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WineX 2.0
ZaMoose writes "Looks like Transgaming has released version 2.0 of WineX (with full support for Jedi Knight II and initial 3D sound support. Joy!) Prepackaged .debs and .rpms are available only to subscribers, but you can always just download and compile it yourself (you just won't get the nifty SafeDisk workarounds/InstallShield proprietary stuff)."
But does it run on FreeBSD?
The community that would pay isn't large enough to support a company.
Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
But still...
It'd be really nice if games were ported/developed for linux. Then people will start switching operating systems. Nobody cares if you can run certain programs on linux with a bit of hacking except for those of us who already run linux. Recompile these games for linux, use standards such as opengl, etc...
That being said, I really like seeing these things coming to linux. I love playing certain computer games, and really hate that they are only written for windows (I miss you loki). But hey, I'm off to play some JK II now
They provide a truly useful service for Linux gamers at a very reasonable price (far cheaper than most games) where purchasers actually get control over the direction of the project with their subscriptions. They also make their source code avaliable to anyone, sans the copy protection needed to play a lot of protected games. Install WineX from their source, test the non-copy protected demo version of your game, and if it works, buy WineX.
/sbin/ldconfig
/sbin/ldconfig
_ libdir}/*
That said, they're two ways to install software on Linux. One is RPM, the other has non standard install, uninstall, auditing and verification, leaves crap all over your system, makes it a nigthmare to build applications upon, and generally sucks. Here's a spec file you can use to create source and binary packages of Winex.
Summary: Runs Windows programs (especially multimedia ones) under Linux
Name: winex
Version: 20020407
Release: 1mm
Source0: %{name}-%{version}.tar.bz2
License: APSL
Group: Applications/Emulators
BuildRoot: %{_builddir}/%{name}-%{version}
Requires: kernel >= 2.4, XFree86-devel, gcc >= 2.7.2, flex >= 2.5
Requires: bison, glibc >= 2
%description
TransGaming WineX is a derivative of the Wine project. Wine is an implementation of
the Microsoft® Win32® APIs on top of UNIX and X-Windows - in essence, it is a Window
s® compatibility layer. Wine does not require Microsoft Windows to be installed, as
it provides an alternative implementation of Windows written from scratch with no Mi
crosoft code whatever.
TransGaming WineX includes a new implementation of the Microsoft DirectX multimedia
APIs, including Direct3D - the core graphics system most Windows games use for hardw
are accelerated 3D.
%prep
%setup -q
%build
%configure
make depend
make
%install
%makeinstall
%post -p
%postun -p
%clean
rm -rf %{buildroot}
%files
%defattr(-,root,root)
%{_bindir}/*
%{
%doc README ANNOUNCE BUGS DEVELOPERS-HINTS LICENSE LICENSE.winehq
%changelog
* Sun Apr 7 2002 Mike MacCana 1mm
- Created packages
I disagree with the premise that one can make a difference by not buying PC games, because I don't think Microsoft or game companies would really feel the difference. on the other hand, by supporting transgaming, codeweavers, and other contributers to the wine project (or by contributing your time to the wine project directly), then it will soon be irrelevant to open source people that some companies choose to write their software for windows. we will be able to offer compatibility at an API level, combined with a vastly superior price and support model.
Companies write software for windows because people who own windows tend to _purchase_ their software (because they don't know about the free alternatives). Windows users are used to shelling out money for software, even "free" shareware.
Linux and BSD, however, now have several good office products, excellent networking support including email, web browsers, and server software, and user-friendly distributions. when it becomes possible to play windows games and use legacy windows software, computer distributers will find competitive advantage in selling Linux or BSD pre-installed computers for $500 with hundreds of whizbang features which would cost several $1000's to provide under windows.
Linux & BSD distributions offer far better value for the money than windows already.. the only advantage windows has now is a commercial software base, and it would be a tremendous boon for open source operating system users to have access to all of that old legacy software.
Companies who develop X-Windows native software will continue to enjoy a vastly superior user interface over old, worn out windows software running under wine, so I really don't think it will be a problem to find companies willing to develop cross-platform or Linux native software using any number of convenient libraries which are already available. (Eg. Java, Qt, wx-windows, modular development best practices, etc.)
With tools like these, publisher-developers have little excuse not to write cross-platform code (other than bribes from Microsoft)
Sorry, but there are no black helicopters from Microsoft visiting developers.
Linux's greatest impediment to native games still exists. Most Linux gamers buy the Windows version of the game and dual boot or emulate. The "real" Linux market is only those people who will never buy the Windows version. People who would buy Linux rather than Windows don't matter, transferring one sale from the Windows column to the Linux column doesn't do a developer any good, they need additional sales
With respect to the cross platform libraries they are not the panacea being suggested. Sometimes there are legitimate performance or feature issues. DirectX has an "unfair" advantage coming from the OS vendor and often gets more attention from 3rd party vendors when it comes to drivers.
Developers have no love for Microsoft, they don't have anything against Linux, but they are not on a crusade to promote Linux. They just want to make a buck. Even Id once stated publicly (Game Developer Magazine) that it doesn't make business sense to support Linux, that they only do it because it is cool.
LOL, how many times have I seen this posted?
Linux Office apps, while good, are pretty crappy compared to Microsoft's version. None of the current Linux office applications have the integration, flexibility, and compatibility of MS Office.
fucktard is a tenderhearted description
errmm.. i think that they made agreements with the relevant companies and pay royalties for the privilege... correct me if i'm wrong.
I had all sorts of sound glitches/graphical weirdness with the CVS version. I installed this bad boy roughly 3 hours ago. I'm still up, playing JKII at 3am EST *grin*
It is indeed equal in performance to my Windows performance on my 1.1GHz Athlon w/256MB RAM and a GeForce2 GTS (32mb RAM).
I can't wait to try it out on my work macine tomorrow. Dual Athlon MP 1900+s, 1GB RAM and my GeForce4 should arrive tomorrow as well! Sweet!
I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then you could keep Dracula and Superman away.
What ever happenned with that? Did they reach the number of subscribers? Did they scrap that idea?
I personally am always doubtful, when people claim that they are going to release source under an open source license at some future date. From what I've seen they seem to change their mind over half the time.
I guess, I really don't care either way if release the source or not. I'm not subscribed and so they're under no obligation to me, but I was just curious.
It is not illegal to crack (as in "no-CD crack") software you own.
:)
There's even a law that explicitly allows backups, at least in Switzerland. This is a rough translation of article no. 24 of the Swiss copyright law: "Whoever has the right to use a computer program may make one backup copy thereof. This right cannot be revoked by contract." Nice
And in order to make such a copy, you'll need the no-CD crack - otherwise the copy becomes worthless.
Patches for most games and to work around SafeDisc etc. can be found at GameCopyWorld, which is also rather legal. Unless you're in the US and someone tries to use the DMCA against you, maybe.
Hmmm. I tried putting my Jedi Knight II CD in my PS2. It wouldn't load. Funny thing, that.
Serious Sam wouldn't load either. Nor Tribes 2. Return to Castle Wolfenstein wouldn't even boot up. Not even Medal of Honor would work. We're not even going to talk about the Sims, Black and White, Dungeon Siege, or Freedom Force.
Seems I do still need my PC for something...
I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then you could keep Dracula and Superman away.
You're giving a reason why it is undesirable, but not really putting forth any argument to refute that this is gaming in Linux. If you are running a long time-consuming process (e.g. recompiling gcc) under Linux and want to play a game without rebooting and aborting your process, you can. That's what "gaming in Linux" means: you're still running Linux.
The fact that this compromises Linux's integrity is irrelevant.