Linux Kernel 6.14 has arrived, bringing a clutch of changes to make your computer run more efficiently and more securely than before. Interestingly, Linux
Funny, I just saw an article saying don’t get too excited about Linux gaming boosts because apparently Wine doesn’t use ntsync yet, and Valve already worked around ntsync by implementing the faster fsync in SteamOS.
fsync isn’t faster than ntsync, it’s merely a workaround to match Linux to Windows synchronization primitives. From ntsync’s official description:
It exists because implementation in user-space, using existing tools, cannot match Windows performance while offering accurate semantics.
So without this, you either have a huge perfomance hit in case of an accurate implementation or you have good performance, but might run into edge cases where software doesn’t work well or at all because it’s not accurate (see https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/issues/2922 for examples)
Not sure there’s a better way to say it. I guess “the SteamOS fork of the Linux kernel” would be more explicit, but I assume most people who would read this are aware that SteamOS is built on Linux.
Ntsync got rid of performance degradation that can occur with some games under esync and fsync and that’s the why it’s allowed to go in the mainline kernel, it has no downside.
Funny, I just saw an article saying don’t get too excited about Linux gaming boosts because apparently Wine doesn’t use ntsync yet, and Valve already worked around ntsync by implementing the faster fsync in SteamOS.
fsync isn’t faster than ntsync, it’s merely a workaround to match Linux to Windows synchronization primitives. From ntsync’s official description:
So without this, you either have a huge perfomance hit in case of an accurate implementation or you have good performance, but might run into edge cases where software doesn’t work well or at all because it’s not accurate (see https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/issues/2922 for examples)
not my words. It’s the Valve dev who said it.
Why is he using the term “SteamOS kernel”?
Well, he’s talking about the kernel they are using in SteamOS. The Deck OS is also being extended to other handhelds.
Still a weird way to say this.
Not sure there’s a better way to say it. I guess “the SteamOS fork of the Linux kernel” would be more explicit, but I assume most people who would read this are aware that SteamOS is built on Linux.
esync = alpha version
fsync = beta version
ntsync = final release
Ntsync got rid of performance degradation that can occur with some games under esync and fsync and that’s the why it’s allowed to go in the mainline kernel, it has no downside.
This explains SO MUCH! I was getting frustrated when games start out perfectly fine than 30 minutes in frames would drop significantly.