Gaming on Linux: The Sims 3

I know it's been too long since my last post.  I promise I have not forgotten about all my lovelies, I've just been insanely busy.  At the beginning of June I moved into a different apartment and had started a new and mentally demanding job.  After the move I had no internet for three weeks!  THE HORROR! All is well now though and with everything settling nicely I finally had ambition and time to sit at my computer and work on a few things I had been meaning to.  So without further ado, I will now bring you into the next Linux experience I want to tackle.

As I dive deeper into Linux, I find that the PC gaming community is not always a friend to Linux.  Sure it's going to take some finesse to make a Windows game work on Linux, but it doesn't mean it wont work. I'm one of those people that believe there will always be a way to make your computer do what you want it to; you just have to do some research.  

For my first game, I decided to whip out my old Sims 3.  I began with trying to use PlayonLinux.  Put together by other users Play on Linux is a front end for Wine that is intended to make the install process easier. It also offers handy tips and tricks to getting games to work on Linux.  I was finding that with Crunchbang I was having issues with getting The Sims 3 to run after the install.  I took to Google and browsed every Linux board I could find on Sims 3.  I decided I needed an updated kernel and a more recent version of Wine.  Another distro hop was needed, this time opting for Linux Mint 17 XFCE (expect a review in the upcoming week).  

I didn't use PlayonLinux this time, instead I opted for just using Wine v. 1.6. Wine stands for Wine Is Not an Emulator. Wine is a collection of libraries which have been reverse engineered to allow Windows applications to run on Linux. Over the past few years Wine has made vast improvements to their collection. Wine is available on all major distributions.  You can check your distributions software center or application database for installation information.

After getting through the install, I came across a nice little bug.  Upon opening the game, I found the text was unreadable.  Back to the boards I went, it took a lot of searching but I did find the answer. I installed DriConf, which is a utility of sorts allowing you to configure visual quality settings.  Once DriConf was installed, I opened it and went to the Image Quality Tab. There I enabled the S3TC Texture Compression.  The messed up text was fixed and I've had no issues running the Sims since.  

As usual Linux users are superheros bringing their knowledge to the boards and offering fixes to many of the problems that I found recorded.  While my bug was not a massively big one it was tough finding the fix.  I tried to go to all the boards that had this bug recorded with no fix and post the fix for it.  If you find a bug, hit the boards to find your answer. If you do happen to find an answer make sure you post about it.  This will help the community as a whole.  

The Sims 3 may be the first game I try to get to work with Linux, but it will not be the last.  I have a whole slew of games ready to get working.  As I come across bugs I will post any fix I can in hopes that I can help at least a few of my fellow Linux users and gamers. 

Reader Requested Review: Elementary OS Luna

With my first reader requested review of Crunchbang being a success I decided to do another.  This time I took on Elementary OS: Luna. I am currently on a 6 year old HP ProBook with core i5 processor and 4GB ram and do all distribution reviews on VirtualBox.

In my research I read a few random reviews of Elementary OS and found that many people are claiming that this is a good alternative to Mac OS.  Elementary OS is based on Ubuntu and it runs Pantheon for a desktop environment which is based on Gnome 3.  

If you are downloading Elementary OS directly from the website you may see a dollar amount of $10.00 above the download button but paying is an option. This is how they cleverly ask that you pay for their product if you like it. As with most Linux distributions, donations are always accepted as this work is offered for free, however that is a post for another day.

Install

The install for Elementary OS was fast and similar to an Ubuntu install.  It ran through all the basic questions regarding location and language.  After the reboot, I noticed that the system was running a tad slow.  To speed it up I installed preload and zram-config as well as ran all updates and upgrades to the system.

Take Control of the Command Line

An intriguing thing the Linux command line is.  For the past two weeks I have been studying Bash and the command line trying to harness this superpower. I searched and read everything I could find, at one point I thought I reached the end of the internet. Tutorial after tutorial would try to explain the Linux command line, some did it better than others, while I do not feel like an expert I have learned quite a bit over the past two weeks and feel like it would be a good time to touch on command line.

I have thought of several different ways that I could approach this subject.  Every time I started to write a post I would stop half way through and erase the entire thing.  I felt like I was just going to end up confusing those looking to learn the command line.  So in order to give you the opportunity to learn the command line without leaving you with a headache, I am going to share the resources that I have been using. After searching through endless amounts of data these resources are the ones that have taught me the most.

First and probably the best resource I found was through Programming Motherfucker.  Not only is this site amazeballs but it gives some of the best information when it comes to learning any type of language.  For Bash they link to Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide.  This guide may say advanced but the goal of it is to take you from beginner to advanced.  There is a ton of information in this guide so you may want to take it slow and not overload yourself. I know I sometimes forget and overload on data myself.  I found reading it in 15 minute snippets throughout the day and then reviewing the information in bulk at the end of the day was the best way for the information to sink in, however whatever your usual study routine is may work better for you.

For a how to guide and shortcut list I highly recommend Dave Child's Linux Command Line Cheat Sheet.  This cheat sheet is comprehensive; showing you how to correctly use commands, shortcuts, and other special functions.  I highly recommend bookmarking this cheat sheet just to keep it handy in case you need a quick reference guide.

A good one for commands is An A-Z Index of the Bash Command Line for Linux.  If there is a command you need this index has it.  Read through it a few times and before you know it you will start remembering the most useful commands that you would use.

There are times that we sit at the terminal pondering the next step, it is helpful to see what others have done that you can try.  CommandFU is the place to go, it will break that stuck feeling and show you some pretty awesome things to try on your own.  Plus there are a lot of tips and tricks that you may find useful.

Finally, you can always just go to your terminal.  If you need to know the options and functions of a certain command you can simply type man (command here) to see a list of what that command does and what arguments can be made with the command. Once done just hit q to quit the man command.

I will tell you the same thing I have told you before.  In order to learn the command line you will have to get into it and just start working.  I hope these websites will be as helpful to you as they are to me.  If you know of any great websites for bash scripting please feel free to leave a comment below.

This Code is Rated PG-13

Notice: If swearing offends you please avoid this post!

Have you ever had that day where the program you are working with is just not working. You've gone through restarts and trouble shooting, trying everything you can to get it to work and it just won't. Sometimes it's not the program and it's a coworker. They're asking questions you already answered. They are calling you about an email they sent just one minute ago to verify you got it instead of setting up a read request.  As frustration builds sometimes we lash out quietly by typing or writing a quick note telling the program, co-worker, or boss exactly what we think of them before erasing it and completing our work.

This type of frustration happens often in the workplace and no one is immune to it.  Even programmers, the fun thing for programmers is they get to write out their complaints in the code.  Any programming language offers a way for the programmer to comment on the code they are writing.  I'm sure as you can imagine from your own experience, there are days when the project a programmer is working on will just not work right.  Sometimes something was done to the code to mess it up; or they forgot a piece of the code to make it work.  A programmer might leave a snarky comment to let the program know exactly what they think of it at that point in time.  

This is where the fun comes in, my research for a future post lead me to a neat little trick.  If you go into your command line and type grep (insert swear word here) -R /usr/; you will see all of that specified swear word in the code of your programs.  You can add on other files after /usr/ going through each individual file but I found this was the most effective way. Here is a screen shot of the command and some of the results that I found by switching up the swear word.

Go ahead and try this command yourself, feel free to post your favorites in the comment section below.

How to Linux

When I first started the Linux journey I loaded Mint 16 XFCE onto my laptop, it was a wonderful transitioning distribution from Windows.  I believe this is due to the user friendly desktop environment in that with Mint everything just works.  What I didn't like was that it wasn't offering any sort of real challenge forcing me to learn "How to Linux."

As I continued down the path to learning the command line and all the neat tips and tricks I kept reading the same lines repeatedly.

Try this in your terminal.

Play in this application.

Get your hands dirty.

I decided to take the advice I was reading and get dirty. 

Getting Dirty

Step 1: Ditch the user friendly environment for something more basic.  

After running through install after install of a few major distributions, seeing the environments and testing out the interfaces, I knew it was time to switch from Mint.  For your average computer user who just needs to access the internet and the ability to write a couple of documents it is perfect.  For the masochists, i.e. me, who want to get to the basics of Linux and learn from mostly the ground up, it's not so great. 

Arch Linux and the New User

It was bright and early on a Sunday morning.  After taking a break from going through the endless array of Linux distributions I decided it was time to sit down and try another.  There were a few major distributions that I have yet to tackle and it was time to finish them.  I pull up my VM (Virtual Machine), go to my ISO file and browse through what I haven't yet tackled.  There in front of me was Arch Linux.  "Alright, easy peasy, kick this one out Crystal, write up the review and get it posted." I load and click start on the VM. The normal virtual machine start screen appears and then before me was a command line. After sitting for a second it suddenly dawns on me, it's waiting for my command. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, what do I do?"

Manjaro: Enlightenment

Over the weekend I decided that Arch Linux was the next Linux distribution I was going to play with. I'll give my advanced Linux readers a moment to laugh.  Are you done? Ok, for a newbie Arch is a distribution I will never recommend, but it was fun and it definitely struck an interest for me.  I will play, get used to and eventually post a blog about it.

