14 DAY TRIAL // The SteamOS version based on the newer Debian 8 has been upgraded once more, and it looks like developers are preparing the groundwork for some important changes that will land very soon.
It's clear yet if Valve will try to make an effort and launch Steam Machines in November with the version of SteamOS that is based on Debian 8 or if they will stick to the current iteration of the operating systems, which uses the older Debian 7 branch. They initially said that they didn't plan to do this, but it wasn't something set in stone.
The fact is, SteamOS Brewmaster, the new version of the Linux distribution, has been updated quite a lot in the past few weeks, which is much more than the currently stable version of the operating system has seen. That might just mean that the team is ready to make the move and that the developers are feeling the pressure of the November launch.
What's new in SteamOS Brewmaster
Developers are preparing for an important Steam update, and they are laying the groundwork for some of the improvements. This is actually one of the few updates that don't bring any new packages or updates for the old ones.
"Fixed a bug where mouse pointer would hide even while holding a button. Increased mouse cursor timeout. Added preliminary support for screen magnification will be enabled by an upcoming Steam client release," reads the official changelog.
In fact, the entry about screen magnifications is a pretty important one, and it's a feature that is currently in the works for other distros as well (some already have it). For example, Unity 8 will sport the same kind of functionality.
As usual, you can download the SteamOS Brewmaster ISO from Softpedia and give it a try. Please keep in mind that this is not a Live CD, and you need an entire partition to install it.