Linux Doom 3 Client Released

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Posted by Zonk on Monday October 4, 2004 @10:30AM from the tux-with-a-BFG dept.

CrusadeR writes "id Software has released the Linux client/server binaries for Doom 3. An installation/FAQ page has been setup; there's also a torrent tracker for the various files."

11 of 103 comments (clear)

Bad news ahead by ricotest · 2004-10-04 10:38 · Score: 4, Interesting

I think it pretty much exemplifies how hard Linux gaming is to set up, when you have an entire Wiki engine set up for one FAQ.

I'd guess it'll be the same as my experiences - a variety of minor problems depending on what hardware you have, in particular ATI users getting shafted.

In fact: "Currently, the game will not run correctly on ATI cards using the fglrx driver. However, the ATI developers are working on new driver releases, and eventually the game will be supported." but DRI drivers might work, and either way the future looks promising.

Also 5.1 surround support isn't currently available. Depressing, but hopefully set to improve :)
1. Re:Bad news ahead by Dalcius · 2004-10-04 10:45 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  "I think it pretty much exemplifies how hard Linux gaming is to set up, when you have an entire Wiki engine set up for one FAQ."
  
  Anyone remember spending hours upon hours hacking at DOS configs to get your old games to load just right?
  
  Give things time. Once some of the APIs and components stabilize and mature I think we'll start to see a lot more games for Linux.
  
  Cheers
  
  --
  ~Dalcius
  Rome wasn't burnt in a day.
2. Re:Bad news ahead by Apreche · 2004-10-04 11:08 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  this looks pretty tame to me actually. You run one command and copy a few files from the real cd. In a few days I'm sure that in gentoo at least you will be able to do
  
  emerge doom3
  
  and
  
  emerge doom3-demo
  
  The reason they have stuff like this is because of the heterogenous nature of linux systems. There is bound to be someone out there for whom the install isn't a piece of cake. And for those special cases they need the wiki. Most people will install this very easily and make it go.
  
  From my experience the people who have problems will be the same people who have problems with their linux systems. Smart users with good working systems, i.e: 3d and sound already work correctly and software is updated to newer versions, will have no trouble.
  
  --
  The GeekNights podcast is going strong. Listen!
Thank You by sirmikester · 2004-10-04 11:00 · Score: 3, Interesting

Cudos to id for continually supporting the linux gaming community. This is one game I will definitely buy, as I have passed up many recent games because of their linux unfriendliness.

--
In linux libertas
Re:Performance? by Kalak · 2004-10-04 11:17 · Score: 4, Insightful

Comparing specs:
GNU/Linux system,
Pentium III, 1Ghz
256Mb RAM

English version of Microsoft® Windows® 2000/XP
Pentium® IV 1.5 GHz or Athlon® XP 1500+ processor or higher
384MB RAM

Sounds like Linux is supposed to perform on less. Since I'm on the low end w/ 256MB RAM (I know it's cheap, etc. but I'm still working on money for the game) and a Athlon XP 2000+, I'll have to see if I get better framerates w/ Linux than Windows. It might me help my buy it sooner if I can skip the RAM. Demo benchmarking time!

--
I am, and always will be, an idiot. Karma: Coma (mostly effected by .hack)
Re:Performance? by jfedor · 2004-10-04 11:23 · Score: 5, Informative

I'm getting ~55 FPS in timedemo demo1 on Linux (Fedora Core 1), compared to ~60 FPS on Windows XP on the same machine.

(GeForce 6800, Athlon XP 3000+, 512 MB RAM, 1024x768, high quality, no AA, NVIDIA drivers version 1.0-6111 on Linux, 66.81 on Windows)

-jfedor
just gave it a go by toddhunter · 2004-10-04 12:26 · Score: 3, Interesting

The download came down soon enough and the install was pretty painless. Wanted to run as root... (but doesn't require it?)
Then it was easy enough to copy the pk4 files over from my windows partition and the game started up first go.
Sound worked, graphics look good and run a lot better than under windows. I think this is a driver issue though as it has never run well for me before.
Pretty impressed and happy so far.... Not that I could really be bothered to go through the game again now though....
1. Re:just gave it a go by imr · 2004-10-04 13:43 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  The game wants to run as root to install in /usr/local, if you decline and installs in /home or wherever you have rights to, it is fine.
  About the home install btw, i have symlinked the needed pak*.pak from a windows dual boot install in the base directory and it works fine.
  I have also tried to symlink the whole base directory (with unpacked files that one), after having saved the original linux one of course, and it worked fine too.
  I didnt test much as i am transcoding some file and my PC got a little bitchoppy, but appart from localisation (as said on the wiki) it ran fine.
  Thx Mr Besset.
Impressive Work Yet Again by id Software by outer0rb · 2004-10-04 13:22 · Score: 3, Insightful

All I've gotta say is WOW! I decided to fire up the D3 demo up on my aging 900 MHz Athlon Thunderbird (GeForce FX 5200) Debian box. I haven't used this system for gaming in about 2 years because I got a newer system and converted this old system to a Linux test bed (well, now it's my primary OS). The game actually looks better (although that could be attributable to the FX 5200) on this old system than my 1.6 GHz P4 (GeForce 4 MX...yes I know, a crappy card). It is a bit choppy at times (probably because the CPU is slower than required), but nevertheless, it is very playable.

I was becoming impatient after waiting 2 months for this release, but I have to say it was well worth the wait. Thanks id for doing a smashing job at writing quality apps that show off the improved performance that can be gained on a GNU/Linux system.
Re:Bah, we want the SDK by rpdillon · 2004-10-04 17:58 · Score: 3, Insightful

First off, I think they basically have one guy working Linux (zerowing), and he's not a guy that works stuff like the SDK, so its not a case of "why were you working on x whe you could've been working on y" - they work on x AND y at the same time.

Second, I've been waiting for these forever, so I'm super pumped that they came out. Its running like dream on the Gentoo box I built for it.

Third, Wine and all the Wine-derived excuses for gaming natively are just that: excuses. Kudos to id for still supporting us die hard (native) Linux gamers.

Lastly, I agree - the SDK is *key* and I look forward to that next. Somehow, I don't think id will keep you waiting too much longer. =)
Re:Won't run for me either! by kmike · 2004-10-04 23:36 · Score: 3, Informative

Make sure your X is using at least 24bpp colour depth.