Difference between revisions of "Linux"
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Revision as of 04:21, 21 October 2014
Key points
- Native Linux version of Steam has been released.
- The number of natively supported Linux games has dramatically increased with the introduction of the Humble Indie Bundle.
- Windows-only games can be run using Wine but this can be significantly more challenging than on Windows.
GOG.com
Steam
- Steam Linux store
- Steam Linux community
- GitHub bug reporting
- Ubuntu Wiki - guide to Steam.
Resources
Communities
- Gaming on Linux - a large community.
- r/linux_gaming - subreddit.
- Linux game database - resource of games and tools.
- #steamlug - IRC chat room.
- Linux Game Cast - pod/videocast.
- Holarse - German language.
Distributions
Many different distributions of Linux exist. A great family is based on Debian (Ubuntu is Debian-based). An other family is rpm-based (Fedora, Mageia, PCLinuxOS, Opensuse). There are also some other smaller families as Gentoo (Sabayon is Gentoo-based), Slackware (Salix is Slackware-based) and Arch (Manjaro is Arch-based)
Ubuntu
Ubuntu is the most popular Linux distribution for personal computers and is recommended for users who are making the switch from another OS to Linux. The Ubuntu Software Centre is a distribution center exclusive to this specific family of Linux distributions.
- There are many Ubuntu based distributions like Linux Mint also recommended for inexperienced users
Arch
Arch Linux is one of the most popular minimalist distribution. It is only recommended for intermediate to advanced Linux users and requires a good understanding of terminal commands and patience. However one of the benefits of its minimal software approach is the user gets what software they want, the latest version of it, and performance unmatched by distros like Ubuntu.
- There are also Arch based distributions. Manjaro is based on Arch and is easier to install and use than Arch.
Useful Programs
Wine
Wine is a compatibility layer that allows one to run Windows applications and games on Linux. one of the easiest and most popular way for Linux users to run programs written for Microsoft Windows. It also provides a software library that can help developers port Windows games to Linux.
- Tools like Play on linux make wine much easier to work with.
The Shell
The Unix Shell "bash" available on Linux is a very useful tool for doing system tasks. If you use Linux as your main operating system, then it is heavily recommended that you learn how to use it. Google Code University provides a good starting guide.
Steam
The Steam client for Linux only officially supports Ubuntu 12.04 LTS or later but is compatible with most distributions. You can download it from the Steam about page.
Graphics
Laptop graphics
nVidia Optimus
The Bumblebee project provides support for discrete/integrated combos of graphic cards.
ATi/AMD
http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Fglrx
Nvidia
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Common Fixes
Graphics Drivers
- On Ubuntu the drivers can be installed using a graphical utility. Ubuntu will automatically notify you if there are proprietary drivers available for your graphics card to install.
As Linux by default only provides open source drivers, proprietary graphics drivers are not provided. These drivers are generally much faster and can be installed via jockey-text:
1) Install jockey-text: sudo apt-get install jockey-text
2) List drivers: jockey-text --list
3) Enable the correct driver (whichever mentions being current) e.g.: jockey-text -e xorg:nvidia_current
Disable Desktop Compositing in Fullscreen
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Running Games on a Separate x Server
Running games on a different X server from ones main desktop can dramatically improve performance and generally reduces the amount of problems within a game especially when using an advanced compositing window manager like Compiz. To launch a separate X server with a game create a new .sh file and paste in the following code:
#! /bin/bash DISPLAY=:1.0 xinit $cd '/YOURGAMEPATH' $* -- :1
Save and allow the file to be executable. Running this script in the terminal will make it much easier end the server when you are finished with it.
Alternatively you can set the path to a terminal emulator like Xterm /usr/bin/uxterm
and launch the game from a terminal in the new server. You could even launch a file browser like nautilus /usr/bin/nautilus
Press Alt
+Ctrl
+F7
to return to the main desktop and Alt
+Ctrl
+F8
to go back to the newly created one.
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