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General discussionGOG.com Now Supports Linux!(115 posts)(115 posts)
(115 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted August 19, 2014
50 games for the free OS available right NOW!

A while ago, [url=http://www.gog.com/news/gogcom_soon_on_more_platforms]we've announced our plans to add Linux support as one of the features of our digital platform, with 100 games on the launch day sometime this fall. We've put much time and effort into this project and now we've found ourselves with over 50 titles, classic and new, prepared for distribution, site infrastructure ready, support team trained and standing by, and absolutely no reason to wait until October or November. We're still aiming to have at least 100 Linux games in the coming months, but we've decided not to delay the launch just for the sake of having a nice-looking number to show off to the press. It's not about them, after all, it's about you. So, one of the most popular site feature requests on our community wishlist is granted today: Linux support has officially arrived on GOG.com!

The first 50+ titles we've have in store for you come from all the corners of our DRM-Free catalog. Note that we've got many classic titles coming officially to Linux for the very first time, thanks to the custom builds prepared by our dedicated team of penguin tamers. That's over twenty fan-favorite GOG.com classics, like FlatOut&Flatout 2, , <a href="http://www.gog.com/game/darklands">Darklands, or Realms of the Haunting we've personally ushered one by one into the welcoming embrace of Linux gamers. That's already quite a nice chunk of our back-catalog, and you can expect more from our dedicated Linux team soon!

Now, for the recent titles. We've got some indie games with native Linux versions that finally find their well-deserved spot in our store. Among them, debuting on Linux, CLARC - a well received original comedic Sci-Fi puzzler. On top of that, be on the lookout for two new additions to the GOG.com catalog: Gods Will Be Watching (coming in a couple of hours) and Unrest:Special Edition (Linux build coming right up!), both of them very fresh and intriguing. This is the very first time we can provide you with all the PC versions of a premiere game, and we will continue to do so in the future. If there's a Linux version of a title we're releasing, our aim is to deliver it to you Day-1. But enough about us, let's talk about the games. Here's what you can be playing on Linux today:

Anomaly Warzone Earth
Ascendant
Bionic Dues
Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold - first time on Linux!
Blake Stone: Planet Strike - first time on Linux!
Bloodnet - first time on Linux!
Braveland
CLARC - first time on Linux!
Darklands - first time on Linux!
Darwinia
Defcon
Don't Starve + DLC
Dragonsphere - first time on Linux!
Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition
FlatOut - first time on Linux!
Flatout 2 - first time on Linux!
Fragile Allegiance - first time on Linux!
Gemini Rue
Gods Will Be Watching
Hammerwatch
Hocus Pocus - first time on Linux!
Kentucky Route Zero
The Last Federation
Legend of Grimrock
Litil Divil - first time on Linux!
Long Live the Queen
MouseCraft
Multiwinia
Normality - first time on Linux!
Pinball Gold Pack - first time on Linux!
Pinball World - first time on Linux!
Pirates! Gold Plus - first time on Linux!
Realms of the Haunting - first time on Linux!
Rex Nebular and the Cosmic Gender Bender - first time on Linux!
Rise of the Triad: Dark War - first time on Linux!
Shattered Haven
The Shivah HD
Sid Meier's Colonization - first time on Linux!
Sid Meier's Covert Action - first time on Linux!
Sir, You Are Being Hunted
Slipstream 5000 - first time on Linux!
Space Pirates and Zombies
Spacechem
Stargunner - first time on Linux!
SteamWorld Dig
Super Hexagon
Surgeon Simulator 2013
Sword of the Samurai - first time on Linux!
Teslagrad
Unrest:Special Edition (Linux build on the way!)
Uplink
VVVVVV

As if this wasn't exciting enough, we've put more than half of these titles on a special promo! Head out to the promo page and find out which of them you can get up to 75% off until Tuesday, 9:59AM GMT. Of course, all of the games from the list above that you already own will be updated with Linux versions with no additional cost for you, just as you might have expected from GOG.com.

