LINUXGAMES

Sam Lantinga sent a gaggle of mails to the SDL-announcement list with various SDL library updates:

• SDL_image 1.2.1 has been released; changes include:
  • fixed transparency in the GIF loading code
  • added support for the IFF (LBM) image format
  • added Project Builder projects for building MacOS X framework
  • fixed transparency in 8-bit PNG files
  • added support for loading XPM image data directly
• SDL_net 1.2.3 has been released; changes include:
  • Fixed byte order read/write macros on sparc
  • Fixed non-blocking socket flags on Windows
• SDL_mixer 1.2.1 has been released; changes include:
  • fixed MOD music volume when looping
  • stop implicit looping, set fade out and other flags on MOD files
  • the music file type is now determined by extension as well as magic
  • added a realtime sound effect API to SDL_mixer.h
  • added the following standard sound effects: panning, distance attenuation, basic positional audio, stereo reversal
  • added API for mixer versioning: Mix_Linked_Version() and MIX_VERSION()
  • updated MikMod code to version 3.1.9a
  • added support for loading AIFF audio chunks
  • fixed AIFF music playing support
  • added Mix_ChannelFinished() and Mix_GetChunk()
  • added VOC sound file support
  • fixed crashes when API used with audio not initialized
• SDL_ttf 2.0.4 has been released; changes include:
  • added ‘glfont’, a program to demonstrate using SDL_ttf with OpenGL
  • added support for selecting individual font faces
  • added support for foreground/background color in showfont
  • fixed endian bug in blended font rendering

Version 0.9.0beta10 of ALSA has been released. This version is a minor bugfix release.

ALSA 0.9.0beta10 downloads: ftp.alsa-project.org/pub

Version 0.9.8 of the thin graphics library DirectFB has been released; changes include:

• OpenGL is now supported
• the multi-application core has been merged in
• mouse wheel support was added
• other enhancements and bugfixes

DirectFB 0.9.8 downloads: www.directfb.org/download/

Version 4.80 of the card game collection PySol has been released; changes include:

• fixes for rules of Irmgard
• bugfixes
• support for Python 2.2

PySol 4.80 downloads: www.oberhumer.com/opensource/pysol/#download

Version 0.5 of the KDE-based chess interface Knights has been released; changes include:

• buffered the output of the Sought Games List to help remove the “flashing” effect
• added ability to read .pgn files that contain multiple matches
• can now append all your saved games to a single .pgn file
• added the “Accept Match”, “Tell…”, “Finger”, and “Add to Friends List” options to the Sought Games List right click menu
• added “Reverse Board Orientation” option to the Match menu
• now closes the connection to the ICS when you close the console
• bugfixes
• added support for the XBoard commands “telluser” and “tellusererror”
• minor code cleanups

Knights 0.5 downloads: @ sourceforge

Version 0.9.8 of the GTK-based game server browser XQF has been released; changes include:

• Support for additional games using the GameSpy protocol
• Support for Descent3 with qstat 2.4e (please note Descent can not be launched from within XQF at the moment)
• Support for Rune
• Reorganization of settings dialogs
• New game types for Quake3 mods Threewave and TribalCTF
• Support for Wolfenstein retail (protocol 57)
• Server statistics for Wolfenstein, Kingpin and Half-Life
• Works on PowerPC again

XQF 0.9.8 downloads: linuxgames.com/xqf/download.html

Version 1.0.0 of the 3D racing sim TORCS has been released; changes include:

• New robots
• New version of K1999
• New robot Inferno based on Tanhoj code with a McLaren F1 car
• New car models
• The cars are removed when out of fuel.
• Engine now reacts better when down shifting
• A little more stability added at rest
• New instrument panel
• New TV director view (F11) that automaticaly selects the car to view according to the action on the track
• Wheel-1, Dirt-3, Dirt-4, Dirt-6 enhanced

TORCS 1.0.0 downloads: @ sourceforge.net

Christopher Stone wrote in to let us know that the work-in-progress page for the MESS project has been updated with information from November. The latest version of MESS can be downloaded as a part of the Xmame 0.37b15.2 package.

Dweebs wrote in to let us know that there is an unofficial non-Glide Quake 1 binary available from mfcn.ilo.de. The binary is supposed to work with NVIDIA, Matrox, and other non-3dfx cards and it is apparently compiled from the original Quake 1 source with some “minor fixes.” I can’t find any information on the license that this is released under, nor the modified source that it was compiled from.

As an editorial aside, I’d like to say that I’m not entirely sure why one wouldn’t rather compile the source from the QuakeForge project and use that instead. Comments?

Non-Glide Quake 1 Binary: glxquake.tar.gz

Update: This modification is released under the GPL and the source is available. My thanks to the author for clarifying this. Also, don’t let the URL (mfcn.ilo.de/glxquake.tar.gz/) trick you – there is a slash at the end and it takes you to an infomative page on this project, not an actual tarball. My apologies for the confusion.

Jacob Kroon wrote in to announce that he is working on a shufflepuck game called TuxPuck (screenshots: 1 | 2 | 3). TuxPuck is currently at version 0.25 and SDL 1.2.0 or higher is required to compile it.

