can anyone point me in the right directions for Linux setup?

[sisyphean]

basically i would like to know if anyone can point me in the right direction for a simple linux tutorial, because i cant run all the mods i want on 32bit ksp.

i just want to have a dedicated linux 64bit os for running ksp while still keeping my win7 install as is but i have no idea how to set it up (and have zero experience with linux).

if there are any differences between running and modding ksp on linux compared to win7 do any of you know a good tutorial that will help?

anyway i hope this is the right section, ive been trying to get a tutorial via google but most of what i find seems either far to basic or far too advanced and without experience of linux im not sure which version i should be looking to use for this

Edited April 3, 2015 by sisyphean

[Lindy]

Most every Linux distribution has instructions, and tutorials on how to set up a dual boot. Read them until you understand what's going on. The file system hierarchy can be a bit confusing for the neophyte user.

[sisyphean]

ok thanks i didnt realise they came with instructions on running them dual with windows. which version of linux is best for KSP?

[radonek]

I'd never thought I would see anybody looking to linux to play games…

First, you need to pick your favourite flavour, or "distribution" and a desktop environment. Simply put, you download a distribution image, throw it onto dvd/flashdisk, boot it and look if you like it. Booting up from removable medium takes a while longer, but you can try things without hassling with installation to disk. You can also test if your hardware is properly supported. Some to choose from (but there are much more if you are picky):

http://www.linuxmint.com/ (kde, gnome2 and "conservative" gnome3 desktop)

https://getfedora.org/workstation/ (gnome3 desktop)

http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop (unity desktop)

KDE is very sophisticated and configurable, good if you like to tinker with things.

gnome and unity are more like "one (well thought out) size for all"

If you know any linux user who can help you, just ask and get same distro. Once you have your favourite, look for tutorial for that specific flavour. Most distributions have some "getting started" documentation right at eye level.

[Lindy]

ok thanks i didnt realise they came with instructions on running them dual with windows. which version of linux is best for KSP?

I don't know if any one distribution is any better than the other for KSP or any other game, but Ubuntu is popular with many new users. I myself use Fedora with a KDE desktop. One thing you can do is to dl several live cd versions of different distributions to see which you like best. Checkout DistroWatch they list just about every distribution of Linux under the sun.

[sisyphean]

thanks guys you've been tremendously helpful. im a reasonably basic computer user but i learn things quickly, i will probably be modding a lot of the mods that i will be installing (removing unwanted parts, rescaling etc) so i will essentialy be learning how to mod with this setup and was wondering which linux would be best for that, like i say im a quick learner so i dont mind if the learning curve is a bit steep (i play Dwarf fortress too) i just have 0 experience with coding etc

[jarmund]

Linux explained way too briefly:

DISCLAIMER:

While I've been using linux and other unix-like OSes for the better part of 15 years, I've only used it as my primary desktop OS for maybe 2 or 3 years.

Hokay, here's the gist of it.

- Command line usage: Some tutorial I found via google - While strictly not necessary today, it will help you in the long run. Proper shell usage makes most things easier and/or faster once you get the hang of it. On second thought, this should have been listed last, as there's no real reason to get down and dirty with this until you've got a decent installation up and running.

- A common question seen around the web is someone asking which distro they should go with. My advice: Try one, and see if it works for you. There is a myriad to choose from, most of them geared towards different uses. If you're new to the linux area, I recommend going for one with a fairly large user-base, as it makes it easier to find someone who's found a sollution for whatever issue you might stumble across.

- Harddrives and partitioning will most likely be very unfamiliar to you at first glance. But depending on how you are with this topic already, you might be OK. For an install I recommend having a dedicated linux harddrive. Not that it matters in the long run, but it does eliminate the need to resize an existing windows/NTFS partition. Basically, it goes like this: Linux supports many filesystems. Most of them default to ext3, reiserfs, UFS or ext4. NTFS is usually supported, but for reasons beyond the scope of this post, you probably don't want to install linux on an NTFS partition. What this means is that your linux install can read your windows install, but not the other way around. Don't let this paragraph scare you, tho. Most installers simplify this A LOT, alloming fairly painless repartitioning depending on your need.

- Drivers CAN be a pain in the retrograde. But don't let this be a turnoff before doing some basic research. When I installed a linux distro a few years ago just to check how it worked as a desktop OS, I was suprised to see how far linux in general has come since last time I checked (which was around 2001) this means two things:

- Hardware vendors (or some of them, at least) are now taking linux seriously, and release drivers for the linux platform (NVIDIA does this, for example)

- Common hardware made by hardware vendors who aren't as nice often have a driver made for them by a third party

Anyway, the most common sources of grief here are gfx adapters and wifi cards. Google whatever you have and check its linux compatibility.

- Live distros can help you gauge how well you like linux before actually going for a full install. On top of this, many install images actually boots a fully functional OS and lets you check it out before running the installer as if it was a regular program.

Software - Most windows software has a linux-native equivalent, unless said software is also released for linux. Some might even resemble the windows original. For those of us who traded MP3s via e-mail before the days of Napster and the like, winamp would've been the tool of choice. For linux you have xmms, which looks exactly the same and.... OK, I'm digressing worse than Doofenschmirz here. Basically, if your software won't run under linux, some other will do the job instead.

And that's all I have to say about that

- Forrest Gump, 1994

Except from this:

When I installed Linux Mint a while back on one of my laptops, I decided to fire up steam and install KSP to test for issues, both of which ran fine out of the box. It just works. Also, I believe Mint is geared towards ease of use for desktop users. The only issue I had was that I had to select a different NVIDIA driver than the one Linux Mint chose for me, and that took around 30 seconds. Personally, Arch Linux is my favourite nowadays, but I wouldn't use it as a desktop OS.

Edited April 3, 2015 by jarmund

[Taki117]

I dual boot Ubuntu, it's easy enough to do, you will have to partition your hard drive, but Linux provides a tool to do just that during install. If you want to play KSP simply check out the Linux support thread and follow the directions.

http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/92231-The-Linux-Thread?p=1380984#post1380984

[Alshain]

Linux Mint is also very popular because it's based on Ubuntu but simplified for beginners, but still powerful enough that more experienced users don't hate it either. Ubuntu is still pretty expert, though it's not the most expert distro out there (see: Gentoo).

As for KSP, It must be a Debian based distro, which Ubuntu and Linux Mint are. Non Debian-based distros will most likely not work (Fedora, Gentoo, etc).

Other popular Debian based distros include Xandros, Knoppix, and Linspire. Theoretically, all of those would be compatible with KSP.

Edited April 4, 2015 by Alshain

[Lindy]

As for KSP, It must be a Debian based distro, which Ubuntu and Linux Mint are. Non Debian-based distros will most likely not work (Fedora, Gentoo, etc).

Damn... Does that mean that my computer will burst into flames and chase me around the room?

[radonek]

Damn... Does that mean that my computer will burst into flames and chase me around the room?

Oh my, if my gentoo box hear of this, I'm dead. What have I done...