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Linux as a gaming platform

Ideology aside

Leszek Godlewski Programmer leszek.godlewski@thefarm51.com Digital Dragons 19-04-2013

What is this talk about?

It's NOT about:

Free software Ideology Business

It is about:

Linu 1!1 "e#elo$ment "e$loyment

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Who is this guy?

Cross-platform work
&' de facto ( Linu )

githu*.com+ine,uation -oy $ro.ects/ $ersonal utilities/ uni#ersity stuff 0ames as well1 2341%! 3rystal 5$ace id-ech %4*ased games Painkiller Hell !amnation Linu as $referred 65 for 78 years Former o$en4source e#angelist

Not an"more ( lost interest

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Who is this guy?

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU

WE PREACHED FREE SOFTWARE

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Who is this guy?

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Linux 101
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OMG LINUX!!11

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OMG LINUX!!11

<ichard =. 5tallman
5ource> htt$>++commons.wikimedia.org+wiki+File><=5?i0@Acius?techfest?iit*.BP0

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OMG LINUX!!11

DFEEk you/ @FI"I21G 4 Linus -or#als

5ource> htt$>++www.youtu*e.com+watchH#IiJKz=#l.2<L

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Kernel and the distros

$%buntu& $%buntu&!ebian& !ebian&'edora((() 'edora((()

Linu# Linu# distro distro

'ree 'ree software software

Linu# Linu# kernel kernel

Proprietar" Proprietar" software software

*+, supported CP% ar-.ite-tures/

htt$>++en.wiki$edia.org+wiki+List?of?Linu ?su$$orted?architectures

Ke usually mean i%;:+amd:9

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Who and why uses Linu ?

0.o:

5cientists &-6P5!!) I- com$anies Ha-kers and power users

0.":

ItMs free &well/ duh...) ItMs ro*ust It's -ustomizable

Long/ intrinsic traditions of free software @o esta*lished channels of $ro$rietary software distri*ution But 1team can *ecome a 2ame-.an2er/
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!tandards

Linu adheres to I56+IN3 standards/ such as PO1I3 and 1in2le %ni# 1pe-ifi-ation...
5ystem 2PI ( file system access/ threading/ access control/ IP3 etc. 3ommand4line shell utilities

...which also ha$$en to *e su$$orted *y 4a-O1 3/ 5ndroid/ iO1 &yes/ really1) and a handful of other 65es

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!tandards

Linu has OpenGL $61) for %" gra$hics rendering Linu has Open5L for %" audio with "5P Linu has 71! so-kets for networking Linu has lots of other $orta*le li*raries 2nd all of these things are also a#aila*le on other $latforms ( 5ndroid/ 4a-O1 3/ iO1/ 0indows1

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What does that "ean?

Linu

=o*ile

=ac65 O
E not to scaleP actual o#erla$ is greater
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#here are issues$ too

6$en source legacy ' unsta*le 2BIs

Khy need a sta*le one when you can .ust recom$ile the sourceH -his is why @FI"I2 distri*utes glue code with their dri#ers

6#treme heterogeneity

Package managers &software distri*ution mechanisms) Patches a$$lied to u$stream code ' $otential differences in functionality Qighly customized system configurations
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#here are issues$ too

Pro$rietary #s free 0PA dri#ers <ule of thum*> free dri#ers $erform more $oorly than $ro$rietary ones

Intel only has free/ *ut the hardware is *ad anyway Legacy 2="+2-I 0PAs only ha#e free/ and itMs ,uite good actually

@FI"I2 dri#ers are e,ually good as the Kindows ones 2="+2-I dri#ers are a *it worse than the Kindows ones

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!olution?

5ssume %buntu(
For de#elo$ment and testing alike Pro*a*ly the most $o$ular deskto$ distroE -his is what Fal#e does - Bonus $oints> 5team com$ati*lity1 Power users will get your game running on others anyway

E there are claims itMs Linu =int now/ *ut itMs still *ased on A*untu
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Development
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Getting started

8irtual ma-.ine Fair enough for *uilding @o such luck with testing

&unless you can #irtualise your 0PA)

Nati9e installation Painless dual *oot 0.i-. dis- ima2e to download: 0et whate#er Fal#e recommends for 5team

&the =ost recent L-5 release is a good *et)

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#ools

-ons and tons of I"Ns/ mostly a#erage

- Code::7lo-ks/ Codelite are 6R - -hereMs also 6-lipse if you can stand it

-ried S tested nati#e code toolchains

- GCC/ LL84 &-lan2) - 2old ( the new multithreaded linker *y 0oogle - 0@A binutils ( o*.co$y/ o*.dum$ etc.

