Elite:Dangerous for Linux?

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

^All of This^

Is why linux will always have the market share it does.
So much effort being put into running a game on an OS that has to be given away - and I even LIKE linux.
It's great for mail servers, routers, spam filters, PXE servers, Ghostcast servers... but as a general-consumption OS....

Microsoft has a corner on the "(below) Average User" who just wants to point, click, play.

Some people actually LIKE putting this much work into something like this.
The rest of the world does not.

But I certainly wish your efforts well.. let's see if we get Legs before Linux. - Webster says "Yes".

I am on Fedora Linux at this very same moment.

I point, click, and launch Mad Max. I can alt-tab and write snarky comment how can I game on Linux for three years now without any problems.

But I won't because it is pointless.

Linux has been ready for desktop for years. But of course everyone is so lazy they won't even check it out because why if you can ask your cousin to put pirated version on newest hardware.

Also let's add Adobe CC cracked version because we need to 'edit' some photos.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Hey commanders,

the link's a bit old, but for those with Twitter, there's a porting house called Feral Interactive, which has brought many AAA games to Linux asking what they think gamers would like them to port.

PLEASE consider tweeting to them that we'd like to play Elite: Dangerous on Linux!

https://www.gamingonlinux.com/artic...ux-feral-interactive-want-to-know-again.10139

it appears there's another thread on the same subject on the reddits, as well.

https://www.reddit.com/r/EliteDange...feral_interactive_to_port_elite_dangerous_to/

What is most infuriating thing - and I am saying this as huge FD fan - FD have all resources to make Linux version happen for as little money as possible.

They have OpenGL renderer, they have Mono port of launcher. They have knowledgeable engine team.

Still David is openly afraid about support costs and most likely secretly afraid it will put them on black list with Microsoft for whom they love to do some work, they have good contacts there.

Also until RedHat and Valve does not openly send business representatives around there's no good reason for them to do that. What's their business contact at the other side of communication? Community? LOL No. RedHat might, but they don't pose themselves as casual user desktop company...yet (I hope that changes soon). Cannonical is unfortunately going down.

We need gaming champion for Linux to get more sales and most importantly get companies as ED to flip over to do ports. Feral really does not have to do it. FD have know how. They just don't see benefit and there's no one out there selling them there might be.

 

[Avago Earo]

Doesn't PlayStation run on a version of Linux? I'm sure the PS3 did.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Doesn't PlayStation run on a version of Linux? I'm sure the PS3 did.

It is a bit of urban myth. No, PS3 did not have OpenGL - it has weird mix of OpenGL like commands and HLSL shader language (what DirectX uses). PlayStation 4 again, two sets of APIs, one low level, another high level, but not related to OpenGL at all. What's similar is flow of the render as far as I know, thus that gives easier to port Linux ports of the game to PlayStation 4, but I don't think it worked vice versa.

Anyway, TLDR PS4 does not use OpenGL. MacOS does not support OpenGL beyond 4.1. Still, FD have their OpenGL render which they could use porting game to Linux. I would buy three copies.

 

[EUS]

I am on Fedora Linux at this very same moment.

I point, click, and launch Mad Max. I can alt-tab and write snarky comment how can I game on Linux for three years now without any problems.

But I won't because it is pointless.

Linux has been ready for desktop for years. But of course everyone is so lazy they won't even check it out because why if you can ask your cousin to put pirated version on newest hardware.

Also let's add Adobe CC cracked version because we need to 'edit' some photos.

OMG, I agree with Eagleboy, except I'm a Debian user.
I need a shower.

 

[Avago Earo]

It is a bit of urban myth.

Ah, that clears that up then.

 

[znôrt]

let's see if we get Legs before Linux. - Webster says "Yes".

i agree and i don't even think there will be legs at all

I would buy three copies.

of the couple dozen total, and that exactly is the problem. i don't think there is any insourmontable techincal hurlde (could be wrong), but it wouldn't pay for itself and just doesn't seem to fit in the plan of galactic conquest. i could even imagine david braven being personally keen to do it, but then he's only the ceo.

