Games for Arch Linux?

super_duper_linux_guy · 2004-06-06 14:42:11

I brought this up on IRC and people didn't seem to mind having games available through pacman. Games like Tuxracer are fun, but I was thinking more in lines of RTCW: Enemy Territory or Cube (the more "popular" games). I don't really know how many free games like those are really available for Linux (except demo's like UT2003/UT2004) but I think it might be worth looking at it.

I did hear on IRC that games like Enemy Territory are only in binary, but if you could use pacman, it would still be nice. And of course other games like Cube are available in source, but I cant use ABS yet (I'm still reading about that).

Zephirias · 2004-06-06 14:57:49

That's one of the "big" problems with the Linux world as of right now. There's very little game support, and you have to do a lot of things yourself. I'm not sure as to how many or what games can be ported, I just hope that more support from game companies comes along to help that area out.

Dusty · 2004-06-06 16:00:05

Zephirias wrote:

That's one of the "big" problems with the Linux world as of right now.

I think the reason is that linux programmers get their fun out of programming instead of out of playing games.

potentials · 2004-06-06 19:22:31

Been checking free Linux games (I'm talking first person games ) these days and ran into Enemy territory and America's Army, turns out that most of such games come in binaries and an installer to scatter these binaries all over the place. For example ET threw files in /usr/local which Arch doesn't use along with Gnome/KDE menu entries which I lost track of. I had to delete files I'm only aware of to uninstall ET. It would be very nice if we had packages for these games if license allows so, I'm not talking about taking the huge binary file as it is and put it in a pkg.tar.gz file along with meta files as the current state of Nvidia drivers package. I'm talking about a true package were I don't have to run the installer which comes with the game, actually it would be better to rip of this installer script and tweak it to be suitable for Arch and put it as the install script that pacman runs during the install of most packages.

The problem is that these games are HUGE, AA is about 728 MB! What space would hold that?

Zephirias · 2004-06-06 19:32:27

potentials wrote:

The problem is that these games are HUGE, AA is about 728 MB! What space would hold that?

A hard drive, of course!

IceRAM · 2004-06-06 21:44:16

potentials wrote:

Been checking free Linux games (I'm talking first person games ) these days and ran into Enemy territory and America's Army, turns out that most of such games come in binaries and an installer to scatter these binaries all over the place.

If I were you, I would make a nice package with makepkg, look it to see where all the files are installed, adjust the paths as necessary in the PKGBUILD... and voila... a nice unscattered game.

IceRAM

P.S. makepkg is a nice app for tracking installed files
I once cleaned up my system by making a pack, installing it with -f (to overwrite files that were installed "by hand"), and removing the pack... everything was so clean afterwards...
All the apps I install right now are made from PKGBUILDS, for easy uninstall

super_duper_linux_guy · 2004-06-30 17:51:47

Well I want to install Enemy Territory for Linux, but I don't quite know how to start. I know the file Enemy Territory for Linux is called "et-linux-2.56-2.x86.run", but how do I know where it is going to install files for example? It would be nice to have a complete uninstall if I later decide to get rid of the game (to put it in the PKGBUILD).

tmadhavan · 2004-07-02 10:40:03

Super_duper, try running that binary with --help, you may be able to specify the directory you install it into with something like

 sh etbinary.sh --target=<targetdirectory>

Another thing. Seceral people have mentioned that Arch doesn't use /usr/local. What's that supposed to mean? I have all my games installed into /usr/local/games, what problems will that be causing? I've never had any issues with it. Hope someone can clear that up for me.

Oh and don't forget to install Unreal Tournament 2004 It's supported natively, don't ask me about installation details tho, as I said, stick it in /usr/local/games :S

T.

Xentac · 2004-07-02 18:44:23

tmadhavan wrote:

Super_duper, try running that binary with --help, you may be able to specify the directory you install it into with something like
 sh etbinary.sh --target=<targetdirectory>
Another thing. Seceral people have mentioned that Arch doesn't use /usr/local. What's that supposed to mean? I have all my games installed into /usr/local/games, what problems will that be causing? I've never had any issues with it. Hope someone can clear that up for me.
Oh and don't forget to install Unreal Tournament 2004 It's supported natively, don't ask me about installation details tho, as I said, stick it in /usr/local/games :S
T.

When we say it "doesn't use" /usr/local it means that no packages will install to there. Use it for whatever you want, that's what it's for, local stuff.

Dusty · 2004-07-02 18:49:56

More specifically, "local stuff" is stuff that the distro doesn't manage for you; you manage it yourself. Try to keep local stuff to a minimum to save yourself headaches in maintaining it.

One reason that arch uses /usr/local less than many other distros is that it is so easy to create Arch packages for programs not already available as packages, using makepkg. Packages never install to /usr/local. So althugh you can install stuff to /usr/local, its usually as easy to make a package and let the distro manage it.

There's nothing wrong with using /usr/local for games, it won't break anything. games tend to be harder to install to other prefixes.

