I'm back in Houghton after spending last week at home in Traverse City. It was an enjoyable, if uneventful, spring break. As much fun as it was to spend all day lounging around doing nothing much at all, there was something missing. However, to discuss such a thing here would take this blog into areas which I have deemed too personal. Besides, the topic would have required its own entry, and I don't feel like writing two posts tonight.
I was really hoping I might see some of my friends, but it turns out Michigan Tech sent their students home on break one week before every other college in Michigan, or so it seemed. Fortunately, I didn't feel like doing much of anything so it worked out in the end. I ended up spending quite a bit of time on my computer (not a big surprise) using Windows (huge surprise). It turns out the guy who writes the port of Duke Nukem I use added support for high resolution textures. Since I haven't spent much time working on graphics projects in quite a while, I decided I'd work on creating my very own replacement artwork for the game. The results weren't something I'd ever make public, but they were good enough to enhance my own playing experience. I also gained some valuable knowledge about graphics design that will no doubt prove useful later in life.
I know, this is pretty boring stuff, but if you've been reading my past posts you should have expected that by now. Perhaps I'll have something more exciting in the next one.
Oh, oh, I almost forgot. I was doing some deep, deep thinking the other day, and came up with this thought: My initials are M.M. If I marry a woman whose first name begins with an 'M', then her initials will be M.M. as well. Then together we'd be a couple of M&M's! Whew, my mind is reeling from thinking all that through again. ;-)
Tuesday, March 09, 2004
Thursday, February 05, 2004
A Change is in the Air
I have changed my mind...again. This blog will no longer focus on technology. It was difficult for me to find worthwhile topics and publish with any frequency. Of course, being a computer science major, many of my entries will more often than not include a heavy dose of tech. However, I am now free to explore many other topics and maybe create a more interesting blog.
To celebrate this change, I would now like to ask a question which has bothered me since I've been old enough to use a mouse: Why do right-handed people get all the good mice? All of the really cool mice with the nifty features are invariably for right-hand use only. Those mice which can be used on the left are often marked "left or right handed" and have no more than 3 buttons. Perhaps the market for left-handed mice isn't that big, or maybe I'm the only left-handed person to actually use a mouse on the left. I'll stop now before I get myself all worked up, but I will leave you with one last thought to ponder: How many times have you seen an electronic device with just as much thought given to left-handed users as right-handed users?
Oh, I would like to mention one more thing before I conclude. I recently reread my entry on running Doom and Duke Nukem 3D under Windows XP, and realized that it might have made me out to be more of an FPS fan than I would have liked. For the record, I am not particularly fond of the first-person shooter, but the two games I covered are about the only games I can run in high resolutions with all of the "eye candy" turned on and still acheive blinding performance. Yes, my old GeForce 2 GTS is starting to show its age. Actually, it was starting to show its age when the GeForce4 was just coming to market, but I was in denial.
Now, for anyone who might still be reading (and I can't imagine who that would be, even I lost interest after the first paragraph), here's a little saying I came across when running the fortune program the other day, "Two heads are more numerous than one."
Until next time...
To celebrate this change, I would now like to ask a question which has bothered me since I've been old enough to use a mouse: Why do right-handed people get all the good mice? All of the really cool mice with the nifty features are invariably for right-hand use only. Those mice which can be used on the left are often marked "left or right handed" and have no more than 3 buttons. Perhaps the market for left-handed mice isn't that big, or maybe I'm the only left-handed person to actually use a mouse on the left. I'll stop now before I get myself all worked up, but I will leave you with one last thought to ponder: How many times have you seen an electronic device with just as much thought given to left-handed users as right-handed users?
Oh, I would like to mention one more thing before I conclude. I recently reread my entry on running Doom and Duke Nukem 3D under Windows XP, and realized that it might have made me out to be more of an FPS fan than I would have liked. For the record, I am not particularly fond of the first-person shooter, but the two games I covered are about the only games I can run in high resolutions with all of the "eye candy" turned on and still acheive blinding performance. Yes, my old GeForce 2 GTS is starting to show its age. Actually, it was starting to show its age when the GeForce4 was just coming to market, but I was in denial.
Now, for anyone who might still be reading (and I can't imagine who that would be, even I lost interest after the first paragraph), here's a little saying I came across when running the fortune program the other day, "Two heads are more numerous than one."
