Linux and Windows Versions Incompatible

[medavox]

Hello, I noticed tonight that the currently available Debian APT repo version of warzone (2.3. lags behind the Windows installer version (2.3.9); this makes any normal Debian derivative user (and probably other distros, similarly) unable to play warzone with a Windows player -- who, as far as I can tell, can only download an installer from SourceForge for the very latest version.

I know that is possible to find or compile compatible versions for netplay; however I couldn't find a method that took less than 20 minutes, and most users are unlikely to spend longer than that to get a game to play with a friend.

I also understand that the version of Warzone in software repos are compiled by the repository maintainers, and are not your responsibility to maintain.

However, all you have to do to make users' lives easier, is to leave an installer for the previous windows release of warzone available on SourceForge. That way, users looking for a quick fix in order to play with the linux guy, whose repository is behind the current release, still have a way to play together: both of them can play the older version (in this case 2.3..

I know that this is a slightly unhandsome workaround, using the previous version, but it's fast and easy, requires no effort (simply don't remove the previous version's installer when you upload the new one; maybe get rid of older than that, though) and is preferable to people not being able to play together at all, isn't it?

Also, the date that the latest version on the main page was released would be extremely helpful.
Thanks.

[NoQ]

Debian

Debian is a stable distro that doesn't update any of its software after distro release, apart from bugfixes, and distro releases happen once in a few years.
If you want to have latest version in the repository, use rolling-release distros like archlinux.

But in fact most of the linux users compile warzone2100 from source, and it's extremely simple (in fact, the code that actually needs compiling is very small ... hardly takes 1 or 2 minutes, and since warzone is already a part of distribution, commands like apt-get build-dep warzone2100 (for debian-based distros) instantly provide you with all build-time dependencies (so you can just get the tarball and do ./configure && make and run src/warzone2100 without even installing). Got it? 3-step guide, which is not any slower than running the windows installer.

[medavox]

Thanks for the reply

most of the linux users compile warzone2100 from , and it's extremely simple

That is quite an assumption to make about your users, especially for something as usually undemanding as a game; I make no apologies for the fact that I've used Debian-derivatives for nigh on 5 years, yet rely largely on the contents of software repos. In that time, I have never found a guide which makes compiling programs from source as undaunting and easy as installing from APT, or indeed even found good reason to regularly compile anything but my own work from source.

Which, IMHO, is as it should be, what with laymen's ease-of-use being APT's raison d'etre. Normal end-users should not be expected to delve into using dev packages in order to play a game with some friends. Maybe that is a sign of my ignorance (although in my defense I have coded for 2 years in Java and C; not long, but enough), but it's my opinion that there should be a divide, without overlap, between use by layperson/end-users, and use by power- or advanced users. One should be able to use a computer as one type of user, without having to become the other in normal operation.

(in fact, the code that actually needs compiling is very small ... hardly takes 1 or 2 minutes, and since warzone is already a part of distribution, commands like apt-get build-dep warzone2100 (for debian-based distros) instantly provide you with all build-time dependencies (so you can just get the tarball and do ./configure && make and run src/warzone2100 without even installing)

Thankyou very much for the readily-given advice on compiling; that command does seemingly take the legwork out of gathering build-time dependencies, although I haven't got it to work on code which isn't in my repos; I will try again later.

Incidentally I successfully cross-compiled the 2.3.9 source tarball last night based on the cross-compile guide, so well done for providing detailed information on that. It didn't obviously mention dependencies gettext and libtools, possibly because they seem to be basic GNU build tools (or maybe i missed their mention in a different part of the guide), but crunchbang lacked them initially. If I had edit access to the wiki, I would be happy to help rectify any small omittals I spotted.

Like I said in my initial post, I understand that it is possible for users to manually fix this problem themselves; but, believe it or not, non-technically minded Linux users do exist, and they should not have to compile a source tarball (two terms i would guess they would not be familiar with) in order to effect normal usage of a piece of software.

[NoQ]

your users

Come on, they're not *my* users, i'm just a regular user here (:

Which, IMHO, is as it should be, what with laymen's ease-of-use being APT's raison d'etre. Normal end-users should not be expected to delve into using dev packages in order to play a game with some friends. Maybe that is a sign of my ignorance (although in my defense I have coded for 2 years in Java and C; not long, but enough), but it's my opinion that there should be a divide, without overlap, between use by layperson/end-users, and use by power- or advanced users. One should be able to use a computer as one type of user, without having to become the other in normal operation.

Well, that's the main point of a linux distribution ... a set of software that is well-fit to each other, but any desire of bringing another version into an existing distribution is a certain pain. Anyhow, somebody just needs to maintain a PPA.

[Per]

Maybe ask the Debian mantainer to make new .debs for the most recent version available for download somewhere?

Linux really needs an App Store thing for pushing 3rd party updates straight to users.

[Chojun]

That is quite an assumption to make about your users, especially for something as usually undemanding as a game [...] Normal end-users should not be expected to delve into using dev packages in order to play a game with some friends. Maybe that is a sign of my ignorance (although in my defense I have coded for 2 years in Java and C; not long, but enough), but it's my opinion that there should be a divide, without overlap, between use by layperson/end-users, and use by power- or advanced users. One should be able to use a computer as one type of user, without having to become the other in normal operation.

Hear hear! I agree emphatically and wholeheartedly.

One should always be careful of the assumptions one is making about one's end-users.

I am an Android smartphone user and if I had to download then compile, then install an app, I wouldn't do it, even though I know how. It's just too many button presses for an instant gratification kind of world. And I'm being serious, too.

[medavox]

I'm glad to have gotten such a response from people
I will see if I can contact the debian games repo maintainer and ask for an update.
A PPA isn't a bad idea either. If I looked into making one of these for debian-based distros, would that help? and would it be well-known enough to be truly useful?
How long has 2.3.9 been out?

[NoQ]

and would it be well-known enough to be truly useful?

I believe it would be good to get it mentioned somewhere near the download page if anything like that is actually created (i'm in no position to tell that though).

How long has 2.3.9 been out?

http://wz2100.net/news/8544 (?)

[medavox]

http://wz2100.net/news/8544

Ah my oversight, thankyou. The announcement was no longer on the main page.

I've now sent a brief email to the package maintainers.

[NoQ]

The announcement was no longer on the main page.

There's the "older news" button below (: