Elite:Dangerous for Linux?

[andyraptor]

You all know Apple OS is Apples version of Unix, wih Apples GUI.
Should not be that differcult to get Mac ED working in Linux.
BB

Ouch Brin !!!

have you really looked at the amount of time and effort that has gone into getting really, really simple games to work on Linux

It's a age old problem..... until the Linux community solves it for simple stuff, beyond Steam rubbish,.... don't even try holding your breath on this one mate

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Sure are a lot of pages to this thread for something that isn't considered important. You know, I have a Windows 7 partition I boot to just to play Elite Dangerous. Everything else I can do in Linux. Literally. Everything. Else.

so you play all the other AAA games on your Win 7 partition as well ?

I run Mint, on a seperate drive, on my other machine..... for everything.... apart from gaming

 

[WR3ND]

...beyond Steam rubbish...

I'm not really sure what you mean by this, other than apparently not caring much for Steam. There are a fair number of really great games on Steam for Linux. I can give you some recommendations, if you want, but it sounds like you're probably not interested in that.

 

[WR3ND]

...

Got you beat. I use a Mac (Mac Pro) for everything else but I have an entire top end PC with 980Ti cards in SLI, DK2, etc etc JUST to play ED.

Yes ED is on the Mac but it is rubbish compared to the PC version and as far as I'm aware Horizons isn't supported.

Kind of confused how this is "beating" them... :S

People use their computers for different things and have different needs and preferences. Personally, I view a dedicated Windows gaming PC as a waste of opportunity that could be put to better use, which is why I don't have one, or need one. My main PC is more than capable enough for all my typical usage scenarios, running whatever OSs I have use for, usually simultaneously. I game on it, host servers on it, and crunch for scientific and humanitarian research on it all at the same time, as well as often using it for more common, mundane things.

 

[Cmdr BrinBrown]

Yeah, it is not that easy, to make it work, but if FD wanted to, they could hire people to do it.
But most people who want to play ED for real would just use a Windows PC.
Mind the new "Windows 10, spywindows;P", might make it so we all change to Linux.
BB

 

[Kisvakond]

IMHO it's worth the effort to port ED to Linux:
* As I see it (pls correct me if I'm wrong), it's mainly a question of directx to Vulkan API port
* Future dx12 support plans could trap devs with XBox One and win10 exclusively (IMO, with this move, MS plays chicken with the market (OS, OEMS, end-users) they can't win but we'll see )
* Vulkan is promised to be available on all present and future popular OSes (linux, mac, win7, win8 etc.)
* Big VGA manufacturers seem dedicated towards Vulkan as they prefer that VGA buyers spend their money on VGA cards and not ransom-ware OSes
* AMD-derived Vulkan API and efforts on Valve and (even!!!!) Intel side to get it running on Linux-based PC-hardware steamboxes, makes FD devs' life easy (its not just FD that faces this challenge/opportunity)
* Elite buyers can spend their bucks on games, not on OSes -> devs that support linux (too) are simply in an advantage.

I understand that the Linux port is mostly good for existing customers (e.g. steam cross-platform library allows me to play on linux and windows as well if the game is available), but I think such a flexiblity would attract new buyers, esp. not-supported console owners.

Cheers

 

[WR3ND]

IMHO it's worth the effort to port ED to Linux:
* As I see it (pls correct me if I'm wrong), it's mainly a question of directx to Vulkan API port
...

More like OpenGL to OpenGL, considering there is a Mac version. Not for Horizons though, obviously. Vulkan hasn't really taken off yet. Hopefully it will.

The DirectX mess is more for the Wine guys to sort out.

At any rate, the updated OpenGL standards and features should be capable of running Horizons. According to Frontier, the outdated versions used by Apple are the reason they didn't make a Mac version of Horizons.

I would like to see developers standardize around Vulkan instead of more closed off APIs such as DirectX 12 and Metal going forward. Good for them, good for us, hopefully. But this is more of a tangent issue regarding Elite specifically. It isn't so much that a port itself would be all that difficult to pull off (relatively speaking), it's the momentum behind it and how many extra sales Frontier feel like it would generate. Personally, I fear the ship has sailed and that Frontier has more or less bought-in to DirectX.

...ransom-ware OSes
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Ha! I like your style. Have some rep.

