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General fluff => Off-Topic => Topic started by: time-killer-games on July 16, 2014, 02:33:08 pm

Title: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: time-killer-games on July 16, 2014, 02:33:08 pm
I'd like to install a Linux OS that is specifically something other than Ubuntu. I want it to not replace my Windows 7 but rather dual boot with it side-by-side, so I can select which to boot in every time I turn on my PC. I don't want an *.iso disk image file, I want an exe installer similar to Wubi (an Ubuntu installer exe) but to install a non-Ubuntu Linux OS so I can test my "Ubuntu" GMS games and see if they work on non-Ubuntu OS's. YYG said their Ubuntu module (even though it is only targeted to specifically run on and cater to Ubuntu) can also run games on non-Ubuntu Linux OS's and I want to test how well they work and investigate the level of compatibility there is with GMS games on different Linux OS's.
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: Goombert on July 16, 2014, 05:42:13 pm
I suggest CentOS and anything Red Hat.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/CentOS_5.gif)
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: Rusky on July 16, 2014, 06:53:28 pm
Fedora is also in that "family tree" and is possibly more popular as a desktop distro. Nothing but Ubuntu really has anything equivalent to Wubi. You can just get an external hard drive something if you really want to avoid partitioning, though.
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: edsquare on July 17, 2014, 01:52:38 am
I'd like to install a Linux OS that is specifically something other than Ubuntu. I want it to not replace my Windows 7 but rather dual boot with it side-by-side, so I can select which to boot in every time I turn on my PC. I don't want an *.iso disk image file, I want an exe installer similar to Wubi (an Ubuntu installer exe) but to install a non-Ubuntu Linux OS so I can test my "Ubuntu" GMS games and see if they work on non-Ubuntu OS's. YYG said their Ubuntu module (even though it is only targeted to specifically run on and cater to Ubuntu) can also run games on non-Ubuntu Linux OS's and I want to test how well they work and investigate the level of compatibility there is with GMS games on different Linux OS's.

wubi is not dual boot, although it may seem so, it's an exe therefore it installs ubuntu inside windows as another program, this makes ubuntu slower (both oses use ram), more prone to failure and vulnarable to anything that may fuck your windows.

To have a dual boot (like me) you need to:

1.- Defrag your harddrive

2.- Shrink the windows partition from windows itself, always from right to left and never the other way around. once you start the shrinking process there's no turning back, you must wait untill it finishes or risk damaging your windows.

3.- insert a cd/dvd/usb with the distro you want to install

4.- Re-start the pc

5.- Press F12 untill you listen a bip, chirp or some other sound

6.- Choose start from the media where you have the distro

7.- Test if it works ok and then choose install alongside windows

8.- Follow the instructions and answwer the questions the installer presents you.

9.- Once the installation process is done you will be informed that you ca keep trying the OS in live session or reboot

10.- Upon reboot you'll have 10 seconds to choose the OS, the first is the linux in normal mode and the bottom one is your windows.

11 .- Enjoy a trully Operating Operatin System  ;D

Other option would be a liveusb with persistence this can be done from windows, just go here: http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

Regarding the possibility of running your ubuntu targeted games on other distros it may be possible as long as those distros are ubuntu based or maybe even in Debian (ubuntu's mom), I don't think it would be possible in RPM based distros as Fedora, Red-Hat or in Arch.

Different installer files and all that, Ubuntu uses .deb so distros that use it may be capable of using your games, but if the distrouses rpm or some other pakage then I don't think it possible (unless you use alien and even then it may not work).

EDIT: I prefer LinuxMint, just upgraded to Qiana (LinuxMint17) is ubuntu based but cinnamon is much better than Gnome, much lighter than KDE and much more stable than mate.
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: Rusky on July 17, 2014, 10:18:54 am
Wubi is most definitely dual boot. What it does is create a file in your Windows partition to use as its partition. That does have a cost in performance because it has another layer to translate disk operations through, and it is more susceptible to problems on the Windows side, but it definitely boots straight into Linux with no Windows code running (which is pretty much the definition of dual boot).

Also, running Ubuntu-targeted games is definitely possible on non-Ubuntu-derived distros. Just like with Steam games (their Linux versions only officially support Ubuntu), you just need the right dependencies, which are equally accessible in apt-get, yum, or pacman formats. The biggest problem you might run into is if your distro has different versions or alternate libraries as its default, but that can be just as much of a problem within Ubuntu. Testing on them is a great idea.
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: edsquare on July 17, 2014, 10:31:00 am
Wubi is most definitely dual boot. What it does is create a file in your Windows partition to use as its partition. That does have a cost in performance because it has another layer to translate disk operations through, and it is more susceptible to problems on the Windows side, but it definitely boots straight into Linux with no Windows code running (which is pretty much the definition of dual boot).

You may be right, but still, real dualboot, with the distro installed per the instructions I posted is preferible, since allows you to use the computer even if windows catches the worst possible virus.

Also, running Ubuntu-targeted games is definitely possible on non-Ubuntu-derived distros. Just like with Steam games (their Linux versions only officially support Ubuntu), you just need the right dependencies, which are equally accessible in apt-get, yum, or pacman formats. The biggest problem you might run into is if your distro has different versions or alternate libraries as its default, but that can be just as much of a problem within Ubuntu. Testing on them is a great idea.

