Half-life linux client?

[Sanius]

I was wondering if there is anything planed for half-life 2 having a linux port? I am very excited about this game, but I don't want to be bummed out because I cannot run it since I use linux.

 

[Epsi]

Prepare to be bummed out. HL2 is almost certainly never going to have a Linux client.

 

[mezz]

I don't know about an official port like for UT2k3 and 2k4. I would indeed be great - I hate rebooting to windows to play games only to have the stupid thing crash. Stupid windows.
But if they don't do it officially you can always use the cvs of winex, winex is definiftely going to support it asap, and hopefully it will work with the cvs (most games do).

 

[Sanius]

I don't know about an official port like for UT2k3 and 2k4. I would indeed be great - I hate rebooting to windows to play games only to have the stupid thing crash. Stupid windows.
But if they don't do it officially you can always use the cvs of winex, winex is definiftely going to support it asap, and hopefully it will work with the cvs (most games do).

Is CVS wine x free or not? because I cannot pay for wine x since I do not have a credit card, and don't tell me to use the other payment option.

 

[Baal]

Well you'll likely be able to run a dedicated server for others to play if I'm not mistaken...

Why not just use Windows?

 

[Sanius]

Well you'll likely be able to run a dedicated server for others to play if I'm not mistaken...

wow, how great.

Why not just use Windows?

My dad for some reason does not want me to use win xp (since the computer I use is the one that he bought with his money), I guess I could use winex. but it depends if I can pay for it without using a credit card, or if there is a free version.

 

[mezz]

Is CVS wine x free or not? because I cannot pay for wine x since I do not have a credit card, and don't tell me to use the other payment option.

Yep it is. Here is a detailed walkthough on getting it. I used a much simpler one, but that's down at the mo. All you basically need to do is run the GetCvsWinex script.

(BTW, for some games good 'ol wine works better, but probs not for half-life 2 (just warcraft 3 maybe)).

 

[Shuzer]

You won't be able to run HL2 with WineX..

HL2 = D3D only
D3D = MS API
MS API != Linux

 

[Reven]

D3D = Direct X correct?

i think (pay) WineX supports direct 6 or 7

 

[GorgeousOrifice]

HL2 = D3D only
D3D = MS API
MS API != Linux

And Transgaming == WINE == MS APIs on Linux.

So in theory, yes. Transgaming has said they'll work on it, and they'll certainly get it working to some extent. Since Source already scales to DX6-7 well, and since both of those are well implemented in WineX, it's possible HL2 would work out of the box with WineX. But unless/until OpenGL provides support for all the bells and whistles of DirectX, the game won't look as great. Playable, probably. Valve has said they will not be doing a Linux port, but they haven't said that no one will do one. Some small hope.

Worst-case, you'll be able to play it in a low-detail mode a couple months after release.

 

[mezz]

You won't be able to run HL2 with WineX..

HL2 = D3D only
D3D = MS API
MS API != Linux

Wrong.

WineX = D3D support (though not all the bells and whistles of DirectX 9 I don't think)
Also wine can run some games in D3D.

 

[Scotchy]

Y'know, there isn't any good reason not to have a win XP install on your system. If you wanna go the enthusiast route and run linux or whatever other 'indy-OS', you could just setup win XP on a separate partition for the sake of not having to jump through hoops to get things to run.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

But unless/until OpenGL provides support for all the bells and whistles of DirectX, the game won't look as great.

That makes no sense whatsoever.

 

[ScopeD]

I don't know about an official port like for UT2k3 and 2k4. I would indeed be great - I hate rebooting to windows to play games only to have the stupid thing crash. Stupid windows.
But if they don't do it officially you can always use the cvs of winex, winex is definiftely going to support it asap, and hopefully it will work with the cvs (most games do).

You linux fanboys always make a good lough. I've had my xp running now for half a year and it has crashed only twice due to a virus. Vinex.

 

[Venmoch]

The problem'll be that although you may be running Half-Life 2 you may also find that it won't run that well. Wine is an emulator (AFAIK) which means it'll have to translate everything that Half-Life 2 sends it into something that Linux will understand etc.

The net result? Its likely to be very laggy with all the stuff that'd need CPU (Physics for one) and may not work that well or even crash.

 

[poseyjmac]

windows xp doesn't crash unless you behave very stupidly in it

even windows98 can run crash free. its all about knowing its ins and outs, and keeping it slim.

 

[frances_farmer]

they're still crap though, but there's little alternative for games.

 

[MindCrafter]

wow, how great.



