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Old 12-01-15, 10:54 AM   #1
Rockin Robbins
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Default Getting ready for Ubuntu

I'm sending this from a Virtualbox installation of Ubuntu 14.04.3 LTS 64-bit. Wanted to work out the mechanics of everything in a Virtualbox client before going to a true hardware installation.

Virtualbox, a free open-source software migrating to the Windows universe by wormhole from Linux, is the best virtualization software available for general use. It allows you to share your computer resources with a virtual machine, a completely different computer installed into your software. I'll be glad to post a tutorial for producing an Ubuntu (or Mint) virtual machine running within Windows.

Now, if you're running Windows 10, this IS NOT THE ANSWER to your privacy problems. Virtualbox uses your hardware and software (Windows 10!) for input and output, so Windows 10 will just call home with all your keyboard input, snoop on your microphone (whether or not you are using it for other programs), possibly even use your webcam without notice or consent and send all that back to the mother ship twice a day. BUT Windows 10 will not have any access to the virtual hard drive in Linux because Microsoft just pretends that Linux doesn't exist and has no ext2, ext3 or ext4 read/write routines. Even in a Virtualbox installation of Linux, your Linux stored data is safe from Windows 10.

This is getting too long already. The first thing I did in my new installation was to install Steam. The Steam Linux installation routines don't work right for Linux 64-bit, but I found the workaround (it's easy) and can post a tutorial for that. Steam immediately launched and I signed into my account. THERE WERE ALL MY GAMES!!

Some games could only be streamed from Windows. But others, including my present favorite, Borderlands 2, could be downloaded and run from Linux.Doing that now and I'm very curious how it will run in Virtualbox Linux. Probably very slow. But it will give me a standard of comparison for when I do the installation on a hard drive for real.

Firefox is noticeably faster in the Virtualbox Linux than it is in native Windows 7 Pro 64. Stand by for clear instructions on how to do everything in a non-destructive manner so you can play with Linux without impacting your current Windows at all.

My goal is to get Silent Hunter 4 running under Ubuntu. That means it will run under Mint, ElementaryOS, PC Linux and all the other Ubuntu derivatives.
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Old 12-07-15, 08:50 PM   #2
Rockin Robbins
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Installed Ubuntu 15.10 on a hard drive, set to dual boot. I updated it completely and then installed Steam. Downloaded Borderlands 2, a little more demanding than Silent Hunter 4, and ran it. I couldn't tell the difference in how fast it ran from Windows. It runs absolutely magnificently and I couldn't be happier. Getting back with the Synaptic Package Manager was like coming home again after several months away.

Ubuntu runs like a scalded dog compared to Windows on my machine. Now comes the nuts and bolts about running Silent Hunter 4, which has no Linux version like Borderlands 2. We'll see how it goes! So far this is great and the first time I've done serious gaming under Linux. I'm totally stoked how well Borderlands 2 ran considering all the naysayers saying that without Directx, Ubuntu would be more than twice as slow. So much for that fallacy.

Can't wait for the next step.
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Old 12-20-15, 02:00 PM   #3
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And after migrating Ubuntu to a larger hard drive, I now have Silent Hunter 4 up and running on a Linux system. It seems to run as well as it does on Windows with little to complain about except that my screen recording software (or You Tube itself) messed up the resolution of the resulting video. The game looks much better on the computer. Here I am firing up SH4 v1.4 for the first time, boarding the USS Trout and embarking from the warf at Pearl Harbor.

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Old 02-10-18, 10:05 AM   #4
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I really want to break away from Microsoft would you mind I few questions from a computer novice? 1. Ubuntu is an operating system would I have to download Linux too. 2. Would I need to install windows emulators to provide a workable environment for Sh4 also would SH1 work in this new OS? Currently running Win 8.1 but not interested in win10. 3. would Ubuntu also run antivirus programs? I came across this thread after watching your Ubuntu video some of the terminology is foreign to me. Hey thanks for any input it would be greatly appreciated

Last edited by captcrane; 02-11-18 at 07:16 AM.
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Old 02-10-18, 04:18 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by captcrane View Post
Ahoy Rockin Robbins I really want to break away from Microsoft would you mind I few questions from a computer novice? 1. Ubuntu is an operating system would I have to download Linux too. 2. Would I need to install windows emulators to provide a workable environment for Sh4 also would SH1 work in this new OS? Currently running Win 8.1 but not interested in win10. 3. would Ubuntu also run antivirus programs? I came across this thread after watching your Ubuntu video some of the terminology is foreign to me. Hey thanks for any input it would be greatly appreciated
Until RR can get more specific with Ubuntu (my Ubuntu installs have been limited to Virtual Machines ("VM"s)) I can cover the basics.