Dusty

tmadhavan · 2004-07-02 21:43:45

That explains it then

Cheers.

vor_lord · 2004-07-06 22:49:59

Zephirias wrote:

That's one of the "big" problems with the Linux world as of right now. There's very little game support, and you have to do a lot of things yourself. I'm not sure as to how many or what games can be ported, I just hope that more support from game companies comes along to help that area out.

But things are improving in this area. UT2k4 runs great on linux (the DVD came with a linux installer, and patches for linux come out at the same time as their windows counterpart), and I'm expecting that Doom3 will also work great for linux.

Right now I have Windows installed for gaming, but I haven't booted into it for a month now 8)

kakabaratruskia · 2004-07-07 00:33:28

Dusty wrote:

Zephirias wrote:
That's one of the "big" problems with the Linux world as of right now.
I think the reason is that linux programmers get their fun out of programming instead of out of playing games.

They could program games. This explains why I've never liked computer games. Maybe I am a "REAL LINUX USER". So cool.

Dusty · 2004-07-07 00:42:19

Only programming games is boring.

IMO, of course...

Dusty

rubber-ducko · 2004-07-14 09:58:34

If linux is gonna get more users (over time...), it needs to get the young computer users attentention, and this is usually done through games.
Thats how I got interested in computers (long time ago), and i'm sure a lot of you guys do has some of the same experiences, aye!?!

freakyc · 2004-07-14 13:16:04

Games definetly got me into computers in the first place. And getting games to work in Linux was what finally gave me a goal to accomplish which helped me learn a lot about how to use Linux.

ravster · 2004-07-14 18:34:07

@rubber-ducko:
arr, yer right aboot dat, maitey (imagine a pirate with a patch on his eye here)

rubber-ducko · 2004-07-15 08:34:26

aye, yer stinky right aboot dat landcrab

Back to topic... there is some commercial games ported, a lot by Loki, sadly, they did not earn enough on this and had to stop porting in 2001...

http://www.lokigames.com/

mcubednyc · 2004-07-16 10:48:02

rubber-ducko wrote:

If linux is gonna get more users (over time...), it needs to get the young computer users attentention, and this is usually done through games.

...and here I thought it was p0rn.

rubber-ducko wrote:

Thats how I got interested in computers (long time ago), and i'm sure a lot of you guys do has some of the same experiences, aye!?!

Yikes, the last thing I want to do after working on a computer for six or seven hours is spend more time in front of it playing games. I prefer rollerblading!

ravster · 2004-07-16 19:30:04

mcubednyc wrote:

Yikes, the last thing I want to do after working on a computer for six or seven hours is spend more time in front of it playing games. I prefer rollerblading!

Totally understandable, but your'e already working on comps(and therefore it is safe to assume you are already interested in them). rubber-ducko is refering to new users(as in newbie-grade newbies )

Sorry, I'm just being a jerk

Dusty · 2004-07-16 20:14:05

ravster wrote:

refering to new users(as in newbie-grade newbies )

newbies using Linux? :shock:

Sorry, I'm just being a jerk

hudson · 2004-07-21 10:48:52

Games to linux, huh...well, that a nice thought But, in order to do that the kidz must first get a linux distro, which could be hard since most of the kidz parents is using win, so who will introduce?? Anotherway to go is that linux users buy the bloody game when the company releases it for linux. In that way the game company would know that there do exists a game market for linux where they can earn some buck, and voila we get games too. [/quote]

tmadhavan · 2004-07-22 08:24:55

Just thought I'd mention, I've started using Cedega, and it's really worth using for things like Vice City - works flawlessly. And Call Of Duty. Working on Homeworld 2 at the moment, too.

Guess my programming projects are going to suffer for a while....

Vrok · 2004-08-05 20:34:38

Dusty wrote:

newbies using Linux? :shock:

Guy I know has installed Linux on his neighbour's computer. That neighbour hasn't used computer ever before. The distro is PLD. He's not mad.
The neighbour doesn't seem to complain.

Arch Linux

#1 2004-06-06 14:42:11

Games for Arch Linux?

#2 2004-06-06 14:57:49

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#3 2004-06-06 16:00:05

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#4 2004-06-06 19:22:31

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#5 2004-06-06 19:32:27

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#6 2004-06-06 21:44:16

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#7 2004-06-30 17:51:47

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#8 2004-07-02 10:40:03

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#9 2004-07-02 18:44:23

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#10 2004-07-02 18:49:56

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#11 2004-07-02 21:43:45

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#12 2004-07-06 22:49:59

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#13 2004-07-07 00:33:28

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#14 2004-07-07 00:42:19

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#15 2004-07-14 09:58:34

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#16 2004-07-14 13:16:04

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#17 2004-07-14 18:34:07

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#18 2004-07-15 08:34:26

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#19 2004-07-16 10:48:02

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#20 2004-07-16 19:30:04

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#21 2004-07-16 20:14:05

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#22 2004-07-21 10:48:52

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#23 2004-07-22 08:24:55

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

#24 2004-08-05 20:34:38

Re: Games for Arch Linux?

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