Valve is keeping its promise of opening up to gamers on Linux. The company recently released the latest of its Source software development kit, Source SDK 2013, which now supports Linux in addition to Windows and Mac OS X. Besides this, Valve has also added support for the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset in this edition of the SDK. Get the SDK here.
The Source SDK can be used to develop new game mods. The support for Linux means game mods can now build and run clients on Linux computers. Before this version, game mods were only supported on Windows despite games being available across platforms. Dedicated servers are now supported on Linux too.
Looks like good days are coming for gamers using Linux
Valve has made a lot of changes in the new SDK, the biggest being the entire source code is now hosted on Github. The company has also changed the license that makes it easier for developers to share their mods and changes to the SDK.
Apart from that, modding tools such as Hammer—used for modelling and level design—will now ship with their respective games, not with the Source SDK. The launcher is also being phased out, and Valve says it will “disappear from your Tools list”. Instead, you will have to navigate to where the tools are stored as batch files and launch them. The SDK launcher is no longer used for this purpose.
Steam’s new delivery service, Steam Pipe, is now supported by the sample mods, and existing mods’ gameinfo.txt can be changed to match the new format to support Steam Pipe support.
As for the Oculus Rift support, you will have to run compatible mods with “-vr” on the command line to enable head tracking and run the mod in stereo on the virtual reality headset. Valve added Oculus Rift support to Team Fortress and Half Life 2 earlier this year.
Reblogged from: tech2.in.com
