Is the Linux client dead?

As in unmaintained? It's been in alpha/no-sound state for a while.

Something called "Windows Genuine Advantage" *cough* is slowly driving me away from Microshaft and frankly, given that the only thing I use Windows for is SL, I'd sooner pay extra for an SL client for Linux - if that'd encourage LL to develop it - than a license for XP Pro.

Heck I'd sooner get rid of the PC and buy an Intel Powermac when it comes out than pay Microsoft money with a metaphorical gun to my head.

Alternatively (but NOT ideal and not an acceptable long-term answer) will WINE run the Windows client half reasonably through say Transgaming (without relying on the original Windows files)?

You're not going to get a "good" solid answer as to the future of the native linux client... we're all just waiting to see right now, really. Look through this forum and you'll see a few other discussions on the matter and some input from LL even.

As for WINE, though... that's a little more positive. I cannot say much for the Transgaming version of WINE, but I run the standard version of WINE with an audio patch talking about a lot in this forum and it runs SL near perfectly. There is a hit or miss issue with alpha transparancies, but mostly it runs great.

--Val

It's been "on hold" for a while. The only bug fix I can remember since it's launch was the alpha-channel thing, and someone here fixed that bug for them. (No offense, Lindens)

There are tentative long-term plans to open-source the client, but don't hold your breath there.

A month or so ago they said something about planning on putting some time into the Linux client. Maybe all those changes are coming in 1.9? I'm certainly not getting my hopes up, but it'd be nice. We'll see soon enough, at any rate.


Repeat the mantra after me:
I must always search the forums before posting the question.

Yes, it works in wine. Poke around the forum to find out how

Mew!

With 1.9.1 around the corner, it would indeed be nice to have a status update on the Linux client. Will there be a significant waiting time, so people should start trying to get wine working *now*, to fill the gap until we get the native client update? A quick info as a heads-up would be appreciated

About Second Life on wine / cedega: You might want to check out the Wiki at http://stux.wikiinfo.org for some good hints on how to get it working.

Good luck and have fun!

No it is at focus at Linden Labs. But I don#t think they try to update every new feature, instead they will try to make it more stable, so they can support it to 100%. I am quite happy that I don't need to update now.

Vinci

AFAIK the 1.9.1 client will be a required update - hardware lighting and floppy prims are just the obvious updates.

No.. I'ts just resting..

Beautiful plumage!

Hum... Didn't notice before but that page says streaming audio doesn't work with WINE... weird.

--Val

I am also REALLY interested in what 1.9.1 brings to SL Linux.

Since the SL Linux Client does not seem to have a very good interface to the hardware, and a lot of effects are "hardware based" in 1.9.1, it would be great if the hardware interface has been reworked

I still dream of Beta Days

I really don't mind no sound support in an alpha client as I'd just put xmms on streaming audio anyway. However, not being able to upload textures is a limitation to my involvement in SecondLife. Also, not being able to spin around objects to look at them (alt key mapping). I was talking with another linux user in SL who had mentioned these features being released shortly, but I don't know for sure. In any case once linux users are able to actually participate in all aspects of SL the linux client would be worthwhile.

Loading textures seems to happen slowly if at all. Much of the time, even after being in a sim for awhile, I have to right-click objects to load the textures. Waiting 10 minutes doesn't work on that one (I have a fast connection and plenty of memory).

Uploading and downloading not being available is a REAL pain. I have the windows cleint too though, and a dual boot system, so if I HAVE to, I start windows

The ALT key mapping is a window manager thing. It works with NO problems under fvwm; under KDE you can remap the metakey from ALT to the windows key, then it works there too. I think gnome is similar, but I don't use gnome really. the combination keys don't seem to work tho, when CTRL and ALT are used.

Loading textures is a memory problem, I think. Now that my graphic card has 512 MB, and I have changed that in settings.ini, textures load a LOT faster! I think once SL Linux recognises system memory that wil work properly, but not before. I still have to do the "mouse hover" or "select all" trick now and then. But I have to in Windows, too, now and then...

We live in hope of Beta Days

Haha "just resting" - good one

Thanks all for the answers and patience, I know it's better to use the search function but I was too lazy to trawl through the hundreds of results when someone was likely to have it at the top of their heads - sorry

Thanks Zi Ree for the wiki link - good stuff!

Fingers crossed... we did get a Mac client and the market share isn't *that* much more than Linux so hopefully it will get resurrected one day.

Perhaps a sticky FAQ including the WINE wiki link would be a useful addition to the forum along with a consolated list of official answers. *looks at the Linden folk*

Adding wiki to the download sticky

I was under the impression that the Linux client was something one of the devs just tossed together after work one day just because he could. It'll be worked on as he feels like it and when he has time, although major feature updates (required downloads) seem to light a fire under him.

With X you can actually use GL Extensions, so that shouldn't be a problem. I really really wish he'd build in a memory detection override flag though. Treating every card like it has 16MB of memory (even if you override it in the configuration) is really annoying. I don't even really care about the sound, but I do want the high rez textures to come in. Until they do I can't really build anything in Linux (or at least texture it) because I can't even seen my own textures.

Not at all - they employed an external contractor specifically for the task. He then became unavailable before the port was completed.Or upload them.