Help installing Second Life on Linux netbook - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

fatboss · 04-26-2009, 01:07 AM

My Wife loves playing (if that's the right word) onSecond Life.

I recently bought her an Acer Aspire One netbook, running Linux, and she wants to run second life on that too. According to the readme file, I simply type ./secondlife from the installation directory.
The question is - where do I find the installation directory?
Linux is nothing like windows (d'uh!) so I could use a little help in finding my way to solving this puzzle.
A friend suggested I install Ubuntu, I downloaded that onto a flash drive but I'm not sure how to get the thing installed, and even if this is the best thing to do.

Sorry to sound like a complete newb, but I know my friends at tfp will help me out onthis one.

fatboss

Martian · 04-26-2009, 07:52 AM

I'm not familiar with the distro that is on the Aspire One, though I understand that it's built on Fedora. I'm also not familiar with Second Life or it's Linux client, having never felt the desire to play such a game. Consequently, my advice is a bit general.

Linux handles program installations in a fundamentally different way from Windows. As a general rule, there's no 'installation directory' as such. Instead, all of the executable files get placed in one of a few common directories; frequently /usr/bin .

The command that you pulled out of the readme tells the console 'find and execute the program secondlife in my current directory.' The easiest way to do it, though, would actually be to just leave off the 'in my current directory' bit, and if secondlife is in your $PATH it'll get run. To do that, you simply leave the ./ off the front.

Important Safety Tip: Linux is case sensitive. There is a big difference between secondlife, Secondlife and SecondLife. Make sure you're using the right command.

Re: Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is generally considered to be the most noob-friendly distro you can get. It's very easy to use without sacrificing some of the more advanced features, or reducing control of the user. The downside to Ubuntu is that it's built on Debian. Debian's never been the most stable distro in my experience, and Ubuntu carries over a lot of Debian's quirks.

Wyodiver33 · 04-26-2009, 11:33 AM

I can't help with the Linux problem, but I can tell you this: Second Life will probably be pretty much useless on your netbook. SL is very graphics-intensive. On my desktop with a core2 2.13GHz, 2GB RAM, and an nVidia 8600 GTS 256MB, it's laggy as hell sometimes. The integrated vid on your netbook, and relatively underpowered CPU will probably make SL look like a slide-show, if it plays at all. You can try it, hell, I would! But don't expect much. Best of luck.

fatboss · 04-26-2009, 12:26 PM

hmmmm - good tips guys - Thanks.

Lokks like a rethink is on the cards.

Wyodiver33 · 04-26-2009, 12:35 PM

fatboss, I hope you don't think I was bashing your wife's netbook. I think they are great and I will eventually get one. But they are pretty limited when it comes to games, that's all.

shakran · 04-26-2009, 01:50 PM

This might help:

Linux Viewer - Second Life Wiki

I note that it says the client runs entirely out of the directory you unpacked it to, so the answer to your original question is "wherever you put it"

fatboss · 04-27-2009, 02:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyodiver33

fatboss, I hope you don't think I was bashing your wife's netbook. I think they are great and I will eventually get one. But they are pretty limited when it comes to games, that's all.

He he, no probs man. It is a cracking little unit, but as you say it has it's limits. I think second life is too draining for such a tiny little machine. I think that will always be a problem. But they are good as long as you appreciate their limitations, no matter how much or how little they cost.

---------- Post added at 11:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:44 AM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by shakran

This might help:

Linux Viewer - Second Life Wiki

I note that it says the client runs entirely out of the directory you unpacked it to, so the answer to your original question is "wherever you put it"

ok so when it says directory, it means file or folder right? That bit I get. But where it says ;

Run ./secondlife from the installation directory to start Second Life

does that mean there should be a folder named ./secondlife - or do I type that somewhere? Either way I can't quite grasp what is is I'm looking for in the aforementioned directory to be able to kick start this thing! I have a folder full of icons, but being so used to windows nothing is leaping out at me by way of an .exe file or a .run file .

Am I making any sense? hmmm

Martian · 04-27-2009, 03:33 AM

The period is a variable that means 'my current working directory.' The slash is a separator. Therefore, the command ./secondlife, as noted above, tells your console 'run secondlife in my current working directory.'

The application itself will simply be named secondlife and will live in whatever directory you've unpacked the program to. You may be able to run it by simply double clicking on the secondlife icon throught the GUI and choosing 'execute,' or you may need to open up an instance of the console to do that. The console is another name for the command line interface or the prompt, and learning how to use it in general is not a bad idea when running Linux. The desktop environments have gotten a lot better, but still are nowhere near to approaching the power and flexibility provided by the CLI.

How to open the console varies depending on your DE. Gnome is my DE of choice and I know there it's under the 'System' sub-menu. It's usually somewhere similar on other DE's, but having never used Linpus I really can't be more specific unfortunately.

fatboss · 04-27-2009, 12:33 PM

Well the latest is that so many people have advised me these netbooks just don't have the power to run the heavy graphics on apps such as second life. So it looks like a normal sized laptop will have to do for now.

