bbosen - 2022-07-20

We have decided to simplify and standardize Linux Air Combat installations.

Since November of 2021 we have consistently offered three different installation techniques.They were:

1 of 3: Installation in the local ~home filesystem for use by just one user of the hosting computer. (This was the first installation technique we ever offered.)

2 of 3: Installation in the global /usr filesystem for use by all users of the hosting computer.

3 of 3: "AppImage" version, precompiled for use by all users of the hosting computer, and compatible with all of the most popular desktop versions of LINUX. This version requires no prerequisites, no compilation, and no installation at all: Just download it, mark it "executable" according to longstanding unix/linux norms, and run it from anywhere in the filesystem.

Recent experience has shown that the last two of those three options have been far more popular than the first.

Accordingly, to simplify our efforts in publishing and supporting future versions, we will no longer offer LAC versions that install in the ~home filesystem. These have been the "even-numbered" versions. The last version of that type is version 8.66, packaged as "even-numbered" Lac08p66, from 01Jun2022.

At the time of this writing in late July of 2022, beta testing of version 8.77 is in process. This "odd-numbered" version installs in the global /usr filesystem, using the technique that will be retained. It includes full source code, and beta testers have been reporting good success compiling it on a wide variety of desktop Linux systems. We think it is sufficiently stable to be declared "production-quality" soon. Within a month we expect to package it up in an AppImage version. If you want to try it right now, you can download from our usual beta-test download page here:

https://askmisterwizard.com/2019/LinuxAirCombat/Installers/index.htm

We will need some time to update all of our online documentation for consistency with this change. If you are installing any version of LAC beyond 8.66, please have patience with us as you interpret some of our legacy installation instructions. This will take some time because of the large number of online publications and video clips that refer to the older installation method that will be abandoned.

 

Last edit: bbosen 2022-07-20