Slackware users: Todd, of http://www.dropline.net announced on the message boards that this would be available this weekend.
If you use Slackware 8.1, and haven't tried Dropline, then I suggest that you give it a shot. It's a simple, ncurses-based installation, that uses wget to download precompiled Slackware Gnome 2.x packages from Sourceforge. I use it at home, and work. And a friend (that used to run Windows) is hooked on it too. It's very well done.
I kinda see your point, but this isn't really the same thing. There will always be perfect, consumer level, support for products like Linux. It's grown without the help of companies, and will continue to grow- with or without them.
I am by no means a fan of RedHat (Slack for me), but I think that they have a legit and smart model here. You're essentially buying support when you buy their (reasonably priced) distribution. If you don't like it, then don't pay them. The ISOs will still be there tomorrow. And even then, the source code is there for the consumers to improve upon.
It isn't quite the same thing as Microsoft's forcing users to upgrade closed-source products with no new features (Office comes to mind), but even MS has to make a buck. Weather or not I agree with the means by which they do so is another story.
Overall, I don't feel that it is fair of The Register to present things this way. They've lost a lot of respect from me.
Icculus did go to Europe on contract for some work. He could have been going to do the port for DICE's BF1942. I don't doubt it, actually. He was kinda hush hush about where and why he left. I'm almost positive that he went to Stockholm, Sweden.
Icculus is my fucking hero. I love MOHAA! It's probably the only game that I've missed playing on Windows. I've tried to make up for it with RTCW, and it just doesn't work.
That's a load of BS. Name one modern application that doesn't use it by default? Freetype 2 is supported by Gnome and KDE, so there is no problem.
Besides. Linux fonts, with Freetype's antialiasing, and the byte-code interpreter look AS GOOD as OS X.
Don't believe the crap. Don't listen to the troll. The Gentoo thing has NOTHING to do with it. The fact is, any modern GTK or QT app will have antialiasing support. These APIs are DESIGNED to support it.
Agreed. The big key is the "patented" byte-code interpreter. That is the big step to getting lovely fonts on Linux. And I do mean lovely. It's not hard to compile into Freetype 2, but by default it won't be there. Apple's not put any pressure on anyone (yet), but it would be nice if they would donate it to OS community.
It really is such a silly and insignificant algorithm, but it makes all of the difference in the world. Try using OpenOffice.org without it. It's frustrating, because antialised fonts are too bold and fat. I've tweaked mine so that they look nice, but it means compiling Freetype 2 with the byte-code interpreter.
If you want to see what a properly antialiased Linux machine looks like, take a peek at this image. Small fonts are crisp, and unantialiased. Large fonts are antialiased and smooth, thanks to Freetype 2 and some minor tweaks.
I've paid for Windows in the past. Does this mean that I'm entitled to use the byte-code interpreter? If not, then I must be a criminal. More information can be found at the Freetype web site
I've been hearing this *rumor* for months? Could it be that it is actually true after all? If this does happen, I wonder what will happen for multi-platform projects like Ghost?
I was going to mention this. I wonder why they haven't figured this out already? Caldera's "OpenLinux" was GPL software.
Another thing that got me was the article's mention of "older versions of Windows" having BSD code. If I am not mistake, isn't the current NT/XP software still running off of some BSD-based network code?
I agree. And excellent add-ons like Dropline Gnome (Gnome 2 for Slackware 8.1) make it all the better. By Slackware 8.1 install is a solid as a rock. Slackware is still the most practical and reliable desktop Linux distribution, in my opinion.
I learned to use Linux on Slackware. I found it easier to configure, than having to use the non-standard tools that other distributions have. Plus, with Slackware, you have the benefit of learning how to use Linux. It's a lot different than learning how to use Red Hat or Suse. Some distributions really pull you far away from the basics, and actually make things more difficult.
Using fdisk (or cfdisk), configuring sound and video, and learning a few basics of rc.files are really all there is to Slackware. After that, it's smooth sailing. Once you learn how it works, you can rasonably set up a Slackware box in less than an hour or two.
