Compiling from a source code?

[triple_agent]

Many programs for Linux, which otherwise have binaries ready for WindowsOS and MacOS, are only available as compilable sourcecode for Linux users. I find this rather disadvantageous. Even though I do understand that developers of such programs want to honor the diversity of Linux world and allow each Linux user to have equal access to the program, the thing is still rather uneven. Why is that? I think the Linux world should conclude itself that the go-to distribution is Ubuntu and this should be the case for precompiled binaries, especially when users running more advanced or demanding systems, like Arch or Fedora or even Debian, are good to handle compiling the code themselves. Many people running Ubuntu do need these binaries.

[Zyro]

You can become Ubuntu or Debian developer and do the packaging fir such programs.

[triple_agent]

First of all, we talk about the easiest install-run-drag-drop practice, starting with visiting of a website. Yamagi Quake 2, WindowsOS and MacOS ready, but Linux, only code {yes, it is in the repository, working only by the game-data-packager, which means, a lot of people are going to be left out wandering}. Same with Doom^3. Serious Sam sourceports. Return to Castle Wolfenstein, only one sourceport with ready binaries, out of three at least. Even some amount of the Doom 2 sourceports, such as the vanilla faithful CrispyDoom. Some are available in the repository, albeit with their obsolete versions. That is also the reason to go with the website update. There are though noble examples, such as GZDoom - having both the Ubuntu binaries and the sourcecode available to build - or Quake with Quakespasm and Darkplaces. Statistically speaking, if to peek outside of the range of the most cult classics, the sourcecode way out starts to prevail.

[triple_agent]

What do you have inside of it? Source code.

EDIT:

The point is to finally make things user friendly by specifying a go2 distro for noobs.

[triple_agent]

Never heard of it.

EDIT:

Does it install required libraries or at least make hints on what to install in case of jam?

[x_wing]

Originally posted by Triple_Agent_AAA:

Many programs for Linux, which otherwise have binaries ready for WindowsOS and MacOS, are only available as compilable sourcecode for Linux users. I find this rather disadvantageous. Even though I do understand that developers of such programs want to honor the diversity of Linux world and allow each Linux user to have equal access to the program, the thing is still rather uneven. Why is that? I think the Linux world should conclude itself that the go-to distribution is Ubuntu and this should be the case for precompiled binaries, especially when users running more advanced or demanding systems, like Arch or Fedora or even Debian, are good to handle compiling the code themselves. Many people running Ubuntu do need these binaries.

Your question is up to the devs of those applications. If they wanted to give support to one distro (Ubuntu to take it as example), they could create a PPA and keep an updated version for the users of that distro. Funny thing is that is way more easy to script a package build for any Linux distro than make it for Windows/OSX.

[Marlock]

You know what?

Maybe making a "Linux Games" Ubuntu PPA with the most up-to-date version of a bazilion games (on-par with available sourcecodes at each game's development website) is a good idea...

Adding every foss game engine to it would be a good start

Isn't there one already?

edit: if I understood correctly, distros themselves cannot distribute game data... but does the same restriction apply to PPAs? (my impression is it doesn't, but it is important to check that kind of thing and be sure before stepping into a licensing nightmare or such.

[Aoi Blue]

The difference is that on Linux is it a lot easier to build something from source code.

However, if you want to build a package to distribute, ubuntu offers a service on Launchpad to do just that, so long as the project in question has a properly open source license that allows redistribution of source code and bninaries created from the source code.

OpenSUSE offers a similar service as well but it is more targetted towards larger scale developers.

[triple_agent]

Originally posted by "Rogue":

Since these are games with open source engines and proprietary data or assets, it's impossible for distros to ship a binary of the full game.

Understandable, but my point is, the common way of extracting the entire program to one destined folder of choice - instead of having it spread in bits around half the system wide - is more common to how things are done the most simple way, then just dragging and dropping the proprietary files where needed. Lot easier to install mods, for example. I had a problem running mods on Doom^3 with the way it was installed, as the sourceport did not even see them. Quake 2, on the other hand, having exactly the same spread of structure, did run everything fine or even better than expected. But the easiest way was just downloading Quakespasm for the original Quake, placing it wherever I think suitable in one hermetic folder, then just working entirely on that folder. Especially that, to compare, moving mods in and out for otherwise excellent installation of Quake 2, required sudo mv Terminal command, as it was in the /usr/share/ directory.

