XQF


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Introduction

Under windows the standard programs for Game Server browsing are xfire and all seeing eye. Neither of the companies behind these offerings see linux as a fit place for their wares but never fear for XQF is open source, in repository and brimming with features for native and Cedega/Wine titles.

Get XQF

This is as simple as,

sudo apt-get install xqf

Get GSList

Whilst native games like Enemy Territory behave properly and allow their master servers to talk openly, others may not be so friendly so you need to install gslist (Game Server List) which hunts for the addresses of the master servers to save you the bother.

Visit Luigi Auriemma's website for a browse or grab his work from here http://aluigi.altervista.org/papers/gslist.zip

Configure GSList

In this example I download it to my Desktop. Unzip the downloaded file using the right-click menu and set about putting it somewhere useful by first opening a terminal,

cd ~/Desktop
sudo cp gslist/ /opt/ -R

Then put a shortcut in your path so that XQF will be able to find it.

cd /usr/local/bin
sudo ln -s /opt/gslist/gslist.x86 gslist

GSlist makes use of MySQL and the easiest way to get that is to use a terminal and issue,

sudo apt-get install mysql-query-browser

Staying with the terminal we will now allow gslist to grab its list and set its self up,

gslist -u -l

(that's u for Uniform and l for Lima)

Configure XQL for Cedega Games

Assuming you already have a Cedega/Wine game set up (using MOHAA as an example and understanding that I have already renamed 'Medal Of Honor Allied Assault' to MOHAA in the Cedega GUI to save on typing) issue the terminal command,

xqf

First you need to configure how XQF deals with the game so open,

Preferences -> Games

Scroll down to Medal of Honor Allied Assault and add the following to the Command Line box,

cedega -gddb medalofhonoralliedassault -run MOHAA MOHAA

Then in the Working Directory box add,

/home/murkyMurk/.cedega/MOHAA/c_drive/Program Files/EA GAMES/MOHAA

(obviously changing murkyMurk to be you).

Note how the cedega command line has 'MOHAA' twice. The first refers to the folder (left-hand pane in cedega GUI) and the second refers to the shortcut to the .exe (right-hand pane in cedega GUI).

Click OK and it closes.

Now right-click on the far left-hand pane labelled Source and select

Add Master

In the Add Master window, select 'Medal of Honor Allied Assault' from the right-hand side list. Type in a useful Master Name such as MOHAA_GSList; tick the 'gslist' box and then type the following into the Master Address box,

gslist://master.gamespy.com;portadjust=-10;gsmtype=mohaa

Click OK and it closes. Now you should have a Medal of Honor entry in that left-hand Source pane with LAN and MOHAA_GSLIST as server types.

Working with the XQF menu's again,

Edit->Add GSList Masters

should make XQF start to populate the server list.

Further Enhancements

You now obviously want to play your game online direct from the XQF interface and you don't want to be bothered with all that startup animation that EAGames seem to love. Many games have a -nologo or -nosplash argument that you could add AT THE VERY END of the cedega command above ie after the last MOHAA item such as,

cedega -gddb <~.cedega/.gddb/nameOfGddbFile> -run <GAMEFOLDER> <CedegaGameName> -gameArguments

MOHAA and other Quake type clones that use an autoexec.cfg file can make it slightly more elegant than that; navigate down to the 'main' folder,

cd ~/TransGaming_Drive/Program Files/EA GAMES/MOHAA/main

and edit the autoexec.cfg file (or create it if it's missing)

gedit autoexec.cfg

so that the following block of text is at the beginning

set cl_play_intro 0
set ui_skip_eamovie 1
set ui_skip_titlescreen 1
set ui_skip_legalscreen 1
set developer 1

Save the file and use the XQF 'Connect' button to auto start your game and connect to your choosen server.

I recommend setting up 'Server Filters' (using the menu Server Filters). It isn't too obvious that once set up you need to turn a filter on using the BIG 'S Filter' button just below Help.

The gslist master address can be adapted for many, many games. At a terminal issue a

gslist -l | more

to get a full list. The shortened name in the middle column is the gsmtype= bit that you need.

Trouble

If your game starts but but just displays a console instead of connecting it's probably because you haven't installed that map yet.

Credit

This document is the product of research. If you found it helpful then email the programmers of GSlist and XQF who did the real work and say thanks.

XQF (last edited 2013-12-10 02:40:37 by cpe-67-242-170-182)