So.. i was thinking about installing Fedora on my mame machine, seems linux uses less resources and what not. .and well my mame machine is a bit 'weak' per say..
What nix mame versions are out there? and arnt a pain in the ass to install?
or should i just stick with windows..
Be very careful how you walk into these things. Linux doesn't "use less resources" just because it is Linux. It *can* use less resources if it is configured by someone competant. A full install of Fedora Core will be more bloated and slower than a clean install of WindowsXP, simply because of all the crap that is installed with it.
If you are building a dedicated cabinet, it's best to keep your install to a minimum. Use a lightweight, customisable window manager such as XFCE4 or Fluxbox, and not a big bloated desktop-centric on lik KDE or GNOME.
Install only what you need. Don't install the full gamut of desktop applications, themes, mail servers, and all that rubbish. Start with nothing selected, and pull down the basics: XWindows, XFCE4/Fluxbox, sound tools, and development files (GCC etc) for building MAME and maybe installing Nvidia drivers later on.
I've been using Linux for well over 11 years now, and I hate Fedora. It's big, fat, slow and bloated. Distros like Debian give the end user a much better choice of what they can install without all the bloat. In turn, they sacrifice a little user-friendliness for new users. Their long-term use however is far more rewarding, as they are much less restricting in their options for users who have the patience to stick with them and learn how to do things the "Linux way".
Whatever you do, be prepared to READ. Linux is not point-and-click ease of use. You cannot leave your brain at the door and expect to fumble your way through it like Windows or Mac. There is plenty of documentation, and you will NEED to read it. This is not an optional extra like it is in other operating systems.
The trade off for complete customisability is complexity. That is often overwhelming for some, in which case learning some patience and having a good read of the doco is the first option, with the fallback being returning to the comfort of point-and-click Windows, sans user-choice and customisability.
The most lightweight options available to you are:
1) Console framebuffer and/or SVGALib and AdvanceMAME:
This can have you installed in under 100MB of disk space, and booting from POST screen to frontend in under 20 seconds. This is how I have my cocktail cab set up, and it works a treat. The only thing faster would be DOS, but it doesn't support any of my sound nor networking hardware, which isn't good enough for me. I need to be able to get files to the machine via network, and hear the games I'm playing using my motherboard's onboard sound, and both work out of the box for me in Linux.
This is also the best option for arcade-monitor users, as you can program real arcade modes to your video card this way quite easily. That in itself is a whole other post.
2) XWindows with custom .xinitrc file:
Expect a bit more space used here. If you cleaned up after yourself post-install, you could get this down to 300-400MB without too much effort. Via this method you can use XMAME easily, and if your hardware supports it use OpenGL to do stretching and bilinear filtering via it (also available in plain 2D mode for non-3D-acellerated displays, of course). This is also the best option for TV users under Linux (which is how my current batch of cabinets I assemble for friends are made).
Disadvantages are that X takes up substantially more RAM than method (1). Even moreso if you use a Window Manager instead of scripting your own .xinitrc file.
Via either method it is easy to script your system to shut down once your frontend closes, or do any sort of tricks you can think of, without being limited by the OS.
There's another excellent Linux thread around here somewhere... I'm sure someone has already linked to it, or will do. Remeber that Linux is not the silver bullet that will cure all your ills. It can certainly be much lighter on resources, but as mentioned only if you are intelligent about your setup, and don't go filling your system with bloat. Linux is only as good as the person using it, but the difference is you have complete control and choice over HOW it works.
My two favourite pages on Linux setups for MAME users are Whammoed's link above, as well as EasyMAMECab:
http://easymamecab.mameworld.net/I urge anyone playing with Linux to read both of these, and get to grips with the terminology used by Linux. Remember that Linux IS NOT Windows. I know that is a pretty obvious statement, but how many times I have been asked "Where is my C: Drive?" and other such questions by new Linux users, I am gobsmacked at how brainwashed the world is to blind Microsoft acceptance. Understanding that they are different is half the battle to understanding Linux completely.
I've used Linux for 11+ years personally (I have 8 machines at home, and only one of them is Windows now - and that's my girlfriend's), and professionally for over 5. If you have specific questions about a particular setup, my PM inbox is always open, or post in the Software forum and I'll do my best to sort you out with anything from scripting to config files to compiling your favourite program to using your package manager to install new system software.
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Topic: Mame And Linux (Read 6572 times)
