WILL TRAINZ EVER BE PORTED OVER TO LINUX

Umm, well, Windows or Linux, pros and cons each side, the debate rages on. I was in IT myself as a consultant, for various local companies, and some companies mainly use Macs(publishing, for example), and many use Windows. I only worked on a UNIX system for one company in comparison.
Anyway, as a comparison installing Windows 7 on a 6 month old pc(self built, I have been a builder/configuration expert for years), Intel i5-750 3.3 Ghz cpu, Nvidia 460 Graphics card, and creative sound. Windows 7 didnt recognize the sound or wireless network. I installed the Latest Ubuntu 11 as a dual-boot and Ubuntu installed all drivers and sound, video, and wireless internet worked immediately. With the video properly set for 1080P. I only had to enable the 3D effects for the desktop. Pretty good detection for a free os ( and its garbage to say something free can't be just as good as paid-for software). Self-built can be higher quality hardware than dell, Hp, whoever, if the builder is competent. Windows only does as well as it does because of the tremendous amount of Windows software, and developers who only develop for its market share. Yep, I have also worked for a small company developing web applications, run on a Windows server.
 
gawpo50 said:
Hi John

You are wrong on a couple of points in the above quote.

1. Solaris is not and never will be Linux, it is it's own proprietary OS
2. All versions of Linux use the same kernel, just like Windows versions all use the same kernel.
3. The only differences among each flavor of linux is the package tool the each use and what they package with their base distribution.
4. There is generally no problems with most new hardware on the market now, if the linux kernel has the driver code in it, it will recognize the item right away.

I have successfully had TS2009 and TS2010 both running under Ubuntu using wine including Content Manager. The only problem I have come across was in the version of Wine I was using at the time which caused some of the larger routes to take a long time loading. Over the next few weeks, I will be trying to get TS12 to work under Ubuntu, will let any users who are interested know if it works on the forum.

Pter :)
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Anything ever come of this. I tried getting TS12 to run in Ubuntu 11.04 with Wine, but no go.

Trainz is the only game software i use, so i am interested in any solutions to get rid of Windows altogether.

IKB.
 
Personally i mind quite a lot.
I have 2 computers. One has Linux which is a faff to load and takes donkeys years to do anything. That languishes at the bottom of a pouff. I also have a Win7 dell xps 15 that is quick and runs basically anything and everything. Got loads of things installed. TRS2006 (pre-owned and already registered) TS2009, Ship Sim 2008 UEFA Euro 2008 and much more. I know which one I prefer.
 
uracco said:
Personally i mind quite a lot.
I have 2 computers. One has Linux which is a faff to load and takes donkeys years to do anything. That languishes at the bottom of a pouff. I also have a Win7 dell xps 15 that is quick and runs basically anything and everything. Got loads of things installed. TRS2006 (pre-owned and already registered) TS2009, Ship Sim 2008 UEFA Euro 2008 and much more. I know which one I prefer.
Click to expand...

Yeah I once had a computer like that, now in use as a door stop, the 486 on the front looks real nice.
Now I have an AMD 6 core @3.36GHz with 4 gig ram (sd3 1600) running Ubuntu, and it flies :D

Cheers David
 
johnwhelan said:
UNIX / Linux is taught in college and University environments which is unfortunate as it turns out computer science graduates who don't understand the importance of costs and the importance of support.
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Well, not so much any more. I work at a major state university in Indiana. The last university-sponsored Linux fest was two years ago. Not enough interest. Special systems and servers running Red Hat are about it. A few students run it on their personal systems, but it's rare to see. Oh yeah, Big Red, our supercomputer, runs a customized version of Suse, supported by IBM.

The university departments where I do tech support run Windows 7 pc's and a handful of Macs for graphic arts. The only Linux box I have is a Western Digital ShareSpace network-attached storage device.

