Linux distro suggestions?
by John Vanderbeck · in Torque Game Engine · 04/03/2004 (6:57 pm) · 33 replies
I'm looking to install Linux as a dual boot, seperate partition from Windows XP Professional. I've used Debian in the past.
I'm wondering if there are any certain distros that are generally considered better for development and/or game development, as well as any suggestions when it comes to certain distros that play better with Torque. This box will be used, for the most part, solely for Torque development.
Thanks in advance :)
I'm wondering if there are any certain distros that are generally considered better for development and/or game development, as well as any suggestions when it comes to certain distros that play better with Torque. This box will be used, for the most part, solely for Torque development.
Thanks in advance :)
#22
06/14/2004 (10:24 pm)
Mandrake 10, easiest Linux to configure, use and develop on.
#23
Later, Ben
06/15/2004 (5:23 am)
I am one of the slack people but I am old school starting with unix first. :) Gui tools are nice but when they don't do what you want then things become a pain. What can you do.. There is no pleasing everybody. They greatest thing about linux is there is that there is almost as many distributions as people using it. Later, Ben
#24
I would suggest first doing a google search, since nearly every issue or something close to it has already been addressed somewhere.
Next thing I would suggest is learn to love your command line.
06/15/2004 (9:54 am)
" Gui tools are nice but when they don't do what you want then things become a pain. What can you do.."I would suggest first doing a google search, since nearly every issue or something close to it has already been addressed somewhere.
Next thing I would suggest is learn to love your command line.
#25
I think you missed the point of my message. I do everything on a commmand line mainly because I build firewalls and servers so I want absolute control (hence the old school, before all this gui config tools were available).
Gui tools are nice but they add a layer of complication, in some cases if you force something with command line the gui tools doesn't recognize the change.
Everything I have tried different os I usually end up with some rpms install but then I want some specific config so I get the source, patch it the way I want and build it from there. Of course I start running into dependancy issues after that. :) hahaha, I am its my fault but I patch everything from bash logging keystrokes accross a network to the glibc libraries.
So I just say away from the user friendly tools.
Later, Ben
06/15/2004 (10:13 am)
Hey, I think you missed the point of my message. I do everything on a commmand line mainly because I build firewalls and servers so I want absolute control (hence the old school, before all this gui config tools were available).
Gui tools are nice but they add a layer of complication, in some cases if you force something with command line the gui tools doesn't recognize the change.
Everything I have tried different os I usually end up with some rpms install but then I want some specific config so I get the source, patch it the way I want and build it from there. Of course I start running into dependancy issues after that. :) hahaha, I am its my fault but I patch everything from bash logging keystrokes accross a network to the glibc libraries.
So I just say away from the user friendly tools.
Later, Ben
#26
Beyond the user friendliness of Mandrake, you also have the simple fact that the ratio of games developed using Mandrake vs any other distro is probably somewhere near 5 to 1.
I can think of at least 10 titles off the top of my head that were developed using Mandrake.
It may just be the user friendly GUI interface of Mandrake that is the primary reason why so many do develop on it.
You also have all the same command line capabilities under Mandrake that you do with everyother distro, however going from GUI to command line, is one hell of a learning curve.
Oh well, as always it boils down to personal choice, but if I were developing games (which I am), I think Mandrake would actually make for the very best possible choice. IMHO.
06/15/2004 (3:00 pm)
I totally understand and depending upon the situation you are right, but the original intent of this thread was asking, what Distro is generally considered best for developing games on.Beyond the user friendliness of Mandrake, you also have the simple fact that the ratio of games developed using Mandrake vs any other distro is probably somewhere near 5 to 1.
I can think of at least 10 titles off the top of my head that were developed using Mandrake.
It may just be the user friendly GUI interface of Mandrake that is the primary reason why so many do develop on it.
You also have all the same command line capabilities under Mandrake that you do with everyother distro, however going from GUI to command line, is one hell of a learning curve.
Oh well, as always it boils down to personal choice, but if I were developing games (which I am), I think Mandrake would actually make for the very best possible choice. IMHO.
#27
06/17/2004 (7:34 am)
I would have also recommended SuSE, it is a great distro, and would be my second choice, however it is a little difficult to obtain, and requires more forethought and planning to setup.
