The Steam for Linux Beta client supports the free-to-play game Team Fortress 2. Approximately two dozen additional Steam titles are now also available for play on Linux systems. Additionally, the Steam for Linux Beta client includes Big Picture, the mode of Steam designed for use with a TV and controller, also currently in beta.

The Steam for Linux Beta client is currently available for installation on Ubuntu 12.04. “An overwhelming majority of beta applicants have reported they’re running the Ubuntu distro of Linux,” according to Frank Crockett, a member of the Steam for Linux team, “We intend to support additional popular distros in the future; we’ll prioritize development for these based on user feedback.”

More details regarding Steam for Linux, including community discussion, beta participants’ feedback, official announcements and syndicated news can all be tracked on the new Steam for Linux Community Hub at http://steamcommunity.com/linux.

Source Engine Changes (TF2, DoD:S, HL2:DM)

• Adjusted error messages on servers when players drop due to Steam authentication failure to be more clear
• Additional important server messages now go to the server log instead of just the console

Team Fortress 2

• Added The Conquistador
• Added The Map Maker's Medallion
• Added new promotional items
• Added information about item origins to the WebAPI
• Added "DamagedPlayer" animation event for the HUD, fired when the local player damages other players
• Fixed The Head Warmer not displaying unusual particle effects correctly
• Fixed paint applying incorrectly on Max's Severed Head
• Fixed a server crash caused by Holiday Punch critical attacks on physics objects
• Updated the Itsy Bitsy Spyer so it can also be equipped by the Sniper
• Updated cp_foundry:
• Clip brush collision smoothing by the forward spawn alternate exit
• Fixed Nobuild exploits
• Fixed the teleporter player trap on the roof of the forward spawn alternate exit
• Fixed Nodraw and texturing errors
• Fixed clipping of barrels on final cap points
• Fixed fade distance on props
• Fixed lighting bugs in spytech vistas
• Removed props hidden in geometry
• Removed ability for players to cap the final point by standing on the catwalk behind it

To apply the update restart steam ;)

Targeted for release via Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and Steam (for PC and Mac) in early 2012, CS: GO will expand upon the team-based action gameplay that it pioneered when it was launched exactly 12 years ago (CS beta 1, August 1999).

CS: GO features new maps, characters, and weapons and delivers updated versions of the classic CS content (de_dust, etc.). In addition, CS: GO will introduce new gameplay modes, matchmaking, leader boards, and more.

"Counter-Strike took the gaming industry by surprise when the unlikely MOD became the most played online PC action game in the world almost immediately after its release in August 1999," said Doug Lombardi at Valve. "For the past 12 years, it has continued to be one of the most-played games in the world, headline competitive gaming tournaments and selling over 25 million units worldwide across the franchise. CS: GO promises to expand on CS' award-winning gameplay and deliver it to gamers on the PC as well as the next gen consoles and the Mac."

CS: GO is being developed by Valve in cooperation with Seattle-based Hidden Path Entertainment. The title is targeted for release in early 2012 and will be playable at this year's PAX Prime and Eurogamer Expo 2011.

Source Engine Changes (CS:S, DoD:S, TF2, HL2:DM)

• Fixed a packet injection exploit in the client/server streams
• Fixed UDP logging exploit
• Added a new server convar "sv_logsecret" which emits a new S2A_LOGSTRING2 UDP packet to any UDP log targets with the secret value pre-pended

More about update: here

New Features and UI updates

• Steam Screenshots
  
• Added support for Steam Screenshots. Press F12 while in any game that runs the Steam Overlay to take screenshots, then publish them to your Steam Community profile, or anywhere else on the web. Each user is allotted 1 GB of Steam Cloud storage for screenshots.

• Library Search capability and related navigation updates
  
• Added Search capability to the library for quick filtering of your list. Press Tab to move focus to and from the search field, press Esc to clear the search.
• Moved access to all library sub views (Games, Media Tools, Downloads, etc.) into the library's dropdown control

• Voice quality improvements
• Changed microphone voice input from 11 kHz to 16 kHz
• Changed voice output from 8 kHz to 16 kHz
• Fixed the settings-dialog microphone test to correctly re-init the calibration client if the active voice device changes
• Reduced voice prefix buffer size from 200 to 100 ms, but increased trailing from 200 to 400 ms - reduces latency when transitioning from silence to active voice, but still should keep it from sounding like chat is cutting out mid-sentence
• Increased thresholds for voice activity detection, making it less sensitive
• Increased amount of gain applied to voice
• Changed disconnect message when a friend ends a voice call to ' has ended the call'
• Windows: Fixed microphone to reinitialize correctly if Windows signals that a device in the system has changed
• Windows: Changed voice output device for Steam to be the default communication device

• Web addresses
  
• Added an option to display the client's URL address bar, and turned it off by default, given its limited utility
• Web views now include a "Copy Page URL" command in the context menu, to copy the page's web address to the clipboard

• Game invites
  
• Moved game invites from friends outside of the chat stream, into their own panel in the chat dialog for improved discoverability

• Account security
  
• Added password strength meter to the Change Password wizard
• Added a prompt to choose a new password if you've recently had Steam Support change your password on your behalf

