Linux Help, Please!

[victorisone]

I have an old desktop system (1 GHz, 64 MB nVidia, 512 RAM) that was screwed beyond repair when my friend donated it to me. I was given a copy of Linux from another friend, and the install of the new OS went off without a hitch.

However, due to unknown factors (and because I am a newbie to the system) I do not know how to run Windows programs (like Call of Duty 2, Starcraft, so on) on the system. When I inserted the install disc for CoD2, it recognized the CD, but would not execute any of the executables. The OS told me something along the lines of me not having authorization to do this action... I know I have root though...

The friend who gave me the OS gave me two discs, saying that there was a different copy on each. I do not know if I had installed the client version, and whether or not I need to install the other version...

The version I installed seems to be called Xubuntu 6.10 i38.
The second disc now appears to be empty... Help please? i would love to make this old computer my desktop gaming machine, and keep this old laptop I am typiong on as a portable LAN rig.

Are there any utilities or freeware that could help me run games?

Thank you for your consideration!
Viktor

[Staren]

There is a windows emulator for linux called wine that will get windows programs running, but practical gaming performance isn't realistic. Wine is getting better, but you won't get the level of performance you would expect from a real windows install. Sorry to be the barer of bad news, but thats how it is right now.

[glc]

I think there is a very important point that you don't understand. Linux is Linux, and Windows is Windows. You cannot install Windows applications on Linux. You can only install Linux applications on Linux. Therefore, the only games you can run on it are games that will run on Linux. Wine is not a serious option just to play games, they will not run well.

[victorisone]

Thank you! It will be better than nothing... Meanwhile, keep posting helpful ideas, please!

[glc]

http://appdb.winehq.org/

[Sheena Ramone]

Are there any utilities or freeware that could help me run games? Thank you for your consideration! Viktor

Hello Viktor,

To run Windows programs under Linux there is wine, which is free and cedega, which isn't. I have fiddled with wine and tried to install Prey with it but didn't get anywhere. I am afraid when I play games like that, it's on a Windows computer.

I looked over the Ubuntu forums real quick and I am afraid the news for you is not good, it didn't sound like anybody was playing COD2 over there.

Sheena