Stallman Calls Valve Games on Linux


Recommended Posts

stallman.jpg

Richard M Stallman ? one of the founding fathers of the Free Software movement ? has expressed anxiety over games company Valve?s plan to bring their gaming wares to Linux.

The bone of contention in Stallman?s eyes is Valve?s frequent use of Digital Rights Management (DRM) within its software. Rights-encumbered software is, Stallman writes on his blog, ?unethical?.

?They deny freedom to their users. If you want freedom, one requisite for it is not having non-free programs on your computer.?

DRM is intended to prevent unauthorised copying or distribution of game titles ? a mechanism vital the survival of many digital content distributers.

Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, has already ?Ok?d? the notion of companies releasing copy-protected software - despite the fact that he does not personally like the idea.

full story @ omgubuntu

?[This move] might encourage GNU/Linux users to install these games, and it might encourage users of the games to replace Windows with GNU/Linux. My guess is that the direct good effect will be bigger than the direct harm. But there is also an indirect effect: what does the use of these games teach people in our community??
Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1095981-stallman-calls-valve-games-on-linux/
Share on other sites

Well if he doesn't like it he's free to not have it on his computer. It's not like if/when Steam ever gets made for Linux it will be hard coded or force installed into every single linux distribution out there.

Seems to me he's worrying about some ethical issue that doesn't exist.

Well, he's Stallman. He's all about FOSS and more often than not comes as an extremists, but it's still nice to have people like him so we can just stay in a comfortable middle ground.

Anyway, even as an extremist he sees that "the direct good effect will be bigger than the direct harm".

Yes, because this is the first piece of DRM'd software to ever grace Linux

oh wait

And he's against it all.

I think most of Neowin members just plainly dont understand Stallman's stand on this.

Yes, he is highly questionable but not for the reasons many list. He is n ACTIVIST, and as one is his job to talk with hyperboles. His goal IS noble: To achieve a time where we can access the code and assets of our apps while developers still can earn money.

  • Like 1
Nonfree game programs (like other nonfree programs) are unethical because they deny freedom to their users. (Game art is a different issue, because it isn't software.) If you want freedom, one requisite for it is not having nonfree programs on your computer.
If you want to promote freedom, please take care not to talk about the availability of these games on GNU/Linux as support for our cause.

Soooooo restricting choice and borderline censorship equates to freedom? I'm all for open source when it's desirable by the project, but this is just "our way or no way." Putting a stranglehold on end-users and developers alike doesn't sound free at all. If people don't want to fork over the money for commercial software nobody's forcing them to.. if he has his way people won't even have that option at all.

However, if you're going to use these games, you're better off using them on GNU/Linux rather than on Microsoft Windows. At least you avoid the harm to your freedom that Windows would do.

Ah, so it's only "harmful" when it's on Windows. Gotcha.

The Linux community really needs to start distancing themselves from this guy.

  • Like 2

Not all software will be open source, Rick needs to just accept this eventuality and move on. There's nothing unethical about using closed source software on an open platform.

Well I'd rather have DRM'ed software on Linux than not have it.

Not to mention, that Steam is DRM done in a decent manner.

Exactly! Steam is one of the few DRM mechanisms in place I'm totally cool with - not to mention the massive benefits of Steam (versus CD-only installation with a serial key) far outweigh the small inconveniences.

Not all software will be open source, Rick needs to just accept this eventuality and move on. There's nothing unethical about using closed source software on an open platform.

I don't understand his view in the regard of "what if you aren't a programmer to begin with?"

Most people want to use programs not recreate them, I understand his passion but it's an ideal.

I don't understand his view in the regard of "what if you aren't a programmer to begin with?"

Most people want to use programs not recreate them, I understand his passion but it's an ideal.

Precisely. I'm not a software developer so where a product comes from is of no consequence to me. If it fits my needs, I use it.

Every time someon criticises RMS for his views, the critic doesn't get it. RMS is fully aware that software freedom is a compromise between complete closed-ness and complete openness (contrary to popular belief, he's an immensely smart man), but he maintains his idealst views because he has to. Because if he doesn't, there's one less person to fight for our freedom to hack, and to promote free software. He represents the idea that all software should be free to be modified as the customer sees fit, and it's a noble ideal. Even if you're not a programmer, the idea that you could fiddle with the internals of all your software is one that everyone can agree would be positive (i.e. for the end user, there is zero downside), however profit-seeking companies and individuals prefer to keep their software closed in order to maintain an advantage over the competition, and that too is fine.

If RMS was to say "Well, I'm normally against DRM restrictions, but in Valves case I'll let it slide because they make good games", the free software movement has lost. The free software movement maintains unreasonable ideals because at the end of the day, even if the majority of software only manages to be 50% free according to RMS' beliefs, it's a victory for free software and consumer rights.

He's not the hero software developers deserve, but the one they need.

Every time someon criticises RMS for his views, the critic doesn't get it. RMS is fully aware that software freedom is a compromise between complete closed-ness and complete openness (contrary to popular belief, he's an immensely smart man), but he maintains his idealst views because he has to. Because if he doesn't, there's one less person to fight for our freedom to hack, and to promote free software. He represents the idea that all software should be free to be modified as the customer sees fit, and it's a noble ideal. Even if you're not a programmer, the idea that you could fiddle with the internals of all your software is one that everyone can agree would be positive (i.e. for the end user, there is zero downside), however profit-seeking companies and individuals prefer to keep their software closed in order to maintain an advantage over the competition, and that too is fine.

If RMS was to say "Well, I'm normally against DRM restrictions, but in Valves case I'll let it slide because they make good games", the free software movement has lost. The free software movement maintains unreasonable ideals because at the end of the day, even if the majority of software only manages to be 50% free according to RMS' beliefs, it's a victory for free software and consumer rights.