* AMD-derived Vulkan API and efforts on Valve and (even!!!!) Intel side to get it running on Linux-based PC-hardware steamboxes, makes FD devs' life easy (its not just FD that faces this challenge/opportunity)
...

All the main players are on-board to some degree or another (excluding Microsoft and to some extent Apple, obviously). It really seems to be the best way forward for developers and gamers alike. Hopefully it takes off.

Spoiler

[video=youtube;NqensKmmRfE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqensKmmRfE[/video]

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I understand that the Linux port is mostly good for existing customers (e.g. steam cross-platform library allows me to play on linux and windows as well if the game is available), but I think such a flexiblity would attract new buyers, esp. not-supported console owners.

There are a few exceptions to this, but these days I make it a priority to only get games on Steam that have Linux versions as well. I've gotten much more familiar with using Debian/KDE as a "desktop/laptop" OS and gaming platform instead of just hosting servers over the last year or so. This is definitely the way forward for me. Windows 7 will hopefully be the last version of Windows I ever personally use. (I have copies of 8.1 as well, but installed Debian over them and no longer use it.)

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Offhand, does anyone know if a PS4 or Xbox One has been hacked and successfully had SteamOS installed on them? That would be hilarious and make it almost worth getting one of them.

 

[wstephenson]

There are a few exceptions to this, but these days I make it a priority to only get games on Steam that have Linux versions as well. I've gotten much more familiar with using Debian/KDE as a "desktop/laptop" OS and gaming platform instead of just hosting servers over the last year or so. This is definitely the way forward for me. Windows 7 will hopefully be the last version of Windows I ever personally use. (I have copies of 8.1 as well, but installed Debian over them and no longer use it.)

Yay! Emeritus KDE developer here. Although after 15 years at the front I have gotten a lot less dogmatic and actually enjoy Windows 10 (as a glorified game launcher).

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Offhand, does anyone know if a PS4 or Xbox One has been hacked and successfully had SteamOS installed on them? That would be hilarious and make it almost worth getting one of them.

Yes, hackers just got Linux running properly on PS4 and are starting to work on 3d hardware drivers - helped by its proximity to PC hardware. It was all over the news last week.

 

[WR3ND]

Yay! Emeritus KDE developer here. Although after 15 years at the front I have gotten a lot less dogmatic and actually enjoy Windows 10 (as a glorified game launcher).

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Wow, that's awesome! Thanks for your work. It's much appreciated. I did a fair amount of shopping around a couple of years ago for a capable and customizable desktop GUI and KDE was the best fit for my needs and preferences.

Regarding Windows 10 specifically, I'm mostly leery about their data mining and push for services in a closed off ecosystem as well as the potential security risks and privacy issues associated it. Thankfully, Windows 7 does what I need it to, so there's no real reason for me to bother with updated versions of Windows. Many of us probably know our way around Windows and networking systems well enough to get what we want out of it (and stop it from doing what we don't want it to), but the typical user doesn't all that well.

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Yes, hackers just got Linux running properly on PS4 and are starting to work on 3d hardware drivers - helped by its proximity to PC hardware. It was all over the news last week.

Cool. I'll keep an eye out for progress on that front. I wonder how Valve would feel about... "enabling upstream support" for it. I could honestly see myself getting a PS4 just to put SteamOS on it for novelty's sake. (Guilty pleasures. My wife has a Steam account too and likes her consoles well enough, so she could probably get some real use out of it.)

 

[Kisvakond]

Reference to wstephenson's info:

http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/2...ked-to-run-linux-steamos-is-an-inevitiability

By the way, OpenGL was a definitive driving force in the past years in terms of cross-platform 3D capability but sadly its main methodics has become outdated as the processing block count of VGA cards and CPU cores skyrocketed. Dx and Vulkan put much less CPU overhead by simplifying the API housekeeping and can distribute tasks between CPU cores unlike OpenGL.

 

[EdzUp]

TLDR I agree a Linux port of ED would be awesome BUT one issue is what distribution to actually support. Ubuntu and it's derivatives would be the best bet.

After choosing that then it's a case of getting the drivers sorted which is one area that in recent years (due to win8's dismal uptake and Valve jumping in) has improved massively.

