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Anybody running Linux on their cab?

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spystyle:
Hello from icy cold Maine,

Ever since I switched from IE to FireFox I've been interested in the open source ingenuity. They don't gain if you perpetually upgrade so they must be the good guys.

And I would feel good about a Micro$oft free arcade cab

While researching distros that might rock on a cab with an old computer in it I stumbled across "Puppy Linux" and "Feather Linux", Puppy allegedy turns a PII into a fast workstation that goes like a P4, and Feather can run on a PI, both are based on Knoppix - and then there is KnoppixMAME, but from the little research I've done it is difficult to work with and does not support TV out.

Is anyone here using Linux on their cab? If yes, what distro?

Is there a fast Linux that supports TV out for cabs with TV?

Is there a good walkthrough for putting Linux on a cab? I don't know a thing about Linux and the number of distros available is overwhelming. I don't even know where to start.

What I would like for a Linux is this:

1. Can run on a little PII 300Mhz or a big P4 3GHZ

2. Is super easy to install, installs to HD automatically formatting and ect

3. Has the complete Linux drivers in it so it is very compatible without having to install drivers (is that fiction?)

4. Has TV-OUT for nVidia or ATI automatically enabled (I guess this means the OS would be fixed at 800x600 @ 60hz + the driver?)

5. Has a user friendly interface (user will set everything up with mouse)

6. User can easily copy their MAME or Emulation disk contents (ie: complete MAME set) like "drag and drop" from CD

7. User can easily install MAME or Emu software (with the mouse?)

8. User can set their emulation software to automaticaly launch when OS starts (ideally after initial setup no keyboard or mouse will be available in an arcade machine)

9. OS automatically "shuts down OS and powers off computer" when ATX power button is pressed.

10. It must run much faster than Windows 98SE

Is this possible? Is it a pipe dream or easy to do?

Thanks,
Craig

SirPoonga:
Let me put it this way, the answer to most of those questions is yes.  BUT, yep, there's a but.  But you are going to need a bigger machine for emulation unless you run an older version of mame.  Also it isn't trivial to set some things up.
You will have to define easy.  Microsoft windows easy, no.  But easy enough where you don't need to know much to figure it out, yes.

First, if you are new to linux start out with something like knoppix, fedora, or mandrake.  Installing is easy.  As for getting mame to work your best option is to use the advance tools.
http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/

spystyle:
In response to :  an older version of MAME

I was thinking of using a MAME version in keeping with the processor, like .36 for PII, .53 for PIII, ect.

Major Rock Hardy:
I am running gentoo on my cab - pretty flexible - only install what you need.  Granted I have run into some issues, but most are documented here:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=46747.0

Also using gentoo are whammoed, elvis, and motorhedjr, all of whom have contributed to the above thread.

some links:
http://www.gentoo.org

whammoed's site:
http://web.tampabay.rr.com/whammoed/whammocade/software.htm


--- Quote from: spystyle on February 02, 2006, 04:49:51 pm ---Ever since I switched from IE to FireFox I've been interested in the open source ingenuity. They don't gain if you perpetually upgrade so they must be the good guys.

And I would feel good about a Micro$oft free arcade cab


--- End quote ---
right on, brother...

as far as TV-out goes... I think it is going to be hit and miss... don't get too excited at the URL but I did find this:

http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_TV-Out

good luck,
Rock

buks:
spystyle,

If you're a complete noob at linux then I can hightly recommend Ubuntu linux. The installation is nearly as easy as Windows although quite a few flavours of Linux have user friendly installs.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

To install software (like MAME) you can do it all via the Synaptic Package Manager - its a bit like Add/Remove Programs but it downloads the list of available software from a server (known as a repository).

I must recomment my mates linux version of Mamewah at this point (much easier to setup than AdvancedMAME in my opinion).

http://www.anti-particle.com/wahcade.shtml

Of course, theres bound to be as many people offering advice as there are flavours of Linux. The best thing to do might be to "have a play" with all the ones you like the look of. Theres quite a few "LiveCD" versions that will boot off CD for you to try out (it won't touch your hard drive in other words). Ubuntu has one, and some others do (okay, I forget which!).

Good luck.

Buks

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