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Latest Comments by Hamish
Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer - Part 7: The Arena Eternal
17 Mar 2022 at 4:13 am UTC Likes: 2

So going through an old backup I came across this screenshot I took the day I got the Quake III Arena Linux demo to finally launch a couple of months after I switched to using Fedora Core 4 full time:


Turns out it was the day before my thirteenth birthday.

Double Fine say Psychonauts 2 for Linux and macOS still coming
15 Mar 2022 at 6:01 pm UTC

I would say I should play through the first game again, but since I am still back to using the exact same graphics card that I was using when the Linux port first came out, it might be better to wait for when I can upgrade again.

I did make it through the Meat Circus but it was a struggle. And the PC version tones it down apparently.

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer - Part 16: We Are All Doomed
15 Mar 2022 at 5:58 pm UTC

As an addendum, while I was able to get FM synthesis working just fine on the MediaVision Pro AudioSpectrum 16 SCSI which was what I needed for the article, digital audio playback had mixed results. Reading up on the issue it appears that the main problem is the lack of a -5V rail on my ATX power supply as opposed to an AT, something that can be mitigated with something like the Voltage Blaster:
https://www.philscomputerlab.com/voltage-blaster--5v.html [External Link]

I also had the persistent popping sound consistent with having an incongruous clock chip on the motherboard, which could be addressed by using the sound card's internal clock instead. Considering the card was left in a barn loft for close to twenty years it is remarkable how well preserved it is other than a bit of oxidation on or near the mounting bracket. I have gone back to using the SoundBlaster 16 as my sound card in Dianoga but the PAS16 could be a good fit for an older AT computer.

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer - Part 16: We Are All Doomed
14 Mar 2022 at 11:36 pm UTC Likes: 5

Quoting: GuestGreat read in the series as always, and looking forward to more (as always)!
I should say that things are likely going to slow down a bit from here as spring is on the horizon, my livestock are going to start calving and lambing by the end of the month, and I have set myself up to play something other than a familiar action game I can burn through over a couple days.

More will come, but not every Monday like it has been for the last seven weeks. Thanks for the kind words. :smile:

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer - Part 16: We Are All Doomed
14 Mar 2022 at 6:30 pm UTC Likes: 4

All of the RPM packages used can be downloaded here:
https://icculus.org/~hamish/dianoga/LxDoom-LinuxHeretic-RPM-Packages.tar [External Link]

The official Red Hat Linux 7.3 documentation for setting up sound cards can be read here:
http://archive.download.redhat.com/pub/redhat/linux/7.3/en/doc/RH-DOCS/rhl-gsg-en-7.3/s1-fun-sndconfig.html [External Link]

An article on early Linux sound card support by Jeff Tranter for Linux Journal can be read here:
https://www.linuxjournal.com/article/2793 [External Link]

And here is how I configured the MediaVision Pro AudioSpectrum 16 SCSI on Linux:
Select Pro Audio Spectrum/Studio 16, Logitech SoundMan 16 in Red Hat sndconfig with the following settings:
I/0: 0x388      IRQ: 7      DMA: 3

Once configured also select AdLib in sndconfig for OPL-3 playback.

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer - Part 15: Square Cubed
7 Mar 2022 at 7:30 pm UTC Likes: 4

The Cube homepage is hosted here:
http://cubeengine.com/cube.php [External Link]

Older Cube releases can be download from here:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/cube/files/cube/ [External Link]

A review by Howard Wen for LinuxDevCenter.com is archived here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20070930160850/http://linuxdevcenter.com/pub/a/linux/2002/10/10/cube3d.html?page=1 [External Link]

And a review of Cube on Linux Games is archived here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20040430131313/http://www.linuxgames.com/?dataloc=/reviews/cube/ [External Link]

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer - Part 14: Return to Na Pali
28 Feb 2022 at 10:56 pm UTC Likes: 2

Quoting: PenglingI didn't switch to Linux until 2008, but was watching from the sidelines during much of the time-period that these pieces cover ... so it's both a nostalgic read and a fascinating look at how things were from the other side that I desperately wanted to be on at the time!
Honestly my own experience was not that different, as I was not able to switch to using Linux full time until 2007 due to school related commitments. But I still grew up reading and messing about with Linux in various forms so these articles are kind of exploration of all that I learned for me was well.

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer - Part 14: Return to Na Pali
28 Feb 2022 at 9:51 pm UTC

Quoting: GuestIt's mostly a way for me to get to the data files using innoextract. Not sure I have the cds with me anymore.
Lutris just lets you point to the GOG.com installer itself and extracts it all for you, which is handy as OldUnreal themselves were limited in how they could package the Linux version:
Quoting: OldUnreal FAQ227 version is having a complete native port. Wine is not needed to run it. But since there is no Linux installer yet with permission from EPIC, Wine is needed to install the base game and the patch itself. After installing it Wine is no longer needed and the game can be run with UnrealLinux.bin
https://www.oldunreal.com/wiki/index.php?title=Oldunreal_227_Linux_FAQ [External Link]

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer - Part 14: Return to Na Pali
28 Feb 2022 at 9:10 pm UTC

Quoting: GuestI never managed to play Return to Na Pali until I picked it up on GOG. Never could find expansion in stores, and by the time "alternative methods" were available I'd basically moved on to other games. Maybe I should get those games and play them through.
If you do decide to play through Unreal Gold with the GOG.com version then I would highly recommend doing it through Lutris. Most of the time I avoid game managers as I prefer getting my own hands dirty, but in the case of the OldUnreal patch Lutris really is the most painless way of setting it up.

Building a Retro Linux Gaming Computer - Part 14: Return to Na Pali
28 Feb 2022 at 7:30 pm UTC Likes: 3

The Unreal Gold installer can be downloaded here:
https://icculus.org/~ravage/unreal/unrealgold/ [External Link]

And the Tux Games product page for Unreal is archived here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20061122225301/http://www.tuxgames.com/details.cgi?&gameref=87 [External Link]