[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Gaming on Linux: A guide for sane people with limited patience here

[JohnBailoex9v]

As a Suse user the information seems a bit out of date.

I have long been able to get drivers for my nVidia card using the 1 Click button, a web based installer.

http://en.opensuse.o..._NVIDIA_drivers

As far as gaming, I was using Unreal Tournament 2, one of the best mainstream multiplayer games, on linux more than five years ago..it is sad they never delivered the promised linux client for UT3! But yes, with Steam the playing field is leveled...I just wish the top sellers would do linux ports (them and Netflix).

I hate WINE, I hate emulators, I hate installing emulators. With today's RAD dev environments, doing linux ports should be cake.

[Hannofcart]

But [W]ine [I]s [N]ot an [E]mulator!

[mikefrett]

I was surprised by this article, you actually tell people the correct ways to do things, unlike most articles I have read. Big thumbs up.

But it feels unfinished, I would have pointed users to some Native games like: Torchlight, Eternal Lands, RC Mini Racers, Space Pirates and Zombies, Super Tux Kart, Oil Rush, Frozen Bubble and the Spring RTS engine (Many Games) to start.

I also would have mentioned if they installed Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Kubuntu or Lubuntu (All Official) they would have received the 'Software Center' app in their Menu where they can Buy and Download Games and Apps with one click and Installing the safest drivers in one click via 'Additional Drivers' in the Settings Menu.

I personally use Xubuntu and don't experience many of the problems of other Linux distros because there is little to no fancy window effects to get in the way and cause errors with Xfce.

And I dislike Wine, It's just not an option and causes more problems than it resolves. Just find native apps and games to replace your 'loss' and YES you can because I did. Developers need to port their games to Linux, it's not hard at all if you ditch dirty DirectX and move to an open API like OpenGL. There is more money if you make games and apps cross platform instead of wasting your time on a dying platform like Windows.

[electrojolt]

I tried Ubuntu 3 times and all 3 times it broke itself during auto updates...

Not user friendly... will never use it again.

[linuser123]

I think you missed about mupen64plus NES 64-bit emulator. I have been playing all 64-bit mario games (tennis, kart, golf etc) for some time. If linux users are setting up a computer for their family, they need to know how to create a .desktop file. Anyone can then, double click the file and run the application. A nice game icon is far more intutive than running the diamond icon.

[ET3D]

I haven't yet read the article, but it wins the "best title ever" reward.

[ET3D]

Now that I've read it, it sounds pretty good. One thing I would like to know is whether it's possible to run games directly off an NTFS partition. I have a games partition, and when upgrading Windows most of the time it's possible to easily reuse it (install Steam to the same place, and all games are accessible, run the MMO launchers and they'll reinstall themselves). If it's possible, how do I do it?

[Fatesrider]

First off, I've been a casual Linux user for twelve years. I have Kubuntu 11.X on my system now dual booting with Win XP (Yes, old OS, so sue me, I haven't had any stability issues or had any reason to upgrade). Almost all of my programs could port over to Linux since almost off of them are open source (DAZ would be hard to do that, I think, but I'd have to check and I need that to make many of my book covers).

I'm also the owner of an IT service business that caters primarily to the unwashed masses for whom command line entry is equivalent to a foray into the Valley of Death and just about as enjoyable.

So it's not like I don't have some perspective.

I think it's great that gaming can be done on Linux without necessarily having to open veins for people who have some understand of what they're doing. But for the masses, it's still a non-starter. Windows-centric gaming on Linux is still going to be a matter of tweaking, twisting and seeing what might appeal from a relatively limited selection of games. It's one thing to be able to play any game. It's another to only have a few which can be strong-armed into complacency on a Linux system.

I do agree that Linux is getting easier. But the unwashed masses need it to be simple. The instructions here, for those of us with the arrogance of knowledge looking down on the unwashed masses, ARE simple. But for the unwashed masses, they're pretty much the same as explaining the nuances of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle to a first grader. They might be able to follow the instructions. But if anything goes wrong, it will turn them off of Linux completely and another user will be lost forever.

Once gaming installations on Linux become as simple as installations on Windows, or even Macs, then you'll see more people from the less techie side moving toward a free OS. The command line entry has to be replaced with something that doesn't involve typing. Until then, I don't see Linux ever grabbing enough market share to matter.