• General bug fixes
• Fixed game invites not working from lobby-based games
• Fixed games not launching automatically after resolving a cloud conflict
• Fixed download rate sometimes erroneously reporting very high speeds
• Fixed a crash on startup or when viewing Games page
• Fixed client hang which could occur while hovering on links in any HTML-based display area
• Corrected check box states in the Friends window menu to properly remain in sync
• Fixed bug where some downloadable content was not downloaded until the client was restarted
• Fixed a rare and small, but steady memory leak caused by the Steam Overlay in some full screen D3D10/D3D11 games
• Mac OS X: Fixed a problem where attempting to resume a paused/interrupted download could always report ‘server unavailable’
• Mac OS X: Fixed password input fields in the Steam Overlay to correctly receive input

New updates have been released for Team Fortress 2, Counter-Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch. The updates will be applied automatically when your Steam client is restarted.

Source Engine Changes (CS:S, DoD:S, TF2, HL2:DM)

• Fixed the dedicated server not running on machines using Win2k

Team Fortress 2

• Added the Monday Night Combat gear
• Added Crit-a-Cola to the weapon drop list
• Added missing chalkboard/serverbrowser materials for 5Gorge
• Fixed some missing particles systems in the low violence version
• Fixed a bug with the round ending when a control point is captured during Overtime in CP_Egypt
• Fixed the game not running on machines using Fat32
• Updated the localization files

The major changes include updates to source engine and TF2:

Source Engine Changes (CS:S, DoD:S, TF2, HL2:DM)

• Added the "Server can execute" flag to the “r_cleardecals” command.
• Fixed a problem where the microphone transmit volume sometimes had no associated control and was disabled in the Audio options dialog.
• Fixed a crash on exit for Mac clients.

Team Fortress 2

• Added community submitted kill icons.
• Fixed enemies seeing death notices when you backstab their team mates with Your Eternal Reward.
• Fixed the attack animation not always playing correctly for Your Eternal Reward.
• Fixed the critboost sound not playing when the Kritzkrieg charge is deployed.
• Fixed a broken texture on the Flipped Trilby.
• Updated the material for the Jag.
• Community Request
• o Fixed spawn points associated with a control point not being enabled/disabled correctly when the control point owner is set using the SetOwner input.
• o Added the "Server can execute" flag to the “firstperson” and “thirdperson” commands.

steampowered.com

Valve announced a new set of advanced features delivered in Steamworks, a complete suite of publishing and development tools that are available free of charge to developers and publishers worldwide.

Headlining the new feature set is the Custom Executable Generation (CEG) technology that compliments the already existing anti-piracy solution offered in Steamworks. A customer friendly approach to anti-piracy, CEG makes unique copies of games for each user allowing them to access the application on multiple machines without install limits and without having to install root kits on their PC.

The new features also include support for in-game downloadable content (DLC) and matchmaking. The in-game DLC support allows developers to deliver new content as they choose (paid or free) from inside the game itself, allowing users to make immediate purchases and experience the new content in the same game session. The Steamworks matchmaking now includes the robust lobby system shipped and tested in Left 4 Dead.

"Delivering this extension of services on Steamworks first anniversary, demonstrates our commitment to continually develop the platform to better serve the community working with these tools," said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. "As we roll out these features, we continue to look for new ways make PC games easier to create and better for customers to experience."

Steamworks was launched in early 2008 and has already shipped in products distributed at retail and electronically with major PC releases such as Empire: Total War, Dawn of War II, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, and Football Manager 2009.

The Steamworks services are offered free of charge to developers and publishers around the world. In addition to the services added in this spring's extension, Steamworks offers support for Steam Achievements, Steam Community, Auto Updating, Statistics, Steam Cloud and more.

Steamworks is fully integrated with the Steam, a leading platform for the delivery and management of PC games that has grown to reach 20 million accounts throughout the world, up from 15 million accounts just one year ago. Steam now offers over 500 applications to gamers in every country of the world.

For more information, please visit www.steamgames.com

The Steam Holiday sale is on now. Until January 2, every game on Steam is available at 10% to 75% off the regular price. Select publisher catalogs such as Ubisoft, THQ, and 2K Games are 25% off. Award-winning titles such as Bioshock and Portal are available for 75% off the regular price. For more information, please visit steamgames.com/holidaysale

The Team Fortress 2: Gold Rush Update is now available, free to owners of Team Fortress 2 via Steam. The Gold Rush Update introduces the new Gold Rush map and Payload gameplay style, the first set of unlockable weapons, and a new set of achievements for the Medic.

In other TF2 news, a worldwide Team Fortress 2 Free Weekend will begin Friday at noon PDT, and will include access to the new content released today in the TF2: Gold Rush Update. Using the functionality made available through Steam and Steamworks, all of the files needed to join the Free Weekend are available for pre-loading now.

The Free Weekend is open to players around the world, and there is no obligation to purchase to participate; all that is needed is a Steam account to join.

To start pre-loading everything you need to play on Friday and learn more about Team Fortress 2, please visit www.steamgames.com/goldrush