My dad for some reason does not want me to use win xp (since the computer I use is the one that he bought with his money), I guess I could use winex. but it depends if I can pay for it without using a credit card, or if there is a free version.

Have you told your father about how "great" windows is?

 

[Tadashi]

First:
(W)ine (i)s ot an (E)mulator
It does just translate winAPI calls, it doesn't emulate a whole system.

Second:
Win XP does crash, but it hides that with a reboot. So if you see a random reboot, Win hides a BSOD.

Third:
I understand Sanius' father. Is there any reason to switch back to windows for important work? Windows is insecure and M$ Office costs more as it fulfil.
Games would be the only reason, but there is Wine(X)

And fourth:
Rick Ellis already said, there will be WineX support for HL2.

 

[Dr. Freeman]

it'll be sad if HL2 does not run too well under Linux...not that i personally don't have Windows.

nobody should be forced to miss a game as anticipated as HL2 is.. but it might be the case :|

 

[mezz]

sorry, didn;'t read second page, ignore me

 

[CrazyHarij]

Don't think it'll run on linux

 

[Tadashi]

It'll run, but not probably not native.

 

[^Ben]

Im sorry Tadashi but linux crashes aswell ive had it crash on me before.

Windows is secure as you make it. The same as linux you have to set it up to be secure. Linux distrubutions are usually pre installed with a firewall. Mircosoft has theirs in SP1 but we all know how good that is SP2 has largely remedied the security problem by bringing to the novice users attention that they NEED to turn on updates and that THEY need to have a firewall setup.

It might run on linux but prepare to not have directx 9 features and slower then normal performance. Just because the way linux is setup.

 

[Tadashi]

Try Gentoo, it only use what your box can. And linux does generally just do, what the user wants^^
No secretly transfered data while updating...

 

[^Ben]

I've tried all the big distrubutions. None were for me.

Let's looks at what market share exclusive linux users have. windows has about %95 lets be generous and give linux a %1 share of the exclusive desktop market(they dont use anything else but linux) and lets say hrmmm, about %50 of the linux marketshare are intrested in HL2 so thats %0.5 of the overall market share and lets say %50 of those intrested in HL2 actually buy the game if it had an exclusive linux client. Sooooooo that's a grand total market base that valve would penetrate of %0.25

Is that worth it? the R&D costs for linux would be far higher then windows because windows is standardised there are many flavors of linux and many problems that could arise.

Bottom line it's not worth it for valve to get a linux client out there if they had developed on opengl it would of been far easier to port to linux but as it stands it isn't built on the opengl api.

 

[Tadashi]

Linux has about the same shares of desktop users as apple, if not even more.

http://counter.li.org/ is a good reference and a question in the next Steam survey like "Do you use wine ?" would be even better.

And that the many Linux flavors are a problem, is a rumour. Using SDL would foreclose any compatibility problems.

The only problems when porting are the Direct3D Shader, but look at Unreal, it has also been ported from DirectX only to a SDL and the OpenLibs(OpenGL/OpenAL), winAPI isn't a problem.
Maybe a well-written directx-to-SDL wrapper could handle this.

 

[Sanius]

Ehh, I am getting a new harddrive soon (120 gig from maxtor), and I could just move linux onto that one, and borrow a windows xp cd from my dads friend and install it on that drive and make two partitions. The problem with that is my dad is like "omfg don't use windows it's bad!". He seems to think that viruses will destroy the whole system or some crap. But that is why the have those virus search and destory programs. not to mention he has only used windows 3.1 to windows 98.

 

[Cole]

Second:
Win XP does crash, but it hides that with a reboot. So if you see a random reboot, Win hides a BSOD.

Well, i leave my computer on for like a week then reboot it myself...sometimes 2 weeks or more... My computer never restarts out of nowhere...and it has never crashed on me, if it seems like something crashed (like explorer.exe closing) thats not biggy Xp i can just press ctrl alt delete...and run explorer.exe.. Xp is alot more stable than Me or 98 etc..., and linux and mac just dont have the games. Overall, Xp is good, and it will be better with sp2.... Microsoft is becoming a true company and not blind folding themselves and typing up the code but there taking that blindfold off now, i mean ever since Dx8 and Xp it was becoming serious becuz of all the new features and stability.
I'd rather have a nice smooth great game that goes and fast as it should go without having to go through another fuss on another program, while still having a stable comp.

Ehh, I am getting a new harddrive soon (120 gig from maxtor), and I could just move linux onto that one, and borrow a windows xp cd from my dads friend and install it on that drive and make two partitions. The problem with that is my dad is like "omfg don't use windows it's bad!". He seems to think that viruses will destroy the whole system or some crap. But that is why the have those virus search and destory programs. not to mention he has only used windows 3.1 to windows 98.

