[ubuntu-us-nc] ubuntu-us-nc Digest, Vol 202, Issue 1

Tue Dec 18 05:21:14 UTC 2012

Subject: New Subject -- "Responsibility/Obligation" of the Ubuntu Community
to Participate in the Steam for Linux Beta? (Christopher Prechter)

=====-----------======--------=======--------======--------======--------======

Hello fellow Ubuntu users.

I've been using Ubuntu since last October of 2011, but I've never sent an
email to our official mailing list.  If anyone is looking to join our
Asheville-based LUG, then you can subscribe to our list at:
http://mailman.main.nc.us/mailman/listinfo/wnclug.  You can reach the
person managing the list at: wnclug-owner at main.nc.us.

I would like to bring a discussion to the NC Ubuntu Community's table
concerning the events in motion that Valve Corp. has decided to switch from
the Windows (8) platform and has decided to support Ubuntu 12.04 (LTS)
Precise Pangolin as a very important platform for video gaming on the PC.
The news surrounding this is all very interesting.  Even our annoying
neighbor nVidia has decided to pitch in, and they have released a new
GeForce R310 video driver for Ubuntu for their GeForce GTX 600 products,
which they are quite boastful about their new driver!  Rumours say that the
driver makes video games perform twice as fast & even better on Ubuntu than
it does on Windows!  And even our beloved System76, Inc. is getting ready
for the pending release of Valve's Steam client in February 2013 with their
new "Bonobo Extreme" gaming-class laptop (get ready to read some hardware
specs porn for this baby... LOL!)
https://www.system76.com/laptops/model/bonx6.

"With this release, NVIDIA has managed to increase the overall gaming
performance under Linux," said Doug Lombardi, vice president of marketing
at Valve. "NVIDIA took an unquestioned leadership position developing R310
drivers with us and other studios to provide an absolutely unequalled
solution for Linux gamers."  (
http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/06/nvidia-valve-geforce-linux-drivers-r310/)

My sources derive from here:
-  http://steamforlinux.com/?q=en/node/127
-  http://www.nvidia.com/object/winxp-310.33-beta-driver.html
-
http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/06/nvidia-valve-geforce-linux-drivers-r310/

-  OFFICIAL NEWS from nVidia:
http://nvidianews.nvidia.com/Releases/NVIDIA-Delivers-Massive-Performance-Boost-to-Linux-Gaming-8ac.aspx

-  and on Google+ we have:
https://plus.google.com/+LinuxNewsHere/posts/XRbf7RgphnW

The big question groping my mind is this: Is it our "duty," as members of
the Ubuntu user community, to buy such laptops and desktops (like the
Bonobo Extreme) so that we may participate in the Steam for Linux open beta
that is coming up soon??  Now, I understand that question is packed with
quite a lot of assumptions, but you will have to pardon me as I am still
new to the "Free Software Movement" and the FOSS philosophy, so there are a
lot of quirky things still rattling around in my head.  ;-)  Hahaha.  It is
my understanding that we all wish for GNU/Linux to become
mainstream-----that FOSS software be used by everyone in the world and that
software freedom become the social norm in every day life.  If I am wrong
that this is not the goal of the Free Software Movement, then please
correct me!

The way that I see GNU/Linux become mainstream is through the adaptation of
the Ubuntu distribution into the mainstream.  Ubuntu will penetrate the
desktop market and become commercially attractive to businesses and
attractive to home users as the cheaper/faster/better alternative to
Micro$oft Windoze (and Apple products, for that matter).  I believe that
Valve Corp's heavy attention to Ubuntu will accelerate this process.

I presume if the larger group of the Ubuntu Community decides to
participate in the Steam client Open Beta using products from System76,
Inc. that this will not only flood the user base of the Open Beta for
Ubuntu but it will also provide System76 with some heavy exposure to the
hardcore, Windows gamers out there, and therefore, grab their attention to
switch from using Windows to using Ubuntu.  I think this exposure for
System76, Inc. would be a very good thing and perhaps such an extreme
amount of publicity would put System76 products, and consequently Ubuntu
GNU/Linux, on the shelves of Best Buy, OfficeMax, Staples, Target, or
whatever large retail store.

I also have another question:

For those of us who can't shell out $1499 for a Bonobo Extreme, what can we
do to spread the word about Ubuntu and the huge shift to PC gaming on
Ubuntu???

GNU/Linux is definitely dishing out "the win",
-----Christopher.

On Sun, Dec 16, 2012 at 7:00 AM, <ubuntu-us-nc-request at lists.ubuntu.com>wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. Re:  introductory email (Daniel)
>    2. Re:  introductory email (Bill Farrow)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2012 11:56:45 -0500
> From: Daniel <nix at tek12.com>
> To: Tasha Six <tashasix6 at yahoo.com>,    Ubuntu North Carolina Local
>         Community Team <ubuntu-us-nc at lists.ubuntu.com>
> Subject: Re: [ubuntu-us-nc] introductory email
> Message-ID: <50CCABCD.6000004 at tek12.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Hi Tasha,
>
> Nice to meet you... and welcome.
>
> The Ubuntu-NC Loco is not nearly as active as it has been in the past.
> There are several General Linux groups in NC, where are you located I
> can send you info on their mailing lists?
>
> There is a monthly LUG (linux users group) that meets in Asheville, I
> also get regular emails from the Tri-Lug that meets down in Raleigh. I
> haven't made it down to Raleigh yet. Neither of these LUGs are Ubuntu
> specific, though in Asheville Ubuntu is well represented.
>
> I've seen a few emails about an Ubuntu Loco meet-up in Charlotte as well.
>
> Daniel
>
>
> On 12/11/2012 04:35 PM, Tasha Six wrote:
> > Hello, my name is Tasha. I have been using GNU/Linux for quite a few
> > years, though Ive never contributed to it, and I am honestly not
> > completely sure how I would go about doing that. So I figured I would
> > join the Ubuntu North Carolina LoCo Group. I don't really have any
> > skills in any coding but would be interested in learning. I do like to
> > beta test however and help fix issues and share my fixes / work-a-rounds
> > with others. If anyone has any other questions or would like to help me
> > find out what I can do to help don't be afraid to contact me. :)
> >
> >
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2012 22:30:44 -0500
> From: Bill Farrow <ubuntu at arrowsreach.com>
> To: Ubuntu North Carolina Local Community Team
>         <ubuntu-us-nc at lists.ubuntu.com>
> Subject: Re: [ubuntu-us-nc] introductory email
> Message-ID:
>         <CAPm8Nr00G57=
> dkOPtVJcHk4N4hSM8ZdaRtdtsu5umLgC3bpHuw at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> On Sat, Dec 15, 2012 at 11:56 AM, Daniel <nix at tek12.com> wrote:
> > There is a monthly LUG (linux users group) that meets in Asheville, I
> also
> > get regular emails from the Tri-Lug that meets down in Raleigh. I haven't
> > made it down to Raleigh yet. Neither of these LUGs are Ubuntu specific,
> > though in Asheville Ubuntu is well represented.
>
> Hi,
> The Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill Linux group is called TriLUG (I am
> the president btw).  We meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month and have
> a regular attendance of 60-100 people.  We are always looking for
> people to give interesting talks...
>
> http://trilug.org
>
> Bill
>
>
>
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> End of ubuntu-us-nc Digest, Vol 202, Issue 1
> ********************************************
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