TuxPuck 0.25 source: tuxpuck-0.25.tar.gz

Version 4.0.1 of the Mesa 3D Graphics Library, an open source implementation of the OpenGL API, has been released. This is primarily a bugfix release and the changes include:

• better sub-pixel sample positions for AA triangles
• slightly faster blending for (GL_ZERO, GL_ONE) and (GL_ONE, GL_ZERO)
• added missing break statements in glGet*() for multisample cases
• fixed uninitialized hash table mutex bug (display lists / texobjs)
• fixed bad teximage error check conditional
• fixed demos readtex.c compilation problem on Windows
• added missing glGet() query for GL_MAX_TEXTURE_LOD_BIAS_EXT
• silence some compiler warnings (gcc 2.96)
• enable the #define GL_VERSION_1_3 in GL/gl.h
• added GL 1.3 and GLX 1.4 entries to gl_mangle.h and glx_mangle.h
• fixed glu.h typedef problem found with MSDev 6.0
• build libGL.so with -Bsymbolic (fixes bug found with Chromium)
• added missing ‘const’ to glXGetContextIDEXT() in glxext.h
• fixed a few glXGetProcAddress() errors (texture compression, etc)
• fixed start index bug in compiled vertex arrays
• fixed compilation problems in src/SPARC/glapi_sparc.S
• fixed triangle strip “parity” bug found in VTK medical1 demo
• use glXGetProcAddressARB in GLUT to avoid extension linking problems
• provoking vertex of flat-shaded, color-index triangles was wrong
• fixed a few display list bugs (GLUT walker, molecule, etc)
• glTexParameter didn’t flush the vertex buffer
• feedback attributes for glDraw/CopyPixels and glBitmap were wrong
• fixed bug in normal length caching (ParaView lighting bug)

Mesa 4.0.1 Source: MesaLib-4.0.1.tar.bz2 (1.56MB)

Mesa Demos 4.0.1: MesaDemos-4.0.1.tar.bz2 (871K)

Frederic Rodrigo wrote in to announce that version 0.7.0 of his Tetris Attack-like game R-aTTaCk (screenshots: 1 | 2 | 3) has been released. R-aTTaCk is Frederic’s submission to the SDL-contest.

R-aTTaCk 0.7.0 source: r-attack_0.7.0.tar.bz2

The QStat site posted a quick note yesterday to let everyone know that QStat does, in fact, work with Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Usage is the same as it is with Q3A:

• To query a server: qstat -q3s 1.2.3.4:27960
• To query the test1 master: qstat -q3m,55 wolfmaster.idsoftware.com:27950
• To query the test2 master: qstat -q3m,56 wolfmaster.idsoftware.com:27950
• To query the retail master: qstat -q3m,57 wolfmaster.idsoftware.com:27950

The Transgaming site posted two updates today. The first is a note that the new polls are up and that they willclose as of the first of the year. They have made some decisions on how to handle past month’s voting results and when previous poll items will beallowed back in to the polls (they will not be included in two consecutivepolls).

The second update is a status update that covers what the developmentteam has been up to (DirectX 8 support) and what their plans are for the week (new WineX with NVidia driver fixes and automated CD-ROM mountpoint/devicedetection).

Version 0.18 of the Nibbles-like game Heroes has been released. The changes in this version are primarily bugfixes.

Heroes 0.18 downloads: heroes.sourceforge.net/download.html

Tungsten Graphics’ Frank LaMonica, formerly of VA Software, has responded to our query regarding the new Linux graphics venture, which has risen from the ashes of Precision Insight. Frank states:

The ideafor TG was to create an organization that was independent of the majorLinux, or graphics players, and had the respect of the developmentcommunity. We felt that such an organization could play a key role inhelping to coordinate and define a vendor neutral, open infrastructuregraphics architecture that would be competitive with proprietarytechnologies.

You can read the rest of Frank’s statement here.

A little bird gave me the URL of Tungsten Graphics, a company that seems to be made up of most of the ex-Precision Insight/VA Linux 3D driver development team. Their technical staff inclues Brian Paul (creator of Mesa) and Keith Whitwell, along with Jens Owen and David Dawes (lead founder of XFree86). Frank LaMonica, former Precision Insight founder, is listed as CEO and Founder.

Linuxgames.com has sent Mr. LaMonica an inquiry, and will post any reply.

Linux Game Publishing let us know thatthe Linux port ofCreatures Internet Edition, anartificial life game, has been sent to manufacturing and should begin shipping before Christmas. Youcan view their list of resellers here.

For a preview of what gameplay is like, you can register to download a Linux version of theCreatures Docking Station fromCreature Labs

The prolific Jeff “Judecca” Mrochuk let us know that he has posted hisreview @NewsForge ofIntroversion’sfuturistic (movie-style) hacking simUplink, which we’ve mentioned a coupletimes before.

Loki Software has released version 1.3.1 ofKohan: Immortal Sovereigns, the critically-acclaimedfantasy RTS. Changes:

• adds a Royalist only upgrade to the market, the Workshop
• improves several component upgrades
• improves several heroes
• increases the power of the militia
• tweaks the Shadow Demon, Dragoon, Elite Bowman and Gauri Hammer
• tweaks how experience is gained
• improves the AI player, particularly how it commisions companiesand builds components
• improves the game play of the Gnomes and Conquer game types
• adds hotkeys to toggle between Command/Engage (‘D’ and ‘F’)
• adds several features to multiplayer team games

Also, note that films made in previous versions of Kohan will no longer work, andthere are Win32 <--> Linux network play issues that will prevent synchronized games (thiswill be addressed in the next patch).

You can patch your copy with Loki Update.