[How-to] - Windows XP Gamer's Edition

[dirtwarrior]

Yes just replace those 2 files in order to get lower comitt. I think it was gdogg which discovered these.

[Aegis]

@tom_vilsack

I'm planning to have no page file. Reason for this is that a page file runs slower than memory. Although this normally would cause application compatibility issues, games usually don't require a page file.

@hoak

I don't want to turn this into a big debate, but this article is quite helpful, as it still applies to Server 2003 and XP.

http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/Index...&ArticleID=2816

Basically, the only difference with Server 2003 that optimizes performance is that the threads are never paged to file, which might be what you were saying with improved thread management.

[dirtwarrior]

Very interesting reading. So basically a reg tweak is needed to change the way the microkernel behaves.

[shix]

thanks for the info dirt.

[kalo]

What happens if you don't have 1 gig of ram or a broadband connection..?

[Aegis]

@kalo

If you have insufficient memory to run a game, a popup appears informing you and you will be unable to run the game (though I doubt that any gamer will try to play on a system with less than 1GB of memory). If you have a 56K or anything else below Cable/DSL, then your packets will fragment heavily, thus degrading performance.

[Wicket20519]

I'm a poor college student and am having to live with my P4 machine....So no 64-bit support for me.

The project sounds quite interesting! Are you going to have a "live" Q & A session sometime soon, or do we just post them here?

[Aegis]

@Wicket20519

Post them here ! And if you don't like the 64-bit requirement, just complain !

[tom_vilsack]

@Wicket20519

Post them here ! And if you don't like the 64-bit requirement, just complain !

complain complain complain 32-bit also please

[Aegis]

@tom_vilsack

I thought it over and decided that since I couldn't choose between Far Cry 's 64-bit enhanced graphics version or compatibility with users who couldn't afford a new computer, that I should offer both versions. On the other hand, even if I didn't make both versions available, technically advanced users should be able to 'mod' it anyway, since I might provide the equivalent of a source code as my installer .

[Wicket20519]

How long does the installation take?

Can we create an unattended install?

Will GE support wireless networking?

Will there be graphical limitations (such as no wallpaper, windows 98-style taskbar) so that more power can be directed to the games?

You talked about having no page file; is there any way to use my extra harddrive like an iRAM card? Or am I confusing how each of those work...

Hope these are valid questions....

[Aegis]

@Wicket20519

Don't be afraid to ask questions .

The installation varies depending on your computer stats. Usually won't take more than 5 minutes to set it up, after the initial install. As I release more information, you'll understand what I mean by "initial install".

Unattended installations, though it would be nice, can't be supported since every person's image will vary. You may be able to create your own installation, but it requires an intimate knowledge of Windows setup.

GE will support as much or as little as you like. Initially, before any modifications, GE will be very minimalistic and have the default blue background as the wallpaper. The taskbar will not be available. Instead you will be presented with a command shell where you can launch your games.

The iRAM card, I believe, uses RAM as a hard drive. Any more questions ?

[Grake]

Will this support some softwares like daemon tools?

Thanks.

Don't post such things in future. -- Zxian

Edited December 13, 2005 by Zxian

[Wicket20519]

Wow, thanks for the reply! 5 minutes for the initial install is awesome!

Will there be a "Safe Mode" GE can be booted into? Or is it basically already in safe mode?

Will we be able to write small scripts that will act like shortcuts in the command prompt?

Will GE support multiple monitors?

How about plug and play devices, in case we somehow crash the machine and need to back up saved games on an external HDD?

Will security be an issue with this OS, or not really? (Things such as software patches, firewalls, etc; are they needed?)

What if, for some reason, a game requires the .NET framework be installed? We will be able to add that?

Sorry, got too much time on my hands. Thanks again!

[Aegis]

@Grake

Again, it will support as much or as little as you want.

@Wicket20519

Keep the questions rolling . There will be no safe mode for GE.

If you mean batch files for script support, then yes, there will be support.

I'm not sure about multiple monitors. You may be able to make it work on your own, but since I don't own two monitors, then I can't help you with that one.

Plug and play, from my research thus far, is required to use your video card. So yes, it will be supported.

Security in GE is amazingly tight, though it's not a priority at all. No ports are open by default. This takes care of most of the system vulnerabilities, as malicious software needs some sort of way to connect to your computer first. If I exclude browser support, then the only open hole would be to physically log on to your computer, which can be prevented by setting a BIOS startup password.

No game, as far as I know, will have any use of the API's offered by .NET. But in the rare case that it does, .NET Framework can easily be installed.