Until next time...
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Comments On
The commenting is now back in action, thanks to HaloScan. Of course, that doesn't really mean anything since no one ever comments on my entries anyway!
Monday, January 26, 2004
Comments Off
I just found out that BlogSpeak, the free blog commenting tool I was using, is no longer free. Thus, I have removed it from my blog. Until I find a replacement, any comments will have to be emailed to me. Sorry. :-(
It works! It really works!
I have finally managed to get Doom and Duke Nukem 3D running under Windows XP. Yes, it took a long time, but not because the task was difficult. The delay was due mostly to my procrastination and some other projects which got in the way. Actually, the process of getting these two games back up to speed was very easy, easier than the installation process of some modern games.
To get DN3D running again, I had to download a port of the engine used in the game. After 3DRealms released the source code of the build engine (by Ken Silverman) and GPL'd it, some enterprising programmers set to work porting it to various platforms. Once such individual made a very good port of DN3D for use with Win XP, and in the process added some useful features. I managed to find this port after reading through some messages posted on the PlanetDuke message boards, but anyone else should be able to find it by doing a Google search for "JonoF's Games Site". After downloading the ZIP file for JonoF's port, I installed the game from CD the same as I did back when I first purchased it. Then I created a new Directory called "JFDuke" and unzipped JonoF's port to that directory. After that, I simply copied the *.CON files, DUKE.RTS, and DUKE3D.GRP to "JFDuke" and the game was ready to go. The port includes a setup program which you may want to run first to setup the video and sound. In my opinion, the controls can be adjusted easier from the in-game menu. That's all it took to get Duke back on my computer. I should also mention that the port includes an OpenGL renderer which helps improve the graphics quite a bit.
To get Doom running again took a little bit longer than DN3D only because I started using one Doom port, then switched to another one I liked a little bit more. First, let me discuss each of the ports before I get into the details of installation.
The port I played with first is called ZDoom, which is at version 2.0.61 at the time of this writing. There were a number of things I liked about this port, not the least of which was the map overlay (similar to the map overlay in DN3D). I also felt the crosshair that changed color depending on the players level of health was a nice touch. The addition of simple particle effects for things like bullet puffs and blood was also nice. ZDoom also implements blood splattering better than the other port I use. Furthermore, the saving and loading of games is enhanced with a screenshot, date, and time. ZDoom will also create an autosave at the beginning of each level, a good thing when you begin the next level already surrounded by enemies. The only problem I had with ZDoom was that the graphics are only slightly better than they were back when Doom first arrived on the scene. This may seem inconsequential (after all, the game is 10 years old), but once you've seen what Doom Legacy does with the graphics in Doom, anyone who cares first and foremost about graphics may not want to continue with ZDoom.
After I had used ZDoom for a while, I found another port that has now become my port of choice, though I do go back every now and then to play ZDoom. This new (to me) port is called Doom Legacy, and while it doesn't have some of the features of ZDoom, the graphics more than make up for them. If my only experience with Doom had been through Doom Legacy, I would find it difficult to believe the game is 10 years old. The programmers responsible for DL have added a number of special effects and ported the Doom engine to OpenGL. Spectacular! Everything looks much better. They've also added an option to make the status bar transparent. I don't want this to become and advertisement for Doom Legacy's graphics, so I'll just add this: If you tend to be what they call a graphics "whore", then you'll want to at least give DL a try. As I mentioned, there are some features missing from DL, including the map overlay, the date/time on saved games, and the ability to start a new game without ending the game in progress.
Ok, now the installation. Both ports installed similarly, but running them was slightly different. I started by installing Doom from the CD, just as I did with DN3D. Then I uncompressed the ports, each to its own directory (note: ZDoom comes in a .cab file while Doom Legacy comes compressed in a .zip file). After the ports were unzipped, I copied the DOOM.WAD file from the original DOOM directory to each of the port directories. That's all that was involved to install these ports. To run ZDoom, all you do is execute zdoom.exe. Doom Legacy requires you run the program from their launcher (named launcher.exe). There are a few settings you'll need to play with in the launcher before you can start a game for the first time.
