Thinking about something big..

[RevRon]

I'm going to use linux. Any suggestions as far as flavors go? How about a front end?

 

[XCVG]

I'm going to use linux. Any suggestions as far as flavors go? How about a front end?

Problem here: Most emulators are windows-only. The good news is that pretty much any flavour of Windows will do, so get out that old Win98 install disc!

 

[J.D]

Emulators written for PSP, Wiz, and Pandora are written in Linux, so it can't be that obscure.

 

[samjc3]

actually, most emulators are available for linux, as well as windows. if there is an open source one for windows, its on linux. gte out that ol' ubuntu 6 install disc!

 

[J.D]

I prefer Red Hat.

 

[samjc3]

I prefer Red Hat.

i prefer openSUSE.

 

[XCVG]

Okay, let's see. Let's start with N64, since that's the primary system to emulate:
1964-Windows
Project64-Windows
UltraHLE-Windows
Mupen64-Multiplatform
Still, you won't be able to use the fancy DirectX plugins.

Dolphin(GC)-Windows
Visual Boy Advance-Windows
ZSNES-Multiplatform
SNES9x-Multiplatform
FCEUX-Multiplatform
Nestopia-Windows
ePSXe-Windows
PCSX2(PS2)-Windows
Chankast (DC)-Windows
nullDC-Windows
Fusion (Genesis)-Windows
Gens-Multiplatform
MAME-ported versions availible, natively Windows

So, there are some Linux emulators, but you don't have a big selection. Also, I've heard that Linux is a real pain to set up, though I've never tried it.

 

[RevRon]

I've used Ubuntu and Kubuntu before. They were easy to install and use so I will probably end up using one of them. Ubuntu actually had a directx driver. It just warns you that it is not open source and asks you if you still want to use it. Still looking for a front end though.

 

[samjc3]

actually, there are more linux emus than that. they are just unoficial ports.

 

[grossaffe]

Okay, let's see. Let's start with N64, since that's the primary system to emulate:
1964-Windows- who cares?
Project64-Windows
UltraHLE-Windows- who cares?
Mupen64-Multiplatform
Still, you won't be able to use the fancy DirectX plugins.

Dolphin(GC)-Multiplatform
Visual Boy Advance-Multiplatform
ZSNES-Multiplatform
SNES9x-Multiplatform
FCEUX-Multiplatform
Nestopia-Windows
ePSXe-Multiplatform
PCSX2(PS2)-Multiplatform
Chankast (DC)-Windows
nullDC-Windows
Fusion (Genesis)-Windows
Gens-Multiplatform
MAME-ported versions availible, natively Windows

So, there are some Linux emulators, but you don't have a big selection. Also, I've heard that Linux is a real pain to set up, though I've never tried it.

okay, other than many of the windows-only ones being pointless when they are worse than the multiplatform ones, your list is wrong. Dolphin is available in linux, I compiled a binary for it just yesterday. Visualboy Advance, also available in linux. ePSXe? PCSX2? Linux, Linux. Nestopia? Linux again!

Next: Many of the windows-only emulators are unneeded as they are surpassed by their multiplatform counterparts. Who needs quantity when you already have quality? Who needs UltraHLE and 1964 when you have Mupen64plus?

WINE: allows you to run windows programs in Linux. If there is an emulator that you have in windows and not in linux and you absolutely need it, it probably runs in WINE. Project64, for example, runs just fine through WINE.

as for linux being hard to set up, not at all. Linux has come a long way since its user unfriendly days. I've found that Linux distributions I've used work out of the box much easier than Windows where you have to go on a driver hunt.

 

[grossaffe]

I've used Ubuntu and Kubuntu before. They were easy to install and use so I will probably end up using one of them. Ubuntu actually had a directx driver. It just warns you that it is not open source and asks you if you still want to use it. Still looking for a front end though.

You're confusing terms. DirectX is a windows graphical thing. Ubuntu has the restricted graphics drivers, which run better than the open-source drivers, but do not confuse them with DirectX as that is a windows thing. The open-source equivalent to DirectX is OpenGL, but it is not the same thing.

 

[J.D]

Linux sucks balls as a gaming computer, but has plenty of emulators. When my laptop used to have Linux I could emulate every console I have on mah Vista laptop.