Linux Gaming - CEDEGA

I heard about an emulator for Linux platforms whichs makes it possible to run even Direct3D games like Half-Life 2 on it. I played TFC a few weeks ago and I met a guy who said that, in fact, Steam and Steam games are running fine on this emulator.

It's called "Cedega" and was former known as WineX, I think. I don't know where to get it - it seems that you have to pay for it - don't know - just check out the website. Maybe you are able to find more information about it.

Related link: http://www.transgaming.com/

HL2 could already run on Linux. If you have a Linux Steam client.

Wine-X runs most major DX applications
with minimal problems (take that statement with a grain of salt).

It's been around for awhile.

Dont know how I missed my input for this topic :biggrin:

Cedega is an evolution of winex, new name basicly, it is essentially a
fork of wine. A company called 'transgaming' make Cedega now. They're
genrally hated throughout the community of linux geeks. They've forked
GPL software, and bagged it up making it almost unasuble unless you pay
them money for it. The Wine project doesnt stand much higher in my
opinion, it discourages software companys porting applications to
linux.

My experiences with it just bring me back to native quake 3 every time. :smile:

The offical news realease, for the announced support for steam, is here; http://www.transgaming.com/news.php?newsid=135

If you're into games and linux, checkout www.linux-gamers.net and www.happypenguin.orghttp://www.linuxgametome.com

I dont understand how you can say "it discourages software companys porting applications to
linux."

Some applications (especially games) are made for windows and/or
directx ONLY. Thus the option of porting to another OS is near
impossible without major architectural changes, which the company will
not do, as if it were planning on making an app for multiple OS's it
would do so from the start as its just easier that way. Something
like wine(x) is the only option to run these apps in a different
OS.

There is no way to play HL2 (for example) in UNIX without wine.
Valve never did a unix port for HL, and now they dont have the option
for HL2, so wine is just supporting good UNIX users, not discouraging
valve from doing a port.

Plenty of software companies develop apps with cross platform support
in mind. For these apps, porting to linux isnt a concern as the
base is there.

Plus native UNIX apps in a UNIX OS will always run better than native windblows apps in a UNIX environment with wine.

It discourages software companys to port, because wine is capable of
running these applications under linux, why should the companys port if
a solution is already there? Half life 2 could easily have been
accomodated for linux, as the original hl1 worked almost seamlessly.
The unreal team did this, and now enjoy seamless cross platform
compatability.

Because Wine-X doesn't simulate DX at
100% capability, in fact it's pretty impossible to do so for many
reasons.

Guys, seriously, stop saying HL2 doesn't run on
Linux, because it does. You use a Linux Steam client and it runs
fine. Now, having DX options on is a different situation. But the
game its self runs.

Also, honestly, I think DirectX should be
obliterated. It's disgusting to develop with, inefficient. And I know
everyone has experienced the sound and video linking issues.

There
were already many wonderful standards in place, but MS, as always,
didn't "like" them (just because they didn't own them and
couldn't charge money for their use) and created their
own.

Personally, I'd develop something for a UNIX based
platform and port to Windows. But, most game companies don't consider
anyone but a Windows audience. They probably don't think it's cost
efficient to develop any other way.

By the way software companies are
discouraged to make UNIX based applications because of all the
licenses they had to pay for, not to mention the near millions they've
spent training their employees.

Probably have to pay. I imagine it's similar to Mac Windows emulator...

Yes, you have to pay for Wine-X.
Because they had to pay for DirectX licenses. Only thing I can think
of, since it's (unless I'm mistaken) developed under the GNU
license.

Under either GPL or LGPL there will always be free ways to get
it. Very similar to downloading a cracked version of a program
except that its legal for the distributor and the downloader, and
theres no crack. Thats if it is under that license.

Most game companies dont develop for cross platform compatibility
because the average joe who is going to be buying a game is going to be
using windows. Developing in that way takes longer which costs
money. Even though it would produce a higher quality game....

Liscences to pay for to develop for UNIX? Now adays with such
licenses as GPL and BSD that surely isnt an issue is it? Wouldn't
they have to train their employees anyways though? So why would
that make a difference?

I imagine it's similar to Mac Windows emulator...

Actually, it's not. WINE (Cedega's
codebase) is an acronym for 'Wine Is Not an Emulator'. Rather than
emulate a whole PC like 'Windows on Mac' programs do, Wine provides a
layer between Windows applications and the Linux kernel. Basically what
it does is intercept any Windows system calls and translates those into
Linux system calls.

Cedega takes that and extends it to DirectX, where any DirectX function calls are translated to OpenGL calls.

</informative geek>

Also:

Liscences to pay for to develop for UNIX? Now adays with such licenses as GPL and BSD that surely isnt an issue is it? Wouldn't they have to train their employees anyways though? So why would that make a difference?

You never need a license to develop under UNIX. Or Windows, for that matter. If people had to pay to write programs on a platform, they'd go and develop on a free platform.

Im happy UT2004 runs native linux :biggrin:

Crono - There is no unix steam client. If games are started with
compatability in mind, then it's absolutly no different, really. The
Quake 3 source code has such a solid base, that maps, vm code, models,
textures, dont need any form of conversion from windows to unix. All
the unix / windows stuff is handled by a single executable ( for which
the source will be out for in a few more months ) :smile: .

I thought they had a runtime for Linux, but I suppose it's only dedicated server.

Also, just to clairify, I never said you have to license to develop for
Windows. But, I believe you need some licenses from MS to use DX in
development. But I may be wrong and I'll probably never know :smile:

XC: I know more about modulation then you (apparently) think.

Damn double posting.

I did a search, and look what I found:

http://www.freshports.org/games/linux-steam/

Appears to be an unofficial one, but might be worth to check out.

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Congrats, I'll not loose sleep over it though. :smile: Dred_furst -- that's just a debian package for the steam dedicated server.

2 words and one bad-ass picture:

cedega rox!!!11

Bless, I love the way that whenever screenshots are taken in linux, people deliberatly modify the hell out of their bashrc scripts, and then fireup manyo' xterms :smile:

omg jaardsi is teh h4x