to linux or not to linux

[JAW96]

Okay, my buddy and I are planning to build a MAME arcade machine, and we chose what PC to build to run retro games here: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2Lo66 (that video card is just an equivalent of one that we have lying around expect the one we have is a GT) and I was wondering if linux will have issues running retro games or should we get windows for it?

 

 

I have never used linux so if it can work, which version of it would be best for a first time linux user?

 

[iamwn]

Depends on what games you want to run (e.g. is the emulator you're going to use available on linux?)

[JAW96]

Depends on what games you want to run (e.g. is the emulator you're going to use available on linux?)

well my buddy wants to get them legit, and I don't know whether GoG drop box program works for linux or not

[madcow]

There seems to be decent list of emulators you can choose from for Linux:

* games-emulation/advancemame     Available versions:  ~0.106.1 ~1.2 {alsa fbcon oss sdl static svga truetype}     Homepage:            http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/     Description:         GNU/Linux port of the MAME emulator with GUI menu* games-emulation/advancemenu     Available versions:  2.5.0 ~2.6 {alsa debug fbcon ncurses oss sdl slang static svga truetype}     Homepage:            http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/menu-readme.html     Description:         Frontend for AdvanceMAME, MAME, MESS, RAINE and any other emulator* games-emulation/advancescan     Available versions:  ~1.14 1.16     Homepage:            http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/scan-readme.html     Description:         A command line rom manager for MAME, MESS, AdvanceMAME, AdvanceMESS and Raine* games-emulation/atari800     Available versions:  2.2.1 {opengl readline sdl}     Homepage:            http://atari800.sourceforge.net/     Description:         Atari 800 emulator* games-emulation/boycott-advance-sdl     Available versions:  *0.2.8^s     Homepage:            http://sdlemu.ngemu.com/basdl.php     Description:         A Gameboy Advance (GBA) emulator for Linux* games-emulation/caps     Available versions:  20071115^s {doc}     Homepage:            http://www.softpres.org/     Description:         Support library that allows third party applications access and use C.A.P.S. images* games-emulation/daphne     Available versions:  ~1.0     Homepage:            http://www.daphne-emu.com/     Description:         Laserdisc Arcade Game Emulator* games-emulation/dboxfe     Available versions:  ~0.1.3     Homepage:            http://developer.berlios.de/projects/dboxfe/     Description:         Creates and manages configuration files for DOSBox* games-emulation/desmume     Available versions:  ~0.9.8 ~0.9.9     Homepage:            http://desmume.org/     Description:         Nintendo DS emulator* games-emulation/dgen-sdl     Available versions:  1.30 ~1.31 ~1.32 {joystick opengl}     Homepage:            http://dgen.sourceforge.net/     Description:         A Linux/SDL-Port of the famous DGen MegaDrive/Genesis-Emulator* games-emulation/dolphin     Available versions:  ~3.5^m ~4.0 **9999 {alsa ao bluetooth doc ffmpeg +lzo openal opengl openmp portaudio pulseaudio}     Homepage:            https://www.dolphin-emu.org/     Description:         Gamecube and Wii game emulator* games-emulation/dosbox     Available versions:  0.74 **9999 {alsa debug hardened opengl}     Homepage:            http://dosbox.sourceforge.net/     Description:         DOS emulator* games-emulation/emutos     Available versions:  0.8.5 ~0.8.7     Homepage:            http://emutos.sourceforge.net     Description:         a single-user single-tasking operating system for 32 bit Atari computer emulators* games-emulation/fakenes     Available versions:  ~0.5.8-r1 0.5.8-r2 {openal opengl zlib}     Homepage:            http://fakenes.sourceforge.net/     Description:         portable, Open Source NES emulator which is written mostly in C* games-emulation/fbzx     Available versions:  2.10.0     Homepage:            http://www.rastersoft.com/fbzx.html     Description:         A Sinclair Spectrum emulator, designed to work at full screen using the FrameBuffer* games-emulation/fceux     Available versions:  2.1.5 {+lua +opengl}     Homepage:            http://fceux.com/'>http://fceux.com/     Description:         A portable Famicom/NES emulator, an evolution of the original FCE Ultra* games-emulation/gambatte     Available versions:  ~0.5.0_p20130601 ~0.5.0_p20131102 {qt4 +sdl}     Homepage:            http://sourceforge.net/projects/gambatte     Description:         An accuracy-focused Gameboy / Gameboy Color emulator* games-emulation/gcube     Available versions:  ~0.4-r1     Homepage:            http://gcube.exemu.net/     Description:         Gamecube emulator* games-emulation/generator     Available versions:  0.35_p3 {+sdlaudio svga}     Homepage:            http://www.ghostwhitecrab.com/generator/     Description:         Sega Genesis / Mega Drive emulator* games-emulation/gens     Available versions:  *2.15.5     Homepage:            http://sourceforge.net/projects/gens/     Description:         A Sega Genesis/CD/32X emulator* games-emulation/gfceux     Available versions:  2.1.1 2.1.1-r1 {PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_6 python2_7"}     Homepage:            http://fceux.com     Description:         A graphical frontend for the FCEUX emulator* games-emulation/gngb     Available versions:  *20060309 {opengl}     Homepage:            http://m.peponas.free.fr/gngb/     Description:         Gameboy / Gameboy Color emulator* games-emulation/gngeo     Available versions:  ~0.7     Homepage:            http://m.peponas.free.fr/gngeo/     Description:         A NeoGeo emulator* games-emulation/gnomeboyadvance     