That's it, now I can play Doom and Duke Nukem 3D under XP! Now I've just got to get a new video card so I can start buying new games too. Anyway, that's it for today's entry. I'm thinking my next entry will be Linux related, as I just downloaded and installed Mandrake Linux 9.2 (I was running 9.0). We'll see, there are other things to talk about too - like Mozilla, or this free program for burning/copying CD's.
To get DN3D running again, I had to download a port of the engine used in the game. After 3DRealms released the source code of the build engine (by Ken Silverman) and GPL'd it, some enterprising programmers set to work porting it to various platforms. Once such individual made a very good port of DN3D for use with Win XP, and in the process added some useful features. I managed to find this port after reading through some messages posted on the PlanetDuke message boards, but anyone else should be able to find it by doing a Google search for "JonoF's Games Site". After downloading the ZIP file for JonoF's port, I installed the game from CD the same as I did back when I first purchased it. Then I created a new Directory called "JFDuke" and unzipped JonoF's port to that directory. After that, I simply copied the *.CON files, DUKE.RTS, and DUKE3D.GRP to "JFDuke" and the game was ready to go. The port includes a setup program which you may want to run first to setup the video and sound. In my opinion, the controls can be adjusted easier from the in-game menu. That's all it took to get Duke back on my computer. I should also mention that the port includes an OpenGL renderer which helps improve the graphics quite a bit.
To get Doom running again took a little bit longer than DN3D only because I started using one Doom port, then switched to another one I liked a little bit more. First, let me discuss each of the ports before I get into the details of installation.
The port I played with first is called ZDoom, which is at version 2.0.61 at the time of this writing. There were a number of things I liked about this port, not the least of which was the map overlay (similar to the map overlay in DN3D). I also felt the crosshair that changed color depending on the players level of health was a nice touch. The addition of simple particle effects for things like bullet puffs and blood was also nice. ZDoom also implements blood splattering better than the other port I use. Furthermore, the saving and loading of games is enhanced with a screenshot, date, and time. ZDoom will also create an autosave at the beginning of each level, a good thing when you begin the next level already surrounded by enemies. The only problem I had with ZDoom was that the graphics are only slightly better than they were back when Doom first arrived on the scene. This may seem inconsequential (after all, the game is 10 years old), but once you've seen what Doom Legacy does with the graphics in Doom, anyone who cares first and foremost about graphics may not want to continue with ZDoom.
After I had used ZDoom for a while, I found another port that has now become my port of choice, though I do go back every now and then to play ZDoom. This new (to me) port is called Doom Legacy, and while it doesn't have some of the features of ZDoom, the graphics more than make up for them. If my only experience with Doom had been through Doom Legacy, I would find it difficult to believe the game is 10 years old. The programmers responsible for DL have added a number of special effects and ported the Doom engine to OpenGL. Spectacular! Everything looks much better. They've also added an option to make the status bar transparent. I don't want this to become and advertisement for Doom Legacy's graphics, so I'll just add this: If you tend to be what they call a graphics "whore", then you'll want to at least give DL a try. As I mentioned, there are some features missing from DL, including the map overlay, the date/time on saved games, and the ability to start a new game without ending the game in progress.
Ok, now the installation. Both ports installed similarly, but running them was slightly different. I started by installing Doom from the CD, just as I did with DN3D. Then I uncompressed the ports, each to its own directory (note: ZDoom comes in a .cab file while Doom Legacy comes compressed in a .zip file). After the ports were unzipped, I copied the DOOM.WAD file from the original DOOM directory to each of the port directories. That's all that was involved to install these ports. To run ZDoom, all you do is execute zdoom.exe. Doom Legacy requires you run the program from their launcher (named launcher.exe). There are a few settings you'll need to play with in the launcher before you can start a game for the first time.
That's it, now I can play Doom and Duke Nukem 3D under XP! Now I've just got to get a new video card so I can start buying new games too. Anyway, that's it for today's entry. I'm thinking my next entry will be Linux related, as I just downloaded and installed Mandrake Linux 9.2 (I was running 9.0). We'll see, there are other things to talk about too - like Mozilla, or this free program for burning/copying CD's.
Monday, December 22, 2003
School's out until next semester, so perhaps I'll be able to update this blog more often. Then again, I do have several other projects I'd like to work on during the break as well. I have two websites I'd like to get up and running by next semester, and a couple of programming projects I would like to see completed within in the next few months.
