I'm not a big gamer, but I'd very much like to install Quake II (my favorite game) on Ubuntu 9.10. Can anybody tell me how to do it? I've looked at a dozen instructions, but none have worked that well for me. I can start the game (files copied from Windows + lots of Linux Quake stuff downloaded), but it won't run properly.

Yes, I'm a newbie.

I'll be most grateful for any help.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Games/Native/Quake2 is a pretty straight forward step by step guide, if you need anything clarified feel free to ask.

Regards,
JKZfixme

Hello jkz

Thanks. Yup, saw that one yesterday. But I don't have a quake CD... However, I have all the files. Maybe I can simply copy them to a CD? What do you think?

Two questions:

Do you have a legal copy of this game?

Is the link about a native Linux version or about installing the Windows version? If you want to install the Windows version, you would need WINE or CrossOver. (BTW, CrossOver just announced a new gaming release.)

Hi pixel

1. No.
2. I'm not sure... whatever works. I occasionally play Quake II on Windows, and so I have a Quake II folder in Windows that maybe I can copy to Linux and modify somehow in order to make it run in Linux?

I did install Wine successfully yesterday. (In order to install IrfanView, the image viewer that I like.) I haven't heard of CrossOver before.

Back to 1: A Linux version of Quake II exists? Most of the tips/instructions I've seen though, are about using the Windows version. I think...

Can't offer any more help if you don't have a legal copy.....sorry.

Hello pixel

Ah, I see. (I'm quite an anarchist - and now I'm learning the rules.)
No problem - how about if I'd want to play the Linux version of Quake II? Is there one I (legally) can download/install and use?

Isn't Quake a commercial (paid) product? What does their website say?

Pixel

Ah, I see what you mean.

...but now I go to http://www.idsoftware.com/business/techdownloads/ and I see that one can download the full source code for Quake II under the terms of the GNU public license. So...does that not mean we have the possibility to legally play Quake II on Linux for free...?

Unless things have changed, that source is for the engine only. In order to actually run the game you need the graphics and stuff that go along with it. Have a look at the size of the downloads. The source code is 1.4MB but the game demo is 37MB.

Oh. Very well then - is there any 3D game I can legally download/install and use on Linux?

And: what happens with this code that Id software lets people download for free..?

You grab the graphics stuff off the DVD/CD(generally windows version). It is in "their" format so the code knows exactly how to handle it.

Most of the commercial games out there will follow this basic format pretty closely. If there is a windows (full version) out there that you can legally download, then you can use that as the source for the graphics stuff. There are also a lot of open source games out there(not much of a gamer so you will just have to look).

Thanx lazlow.
I'll read around on the net and see what I can find. I definitely need instructions. (I have no idea about code and such things. Maybe a year or two down the road.)

1. Quake is linux native. All ID games are. For ID software games, if you have the disk or the files, you can use the installer:

http://www.liflg.org/?catid=6%3C&gameid=55

Theres one.

2. Enemy territories is completely free.
http://enemy-territory.4players.de/news.php

3. Enemy Territories Quake wars has a demo out, its incredible.
http://www.enemyterritory.com/

Basically for any release by ID software you should be able to find the installer, if you have the files that come on the windows installer, you can install it. For example, here is the doomIII file:
ftp://ftp.idsoftware.com/idstuff/doom3/linux/

Hope this helps. ID software is really a great brand name, and runs great on linux.

A quick google search(3d games for linux) is pretty productive. Here is the first hit: