Is Redhat 8.0 or Mandrake 9.0 any easier with installing apps, games, or drivers than past releases?

[WyteWatt]

I know .rpm files are easy to install but not everything is .rpm. I am talking more like .tar i think it is or something like that. Its like a zipped linux file i believe. I hate installing those because you have to know all those commands and i get all confused. Are these kind of programs, drivers, or games easier to install ? Like is Wine easier to install now or not as tricky? I am a gamer and i wanted to try to maybe make linux my primary os if possible ever. Linux seems to be getting better everyday. I wish there could be someway to have like a install and uninstall button when installing or uninstalling programs,games, or drivers but they type the commands for you when you press the button instead of having to type it everytime. Not sure if that will ever happen though. I mean it doesn't have to be something that is there to stay just a option thats on by default but can be turned off.


Thanks

 

[cleverhandle]

I know .rpm files are easy to install but not everything is .rpm. I am talking more like .tar i think it is or something like that. Its like a zipped linux file i believe.

Yeah, those are source code archives.

I hate installing those because you have to know all those commands and i get all confused.

Aw...

Are these kind of programs, drivers, or games easier to install ?

No. You're compiling a piece of frigging C code into an executable. C code is not sentient. It does not know what kind of computer you have or where your files are. It will not make you coffee.

Like is Wine easier to install now or not as tricky?

There are rpm's for wine. Maybe they're not out the moment that the distro is released, but just wait. Or, if you don't want to wait, you can always compile the source code.

I am a gamer and i wanted to try to maybe make linux my primary os if possible ever.

Why? Linux sucks for games.

Linux seems to be getting better everyday.

That part is correct.

I wish there could be someway to have like a install and uninstall button when installing or uninstalling programs,games, or drivers but they type the commands for you when you press the button instead of having to type it everytime. Not sure if that will ever happen though. I mean it doesn't have to be something that is there to stay just a option thats on by default but can be turned off.

I won't even go there...

 

[WyteWatt]

cleverhandle will gaming in linux always suck ? i mean some games work pretty well i hear like unreal 2003, quake 3 arean ,etc. I mean i bet gaming is somewhat better than what it use to be in linux.

 

[cleverhandle]

It will never be as good as in Windows, simply because the vast majority of games are developed using DirectX, which is Windows-specific. Transgaming does some nice stuff with WineX, but they always have to play catch-up trying to translate DirectX calls into OpenGL calls. That takes time - both coding time and machine time. A few games have a decent enough Linux market and a compatible enough engine, like UT, that the publisher will port the game to Linux properly, but there aren't many games that are worth this. You can't blame the publisher - why pay to port the software for a tiny percentage of customers? Especially when most of those customers will buy the game in Windows if there's no Linux version forthcoming.

 

[WyteWatt]

cleverhandl true. Do you think linux will ever have a chance of being a desktop os sense it will really not ever catch up to windows in the gaming area? I guess for people who are not gamers then thats a different story. Then again i guess you could always dual boot. I may try linux just to see how games run. Maybe they will be better than i expect and surprise me but i am not holding my breath. I am sure some games will be like that but most of them not.