It's not just nVidia. My PowerVR Kyro 2 drivers are noticably faster under Linux. Framerates are smooth and graphics render fast. Granted, the games that I've been able to compare have all been OpenGL games. The exception is UT2003, which got a really sucky OpenGL engine on all platforms. That game was built around Direct3D. I'm concerned that the same thing will be a problem with NWN. Many users could find it unplayable becuase the OpenGL code could be little more than a D3D wrapper, and a half-assed one at that.
They don't fly communter flights? Maybe you didn't realize it, but commercial aircraft ARE computer controlled. Yes, there is a pilot, but he sits and monitors things.
Besides... Most of the can be "repaired" by just giving them an old fashioned pimp-slap. I'd say that I've "fixed" at least 4 old, stuck drives that way.
Phoenix, which is based on stripped Mozilla code, is only 6 or 8 MB (larger uncompressed though). This is for the Windows and Linux versions respectively. It looks nice too.
People over-exagerate Mozilla's size. Yes, it's big. That's why I don't use it. I use Phoenix instead. By 1.0, I'm willing to bet that Phoenix is the size of Safari. It's still only halfway there.
Well, yes. There was a time when there were some products from companies such as Number 9, that had S3 chips onboard. Even then, competitive products from Matrox made those things quite less of a value. The S3 products were still impractical for the average home user, and were aimed at being used for graphics work. S3's been around for years, but even at the beginnings of their graphics operations, they've had sub-par products and drivers, aside from some of their early 2D chips.
Do you intend to require some sort of a per-operating system licensing fee to operating system companies, in order to profit on the inclusion of these "features"? E.g. Will Microsoft be giving you royalty payments for each machine that includes this AMI BIOS and gets their OS installed with these supported "features"? What position does this put your company into in terms of trying to also force open source OS companies (like RedHat) into paying these licenses?
We've all had ViRGE chips in our machines at some time or another. I can't say that I've every really cared for the S3 products. Drivers and tech support have always been poor. The chips have always fought over the bus and lagged down PCI devices such as soundcards. Savage 2000 was disappointing. The drivers and slow 32 bit rendering made it a horrible card to have, even for games based on the aging Quake 3 engine. I sure hope that they can change things in the future. They've always been able to put themselves into the value and OEM markets, especially since they were purchased by VIA. It's an easy way to slap these chips into integrated mobos, as long as they can put out performance that is better than the low-end nForce products.
It's nice to hear about new products from alternative companies. What I am really looking for is a new product based on PowerVR's technology. I've really gotten a lot out of my Kyro II over the last two years, and the drivers have been quite solid under Windows and (now I use) Linux. I think that their series 4 products were canned, after STM anounced that it was selling its graphics business (which licensed PowerVR's series 4 technology). Series 5 was in development, but has had no real press.
My Kyro II experiences have been very good. The card puts out crisp and beautiful graphics, and rendering is fast. Unfortunately, it's time to upgrade for the up and coming games. Products from ATi and nVidia seem to be on my list, but I will probably end up waiting until the next nVidia chip gets released. Competition will drive down the R300 price.
Competition is a good thing, especially if the manufacturers provide Linux drivers.;)
I can totally agree with you. Next machine that I build will be a high-end Hammer based machine with a sizzling graphics chip. And it will be running ONLY Linux.
And the Windows kiddies can cry when I waste their asses in UT2003, just as I do right now in RTCW.
Here's my vote for these new LGP games. I'm really looking forward to Majesty and Disciples too!
On Suse and a few other distributions, some drivers are very easy to install. Just select a package in Yast2.
On my Slackware machine, I had to add a few documented lines (I read the installation instructions. I suppose that you do not) and then run "make install". The Kyro 2 documents also explained this.
nVidia drivers are simple to install too. OpenGL comes by default. You don't have to "Try" anything to get it to work.
Slashdot Mirror
Slackware users: Todd, of http://www.dropline.net announced on the message boards that this would be available this weekend.
If you use Slackware 8.1, and haven't tried Dropline, then I suggest that you give it a shot. It's a simple, ncurses-based installation, that uses wget to download precompiled Slackware Gnome 2.x packages from Sourceforge. I use it at home, and work. And a friend (that used to run Windows) is hooked on it too. It's very well done.
