Games Distro

paraflu · 2008-04-09 00:29:13

There are some questions i would like to discuss.
If this is not right in the subforum, mods please move it to the right.

There are games for linux/opensource/wine which work well or not at all.
There are very good games for linux with incredible results.
Not on all distributions all games are available. There is ot even one i think which has all games.
Linux has a good hardware support. Even in 3D, if you are blind to the license problem.
The hardware detection and auto configuration can do good but also go worse than manual. A good
autodetection, in my view, is as good as the interactive/manual corection it offers and their
managment/ui of different users.
So we`ve good an os and a good variety and quality of games.

Why don`t we have a linux game distribution (correct me here)
It should be bleeding edge, because thats what gamers need, at least for their applications.
It should be more or less base system independend, so that old and non supported games can
be played too.
It should be more ui of a console than a desktop (more easy)
Games attract more people so maybe there is a better community concentration.

Is there something out there?
I didn`t look at the xbox distribution and how it handles the ui and other consoles of the newer
generation, so some input would be nice.
Does the xbox linux distro handles linux games?

DREAM:
I see some melting of pc`s and consoles (who doesn`t if they are providing the same
applications and some maybe the same hardware components?)
The games are opensource and free. Games are attractive. The os is not importend, if it
is capable of configured and use the system of the user.
The developer can use his system, all distros and his game can be launched from every distro.
A ui like mythtv, freevo with a videogame-like intercface and 3D support for the ui and components.
Every game should be configurable for itself, like resolution, windows-positions and so on.
My player data should be seperated for coping or other users data.
The games should be installed in a way which seperates it from the system, like an overlay squashfs container.
Preview of the selected game, maybe video or audio? So you see what you get.
Update notification of the selected game.
Seperate menues of installed and available games and easy possibility to download it.
Nice effects, like if you select a game the backround plays a impression or intro.
Other things like AV are also needed.
Small system, better compressed to be an alternative on normal people`s windows machine, like a
dual boot or usbstick.
The system should dectect the hardware and user configurations perfectly.

So, is this possible with known wm`s, system configurations and so on.
Is the concentration/attraction in the game sector a good thing?
I am the only person who sees an atom cpu with a good gpu and a flash-storage
with opensource-games as an attractve game platform?
So what do think? Is this possible?

dolby · 2008-04-09 05:34:04

there already is one. linux-gamers. its based on Archlinux

jb · 2008-04-09 12:44:50

There was also one a few years back based off of gentoo.

Edit: Not sure if it still exists.

Last edited by jb (2008-04-09 12:45:31)

paraflu · 2008-04-10 23:04:07

Thanks for your answers, but i think of something different.
So let`s see if i tell what i mean in a more practical way.

1. Create 4 users like PLAYER1, PLAYER2 and so on.
2. Create autologin for PLAYER1 or a menu to chose.
3. 1 Xserver 2(3) displays on different vt`s. 2 Monitors 1 Tv-out or whatever. Maybe one
with vdr other with freevoo or elisa and the other nes with a browser and a game display.
4. The ui. The hardest part. If you look at freevo, geexbox or elisa. They all have a menu like ui. Some consoles even have music or animations in the backround. Animation in backrounds has been done in e17, i think. Maybe compiz will allow that in the future.
5. How do would like the system. It could be only step-released. You have a system base: base,xorg+all drivers, wm and games. It should only be compressed and should be easy to boot with windows, more like the livecd approach, but more concentraded on usb or harddisk. The base system should be expandable. We have the update problem. If you download 8GB of data you should be able to upgrade the system. If look at larch its got a base system which is a squashfs on all files. When look at the binary difference programs (there has been some discussion about intergrating it into the pacman system), they all seems to use more memory if the file is bigger. So the update could modularized like the livecd approach of godane or like larch, if the larch big file has been cut into parts. So thats all which i can think at the moment. The pkgbuilds aren`t bad but a precompilded, preconfigured and community influenced configuration overlay couldn`t be bad and maybe boost the interest.
6. The individual changes should be saved, like in a way of larch: You do the changes and then save your results. I think that this would be easier for not so skilled people to change their "Theme", but i don`t know how this is manageable. Maybe like the themes community like kdemod. Here they vote a often used theme and it gets popularity and trust. I really don`t know.

Everything else is more a dream about the ui, av themes and the underlying system.
So thats it. I don`t say more about my dreams, because i would like like see if this is even possible at this level. How good can the wm`s or compiz manager be changed. Is this easy? Is the underlying system capable of this? Is there any interest in this, or do the desktops of today and the behaviour of users is enough. How do you experience the use of of some people without a computer. Do you think a system like that with lesser choice and this kind of ui could be easier for your kids or parents. Not that they play to much but the console like ui and standartisation.
It`s is more theory, even if i am capable of autologin and the dektops/displays things , i think. But the ui and the underlying system is something that i am not skilled enough to change or rewrite.

So maybe somebody know to get some partial results or don`t like the idea at all. Everything is welcome.

Thanks for your answers.

I am sorry for the bad formating of the text. Next time better.

Cerebral · 2008-07-03 14:41:13

dolby wrote:

there already is one. linux-gamers. its based on Archlinux

http://digg.com/linux_unix/One_live_DVD … inux_games and it was dugg.

moljac024 · 2008-07-03 14:54:53

There was also a fedora8 spin that was focued on games.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-04-09 00:29:13

Games Distro

#2 2008-04-09 05:34:04

Re: Games Distro

#3 2008-04-09 12:44:50

Re: Games Distro

#4 2008-04-10 23:04:07

Re: Games Distro

#5 2008-07-03 14:41:13

Re: Games Distro

#6 2008-07-03 14:54:53

Re: Games Distro

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