F= toolchains
- 4ono/ Open;!<+Ora-le ;!<

Build tools

- 0@A make/ Cmake/ 1Cons/ 0@A autotools

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%ebugging

3PA 3lassic command4 line 2db/ 2dbser9er -ons of front4ends 0ra$hics 2!67u22er+Code3L N8I!I5 Nsi2.t for Ncli$se apitra-e
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- -2db &command4line) - Nemi9er/ !!! &0AI)

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!%L & the 'ross()lat*or" +%ire'tX,

Pro#ides>
- 2PI in 3 with ma$$ings to other languages - -imers and threads - In$ut ( mouse/ key*oard/ .oysticks+$ads &incl. Anicode characters) - Kindow management &incl. 0L conte t) - 2udio &#ery *are*one) - 2" gra$hics &hardware *litting)

Be sure to use 2.! for new $ro.ects1

- 5u$$ort for 6$en0L %8 - 5u$$ort for multi4#iew$ort a$$s

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!%L & the 'ross()lat*or" +%ire'tX,

5"L hides away most $latform4s$ecific code - -hatMs right/ no need to e#en use P65IO1
// main game l--. +hile (() { // ,i*.atch event* +hile (SDL_:-ll vent(;ev)){ *+itch (event<t2.e) { // <<< = = = SDL_Sh-+0'r*-r(()) SDL_/#_3ra4In.'t(SDL_3$56_!>>)) ret'rn &)

int main (int argc, char *argv[]) { // initialize SDL if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VID ! " SDL_INIT_TI# $) % &) ret'rn () // *et +in,-+ ca.ti-n SDL_/#_Set0a.ti-n(1#2 SDL 3ame1, 1#2SDL3ame1)) // hi,e m-'*e, gra4 in.'t SDL_Sh-+0'r*-r(&)) SDL_/#_3ra4In.'t(SDL_3$56_!N)) // ma7e SDL clean '. -n e8it ate8it(SDL_9'it)) 2%

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What i* !%L doesn-t 'ut it?

"es$ite its awesomeness/ 5"L has its shortcomings @o e $licit 0LO+K0L conte t data sharing and no direct conte t access ' no threaded rendering

@o %" $ositioning or "5P su$$ort in the stock 5"L audio su*system - Partially remedied *y 5"L?mi er 7ut we need t.ose/ Now w.at:/

&hit this corner while $orting Painkiller Q")

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.ust %I/ & 0O!IX 10I

=ost Kin2PI features ma$ to P65IO

- -hreading &$threads) - 2d#anced file I+6/ incl. memory4ma$$ed - 2d#anced memory allocation/ incl. $aging - IP sockets
?if ,efine,(/IN@A) "" ,efine,(__/IN@A__) mitterBCInternal:tr D Virt'al5ll-c(NELL, Size, # #_0!##IT " # #_$ S $V , :53 _ F 0ET _$ 5D/$IT )) // <<< ?el*e // ItG* a ENIF *2*temH I 7n-+ thi*H mitterBCInternal:tr D mma.(NELL, Size, :$!T_$ 5D " :$!T_/$IT " :$!T_ F 0, #5:_:$IV5T " #5:_5N!NI#!ES, B(, &)) // <<< ?en,if

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0O!IX 10I

-here is an e tensi#e/ centralised reference manual in the man.age*B,ev $ackage -y$e in a shell to access>
man %*ecti-n n'm4erC %*'4JectC

5ection num*er cheat sheet 1. 0eneral console commands 2. 5ystem calls %. 3 standard li*rary calls 9. 5$ecial files &/,ev/*) and dri#ers 5. File formats and con#entions
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X11 'lient 10I

Kindows gra$hical mode ma$s to O11

- 3lib is a $o$ular client li*rary for the O&11) Kindow 5ystem ser#er - 3C7 is a more modern re$lacement &often a *ack4 end for Oli*) - <aw e#ent $um$/ window management - 6$en0L intero$era*ility #ia the 0LO e tension
// event l--. F vent vent) +hile (F:en,ing(3F((Di*.la2)) { FNe8t vent(3F((Di*.la2, ; vent)) *+itch ( vent<t2.e) { // <<< = =

