Latest Comments by Linas
Linux Mint votes no on Snap packages, APT to block snapd installs
3 Jun 2020 at 9:40 am UTC Likes: 2
3 Jun 2020 at 9:40 am UTC Likes: 2
Did Mint retire their Debian version? No forced Snaps or Flatpaks there. They are available, if you want them, but it's your choice.
Half-Life was going to get a Ravenholm spin-off
27 May 2020 at 1:51 pm UTC Likes: 2
27 May 2020 at 1:51 pm UTC Likes: 2
Aww... man. When I saw the "was" in the title instead of "is". Ravenholm was one of my favourite levels.
Humble Cities: Skylines Bundle is up for some easy city building
27 May 2020 at 8:14 am UTC Likes: 1
27 May 2020 at 8:14 am UTC Likes: 1
Not a builder-gamer myself, but I am curious to try it out. Is it any good without the DLC's?
A look at the Penumbra Collection on Linux with Mesa in 2020
22 May 2020 at 11:34 am UTC Likes: 1
22 May 2020 at 11:34 am UTC Likes: 1
These kind of issues with older games on new systems is exactly why we need Linux-runtime containers that Valve are working on in Steam. Otherwise we will lose a lot of great games to bit-rot in no time.
For me personally Penumbras more down to earth "this could happen to you too" setting resonated with me much more than Amnesias more fantasy oriented "it's basically magic" approach. Penumbra: Black Plague is one of my all time favourite games.
For me personally Penumbras more down to earth "this could happen to you too" setting resonated with me much more than Amnesias more fantasy oriented "it's basically magic" approach. Penumbra: Black Plague is one of my all time favourite games.
Microsoft Build - DirectX and Linux (WSL) plus more
20 May 2020 at 10:11 am UTC Likes: 5
20 May 2020 at 10:11 am UTC Likes: 5
And here I thought that Microsoft Linux was a joke. Joke's on me, I guess.
With this you could write a Linux program that talks DirectX directly. Which is where it gets weird, because then you get a Linux program which only works when running on Windows. At this point, is it really a Linux program at all?
With this you could write a Linux program that talks DirectX directly. Which is where it gets weird, because then you get a Linux program which only works when running on Windows. At this point, is it really a Linux program at all?
Microsoft president admits they were wrong on open source
16 May 2020 at 1:10 pm UTC Likes: 9
16 May 2020 at 1:10 pm UTC Likes: 9
TL;DR They only love open-source and Linux because they have to.
I have had a chance to work with Microsofts open-source technologies. And to be fair, some of it is quite nice.
.NET Core is a pretty nice programming platform, like a more lightweight Java. BUT it's only partially compatible with .NET Framework.
PowerShell Core can allow easier interaction with Windows systems. BUT it's only partially compatible with PowerShell which is actually shipped with Windows, and can do only a fraction of what PowerShell on Windows can. It is also really slow. Like bash through a laggy SSH connection slow, but locally.
Microsoft SQL Server is not open-source, but has a Linux version. Even a containerized Docker version. BUT it lacks many advanced features of the Windows version.
Their Linux packaging is also lackluster. Like missing dependencies. Or putting Ubuntu and Debian packages in the same repository and having "ubuntu" and "debian" in the version number, so that when you upgrade, you get Ubuntu version, because it sorts as a higher version alphabetically.
Then there is Visual Studio Code and claiming that Visual Studio now supports Linux, whereas it is a fork of Atom editor with custom plugins, and has absolutely nothing to do with Visual Studio.
So they are going in the right direction, but in a clumsy, backhanded way.
Like for example the proper Windows version of Docker (that runs Windows containers, not Linux) is especially half-assed, and only makes Windows users think that Docker sucks. Whereas it's only Windows version that sucks. Even running Linux containers on Windows works better than Windows containers on Windows.
And I am sure that is why Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) exists. Not because they actually want their users to use Linux, but because they know that they lost to Linux in the server market, and cannot pull off a compelling Windows-proper alternative.
So don't be fooled. They only love open-source and Linux because they have to.
No offense to all the brilliant people at Microsoft who are working on all of this. I am sure a lot of people there are just nerds who think that open-source and Linux are cool, and want nothing to do with all the shenanigans of managers and executives.
I really cannot imagine a developer going like "yeah, let's put all of this telemetry in Windows and collect all this data that is in no way relevant to identifying technical problems in the system." But while management can get their way, there will be shenanigans, there will be lobbying, and there will be shady anti-competitive deals.
(damn, I said Windows a lot)
I have had a chance to work with Microsofts open-source technologies. And to be fair, some of it is quite nice.
