Does anyone here modify or have modified their Windows games from their Linux partitions or hacking them, so to speak? I have a few games, deer hunter 5 for example, I'd like to find some cheats for because of trouble getting past some levels and I know you can modify some Windows programs from Linux because Linux sees no copyrights, only compiled code, am I right? Or is it probably just the programs Linux uses which actually let you see the code. Why don't we actually see the code to programs when we,well me, use Windows. I've downloaded almost every editing program I can find for Windows and they wouldn't ever let me see the code, just a bunch of hex garble, which is greek to me. And most programs have some files that don't open with any default program. I installed every editing/copiling program Linux came with but I don't know which program opens or can edit what types of files or if they can open/edit it. Could someone help clarify this for me because I'm lost as a goose when it comes to programming. Thanks.

Unfortunately you cannot see the original source-code since it has been compilated.
This means that the souce-code has been transformed from some unified text syntax to binary data that your CPU understands.

So conclusion, you will allways get the hex garbage, and that's why game-hacking is a sport.. else it would be too easy :-P

Now some tips :
- Hex-editing of files can be done in windows, it causes no problem. I use Ultraedit
- You can also use a debugger. This is a low-level programm who can interrupt at all time to get the status of the system (memeory editing). I use Softice.
- http://fly.to/mtc : some tools to make trainers easily

Have FUN

Alright. Thanks for the clarification. Never thought debuggers were of much use or exactly what they were but now I see. They're kindof like a program I use, Gamewiz 32 that edits the game in real time, the hex code. I've downloaded Ultraedit and programs like it but could never make use of any of the hex code. So what can I do to make use of hex code? Just do a search for hex code and learn how to translate it in my head or is there more to it? I'd really like to learn. So if I wanted to edit games would I be better off learning C++ language or other assembly language or just hex code? I know I don't sound like the brightest banana in the bunch but I've always played them, just recently I wanted to learn how they get programmed.

You should look at cracking tutorials.

Basically, when you programm in C for example, the compilator translates it in ASM and the in binary.

Binary (hexcode) is the language the machine understands.
ASM (assembler) is the lowest level programmation you can understand ;-P

When you run a programm, he first loads it into the memory.
In a debug you look for something in the memory and the you can change it in the executable (mostly, like if the programm is not compressed)
Try to learn ASM first.

If you're just looking for a value, like lifepoints, in a savegame, for example 16 is 0F, so use UltraEdit to find it in your file and try to modify it, try to understand the file-structure looking for patterns and strings.
On Intel machines the processor stores the numbers inversed.
For example if you're looking for a number bigger than 255 (FF) like.. say 43981 -> ABCD, the number is stored : CD AB in the file.

Good Luck ;-)