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Show us some linux love - Linux Port?

pirate132pirate132
edited December 2010 in Tales of Monkey Island
Since Tales of Monkey Island will be ported to Mac I would like to ask if it will be possible to make a Linux port too.
Perhaps there are some more linux users who would like to play it natively on their system, if so, raise your hand!

Are there enough linux users out there who would like to play Monkey Island (without any emulation/Wine/VM) on linux?
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Comments

  • FalancaFalanca
    edited February 2010
    I don't know how to use it. Computers in hell all run Linux.

    Someone had to say it.
  • Ne0nNe0n
    edited February 2010
    Have you tried running the games on Wine?
    Running Telltale's games on Android would be awesome!
  • Lena_PLena_P
    edited February 2010
    Actually, you didn't. Please people, there have been so many forums and message boards brought down in their prime, innocent victims of the Platform Wars. Let us not allow the TTG forums to suffer from the safe fate.

    pirate132 asked nicely if there were sufficient Linux users to justify Telltale making a Linux port, a sensible question.
  • CheekyBoincCheekyBoinc
    edited February 2010
    Would buy all your games also for Linux :)
  • pirate132pirate132
    edited February 2010
    @Ne0n: thats why I said natively. I know that there is Wine. But since they port it to Mac OS there might be a possibility to convert it to linux too. Mac users could use it with VMWare too but we are talking about native support.

    @Falanca: it was a serious request so please stop that.

    @Lena_P: this shouldn't be a flamewar thread about OS. So I really hope that there will be some linux users adding their voice for a port and perhaps some official reply from TTG about it.

    @CheekyBoinc: that makes two already ;) Spread the word!
  • FriarFriar
    edited February 2010
    Lena_P wrote: »
    Actually, you didn't. Please people, there have been so many forums and message boards brought down in their prime, innocent victims of the Platform Wars. Let us not allow the TTG forums to suffer from the safe fate.

    pirate132 asked nicely if there were sufficient Linux users to justify Telltale making a Linux port, a sensible question.

    It was a refference to Sam & Max (season two), where all the computers in hell actually did run linux. At least the one in santas hell anyway. Just incase you didn't get the refference.

    OT: Whilst i don't run linux, and don't know anyone who does, the more platforms the merryer i say!
  • Lena_PLena_P
    edited February 2010
    Friar wrote: »
    It was a refference to Sam & Max (season two), where all the computers in hell actually did run linux. At least the one in santas hell anyway. Just incase you didn't get the refference.

    OT: Whilst i don't run linux, and don't know anyone who does, the more platforms the merryer i say!

    No, I got the reference, which is why I didn't delete the post. At the same time I wanted to make it clear up front that flamewars are discouraged. This is in the ToMI forum, after all, and there are Tales fans who aren't familiar with Telltale's Sam and Max games.
  • RolleanderRolleander
    edited February 2010
    I think it'd be great if it was ported to Linux. I'd buy it again, even though I already have it for the wii! What a fantastic game!!
  • AvistewAvistew
    edited February 2010
    I use Ubuntu on my computer, but it's an old laptop. Well, kinda old. I have no clue if it would be able to actually run the games.
    I know it doesn't with wine, because I tried. Installs everything fine but when I try to start it asks for the key and does nothing.

    My husband's desktop runs windows so we're playing there. I won't deny it would be nice to be able to play it on Ubuntu, but I'm not sure if it would be worth the effort for Telltale, since I don't think there are that many Linux users.
  • RolleanderRolleander
    edited February 2010
    Well, there are that many users, but how many of them are gamers like us? Lot's of people that use Linux use it for some kind of work... like professional networking for instance... just not games...
  • RolleanderRolleander
    edited February 2010
    They should port it to iPhone... LOL
  • AvistewAvistew
    edited February 2010
    Rolleander wrote: »
    Well, there are that many users, but how many of them are gamers like us? Lot's of people that use Linux use it for some kind of work... like professional networking for instance... just not games...

    I meant around here. That play telltale games and would have a need for a Linux version of them.
  • RemolayRemolay
    edited February 2010
    there are many flavours of linux, would one port work on all flavours?
  • RolleanderRolleander
    edited February 2010
    Remolay wrote: »
    there are many flavours of linux, would one port work on all flavours?

    I think if you compile a program an package it successfully for one distro, it is very easily repackaged for another distro, but I'm not even remotely 100% sure. I've only compiled some very simple C++ programs in Ubuntu (running from the console, mind you...)
  • pirate132pirate132
    edited February 2010
    2dboy did a linux version of WorldOfGoo for all flavors too. Worked fine here and was happy to pay for it. So i think its possible to make it work on most flavors.
  • UzrnameUzrname
    edited February 2010
    Realistically, I don't think they'd do it. There is not enough demand for Linux porting, and even if there were, you have to consider a) how much effort can it take, b) how much profit would it bring and c) what are the chances of investment/time consumption/profit actually being positive.