Currently, I haven't decided where I'll put either of my web sites. In the past, I have been unable to complete any of the sites I've started work on, so perhaps I'll hold off on picking a host until both of the sites are ready. For a short time, I had some pages put up at Tripod, and was pleased with their services. However, I'd like to find a host that offers it services for free without requiring me to place adds on my pages. Impossible, I know. I do have space for a web page on my school's servers, but that would only be a temporary solution since I'll be graduating at the end of next semester. Besides, I'm not entirely clear about who would own the rights to my work if I used the school's web server.
A few word of advice for any would-be amateur webmasters out there: Make sure your topic is limited in scope so it can be given the proper amount of attention from a single individual. Perhaps the only thing that has kept me from having my own web site is my tendancy to come up with some grandiose vision for my web site, then realize that the idea is too big for one person to cover. Now I have two sites, but both are limited in the amount of information they will cover.
It seems I've run out of time to write further. In my next update, I'd like to cover how I managed to get Duke Nukem 3D up and running under Windows XP. Of course, I'll actually have to get the game up and running before I can do that.
Currently, I haven't decided where I'll put either of my web sites. In the past, I have been unable to complete any of the sites I've started work on, so perhaps I'll hold off on picking a host until both of the sites are ready. For a short time, I had some pages put up at Tripod, and was pleased with their services. However, I'd like to find a host that offers it services for free without requiring me to place adds on my pages. Impossible, I know. I do have space for a web page on my school's servers, but that would only be a temporary solution since I'll be graduating at the end of next semester. Besides, I'm not entirely clear about who would own the rights to my work if I used the school's web server.
A few word of advice for any would-be amateur webmasters out there: Make sure your topic is limited in scope so it can be given the proper amount of attention from a single individual. Perhaps the only thing that has kept me from having my own web site is my tendancy to come up with some grandiose vision for my web site, then realize that the idea is too big for one person to cover. Now I have two sites, but both are limited in the amount of information they will cover.
It seems I've run out of time to write further. In my next update, I'd like to cover how I managed to get Duke Nukem 3D up and running under Windows XP. Of course, I'll actually have to get the game up and running before I can do that.
Saturday, November 08, 2003
Yes, it has been a while since my last post. Unfortunately, it is becoming more and more difficult to find time for blogging now that I have a job. Lucky for me, I wasn't scheduled to work this weekend so I can do some posting. While I may not have been posting for more than a month, I have done quite a bit of thinking about what direction I would like to go with this blog. I think the best approach would be to post stories about my experiences with technology in general and computers specifically. Since there may not be enough problems to post more than once per month, I will also include my comments and thoughts on technology. Once in a while, if something is really eating away at me, I might even publish something a little more personal.
To inaugurate this new direction, I'll add my two cents worth to the Linux vs. Windows debate. Please don't write nasty comments about this post. I realize that many people, especially Linux die-hards, will disagree with some of the things I say, but it is my personal opinion. Having worked with both OS's and watched others of various skill levels work with with both, I think my opinion is somewhat valid. Let the reader be warned: This is not a well thought out essay, just my thoughts on the subject.
First, let me briefly describe my computing history. When I began exploring the world of computing, it was with a Commodore 64 my dad purchased in 1984. I was only three years old at the time, but I was curious none the less. When I was in fifth grade, I began learning how to program the beast. Then, when I was in seventh grade (maybe it was eighth, or even ninth, I don't really remember), my father bought the family a PC equipped with MS-DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.1. From there, the progression went something like this: Windows 95, purchased my own computer, Windows 98 SE, major hardware upgrades, Windows XP Pro. Windows XP found its way into my life last Thanksgiving, and it was the following Christmas that I installed Mandrake Linux 9.0 so that I was dual-booting between the two operating systems.
To be perfectly honest, my experience with Linux has helped me to develop a taste for crow. You see, before I actually installed Linux on my own system, my experiences with the OS had been limited to the two or three times I had used the computer labs at school. My head was full of forum postings by avid Linux fans and comments by various TV personalities espousing the virtues of Linux. Thus, I went around to all my friends and family making comments like, "Linux is great", "Linux is so much better than Windows", and "You really need to get Linux." Then, with more than a little bit of anticipation, I opened the small DVD sized Christmas gift underneath the tree. After going through the installation process for Linux several times and using Linux at least as much as Windows for the past year, I have been forced to reevaluated my views. Yes, I've come to the conclusion that, great as Linux may be to advanced computer users, it is far from becoming mainstream and taking a sizable chunk out of Microsoft's grip on the market.
