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Gaming, from a Linux User's perspectiveEver since I was in the 6th grade, I have been playing around with Linux. For those of you who have not heard of Linux, let me give you a quick run down. Linux is a Free operating system. That is, of course, free as in Freedom, and a happy side effect of being Free as in Free Beer in most cases. What makes Linux so special is that there are a lot of other free programs that run on it. The Linux kernel combined with other Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) can become a very powerful computing environment, which, in my view, surpasses Window's capacity by at least 10 fold. This is why I switched to using Linux as my primary operating system in the 9th grade. But enough about me as a geek. I am here to write about Linux Gamers.
A GamerI like to play games. Very few people around my age(20) don't. One of the most common questions is, however, “How do I play my Windows games in Linux?” Often times people don't even try Linux because they believe that Windows games don't run on Linux at all! I want to disprove this myth. I can currently play Doom 3, Half Life 2, Diablo 2, StarCraft, WarCraft 3, UT2004 and many others in Linux. Of those, Doom 3, Quake 3, and UT2004 run natively on Linux! Running natively on Linux means that you do not need any Windows API for your Linux environment.
Native GamesA few game manufacturers actually do release games that are targeted towards the small, but growing, Linux gamer community. The FPS known as Unreal Tournament 2004, released by Epic Games and Atari, is shipped with native support for Linux. I have played this game in both Windows and Linux and I have found that there is very little difference in speed and game play. The Linux version runs just as good as the Windows version. That is, of course, after you get it installed.
There is still one major problem with commercial Linux games: poor installation support. Because of the licensing restrictions imposed by the game manufacturers, Linux distributors can not create custom installers for the Linux games to match their own packaging system. The result is a poorly made installation system that attempts to work with every Linux variant. Although the installers work, they seldom make it easy to install the game. Often times, it is easier to install via Wine than using the native installer; however, you get better performance running the game natively.
Other game developers will release a Windows version of a game first, then distribute installers for other platforms as they are completed. A good example is Doom 3. A few months after Doom 3 was released for Windows, Macintosh and Linux installers were released. Although Doom 3 runs fine in Wine/Cedega, you get better performance from the native Linux install. Some benchmarks have shown that Doom 3 ran faster on Linux than on Windows given the same hardware.
Better Gaming through WineIf you can't wait for your favorite game to be ported to Linux, or if the game manufacturer has no interest of even remotely support Linux (such as Sierra and Valve with Half-Life 2), there is an alternative: Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator). Wine is a Windows API layer on top of the Linux kernel. This allows many Windows programs to work on a Linux system. Two companies have made great use of Wine and constantly give back to the Wine community. The first is CodeWeavers with Crossover Office. Although not for gaming, it does allow many popular Windows programs run flawlessly on Linux. Applications include Microsoft Office XP, Quicken 2005, and others.
The other is Transgaming, which specializes in Linux Gaming. Their flagship product, Cedega, is an enhanced version of Wine that allows most Windows games to run on Linux. They have a subscription based service that gives you access to the latest version of Cedega (the Windows API layer) and Point2Play (the game management software). Since new games often require enhancements to the Cedega core, having this service is a must. I have used Transgaming for over a year had have been very pleased with their support. Because of them, I am no longer tied to Windows to play the latest games.
- Steve Tindle |
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