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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Follow up from late Linux 90s post (self.linux)

submitted 5 months ago by Tekkip20 to c/[email protected]

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This is a follow up thread as I saw some posts regarding games being used on Linux such as ports from Loki.

Was it a rarity to get say, DOOM on a Linux compatible disk? Surely the floppy disk version would've worked as normal no?

There was also DosEmu which seems like an ancestor to DOSBOX to play all your face dos games in a redhat or Slackware box.

I understand that getting things to work in order was a mess, but was it that difficult to find a Linux compatible game CD or floppy disk? Was there some form of piracy to acquire a converted windows copy on a BBS?

TLDR : I just wanna know if 90s linux gaming there for you guys since firms like Loki existed, hell there was a port of Quake on the funni penguin OS.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Windows and DOS games started working well later, as WINE and DOS emulator were evolving.

But Linux had a thriving gaming scene of its own:

You've already mentioned Loki who made native ports.
Another type of "ports" were game engines made from scratch that used the level files of the original, games like Doom, Transport Tycoon, Caesar III, Panzer General, Stunts, ReVolt etc. You had to own the game files but the executable was FOSS.
There were lots of cool native games, many shooters (Warsow , Nexuiz, Cube, Tremulous), strategy games, cool arcade games (Tux Racer, Atomic Worm, H-Craft, Droid Assault), the rogue genre which debuted on UNIX and had tons of variants and so on.

I'm only a casual gamer so this is just stuff I ran across occasionally, there was probably more.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Another type of “ports” were game engines made from scratch that used the level files of the original

ScummVM is one of these which plays (some) LucasArts point'n'click adventure games, like Day of the Tentacle. But it's a bit newer than 1990s, quick search says that it was released around 2001/2002.