Therefore, I perfectly see how making an installation requiring further assistance of proprietary files to be necessary, but I do not see why it cannot just be all simple.

EDIT:

Note that lacking in binary services for obtaining of new software - especially games - could be the biggest obstacle users switching from WindowsOS to Ubuntu may face. There are sourceports running things on Linux and it is good, but it is useless if the level of skill required to install them is well above average, especially minding complications and nuances.

[Aoi Blue]

Originally posted by Triple_Agent_AAA:

Originally posted by "Rogue":

Since these are games with open source engines and proprietary data or assets, it's impossible for distros to ship a binary of the full game.

Understandable, but my point is, the common way of extracting the entire program to one destined folder of choice - instead of having it spread in bits around half the system wide - is more common to how things are done the most simple way, then just dragging and dropping the proprietary files where needed. Lot easier to install mods, for example. I had a problem running mods on Doom^3 with the way it was installed, as the sourceport did not even see them. Quake 2, on the other hand, having exactly the same spread of structure, did run everything fine or even better than expected. But the easiest way was just downloading Quakespasm for the original Quake, placing it wherever I think suitable in one hermetic folder, then just working entirely on that folder. Especially that, to compare, moving mods in and out for otherwise excellent installation of Quake 2, required sudo mv Terminal command, as it was in the /usr/share/ directory.

Therefore, I perfectly see how making an installation requiring further assistance of proprietary files to be necessary, but I do not see why it cannot just be all simple.

EDIT:

Note that lacking in binary services for obtaining of new software - especially games - could be the biggest obstacle users switching from WindowsOS to Ubuntu may face. There are sourceports running things on Linux and it is good, but it is useless if the level of skill required to install them is well above average, especially minding complications and nuances.

A lot of doom, quake, Quake 3, Quake 4, etc sourceports are available in the main repository.

Currently DoomsDay, Chocolate Doom, PRBoom+, DarkPlaces, ezQuake (Quakeworld Variant), QuakeSpasm, Yamagi Quake 2, IOQuake3, Dhewm 3 and RBDoom3BFG

I haven't even gotten into what can be gotten from the additional package sources elsewhere.

Honestly, I find reputable binaries harder for find for Windows, as several sites (such as CNET) have regularly had validation failures in their malware checkers.

[SiggiTron]

Best compiling OS system is Gentoo.

[Zyro]

Originally posted by Triple_Agent_AAA:

Note that lacking in binary services for obtaining of new software - especially games - could be the biggest obstacle users switching from WindowsOS to Ubuntu may face.

None of the games you mentioned was a new game a decade ago, I guess.
Thousands of new games are easily installed on Linux using this "Steam" thing you might have heard of.
Literally tens of thousands of packages contained in major Linux distributions are actually easier to install than any Windows program.

[Marlock]

In Triple's defense, he did explain it was an issue of having outdated versions available in repos, not just of them not being available at all.

Yeah, most games are on Steam or GoG or Itch.io already, even some of the opensource ones... but not so many of these, and it would be nice to have them in a good spotlight if we want opensource games to grow in visibility/relevance, and then having them well-updated through the most obvious channels is good for that.

[triple_agent]

I just say what I think, oftentimes when programs are not found is the system repositories, it comes out their only available Linux version is a source code to compile. But you may just say this is nonsense argument, because repositories have everything. Perhaps, but compare Quakespasm download-drag-drop to Yamagi running on game-data-packager runtime.

[Zyro]

Originally posted by Triple_Agent_AAA:

But you may just say this is nonsense argument, because repositories have everything.

I didn't say so. I said they have loads of things, that Steam has thousands of games, and that you can bring stuff into Ubuntu or Debian by applying as a helper there.

[triple_agent]

The point of this discussion on my part, is to conclude that Ubuntu is THE Linux for masses and thus should become more user friendly, also by having more precompiled software available out there, while assuming anyone using anything less mainstream, can help oneself out compiling the code, which the code also should be available, ideally speaking.