All this supposed stability doesn't seem to be reflected in a growing number of desktop products for Linux, not even ones that don't require a specific "download infrastructure" like recent games (which is really just a way of enforcing DRM, something that might not even be possible in the Linux world), so I'm really not convinced the main obstacle to commercial Linux development for the desktop is the distribution channel.
I think the bottom line is the opportunity price, and it's still way too high for Linux overall -- it's harder to support, harder to develop against, brings a several-orders-of-magnitude-smaller userbase who mostly resents having to pay for software... easy deployment won't change that figure very much, IMHO, but I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong.
> All this supposed stability doesn't seem to be reflected in a growing number of desktop products for Linux
You're shifting the goal posts. Nobody was claiming that ABI stability would lead to an increase in products, I was replying to you claiming ABI instability as a significant obstacle. As for the number of binary-distributed desktop products for Linux not having grown lately, I think you're completely wrong on that: See the Humble Bundle games.
And the userbase being so much smaller is, again, why Steam for Linux is such a big deal: It's an extension to a platform publishers are already familiar with, which makes it easier than ever for them to add the platform.
On top of that, Steam is more than just a distribution platform, it's also an SDK for things like multiplayer lobbies, meta-game systems like achievements and savegame sync. Dozens of titles are using that SDK now, and getting it ported to Linux maikes Steam for Linux also an important middleware port.
I think the bottom line is the opportunity price, and it's still way too high for Linux overall -- it's harder to support, harder to develop against, brings a several-orders-of-magnitude-smaller userbase who mostly resents having to pay for software... easy deployment won't change that figure very much, IMHO, but I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong.