Advice for Setting up GNU/Linux on a Second-Hand Gaming Rig
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Hi everyone, I recently bought a second-hand desktop PC off a friend, in a CoolerMaster case. He used it mainly for playing proprietary games (World of Warcraft on Windows), and I'm keen to see if I can set it up to play some libre games using GNU/Linux. So far I've managed to hook it up to a digital TV we have here (using DVI > HDMI) and boot into Trisquel Belenos by using an old liveCD I have, and choosing CD-ROM from the boot menu. So far, so good, but there are a few things the community might be able to advise me about.
* is Trisquel the best GNU/Linux distro for gaming purposes, or is there another FSF-endorsed distro that is better for this purpose?
* I have Trisquel Belenos on two liveUSB sticks (one default and one mini), which I have successfully used to install to my laptops, but I can't boot the desktop from either of them. I have tried going to the boot menu and choosing both all 4 USB options (USB-FDD, USB-ZIP, USB-CDROM and USB-HDD) but no luck.
- The case has 4 USB sockets on the front, and 10 on the back, could it be that booting only works from some of them, not others?
- I have a USB mouse and keyboard plugged in. Could this be preventing the liveUSB being detected?
* uname -m, run from a terminal inside the LiveCD, tells me that my system is "i686". I just want to check that this is checking my hardware, not the Linux kernel running off the CD. In other words, if I was using a liveCD made from a 64-bit version of Trisquel, would I get different results?
* any other advice?
I am now attempting to install Toutatis off the liveCD. I will post the full lspci output of the PC soon.
Success! Got Toutatis installed, and manually upgraded to Belenos.
output from lspci:
00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor DMI (rev 11)
00:03.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev 11)
00:08.0 System peripheral: Intel Corporation Core Processor System Management Registers (rev 11)
00:08.1 System peripheral: Intel Corporation Core Processor Semaphore and Scratchpad Registers (rev 11)
00:08.2 System peripheral: Intel Corporation Core Processor System Control and Status Registers (rev 11)
00:08.3 System peripheral: Intel Corporation Core Processor Miscellaneous Registers (rev 11)
00:10.0 System peripheral: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Link (rev 11)
00:10.1 System peripheral: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Routing and Protocol Registers (rev 11)
00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB Universal Host Controller (rev 06)
00:1a.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB Universal Host Controller (rev 06)
00:1a.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB Universal Host Controller (rev 06)
00:1a.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller (rev 06)
00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset High Definition Audio (rev 06)
00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 1 (rev 06)
00:1c.1 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset PCI Express Root Port 2 (rev 06)
00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB Universal Host Controller (rev 06)
00:1d.1 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB Universal Host Controller (rev 06)
00:1d.2 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB Universal Host Controller (rev 06)
00:1d.3 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB Universal Host Controller (rev 06)
00:1d.7 USB controller: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset USB2 Enhanced Host Controller (rev 06)
00:1e.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 82801 PCI Bridge (rev a6)
00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation P55 Chipset LPC Interface Controller (rev 06)
00:1f.2 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 4 port SATA IDE Controller (rev 06)
00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset SMBus Controller (rev 06)
00:1f.5 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 5 Series/3400 Series Chipset 2 port SATA IDE Controller (rev 06)
01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GF114 [GeForce GTX 560 Ti] (rev a1)
01:00.1 Audio device: NVIDIA Corporation GF114 HDMI Audio Controller (rev a1)
02:00.0 SATA controller: JMicron Technology Corp. JMB363 SATA/IDE Controller (rev 02)
02:00.1 IDE interface: JMicron Technology Corp. JMB363 SATA/IDE Controller (rev 02)
03:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller (rev 03)
3f:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture Generic Non-Core Registers (rev 04)
3f:00.1 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QuickPath Architecture System Address Decoder (rev 04)
3f:02.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Link 0 (rev 04)
3f:02.1 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor QPI Physical 0 (rev 04)
3f:03.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Memory Controller (rev 04)
3f:03.1 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Memory Controller Target Address Decoder (rev 04)
3f:03.4 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Memory Controller Test Registers (rev 04)
3f:04.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Memory Controller Channel 0 Control Registers (rev 04)
3f:04.1 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Memory Controller Channel 0 Address Registers (rev 04)
3f:04.2 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Memory Controller Channel 0 Rank Registers (rev 04)
3f:04.3 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Memory Controller Channel 0 Thermal Control Registers (rev 04)
3f:05.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Memory Controller Channel 1 Control Registers (rev 04)
3f:05.1 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Memory Controller Channel 1 Address Registers (rev 04)
3f:05.2 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Memory Controller Channel 1 Rank Registers (rev 04)
3f:05.3 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Core Processor Integrated Memory Controller Channel 1 Thermal Control Registers (rev 04)
You have Nvidia gtx560ti, Fermi architecture cards still no reclocks, that gpu stucks at lowest pstate when you demand performance. If you want to play 3d games like Xonotic or Red Eclipse with good performance, you must to buy some Kepler card, gtx770, gtx760, gtx750 (no Ti), gtx650 (no Ti).
I can not see how much ram do you have or what model of cpu you have. Probably you have some integrated Intel GPU, which will work better that no reclocked gtx560 Ti.
Where is the best place to buy such a graphics card? Second-hand? ThinkPenguin? Other?
Just installed the 64-Bit version of Trisquel 7 Belenos.
Memory: 3.9GB
Processor: Intel core i5 CPU 750 @ 2.67Ghz x 4
Graphics: Gallium 0.4 on NVCE
OS Type: 64-bit
Disk: 153.7 GB
> * uname -m, run from a terminal inside the LiveCD, tells me that my system is "i686". I just want to check that this is checking my hardware, not the Linux kernel running off the CD. In other words, if I was using a liveCD made from a 64-bit version of Trisquel, would I get different results?
uname -m only reports the architecture the kernel is built for, if I'm not mistaken. IA-32 CPUs haven't been produced in years. I can't find a specific date for when the last IA-32 CPU was manufactured, but just to give an idea, the first x86-64 processor was released in 2003, and Intel's first x86-64 processor was released in 2004. So if your system actually were 32-bit, it probably wouldn't be very good for gaming at this point.
OK. How can I check whether my hardware is 64-bit capable?
Put in a 64-bit live CD. If it runs, it's 64-bit. But really, unless the computer is more than a decade old, this test is redundant.
Your processor is 64 bit if and only if that command outputs something:
$ grep -w lm /proc/cpuinfo
That command outputs:
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx rdtscp lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx smx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm sse4_1 sse4_2 popcnt lahf_lm ida dtherm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx rdtscp lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx smx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm sse4_1 sse4_2 popcnt lahf_lm ida dtherm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx rdtscp lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx smx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm sse4_1 sse4_2 popcnt lahf_lm ida dtherm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe nx rdtscp lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf pni dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx smx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm sse4_1 sse4_2 popcnt lahf_lm ida dtherm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid
I'm guessing this means I need to download the 64-bit version of Trisquel and find a blank CD?
Both the 32-bit and the 64-bit version would work but you had better use the 64-bit version to take advantage of your hardware: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X86-64
You can burn a CD: https://trisquel.info/en/wiki/burn-trisquel-cd-images
But you can alternatively use a pendrive: https://trisquel.info/en/wiki/how-create-liveusb
Yes, 32-bit is what I'm using now, but as you say, I would get better results from 64-bit. Just wanted to check I had understood your explanation correctly. As mentioned in the OP, I haven't managed to boot from a USB yet (any advice?) so I will need to find a blank CD with 1.6GB capacity.
Not a CD. CDs are limited to 700 MB. You need a DVD.
I was wondering about that, thanks for confirming. Found some blank DVD-RW my partner had lying around. Burning now.
EDIT: 64-bit installed fine from the DVD-ROM. Thanks for the info that helped me figure this out.
I can remember, when I got my first 64 bits CPU, it was AMD Athlon 3000+. I still have it.
Using the command that Magic Banana supplied I also discovered that the Fujitsu Lifebook I bought second hand a few months ago is 64-bit too! Joy!
The next problem I struggled with on my gaming rig was sound output. The CoolerMaster case has *many* different plugs for sound output. My current speaker system is an old ghetto blaster with twin RCA sockets, and a cable with two RCA plugs and a mic plug. I set some music going and plugged the mic plug into every mic socket on the case until I heard sound. So far so good. But when I tested the speakers using 'Sound settings' I could only hear "front left". I just swapped the RCA plugs into the opposite sockets, and voila!
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