Linux Support?

[Ultimoore]

With Valve Making the SteamBox and it will run Linux will you be porting the game to Linux? You already have it working on Mac half the work is done.

[jsachun]

Not sure if the titles will be available in Linux though. Few opengl intensive games like doom series is playable in Linux, but most developers use direct x, so I don't know if many titles will be available.

[+ULFBERH+T]

Steam does have a beta Linux client. However, the game itself has to be ported to Linux.
If you want to run borderlands 2, you will need to use wine to install windows version of steam. There is no native Linux version of borderlands 2.

[Ultimoore]

Originally posted by jsachun:

Not sure if the titles will be available in Linux though. Few opengl intensive games like doom series is playable in Linux, but most developers use direct x, so I don't know if many titles will be available.

Like Oilrush? using the Unigine engine?

Originally posted by +ULFBERH+T:

Steam does have a beta Linux client. However, the game itself has to be ported to Linux.
If you want to run borderlands 2, you will need to use wine to install windows version of steam. There is no native Linux version of borderlands 2.

I am running the Linux Client as I type this message. I am Playing Via Wine and runs just as good as its windows counter-part. . I ask because Mac uses OpenGL for all games and would like to see a native version of this game, I want this game and company to join the frey of developers who are making the effort to port thier games.

[iamoverrated]

To answer your question in depth, Borderlands 2 uses the Unreal 3 engine (UE3). UE3 has native support for exporting to Mac OSX, Windows, iOS, Android, various consoles, etc. Icculus (Ryan Gordon), was tasked by Epic to port the engine to Linux when it was first announced; however they severed ties and the work was never completed. Recently, Mr. Gordon ported Dungeon Defenders for the HIB7, this being the very first UE3 based game to be ported to Linux. In an interview Icculus stated that there are still many parts of his codebase floating around in various revision of the engine so porting work will vary depending on the branch a developer uses. It is possible to port UE3 based games to Linux, however, 2K is notorious for modifying the engine to suite their needs (See Bioshock); this may pose some obstacles to porting.

The short answer to can this be ported is an emphatic YES.

Will they port it? It's anyone's guess. I'd love to see it on Linux, it's the one thing that's stopped me from buying it (as well as many other games). If they don't support my platform, why buy their products?

[Ultimoore]

I'm fore that.

[neowiz73]

I just hope all that are playing steam on linux are submitting those questionaires to make sure devs start to see how much of a percentage there is of the Linux user base. I know a lot of the "other" classification probably falls in with the other Ubuntu based distros. I'm sure once it gets closer to an official release will see the SteamBox getting ready to ship. And maybe then devs will start to really jump on board. I for one will be getting a SteamBox even if i don't plan to use it much, just to show my support for Valve.

[Ultimoore]

Originally posted by neowiz73:

I just hope all that are playing steam on linux are submitting those questionaires to make sure devs start to see how much of a percentage there is of the Linux user base. I know a lot of the "other" classification probably falls in with the other Ubuntu based distros. I'm sure once it gets closer to an official release will see the SteamBox getting ready to ship. And maybe then devs will start to really jump on board. I for one will be getting a SteamBox even if i don't plan to use it much, just to show my support for Valve.

But also remember talking to publishers is also important because they also communicate with the devs. I email 2K games who published Borderlands 2 and they emailed me back with this to say. "Although there is no information to release on this topic, we appreciate the fact that you are interested in our games and recommend staying tuned to @2KGames on Twitter and http://www.2Kgames.com/blog/ for all announcements related to upcoming games." So at this pinot I can only hope that the publishers start making a push at their devs also.

[Cùran]

+1 for a native Linux version.

Porting the modified UE3 engine shouldn't be too big an obstacle as they managed to make it run on Mac OS X, which means it runs on a Unix-like system with OpenGL already. (Yeah, I know that Linux and Mac OS X are different, but parts/concepts are similar.)

And maybe Gearbox/2K can contract Icculus to do the work. ;-)

[mruuh]

Take your +1s to Gearbox forums, they are wasted here. That said, I'd like Linux native version as well. :)

[Cùran]

As I don't have an account for the Gearbox forums, I asked them on Twitter (everybody is welcome to re-tweet this or ask them separately...) right after adding my +1 here (in the hopes, that some poor person at Gearbox/2K has to monitor the Steam forums. *g*

[[Linux] jiveaxe]

Originally posted by iamoverrated:

...Will they port it? It's anyone's guess. I'd love to see it on Linux, it's the one thing that's stopped me from buying it (as well as many other games). If they don't support my platform, why buy their products?

This is exactly my opinion.

+1

[Ultimoore]

I'll +1 a Linux version all day .....sirs.

[timothyja]

See this thread also about a linux Borderlands port: http://steamcommunity.com/app/49520/discussions/0/864959336574530344/

You can add to the community suggestions as other users have done on the gearbox forums:
http://forums.gearboxsoftware.com/showthread.php?p=3786603&posted=1#post3786603

And there is also this thread to show your support in:
http://forums.gearboxsoftware.com/showthread.php?t=142207&page=3

[Ultimoore]

I have sent a email to both Gearbox and 2K games and only got a reply from 2K saying "Although there is no information to release on this topic, we appreciate the fact that you are interested in our games and recommend staying tuned to @2KGames on Twitter and http://www.2Kgames.com/blog/ for all announcements related to upcoming games."
I say keep emailing them. and tell everyone you know who loves Borderlands 2 to email them for a linux version.

[76561198086399683]

+1 for native GNU/LInux!