Blizzard Still Has a World of Warcraft Linux Client

[bug77]

Any reason why everybody assumes Blizzard is playing WoW on Linux?

"Linux client" can be a simple CLI tool used to send commands to the server and check/record the responses (automated testing). In fact, such a tool is a must for any client/server project. Without additional info, that's what I'd assume "linux client" means.

[Naib]

Isn't it about time for some major anti-FUD movement (phoronix may be in a good position to help).

Yes there are alot of distro's so what, this isn't the 90's where release of the kernel and libc was slow so distro's would apply any number of patches they felt like (leading to the odd case of incompatibility).

This VASTLY improved with git where each distro pretty much ended up having the same src for the core components.

I have a simulation package, an FEA program, which is like 10years old. The requirements? kernel2.4 or greater, libc2.2 or greater, ogl1.2 or greater (then ram ...)
it ships with some libraries to not rely on the system libs and the ONLY package i need to install (which is fortran, which every distro provides...)

This screams of Blizzard having a build process for windows and it isn't quite compatible for linux
They already have it working on one distro (even if it is LFS), release it and let the strength of linux (ie the community) provide howto's for each distro.

I techsupport for HeroesOfNewerth and 99% of the time it just works, the 1% when it doesn't is because people have forgotten to install 3D drivers, which is easy to spot with a bashliner

from my forum sig

TechSup
Follow the Wiki
* Win: C:\Documents and Settings\[user]\My Documents\Heroes of Newerth\game\
* Lin: ~/.Heroes\ of\ Newerth/game/
* Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Heroes of Newerth/game/
Lin: [COLOR=Red] glxinfo | grep -i "opengl\|direct\|serve

Moderation
Bad post?

S2 can easily do this, UT2004 easily works, postal can...
wtf can't blizzard. I would be concerned about blizzard process if they can't manage to find the libs that are core (and package them)

[Naib]

I have had more issues with windows incompatibility (where a meer 3years can break a program [win2k -> XP for instance, or 5years with xp -> vista]) then I have ever had with linux.

linux can have multiple versions of libraries installed and installled such that specific apps can use different versions. WINDOWS cannot do this due to limitations of the filesystem and history of naming dll's (version number in the filename and symlinks ftw).

these simple things makes compatibilty in linux for an application a simple "howto" provided by the community.

They should just release for Ubuntu, let ldd and co do the work to see what is needed and a blizzard linux wiki could be managed by tyhe community to provide howto's for each distro.
wtf is it so hard?

[Silverthorn]

The only time that you get breakage is when a function is completely removed from the API. As long as the functions used are available in the lib you have forward compatability to any newer version. Moving from gtk version 2 to version 3, for example, will remove some functions but only if you're unlucky. Fixing such breakage should be fairly simple since it's probable that the missing functions are replaced by something superior. You don't deprecate functions without a reason and never without prior warnings.

Compiling for different versions shouldn't be problematic either because it can be done automatically using scripting. You could have a server running a script automatically on a daily basis which would update the system and recompile your program. If any error was detected you could have it notify you though email.

The most crucial point in game development in Linux is the OpenGL API. Even though the API itself might not be forward compatible you don't need to worry because every single implementation of the API is.

Best of all is that you don't need to worry about backward compatability. After a year or two you could simply drop any old dependencies and tell your customers to update their systems (or stick with the old version of the program). Updating a linux system is free. No worries about XP, Vista or any older version of the operating system. Maintaining a Linux version might even be cheaper than maintaining a windows/mac version. From a developer point of view it might even be more fun to program since you're free to drop old cumbersome implementations once an API is updated and new improved functions become available.

[Fenrin]

One of the big problems with Linux, and this is from other game developers too, is the problem of targeting a specific version of the platform. Since everyone is free to create their own distros, they can become somewhat unstandardized. That makes "targeting linux" difficult.

I wonder how a development company with several thousands employees is unable to develop a linux client for WoW which supports most linux distros while a small company in Argentina with less than 20 developers is able to develop a pretty decent MMORPG game which has a native linux client, which works on every modern linux distribution. The game I speak of is Regnum online.

[Chewi]

The only time that you get breakage is when a function is completely removed from the API. As long as the functions used are available in the lib you have forward compatability to any newer version. Moving from gtk version 2 to version 3, for example, will remove some functions but only if you're unlucky. Fixing such breakage should be fairly simple since it's probable that the missing functions are replaced by something superior. You don't deprecate functions without a reason and never without prior warnings.

Only if it's removed? What if the parameters or return types change? And that's just at the source level. You can break ABI-compability without breaking API-compatibility. See this blog post.

[psycho_driver]

Regardless of that though. Target PulseAudio for sound, SDL for input, OpenGL for graphics? Something like that. I guess those things might be moving targets as well.

ALSA is the audio standard for linux. I post sentries at night to make sure pulseaudio doesn't try to sneak onto my machines.

[Iksf]

Can see why a supported client is too much effort for them, but just toss out an unsupported client, never found blizzard support any help anyway

[Chewi]

ALSA is the audio standard for linux. I post sentries at night to make sure pulseaudio doesn't try to sneak onto my machines.

Heh here we go. I really don't have the energy to go into that debate but I will say that I used to think the same way until I got a card that doesn't support hardware-mixing, as most don't. Now I'm a happy PulseAudio user. Not that I think PulseAudio should be used for a game. OpenAL is probably the most neutral yet featureful option.

[Znurre]

I wonder how a development company with several thousands employees is unable to develop a linux client for WoW which supports most linux distros while a small company in Argentina with less than 20 developers is able to develop a pretty decent MMORPG game which has a native linux client, which works on every modern linux distribution. The game I speak of is Regnum online.

Well said.
As a Regnum Online player and distro hoper I can assure anyone that Regnum always worked out of the box for me, no matter the distro.