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.oysti'k2ga"e)ad 10I

@ot $art of O11 in$ut e#ent framework Rernel *lock de#ices - 3reated as /,ev/in.'t/J** - Qot$lug e#ents #ia li*ude# &also in 5team Linu <untime) - Qandled #ia -.en() and i-ctl() - "etailed documentation in the kernel

htt$>++kernel.org+doc+"ocumentation+in$ut+.oystick4a$i.t t

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0orting a %3% renderer to O)enGL

2C

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0orting a %3% renderer to O)enGL

Portin2 1our-e To Linu#: 8al9e's Lessons Learned

Fal#e S @FI"I2/ 0-3 2!1%
Fideo> htt$>++goo.gl+.=OC2 5lides> htt$>++goo.gl+Ft25k

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4ow to deal with heterogeneity?

2s mentioned earlier/ li*rary 2BIs tend to *e unsta*le

- 0li*c tags its sym*ols with #ersion ' multi$le #ersions for *ackwards com$ati*ility - 3om$ile with newest #ersion ' *inary might not run on older #ersions

-he NLF format is constantP *ut e#en then>

- "ynamic li*rariesM DsonamesG &including #ersion num*ers) are *aked in at link time ' *inary might not run if system $ro#ides a different #ersion

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4ow to deal with heterogeneity?

How:
1tati- linkin2
8 will work fore#er 4 *inary *loat

!istribute wit. libs

8 will work fore#er 4 redundant to other games &also a form of *loat) 4 $otential licensing issues
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4ow to deal with heterogeneity?

6r use the 1team Linu# =untime

htt$s>++githu*.com+Fal#e5oftware+steam4runtime

3ollection of essential $ackages Dri$$edG from A*untu re$os 8 $atches

- freety$e/ glew/ gtk82.!/ li*gsm/ li*ogg/ li*o$enal1/ li*sdl1.2/ li*sdl2/ li*#or*is/ li*theora/ li* 11/ li* c*/ $ulseaudio... - <elease and de*ug #ersions of all li*s

<eady4to4use 0334*ased toolchains for i%;: and amd:9 5hi$s with 5team/ so e9er" &non4orthodo ) Linu# 2amer .as it

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!tea" 5unti"e *or non(!tea" ga"es

5tart4u$ shell scri$ts are common $ractice - 5earch for an installed 5team <untime instance - If not found/ install your $ri#ate co$y - 6nly when the 5L< is a#aila*le/ run the actual *inary

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!tea" 5unti"e *or non(!tea" ga"es

?H/4in/*h if [ Bz KST 5#_$ENTI# ]) then ST 5#_$ENTI# DKL!# /<*team/*team/'4'nt'(A_@A/*teamBr'ntime fi if [ H B, KST 5#_$ENTI# ]) then ? in*tall .rivate c-.2 -f Steam $'ntime fi e8.-rt LD_LI6$5$I_:5TLD1KST 5#_$ENTI# /i@MN/li4/i@MNBlin'8Bgn'O1P 1KST 5#_$ENTI# /i@MN/li4O1P 1KST 5#_$ENTI# /i@MN/'*r/li4/i@MNBlin'8Bgn'O1P 1KST 5#_$ENTI# /i@MN/'*r/li4O1P 1KST 5#_$ENTI# /am,NQ/li4/8MN_NQBlin'8Bgn'O1P 1KST 5#_$ENTI# /am,NQ/li4O1P 1KST 5#_$ENTI# /am,NQ/'*r/li4/8MN_NQBlin'8Bgn'O1P 1KST 5#_$ENTI# /am,NQ/'*r/li4O1P 1KLD_LI6$5$I_:5TL1 ? la'nch the act'al game here

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Lo'ales

-he 3 standard defines lo-ales for language and regional settings &see manR*etl-cale) -hey affect *.rintf()+**canf() and more Oli* can modify locale categories for 0AI a$$s &see man FSetL-cale#-,ifier*) N am$le P65IO locales> .l_:L<ET>M/

en_36<IS!BMMSTB(/ r'_$E<U!IMB$

-he Linu manual might make it seem like retrie#ing current locale is as easy as calling
charR*l-caleRDR*etl-cale(L0_5LL, NELL))
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Lo'ales

