Dear All,

Last Sept. 16, 2005, a crackdown on cafes using unlicensed MS OS began here in the Philippines. Cafes not able to acquire or capable of purchasing these licenses have been forced to close shop else face possible legal prosecution.

We have been trying for weeks to get our games:MU Online Philippines and GunBound Philippine service to run on a Linux Wine Cedega platform to no avail.

We would like to request for a Linux expert to please post a step by step installation guide on how to get these games up and running. We are desperately looking for a Linux solution to allow cafes to re-open and operate once again.

Hope you guys can help us out!

Thanks!

You can download our games at www.mobius.ph/downloads.php

Gunbound or RO or Tantra will not run on linux systems unless they are (i believe this is the right term for it) PORTED into linux...

i am not a linux expert, i only started shifting to linux about two months ago (and i'm planning to get windows totally out of my system), but i believe that the games stated above can not just be installed and played on a linux platform just like you would under windows...

there are lots of games previously ported into linux that are good for your type of business, these include quake 3, Unreal tournament, doom 3, and warcraft 3...

there is a reason why game packages have little notices that say "runs on windows/linux/macOS", because you can't just run them across platforms...

there is also the popular MISconception that games that run on windows can run on linux as long as you have cedega or wine...
cedega (i believe) needs to get permission from game developers to port games into linux, that's one reason why cedega is not free...

anyway...

you can find many how-tos and tutes all over the net that can teach you the basics of gaming in the linux environment...

i guess the only advice i can give you is just to adapt...
y'know, introduce new games or stuff like that...
of course there's also the option of buying licensed software ...

Sorry down2one, a few incorrect points there.

Linux runs linux programs and games. Windows runs windows programs and games. You can use linux stuff in Windows via Cygwin, but it's messy. You can use Windows stuff in linux via Wine/Crossover Office/Cedega but again, it's messy. This is why if you want to use Windows apps you run Windows, not linux.

And for that I have no sympathy. You break the law, you deserve to be prosecuted to the fullest extent. If you have simply been shut down then I'd count my blessing if I were you.

Warcraft 3 has no linux port. I understand it runs quite well in Cedega though.

Not at all. Transgaming (the mob who own Cedega) don't need permission from the game houses. Cedega is a Wine fork, it implements a much fuller DirectX API than the standard Wine which makes it a little better to play games under. It is their need for specialised programmers (who don't often work for free) that makes Transgaming charge a fee for Cedega.

On this point I agree with you 100%. I wouldn't suggest popular games that have proper linux ports available though because I guess the cafes would just pirate those games. If you can't afford the overhead incurred by running a business, don't start one.

couldn't have said it better myself...

thanks cs-cam for all the corrections...



anyway, back to the original post...
there's word that MU runs on cedega and wine, i'm betting though that it isn't stable...
i also read somewhere that there's a "Ragnarok for linux" under development...

i know that licensed software is expensive, but that's the way things go...
if we can persuade more people to use alternative, less-expensive, or even free software, there's a big chance that big software companies will lower prices, but then we won't be sure about that...

Guys!

I'm not here to debate on whether what some of these businesses are doing is right or wrong. We know Both MU and GB international runs on Linux. It's our local version we're having a problem with.

We need a linux "expert" to help us get the right configuration for it to run.

Thank you for your comments.

hmmm...
have you tried searching for answers here ?

Hello Anthrax888. I'm a Filipino Linux enthusiast and I've had a look at your problem.

It's obvious from what has been discussed and your own experiences that it's not your game (nor any other game for that matter, according to winehq.com, be it Ragnarok, WoW or Guild Wars) that has a problem running under Linux. It's your implementation of nProtect's GameGuard.

I suggest you get in touch with nProtect (or whoever is running that show) and assert your right as a user of their service to find out what processes they use to run the program and block "malicious code". Maybe they block off certain ports, maybe they require root access to the whole system, maybe they do something else that confuses WINE.

In any case, I'm sure once you figure out what's causing GameGuard to make your installation go kablooey, you'll be able to configure WINE to play nice with it and run your game.

And incidentally, please let us know what happens. I understand that the first company that cracks "Da Linux Code" will pull away from the pack because local cybercafes can switch completely over to Linux here in the Philippines with the first "cracker's" game getting the most players.

Hello Anthrax888 and rpgfan, Im glad there are Filipinos lurking inside Linux forums.

First of all, yes it is possible to run Mu and Ragnarok on Linux, It's a hit or miss thing. The common pitfall of Linux Users working on these programs is when the games connect after the patch has been made. There are several workarounds for this.

Tedious : DOwnload the pRO client, download patches then run on Linux using WIne. Cedega dont work too well. Be sure that your wine configuration supports OpenGL, and D3D.
Easy: get a patched pRO client, or hex out parts of the code. This is offtopic from the linux forums, I wont go into detail about this.

the same goes for MU.

