Linux

[Lemming]

Kernel 2.6, anyone else used it and what's your opinion, oh and anyone else play their games from Linux? Or am I the only one?

 

[Gurnox]

Kernel 2.6, anyone else used it and what's your opinion, oh and anyone else play their games from Linux? Or am I the only one?

Not looked at 2.6 yet but have promised myself a run out with it soon. As well as looking at some alternative file systems to ext 3. If anyone's interested, I'll post here after I've had a play with them.

What do you use to run your games? I'm guessing Wine X. It's good, but I don't think it's a substitute for running games natively under Windows. Especially if you're into fps.

A friend of mine swears by using VMWare. However, seeing as he only plays 'Monkey Island', that's not a sweeping recommendation for it's games mimicry. It's a damn fine emulator though.

Linux is fine for running games specifically ported to it. The Quakes are examples that spring reaily to mind.

I still (deep breath) think Windows is where it's at games wise though. That's not to say that Linux could not be a decent games platform. But, while developers and gfx hardware designers concentrate their efforts on Windows, which is where the money is, Linux will always be playing catch-up.

IMHO the best thing to do is:

- Have a Windows machine specifically for gaming or......
- Set up a dual boot (Using Grub or Lilo - Whichever flicks your switch) between Linux and Win XP. If you compile NTFS support into your kernel, so much the better.

 

[Will]

Running WineX seems to me to be stabbing yourself in the leg when it comes to linux games...why would people write native games when the Windows version could just be emulated?

Native games good, WineX bad.

Though the only game I play on my FreeBSD box at the moment is Moria. Brings back so many memories.

 

[phlash]

A friend of mine swears by using VMWare. However, seeing as he only plays 'Monkey Island', that's not a sweeping recommendation for it's games mimicry. It's a damn fine emulator though.

Minor point (no offence intended!), VMWare is NOT an emulator, it's a native O/S call interceptor, so most user-level code runs at full speed, with the only performance impact being when a system call is made...

There was an open source attempt to do the same here: http://plex86.sourceforge.net/ but they've given up trying to provide Windows support now :-(

 

[Gurnox]

Running WineX seems to me to be stabbing yourself in the leg when it comes to linux games...why would people write native games when the Windows version could just be emulated?

Native games good, WineX bad.

Though the only game I play on my FreeBSD box at the moment is Moria. Brings back so many memories.

I don't think it can be written off that easily. I see your point, but let's face it, how many companies, other than a commendable few, are going to bother porting their games to an OS which:

They do not know
They may not make any money from?

Maybe this will change as the OS gains acceptence in the home market. Until then, Wine-X is the only way the die-hard, will-not-install-anything-but Linux users can get to see any sort of gaming action.

Besides, Wine as a whole is a superb project. You can't just write it off with a quick 'winex bad'. Do you realise what it's doing

Agree with you on Moria though. That was wicked cool!

 

[Gurnox]

Minor point (no offence intended!), VMWare is NOT an emulator, it's a native O/S call interceptor, so most user-level code runs at full speed, with the only performance impact being when a system call is made...

I know. However, the word 'emulator' saved me quite a lot of typing. :kissit:

 

[Lemming]

What do you use to run your games? I'm guessing Wine X. It's good, but I don't think it's a substitute for running games natively under Windows. Especially if you're into fps.

Actually I play ET, natively and Tribes 2, natively with a bit of ut2003, natively or Serious Sam, natively or Quake 3, natively....

Just waiting for Doom 3, which I'll be playing natively. Spot the pattern?

 

[Gurnox]

Actually I play ET, natively and Tribes 2, natively with a bit of ut2003, natively or Serious Sam, natively or Quake 3, natively....

Just waiting for Doom 3, which I'll be playing natively. Spot the pattern?

Cool. Do you run into any problems?

Although this is great if you like to play nothing but the major fps games, or if you really like to run game servers....... I think Linux users are left out-in-the-cold by games developers in a big way.

It's worth the hassle of dual-booting just to know that you are going to be able to play whatever takes your fancy. Hell will freeze over before I give up the opportunity to play Championship Manager, Halo, Black & White e.t.c. the way they were meant to be played.

 

[Lemming]

CoD is reported as working in winex tho I haven't tried it. I DO dual boot, just I use Linux whenever possible as I tend to get higher framerates (and better ping on my dialup, go figure)

EDIT: winex WAS excellent for half-life, better framerates and ping then running it natively. Unfortunately steam has put a bit of a spanner in the works due to it causing alot of problems, but even those have work arounds.