Quote:
Originally Posted by captcrane View Post
1. Ubuntu is an operating system would I have to download Linux too.
"Linux" is the kernel, the basic "root" of the OS that controls and "talks" to everything.
All other (Linux) programs build on top of the Linux Kernel.
The Linux Kernel could be compared to "command.com" in DOS.
Without it, you can't *DO* anything on the computer.

---

Ubuntu is a Linux "distribution" (aka "distro"), a group of programs and tools designed to meet a certain set of "needs". Built on top of the Linux Kernel.

Ubuntu is, in simplest terms, for new Linux users.

More user friendly than "Debian" which it is "forked" or derived from.
It is supported for several years (3 i think) before you need to upgrade.

By Comparison, the distro I use is more of a "beta", I get the new stuff faster, but it may "break" somewhere along the way.

Ubuntu would be the 'safer' option to start with.

"Mint" is a 'fork' of Ubuntu, which is basically Ubuntu, but designed to look more like older Windows so that it is easier for "non-computer people" to transition to Linux.

The "Desktop Environment", the Graphical User Interface (GUI), the most familiar part of Windows, differs by default between the 3.
But almost any "desktop" can run on any distro.
(Some are moving to newer "toolkits", faster than others.)


Quote:
Originally Posted by captcrane View Post
2. Would I need to install windows emulators to provide a workable environment for Sh4 also would SH1 work in this new OS? Currently running Win 8.1 but not interested in win10.
WINE,( https://www.winehq.org/ ) allows you to run most of your Windows programs on many POSIX operating systems, Linux, BSD, MacOS, etc.

It's what I used for SH3/4, most of my Steam games, etc.

DX11 and DX12 support is in the works.

Wine "redirects" Windows DirectX 'system calls' to Linux equivalents, and OpenGL.
Somethings have a bit of "multi-threading" trouble, but I've run the original 'Crysis' start to finish.
Crysis was a "system killer" 5 years after its release... Still is too!

The majority of DX9 games work without issue, some DX11 work, DX12 support has started work.

Several new projects are working on DX9, DX11 and DX12 --> Vulkan.
Which is "thinner" than OpenGL, so frame rates should only improve, not to imply that they are "bad", most of my stuff is 35 (Crysis) to 75fps through WINE.
(And always super smooth, even if the frame rate is lower like Crysis.)

Quote:
Originally Posted by captcrane View Post
3. would Ubuntu also run antivirus programs? I came across this thread after watching your Ubuntu video some of the terminology is foreign to me. Hey thanks for any input it would be greatly appreciated
There are some, but I've never run any of them in Ubuntu.

Most viruses are made for Windows, so your chance of getting one is reduced.
Also since you only run as a "user" they would have a harder time 'infecting' your system.

RR might have some more info on that.


EDIT: I found this years ago, should give you an idea, this article was over 5 years ago...

https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer...x-than-windows


Barracuda


P.S. Nvidia will get you higher frame rates in Linux overall, but AMD cards work better "out of the box" because AMD drivers are "open source", and as such, are included in/with the Kernel. You still have to install the Nvidia Drivers manually, like Windows.

Just thought I would include this info so you know what to expect depending on your video card. Nvidia will work, but the 'out of the box' performance will be a bit low.
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Old 02-10-18, 05:01 PM   #6
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Note that in recent weeks, due to Kernel updates for Linux comign in the wake of Spectre and Meltdown, vritual machines like VR Box did not function or worked eratically. I do not know the current status, however.

Note that runnign Wine as emulator exposes the date storage on your hd to the same risks like any normal Windows installation. Your Linux installation may not be affected by it, but it carries Windows malware then and could spread this, also admage your data if you run Windows in a VR. If safety is of concern for you, do NOT use Wine.