"OK, but how will Linux support actually work on GOG.com" - you might ask. For both native Linux versions, as well as special builds prepared by our team, GOG.com will provide distro-independent tar.gz archives and support convenient DEB installers for the two most popular Linux distributions: Ubuntu and Mint, in their current and future LTS editions. Helpful and responsive customer support has always been an important part of the GOG.com gaming experience. We wouldn't have it any other way when it comes to Linux, and starting today our helpdesk offers support for our official Linux releases on Ubuntu and Mint systems.

Diversity and freedom of choice have always been an important part of the GOG.com way. We're very glad that we could improve our service with the addition of the free (and DRM-Free) alternative to the commercial operating systems. Talking with gamers is just as important, so we're counting on your feedback! If you've got any questions, suggestions, or run into any trouble, just tell us in the forum thread below this post. Just please be gentle, this is [url=http://youtu.be/qBxbPts5tOk" target="_blank]our very first time[/url] with Linux. Happy launch day, everyone!
Posted July 24, 2014
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IronArcturus: Does anyone know if the .deb files are 32-bit or 64-bit?
Most of them should be 32-bit but there are 64-bit versions available for those games that have a 64-bit version :)
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jalister: Flatout doesn't have a tarball.
Flatout 2 doesn't have a DEB installer.
They're both tarballs due to them using Wine :)
Post edited July 24, 2014 by JudasIscariot
Posted July 24, 2014
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JudasIscariot: Most of them should be 32-bit but there are 64-bit versions available for those games that have a 64-bit version :)

They're both tarballs due to them using Wine :)
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jalister: Thanks. Now I know what to look for.
Always read through the Linux system requirements as we make sure to state within them whether a game has only a 32-bit .deb or whether it uses Wine :)
Posted July 24, 2014
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JudasIscariot: Always read through the Linux system requirements as we make sure to state within them whether a game has only a 32-bit .deb or whether it uses Wine :)
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jalister: Just so you are aware, the download link for Flatout is listed as Linux Installer. Someone may want to correct that.
1. extract here
2. sudo ./start.sh --install

Yes, I know it's not as fancy as a deb but I count it as an installer :D Seriously speaking though, all non-DB games will have their tarballs listed as an installer for now, unless something changes in the future :)
Post edited July 24, 2014 by JudasIscariot
Posted July 24, 2014
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jalister: Just so you are aware, the download link for Flatout is listed as Linux Installer. Someone may want to correct that.
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ChrisSD: Just for my information (sorry if I've missed where this was explained)... Is the plan to make installers for all Linux games or will some always be just tarballs?
We prefer making .debs and tarballs where possible but it depends on the games themselves whether we offer just a tarball or a .deb + tarball combo :)
Posted July 24, 2014
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JudasIscariot: 1. extract here
2. sudo ./start.sh --install

Yes, I know it's not as fancy as a deb but I count it as an installer :D Seriously speaking though, all non-DB games will have their tarballs listed as an installer for now, unless something changes in the future :)
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jalister: Well;)
If that's the case, then Flatout 2 needs its download link changed from "Tarball archive" to "Linux installer". Just to be consistent.

Thanks for the install steps.
Thanks :) It's changed now :)
Posted July 24, 2014
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whystler2012: Will you make .deb installers for all the DOSBOX games? I never could get the Windows installer to run out of the box under WINE, so no longer having to worry about how to get the game in an installed state on Linux without having to copy and reconfigure manually from the Windows install would be great!
So far all of the DOSBoxed games we have available for Linux have both .debs and tarballs so I think we'll continue doing so fir the DOSBox games :)
Posted July 24, 2014
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JudasIscariot: So far all of the DOSBoxed games we have available for Linux have both .debs and tarballs so I think we'll continue doing so fir the DOSBox games :)
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whystler2012: Does that mean eventually ALL DOSBOX games will have Linux friendly installation methods?

I'm looking at MOM and MOO in particular!
If we get the rights to the Linux versions of them, yes, but we need the rights first :)
Posted July 24, 2014
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JudasIscariot: If we get the rights to the Linux versions of them, yes, but we need the rights first :)
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whystler2012: I thought those two games were DOS only. Never knew they had a native Linux version with separate rights.

