Steam On Linux Should Stop Crashing If No OpenGL Drivers Are Found
While the 28 February Steam beta update is a small one per the change-log, the lone Linux fix this release is to not crash on startup when no OpenGL drivers are found.
It's a sign of the times as while OpenGL was traditionally very much commonplace on Linux desktops, many modern games now either support the Vulkan API directly or are Windows games running via Steam Play and using DXVK / VKD3D-Proton for routing Direct3D calls through Vulkan. Even more Linux desktops / compositors are beginning to embrace the Vulkan API directly in place of OpenGL. Plus with more open-source Vulkan drivers coming about and an ever-decreasing focus on OpenGL, there's becoming a time in 2024+ where OpenGL is less prevalent on the Linux desktop especially for gamers/enthusiasts.
Even for those needing OpenGL API support, thanks to Zink OpenGL over Vulkan is a reality. With the NVK and Mesa PowerVR Vulkan drivers even preferring Zink now to native OpenGL drivers for relevant hardware generations, the OpenGL return is further diminished.
Finally we're beginning to hit a Vulkan-first world or at least one where OpenGL is taking a backseat on the Linux desktop. So thankfully the latest Steam client beta has fixed a crash scenario when failing to detect OpenGL driver support. Here's to hoping more rise to the Vulkan dominance in 2024 on the Linux desktop. It seems hard to believe, but this month already marks eight years since the Vulkan 1.0 unveiling.
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