That Linux is unotuchable for infecitons, is a modern myth. it is, it just doe snto get attacked as often, byfar not, than Windows or Apple OS or Android (which is a Linux "lcone", btw). Also, yourn Linux system could hlp to spread Windows-malware via data transportation fro your Linux system onto aWindows platform (stick, cloud, online link). As a matter of fact this happens all the time: most servers that service Windows-based users, are operated by Linux OS, so Linux servers pred Windows-ACTIVE MALWARE EVEN IF LiINUX SYSTEMs DO NOT GET AFFECTED BY IT.

You may want to use an AV therefore on Linux as well. It should be a package that does a reasonably well job both for Windows AND Linux OS. The problem is, there are not many good in both. Most such packages are good in Windows malware recongition and sub.medicore in Linux-recogntiion, or the other way around. The only test I know of was run 2 years ago, and in it ESET scored best with recognition rates above 95% in both categories. As high recongition rates as you get in dedicated Windoes AV suites, you will not find in any such combination packs.

Linux is relatively safe because it only shares less than 1.8% of the market for OS. That makes it unattractive to code malware for attacking Linux, when coding Windows or Apple or Android malware brings dozens of times as many computers into your reach. But it is there, and it is slowly growing in numbers. It reminds a bit of how it went with Android. Nobody in a sane state of mind today would still claim Android or Google Playstore is "safe".

Especially if you share data on your own computer devices (PC or notebook,l camera, smartphone, Linux and Windows systems, or wioth freinds, you should try to prevent that malware for Windows gets spread by your Linux system. You youlc infest your own data pools and not even notice it.

Again, the problem of malware targetting Linux statistically is much smaller, the bigger issue is that you may spread Windows-targetting malware via your Linux system.

Linux is statistically safer than Wjndows - and significantly so. But it is not untouchable, that is a myth that Linux-hardcore fans still preach to the world. Its just not true.
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Old 02-10-18, 08:46 PM   #7
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Skybird,

To save space, I did NOT get into the details about how to minimize the risk.
As it was NOT one of the questions asked.

If the purpose is to play SH4 (or SH3, or Crysis) on Ubuntu, then Wine is REQUIRED.

(OR Windows is required, so why not use Windows instead?
Ohh that's right....)
----------------------------

captcrane,

While Linux is not "invulnerable", it is not as wide open as some believe.


Barracuda
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Old 02-11-18, 05:55 AM   #8
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Hey guys many thanks to both of you for your explanations. Simple and concise. I am going to take the next step and dual boot. That should give me some time before windows 8 support is gone to learn the ins and outs or at least get comfortable with Ubuntu
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Old 02-11-18, 08:24 AM   #9
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It indeed is best to keep gaming on Windows an every other comouter task on Linux strictly separated on two systems, or dual boot. I did dual boot testing myself for half a year when i went into Linux, before I bought second hardware for Linux and then had W7 running without Windows updates anymore for over 1.5 additonal years.

Barracuda reiterated what I said myself: the risks unde rLinux are not as big as under Windows. I only want to direct attention to that Linux platforms can heklp to spread Windows-malware withiut the Linux host himself beign affected. And that is not kind towards the other, and sometimes somebdy may even shoot his own foot when relasijgnto late that he has allowed to get all his databasde infestd nevertehless. The reocmmendation to not use Wine under Linux is not rarely given by Linux insiders and pro experts, mostly it is gamers doing it becasue they want to continue playing their games under Linux. Better solution indeed is: own Windows-gaming system (and then do NOTHING else on it), and a completely separated secodn systemw ith Linux for all other tasks of yours: email, browsing, shoppingk tet and ohto editiing, databese storage and so forth.

The only somewhat "senstive" data ion my W10 gaming system now is my steam account loging, m save games and my installed agmes, nothing else. In principle it is a game console. I do not even koad my steam wallet via this rig so to not enter paypal login data. I use a Steam installation on my Linux rig for any money-related action.

Dual boot, or two systems is better than using Wine under Linux. Wine is an open gate for Windows malware finding a way in to data stored on your Linux device. It is not reasonable to chnage to Linux for security reasons, and then allowing this open door for compromising security again. That just makes no sense. Linux software will not harmed. But stored data. Your collection of photos and texts, for example. Your email traffic. Your adress book.
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