Available versions:  *0.1     Homepage:            http://developer.berlios.de/projects/gnomeboyadvance/     Description:         A GNOME Python frontend to VisualBoyAdvance* games-emulation/gnuboy     Available versions:  1.0.3 {X fbcon sdl svga}     Homepage:            http://code.google.com/p/gnuboy/     Description:         Gameboy emulator with multiple renderers* games-emulation/gxmame     Available versions:  0.35_beta2 {joystick nls}     Homepage:            http://gxmame.sourceforge.net/     Description:         frontend for XMame using the GTK library* games-emulation/handy     Available versions:  *0.82^s     Homepage:            http://sdlemu.ngemu.com/handysdl.php     Description:         A Atari Lynx emulator for Linux* games-emulation/hatari     Available versions:  1.5.0 1.6.1 ~1.6.1-r1 1.6.2 {PYTHON_SINGLE_TARGET="python2_6 python2_7" PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_6 python2_7"}     Homepage:            http://hatari.berlios.de/     Description:         Atari ST emulator* games-emulation/higan     Available versions:  092 {+alsa ao openal opengl oss profile_accuracy +profile_balanced profile_performance pulseaudio qt4 +sdl xv}     Homepage:            http://byuu.org/higan/ https://code.google.com/p/higan/     Description:         A Nintendo multi-system emulator formerly known as bsnes* games-emulation/hugo     Available versions:  *2.12     Homepage:            http://www.zeograd.com/     Description:         PC-Engine (Turbografx16) emulator for linux* games-emulation/kigb     Available versions:  *2.02^s     Homepage:            http://kigb.emuunlim.com     Description:         A Gameboy (GB, SGB, GBA) Emulator for Linux* games-emulation/lxdream     Available versions:  ~0.9.1-r2 {debug lirc profile pulseaudio sdl}     Homepage:            http://www.lxdream.org/     Description:         An emulator for the Sega Dreamcast system* games-emulation/m64py     Available versions:  [M]~0.1.6 [M]~0.1.8 {PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7"}     Homepage:            http://m64py.sourceforge.net/     Description:         A frontend for Mupen64Plus* games-emulation/mamory     Available versions:  ~0.2.25     Homepage:            http://mamory.sourceforge.net/     Description:         ROM management tools and library* games-emulation/mastergear-bin     Available versions:  *2.0^s     Homepage:            http://fms.komkon.org/MG/     Description:         SEGA Master System / Game Gear emulator* games-emulation/mednafen     Available versions:  0.9.28 ~0.9.32 {alsa altivec cjk debugger jack nls}     Homepage:            http://mednafen.sourceforge.net/     Description:         An advanced NES, GB/GBC/GBA, TurboGrafx 16/CD, NGPC and Lynx emulator* games-emulation/mekanix     Available versions:  *070^s     Homepage:            http://www.smspower.org/meka/     Description:         SG-1000, SC-3000, SF-7000, SSC, SMS, GG, COLECO, and OMV emulator* games-emulation/mupen64plus     Available versions:  1.5-r1 1.5-r2 [M]~2.0 {+audio-sdl +gtk +input-sdl libsamplerate lirc qt4 +rsp-hle sse +ui-console +ui-m64py +video-glide64mk2 +video-rice}     Homepage:            http://code.google.com/p/mupen64plus/     Description:         A fork of Mupen64 Nintendo 64 emulator, meta-package* games-emulation/mupen64plus-audio-sdl     Available versions:  [M]~2.0 {libsamplerate oss speex}     Homepage:            http://code.google.com/p/mupen64plus/     Description:         A fork of Mupen64 Nintendo 64 emulator, SDL audio plugin* games-emulation/mupen64plus-core     Available versions:  [M]~2.0(0/2) {lirc new-dynarec +osd sse}     Homepage:            http://code.google.com/p/mupen64plus/     Description:         A fork of Mupen64 Nintendo 64 emulator, core library* games-emulation/mupen64plus-input-sdl     Available versions:  [M]~2.0     Homepage:            http://code.google.com/p/mupen64plus/     Description:         A fork of Mupen64 Nintendo 64 emulator, SDL input plugin* games-emulation/mupen64plus-rsp-hle     Available versions:  [M]~2.0     Homepage:            http://code.google.com/p/mupen64plus/     Description:         A fork of Mupen64 Nintendo 64 emulator, HLE RSP plugin* games-emulation/mupen64plus-ui-console     Available versions:  [M]~2.0     Homepage:            http://code.google.com/p/mupen64plus/     Description:         A fork of Mupen64 Nintendo 64 emulator, console UI* games-emulation/mupen64plus-video-glide64mk2     Available versions:  [M]~2.0 {hires sse}     Homepage:            http://code.google.com/p/mupen64plus/     Description:         A fork of Mupen64 Nintendo 64 emulator, glide64mk2 video plugin* games-emulation/mupen64plus-video-rice     Available versions:  [M]~2.0 {sse}     Homepage:            http://code.google.com/p/mupen64plus/     Description:         A fork of Mupen64 Nintendo 64 emulator, rice video plugin* games-emulation/neopocott     Available versions:  *0.38b^s     Homepage:            http://sdlemu.ngemu.com/neopocottsdl.php     Description:         A NeoGeo Pocket emulator for Linux* games-emulation/nestopia     Available versions:  1.40     Homepage:            http://rbelmont.mameworld.info/?page_id=200     Description:         NEStopia is a portable Nintendo Entertainment System emulator written in C++* games-emulation/nestra     Available versions:  ~0.66-r2     Homepage:            http://nestra.linuxgames.com/     Description:         NES emulation for Linux/x86* games-emulation/openmsx     Available versions:  0.9.1     Homepage:            http://openmsx.sourceforge.net/     Description:         MSX emulator that aims for perfection* games-emulation/pcsxr     Available versions:  ~1.9.94^t {alsa cdio ffmpeg nls openal opengl oss pulseaudio +sdl}     Homepage:            http://pcsxr.codeplex.com     Description:         PCSX-Reloaded: a fork of PCSX, the discontinued Playstation emulator

