming device that can also be used as a Linux laptop. Its usability for coding and general computing is a topic of discussion among commenters.

Main themes

• Valve's open-source support
• Steam Deck usability
• Linux gaming
• Portable computing
• ROCm and GPU support
• Coding on the go

What commenters say

• Valve's support for open-source development is a key factor in the growth of Linux gaming.
• The Steam Deck is a versatile device that can be used for both gaming and general computing, but may require external accessories for optimal use.
• Some users find the Steam Deck to be a great option for coding on the go, while others consider it less suitable due to its limited ports and keyboard.
• The device's ability to run ROCm and other software is limited by the lack of packaging for SteamOS, but can be worked around with some technical effort.
• The Steam Deck's AMD GPU has limitations when used with certain software, such as Blender, due to the use of the open-source Mesa driver.
• Some commenters appreciate the Steam Deck as a cheap and portable Linux desktop option when paired with a dock and external peripherals.
• Others suggest that laptops or other devices may be more practical for coding and general computing tasks.