Windows may be buggy, short on customization, unstable, etc. but it is much easier for the average user to install and navigate than Linux. My dad has watched me install Linux and use it on a number of occasions and has remarked several times about how difficult it would be for him to properly maintain a Linux system. I don't blame him. I myself have had to do quite a bit of reading on the internet to get everything up and running, and I still have more to do. I don't think the rest of my family, or most of the people I've ever met could easily make the switch.
Were I to be approached on the street and asked, "Should I switch to Linux?" I would have to respond that it depends on one's situation. If you feel as though you've outgrown Windows and need to take your computing to the next level, then you should seriously think about Linux. However, if you're comfortable with Windows, it does everything you ask of it, and you're more comfortable with a GUI than a CLI, you'll be better off sticking with Windows. Until someone begins selling a distro of Linux as easy to use as Windows, I don't think I'll be changing my opinion (From what I hear, MacOS X is great, but you have to buy a whole new computer to use it. Also, I have no experience with Macs whatsoever, thus I cannot comment on MacOS X).
As a side note, there are still a few things which I prefer to use Windows for however, I find myself spending more and more time in Linux. That's for another post though...
To inaugurate this new direction, I'll add my two cents worth to the Linux vs. Windows debate. Please don't write nasty comments about this post. I realize that many people, especially Linux die-hards, will disagree with some of the things I say, but it is my personal opinion. Having worked with both OS's and watched others of various skill levels work with with both, I think my opinion is somewhat valid. Let the reader be warned: This is not a well thought out essay, just my thoughts on the subject.
First, let me briefly describe my computing history. When I began exploring the world of computing, it was with a Commodore 64 my dad purchased in 1984. I was only three years old at the time, but I was curious none the less. When I was in fifth grade, I began learning how to program the beast. Then, when I was in seventh grade (maybe it was eighth, or even ninth, I don't really remember), my father bought the family a PC equipped with MS-DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.1. From there, the progression went something like this: Windows 95, purchased my own computer, Windows 98 SE, major hardware upgrades, Windows XP Pro. Windows XP found its way into my life last Thanksgiving, and it was the following Christmas that I installed Mandrake Linux 9.0 so that I was dual-booting between the two operating systems.
To be perfectly honest, my experience with Linux has helped me to develop a taste for crow. You see, before I actually installed Linux on my own system, my experiences with the OS had been limited to the two or three times I had used the computer labs at school. My head was full of forum postings by avid Linux fans and comments by various TV personalities espousing the virtues of Linux. Thus, I went around to all my friends and family making comments like, "Linux is great", "Linux is so much better than Windows", and "You really need to get Linux." Then, with more than a little bit of anticipation, I opened the small DVD sized Christmas gift underneath the tree. After going through the installation process for Linux several times and using Linux at least as much as Windows for the past year, I have been forced to reevaluated my views. Yes, I've come to the conclusion that, great as Linux may be to advanced computer users, it is far from becoming mainstream and taking a sizable chunk out of Microsoft's grip on the market.
Windows may be buggy, short on customization, unstable, etc. but it is much easier for the average user to install and navigate than Linux. My dad has watched me install Linux and use it on a number of occasions and has remarked several times about how difficult it would be for him to properly maintain a Linux system. I don't blame him. I myself have had to do quite a bit of reading on the internet to get everything up and running, and I still have more to do. I don't think the rest of my family, or most of the people I've ever met could easily make the switch.
Were I to be approached on the street and asked, "Should I switch to Linux?" I would have to respond that it depends on one's situation. If you feel as though you've outgrown Windows and need to take your computing to the next level, then you should seriously think about Linux. However, if you're comfortable with Windows, it does everything you ask of it, and you're more comfortable with a GUI than a CLI, you'll be better off sticking with Windows. Until someone begins selling a distro of Linux as easy to use as Windows, I don't think I'll be changing my opinion (From what I hear, MacOS X is great, but you have to buy a whole new computer to use it. Also, I have no experience with Macs whatsoever, thus I cannot comment on MacOS X).
As a side note, there are still a few things which I prefer to use Windows for however, I find myself spending more and more time in Linux. That's for another post though...
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