There is only one virus that has ever affected me badly which was the blaster virus which got fixed pretty damn quick... That is the ONLY virus, and other virus has no affected me. I use 3 diffrent virus scan programs, which i barley use onless my comp acts up at all... No offese but your dad aint that smart...

 

[Tadashi]

good luck with crappy XP registration system.

-e-
By the way, Win XP will probably kill the original bootloader and your father could slice your head off. *that bootloader thing was meant serious!*

 

[Cole]

good luck with crappy XP registration system.

Registration system?

 

[Tadashi]

Yes, you have to activate your installed copy of WinXP in one month per net or phone.
And one copy on 2 systems could maybe not work.

 

[Cole]

........... Well it ain't that hard to set up the net...and i don't remember having that happen... U sure, I have no memory of that... Either way, its nto that hard to set up the internet...

 

[Tadashi]

Not setting up the net is the problem, activating win XP is it.
You have to activate your copy of XP, and if that has already happend on a other PC, you can't use your second PC properly.

 

[Ghost Freeman]

Ok...if they can get it to work with WineX...where the hell is the Mac version?

 

[Cole]

Ok personally i dont mind linux, and i dont know much about it..never really used it, so im not gonna rate whats better but im i was consumed by microsoft at an early age, so dont blame me.
Well, microsoft is a little greedy money bastard..what can i say..

This is something i feel strongly about.. I HATE MAC'S. Apple said there G5 was the fastest and most affordable..the one they showed off etc...costed eee roughly 3,500 dollors. Hell i'd just go by a faster alienware for a little less than that!
I hate Apple, although i heard they were good when it comes to video editing etc..
Apple said they had the worlds first 64bit computer..
N64 was a 64bit console.. Playstation was a 32bit console..
What one had more sales? What one did just about everyone rate better?
--Playstation--
Just becuz it was the first 64bit computer didn't mean it was the best...

 

[poseyjmac]

they're still crap though, but there's little alternative for games.

they are crap yes....if you dont know how to use them properly. same can be said for linux.

 

[^Ben]

Erm Tadashi i've had linux eat a bootloader.

Oh and the registration process takes about 5 minutes OMG LIKE HARD!!!

BTW Tadashi im speaking about people who EXCLUSIVLY use linux and dont dual boot and dont have anykind of access to a win xp machine that can play HL2 so that's why i reckon its so low.

Woah a linux counter run by a linux admin not based on facts? let's just say for a minute that linux and mac had the same market share(which i highly doubt) so thats %2.5 each then you do the "unfactual" calcuations that i did and you still get %1 of the overall market share. You gotta ask yourself in a buisness sense "Is it worth it" and i think you will find unless the graphics API used is opengl then the answer is a big fat no.

 

[Cole]

Yeah, ever company even the most loyal company in the world still wants money.
I mean Blizzard Entertainment, one of the best game making companies, even they are looking for the money. I mean Starcraft still is one of the most game played on battle.net. It barley gets updates, and you know why nothing has even been anouced for Sc2? Becuz Sc is still bringing in the money... Sc:Ghost was probably made for consoles mainly becuz Sc is still sellin for Pc, and then they relize theres a FPS super nice graphics\top of the line effects etc.. one of the Xbox, Gamecube, and Ps2.
So then they buy it for that to... I mean sc is a national sport in korea, the best guy named Slayer_Boxer is a world champion on sc and has made it rich. Sc on GameFaq won its braket! Who did it compete against? Wind Waker, the ONLY game to beat a zelda game in its braket.

Sc is still making ALOT of money, so blizzard didn't start sc2 until it stops. Cs, and Hl are still sellin probably more than sc is in america but in korea probably no.
So trust me, companies care alot about money, until cash starts comin in low they probably may not even announce there workin on it... Sc is still makin alot of cash in korea so therefor blizzard aint annoucing anything. So yeah just about every company wants cash and is greedy yet some still care alot about there cusomters while others dont give a damn, and some kind of and kind of dont.

 

[Tadashi]

Bootloader:
Linuxbootloaders can boot Windows, but note vice versa.

Registration:
Ever did a Activation on second PC?

And why do you persist, windows has a share of 95%?
Because M$ says that("Only trust surveys that were manipulated by yourself")? Would they only count the retail boxes and not the OEM stuff, the would have less than 40%(estimated). And not everyone leaves the installed OS alone.