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Hi,
I was wondering ...since most (all) GOG Games are using either Dosbox or ScummVm as platform, the games are instantly running on Linux. At least those games I bought so far.
I think it would be worth mentioning Linux in the list of supported operating systems.
The group of potential customers may not be breathtaking, but it nearly comes for free.
I believe I, personally, would have stubled far earlier over GOG.com knowing this.

Cheers,
Lutz
Official support doesn't necessarily mean 'what it will run on' but 'what the support team will cover'. I doubt they'd really want to start fielding questions about linux installation and problems.
You're probably right.
A 'RTFM' would not suite the quality GOG normally offers.
Maybe one could already collect top 3 complains (just for fun):
1. "Help, the installation doesn't work" (no wine installed)
2. "Help, the game doesn't start" (ScummV/Dosbox not installed or started under wine)
3. "Help, game crashes/no sound ..bla" (rtfm ScummVM/Dosbox)

Whatever, it was just a thought.
I can perfectly live with the way it is.

Have fun.
Lutz
Users have created threads and GOGmixes of games that work in DosBox, ScummVM, and in Wine for both Linux and Mac (the latter two also contain some of the DosBox/ScummVM games of course). So I usually go off of that for compatibility.
Post edited February 28, 2011 by crazy_dave
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sociosqu: I was wondering ...since most (all) GOG Games are using either Dosbox or ScummVm...
I'm not sure I'd say "most", but I would definitely not say "all". Most of the GOG games I have purchased (I only have 25) are not DOSBox or ScummVM at all, they are native Windows games. With very few exceptions, the only DOSBox or ScummVM games I have from GOG are just the freebies GOG has given (the ones everyone got, plus a few others they have given away on special occasions).

As for the topic, this has been covered already many times (not just here in this thread) but it is not simply a matter of what a game will or will not work on, it is a matter of what GOG is willing/able to support. Adding support for Linux or any other alternate OS means a whole other group of install packages to test and machines to test them on, plus people familiar enough with those alternate OSes to do that testing effectively and support the software after it is released. For a company of only about 20 employees that can barely keep up with the support requests for the Windows software they already support, that may be asking a bit too much. Look at how long it took Valve to add Mac support to Steam; now assume that GOG is growing at a similar rate (big assumption) and you are probably looking at least 6 years before GOG has established itself enough to add support for other OSes..
Think the DOSBox/ScummVM games take up 1/3 of the games offered.
So nowhere near all.
yeah saying most/all really threw me for a loop
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sociosqu: Hi,
I was wondering ...since most (all) GOG Games are using either Dosbox or ScummVm as platform, the games are instantly running on Linux. At least those games I bought so far.
I think it would be worth mentioning Linux in the list of supported operating systems.
The group of potential customers may not be breathtaking, but it nearly comes for free.
I believe I, personally, would have stubled far earlier over GOG.com knowing this.

Cheers,
Lutz
And Mac too.

They only would have to provide more installers...

But probably nobody of them owns a Mac or wants to install Linuxes. :)

Also checkout this thread: http://www.gog.com/en/forum/general/gog_games_that_are_working_fine_with_linux_wine
Post edited February 28, 2011 by Trilarion
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CaptainGyro: yeah saying most/all really threw me for a loop
Well all of the ones that use dosbox or scummvm use dosbox or scummvm.

Also did anyone else hear HK47 when reading the thread title?
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CaptainGyro: yeah saying most/all really threw me for a loop
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Aliasalpha: Well all of the ones that use dosbox or scummvm use dosbox or scummvm.

Also did anyone else hear HK47 when reading the thread title?
i do now you said that, closely followed by an Elcor
Tataaa: Linux GOGmix with results if/how good GOG games work with Linux. :-)
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Aliasalpha: Well all of the ones that use dosbox or scummvm use dosbox or scummvm.

Also did anyone else hear HK47 when reading the thread title?
Correction: HK-47 only describes his speech with a single adjective, it's the inferior HK-50 units that use two. stupid meatbags always getting their facts wrong.
Post edited February 28, 2011 by WBGhiro
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Aliasalpha: Well all of the ones that use dosbox or scummvm use dosbox or scummvm.

Also did anyone else hear HK47 when reading the thread title?
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WBGhiro: Correction: HK-47 only describes his speech with a single adjective, it's the inferior HK-50 units that use two. stupid meatbags always getting their facts wrong.
Um, nope:

"Obvious statement: Why, I am an assassin droid, Master."

"Offensive question: What is it that you wish, fat one?"

"Annoyed statement: Damn it, Master, I am an assassination droid, not a dictionary!"