Valve's FAQ:
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/steamuniverse/discussions/1/648814395741989999/
Some interesting data points:
* Valve chose main line Debian as the foundation with some backports
from testing.
Using main line Debian is a smart choice. While Ubuntu is a nicer
(arguably) desktop, Steam on SteamOS doesn't run on the desktop. It runs
/instead/ of the desktop directly on X.Org with its own compositor.
Which is open source. The closed bits are the same closed bits you'd
expect: various hardware drivers and their associated files, just like
you get with Ubuntu or Mint or Debian with the non-free repositories
enabled, and the Steam client itself.
* The primary installation mechanism is a CloneZilla image.
Using CloneZilla is another smart choice. It's a turnkey system: boot
the USB stick, select the restore option, and watch it go. A few minutes
later and it's done. No fuss, no muss, just a working Linux system.
* Base system requirements.
Using UEFI boot support as a minimum requirement is a clever way of
drawing a line without specifying specific CPU models. The 4GB RAM
requirement is /very/ lean -- at least for a Windows gaming rig. Few
have less than 8GB these days, and 16GB is typical.
I'm curious to see how it handles the streaming mode where games run on
a Windows computer somewhere and the SteamOS "console" puts it on it's
display. I'm hoping for a fast, low-latency remote desktop system but
I'm expecting something within the Steam client itself. The former would
be much more useful than just game streaming.
--
Rich P.
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