 

[aRottenKomquat]

Eh, while I'd love to see E for Linux, I have to do Linux software support for work. Linux support cases inevitably take 20X longer than Windows support cases, yet we have 100X more Windows users than Linux. And this is with C code that is theoretically 100% platform-neutral. I can understand why any company, especially in gaming, would be hesitant to officially support Linux.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

of the couple dozen total, and that exactly is the problem. i don't think there is any insourmontable techincal hurlde (could be wrong), but it wouldn't pay for itself and just doesn't seem to fit in the plan of galactic conquest. i could even imagine david braven being personally keen to do it, but then he's only the ceo.

I think they could sell 20 - 30k copies for sure (most successful games like CivV have broken that number of Linux). But I guess they would want 200k ballpark to even talk about it.

I don't expect them to do miracles - after all, they gotta eat, software development is difficult and expensive, and in the end, David share control over company with other investors - that's why I play around with Wine.

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

Eh, while I'd love to see E for Linux, I have to do Linux software support for work. Linux support cases inevitably take 20X longer than Windows support cases, yet we have 100X more Windows users than Linux. And this is with C code that is theoretically 100% platform-neutral. I can understand why any company, especially in gaming, would be hesitant to officially support Linux.

Not sure I can agree it's universal. It really depends on what kind of software it is, what kind of APIs and libraries it is using, how well it is done (C isn't really platform neutral, it is just a language), also how good support and how many resources company have put into making multiplatform support stick.

For example, I have seen software development in crossplatform in mind having no issues on Linux but having huge pain in backside for relic Windows versions.

But number game I think it is what ends up making it faint possibility.

 

[CMDR Ellegon]

Doesn't PlayStation run on a version of Linux? I'm sure the PS3 did.

Playstation 4 OS is based on FreeBSD, which is not Linux, but a fully independent Unix-derivate based on AT&T System V and later BSD Unix. Here is one of many sources on this: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/16/sony_playstation_4_kernel/

FreeBSD is probably the least known major operating system. Besides Playstation, many routers, firewalls, NAS and embedded devices depend on it. Natively, it runs "small" outfits like Whatsapp or Netflix....

 

[CMDR Ellegon]

Eh, while I'd love to see E for Linux, I have to do Linux software support for work. Linux support cases inevitably take 20X longer than Windows support cases, yet we have 100X more Windows users than Linux. And this is with C code that is theoretically 100% platform-neutral. I can understand why any company, especially in gaming, would be hesitant to officially support Linux.

True that, because the support guys are usually completely clueless when you call about problems with Linux installations. It is usually a case of "we don't know how to do Linux right, so let's blame Linux".

 

[PiLhEaD]

It's only such a huge effort when the IP owners don't do the port themselves.

There's no incentive as the varied unaligned multitude of Linux O/S's forms only a tiny percentage of the PC market. Even Mac is totally dwarfed by Windows.

My experience of various linux variants is similar to facing a cornered rat, one in a very bad mood, even though I spent 5 years programming C++ on HP-UX.

imho the vast majority of linux users will either dual-boot, or have a windows machine as well, so there's no market worth the spend.

Sorry.

 

[CMDR Ellegon]

There's no incentive as the varied unaligned multitude of Linux O/S's forms only a tiny percentage of the PC market. Even Mac is totally dwarfed by Windows.

My experience of various linux variants is similar to facing a cornered rat, one in a very bad mood, even though I spent 5 years programming C++ on HP-UX.

imho the vast majority of linux users will either dual-boot, or have a windows machine as well, so there's no market worth the spend.

Sorry.

Summary of your post: Haters gonna hate.

Looking at the direction Microsoft is taking with Windows 10, everybody should be glad that there are alternatives out there.

 

[IndigoWyrd]

I am on Fedora Linux at this very same moment.

I point, click, and launch Mad Max. I can alt-tab and write snarky comment how can I game on Linux for three years now without any problems.

But I won't because it is pointless.

Linux has been ready for desktop for years. But of course everyone is so lazy they won't even check it out because why if you can ask your cousin to put pirated version on newest hardware.

Also let's add Adobe CC cracked version because we need to 'edit' some photos.

