Interview

Anthony Pich: Hello, I’m the co-founder of Entroware. I am also the co-founder.

Can you tell us more about Entroware? Entroware was founded to offer a UK-based source of Linux laptops, desktops and servers. We specialise in Linux – primarily Ubuntu – as we saw a growing need for customers to choose the right Linux machine for their needs. We want to show what Linux has to offer and if there are pre-built packages for customers then Linux uptake is much more likely to propagate. We offer a range of desktops and laptops that cover the broad spectrum of needs, from portables running quad-core Intel Celerons to monstrous gaming rigs with GTX 980 graphics cards. But we also provide a bespoke service where customers can handpick their components and build their dream specification. LXF: So how old is the business and who are you competing against? MW: Just under 18 months old and we have reached a stable level of turnover. AP: Yeah, there are other providers of Linux machines, namely System76 who are based in the US. We thought that there should be something similar in the UK as there’s a need to provide devices with modern hardware to the UK Linux community. LXF: Your machines are designed with Ubuntu in mind, why is that? MW: Ubuntu seems to be the most userfriendly operating system and especially suits those new to Linux. We also support Ubuntu Mate, and for those users who feel that Unity is just a step too far. Mate provides a similar experience to Windows. AP: Ubuntu has for a number of years seen to be the de-facto standard distribution. LXF: Would you ever consider supporting other distributions? MW: Unofficially, we do support other types of Linux distributions and we will work with the customer to tailor the best package. AP: But our main focus is on Ubuntu for the time being and that’s mainly due to logistics. We need to ensure that our machines are tested and pass the QA (Quality Assurance) process and right now we use Ubuntu and Ubuntu Mate which offer that level of assurance for us and the customer. LXF: So here we are at OggCamp and you are the headline sponsor. What was one the driving factors that supported your decision to support and come to OggCamp? AP: Mainly it was the great OggCamp community; they were our biggest reason to be here because we are also part of the greater Linux community which OggCamp promotes. LXF: So OggCamp is your chance to undertake outreach to your community? AP: Yeah, we need better brand awareness among the Linux and open source community. We’ve had quite a lot of interest from the OggCamp community and I think that we are on the right track. LXF: I see on your stall that you have a Steam Machine running Borderlands 2 and the Steam controller, which is no doubt helping your outreach? AP: Our Steam machine is a prototype; it’s really a big tease for what we have to come. Right now we can’t say too much, but our Steam Machine is proof that gaming on Linux is entirely viable. LXF: There are more games coming out for Linux, so will we see surge in Linux gamers? AP: Basically anything based on the Source engine library is Linux compatible, for example MetroLastLight, which is a graphically impressive first person shooter. MW: I think that we will see more gamers using Linux, especially after the official release of Steam OS and more OEMs shipping their own vision of a Steam console. It will force gamer makers to seriously consider Linux. LXF: A Unity Editor was recently released for Linux – do you think this will this help developers create cross platform games? MW: Unity is an appealing option for developers; it’s viable to export the game to Linux as it requires just a few clicks. LXF: Have you managed to catch any talks? AP: Sadly not many, I did catch the last half of the podcaster panel. But our focus this weekend has been to engage with the OggCamp community, because that is where we get feedback which helps us improve our products. The community have been great and given us lots of useful feedback. We have had great conversations with the other exhibitors, such as Ubuntu and Ragworm. It’s great to see so much is going on in the maker community. LXF: What’s your take away from OggCamp? MW: The open source community. These are the people we looked up to when we started.