Hello,

I have the windows version of Descent 3. I am willing to buy the Linux version, but cannot find it anywhere (I have tried ebay & google). There are also no seeders on torrent. I think that the data files are the same between platforms; if so, would someone please make the executable files available via torrent and let me know? Thanks.

This is a recurring problem. It's no longer in print, and several \"Linux-only\" game shops sold out a long time ago. I found a copy on eBay unopened last year, but with the increase of Linux, plus the fact that Descent is one of the best computer games ever, the few copies that were out there are gone.

You might want to check out threads here, here, and here.

The files to do this are about 10MB, but I've got a sucky host with no webspace. I have no qualms about offering the files when you can't even buy the Linux port anymore. I seriously doubt anybody from Loki would argue that point anyway. However, if at all possible, I'd recommend finding a native Linux copy if you can.

If anybody wants to step up and host the files, then I will put together a tar package with the files that differ, and a Howto for installing it using a working Windows install (or through wine, I've done it that way too). I see no reason not to do this, since almost every other game ported to Linux uses a Windows CD with a free Linux client. I will test it on a few systems before I consider it consumable, but I've pretty much already done the work figuring out how to do it.

Thoughts?

Off topic, but what made it sell out was just low supply, not necessarily much demand.

Bah. They could never have imagined the surge of demand that Descent3 for Linux would garner! Fie on thee for such heresies!

(just kidding, doesn't matter anyways)

I thought Loki had the rights for linux and went bankrupt, so after that no more Linux versions where produced. The maintenance done so far with patches and such was done through the community in general.

Here's a shop that sells Loki Descent 3.

http://www.ixsoft.de/cgi-bin/web_store. ... 23049_9884

Munk

I wouldn't mind offering the files for download. If you provide a list of the file names I can extract them from my current D3 Linux copy. I also have the patches and (I think) can remimber the little quirks of patching it.

They're listed in the second thread I linked to above, along with what is needed from the Windows version. I tried it this way and it worked, YMMV.

(edit) Come to think of it, I have a spare machine lying around... I'd like to do it from scratch, and offer the whole thing (with HOWTO for noobs) in a single file, just to make sure. If you could give me a day or so to put this together, I'd be happy to let you host it.

FunkyStickman,

Awesome! That would be great! Thank you!

And thank you Xamindar for the kind offer of hosting it!

Ha! Is this German? I can't interpret it. I tried clicking the "Englisch" link and it didn't get any better... lol! So close, but yet so far...

Why not just boot it up on wine?

the text on the ixsoft website:

OK, how did you do that? I clicked the "Englisch" link; I'm clueless as to what else to do.

One, because people have had problems with it... the Windows version requires DirectSound, which you have to have WineX (Cedega) to run, etc. etc.

Two, cause there's a native version that I'll redistribute the binaries to freely, and it runs fantastically, plus supports joysticks better than Wine does.

And no, I'm not surprised that shop is selling the Windows version, but since Loki never released the Linux installer separately, it must be a copy of the Linux install CD (sketchy, at best) or their own shellscript installer (the same thing which I'm going to offer here for free).

Sign me up. I don't have linux up right now, but I was thinking of running it on my second box, so I'd be interested in the port. (Oh, and I defn. need the n00b how-to.)

translated it myself

I'm working on an extensive Howto right now, doing a fresh install of it as well to test it. It may take me longer than today to do it, but I feel like it's worth it. I'll keep you posted, and get with Xamindar as soon as it's ready to go.

This is gonna be so freaking awesome!

Howto writeup is *DONE*. I'll have it up by tomorrow. Xam, can I email you the files? It's just the tar and the README, about 10MB total.

yeah, go ahead, junkxamindar@gmail.com

Ok, you can get FunkyStickman's Descent 3 for Linux file here:

http://www.radnimax.com/ftp/descent3/D3 ... les.tar.gz

Thanks FunkyStickman, I'll try your howto out as well tonite after work and offer any additional info if it is needed.

I most graciously appreciate it! The Howto is fairly detailed, but I'll take suggestions/clarifications to improve it. I simplified it as best as I could, but you have to draw a line somewhere as far as experience goes... if you don't know how to mount drives then the Howto isn't going to help you that much.

Should we move this thread to the Tech Section? Suncho contacted me a while back about hosting the files on descent3.com, I wonder if they're still interested?

YouDaMan, FunkyStickman! Thank you much for your selfless efforts! I will try to set it up this weekend and let you know how it goes.

Xamindar, thank you for your generosity in hosting the file! I just downloaded it.

PS: this would be an awesome addition to descent3.com and/or planetdescent.com.

lol! Good job!
Here's one for you:

Q:What do you call someone who can speak two languages?
A:Bilingual.

Q:What do you call someone who can speak three languages?
A:Trilingual.

Q:What do you call someone who can speak one language?
A:American.

Just got done with chapter 1! It's working great! And that HOWTO was awesome. Thank you FunkyStickman! You have done a great job. Wotta guy!

Any plans to post it to descent3.com or planetdescent.com?

It would be nice to have it there. You are also welcome to post my link anywhere you want. Please spread the word.

I can't tell you how happy I am to be able to help the Descent community. I'll probably run through the Howto once before I consider it final. Did you run across anything that was confusing? Seriously, even if it's something stupid, I'd like to know. I *know* it wasn't perfect...

Welcome to the Dark Side. You should now use the Linux Descent Logos I whipped together.

Hey, this Howto is great.
But maybe one should add a symbolic link from \"netgames/team anarchy.d3m\" to \"netgames/tanarchy.d3m\", as some people had complained that they could not join some team games in the past.

I've never heard of this problem before, so I tested it out, and you're right. When the Windows server is running a Team Anarchy game, Linux clients can't connect (at least mine couldn't) with a \"Failed to initialize game module\" error. You create a symlink in the \"Descent3/netgames\" directory, like so:

root@linux# cd /usr/local/games/Descent3/netgames
root@linux# ln -s tanarchy.d3m \"team anarchy.d3m\"

And then it works. This will be added to the Howto. Anything else?

(edit) You could also just rename the file. Theoretically, it should do the same thing. I'll play with it some more with several mixed clients and see how it behaves.

Okay, I did some testing, and this is what I found: (excuse me if somebody's already done this)

The Linux client works fine hosting and connecting to games by either creating a link, or renaming the netgame file. If you just create a link, then you'll have the option of selecting \"tanarchy\" and \"team anarchy\" in the menu when you host a game.

The Windows client will only connect to the \"team anarchy\" version, of course. However, *every time* I tried it, the Windows client would crash (and cause a hard lock) about 10 seconds into the game. The Linux host never flinched.

God, I hate Windows.

I'll test it later using the Windows version as a host, and see if it still locks up. For now, I'm tired of rebooting the poor thing.

Great howto FunkyStickman, thanks. I finally got around to doing it and it worked.

But I had to make one symlink to do it.

(the above should be run in the descent3 directory or you can just use the full pathname for the files)

This simple command above fixes a sig 11 crash that occures when the game just finishes loading the data on startup. I have had this problem on every installation of my desktop system for the past 2 years which have been Debian and then Gentoo. Thanks to The Linux Game Tome I was able to find a workaround. I don't know why the other Linux users in here are not having this problem, consider yourselves lucky

I would like to add this bit of info to your howto if it is OK with you, or you can add it and then upload the updated package to my ftp. It really should be added though

Also, one more thing that I think would be usefull is to make a note that sometimes certain audio taunts will crash the linux Descent3 (I think this is what happens, I have only tested it a little bit). So if you notice your Descent game crashing randomly while playing online you might try deleting all your audio taunts.