And? I'm writing from Ubuntu, running from an ESX VM that also runs Windows 10, and Irix, and I pay for all my software, and my hardware, and my support contracts too. What's your point, or are you just trying to prove my point?

 

[Cmdr Eagleboy]

And? I'm writing from Ubuntu, running from an ESX VM that also runs Windows 10, and Irix, and I pay for all my software, and my hardware, and my support contracts too. What's your point, or are you just trying to prove my point?

Linux is very usable for common folks. They choose to look over the choice because most of the time they don't want one.

That's all I wanted to say. Nothing about you personally (sorry if that came out that way).

 

[Micha]

The -only- reason I'm back to running in Windows at home is because of Elite Dangerous. And mostly I hate it. The interface and usage is all over the place, even worse now since Windows 10, as a lot of apps just do their own thing. Hardly surprising considering how tied down and inflexible the standard Windows desktop is. XMouse -still- doesn't work properly, especially with Microsoft applications which do weird stuff whenever they get the focus irrespective of what settings and options you flick in Windows. Proper theming requires dodgy third-party hacks, which then again fail to work properly with a lot of apps. Try switching between different DPI screens? Nightmare. I could go on and on. And all this from the #1 OS developed by probably the biggest software developer globally.

On top of that any problem with it is difficult to troubleshoot, difficult to find online resources describing your exact issue, and even more difficult finding an actual fix. 99% of the time it's "have you tried rebooting" followed by 0.999% of "have you tried reinstalling". That's not finding and resolving an issue, that's shotgunning a minnow.

Apart from when I play ED I'm happily running Debian GNU/Linux, including gaming (primarily KSP). No it's not perfect. Yes it does have issues. But almost always you can find a way to isolate and fix them without reinstalling or rebooting. My home server also runs Debian. Apart from when I moved from 32-bit to 64-bit on it I have never had to reinstall the OS in 15 years. And apart from a kernel update or power failure, it never reboots. It Just Works.

But bah, I'm preaching to the converted in this thread; suffice to say, I'd love to run ED in Linux.

 

[Iron Duke]

The -only- reason I'm back to running in Windows at home is because of Elite Dangerous. And mostly I hate it. The interface and usage is all over the place, even worse now since Windows 10, as a lot of apps just do their own thing. Hardly surprising considering how tied down and inflexible the standard Windows desktop is. XMouse -still- doesn't work properly, especially with Microsoft applications which do weird stuff whenever they get the focus irrespective of what settings and options you flick in Windows. Proper theming requires dodgy third-party hacks, which then again fail to work properly with a lot of apps. Try switching between different DPI screens? Nightmare. I could go on and on. And all this from the #1 OS developed by probably the biggest software developer globally.<snip>

Well said; Me too - the only reason I use this piece of garbage is for ED.

+rep

 

[Old Duck]

Well said; Me too - the only reason I use this piece of garbage is for ED.

Windows is one of the major reasons I became a console gamer. My PS4 runs a fork of FreeBSD, which is almost Linux

 

[Avago Earo]

Playstation 4 OS is based on FreeBSD, which is not Linux, but a fully independent Unix-derivate based on AT&T System V and later BSD Unix. Here is one of many sources on this: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/16/sony_playstation_4_kernel/

FreeBSD is probably the least known major operating system. Besides Playstation, many routers, firewalls, NAS and embedded devices depend on it. Natively, it runs "small" outfits like Whatsapp or Netflix....

Cheers. Yeah Cmdr Eagleboy corrected me on this (when I heard the rumour I had a PS3 and hadn't got back into 'Home Computing'). Thanks for the explanation, Cmdr Ellegon, along with the insight and link. I built my first PC three years ago for Elite and recording my own music on a DAW, so I'm still very new to this world and have so much more to learn (I'm 48 and could do a bit of BASIC on the BBC and with help from my Dad a bit of Hexadecimal Assembly Language).

I mentioned PlayStation because (as I now know, I was misinformed) if PS4 used Linux then FD should be able to tweak the code from PS4 to Linux PC.

Cheers for the reply.