FreeCiv windows or linux

[Arbogast]

Thanks for the helpful tips

Little later...
Got Ubuntu going so far. (It's a whole different learning curve )
Actually, I don't understand Ubuntu. Don't know how to get -or launch- freeciv from it. Is there a Linux-Freeciv AND a different Windows-Freeciv? I found an oldish Linux-Freeciv somewhere, but I would rather have a 2.4.0-RC2. (like in Win)

(and computers are made to make your life easier)

[cazfi]

I found an oldish Linux-Freeciv somewhere, but I would rather have a 2.4.0-RC2. (like in Win)

Easiest is just to install Ubuntu's freeciv (yes, freeciv is part of most linux distributions). That's not the latest freeciv as we ship it, but rather the version Ubuntu took when they released their version of the distribution. Otherwise you have to build freeciv yourself from the sources (not so hard as it sounds, in linux)

Bad news is http://freeciv.wikia.com/wiki/Forum:Dro ... untu_13.10

I've started working on the customized Ubuntu CD/USB-image with freeciv included.

[cazfi]

I've started working on the customized Ubuntu CD/USB-image with freeciv included.

It's a bit rough (both the build procedure and the end product), but here's first version: http://meta.freeciv.org/iso/

For installing it to USB-stick, see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Insta ... omUSBStick

Use that for "Try Ubuntu" -option only. As freeciv is installed with autotools, and not from debian(/ubuntu) -package, "Install Ubuntu" would (likely) produce a system where package management doesn't know about existence of the freeciv despite freeciv files being there.

Ubuntu is 13.10 with latest updates as of today pulled in. Freeciv is latest revision from S2_4 (it has some bugfixes compared to 2.4.0).

There's gtk2-, gtk3-, and sdl-clients. Only one of them (freeciv-gtk2 in case of S2_4) has desktop file, called simply "freeciv". That one you can run from the desktop menus, for the others you have to start some terminal program (xterm, for example) and run the program by typing its name (freeciv-gtk3, freeciv-sdl) there.

[ngunjaca]

cazfi, that was quick. It is great what you have done as others will be able to try how Freeciv is running on Ubuntu.
I will also try your first iso image to see how it is working, and it is interesting to see that with this image we get the latest 2.4 branch version without some bugs that occured in the first release. I might as well copy the Freeciv files to my existing installation...

[cazfi]

Sorry I didn't realize to specify this earlier: That's 64bit operating system, so it can't be used with 32bit hardware (really old computers - but those probably cannot boot from USB-stick either). Once I get this build process cleaned up, I may look into switching to 32bit that can be used with both 32bit and 64bit computers.

[cazfi]

Added some documentation about the use of the image to http://meta.freeciv.org/iso/
The (extrenal) Ubuntu document about getting the image written to USB, and getting computer to boot from it, seem a bit complicated considering this is meant for non-tech-savvy people too. I just don't know what I can do about the kind of computers (hardware) people have... I should write "try this simple process first" -kind of document, though. Only if it doesn't work on particular computer, dive deeper to Ubuntu doc.

[cazfi]

I now tested it as USB-image on real hardware for the first time (so far I've been testing image as CD of virtual machine). Admittedly I had rather old laptop for the test, with all kind of weird stuff to detect during boot of such an unconfigured OS, but boot time was much worse than I had hoped - not something you stay waiting, but rather you turn on the computer, go to drink some coffee, and hope it has finished by the time you're back. I would appreciate if someone could test this with decent computer to see if boot time is bearable.

[louis94]

Hello,

Wouldn't it be easier to use a PPA or Open Build Service ? It would allow automatic updates of Freeciv and easier installation on existing systems. Creating the ISO would just be a matter of modifying software sources to include the repo and adding/installing the packages.

I'm willing to help Linux users get up-to-date Freeciv builds... Let me know if I can do something so work isn't done twice.

Louis

[cazfi]

Wouldn't it be easier to use a PPA or Open Build Service ?
Building is not the problem here, though if we used OBS for builds in general, integrating this too would make sense.

I'm willing to help Linux users get up-to-date Freeciv builds... Let me know if I can do something so work isn't done twice.

Well, had we suitable server, I would setup Jenkins for continuous integration, but I haven't planned setting up anything in OBS. Syntron might have something set up for SuSE builds. My server does nightly freeciv build (autotools level - no .deb packages) but its only purpose is to send an email to freeciv-dev list in case of build failure.

[cazfi]

I've started working on the customized Ubuntu CD/USB-image with freeciv included.

It's a bit rough (both the build procedure and the end product), but here's first version: http://meta.freeciv.org/iso/

For installing it to USB-stick, see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Insta ... omUSBStick

Use that for "Try Ubuntu" -option only. As freeciv is installed with autotools, and not from debian(/ubuntu) -package, "Install Ubuntu" would (likely) produce a system where package management doesn't know about existence of the freeciv despite freeciv files being there.

Ubuntu is 13.10 with latest updates as of today pulled in. Freeciv is latest revision from S2_4 (it has some bugfixes compared to 2.4.0).

There's gtk2-, gtk3-, and sdl-clients. Only one of them (freeciv-gtk2 in case of S2_4) has desktop file, called simply "freeciv". That one you can run from the desktop menus, for the others you have to start some terminal program (xterm, for example) and run the program by typing its name (freeciv-gtk3, freeciv-sdl) there.

I have uploaded new version (and will remove the old in a couple of days to save serverspace)

- Freeciv is 2.4.1
- Ubuntu is 13.10 with latest updates as of yesterday pulled in
- Freeciv 2.4.1 has desktop files for all relevan clients, so they are available via the desktop environment