[BugMeNot]

Hello,
there has been a request to make a Debian package of Freespace 2 for the Ubuntu gaming page playdeb.net:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/getdeb.net/+bug/488308

Now I successfully compiled freespace 2 before I was informed in the IRC channel that the game files itself are not distributable.

So I was also informed that there are total conversions available which may be allowed to be distributed.

So I am asking for some information:
1. What is distributable and under what license ? Are there only special files which are not allowed to be distributed but which do not render the game useless if they are missing ? This is really important.

2. Once a total conversion is found that satisfies point 1 how do I install it etc. Is it just to put the freespace2 executable in the directory of the total conversion or is there anything to set up before etc ?

3. Does Freespace 2 expect a writable game directory ? The game files will be installed by the Debian package into a directory like /usr/share/games/freespace2 which is not writable by normal users. Does Freespace2 want to store/modify files in there or does it make use of ~/.config/freespace2 or something ?

4. What are these launchers about ? Does a launcher also need to be packaged ?

[SparK]

basically the VP files (all original game content) and the old .exe

[chief1983]

Packaging a launcher would be ideal, currently for Linux your options are limited to YAL but that's probably going to change in the near future.  On *nix I believe FreeSpace uses the user's folder or APPDATA or something like that.  Every TC has been, up to now, responsible for handling the licensing of its own content, and they are allowed to bundle a version of the engine with their release.  TCs should be separate packages, installed to their own folder in /usr/share/games.  The engine will, I believe, share a config file unless a tweak is made to the build to use a separate one.  Official builds for TCs usually include the necessary tweaks for Linux if I recall.  The suggested means to acquire the game data for FS2 is currently by shelling out $6 at GOG.com.  A script could be written for linux that extracts the necessary content from the downloaded file and used as part of the package.  On Gentoo at least I know it can require certain external distfiles to exist before a package can be installed.  Hope this helps.

[The E]

The config directory is ~/.fs2_open on Linux.

[BugMeNot]

Ok, thanks for the information.

I was able to make a Debian package for Ubuntu.

Here it is:
http://www.playdeb.net/software/The%20Babylon%20Project

[The E]

Did not work for me. Synaptic errors out with "Could not find package '-the-babylon-project'".

Also, TBP's homepage is http://babylon.hard-light.net/, not scp.indiegames.us. THAT page is nearly useless.

[asyikarea51]

Hey are you getting BADSIG errors or something on the repository... or is it just my side acting up?

[BugMeNot]

Did not work for me. Synaptic errors out with "Could not find package '-the-babylon-project'".
4x4 videos
Also, TBP's homepage is http://babylon.hard-light.net/, not scp.indiegames.us. THAT page is nearly useless.

I changed the homepage.

You have to enable the repository first:
http://www.playdeb.net/updates/Ubuntu/all#how_to_install

Hey are you getting BADSIG errors or something on the repository... or is it just my side acting up?

Can you paste the exact error message please ?
Also note that you have to install our GPG key:
http://archive.getdeb.net/getdeb-archive.key

wget -q -O- http://archive.getdeb.net/getdeb-archive.key | sudo apt-key add -