Help with editing the linux source.

[Uther]

I want to have a go at modifying the source using Redhat linux.

This is for me an educational thing to learn how to use and develop under Fedora Linux . I have played with the code some using microsofts new free VS Express 2008.

Now this is easy under windows, load the VS Express ide, load the csb project and it compiles straight away.

Under Linux I don't know where to start, is there an equivalent ide available, what c++ compiler was used to build the Linux version, is there a project file I can load to get started.

Thanks

[Paul Stevens]

In the CSBwin root directory you will
see a configure.in and a Makefile.

These files control the building of CSBwin
in the Linus environment, I think. You will
have to get help from the Linux developers.

Normally, I would not bother to answer
your question because I know nothing!!!!
But I did not want you to think I was
ignoring you.

Off Topic:
I am trying to build a much simpler project
on a Linux environment on a Gumstix hardware.
See http://www.gumstix.com/waysmalls.html
I, too, am fighting to learn how to get
anything at all to work. I managed a
'Hello, World' application but now I cannot
even repeat that success.

[sa666666]

In the CSBwin root directory you will
see a configure.in and a Makefile.

These files control the building of CSBwin
in the Linus environment, I think. You will
have to get help from the Linux developers.

Normally, I would not bother to answer
your question because I know nothing!!!!
But I did not want you to think I was
ignoring you.

There's an error in the current configure.in file; you need to create the files 'README' and 'NEWS' manually. You can use the commands 'touch README' and 'touch NEWS' to do this.

Once they're created, make autogen.sh executable with 'chmod +x autogen.sh'. Finally, you'll need to install the libtool package, as well as the SDL and ESD, and (optionally) Hermes library packages.

Once it's all installed, type './autogen.sh --disable-dynwinsize' (the latter part if you don't want to use Hermes). Then after that type 'make'. There will be many warnings generated, but it should compile fine.

I'm seriously thinking of starting work on this project, cleaning up the warnings a little, perhaps porting sound to SDL, and making the code 64-bit clean (in order of increasing difficulty). Would there be interest in this??

[Paul Stevens]

making the code 64-bit clean

Oh! You are a masochist!

Would it not be more worthwhile to adapt
one of the more modern clones (DSB, for
example) to the Linux environment? Many
of the threads in this forum give the impression
that high-resolution artwork and sound are
very important to the end users. You will
never get there with CSBwin.

[sa666666]

making the code 64-bit clean

Oh! You are a masochist!

Would it not be more worthwhile to adapt
one of the more modern clones (DSB, for
example) to the Linux environment? Many
of the threads in this forum give the impression
that high-resolution artwork and sound are
very important to the end users. You will
never get there with CSBwin.

Well, I'm not absolutely tied to the idea of updating CSBwin; I can take a look at the more up-to-date clones instead. But I've never heard of those before. Can you provide links to these?

Personally, I'm not really interested in updated graphics and sound, as I like the game the way it was. But, if the codebase of those ports is more up to date and can still be made to look like the original game, I have no problems working with it.

Again, can you provide links to these ports??

[Paul Stevens]

You will find links to DMJava,
RTC, and DSB on the forum home page.

http://www.dungeon-master.com/forum/index.php

I don't like DMJava (because I don't like Java!).
ANd it does not look enough 'DM-like'.

RTC and DSB look very 'DM-like'.

RTC is tightly closed and my impression is
that it will stay tightly closed.

DSB is closed but not so tightly. I have some
hope that under the right circumstances it
might be revealed to a deserving person.
Someone who could port it to another platform
might be able to convince the author that
he is deserving. I think it is written more in
the style that would be Linux-portable than
is CSBwin, which is twisted around to conform
to the Windows paradigm.

[Bit]

If it's more the educational way, I'd even suggest my current trial.
It is absolutely close to the original and uses Allegro for all hardware things. I can compile with the DJGPP compiler, which was the DOS port for the mighty GCC-compiler of the Linux world.
I suggest you to get an IDE (Linux people here surely can help where to start with), then get the Allegro library (http://www.sunsite.dk/allegro or http://www.allegro.cc).
If you can make the examples that are given with the library, I should be able to provide you a source that needs not much of a makefile and could compile without too much effort.
Maybe we really can make a Linux-version the easy way - but there are a few 'but's...
1) I haven't tested very much
2) You won't believe that the source is C... it's an endless list of functions that emulate the 68000-commands. And all calls and variables are just tags and values..., Paul must have been at that point ages ago. It's just that I have a list of corresponding tags of DM and CSB, so that you can find some information by studying Paul's source.
3) You won't get the goodies of CSBwin, so are pretty stuck with the original dungeons.
However, once you are ready, I should have debugged newer versions that combine CSB and DM, and are more readable, providing parametrized calls etc.
If that sounds interesting though, tell me.

[zoom]

making the code 64-bit clean

I wonder why someone should want to make the code 64-bit clean? What would that yield?

Personally, I'm not really interested in updated graphics and sound, as I like the game the way it was

true, the gameplay is what we all love.

the good thing about csbwin is that it is the closest to the original game. Plus Paul invented DSAs. state machine: can stop messages from being delivered or change them.

I really think this is the most straightforward program and editor all in all, with a drawback on the graphic side.
Yet it has graphic improvements to the original DM &CSB!
take a look here, it does not hurt:
http://www.dianneandpaul.net/CSBwin/documentation/

I really think it would be awesome to have a working csblin.
it is probably not wise, but nevertheless up to you
here are some links:

DUNGEON MASTER WIKI
(CSBwin, DSA and custom dungeon, info on DSB and RTC)
http://www.dianneandpaul.net/DMwiki/

http://members.at.infoseek.co.jp/danmasu/
you could ask kentaro? besides interesting things related to DM CSB and DM2

[sa666666]

making the code 64-bit clean

I wonder why someone should want to make the code 64-bit clean? What would that yield?

The ability to compile and run natively on a 64-bit operating system, which is what I personally use in Linux. Otherwise, one needs to have all the 32-bit development libs installed as well, or run a 32-bit distro through virtualization or something during development. Anyway, this might be too much to do; I'll leave that one alone for now.

the good thing about csbwin is that it is the closest to the original game. Plus Paul invented DSAs. state machine: can stop messages from being delivered or change them.

I really think it would be awesome to have a working csblin.
it is probably not wise, but nevertheless up to you

Well, it already compiles and runs for me right now (in 32-bit mode). So it's not much work so far. There are several warnings that need to be fixed, but nothing too hard. The one thing I'd like to do is get rid of the ESD sound server requirement and use SDL directly, as is done for the graphics.

BTW, what license is CSBwin released under? I guess I should have asked that first, since if the license is too restrictive, I can't work on it at all.

[beowuuf]

No licence I believe, it's paul's baby and his baby is based on converting the DM code directly and using their core dungeon/graphics files - so really we're under the 'don't try to sell it or gain money from it and no one should bother you' method of operating

[Gambit37]

Didn't Wayne Holder contact Paul S about this at one point? What was the outcome?

[Paul Stevens]

Someone contacted Thomas when he tried to
put a 'Public domain' label on his macintosh
version of CSBwin. The complaint was that
the original code (translated) and the original
graphics (just plain stolen) were not his
to release to the public.

That was many years ago. I have heard
nothing since. We will certainly have to
cease operations if anyone makes waves.
We have never had any permission to use
this property. We are operating in a "Don't
ask, don't tell" mode.