GM5 under Ubuntu

Posted by Shork on May 15, 2009, 5:13 p.m.

I have ubuntu linux. That's the biggest reason I have not done anything with game maker for over a year. I have tried learning python, took a java class, but I still like Game Maker. So I did some research, looked around, and learned that Game Maker will not work under WINE due to directX problems. However, directX was not implemented until version 6, so version 5 still works under linux.

With my newfound knowledge, I downloaded GM 5.3a from yoyogames and installed it. It worked, the examples worked, it was nice. Then I tried making a simple bouncing ball game to refamiliarize myself with the program. But to my dismay, when I hit go, the screen was blank. I checked the room, I had placed everything correctly, so I checked the controller object. I looked at the script I had written and it was blank. It didn't save. I tried again, double checked it, wrote scripts in a time line and as a script, all with the same failures. If I use drag and drop I can make it work, but d and d sucks.

Also when I open the help, I can't close the help. Get an error message.

Has anyone else had this issue? I understand linux is not too common, and understand that GM 5.3a is for dinosaurs. I just hope someone, somewhere has something I can try to make scripts work.

Comments

PY 14 years, 11 months ago

If you're really that attached to GM, just dual boot. Else, use something else.

Shork 14 years, 11 months ago

I know it's possible to put linux on a windows machine and dual boot ok, but I heard it was a lot harder to put windows on a linux machine and get dual boot to work ok. Is that correct?

Shork 14 years, 11 months ago

It is harder to add windows after linux because windows has odd requirements for the partition table. When the partition is done by linux software it forgets the windows rules and XP doesn't work right. But I haven't found a way to use windows software to partition the drive without initially having windows.

flashback 14 years, 11 months ago

DirectX has ALWAYS been GM's subsystem: gm6 just started using D3D for drawing rather than DirectDraw, so a higher DX version required (8 vs 6, as I recall).

SixWinged 14 years, 11 months ago

Not to attack your choice of OS but I question why you'd want to use Linux. It's obvious that you want to run apps that will only run on Windows (Game Maker), personally I'd say that's reason enough. The only people I know who use Linux do so because they feel superior using it. I can understand OSX for the graphical appeal, Windows for the vast amount of applications and the fact that it's generally the standard, but I can never seem to understand people who choose Linux. Do feel free to enlighten me though.

PY 14 years, 11 months ago

So don't use windows software to partition, use Linux software. That's why you're running linux, right? Grab GParted and make a new NTFS partition, and then fix your bootloader once you've installed windows, because windows'll just overwrite your current one.

Shork 14 years, 11 months ago

I've been looking at updating my version of ubuntu anyway. If I'm going to go to that level of trouble I might as well do a clean XP install then add the ubuntu as dual boot. I didn't dual boot originally because my new laptop came with vista, which would use half my RAM and murder my puny graphics card while getting clogged with viruses.

Arcalyth 14 years, 11 months ago

Nobody uses GM5.

If you want to use GM, either help develop Wine, or dual boot.

Python is pretty easy. pygame is good, but doesn't work with Python 3, so either wait for SDL 1.3 to come out or just use python 2.6.

Or learn C/++.

But yeah, to help.. what version of Wine are you using?

Arcalyth 14 years, 11 months ago

SixWinged: I use Linux because I can do simple tasks without having to spend $49.99 on software that half-works. Everything is easier for me to configure, and I can be sure that it will work exactly how I want it to. I can customize things to my liking, which is incredibly difficult and not very practical on Windows.

I also run a Linux server. Why would I want to run a Windows server?

flashback 14 years, 11 months ago

Quote:
So don't use windows software to partition, use Linux software. That's why you're running linux, right? Grab GParted and make a new NTFS partition, and then fix your bootloader once you've installed windows, because windows'll just overwrite your current one.
This.

And virtualization will work for VMWare Fusion, but VirtualBox you'll have to do some hacking to get DirectX functional.