Dont give up finding solutions, if you really want to make these games run on the Linux platform then don't give up finding answers. Thats opne of the biggest mistakes newbie linux users do.

Errr... this thread bothers me. We're not talking about abstract concepts here, this issue involves this specific business, and while you personally might not care about whether the business is "doing right or wrong", I can assure you that LQ very definitely cares about it, as LQ is a "no warez" forum. Please review the LQ Rules, which you agreed to follow when you signed up. As a side note, frankly if you've been using pirated software, you won't get much sympathy from me. Sorry. In terms of solving your problem, and as others have said already, your easiest solution is simply to buy licensed copies of the software you're using.

If there is an honest intent to migrate to Linux, I applaud your decision, however, a fundamental change like that may take some time to implement, with corresponding system downtime. I've reported this thread for monitoring, as it could potentially cross the lines on both warez, as well as job advertizing. -- J.W.

What Anthrax888 is trying to say is that if the game is made to work here in the Philippines using Linux, a mass migration of cybercafes from pirated Windows OSes to Linux would be the most probable scenario. Not every cybercafe owner here has the resources to purchase original MS OSes, and Linux would be the most viable alternative IF it can be made to run MMORPGs that utilize GameGuard as an anti-hack measure. It's a question of trying to make GameGuard work well with Linux, not bypassing it. The patching of the game and GameGuard is a regular occurence in MMOG terms and Anthrax888 is trying to find a way to make the whole thing (game and anti-hack measure) run.

I can assure you that this is not a warez issue. It's a discussion concerning people having realized that what they're doing is not right and that there are other choices. It's a potential for Linux to make headway in Philippine shores. Just the fact that the crackdown happened snapped hundreds of people out of their stupor and are now seriously considering alternatives. If you read the posts in Philippine forums, you'll see an upsurge of people interested in not just trying to make their MMORPGs run in Linux, but also learning more about what Linux can do in general.

Dear Sir,

Firstly I would like to clarify that the reason why I'm avoiding a debate is for the sake of time. But since our intention is now in question, let me illucidate the group as to what is happening in as concise and clear manner as possible.

Our cafes would like to purchase the licenses. They are incapable however of purchasing the licenses in one bulk order to cover all their PCs. They now have licenses for some PCs but are inclined to use Linux for the rest. However, the games, not only ours, are having difficulty running on the platform. Hence, the request for support.

I am not here to encourage them to do the wrong thing its just that I would like the thread to focus on the solution..a linux solution and not on the plight of the cafes here. I am not also here to recruit anyone . We are simply asking for help just like other people who have problems making their sounds, or fonts, or graphics, or mouse to work properly on Linux.

We see that Linux is a viable alternative for our clients and are simply asking for assistance on how they can continue their business using this "new" platform. I am sorry for the miscommunication but please do see that we have only the right intentions in posting here.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Thanks samaral. Trust me when I say that a majority of Filipinos right now are sudden Linux newbies, me included. Lots of us are trying to get our heads around the whole concept and we're trying to find ways to make the transition smoother. So far whole companies have converted to free software (as in speech and beer) here and our government is showing signs of becoming an advocate of open source. I read this in our CICT report.

The problem is that we're pretty much groping in the dark, learning from each other and the frustration factor is high. People are trying to make YM work when it's not common knowledge yet that GAIM can work just as well, even better. Office workers are groaning over OpenOffice and their re-learning is engendering contempt for it, never mind that most of what they need is there. It's a shakeup from our comfort zone and it's not pretty.

That's why we're trying to find middle ground, familiar touchstones in terra incognito. MMORPGs are mainstays in cybercafes here, not to mention their bread and butter. Take that out because it won't run in Linux and you're setting Linux up to be more of a pain than a solution.

So that's why we've turned to LQ. We're asking for help as newbies, please forgive us if we still have vestiges of our past. We're learning and we'll get better, with your help.

I could not have said it better...

We are trying to reach out to the Linux community for help and support. But this is exactly the reason why I am trying to keep the thread focused on the solution rather than the situation. Simply said it really is a frustrating situation for a lot of folks over here and I'm sure they didn't even think about asking the Linux online community for help. I simply took the initiative and I hope that I am judged based on my intent.

Fair enough - it seems your intentions are honorable, however in the past there have been certain threads with similar 'requests for help' were actually veiled requests for help in obtaining pirated software, etc, hence my comment.

I am confident that if you were to contact a Microsoft sales office, they would be able to assist you with the apparent difficulties you mention in obtaining licensed copies of Windows, but that being said I'll withdraw my previous concerns; and good luck with the conversion to Linux -- J.W.