FreeGameDev

Hi.

I found this clone of steam, home (repository in github)...maybe a lot of you know it.

It runs fine...well it has only a game section (no forum, no achievements,...). It is only for Löve games.

Years ago, I thought this things when I looked the list of pygame games and yes I never made a code. So I love these kind of projects because somebody made more than me.

Regards.

Well, that's not particularly new. Desura, whose client is free/libre software, has been around for some time. Though this one does have the interesting idea of not involving a repository of the games; instead it's basically a collection of links to platform-independent files, and the software needed to run those files.

I forever thought that Desura was close source.

But I just to check the article in the wikipedia and the client was released as open source in 2011: Desura repository.

There is also DJL (https://launchpad.net/djl) however judging by their broken website it seems not be active developed.

Desura/Desurium has the problem that updating a game seems to involve some manual processes by the (severely understaffed it seems) Desura team, making it quite inconvenient for often updated open-source projects. Otherwise it's a relatively nice client though.

A somewhat decentralized system, that allows to add custom repositories would be nice though. An optional FOSS "steam-works" that includes user accounts, achievements, matchmaking, stats and cross-game messaging would be definitely cool to have as a standard implementation target.

Hi

As far as I know, the project DLJ was more active between 2009 and 2011. Their developers failed in supporting some kinds of games (especially Java games).

Most of the existing app stores are tolls and provide a fake feeling of security with the excuse of simplicity for the end users instead of giving them enough information to make wise choices. I preferred the Linux Game Tome. However, I admit that some features you talked about are interesting. A dedicated software with a client isn't necessary, a website could be enough. Concerning the decentralized system, Red is worth a look.