COMP 3000 2011 Report: linuX-gamers Live

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Background

linuX-gamers.net Live DVD (lglive) is a Linux live distribution aimed at gamers allowing them to carry a collection of Linux games and utilities bootable on any computer of sufficient power without any required installation<ref name = "live.linuX-gamers.net_home">"live.linuX-gamers.net": live.linuX-gamers.net. (Last accessed 2011-10-19).</ref>. lglive comes in two versions, the Big edition, and the Lite edition<ref name = "live.linuX-gamers.net_games">"live.linuX-gamers.net": live.linuX-gamers.net. (Last accessed 2011-10-19).</ref>. Both editions are identical except for the Lite edition contains less games, more specifically getting rid of games that require more powerful hardware or are unsuitable for children. The Lite edition contains 18 games and is unser 1GB, and the Big edition contains an additional 17 for a total of 35 games, and is under 5GB<ref name = "live.linuX-gamers.net_games"></ref>. Both editions contain XChat for IRC, Arora for web browsing, and Mumble for voice chat<ref name = "live.linuX-gamers.net_home"></ref>. As well both versions support network booting and hosting support allowing one copy of the distribution to run on multiple computers over a LAN<ref name = "live.linuX-gamers.net_home"></ref>. The distribution is based off of Arch Linux<ref>"DistroWatch.com: linuX-gamers Live DVD": distrowatch.com. 2011-07-27. (Last accessed 2011-10-19).</ref> and was originally developed by some member and staff of linuX-gamers.net, and is now primarily developed by Sven-Hendrik 'Svenstaro' Hasse<ref name = "live.linuX-gamers.net_team">"live.linuX-gamers.net": live.linuX-gamers.net. (Last accessed 2011-10-19).</ref>. The distribution may be obtained through the sites download section or by downloading and compiling the source code from projects git hub page.

Installation/Startup

Installation is very easy for lglive as it is a Live distribution meaning installation is as easy as downloading the iso and burning it to a CD/DVD or writing the iso to a USB flash drive. If on Windows, lglive recommends using InfraRecorder for burning to a CD/DVD and Win32DiskImager if writing to a USB flash drive<ref name = "live.linuX-gamers.net_download">"live.linuX-gamers.net": live.linuX-gamers.net. (Last accessed 2011-10-19).</ref>. Both are available for free online. Once written you can then boot from the device you installed it on from almost any computer. You can also boot multiple computers from the same device over a network. Below are the different methods of Installinion and Startup.

Installation

Burn to a CD/DVD

  1. Download the latest version of lglive from [1].
  2. Place a blank CD or DVD of sufficient size for your selected version into your CD/DVD writer.
On Windows (with InfraRecorder)
  1. Open InfraRecorder. If not already installed you can download InfraRecorder from here.
  2. Select the "Write Image" option.
  3. When prompted locate and select the lglive iso you downloaded earlier.
  4. Select the appropriate drive from the drop down menu and press "OK".

Write to a USB Flash Drive

  1. Download the latest version of lglive from [2].
  2. Connect to your computer the flash drive you wish to install lglive on to.
  3. Back up any data or programs on the flash drive you wish to keep as all data on the flash drive will be lost.
On Windows
  1. Open Win32DiskImager. If not already installed you can download Win32DiskImager from here.
  2. Enter the appropriate path to the iso you downloaded earlier.
  3. Select the appropriate drive from the drop down menu and press "Write".
On Linux
  1. Open the terminal.
  2. Run the following command "dd if=/path/to/lglive.iso of=/dev/your-flash-drive bs=32M".

Installing on Hard Drive

Though designed for use as a live CD/DVD, linuX-gamers.net live may also be installed onto a hard drive. This requires first booting from a live cd, and then selecting the option to "Install lglive on hard drive". The drawbacks of this is that currently lglive will take up the entire hard drive, erasing anything else on it<ref name = "live.linuX-gamers.net_faq">"live.linuX-gamers.net": live.linuX-gamers.net. (Last accessed 2011-10-19).</ref>. To install onto the hard drive follow these instructions:

  1. Create a lglive CD/DVD/USB.
  2. Boot lglive using prefered method.
  3. After booting, right click on the desktop.
  4. Select "Install lglive on hard drive".
  5. Select the desired drive on which to install lglive.
  6. Confirm your selection and allow lglive to install itself.

Startup

From CD/DVD or USB

  1. Insert the device on which you have installed linuX-gamers.net live.
  2. Boot the computer making sure to boot from the selected device.
  3. Select "Boot live.linux-gamers from" the boot menu.
  4. Select the appropriate language from the menu.

Over Local Area Network (LAN)

  1. Boot the host computer from a CD/DVD/USB.
  2. On the host computer right click on the desktop.
  3. Select "Host lglive in LAN". Only one computer may host on a network at a time.
  4. Boot all the other computers with "network boot". Some BIOS may require you to activate this from the BIOS menu.
  5. Select the appropriate language from the menu.

Basic Operation

Launch a Game or Program

Launching a game or program in lglive is extremely easy. Any program may be launched by clicking the appropriate item in the main desktop panels, or by right clicking on the desktop and selecting the program from the list provided.

Create a Persistent Home

Creating a persistent home allows settings to be saved on a computer between boots of lglive. Creating a persistent home requires the creation of a new partition to hold the settings information and thus should only be attempted by advanced users<ref name = "live.linuX-gamers.net_faq"></ref>. To create a persistent home follow these steps:

  1. Open xterm.
  2. Enter the command "sudo cfdisk /dev/sda".
  3. Select a section of free space from the menu. If there is no free space you will need to resize one of your partitions.
  4. Once you have selected some free space, select "[New]", then "[Primary]", and then enter the amount of space you would like to use for the partition.
  5. Remember the name (sda#) of the partition you created and then select "[Write]".
  6. In xterm enter the command "mkfs.ext4 -L LGLIVE_HOME /dev/sda#" where sda# is the name of the partition you created.
  7. Now when booting select "Use persistent home" when prompted.

Usage Evaluation

linuX-gamers Live DVD does exactly what it sets out to do. It give it users an easy to use live Linux distribution that allows user to carry around a collection of linux game for demonstration, gaming, or parties. It's simple and bare bones user interface allows you to easily access any feature of lglive from the desktop, and it's collection of utility applications let's you do the exact things you would want to when gaming, play games, chat and use the internet. Because of it's simplicity and focus on gaming, lglive is able to include drivers for many of today's graphic, network and sound cards making it compatible and efficient on most any machine. It's network booting option makes LAN parties extremely simple as only one copy of the distribution is required. Despite it's many benefits, lglive has it's drawbacks and limitations. Although lglive includes a voice chat client, Mumble, and an IRC client, XChat, it does not include software to host the associated servers meaning that at least one computer is required running another distribution to host and IRC or Mumble server. There is also no easy way to simple or easy way to install new software and games on lglive as it does not include any application installer and is generally run from a Live CD/DVD. This severly limits the appeal of the distribution as only those games included with the distribution can really be played using lglive.

References

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