FPS Gaming on PS3 Linux

billb · Post by **billb** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:58 am

I have been playing with FPS games on Yellow Dog 6 for PS3. So far I have the following running using these projects:

vavoom - Doom 1 & 2, Heretic, Hexen, Strife

dxx-rebirth - Descent II

icculus.org - Duke Nukem 3D, Rise of the Triad, Quake II

Anything special I did to get them compiled is described in posts over on the Yellow Dog Community Board. I haven't really done any proper testing of the frame rates, but all are smooth enough to be considered playable & fun. Quake II runs very well. :D

Another one called Aleph One, based on Marathon 2, looks like it would be playable but I'm having problems compiling that one (boost library issue during ./configure).

I am relatively new to Linux and compiling in general ... would love to have some help getting these to run even better, or get suggestions for other FPS projects to check out (that don't require OpenGL). I'm aware of prboom already (nice project, too). Haven't tried prboom-plus yet.

EDIT: Just got the Hexen II demo running with Hammer of Thyrion. Runs great at 960x720, too!

theBishop · Post by **theBishop** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 6:12 am

Most projects can be compiled from source with:

./configure --prefix=/usr
make
(as root) make install

if you're missing the boost libraries, try downloading and compiling them from here:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfile ... up_id=7586

Compound · Post by **Compound** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 6:43 am

how do these do 3D through SDL? is there a way of blitting opengl functions on top of SDL or something?

theBishop · Post by **theBishop** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:14 am

Compound wrote:how do these do 3D through SDL? is there a way of blitting opengl functions on top of SDL or something?

I think all those games are software rendered. Most of them are not "true 3d".

billb · Post by **billb** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:42 am

theBishop wrote:if you're missing the boost libraries, try downloading and compiling them from here:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfile ... up_id=7586

Thanks -- I have the boost libraries installed on YDL6. At least they appear to be installed already when I run: yum install boost boost-devel

I think maybe it's the boost configuration on YDL6 ... ? Reading through this now and will try compiling Aleph One again later.

billb · Post by **billb** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:44 am

billb wrote:I think maybe it's the boost configuration on YDL6 ... ? Reading through this now and will try compiling Aleph One again later.

It did turn out to be something to do with the boost libraries on YDL 6 (still not sure what, though) ... I had no problems compiling Aleph One on Fedora 7 PPC. I played with the Marathon 2 demo files and it runs very well. When compiling Aleph One I just had to use: ./configure --disable-opengl

My favorites so far are Quake II and Hexen II, though.

That brings it to: Doom I & II, Hexen I & II, Heretic, Strife, Descent II, Duke Nukem 3D, Rise of the Triad, Quake II, and Aleph One (Marathon 2) all running on PPC Linux on the PS3 and fully playable. Not bad ... ;)

theBishop · Post by **theBishop** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 2:31 am

Do they work with the gamepad?

billb · Post by **billb** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:27 am

theBishop wrote:Do they work with the gamepad?

I have tried Descent II (using DX2-Rebirth) using a USB gamepad (Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2) and it works fine. Didn't try the sixaxis. I haven't tried using the gamepad in the others ... I have always been accustomed to using the WASD keyboard + mouse setup so it didn't occur to me.

I'm starting to get used to the gamepad in this type of game after playing Warhawk and Call of Duty 4, but it is hard to make the switch! I enjoy playing on both, so I'll start checking out gamepad controls in these when I have a chance.

sopordave · Post by **sopordave** » Thu May 15, 2008 9:37 am

theBishop wrote:I think all those games are software rendered. Most of them are not
"true 3d".

Quake II supports OpenGL.

Also, be careful about confusing "true 3d" and hardware acceleration. Descent was "true 3d", and used a software renderer (not about hardware acceleration in the sequel).

soulkiller · Post by **soulkiller** » Tue May 20, 2008 11:46 am

Also, for those of you that think that programs that use opengl won't work, you couldn't be more wrong. Mesa3D is a working opengl implemenation that can be based on a software renderer. So basically it has the full functionaitly of OpenGL with the same API, but jsut a software renderer. You guys are most likly already using this in the games your compiling, you jsut don't relize it. Mesa is even started work on their "Mesa Cell driver" at the beginning of this year (2008) which aims to create an opengl driver that will run a software rasterizer that uses the full potential of the Cell Processor by making use of the SPE's.

Check out the Mesa3D homepage here which also has more info on the Mesa Cell driver if your interested,

billb · Post by **billb** » Sun May 25, 2008 2:03 am

soulkiller wrote:You guys are most likly already using this in the games your compiling, you jsut don't relize it.

No, at least on YDL that would need to be installed and also enabled in /etc/X11/xorg.conf. I have tried that for Quake 3 and it is too slow to be playable. These games are using their own software rendering only and no form of OpenGL as far as I know.

Mesa is even started work on their "Mesa Cell driver" at the beginning of this year (2008) which aims to create an opengl driver that will run a software rasterizer that uses the full potential of the Cell Processor by making use of the SPE's.

Check out the Mesa3D homepage here which also has more info on the Mesa Cell driver if your interested,

I haven't looked there lately -- that is good news. Thanks!