I once read that "only college students and masochists have the time and inclination to run Linux." :p
 
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reply

after many hours of messing with ubuntu 11.04 i did manage to get ts 12 working, the only problem i have come across is when you start the game it takes forever to get a route started up, but once you do it runs pretty good,i used a program called crossover games that helps get microsoft games working under linux, it also works for a variety of difrent linux versions, only time will tell, these 3rd party software guys work hard to get games working properly in linux, and its also a challenge to the end user if you have the time, and want to learn the unix system
 
just an update

I have a few friends and i are working on getting trainz 12 running under linux, zorin os 5 64 bit, i will try to get some youtube video's up just to show that the game will run under zorin, i have alot of spare time , and it would be a great goal to be able to see this happen, just a work in progress, crossover games and play on linux keeps getting better and better, of course i would never dispose of windows like i would like to because i have first person shooters i play alot, and they wont even start up under linux, and bf3 is coming up in october :-)
 
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Everyone who has a tablet has either Ipad or Android. At the moment, you have to "learn" Android and Windows or use Apple if you want to do something more powerful. Windows isn't even in the 'phone / tablet market yet. What is the problem in making a Linux system which emulates Android? If the functionality of Android is extended to a desktop / laptop environment the new generations (who have a standard system on 'phones and tablets) would not have to learn 2 systems. Linux is stuck with its reputation. Bring out a Linux with a front-end called "SuperAndroid" which controls a Linux machine. If Trainz can run well on Android tablets (and I can't fault it on an ASUS Transformer Prime under ICS or Jellybean) and has 90% of the functionality of Tranz 2012 plus touch-screen input I can't see where a problem would exist in converting it to run on a "SuperAndroid" Linux.
 
nugget2225 said:
actually alot of computer companies will install ubuntu by request, in the past ubuntu was a geek os, but these days its very easy to install for someone that doesnt even know much about computers, who knows trainz may eventually run better ported to linux than it does on windows.;)
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For very high tech niche applications which I was involved with for many years, Linux is preferred by many software folks for it's stability.
 
andyjenk2 said:
Everyone who has a tablet has either Ipad or Android. At the moment, you have to "learn" Android and Windows or use Apple if you want to do something more powerful. Windows isn't even in the 'phone / tablet market yet. What is the problem in making a Linux system which emulates Android? If the functionality of Android is extended to a desktop / laptop environment the new generations (who have a standard system on 'phones and tablets) would not have to learn 2 systems. Linux is stuck with its reputation. Bring out a Linux with a front-end called "SuperAndroid" which controls a Linux machine. If Trainz can run well on Android tablets (and I can't fault it on an ASUS Transformer Prime under ICS or Jellybean) and has 90% of the functionality of Tranz 2012 plus touch-screen input I can't see where a problem would exist in converting it to run on a "SuperAndroid" Linux.
Click to expand...

Windows has a couple of phones coming out in the next two months, and one of them is supposed to be pretty good.
 
Mac? No, thanks, that's about the last platform I'd use. Windows is ok where it is, but it's moving towards an iTunes-ish, if not mobile market-like way of doing things (tightly-controlled access, apps only available through their store, the Windows/Apple store taking a huge cut of revenue, etc.) The Windows PC will be viable for many, many more years to come in it's current state, but it's understandable that both users and developers don't want to be locked into an expensive monopoly.

I would definitely buy Trainz for Linux, though, even though I'm not expecting it to happen anytime soon.

Edit: To answer your question, Ubuntu is one of the most "user-friendly" flavors of the Linux operating system. Read more here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux
 
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I don't unsterstand the need to run Trainz on Linux when it runs ok on Windows. Would the Linux users be prepared to pay the extra cost of developing for that platform for if not there would need to be a rise in prices across the board to recoup those costs.

Ken
 
KenGreen said:
I don't unsterstand the need to run Trainz on Linux when it runs ok on Windows. Would the Linux users be prepared to pay the extra cost of developing for that platform for if not there would need to be a rise in prices across the board to recoup those costs.

