but at least u never really have to restart in linux…..

Also, I stand corrected as well on the term “piracy”. Piracy is stealing cargo at the high seas. People who don’t share are distributing.

09:14:01 [manchicken] It’s a word introduced by proprietary media providers to marginalize people who engage in socially beneficial activities.
09:14:20 [manchicken] Just because they can’t figure out how to make money without marginalizing and restricting people.

^^ concerning the use of the word “piracy”. Thanks manchicken for opening my eyes correctly.

It’s hard to be a free software developer these days. And while many people like the non-free games, I think we could all agree that it would be *BETTER* if that version of Counter-Strike that you love so much gave you the freedom to share it with your neighbors. We would all benefit from free software ATI and nVidia 3D drivers. And we could all benefit from software that continues a legacy of freedom and obedience to the user, not one of secrecy and loyalty to the software company.

So enjoy your games–free or otherwise–but show the love to your brothers and sisters who’re working hard to develop nifty games and graphics drivers that give you sweet graphics, sweet games, and sweet sweet freedom.

HERE

Sure, there will be a learning curve switching between distros, just as there were learning curves switching between versions of Windows or Mac OS. There is a learning curve with everything in life, but that learning curve doesn’t make something “not easy.” Sometimes Windows isn’t easy, or Mac OS isn’t easy, but do we still consider them easy to use operating systems?

My brother is using Kubuntu now for about 4 months and hasn’t had a problem. My sister hasn’t called me, my brother has called me a couple of times trying to figure out what application he should use for pirating (see what the windows generation gave us). Of course I told him Windows is the best for pirating!

OK, as soon as I get some memory for my main desktop, I am going to purchase Cedega and go through it with a fine tooth comb. I have heard a lot of people with issues with it, but there is an entire gaming clan around here in Chicago that only uses Linux and Cedega, and they are showing up at LAN parties with their Linux rigs. I would love to get a hold of them (Mr_H if you are reading this blog, fill me in) and see what is easy and what isn’t. To many people are complaining about Cedega and comparing to what I have seen and heard from local gamers, I am getting 2 different sides.

Linux, just as Windows or Mac OS, is only as hard as you make it. Wow, I actually forgot about my 10 year old daughter who has been using Edubuntu for over a year now without any problems. Granted she never had the chance to get accustomed to Windows. Before she had her own computer she was using my Slackware, SUSE, or Debian boxes to do her homework and what not.

I think the big problem Windows has created, or fed into, is making people lazier. I just heard this on TV right before I started typing this about how lazy Americans are (I am in Chicago so don’t go off telling me I have something against America). It isn’t a lie, if you look there are more people exploiting our unemployment and our welfare systems just so they don’t have to work. But anyways, anything could possibly be hard if you are lazy Believe me, I know!

I know Mac OS X was difficult for me to learn. I don’t use Windows, don’t own pirated or legal copies of Windows, and haven’t used Windows since about 2001 when I totally quit gaming. I used Win2K every now and then if I had to work on a CAD project, but other than that, I have been using Linux pretty religiously since then. I will agree that there are times I get frustrated with Linux and that I run across something that isn’t easy, but I think that goes with any operating system or any piece of software. Unless you are an expert in every aspect of the system.

I will admit there is still work to be done on the usability side of Linux, but the one thing that does make Linux far more surperior is the fact you can do just about anything in the terminal. I have done some Linux classes and it seems I get the same response about the terminal from new users, and that it is intriguing and they feel smarter using it (this is older people, you know in their 30’s and higher) Now younger kids that I notice at school, there will be a learning curve. All they talk about is MySpace anyways so I am sure the don’t even know how to use anything more than IE.

So Dave, we can play games with Cedega. There are people on IRC right now talking about it and I know people here in Chicago that game with it, and have seen it in action flawlessly. Until I say “we can play games easily in Linux” I don’t think there is a valid argument about being able to play games. You do however add to the growing list of people who have had issues with Cedega and I think it would be great if we could possibly work towards helping Cedega with their issues. Wasn’t there a Seattle Project or something that was supposed to be working on some cross platform stuff?

Rottie, I agree with the frustrations of switching between distros, but this doesn’t make Linux hard. I think people who are “Using” Windows (not just for email and Internet) are also reading the forums in order to fix the spyware, malware, or virus issues they get, or setting up and configuring games for their HP or Dell basic desktops that run a game, but not run it good because of a cruddy video card. So, Linux isn’t hard, but yes there may be times where it isn’t easy, I will give you that. But “sometimes” doesn’t mean all of the time.

Man, I used a lot of Linux, Windows, Mac OS comparisons and that is bad. Why? We shouldn’t be using Windows as the golden standard of what an operating system is (thanks manchicken for this statement in IRC). Windows is by far the worst configuration I have seen, and Vista is God awful. Mac OS is not to shabby as it has the right amount of flash/eyecandy and functionality. It seems Vista went for the flash, but left the functionality in DOS. I am a KDE user, and I know that switching to GNOME isn’t the easiest thing for me either at times. There is without a doubt a lot of work to still be done with Linux and that is something that makes it exciting. As you get to see the work get finished openly.

I thank each and every one of you for your comments. I know there are issues to still be worked out, but I got a good idea about where we stand. Funny nobody really commented on the Hacker/Cracker thing or the Open Source being bad, I guess those were OK, and I love the fact that gaming and easiness created controversy. Thanks a lot everyone. If you have a blog I will be more than happy to add it to my blogroll because you all rock!

That is how it should be for linux gaming to equal windows gaming. If I want to play, I want to play. I don’t want to spend hours on searching, tuning, reading forum’s and cursing wine.

As for the “linux is not hard”. Hmm, i don’t know. It kinda is sometimes. I’ve been doing the linux thing 10 years now. Ten years and sometimes I still get so frustrated. Especially when working in “other” distribution then my normal one. It’s not even possible to buy hardware in impulse in a shop because well, often the hardware wont work.

I love my system, but don’t lie about it. You have to be willing to invest a lot of your time to learn, and configure and learn and read forums if you want to switch. So don’t say it is not hard. Sometimes it isn’t easy at all.

I am, of course, very appreciative of transgaming’s attempts to make windows games work on linux, but, as a product meant to transplant the windows gaming experience onto the linux operating system, cedega is an almost unilateral failure. Sure, you can spend 10 hours searching for howtos and tweaking DLLs to play halflife, and sure you can play a scant few polished games like Battle for Wesnoth, but these are the shiny exceptions to a grim reality. Microsoft has a well fortified vendor lock-in setup with directX, and they aren’t relinquishing that advantage anytime soon.

Maybe gaming on linux is better than the average perception. Maybe gaming on linux doesnt get enough credit. I’ll give you that.