Running something is quite possible, but installing? unless GMS exports as a linux executable, I mean a plain compiled file, then you can almost for sure use it in almost every distro, if it exports as a .deb (Why say it's Ubuntu export otherwise?), then you'll have to use alien to convert the deb to rpm or extract it and build the package yourself.
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: time-killer-games on July 17, 2014, 10:33:48 am
@edsqare thanks for the info, that should help greatly for when I have time for it. I wanted a Wubi equivalent because it's easy and I already know how to do it. But your post seems to cover everything enough to require me minimal research to do it through a disk image. Thank you so much!! :D

Testing on them is a great idea.
Was that sarcasm? How do I pack my app into an installer (*.elf or *.deb I assume) that auto-detects what it needs in order to run it? I've tried googling these kind of things and it's really hard finding relevant information.
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: edsquare on July 17, 2014, 11:56:09 am
@edsqare thanks for the info, that should help greatly for when I have time for it. I wanted a Wubi equivalent because it's easy and I already know how to do it. But your post seems to cover everything enough to require me minimal research to do it through a disk image. Thank you so much!! :D

Testing on them is a great idea.
Was that sarcasm? How do I pack my app into an installer (*.elf or *.deb I assume) that auto-detects what it needs in order to run it? I've tried googling these kind of things and it's really hard finding relevant information.

I don't think it was sarcasm, it is a great idea, provided the export is not in deb form; even if it is you can use a utility called alien to convert from deb to rpm. If the export is not in deb form, then it most likely is not an installer but an executable, and provided you work in a 32 machine then it has very good chances to work in any linux 32bits and maybe in the ones that are 64 bits.

One of the differences between linux and windows is the executable sufix, while in windows a file with the sufix exe can be an executable or an installer, in linux the installers have their own sufix depending the family tree your distro comes from:

Quote
Package formats
Main articles: Linux package formats and file archive

Each package manager relies on the format and metadata of the packages it can manage. That is, package managers need groups of files to be bundled for the specific package manager along with appropriate metadata, such as dependencies. Often, a core set of utilities manages the basic installation from these packages and multiple package managers use these utilities to provide additional functionality.

For example, yum relies on rpm as a backend. Yum extends the functionality of the backend by adding features such as simple configuration for maintaining a network of systems. As another example, the Synaptic Package Manager provides a graphical user interface by using the Advanced Packaging Tool (apt) library, which, in turn, relies on dpkg for core functionality.

Alien is a program that converts between different Linux package formats. It supports conversion between Linux Standard Base (LSB), LSB-compliant .rpm packages,[9] .deb, Stampede (.slp), Solaris (.pkg) and Slackware (.tgz, .txz, .tbz, .tlz)[10] packages.
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: time-killer-games on July 17, 2014, 12:01:57 pm
@edsquare that's great news. GMS produced just the executable (for some reason all Linux exes have no file extension?). I don't care about packing it into an rpm / deb etc since apparently as you said that makes things less compatible. Thanks! :D
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: edsquare on July 17, 2014, 12:29:11 pm
@edsquare that's great news. GMS produced just the executable (for some reason all Linux exes have no file extension?). I don't care about packing it into an rpm / deb etc since apparently as you said that makes things less compatible. Thanks! :D

Exactly, on linux an executable (not an exe) doesn't have a file extension, so if GMS produces that on the "Ubuntu" export it's very likely it would work on other linux distros as well.

In order to test it and without having to install 3 or 4 distros on your pc, you could use the link I provided you about pendrivelinux:

Download the program to allow for a multiboot on a single pendrive with persistence (this lets you install stuff on the distros in the pendrive)

Install it on your windows

Download 3 or 4 distros (one of the programs at least allows you to skip this step and downloads the distros by itself) with different package managers.

Test the pendrive

If everything works ok, then test your game in all distros, you have to reboot the pc in order to change distro.

Other aproach would be to make several virtual machines and then test the game.
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: edsquare on July 17, 2014, 12:34:05 pm
@edsquare that's great news. GMS produced just the executable (for some reason all Linux exes have no file extension?). I don't care about packing it into an rpm / deb etc since apparently as you said that makes things less compatible. Thanks! :D

The only reason to pack it would be to be able to sell it as a closed source game to the linux comunity.
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: Rusky on July 17, 2014, 06:06:25 pm
The reason it's labeled "Ubuntu" and not "Linux in general" is not really to do with the package format, since it doesn't use it (which is probably a good idea, because nobody downloads and installs packages off the internet, they use a package manager). The real reason is that they test it on Ubuntu, with its particular set of libraries and versions- there is a lot of variation there between distros. Steam officially supports Ubuntu for the same reason.
Title: Re: Where can I download a non-Ubuntu/non-Wubi Linux installer for Windows 7?
Post by: edsquare on July 17, 2014, 06:18:20 pm
The reason it's labeled "Ubuntu" and not "Linux in general" is not really to do with the package format, since it doesn't use it (which is probably a good idea, because nobody downloads and installs packages off the internet, they use a package manager). The real reason is that they test it on Ubuntu, with its particular set of libraries and versions- there is a lot of variation there between distros. Steam officially supports Ubuntu for the same reason.

True dat  :D