So to give my fellow n00bs something similar I decided to do a review of Manjaro with Enlightenment. Based off Arch Linux, Manjaro works to give a user friendly environment while keeping up with the cutting edge of software.  

Work, Study, Sleep and repeat.

I obviously have taken a little break from posting.  I have a few more distributions that I am looking into doing reviews on; Fedora, Suse, and Arch Linux.  However as my mind quickly changes track I keep looking at other Linux and computer related topics as well.  I don't seem to have enough time in the day to really put a lot of my focus where I want to.

For the past week during my downtime I have been putting a lot of time reading up on Bash.  Bash is the command processor that is used in most Linux terminals.  Learning this helps to better understand and utilize Linux further.  As I become more familiar with Bash I will probably start posting up tutorials about it.  I don't want to do that though until I have a good understanding of it.  Just something for you all to look forward to.

I've also started the process of going through some of the more common programs to start working up tutorials and reviews to explain how to get around the programs.  As always I recommend that people just get into the program and start playing; but it is helpful to at least have a few good starting points.

I'm looking into getting a tablet so that I can do my studying at the gym, as it stands right now I am doing my body good without doing my mind any good.  I will get this worked out soon and my schedule on track to handle the workload I have placed on myself.  I believe I need my own personal Sudo, any volunteers? Anyone? Bueller?

Crunchbang #! Reader Request

I recently went on Twitter and asked my followers which Linux distribution they use.  One reader mentioned how they use crunchbang and love it.  I downloaded and installed crunchbang on my virtual machine, this overview will be more complex than my last couple because the desktop has quite a few major differences.

As usual you will choose install, your date and time settings, username and password. 

Linux Mint 16 Petra Review

I withheld writing about Linux Mint because it is the distribution that I currently use and I wanted to get a feel for some of the other distributions before writing about the one I use.  So far I will not be changing my distribution.  I cannot say enough good things about Linux Mint, I also do not have anything bad to say about it.  It has everything that I need in an operating system.

Linux Mint started in 2006 with it's first release, each release being based on Ubuntu which allows for easy compatibility with their package libraries.  Generally they follow a similar release schedule to Ubuntu.  They only release when the project is ready, usually about two months after the latest Ubuntu release. Their support schedule also follows Ubuntu patterns, nine months for their short term releases and two years for their long term releases.

Much like Debian, Mint is created by people who volunteer their time.  They rely on donations and bug reports from users.  Anyone from the individual to companies can help in the building of Mint as they use the feedback of their users to help in the development process.

Mint offers classifications for their software packages for ease in finding stable software for this distribution.  Main is software that is developed by Mint. Upstream is the software that is available in Ubuntu but modified by Mint.  Import is software that is not available in Ubuntu; Flash, Picasa, Opera, ect.  Finally there is Romeo, this is the testing software and is unstable.

Cinnamon is one of the desktop environments you can get with this distribution, there are others you can get as well.  Cinnamon is created by Mint developers and works very well with Linux Mint because of that.  The ease to personalize your desktop, the organization of the programs, and the overall look of Cinnamon provided for a clean and stable desktop.

If you are a Windows user looking for a similar option for easy transition; this is it.  Mint offers all the comforts and options you could possibly need.  Similarly I would offer this distribution as a starter for any person who doesn't have a lot of computer experience.  It is stable, clean, and fun to play with.  It just works which is a must have for any newbie.

As a final thought, I have searched for reliable information of software requirements for each of the distributions. Mint has been the only one that I could easily find that was reliable information.  You can see the system requirements here.  For more information on Mint or to download please visit their website.

Linux Mint 16: Cinnamon

Welcome to Linux Mint 16 install and overview.  This one is an easy one for me because I have been using Linux Mint 16 for the past month and a half.  The only difference is I've been using XFCE instead of Cinnamon.  This is a continuing series and due to the certain similarities I have omitted some install steps.  If you need to reference these you can look at a few of my previous posts.

Kubuntu Review

After testing and reviewing Ubuntu it was a refreshing and pleasant experience getting into Kubuntu.  It was nicely laid out for easy access to pretty much anything I needed.  Kubuntu was indeed user friendly and was a good representation of their slogan; Kubuntu - the GNU/Linux distribution for everyone.

While Kubuntu is still sponsored by Canonical Ltd, they are made up of developers, programmers, and a community who volunteer their time.  Much like Debian these are people that work hard to bring open-source software to the world.  On the flip-side they work very closely with the Ubuntu team to release their products on the same day.  While I saw instability in Ubuntu, I did not see those same instability issues in Kubuntu.  There were no freezing or slow to start issues that I saw.