I kinda see your point, but this isn't really the same thing. There will always be perfect, consumer level, support for products like Linux. It's grown without the help of companies, and will continue to grow- with or without them.
I am by no means a fan of RedHat (Slack for me), but I think that they have a legit and smart model here. You're essentially buying support when you buy their (reasonably priced) distribution. If you don't like it, then don't pay them. The ISOs will still be there tomorrow. And even then, the source code is there for the consumers to improve upon.
It isn't quite the same thing as Microsoft's forcing users to upgrade closed-source products with no new features (Office comes to mind), but even MS has to make a buck. Weather or not I agree with the means by which they do so is another story.
Overall, I don't feel that it is fair of The Register to present things this way. They've lost a lot of respect from me.
Icculus did go to Europe on contract for some work. He could have been going to do the port for DICE's BF1942. I don't doubt it, actually. He was kinda hush hush about where and why he left. I'm almost positive that he went to Stockholm, Sweden.
Icculus is my fucking hero. I love MOHAA! It's probably the only game that I've missed playing on Windows. I've tried to make up for it with RTCW, and it just doesn't work.
That's a load of BS. Name one modern application that doesn't use it by default? Freetype 2 is supported by Gnome and KDE, so there is no problem.
Besides. Linux fonts, with Freetype's antialiasing, and the byte-code interpreter look AS GOOD as OS X.
Don't believe the crap. Don't listen to the troll. The Gentoo thing has NOTHING to do with it. The fact is, any modern GTK or QT app will have antialiasing support. These APIs are DESIGNED to support it.
Agreed. The big key is the "patented" byte-code interpreter. That is the big step to getting lovely fonts on Linux. And I do mean lovely. It's not hard to compile into Freetype 2, but by default it won't be there. Apple's not put any pressure on anyone (yet), but it would be nice if they would donate it to OS community.
It really is such a silly and insignificant algorithm, but it makes all of the difference in the world. Try using OpenOffice.org without it. It's frustrating, because antialised fonts are too bold and fat. I've tweaked mine so that they look nice, but it means compiling Freetype 2 with the byte-code interpreter.
If you want to see what a properly antialiased Linux machine looks like, take a peek at this image. Small fonts are crisp, and unantialiased. Large fonts are antialiased and smooth, thanks to Freetype 2 and some minor tweaks.
I've paid for Windows in the past. Does this mean that I'm entitled to use the byte-code interpreter? If not, then I must be a criminal. More information can be found at the Freetype web site
I've been hearing this *rumor* for months? Could it be that it is actually true after all? If this does happen, I wonder what will happen for multi-platform projects like Ghost?
I was going to mention this. I wonder why they haven't figured this out already? Caldera's "OpenLinux" was GPL software.
Another thing that got me was the article's mention of "older versions of Windows" having BSD code. If I am not mistake, isn't the current NT/XP software still running off of some BSD-based network code?
Why did Bit-Boys come to mind when I read this?
A gyro? Who ever heard of putting lamb meat and a pita inside of a PDA?
I agree. And excellent add-ons like Dropline Gnome (Gnome 2 for Slackware 8.1) make it all the better. By Slackware 8.1 install is a solid as a rock. Slackware is still the most practical and reliable desktop Linux distribution, in my opinion.
I learned to use Linux on Slackware. I found it easier to configure, than having to use the non-standard tools that other distributions have. Plus, with Slackware, you have the benefit of learning how to use Linux. It's a lot different than learning how to use Red Hat or Suse. Some distributions really pull you far away from the basics, and actually make things more difficult.
Using fdisk (or cfdisk), configuring sound and video, and learning a few basics of rc.files are really all there is to Slackware. After that, it's smooth sailing. Once you learn how it works, you can rasonably set up a Slackware box in less than an hour or two.
It's not just nVidia. My PowerVR Kyro 2 drivers are noticably faster under Linux. Framerates are smooth and graphics render fast. Granted, the games that I've been able to compare have all been OpenGL games. The exception is UT2003, which got a really sucky OpenGL engine on all platforms. That game was built around Direct3D. I'm concerned that the same thing will be a problem with NWN. Many users could find it unplayable becuase the OpenGL code could be little more than a D3D wrapper, and a half-assed one at that.
