Beginners Tips for PC Gaming in Linux

[booman]

This Linux tutorial is meant to offer tips on how to install & run PC Games in Mint 13. I cannot guarantee these steps will work in other distributions. If your game has no native Linux installation binaires, Wine is your next best bet for the game to work. I obviously cannot guarantee the game to work in Wine either.

I also recommend learning the basics of Terminal commands. I know its silly to learn commands for gaming when Windows doesn't require any command line knowledge, but since Linux is totally free and most of the basic apps are also free, its worth a little bit of your time so you can successfully install/run/diagnose your game.

Here are some commands that may help you with PC games on Linux:
Note: when a successful command is run you won't get any evidence that it ran properly in the Terminal. So if you don't get an error, it successfully did exactly what you told it to do.

Important Note: Any time you type a command, you will need to press ENTER to execute it in the Terminal. Always press ENTER when type a command. Also, executed commands may or may not give you a result. Sometimes executing a command won't prompt anything which means you did it correctly.

Basic Commands

cd - create directory, the same as double-clicking a folder
/ - Root is the very top directory in the tree. Just about everything in Linux resides in the root folder.

Examples:

cd /home/username

- navigates directly to your home directory (kinda like My Documents)
Note: "username" is where you type your login

Warning: Changing files & directories in the / (root) folder can break your operating system


ls - lists all the folder, files and links in your current directory

Examples:

cd /home/username

ls

sudo - means "run as administrator" necessary for making changes to game files/directories

chown - change ownership. some games/downloads/patches will not give you full ownership to the files and directories.

Examples:

sudo chown booman /home/booman/games

(gives my account full access to the games folder)

chmod - changes permissions to the executables and directories

Examples:

sudo chmod +x doom3.1.31.sh

(+x will allow the file to be executed)

sudo chmod 777 quakewars.sh

(777 will give full permission to all users and groups)


Killing a crashed/locked-up game:

There are times when my game locked up or is frozen to the point where I can't do anything. I can't close the game or even shutdown Mint. Instead of pressing the power button try killing the game first:

Ctrl+Alt+F1 - runs a Shell so you can use the command line independent of X Windows.
Ctrl+Alt+F8 - goes back to the X Windows Mint (Graphical User Interface)

ps -ef

- lists all the running processes

ps -ef | grep nameofgame

- usually the list is to big to find your game. If you know the name of the process use the | grep to see it.

ps -U booman

- lists all processes currently used by my account

ps -G booman

- lists all processes currently used by my group

sudo kill game.exe

- kill the frozen/locked-up game process


Installing:

apt-get install

- installs a package/library needed by your game or operating system (separate multiple packages with spaces).

Sometimes you will get an error about a missing library to run your game. Look up the library online to find the package name and then search in your software manager or do an apt-get install.

apt-get remove

- removes the package/library

apt-get update

- updates to the latest changes

apt-get upgrade

- after an update, do an upgrade to your operating system

Examples:

sudo apt-get install alsa-base

sudo apt-get install libjpeg62

Linux can be extremely secure & reliable, that is why its necessary to learn some Terminal commands because they are "work arounds" to make your games and files accessible to you and the operating system. Some games will install and run just fine with Wine, but most native Linux games will need a couple of commands to make them executable and ready to run.
Not to mention updating a library needed for the game.

When I create a tutorial and find that my Mint 13 requires some extra Terminal commands, I will list them step by step in order to help your installation be as easy as possible. Meanwhile you will be learning more about how Linux works and some behind-the-scenes workings.

Security Warnings:
As always, there are security risks when using your computer. Be careful what you download from the internet and what directories/files you make changes too.
If you are not sure if a change will compromise your computer, look it up online first.

Every time you you use the commands:

su

or

sudo

You are using root access (aka Administrator in Windows). Most games need limited access to run, but when you download a patch, game, hack, driver or library, the default permissions will need to be changed so you Linux can use it.

There is a lot of information online that will help you learn Linux and how to use programs and play games, all the while keeping your Operating System secure.

Links:
Mint Community: Linux Mint Community
Google Linux: Basic Linux Commands - Google Code University - Google Code
Ubuntu Pocketguide: Ubuntu Pocket Guide and Reference - Keir Thomas - Google Books
Playonlinux Forums: Forums - PlayOnLinux - Run your Windows applications on Linux easily!
WineHQ Help: WineHQ - Getting Help
CodeWeavers (cost $$): CrossOver: Windows Games on Mac OS X and Linux with the easiest and most affordable emulator - CodeWeavers
Dedoimedo: How to get and install Linux games - Full tutorial - A.K.A. Everything you wanted to know about Linux games
Ubuntu 12.04 Getting Started: Getting Started with Ubuntu 12.04 Free Guide