The desktop environment in Kubuntu is KDE, which is extremely easy to use.  The ability to personalize your desktop with the ease of finding programs quickly is a breath of fresh air compared to Unity and Gnome.  While I personally am not a widget fan I do like that they offer them as a way to easily glance at information you need.

As I mentioned in previous reviews; having a software center installed with the distribution makes it easy to locate and install programs that a user would need to go about their daily lives.  Like most distribution, Kubuntu offers many of the programs that an average user would need.  Mixed with the ease of categories offered by KDE the average user would easily be able to log in and use the computer with little to no issues.

With Kubuntu being a derivative of Ubuntu, it would be a likely assumption that it came with Zeitgeist installed.  Good news, Zeitgeist is not installed in Kubuntu.  As previously mentioned in my Ubuntu 14.04 review, Zeitgeist is a program that logs your keystrokes and sends them back to whatever company requested them.  Ubuntu comes with this program installed, but thankfully Kubuntu does not. Which means you are free to search anything you would like without having the eyes of big brother looking over your shoulder.

Overall, Kubuntu was a very nice Linux distribution. It was easy to use, easy to understand, and stable enough for the needs of an average user.  I would recommend it as a good choice in a distribution.  If you would like to try Kubuntu or learn even more about the distribution or the community please visit their website.

Kubuntu 14.04

Good Afternoon everyone! I took a couple of days to enjoy the beautiful weather that has finally returned.  Now after a short break I am ready to dive into the next distribution.  Without further ado, here is Kubuntu 14.04. This is a continuing series and due to the certain similarities I have omitted some install steps.  If you need to reference these you can look at a few of my previous posts.

Ubuntu 14.04

 

Ubuntu is one of the more popular distributions, with it's first release in 2004 and funding by Canonical LTD. in 2005.  Offering systems for cloud, server, desktop, phone, tablets and even your tv, they have their hands in pretty much every electronic device we use on a daily basis.  Unfortunately they still haven't figured out a way to do laundry, dishes and the dusting.  Who wouldn't want to learn one system for all of their electronics?

Ubuntu with Unity

 The next distribution that I am looking at is Ubuntu.  Right off the bat I can tell you it's not much different from Debian and Gnome.  The major differences come in with philosophy and focus.  I will get into those a little later.  This one will be a quick run through due to most of the similarities between the last distribution and this one. This is a continuing series and due to the certain similarities I have omitted some install steps.  If you need to reference these you can look at a few of my previous posts.

Debian Review

Over the last couple of posts I played with Debian, ran through the install, showed the desktop environment; which is Gnome 3, and went through some of the programs.  I learned a lot about Debian during the past week; their philosophy, how they manage their releases, and who creates the new releases.  Debian has a lot to offer in an operating system for Linux, but what I liked the most is the way it is put together.

Debian is not some fancy company sitting in an office building collecting money.  Debian is everyday users who donate their free time to programming, testing, documenting and fixing bugs.  You read that right. People all over the world help in the process of creating Debian.  Debian also doesn't shove out new releases before they're ready thus leaving you to install update after update in hopes that the bugs that you face are fixed during these updates.  When a new version of Debian is released you can be sure that it has gone through a very long process of testing and that you are getting a very stable version of the operating system.

Debian Wheezy Programs

And the final section of my exploration through Debian Wheezy is the programs.  By the end of this section you will see what is available upon install and how to get other programs based on your needs.

Go ahead and click on Activities and then Applications.

Debian Wheezy: Gnome 3

Debian Wheezy comes with a default of Gnome 3 as their desktop interface.  If you find you don't like Gnome 3, Debian allows you to change your desktop interface in the very beginning of the install under the advanced settings you can change your desktop interface to one you may like better.  For purposes of this blog you will be seeing the default desktop interfaces that come with the basic installs.  For most new Linux users the desktop interface is what will be the deciding factor.  So without further ado lets get into the Gnome 3 desktop interface and personalization.

Go into your system settings, which you can find this by clicking on the username in the top right corner of the desktop.

Debian Part 2

As you know I am currently doing a run through of distributions for Linux.  The first one is Debian.  In my last post I showed you how the install went.  In this post I will show you the default set up for the desktop.

 Obviously you'll enter the password that you entered during the install.

Debian Install

Hello everyone! In my previous post I explained that I would be going through each of the Linux distributions to give everyone a taste of what they offer.  The first Linux distribution that I am diving into is Debian Wheezy.  First I will show who what happens during the install and how to install it.  I am using Virtual Box to play with each distribution.  Visit them here https://www.virtualbox.org/ if you would like to try it out.  I will go into an in depth blog about the Virtual Box program at a later date.