.NET Core is a pretty nice programming platform, like a more lightweight Java. BUT it's only partially compatible with .NET Framework.
PowerShell Core can allow easier interaction with Windows systems. BUT it's only partially compatible with PowerShell which is actually shipped with Windows, and can do only a fraction of what PowerShell on Windows can. It is also really slow. Like bash through a laggy SSH connection slow, but locally.
Microsoft SQL Server is not open-source, but has a Linux version. Even a containerized Docker version. BUT it lacks many advanced features of the Windows version.
Their Linux packaging is also lackluster. Like missing dependencies. Or putting Ubuntu and Debian packages in the same repository and having "ubuntu" and "debian" in the version number, so that when you upgrade, you get Ubuntu version, because it sorts as a higher version alphabetically.
Then there is Visual Studio Code and claiming that Visual Studio now supports Linux, whereas it is a fork of Atom editor with custom plugins, and has absolutely nothing to do with Visual Studio.
So they are going in the right direction, but in a clumsy, backhanded way.
Like for example the proper Windows version of Docker (that runs Windows containers, not Linux) is especially half-assed, and only makes Windows users think that Docker sucks. Whereas it's only Windows version that sucks. Even running Linux containers on Windows works better than Windows containers on Windows.
And I am sure that is why Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) exists. Not because they actually want their users to use Linux, but because they know that they lost to Linux in the server market, and cannot pull off a compelling Windows-proper alternative.
So don't be fooled. They only love open-source and Linux because they have to.
No offense to all the brilliant people at Microsoft who are working on all of this. I am sure a lot of people there are just nerds who think that open-source and Linux are cool, and want nothing to do with all the shenanigans of managers and executives.
I really cannot imagine a developer going like "yeah, let's put all of this telemetry in Windows and collect all this data that is in no way relevant to identifying technical problems in the system." But while management can get their way, there will be shenanigans, there will be lobbying, and there will be shady anti-competitive deals.
(damn, I said Windows a lot)
Play Next is live on Steam to remind you of all your unplayed games
15 May 2020 at 6:31 pm UTC Likes: 1
15 May 2020 at 6:31 pm UTC Likes: 1
Quoting: NezchanI'd rather not have to resort to Proton for a supposedly native game, but I may have no choice in the long run.Have you tried Linux Runtime as a compatibility tool that you can select the same place as Proton?
Play Next is live on Steam to remind you of all your unplayed games
15 May 2020 at 10:19 am UTC Likes: 1
15 May 2020 at 10:19 am UTC Likes: 1
Quoting: EikeI see what you did there. :whistle:Quoting: Liam Dawe... if not a bug. ;)Quoting: Eike... but the news shelf cannot be removed, right?Not that I can see, as it's not a Shelf but a feature.
Codemasters have announced DIRT 5 and it will be available on Stadia in early 2021
8 May 2020 at 8:50 am UTC Likes: 3
8 May 2020 at 8:50 am UTC Likes: 3
I used to hate binary wrapped games, then I tried it and saw that it was good. I used to hate Proton games, then I tried it and saw that it was good. I still haven't tried Stadia, but I try to keep an open mind. This site and Liam have changed my mind many times before, and for that I am grateful.
Free first-person shooter 'Tomatenquark' releasing soon based on Cube 2: Sauerbraten
28 Apr 2020 at 11:34 am UTC
28 Apr 2020 at 11:34 am UTC
Assets for Cube 2: Sauerbraten are non-free, so they will have to build a lot from scratch. That is not a small undertaking.
Cube 2 is quite a unique engine because it follows a fat client / thin server model. This allows for really low input lag, and more accurate aiming and movement for the players.
Although the engine is not entirely open source. The netcode provided in the source code is not compatible with the one in pre-compiled binaries for Cube 2: Sauerbraten. That caused quite a bit of drama when Debian Games Team wanted to package the game. The author claimed that this is to prevent cheating, and refused to do anything about it. Whereas Debian needed to rebuild the engine for multiple different architectures that they support. The source version ended up in Debian. Well, that was a trip down the memory lane...
Cube 2 is quite a unique engine because it follows a fat client / thin server model. This allows for really low input lag, and more accurate aiming and movement for the players.
Although the engine is not entirely open source. The netcode provided in the source code is not compatible with the one in pre-compiled binaries for Cube 2: Sauerbraten. That caused quite a bit of drama when Debian Games Team wanted to package the game. The author claimed that this is to prevent cheating, and refused to do anything about it. Whereas Debian needed to rebuild the engine for multiple different architectures that they support. The source version ended up in Debian. Well, that was a trip down the memory lane...
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