[bluelightzero]

Quote

Now that I've read it, it sounds pretty good. One thing I would like to know is whether it's possible to run games directly off an NTFS partition. I have a games partition, and when upgrading Windows most of the time it's possible to easily reuse it (install Steam to the same place, and all games are accessible, run the MMO launchers and they'll reinstall themselves). If it's possible, how do I do it?

read about symbolic links
you can then move a directory from one partition to another and it will behave like it's still in the same place.

please ask people on ubuntu forums as I have not tested this out. they are very friendly

[DanKegellnp5]

As the author of winetricks, I'd like to point out that many games run on current wine (1.5.22 or so) without using winetricks.

While using winetricks is much safer than downloading random DLLs off the internet, installing native DLLs can sometimes get in the way of troubleshooting, and can even cause problems.

The advice to always install "everything beginning with d3dx, quartz, vcrun2005, vcrun2008, and vcrun2010, wininet, xact, xact_jun2010, and xinput" is probably overkill. I would at least remove wininet from that list.

But I recognize that this is a scary and difficult subject for newcomers, and I am happy to see articles like this, even if I disagree with the details of the advice.

[DanKegellnp5]

Quote

Now that I've read it, it sounds pretty good. One thing I would like to know is whether it's possible to run games directly off an NTFS partition. I have a games partition, and when upgrading Windows most of the time it's possible to easily reuse it (install Steam to the same place, and all games are accessible, run the MMO launchers and they'll reinstall themselves). If it's possible, how do I do it?

In general, no. See
http://wiki.winehq.o...af095a4a4cafa13

[waldojim]

ET3D, on 23 January 2013 - 07:33 AM, said:

Now that I've read it, it sounds pretty good. One thing I would like to know is whether it's possible to run games directly off an NTFS partition. I have a games partition, and when upgrading Windows most of the time it's possible to easily reuse it (install Steam to the same place, and all games are accessible, run the MMO launchers and they'll reinstall themselves). If it's possible, how do I do it?

It can be done, but I wouldn't recommend it. Linux NTFS support is still considered experimental, and you may end up damaging the data on there. I have had this happen more than once, and seriously don't recommend it at all.

[waldojim]

Well.... this is obviously not a Kathryn Noyes production... clear information, well laid out, mostly accurate...

Good job!

[berock212]

Why do people go to so much trouble just to use Linux? If you would just use Windows then you just download the game, no worrying about driver download, no worrying about porting and you have the biggest game selection.

[MKZ1945]

Quote

Why do people go to so much trouble just to use Linux? If you would just use Windows then you just download the game, no worrying about driver download, no worrying about porting and you have the biggest game selection.

Some people just don't use Windows. Linux is a decent alternative and getting better every year. Additionally, IT IS FREE. It's a good article for people that are new to the Linux operating system.

[waldojim]

berock212, on 23 January 2013 - 02:02 PM, said:

Why do people go to so much trouble just to use Linux? If you would just use Windows then you just download the game, no worrying about driver download, no worrying about porting and you have the biggest game selection.

Wow... so Windows doesn't use drivers anymore?! When did this happen?

[crushkittykitty]

Quote

Why do people go to so much trouble just to use Linux? If you would just use Windows then you just download the game, no worrying about driver download, no worrying about porting and you have the biggest game selection.

funny I installed windows 7 and gues what .... had to install the drivers for my ati card... wireless card didnt work ..... So agian tell me how windows is better?

[crushkittykitty]

the latest driver for AMD ATI is 13.1 I would give those drivers a try here is installing the latest drivers in mint also for those that installed the beta driver and removed the water mark how to uninstall the 12.11 beta driver.
https://www.youtube....h?v=DTqtdP-K06w

[crushkittykitty]

Quote

I tried Ubuntu 3 times and all 3 times it broke itself during auto updates... Not user friendly... will never use it again.

Try mint if you get stuck mint has its own irc channel it is included as
Xchat just open it there is always someone willing to walk you threw it from the hardest problem to the easy.
Here is how to install mint on a laptop.
https://www.youtube....h?v=jScfwqaMEcY
One of the great things about linux is there is a vast number of people willing to help.