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DS Misc > Linux game -> DS Game

#88810 - Dracker - Wed Jun 21, 2006 6:28 pm

There are 2 Linux games I have in mind that I consider ripe for DS porting:

-Supertux
-Chromium B.S.U.

While Supertux looks simpler, Chromium would be much more interesting of a DS port, as it uses mouse control that could work well with the touch screen.

When I asked in #dsdev I got the response that Supertux would be easier to port, as it uses SDL, which is now available for DS (Link). This got me thinking: What Linux libraries used in games like these have been ported? How hard would it be for a newbie programmer like myself to begin working on this?

And most importantly, what are the important manuals and documentation I should read to get started? Any other advice?

#88831 - TheChuckster - Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:21 pm

Well when I port something, I try to read and understand the whole source code first. Then I try to identify the things I know need to be rewritten or reworked. I then split the project up into manageable pieces and develop some sort of step-by-step plan to follow. Once you make the big task into a bunch of easier, smaller tasks, porting is no problem.

It's an art as much as anything and the only way to get better is to keep coding...

#88849 - Mrshlee - Wed Jun 21, 2006 9:36 pm

http://prboom.sourceforge.net/ should be portable or hopefully something from http://doom.wikia.com/wiki/Source_ports

Doom is one of those things that, I'd expect will be ported once a cheap solution to add more ram is avaiable. (opera ram card + DScart flash)

I've seen doom ported to alot of devices with the same cpu speed but generally ram is alot higher.. eg Ipod/Iriver/mobile phones.
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#88861 - Dracker - Wed Jun 21, 2006 10:24 pm

Glad to hear it's plausible.

Are there any existing DS homebrew games ported from Linux, so I can diff my way through the sources?

From what I gather, I can't really RTFM if there isn't one (not knocking the brief tutorials I have found, don't get my wrong), so I'll use the sources of the games, and existing DS homebrew as a guide lacking thorough docs to read.