    To me, SUSe is a fine OS to do db management in. But I've never played games (other than local chess app) on Linux, so I can't say how good or bad can that decision be.
  • RemolayRemolay
    edited February 2010
    I've only used Ubuntu, I used it to play City of Heroes. it was a crappy old laptop but it worked good except for graphics had to be toned down. also it was in wine of course.

    by the end of that laptops reign it had been deemed the craptop.

    I loved it. unitil the unlikely date of it being ported to linux, use WINE.

    What does WINE actually stand for anyway? I know the joke of WINE is Not an Emulator.
  • Indrid ColdIndrid Cold
    edited February 2010
    I'd vote for a linux port.
  • DjNDBDjNDB Moderator
    edited February 2010
    Remolay wrote: »
    What does WINE actually stand for anyway? I know the joke of WINE is Not an Emulator.
    It's not a joke, it's the actual name, which is a recursive acronym.
  • RemolayRemolay
    edited February 2010
    Wait really?

    like in Dilbert; The TTP Project
  • UzrnameUzrname
    edited February 2010
    Remolay wrote: »
    What does WINE actually stand for anyway? I know the joke of WINE is Not an Emulator.

    Isn't it WinE btw, i.e. "Windows Emulation"?
  • LeakLeak
    edited February 2010
    Well, while I only ever use Linux on servers I'm sure there's quite some untapped (monetary et al :D) potential in porting Telltale's games on Linux... but ultimately it's of course up to them.
  • jpalkojpalko
    edited February 2010
    If Telltale Games would start making Linux versions I'd buy the games again for that!

    So far I've been able to play the games okay via wine/cxgames but native gaming is always native gaming.
  • jpalkojpalko
    edited February 2010
    Uzrname wrote: »
    Isn't it WinE btw, i.e. "Windows Emulation"?

    Nope, it's "Wine Is Not an Emulator."
  • ZhadnostZhadnost
    edited February 2010
    What about We Ignore Neccessary Enhancements, based on the way they seem to reject commits that fill in big holes in what is supported.

    Still a fantastic piece of software though.
  • UzrnameUzrname
    edited February 2010
    jpalko wrote: »
    Nope, it's "Wine Is Not an Emulator."
    That doesn't make any sense since nobody knows what "wine" itself is in this case. The original acronym stood for "win emulation", hence all the rest.
  • xorrbitxorrbit
    edited February 2010
    I would definitely support a linux port. I just recently started playing ToMI because of the mac port available, and now that I can play at work, it would be nice to be able to play at home as well (/me runs mac at work, linux at home).

    Wine really isn't an emulator, its an implementation of the windows api for linux (and mac, *bsd, ... etc.).

    Also, IMO, people who run primarily linux also hate DRM, so it would almost be pointless throwing up a linux version with DRM. Although I have had no issues with the DRM of ToMI yet, and applaud the developers for not using some of the crazy systems other developers use, I can see that being a reason not to buy any of these games for linux users.

    That being said, I would grab a linux version the moment it becomes available, DRM or not :)

    Cheers,
    -Andrew
  • ChemBroChemBro
    edited February 2010
    Uzrname wrote: »
    That doesn't make any sense since nobody knows what "wine" itself is in this case.

    It's a running gag in the Unix/Linux-world. It does not have to make sense at all.
  • DjNDBDjNDB Moderator
    edited February 2010
    ChemBro wrote: »
    It's a running gag in the Unix/Linux-world. It does not have to make sense at all.

    It can be expressed in BNF as: 
    <Wine> ::= <Wine> 'Is Not an Emulator'

    Or in Java as: 
    public String Wine() {
return Wine() + "Is Not an Emulator";
}

    If you learn about recursive functions for the first time that usually leaves a certain impression. Look at a classic example, Fibonacci.
    long fib(unsigned long n) {
    if (n <= 1) {
        return n;
    } else {
        return fib(n-1)+fib(n-2);
    }
}

    You write a function by using the function you are currently writing as if it was already working, which might seem kind of absurd if you're new to it.
    Recursive acronyms probably don't make more sense to you now, but at least i got you to read this geek stuff.
  • UzrnameUzrname
    edited February 2010
    DjNDB wrote: »
    It can be expressed in BNF as: 
    <Wine> ::= <Wine> 'Is Not an Emulator'

    Or in Java as: 
    public String Wine() {
return Wine() + "Is Not an Emulator";
}

    If you learn about recursive functions for the first time that usually leaves a certain impression. Look at a classic example, Fibonacci.
    long fib(unsigned long n) {
    if (n <= 1) {
        return n;
    } else {
        return fib(n-1)+fib(n-2);
    }
}

    You write a function by using the function you are currently writing as if it was already working, which might seem kind of absurd if you're new to it.
    Recursive acronyms probably don't make more sense to you now, but at least i got you to read this geek stuff.

