Experimenting with WINE

No, I'm not talking about alcohol. I'm talking about a program that lets you run Windows programs in an virtual desktop on a Linux Distro. (And probably any other OS that was based on UNIX.) For my machine, the OS is Linux Mint 15.

So, here's my experiences with installing programs on it so far...

DOOM: Collector's Edition

- Installed DOOM: Collector's Edition in Linux via WINE earlier this morning and everything works, except the music. That's odd...

- I normally turn the music off since silence is a LOT more creepy and makes it easier to hear the monsters before I see them. However, it is nice to have the option of listening to MIDI versions of songs from Slayer, PanterA, Old School Metallica, et al.

- Also had to mess with the display settings a little as well but, that's nothing a few mouse clicks couldn't fix. All in all, that was a very successful install.

Ultimate Quake

- This is a compilation of the classic Quake trilogy that has 3 discs inside, one for each game in the compilation. The forums on the official website for WINE said all these programs worked but, not for me. WTF?

- Quake 1 won't install because of DirectX not installing itself on the virtual drive set up by WINE. That is annoying as Hell...

- Quake II won't install because Linux thinks it's an audio CD for some reason... WTF?

- All that Linux can see on the Quake 3 disc is a bunch of thumbnail-sized pics of the different characters that players can use in Deathmatch. WTF?

SEGA Genesis Classic Collection Gold Edition

- The disc for this game was not even recognized by Linux. It showed the disc as being blank, which I know to be false. I have installed it on my Win7 Laptop. Glad it works on at least ONE of the computers that I own... WTF?

- Notice how I keep saying WTF? a whole lot here?

- Thankfully, there are more than a few emulators out there thatcan play any Genesis ROM that I can find on the web. Also, I still have my Genesis cartridges and several consoles that play them. I will not have to go without some classic 2D Sonic action.

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I haven't tried installing Unreal Tournament 2004 yet. There's a Linux version of the game on the install disc so, I think I'll try to run it natively before I try installing the Windows version through WINE. That is likely to be a somewhat more involved situation than installing DOOM was...

- Lord Publius