As a coder myself I actually write all my software on Linux as it runs on anything and allows you to test things that windows would just be quiet over and silently pass. Having a OS that tells you your code has failed and why is a godsend when writing software. Windows on the other hand doesn't complain about certain things and silently fails which can be a pain to debug.

Apparently as of version 16 of Ubuntu linux will be 64bit only so no 32bit crap shoot either, I'm using 14.04 LTS at present as it's a Dev machine.

 

[Zandraak]

Well after a year of dev' There is still no gameplay.
I hope they don't Will lose Time for linux (and for 100players in the world...)

 

[WR3ND]

TLDR I agree a Linux port of ED would be awesome BUT one issue is what distribution to actually support. Ubuntu and it's derivatives would be the best bet.

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Though I don't personally care for Ubuntu all that much, that seems to be a typical route to take and shouldn't be an issue for me using Debian and Steam. So sure, why not?

 

[CptPotatooo]

But havent frontier stated already, they are willing to port the game to Linux, also the engien would run great in Linux.
But it will be ported when the time is right.
Considering aswell, they seem to work closly with valve to improve the HTC Vive, and it seems like Valve wants to use ED as a
game they can sell Vive on.

I also belive that we gonna have to see a playstation version and vulkan drivers before we see ED on linux.
I game manly on windows, but I use Linux alot, so I would really like to see ED on Linux, as this game is the main reason Im still using windows.
Im not hating on windows or anything, I just prefer Linux over windows.

1+ for linux

 

[Parmo]

As a coder myself I actually write all my software on Linux as it runs on anything and allows you to test things that windows would just be quiet over and silently pass. Having a OS that tells you your code has failed and why is a godsend when writing software. Windows on the other hand doesn't complain about certain things and silently fails which can be a pain to debug.

What a load of bunk.
Put this statement on your CV for a programming job, please!
God forbid! you're not already employed as a software engineer are you?

 

[Kisvakond]

Though I don't personally care for Ubuntu all that much, that seems to be a typical route to take and shouldn't be an issue for me using Debian and Steam. So sure, why not?

The version that the current stable SteamOS uses, is just perfect!

 

[WR3ND]

The version that the current stable SteamOS uses, is just perfect!

The version of what that SteamOS uses? You mean Jessie? Yeah, I agree. That's the version of Debian that I use as well. Well, it does need a few addons and tweaks to get it set up and running the way I want, but it's a nice base to start from.

 

[Kisvakond]

Well, I never looked after before what distro Gabe uses.

I normally try out Ubuntu-based distros (some ArchLinux too for Raspberry cross-platform experimenting), but if SteamOS uses Debian, it's just a matter of some HDD space and a boot manager, right?

I read in some reply I read that we haven't seen any Linux gameplay. I think this it to evade speculations about performance, as on Linux the only real option (currently!) is OpenGL. Despite all good intention from its makers, I consider the CrossOver platform (special Wine capable of running dx11), no alternative. DX12 however, is so straightforward to convert into Vulkan that there's simply no reason for any HW/SW manufacturers to engage with DX12.

 

[EdzUp]

What a load of bunk.
Put this statement on your CV for a programming job, please!
God forbid! you're not already employed as a software engineer are you?

I am maybe your experience in the field is different from mine or your toolset is not the same, I'm speaking from personal experience with the tools I have.

 

[CMDR Sheehy]

What a load of bunk.
Put this statement on your CV for a programming job, please!
God forbid! you're not already employed as a software engineer are you?

As a network manager (for many years) I can confirm that this is how windows works. It is supposed to be user friendly and will fail things silently rather than flash up cryptic messages. Who can do anything when your .Net code flashes up "catastrophic failure"?

Yes you can run debuggers or go hunting logs. But any code I write always writes it's own logs, because Windows does not give you a clue when something goes wrong.

 

[EdzUp]

As a network manager (for many years) I can confirm that this is how windows works. It is supposed to be user friendly and will fail things silently rather than flash up cryptic messages. Who can do anything when your .Net code flashes up "catastrophic failure"?

Yes you can run debuggers or go hunting logs. But any code I write always writes it's own logs, because Windows does not give you a clue when something goes wrong.

Exactly how I write my code I have my own log system like you do, not only does this help as I can see what I want but when debugging I can see what function fails and go from there.