Thanks for all your advice. I appreciate it.

04-26-2009, 01:07 AM	#1 (permalink)
fatboss Addict Location: Liverpool, UK	Help installing Second Life on Linux netbook My Wife loves playing (if that's the right word) onSecond Life. I recently bought her an Acer Aspire One netbook, running Linux, and she wants to run second life on that too. According to the readme file, I simply type ./secondlife from the installation directory. The question is - where do I find the installation directory? Linux is nothing like windows (d'uh!) so I could use a little help in finding my way to solving this puzzle. A friend suggested I install Ubuntu, I downloaded that onto a flash drive but I'm not sure how to get the thing installed, and even if this is the best thing to do. Sorry to sound like a complete newb, but I know my friends at tfp will help me out onthis one. fatboss __________________ "never mind that shit........here comes Mongo!"

04-26-2009, 07:52 AM	#2 (permalink)
Martian Young Crumudgeon Location: Canada	I'm not familiar with the distro that is on the Aspire One, though I understand that it's built on Fedora. I'm also not familiar with Second Life or it's Linux client, having never felt the desire to play such a game. Consequently, my advice is a bit general. Linux handles program installations in a fundamentally different way from Windows. As a general rule, there's no 'installation directory' as such. Instead, all of the executable files get placed in one of a few common directories; frequently /usr/bin . The command that you pulled out of the readme tells the console 'find and execute the program secondlife in my current directory.' The easiest way to do it, though, would actually be to just leave off the 'in my current directory' bit, and if secondlife is in your $PATH it'll get run. To do that, you simply leave the ./ off the front. Important Safety Tip: Linux is case sensitive. There is a big difference between secondlife, Secondlife and SecondLife. Make sure you're using the right command. Re: Ubuntu. Ubuntu is generally considered to be the most noob-friendly distro you can get. It's very easy to use without sacrificing some of the more advanced features, or reducing control of the user. The downside to Ubuntu is that it's built on Debian. Debian's never been the most stable distro in my experience, and Ubuntu carries over a lot of Debian's quirks. __________________ I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame Last edited by Martian; 04-26-2009 at 08:15 AM..

04-26-2009, 11:33 AM	#3 (permalink)
Wyodiver33 Just here for the beer. Location: Ft. Lauderdale, Floriduh	I can't help with the Linux problem, but I can tell you this: Second Life will probably be pretty much useless on your netbook. SL is very graphics-intensive. On my desktop with a core2 2.13GHz, 2GB RAM, and an nVidia 8600 GTS 256MB, it's laggy as hell sometimes. The integrated vid on your netbook, and relatively underpowered CPU will probably make SL look like a slide-show, if it plays at all. You can try it, hell, I would! But don't expect much. Best of luck. __________________ I like stuff.

04-26-2009, 12:26 PM	#4 (permalink)
fatboss Addict Location: Liverpool, UK	hmmmm - good tips guys - Thanks. Lokks like a rethink is on the cards. __________________ "never mind that shit........here comes Mongo!"

04-26-2009, 12:35 PM	#5 (permalink)
Wyodiver33 Just here for the beer. Location: Ft. Lauderdale, Floriduh	fatboss, I hope you don't think I was bashing your wife's netbook. I think they are great and I will eventually get one. But they are pretty limited when it comes to games, that's all. __________________ I like stuff.

04-26-2009, 01:50 PM	#6 (permalink)
shakran Tone.	This might help: Linux Viewer - Second Life Wiki I note that it says the client runs entirely out of the directory you unpacked it to, so the answer to your original question is "wherever you put it"

04-27-2009, 03:33 AM	#8 (permalink)
Martian Young Crumudgeon Location: Canada	The period is a variable that means 'my current working directory.' The slash is a separator. Therefore, the command ./secondlife, as noted above, tells your console 'run secondlife in my current working directory.' The application itself will simply be named secondlife and will live in whatever directory you've unpacked the program to. You may be able to run it by simply double clicking on the secondlife icon throught the GUI and choosing 'execute,' or you may need to open up an instance of the console to do that. The console is another name for the command line interface or the prompt, and learning how to use it in general is not a bad idea when running Linux. The desktop environments have gotten a lot better, but still are nowhere near to approaching the power and flexibility provided by the CLI. How to open the console varies depending on your DE. Gnome is my DE of choice and I know there it's under the 'System' sub-menu. It's usually somewhere similar on other DE's, but having never used Linpus I really can't be more specific unfortunately. __________________ I wake up in the morning more tired than before I slept I get through cryin' and I'm sadder than before I wept I get through thinkin' now, and the thoughts have left my head I get through speakin' and I can't remember, not a word that I said - Ben Harper, Show Me A Little Shame

04-27-2009, 12:33 PM	#9 (permalink)
fatboss Addict Location: Liverpool, UK	Well the latest is that so many people have advised me these netbooks just don't have the power to run the heavy graphics on apps such as second life. So it looks like a normal sized laptop will have to do for now. Thanks for all your advice. I appreciate it. __________________ "never mind that shit........here comes Mongo!"