He's not the hero software developers deserve, but the one they need.

QFT!

While I don't agree with RMS most of the time, I also understand why he does what he does. This is probably the best summary of his beliefs I have ever read. (Also, I really like the Dark Knight allusion.)

  • Like 2

Every time someon criticises RMS for his views, the critic doesn't get it. RMS is fully aware that software freedom is a compromise between complete closed-ness and complete openness (contrary to popular belief, he's an immensely smart man), but he maintains his idealst views because he has to. Because if he doesn't, there's one less person to fight for our freedom to hack, and to promote free software. He represents the idea that all software should be free to be modified as the customer sees fit, and it's a noble ideal. Even if you're not a programmer, the idea that you could fiddle with the internals of all your software is one that everyone can agree would be positive (i.e. for the end user, there is zero downside), however profit-seeking companies and individuals prefer to keep their software closed in order to maintain an advantage over the competition, and that too is fine.

If RMS was to say "Well, I'm normally against DRM restrictions, but in Valves case I'll let it slide because they make good games", the free software movement has lost. The free software movement maintains unreasonable ideals because at the end of the day, even if the majority of software only manages to be 50% free according to RMS' beliefs, it's a victory for free software and consumer rights.

He's not the hero software developers deserve, but the one they need.

That simply isn't true. If anything RMS's incessant moralising and absolutist rhetoric "scare off" far more people than it draws in.

Eric S. Raymond wrote a brilliant blogpost about RMS here that sums the matter up nicely.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Google reportedly limited Meta's Gemini access over limited AI compute by Karthik Mudaliar Google is reportedly limiting Meta's use of its Gemini AI models after Meta tried buying more computing capacity than even Google could supply. According to the Financial Times, Google told Meta in March that it could not provide the full Gemini capacity that Meta had requested. This shortfall even disrupted and delayed some of Meta's internal projects. Due to this, Meta even told its employees internally to use AI tokens more efficiently. Meta wasn't the only one to get hit by this sudden refusal by Google; even other customers were affected. But Meta was hit harder because of its unusually high demand for Google's models. The move from Google makes it evident that companies all over are in limited supply of both infrastructure and compute. Alphabet said in April that Google Cloud revenue grew 63% year-over-year to $20 billion in the first quarter, helped by enterprise AI infrastructure and AI solutions. In pursuit of more compute, Meta had earlier signed a multi-billion-dollar AWS agreement as well as a large AMD GPU deal for AI data centers. But the crunch would be short-lived as both Meta and Google have also ramped up infrastructure investments heavily. Meta said in November that it was committing more than $600 billion in the U.S. by 2028 for AI technology, infrastructure, and workforce expansion. In the first quarter of this year, Meta also raised its expected capital expenditure for 2026 to a range of $125 billion to $145 billion, citing higher component pricing and additional data center costs for future capacity. However, this doesn't make the company immune to the current dependence on outside suppliers. Meta has also spent many years promoting Llama as an open-weight alternative to closed models from Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic. But if the reported reliance on Google's Gemini models is severe enough for internal work to get impacted, then it looks like even frontier labs and Big Tech aren't fully self-sufficient. Source: Financial Times
    • I like to reminisce about the good old days, way back in autumn 2025 when building a gaming machine was fun and the drives were about $150 when you caught a deal. Yes duh, back in the day we had it gone. Then baby Skynet came along, hiding in AI datacenters demanding more processing power until it reached singularity. End of a not totally fictional story.
    • My experience in the past with older Windows 11 builds was not great on unsupported machines but I recently used Rufus to put the latest build on a older 5th Gen Core Thinkpad T that we upgraded with a SATA SSD and 8GB of RAM four years ago when hardware was reasonable and it seemed pretty fast and solid. Customer is very happy with the performance and will probably get four more years out of that venerable laptop that he loves so much. Another customer just retired his Dell Studio laptop from 2009 running Windows 10. It got an SSD over 10 years ago and did everything he needed it to for 17 years but he also retired last year and is happy doing everything on his iPad now.
    • Apple's newest AirTag 2 gets first big discount by Taras Buria In late January 2026, Apple introduced its second-generation AirTag trackers, bringing a refresh to the old model that has been on the market for half a decade. Now, you can get these new trackers at an all-time low price, thanks to the first big discount that brought the price down by 17% on Amazon. While the second-generation AirTag looks identical to its predecessor, it packs meaningful upgrades inside. The second-gen ultrawideband chip works 50% farther than the original AirTag, allowing you to detect lost items in a wider range. In addition, the second-generation AirTag features an upgraded Bluetooth chip for extended range and a significantly louder speaker (up to 50%) so that you can hear it better when locating a lost item. Note that the second-gen AirTag only works with iPhones and iPads that run iOS/iPadOS 26 and newer, so you need a compatible device to use the tracker. Like the original AirTag, the AirTag 2 is available in two packs: one and four pieces. Both are now available at a notable discount on Amazon, and you can purchase them using the links below. Apple AirTag 2 tracker - $24 | 17% off on Amazon Apple AirTag 2 tracker (four-pack) - $89 | 10% off on Amazon Good to know This Amazon deal is U.S.- specific and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • I've been on Deezer for over a decade, but glad that Tidal joined them in fighting AI slop. Can't stand such takes as Spotify's: "Spotify's CEO recently pushed back against listeners who call AI music "slop," urging people to stop using the term and instead embrace the creative potential of AI music."
  • Recent Achievements

    • Reacting Well
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • Week One Done
      NovaEdgeX earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      BA the Curmudgeon earned a badge
      One Year In
    • Conversation Starter
      rosiecharles earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      KMilenkoski1202 earned a badge
      First Post
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      536
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      266
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      150
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      98
    5. 5
      macoman
      66
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!