X:CE for native linux release of Xenonauts?

Hello fellow anti-extraterrestrial squaddies,

Considering, that native release of Xenonauts for linux-based operating system is available for ages, I considered it only natural that X:CE works on it, too (or any other major platform supported by base game). What was my surprise, when I tried to install and use the mod on my DRM-free (from GOG.COM) version of the game... Everything went smooth to the point, where I was supposed to run CE's launcher - only to find that only windows executable exist for it!

I double-checked that it is not dual-API compatible binary with just .exe extension (nope, "no known interpreter"). I searched wide and far, in case that I was just silly and downloaded release for wrong platform (seems no - there is only one release for given version...). Only things that I was able to find was some mention on Steam that you need to run Xenonauts through WINE, to have it working with Community Edition.

Is that so? If yes, I won't hide that it is a major bummer, in current age. For sure, it would be first time I run into mod (let alone something that aims at being "Community Edition", as in unofficial continuation of patching base game) for a natively-running-on-linux game, that makes itself windows-exclusive only.

Obviously, I can live with it - even if bringing whole windows API to run a mod/patch (even such awesome as X:CE seems to be) seems extremely silly, given that linux binaries for base game are available. Still - out of curiosity - are there any plans for making the situation more sane?

Cheers,

/Cat Lady

Ps.

Please, don't take the above post wrong way. By all means, I appreciate all work involved (having modding/enhancing background myself - including for very old games like Total Annihilation - I know how much work it is), and I understand that you need to prioritize things (even if I consider opting-out of whole operating system, supported by base game, as worst possible way of doing it, mind you). I'm just honestly shocked, and given lack of documentation about the matter - including fact that official instructions doesn't even mention the fact, confusing linux users like hell - and I'm sincerely interested if it is just temporary inconvenience expected top be fixed shortly, or pre-determined course of action/stance against native linux version.

Hmm.. I don't believe you understand how the community edition works. Goldhawk Interactive, the developers of Xenonauts do not have any input into Community Edition, it is entirely run by volunteer coders. Goldhawk commissioned a specific company (Knockout Games) to port their version - the version you buy - natively to linux long after CE was first released. If you want CE on linux natively, a volunteer coder has to be willing to port the game to linux. Volunteer coders are far and few between, and everything they do has to be done in their spare time when they are willing to do something. With one exception (Ilunak), community coders have come to CE, added what they wanted to add, then left. There is no pre-determined course for CE. It's just up to whoever wants to do it to do it, when they feel like doing it and when they can do it.

EDIT: I think a good analogy for CE is to liken CE to a bar with no bartenders. Any bartender can come by and serve drinks, and they can mix whatever drink they like but they won't get paid for it. So you have bartenders who swing by, mix a few drinks, serve them up then leave. You have some bartenders who stay around longer because they like the bar, but get going because this gig doesn't pay the bills. There's one bartender who has stayed around for a long time, but you don't see him a lot because he's often in the back room, trying to fix the plumbing. If you want a whole new bar built so you can sit down and relax, then you'll have to wait for a bartender who also a good carpenter to come along.

I'm actually aware of the way CE was born, I'm also versed with how coding and compiling works, including FOSS or semi-open software development - still thank for illustrative bar comparison Albeit I don't get one thing from you kind explanation, so bear with me, please. Making the timeline AIUI short and tense:

As you said, Xenonauts was released for windows first, CE was born (starting with source code being handled), and *later* linux port was made. Goldhawk decided to incorporate some CE changes into main game, with last iteration being version 1.59 - all supported platforms (including Linux) were released for that version.

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Now, you're saying that:

a) Source code ported for Linux wasn't handled to CE staff after porting was done, and changes from last version CE got are non-trivial (as in: not just compile for/under different platform to get a linux build)?

b) code base between platforms, but team just lack someone who would volunteer time to compile for linux?

I highly doubt that "b" is the case, given the expertise shown in the work done - but, if it would, I would gladly volunteer as maintainer of Linux version. If it is the "a", then indeed it is a sad limbo.

In such case, was there any attempt made, from CE side, to contact Goldhawk about the issue? I really can't imagine reason why they wouldn't want to provide (for CE only, obviously) patches against codebase that made linux version possible (and working fine), if they already handled source code, just before linux port was made the thing. It sounds more like an overlook, than any twisted way f thinking that could reason alienating chunk of their customers from (voluntary maintained, yet still born from their willingness to hand source code) Community Edition.

Cheers,

/Cat Lady

There isn't any CE staff. At all. There never has been. The closest thing to CE "staff" would be Ilunak, by virtue of being the longest-serving coder. There is no "they". There never has been a "they", and I think Ilunak has stopped working on CE a while ago. Because there is no CE team, because (quite possibly) there is no-one working on CE at all (there is no requirement for CE developers to announce they are leaving the project, just as there is no requirement for CE developers to announce they are joining the project), there is no-one to work on porting CE to linux. A coder with the skill, will and time to port CE to linux would have to join to port CE to linux. If you feel you are that coder, then become a Community Coder and speak to Chris about the possibility of getting assistance porting CE to linux.

There isn't any CE staff. At all. There never has been.

Well, considering that - to get access to sources and be actually able to edit anything - you need to:

A coder with the skill, will and time to port CE to linux would have to join to port CE to linux.

...I suppose that that term "CE team" wasn't so worth nitpicking about it - you aren't joining "vacuum" or "thin air", release aren't announced and put online by ghosts, either. So, whenever we call them "guys-with-access-to-sources'' or, for ease of conversation, "CE team", I'm *perfectly* sure that we both know what we were referring too.

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Anyway, I'll carefully read what is need to be done to apply (and subsequently, get source code access), and if successful, will try contacting Chris about the linux port assistance. Reportedly, running Xenonanuts through recent wine releases causes some problems (crashes) with loading largest alien bases (very frustrating, if you reach that point on max diff. ironman mode ), so it would be worth fixing situation once and for all, by using native binaries.

In the meantime, I humbly suggest "Them" (starts to sounds Lovecraft'ian much?) to update installation instructions for CE - there is section for windows/steam and section for "other" users (presumably applying to Linux users as well), which just instruct to run binary from assets/mods at the end. Obviously, it apply to windows only - furthermore, there *is* Xenonauts.sh file there, trying to be a wrapper around running thing through WINE. Sadly, the emthod used there is hardly valid for nowadays methods of using WINE in separate "bottles", and most of the time results in either total failure, or running Xenonauts with completely different version of wine that they're using everyday (usually, some ancient version pulled in by system dependencies, instead of "bottled" environment, let alone things like wine staging.)

Cheers,

/Cat Lady