End of Linux?

[mavanhel]

Ok, so maybe a the title is a little off. I can't see Linux disappearing anytime soon (if ever) but this recent article looks fairly interesting in that it's starting to bring DX11 into browsers. Although at this point it's only going to be another plugin option for online in-browser games, it makes me wonder how far away we are to having DX start to take over the roll of Flash in the browser (although this of course would not happen for many years).

The thing that worries me here is, if I understand DirectX properly, it is only an API that will work on Windows, since it is Microsoft proprietary software and I'm not sure if it runs in Linux. If Windows keeps DX out of other operating systems then, to my understanding, if DX found its way into everday websites I could see some issues with Linux running browsers with DX applied. I just wanted to know your thoughts on this, and also if I'm way off the mark. This is just something I was reading a bit about today and since I'm still a novice Linux user I thought some more expert thoughts could help me understand this.

 

[Ijack]

Windows has had DirectX for more years than I can remember. It doesn't seem to have had too much impact on Linux so far.

I can see no reason for normal websites to use DirectX. Most website designers want their sites to work with OS X, Linux, BSD, Solaris, etc., etc., not just Windows.

 

[randomizer]

Building a website for only 90% of the consumer market isn't very smart. As ijack mentioned, Linux isn't the only other OS without DirectX support. Plus DirectX isn't suitable for a replacement of Flash except perhaps in online games. HTML5 will be what intelligent site owners like Google will use for their Flash replacements because they will work on any OS. The only issue is that some browsers, like Firefox, don't support H.264 decoding in the browser due to perceived licence issues.

 

[mavanhel]

Ok, so in the case that an online game (we'll pick Runescape as an example as it's the first one to come to my mind) decides to utilize DX11, would running a browser under WINE allow you to play Runescape or would you just be forced to dual boot?

 

[randomizer]

Wine doesn't have support for DX11, and has rudimentary support for DX10 if any at all.

 

[audiovoodoo]

This really is a none issue. Look at how the market is going, the analysts are all telling us that within the next five years the majority of web access will be from mobile devices. These things are not going to be DirectX whatever compatible so I can't see the whole browser market heading that way.

What I can see is more support for OpenGL coming our way, mobile phone stacks and the chipset market are making this happen already. Look at the number of games that are now ported to iPhone and Android for a glimpse of the way the market is heading, all of them are OpenGL, a standard the Linux world knows very well.

 

[amdfangirl]

Who cares?

Until Linux disappears I'm not worried about anything.

 

[audiovoodoo]

Who cares?

Until Linux disappears I'm not worried about anything.

We all do. The situation is not what the OP suggests but actually a good thing for Linux in general. If you don't care about that then you know where the Apple crew live

 

[amdfangirl]

With where heading, most of our new web standards are gearing towards open standards.

Devs want to appeal to 100% of the market, right?

 

[audiovoodoo]

100% of the paying market.... that's the problem.

 

[ronss]

your hard core gamer is probably not be using linux, unless i am missing something.....some games will run on linux using crossover, and i have seen some cyrsis on wine...i have not done that sort of thing, but its happening...

most linux users , i believe, are not gamers, but using linux for other uses......just a thought

 

[randomizer]

I am a Linux user who plays games on Windows. But I don't really need Windows for anything else. I use the right tool for the task, and if Valve port Steam and Source games to Linux (as they are OSX), then Linux will possibly be the right tool for gaming. Wine is not the right tool, and Crossover costs extra monies.

 

[kraid]

Let's say your fear is realized and DX11 replaces Flash. Linux is NOT going away regardless due to their foothold in the server OS market. Linux as a desktop OS might be hit (again if your fears were true), but not Linux as a server OS.

Not going to happen.

 

[audiovoodoo]

your hard core gamer is probably not be using linux, unless i am missing something.....some games will run on linux using crossover, and i have seen some cyrsis on wine...i have not done that sort of thing, but its happening...

most linux users , i believe, are not gamers, but using linux for other uses......just a thought

By volume there are more games played on hand held devices now than on computers. That MS have just showed 3d gaming on their new phone platform, palm are showing how easy it is to port iToss games to the WebOS platform should give you a clear indication how things are going.

 

[ronss]

cool,,,,but when i play a game..its on my 24 inch lcd.....i really don,t get into the hand held devices,,but i quess i have never looked at them close enough to make a judgment

 

[Deusdies]

The alternative to DirextX for browsers will be WebGL.

 

[znegval]

I might be talking nonsense but since a huge portion of all websites run on Linux servers how are they gonna support DirectX? I'm pretty sure they're not just gonna "hey I really NEED DirectX! Better host my site somewhere else on a Windows server". Again, I'm not sure if my comment makes any sense.

edit: sorry about the near-1-month necro.

 

[audiovoodoo]

The DirectX part is the rendering of the page on the client, all the server does is serve data. As such even if it was an issue it would be a none issue.

 

[excelblue]

If a website uses DX11, I simply won't use that website. There will be many people like me because they either also run *NIX, have an older version of Windows (or a videocard) that doesn't support DX11, use a Mac, or prefer to browse via mobile devices. Thus, web developers will not be inclined to develop using DX11 because it doesn't provide any true benefit.

Pretty graphics are not important compared to content, and if you take a look at even this website (Tom's Hardware), you'll see that the most advanced graphics used are static images. There's not even flash (other than ads), because the articles don't need flash to convey the content!

 

[amdfangirl]

What website is dumb enough to do that?

 

[randomizer]

Don't put it past BoM.

 

[amdfangirl]

Hmm I hope they only make ads Dx11, then poor old me won't be able to see them.

 

[randomizer]

I second that motion.

 

[amdfangirl]

Any idea if Adblock kills Dx11 as well?

 

[kyeana]

I think adblock just blocks connections to known ad domains, so if it were the same domains hosting the DX11 ads i would imagine they would be blocked (but don't know this for sure).