    Err... you lost me at BNF.
  • GozzoManGozzoMan
    edited February 2010
    I would definitely love a linux port.

    I use Ubuntu as the main system for everything, games, when supported natively, just as anything else.

    Wine does run TTG games, but not as well and as hassle-free as windows. In fact this is the ONLY reason I still tolerate to have also a windows installation on my PC, and I would love to finally get rid of that hopeless junk.

    I spare you the technical details, but the various linux distros are really a non-issue. In fact supporting various linux distros is BY FAR less work than supporting, say, both WinXP and Vista.


    Furthermore, Wine is not only a binary launcher, it can ease the porting itself.
  • WillWill Telltale Alumni
    edited February 2010
    This is in no way a comment on the feasibility of a Linux port, just pure uninformed curiosity to the local linux community: is it easier for Linux users to run windows programs or mac programs?

    For example, now that the mac build is out, will that become the go-to version for linux users to fiddle with or will they stick with the windows builds?
  • RipcordRipcord
    edited February 2010
    Windows.

    There just isn't the infrastructure to run Mac-specific programs like ToMI (and most Mac-specific) on other OSes, even though they're both Unixy. ToMI for Mac still uses the MacOS X Cocoa APIs, which are OS X-specific, and there's pretty much ZERO project out there to run that on other OSes, whereas there's a pretty strong series of projects (WINE, etc) to run Wndows API-using binaries on various OSes.

    Though I imagine it'd probably be somewhat easier to port ToMI to Linux now that the Mac port is out of the way (especially since it uses a lot of QT and other cross-platform things). But all of the Cocoa API stuff would have to be replaced with things that work on Linux.

    And it MIGHT be easier to build a Cocoa API implementation from scratch than a Win32/etc implementation, but there's 15 years of serious work already done on the Windows APIs =)
  • GozzoManGozzoMan
    edited February 2010
    I agree with Ripcord, windows builds for sure, no way I know to run mac builds on linux.

    I also second the statement about cross-platform libraries which could ease linux port through the mac port, but I also would suggest to consider the option to use wine (which again is not only a binary launcher but also a tool and collection of libraries for porting windows-specific code to linux) to start the linux port from the windows version. If all needed features are supported by wine libraries, it maybe could be faster.

    Of course, moving the game engine to cross-platform libraries (is SDL still en vogue?), and building up future games upon that from the start, would very likely be the best overall solution in perspective.
  • DjNDBDjNDB Moderator
    edited February 2010
    GozzoMan wrote: »
    I also second the statement about cross-platform libraries which could ease linux port through the mac port, but I also would suggest to consider the option to use wine (which again is not only a binary launcher but also a tool and collection of libraries for porting windows-specific code to linux) to start the linux port from the windows version.

    As far as i can see in the Mac version we have:

    Launcher: Qt
    Audio: Fmod
    Graphics: OpenGL

    They are all usable for Linux as well. It makes more sense to take the Mac version and adapt/rewrite the platform specific code for Linux, than taking the Windows version and wrapping it into Wine. Wine would increase the complexity for no good reason and create a dependency on foreign code. Also it doesn't make much sense to use its DirectX->OpenGL mapping if there is a native OpenGL solution available already.

    If the goal however is not a native port, but just better Wine support that could be a different way to make Linux users happier.
  • jeykeyjeykey
    edited February 2010
    please do a linux port, would love to play this game on my ubuntu machine!
  • M1AUM1AU
    edited February 2010
    I just registered to let you know, that I'm absolutely willing to buy the game if there is a Linux client.
  • GozzoManGozzoMan
    edited February 2010
    DjNDB wrote: »
    As far as i can see in the Mac version we have:

    Launcher: Qt
    Audio: Fmod
    Graphics: OpenGL

    They are all usable for Linux as well. [...]

    Interesting, I'm persuaded :)

    DjNDB wrote: »
    If the goal however is not a native port, but just better Wine support that could be a different way to make Linux users happier.

    Another good point.
  • WillWill Telltale Alumni
    edited February 2010
    DjNDB wrote: »
    If the goal however is not a native port, but just better Wine support that could be a different way to make Linux users happier.

    Again, asking for my own personal edification since I'm not a programmer nor a project scheduler, but what would be required to make things more wine friendly?
  • DjNDBDjNDB Moderator
    edited February 2010
    Will wrote: »
    Again, asking for my own personal edification since I'm not a programmer nor a project scheduler, but what would be required to make things more wine friendly?

    From what i have read wine has or had issues with the Launcher. Those could probably be mitigated in various ways, e.g.
    - Allowing to bypass the graphical launcher and to enter the login credentials on the command line
    - Switching the Launcher of the Windows versions to Qt and thereby removing the dependency on internet explorer to display the Launcher properly.
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