Ken
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I use both equally plus I have a Mac so it doesn't bother me one way or the other what runs on what, I have all avenues covered. :hehe:

However.

Did the other minority OS users contribute as you are suggesting? Mac users are also a minority.
Linux users would, the same as Mac users pay for the development by purchasing a version of Trainz for their chosen platform, point being I don't think there are enough people who are that interested in a niche hobby like railway sims that use Linux to make it profitable.

Why Trainz on Linux? Because it is an operating system that has been around as long as Windows and millions of people use it, not as many as Windows granted but still a large number
and in a free world they are quite entitled to ask that their chosen operating system is supported. It probably isn't likely to happen unless Microsoft suddenly shuts down though.

Why use Linux? Personal choice, No need for antivirus programs anti malware programs and daily updates or if behind a router a firewall, so long as you stick to the rules and don't run as root, a Linux kernel has inbuilt security features. An operating system that only require around 4GB of space yet can perform all the functions that Windows can using it's vast resource of free programs. You can also easily customise your desktop to use whatever window manager suits you best, you are not stuck with one choice as in Windows.

Android is based on the Linux kernel, 99% of routers use Linux, navigational aids, NASA, Quite a few governments, Many webservers are Linux, think N3V's are actually. Facebook uses guess what? Linux, Googles servers are, yep Linux again and of course YouTube is also on Linux.

Many Linux programs have actually been ported to Windows, Blender was a Linux application still is, VLC is a Linux program, Open Office is a Linux developed program these probably would never have made it to Windows if there was no Linux.

Linux may not be mainstream in home computing but it certainly isn't insignificant.
 
Malc
What are the proportion of Linux users to Windows and how many copies of Trainz would this translate to. Would the development costs be recouped from those sales if not Windows users would have to subsidise them. As I understand it Chris pushed for the Mac version whether that was viable or not we don't know. Obviously the tablet versions will make a profit because of sheer volume of sales.

Ken
 
The person who can actually give an accurate answer to the number of Linux users I don't think exists, however it's not very big. Depending on where you look its anywhere between 1 and 4% of Total users. No one really knows as you can't get sales figures for free operating systems and figures from Linux sites are heavilly weighted. Ubuntu claim 200 million, I dispute that!
The only figures there are seem to come from hits on Web sites, latest guestimate is from Wikipedia, is here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems chart at the top and another different one lower down.

If you go to other sources you get different figures http://www.netmarketshare.com/operating-system-market-share.aspx?qprid=10

I think this guy sums up the inaccuracies here http://jeffhoogland.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/operating-systems-and-market-share.html

Total Internet users at the end of 2011 was 6,930,055,154 assuming 2% of Linux users that's 138,601,103 and a bit users.
 
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clam1952 said:
Why use Linux? Personal choice, No need for antivirus programs anti malware programs and daily updates or if behind a router a firewall, so long as you stick to the rules and don't run as root, a Linux kernel has inbuilt security features.

Linux may not be mainstream in home computing but it certainly isn't insignificant.
Click to expand...

The reason the government organization I used to work for stopped using a number of UNIX servers was because there was no antivirus programs or anti malware programs available. We were allowed to run some that had antivirus software installed. Out of 10,000 desktops and lap tops I only remember one UNIX desktop and that was in the mainframe group, completely isolated from the network it was used to try out emulation software in case our mainframe broke down. Our security rules were no machines were allowed unless they had at least an antivirus program. I think HP once told us that antivirus wasn't an issue with MPE, no one knew the operating system commands anyway.

Our windows servers running Microsoft SQL server were rated the most secure, one major problem with UNIX systems were the number of programs that installed with an admin level backdoor userid and password. I used to have a list of default userids and default passwords and I don't think a single UNIX server out of the forty odd we had when scanned had all its default userids and passwords locked down. In theory you can do it, in practice all the servers with Oracle on were wide open.

There are reasons for using UNIX but security isn't one of them.

Cheerio John
 
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