#28
Ya, I have been following Mandrake for a while and they really seem to be amaing at gamers and home users. If I was building a system to play I would be really looking at it.
Suse is great, but its big and they have been in the server market for too long, they still have not quite got the desktop thing down yet.
Other then that, Xandros is starting to come together and same with lindows.
I haven't tried Java Desktop yet ( Novels purchaces suse and the redcarpet people ). They have the resources for it but they are amaing for corperate desktops and some home.
Redhat or the Fedora, well I have no idea about them. Redhat is geared towards Enterprise but I haven't tried either in a long time. It could be great.
Slackware: It has all the features of all the other distributions but you are going to have to setup X yourself and make sure it accelarated. Not the simplest task but once its running, it runs really well.
Gentoo: Sounds great and very optimized for my system, but I don't have much experience with it. So I can't say. Long setup compiling everything.
In the end Mandrake would be the top on my list for a gaming system.
Later, Ben
06/17/2004 (8:32 am)
Hello, Ya, I have been following Mandrake for a while and they really seem to be amaing at gamers and home users. If I was building a system to play I would be really looking at it.
Suse is great, but its big and they have been in the server market for too long, they still have not quite got the desktop thing down yet.
Other then that, Xandros is starting to come together and same with lindows.
I haven't tried Java Desktop yet ( Novels purchaces suse and the redcarpet people ). They have the resources for it but they are amaing for corperate desktops and some home.
Redhat or the Fedora, well I have no idea about them. Redhat is geared towards Enterprise but I haven't tried either in a long time. It could be great.
Slackware: It has all the features of all the other distributions but you are going to have to setup X yourself and make sure it accelarated. Not the simplest task but once its running, it runs really well.
Gentoo: Sounds great and very optimized for my system, but I don't have much experience with it. So I can't say. Long setup compiling everything.
In the end Mandrake would be the top on my list for a gaming system.
Later, Ben
#29
Man, Alex, you have such a cool wife. ;)
Back on topic: Has anyone had any success with getting any windows art making tools to work under Linux, like PaintShopPro or QuArK? If so, what did you use? win4lin? Bochs?
06/17/2004 (11:33 am)
Quote:My wife assembled a new PC for me last week and its now using an ASUS PC4800 motherboard with an Intel P4 3Ghz Hyperthreading CPU
Man, Alex, you have such a cool wife. ;)
Back on topic: Has anyone had any success with getting any windows art making tools to work under Linux, like PaintShopPro or QuArK? If so, what did you use? win4lin? Bochs?
#30
A word of warning to everyone. DO NOT use an ASUS PC4800 series motherboard with Linux. The problem is not with the board itself but getting the integrated gigabit ethernet working. I had to jump through hoops and loops to get it to work.
In the end, it worked but since I thinkered around with a lot of stuff ... I don't even know what I did right that got it to work with my Mandrake Linux 10. lol.
06/17/2004 (5:16 pm)
@Eric - Thanks. My wife graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Engineering while I'm an Economics major. So I sort of leave the hardware stuff to her. :)A word of warning to everyone. DO NOT use an ASUS PC4800 series motherboard with Linux. The problem is not with the board itself but getting the integrated gigabit ethernet working. I had to jump through hoops and loops to get it to work.
In the end, it worked but since I thinkered around with a lot of stuff ... I don't even know what I did right that got it to work with my Mandrake Linux 10. lol.
#31
My MotherBoard has a bunch of obsucre stuff I'ld never heard of before buying it. Windows drivers couldn't even be found. Mandrake 10 runs it like a champ, doesn't even bother to ask, it just seems to know.
06/17/2004 (8:38 pm)
Mandrake is Linux with training wheels, it'll run dang near anything.My MotherBoard has a bunch of obsucre stuff I'ld never heard of before buying it. Windows drivers couldn't even be found. Mandrake 10 runs it like a champ, doesn't even bother to ask, it just seems to know.
#32
06/28/2004 (10:45 am)
Anyone tried Quark under Cedega(formerly WineX), or Crossover? I can run Evercrack flawlessly under Suse 9.1, as well as a ton of other windows software with Crossover. I havent' had a channce to try Quark, or Milkshape yet. Anyone else have any luck, if you've tried it?
#33
06/28/2004 (10:46 am)
Never tried quark, i run hammer under cross-over tho 
Torque Owner Bryan Walters