GNU/Linux port discontinued until further notice

EvilTypeGuy · Wed 03/12/2008 04:22:16

Greetings,

Unfortunately, due to some employment restrictions, I can't work on third-party code for a while.

As a result, I must regrettably discontinue any work on the ags GNU/Linux port.

I've had a few email conversations with CJ about this, and he understands the situation.

I would be happy to pass on what material I still have and knowledge about various restrictions, etc. to anyone that CJ feels is qualified to continue to the port.

If you feel you are qualified please send CJ a message and when he notifies me, I will be happy to pass the necessary information on.

Thanks for understanding.

Pumaman · Tue 09/12/2008 18:43:03

Thanks for all the time you've spent on the Linux port over the years, and it's a shame about your current situation.

Good luck

Joseph DiPerla · Mon 15/12/2008 21:07:16

Sad to hear all around.

Thanks for all your hard work. Hopefully someone will pick up the source and work on it again.

suicidal pencil · Mon 15/12/2008 23:01:31

Terrible. Just terrible.

bearseatbeats · Sun 21/12/2008 20:18:47

This was expected, but unfortunate. Maybe someone can pick up the code someday. And uh...*maybe CJ can port the IDE to mono and switch to OpenGL so we can use that in linux (and OSX) too *coughcough. You know, while you're at it...

deadsuperhero · Mon 22/12/2008 15:14:46

Yeah, with the Mono 2.0 out the door, the list of C# needs in the compiler and code are being filled out nicely.
And 3.0 is expected to have full compatibility by next December!

In any case, this is a bummer. I wish you the best, EvilTypeGuy. You've done a lot for the Linux folk in this here community.

Dualnames · Tue 23/12/2008 19:47:32

Quote from: bearseatbeats on Sun 21/12/2008 20:18:47
This was expected, but unfortunate. Maybe someone can pick up the code someday. And uh...*maybe CJ can port the IDE to mono and switch to OpenGL so we can use that in linux (and OSX) too *coughcough. You know, while you're at it...

Not to impersonate, but I'm sure CJ is a busy man as it is right now. And he would take the task and not post about it..probably.

bearseatbeats · Sun 28/12/2008 20:43:53

Quote from: Dualnames on Tue 23/12/2008 19:47:32

Not to impersonate, but I'm sure CJ is a busy man as it is right now. And he would take the task and not post about it..probably.

Oh sure, I realize CJ is extremely busy making AGS awesome, but my theory is that if you don't ask, you don't get, right?

There are other users besides myself interested in a possible cross-platform version of the AGS editor for various reasons. Most importantly, I think, is that there are a TON of great, free, completely legal graphics and sound programs available for Linux (The Gimp, Xara Extreme, Inkscape, Ardour, Audacity, Synfig, Blender, etc.). Linux also runs comfortably on modest hardware (unlike Vista for example). As AGS is also a free program (free as in beer, not as in open source), if it were cross-platform, all these free programs could be used for game development and could dramatically reduce the price of developing games (you all have nice, legal copies of Photoshop, Illustrator, Audition, SONAR, etc., right?). I know that some of these programs are already available on Windows, but certain ones (Ardour, Xara Extreme, for example) are only available for Linux (or OSX in some cases) and have no plans for a Windows version (or the Windows version costs several hundred dollars in the case of Xara). Making the editor run on Mono and the engine on OpenGL (for what's currently running on Direct 3D) would take care of Linux, Windows, and OSX by default, thereby tripling the available platforms for AGS.

I know it's not a trivial task, and maybe CJ has even started looking at Mono, I have no clue. I'm just keeping the idea alive for the non-Windows users out there. We exist, and we're usually pretty happy about it.

p.s. Oh, and thanks to EvilTypeGuy for his previous work on the Linux engine port!

Pumaman · Sun 28/12/2008 22:02:47

Let's not get ahead of ourselves

For now the most important thing would be to find someone willing to take on the existing Linux port and update it to the latest version of AGS

bearseatbeats · Sun 04/01/2009 20:43:22

Quote from: Pumaman on Sun 28/12/2008 22:02:47
Let's not get ahead of ourselves

For now the most important thing would be to find someone willing to take on the existing Linux port and update it to the latest version of AGS

Indeed, I do get ahead of myself.

Actually, AGS games usually run pretty well under WINE (though I'm not sure if I've tried a 3.0 game that uses D3D recently). The editor, not so much. However, I'm always behind a native version of the engine. If anyone wants to take over that task, they have my full support and admiration (but unfortunately not my limited coding skills).

At least you're thinking about it. There are bound to be others.

RickJ · Sat 10/01/2009 22:16:42

The editor works just fine in Linux running in VirtualBox for now. Resources would be better used improving the runtime engine so that it can be more easily ported to other platforms, IMHO. Although I don't have any good answers, I do believe that this is the right question to be asking.

bearseatbeats · Sat 10/01/2009 22:59:06

Yeah, I've recently been messing around with running the editor in VirtualBox. It seems to run alright, though I did encounter at least one VM crashing event. I still haven't sussed out exactly what caused it. I might try the OSE version again instead of Sun's implementation.

You might be right that energy is better spent getting the runtime to work across platforms for now (with support for plug-ins, etc.). I imagine that would probably take the most work but have the biggest payoff (more platforms for gameplay). In theory, both the editor and the games could be cross-platform if they used the right libraries, though it all hinges on someone putting in the work. All I can offer is testing.

Electroshokker · Thu 19/03/2009 17:10:27

Quote from: Pumaman on Sun 28/12/2008 22:02:47
Let's not get ahead of ourselves

For now the most important thing would be to find someone willing to take on the existing Linux port and update it to the latest version of AGS

Well, with no-one stepping up to the challenge, I'd like to give it a shot, if you let me. I'm more of a java developer myself (real-life job) but I know how to work with C++ and how to learn stuff going up a steep slope.

Let me know what you think.

strazer · Wed 06/05/2009 19:51:53

I recently upgraded to Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope). Has anybody else got AGS v2.72 to play games with sound?
I always get

QuoteUnable to initialize your audio hardware.
[Problem: ALSA: snd_pcm_hw_params_set_format(pcm_handle, hwparams, format) : Invalid argument]

and no sound.

Already tried downgrading alsa-base, liballegro4.2 and libaldmb1 to the hardy versions but the problem remains.