This is the beginning of the install, fairly simple.  As a beginner I recommend going with Install and pressing enter.

Hurdles

When I initially set out to write this post I thought the best thing I could do was show my readers how to boot Linux from a thumb drive or CD.  As I started the process of collecting information, screen shots, and whatever else I would need for the post it dawned on me.  How can I inform my readers when they may not know yet which distribution they should go with.  It was an easy choice for me, I saw and tried Mint XFCE and fell in love.  It may not be as easy for you.

After getting into a conversation about the different Linux distributions with my very patient boyfriend, who is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to anything computer related it suddenly dawned on me. The issue that Windows or Mac OS users face when making decisions about Linux distributions or Linux in general is "How do I choose?"  

It became apparent that when you are on an operating system like Windows or Mac OS you are confined to your apartment, you can go into the kitchen, the living room, the bedroom, or the bathroom. When switching to Linux you realize that every apartment in the building is now accessible and each apartment has it's own pros, cons, and special amenities.  How do you choose which apartment you now want to live in?

So I am skipping the thumb drive post for at least a little while, instead I will be entering into the great wide world of distributions.  I will be testing out, comparing and writing about each of the major distributions.  Mint, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Suse to name a few.  I'll even go into their respective derivatives.  At the end of each one I will give my own personal opinion, because this is my blog and I can share my opinion.  

My reasoning behind approaching it this way instead of just putting you on my personal favorite is because I do not want anyone who reads this blog to feel like they are trapped in yet another operating system.  While I don't personally believe any distribution could really limit you nearly as much as Windows or Mac OS has, I do want you to make your own choice on what may or may not work for you.  I want you to leave your apartment, become my roomie in other apartments before you make your decision on what would be best for you.  Sorry only virtual bacon can be shared, is there anyone working on being able to get food through the computer screen yet?

The Linux Leap

"I don't want to switch to Linux because I use Microsoft Office and I can't use it on Linux."
"I don't want to switch to Linux because I wouldn't know how to get on the internet with it."
"I don't want to switch to Linux because I use Photoshop."
"I don't want to switch to Linux because I would have to use the command line all the time."
"I don't want to switch to Linux because software is harder to find."
"I don't want to switch to Linux because I fear change."

Yep, all the normal excuses for not switching to Linux.  I'm not coming down on anyone for not making the switch because of these excuses.  I had the same excuses at one point. So I will tell you the little story about how it was that I finally made the switch from Windows 7 to Linux.

I had used Windows my entire life, tried Mac a handful of times, decided that Windows was the operating system that I liked.  After about five crashes with Windows I started just uploading and storing everything on cloud storage.  Stopped using Microsoft products except for the occasional quick letter that was being printed or emailed.  My laptop became just a place to access the internet so I could get to my files.

When my boyfriend started telling me about some of the things Linux allowed you to do and all the great perks to changing I got really interested.  Anti-virus becomes a thing of the past, programs that are capable of being compatible with proprietary programs (i.e. Microsoft Office) and the many many many people within the Linux community.  Of all the communities I have interacted with the Linux community is truly amazing.  Fixes, open-source, education, and the general attitude of other Linux users is unrivaled by any other community.

So upon deciding to try out Linux my boyfriend loaded Linux Mint 16 XFCE 64 bit onto a thumb drive so I could test it out. Within minutes of loading I felt a rush of excitement.  Within one hour of playing I proclaimed with much excitement "Why would anyone NOT use Linux?" I made the switch, that night.  I backed up what little I had to back up from the Windows 7 operating system and did a full on switch; wiping out Windows and fully loading Linux onto my laptop.

Since the switch, I have spent some time diving into the world of Linux.  Learning about the command line, different programs, different distributions and much more.  There is a never ending wealth of knowledge that comes with the switch to Linux, which for me is fantastic!  Plus the noticeable difference in how my laptop runs is awesome.  Running updates alone is incredibly easy, I'll dive into how to do this in a later post but essentially it's type a command in the command line, run the updates get out of your command line and continue working while the work is handled in the background. Sitting for up to 30 minutes waiting to use your computer again is now a thing of the past.

If you have thought about making the switch I would highly recommend at least trying it.  Boot off of a thumb drive or CD and just play for a little while. While I have immediate help at my fingertips (le boyfriend) you may not, so take your time and get to know Linux.  You will fall in love with all the things that are available with it.  Trust me, I'm on the internet.  They wouldn't let me post this if it weren't true.