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Recommended Linux distro for SDL2 Steam / SteamOdevelopment.
MattRobinson


Joined: 07 Jun 2014
Posts: 24
Hi all,
I'm currently working with SDL 2.0.4 on Win 10 in VS2013 but I'd like to set up a Linux dev PC to do the same, for both Steam running on Linux and boxes running SteamOS.

For SteamOS the dev page says this:
Though it's built on Debian Linux, you'll be OK developing on Ubuntu, Valve's recommended desktop distribution
"All Steam applications execute using the Steam Runtime which is a fixed binary-compatibility layer for Linux applications. This enables any application to run on any Linux distribution that supports the Steam Runtime without recompiling. As long as your development environment targets Ubuntu 12.04 LTS with the Steam Runtime, it will run without change on SteamOS. If you are a Steam partner, see the Linux development page for more details on creating Steam applications for Linux and SteamOS."


So I take it that Ubuntu 12.04 LTS is the official dev distro for steamOS development?

As for Steam on standard desktop linux, taking Debian for example;
I've found SDL 2.0.4 as libsdl2-dev for the Sid unstable release here > https://packages.debian.org/sid/libsdl2-dev <
There is a stable SDL 2.0.2 package for Debian Jessie (Stable) here > https://packages.debian.org/jessie/libsdl2-dev <

As 2.0.4 is not in the stable branch how would I go about getting that installed into Jessie?

And is there a recommended distro for developing games to run on Steam for general desktop linux, (Not steamOS)?

Thanks in advance.
Recommended Linux distro for SDL2 Steam/SteamOS development.
MattRobinson


Joined: 07 Jun 2014
Posts: 24
FEI I've done some more research into this and it looks like Ubuntu 12.04 LTS is probably the best distro for Linux game dev with SDL2 whether that be plain 'ol desktop Linux/Steam or Steam OS.

As for getting the latest 2.0.4 dev package on Linux it looks like 2.0.2 is available as .deb and .rpm so 2.0.4 will have to be compiled the UNIX way as per the SDL2 install instructions.

Case closed :-)