They don't fly communter flights? Maybe you didn't realize it, but commercial aircraft ARE computer controlled. Yes, there is a pilot, but he sits and monitors things.
Besides... Most of the can be "repaired" by just giving them an old fashioned pimp-slap. I'd say that I've "fixed" at least 4 old, stuck drives that way.
That's funny. I must have compiled a Windows version of Phoenix on my Slackware box. Man, I'm one 1337 coder.
http://zborgerd.freeshell.org/crisp.png
Phoenix, which is based on stripped Mozilla code, is only 6 or 8 MB (larger uncompressed though). This is for the Windows and Linux versions respectively. It looks nice too.
People over-exagerate Mozilla's size. Yes, it's big. That's why I don't use it. I use Phoenix instead. By 1.0, I'm willing to bet that Phoenix is the size of Safari. It's still only halfway there.
Everyone knows that you can just wrap yourself in aluminum foil! Duh! It works against the aliens.
Cartman: "What the hell is that?"
Kyle: "It's a turkey. His name is Gobbles."
Timmy: "GOBBLES!"
Well, yes. There was a time when there were some products from companies such as Number 9, that had S3 chips onboard. Even then, competitive products from Matrox made those things quite less of a value. The S3 products were still impractical for the average home user, and were aimed at being used for graphics work. S3's been around for years, but even at the beginnings of their graphics operations, they've had sub-par products and drivers, aside from some of their early 2D chips.
Do you intend to require some sort of a per-operating system licensing fee to operating system companies, in order to profit on the inclusion of these "features"? E.g. Will Microsoft be giving you royalty payments for each machine that includes this AMI BIOS and gets their OS installed with these supported "features"? What position does this put your company into in terms of trying to also force open source OS companies (like RedHat) into paying these licenses?
We've all had ViRGE chips in our machines at some time or another. I can't say that I've every really cared for the S3 products. Drivers and tech support have always been poor. The chips have always fought over the bus and lagged down PCI devices such as soundcards. Savage 2000 was disappointing. The drivers and slow 32 bit rendering made it a horrible card to have, even for games based on the aging Quake 3 engine. I sure hope that they can change things in the future. They've always been able to put themselves into the value and OEM markets, especially since they were purchased by VIA. It's an easy way to slap these chips into integrated mobos, as long as they can put out performance that is better than the low-end nForce products.
;)
It's nice to hear about new products from alternative companies. What I am really looking for is a new product based on PowerVR's technology. I've really gotten a lot out of my Kyro II over the last two years, and the drivers have been quite solid under Windows and (now I use) Linux. I think that their series 4 products were canned, after STM anounced that it was selling its graphics business (which licensed PowerVR's series 4 technology). Series 5 was in development, but has had no real press.
My Kyro II experiences have been very good. The card puts out crisp and beautiful graphics, and rendering is fast. Unfortunately, it's time to upgrade for the up and coming games. Products from ATi and nVidia seem to be on my list, but I will probably end up waiting until the next nVidia chip gets released. Competition will drive down the R300 price.
Competition is a good thing, especially if the manufacturers provide Linux drivers.
I can totally agree with you. Next machine that I build will be a high-end Hammer based machine with a sizzling graphics chip. And it will be running ONLY Linux.
And the Windows kiddies can cry when I waste their asses in UT2003, just as I do right now in RTCW.
Here's my vote for these new LGP games. I'm really looking forward to Majesty and Disciples too!
Try Space Tripper and Mutant Storm from Pompom. Those guys know how to make FUN games.
I probably never would have tried them, had I not been a Linux gamer. They have Windows and Mac versions too.
On Suse and a few other distributions, some drivers are very easy to install. Just select a package in Yast2.
On my Slackware machine, I had to add a few documented lines (I read the installation instructions. I suppose that you do not) and then run "make install". The Kyro 2 documents also explained this.
nVidia drivers are simple to install too. OpenGL comes by default. You don't have to "Try" anything to get it to work.
Sorry about your luck. My Quake and RTCW installations are faster than they used to be in Windows. Most dual booters will probably agree,\.
Since your soundcard and its drivers suck, try disabling artsd or esd. That will fix your sound problem.