Anyways, watching for updates on more of my games getting the penguin treatment!
No, they are DOS but we can't just make them Linux-compatible without getting permission of the rights owner :)
Posted July 24, 2014
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JudasIscariot: No, they are DOS but we can't just make them Linux-compatible without getting permission of the rights owner :)
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shmerl: Why is that a requirement? Because each contract limits OSes where the game can be supported explicitly? I mean, it can be in the contract, but why would anyone care to put it in (i.e. from the rightholders' perspective)?
I don't know why it is a requirement, just that it has to be agreed upon :)
Posted July 24, 2014
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JudasIscariot: If we get the rights to the Linux versions of them, yes, but we need the rights first :)
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Ovocean: And do you expect complicacies/refusals, or you think it will be straightforward and quick?
It's a case-by-case thing so I can't really say how things will go regarding signing future Linux versions :)
Posted July 24, 2014
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JudasIscariot: I don't know why it is a requirement, just that it has to be agreed upon :)
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shmerl: I mean, why would rightholders require it. But I guess it's just the case and lawyers from the owners side put all that copyright restrictions junk about supported platforms in contracts to make everyone's life harder. (Lawyers are paid for new contracts, so I guess that can be the reason ;).
I have no clue :) Legal stuff is over my head, I am just telling you the little I know about these kind of things :)
Posted July 24, 2014
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WhoKnowscs: I'm not sure if it was a bug or not or if I was just lucky to get in at a certain time. I'm not complaining because I got them for free just trying to inform. But I was randomly checking the pages out and ended up landing on one where Clarc ended up free for me. I also landed on Realms of the Haunting and Gifted it to myself for free.

I'm just writing to inform of a possible bug.
Already fixed but thank you anyways :)
Posted July 24, 2014
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JudasIscariot: I don't know why it is a requirement, just that it has to be agreed upon :)
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shmerl: I mean, why would rightholders require it. But I guess it's just the case and lawyers from the owners side put all that copyright restrictions junk about supported platforms in contracts to make everyone's life harder. (Lawyers are paid for new contracts, so I guess that can be the reason ;).
I used to deal with copyright law (albeit Polish one) on a daily basis a few years ago, so let me tell you this. Any legal contract has to be as specific as possible. For example, if you want to sign a contract for publishing a book, you not only need, but, as an author, you WANT to specify all of the possible fields of exploitation. You give the publisher rights to sell your book in print and in (i.e.) english language only, so that they cannot go behind your back and make money off (i.e.;) a digitized Portugese version without you being properly compensated.

Not only that, a contract can be challenged in a court of law if the fields of exploitation are not clearly enumerated. You can't just say "I hereby grant exclusive rights to sell a piece of work on ALL fields of exploitation", you have to clearly state which ones. There were a couple of cases in Polish courts about that very matter.

And right holders are sometimes very protective of their intellectual property, they want control over how it is distributed and what image it paints (and how much money it makes).

So in the end we have to clear every game for Linux on a case by case basis, and that takes time ;)
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JoeyJoeJoe87: I can't install any games, it won't let me use the downloader. What gives?
GOG Downloader is not available for use in case of Linux games, even if you try to download it from a Windows or OS X platform. It is due to some technical constraints on our part, sorry.
Post edited July 24, 2014 by Tolya
Posted July 24, 2014
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shmerl: Sounds like paranoid copyright. I saw some quite horrible examples of licenses obviously driven by such logic. At least one can read them in a funny way :)
Paranoia is the standard modus operandi in drafting legal contracts ;)
Posted July 24, 2014
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hedwards: There seem to be a few bad bugs here. Anybody else finding that the games will not start if you're using Mint and a non-English system language? German seems to cause it to fail miserably.

I'm also finding that with English, I'll get it to start, but it changes the resolution and won't change it back after I'm done playing.
I would send a ticket with the games that fail to start when using a non-English language setting :)
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Community
General discussionGOG.com Now Supports Linux!(115 posts)(115 posts)
(115 posts)