No su-. lu-k/
// 4ac7'. the -riginal a..licati-n l-cale char *L-cale D *etl-cale(L0_5LL, NELL)) char *!riginalL-cale D NELL) if (L-cale ;; *L-cale) !riginalL-cale D *tr,'.(L-cale)) // re*et l-cale t- *2*tem ('*er) ,efa'lt *etl-cale(L0_5LL, 11)) // retrieve the ,efa'lt l-cale L-cale D *etl-cale(L0_5LL, NELL)) // .r-ce** l-cale here // re*t-re -riginal l-cale if (!riginalL-cale) { *etl-cale(L0_5LL, !rigL-cale)) free(!riginalL-cale)) =
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6 tra'ting debugging sy"bols

Ke often want to kee$ sym*ols for shi$$ing *inaries 6n Kindows ( kee$ the .$d* files 6n Linu

-4Jc-.2 BB-nl2B7ee.B,e4'g 1K{t-*tri.file=1 1K{,e4'g,ir=/K{,e4'gfile=1 *tri. BB*tri.B,e4'g BB*tri.B'nnee,e, 1K{t-*tri.file=1 -4Jc-.2 BBa,,Bgn'B,e4'glin7D 1K{,e4'g,ir=/K{,e4'gfile=1 1K{t-*tri.file="
%;

P P P P P

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7rash handler

6n P65IO this is called a si2nal .andler 5ignals are a $rimiti#e IP3 mechanism used not only for crashes

- "e*ugger tra$s/ floating $oint e ce$tions/ terminal hangu$/ e it re,uests... 5ee the out$ut of 7ill Bl

Jou can take a shortcut *y using>

- li*5egFault ( $art of gli*c/ try>
K LD_:$ L!5DD/li4/li4Seg>a'lt<*/li4/li4Seg>a'lt<*P

- 2ndrew -ridgellMs seg#?handler

htt$>++www.sam*a.org+.unkcode+Tseg#?handler
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1 word on li'ensing

Khene#er you use a li*rary/ -.e-k its li-ensin2 terms/ GPL is restri-ti9e - <e,uires deri#ati#e works to use 0PL ' sharing the source code LGPL is restricti#e with linkin2 e#-eption - 2llows linking to an L0PL li*rary without sharing the source code 4IT/ 71! and >lib licenses are generally permissi9e/ some might re,uire ad#ertising
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Deployment
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Where do I )ut the *iles?

Kindows - 0ame data and *inaries> 3>UProgram Files - Aser data> V2PP"2-2V/ "ocuments... - 2o54like organization Linu &con#entional) - 0ame *inaries> +usr+*in+/ +usr+games+ - 0ame data> +usr+share+games+ - Aser data> WQ6=N+.config+

- 5o24like organization - 'iles"stem Hierar-." 1tandard

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&WO"0?36@FI0?Q6=N en#ironment #aria*le)

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Where do I )ut the *iles?

FQ5 mainly concerns distro $ackages Pro$rietary software often installs into +o$t+X$ackage nameY+

&D2dd4on a$$lication software $ackagesG)

Pro$rietary software also often installs Dwhere#erG 5team games li#e in Z+.steam+steam+5team2$$s+ Bust $ut game data and *inaries in one $lace/ and sa#e user data to Z+.config+

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7reating installation bundles

@ot rele#ant for 5team games &duh) 5im$le .tar.gz archi#es

"istro $ackages &.r$m/ .de*...) 5elf4e tracting command4line installers as shell scri$ts

$ tar czvf <archive name> \ <input files...>

htt$s>++coderwall.com+$+y%u$,w

=o.o5etu$
htt$>++icculus.org+mo.osetu$+

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Summary
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!u""ary

Nngineering costs of a Linu $ort for an already multi$latfrom game engine are low - DItMs .ust an 2PIG[ 5"L co#ers a lot of *oiler$late for you 6#ercoming heterogeneity is essential - 5team Linu <untime is hel$ing to fi it Katch out for those licenses1 Khen in dou*t> - Ase A*untu - "o whate#er Fal#e does

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Questions?
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leszek.godlewski@thefarm51.com

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!)e'ial thanks

="an ?I--ulus@ Gordon

Ins$iration S software contri*utions

4i-.aA 0iel2us
3ritical re#iew S free software comrade

0etting stuff done for me on the PRQ" $ort

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=ein.ard Polli-e

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leszek.godlewski@thefarm51.com