well my buddy wants to get them legit, and I don't know whether GoG drop box program works for linux or not

I'm not sure what GoG is but dropbox as in the cloud service works well in Linux.

[Hikaru12]

If you're planning on running Dolphin, that AMD may not be enough. A stock 3570 struggles and needs to be overclocked around 4.4-4.5 for fast FPS. Linux should not have issues running any emulator as that is what the RetroPi system is written on for a Raspberry Pi. I'd say go for it.

[JAW96]

 Linux should not have issues running any emulator as that is what the RetroPi system is written on for a Raspberry Pi. I'd say go for it.

so which emulator do you recommend for linux?

[Hikaru12]

so which emulator do you recommend for linux?

 

Lifehacker had a good article of all the emulators that play nice with Windows and Linux: http://lifehacker.com/5835259/how-to-turn-your-computer-into-a-retro-game-arcade

[James.]

well my buddy wants to get them legit, and I don't know whether GoG drop box program works for linux or not

 

Do you mean DOSBox, instead of dropbox when you are referring to "GoG drop box program"? If that's what you are talking about, there is a Linux port for DOSBox that you could use with all of the same files as with the windows version of DOSBox. The only downside to doing it this way that if you want to have shortcuts to each DOSBox game, you'll have to write a shortcut for it. If you wanted to do it that way, I could help you with making them seeing as I made some a while ago when I was running Linux instead of windows. Alternatively you could just install and run the games through wine, and most should work. For any other platform from Arcade games to the NES, I use Retro Arch which is basically a collection of almost every open source emulator out there for older consoles (it doesn't include Dolphin or a PS2 Emulator), and it runs pretty well.