If you only run the X and GL versions of Quake, QuakeWorld or Quake II, you don't need to run them with root permissions. SVGA is the only mode that must be run as root. The X versions just need access to /dev/dsp, the sound device. The GL versions need access to the 3Dfx card as well as to /dev/dsp.
/dev/dsp needs to be readable and writeable by Quake. Most distributions give it 662 (rw-rw--w-) permissions by default. The simplest solution is to just chmod 666 /dev/dsp. On most systems, the ability to read from the sound device will not pose a significant security threat. If this approach is unacceptable for your system, create a group that owns /dev/dsp and make your Quake players members of that group.
You need the /dev/3dfx driver from Daryll Strauss' glide page ( http://glide.xxedgexx.com/3DfxRPMS.html) in order run glide applications (like GLQuake) non-root. Download the Device3Dfx.xxx.rpm package and install according to the instructions on the web page. After you've installed the driver, make sure /dev/3dfx has 666 permissions (chmod 666 /dev/3dfx).
When /dev/dsp and /dev/3dfx are properly set up, you can remove the setuid bit from your Quake/QW/Q2 executables. Just do (as root) chmod 0755 XXXXX, where XXXXX is either glquake, quake.x11, or quake2.
If you've been playing as root prior to making these changes, many of your Quake files (like savegames) may be owned by root and inaccessible to a normal user, so remember to change the files' ownership before you attempt to play the game non-root.
The GLX Quakeworld and Quake II clients are native X applications, but since they use Mesa rather than the 3Dfx mini-driver, they're slower than the lib3dfxgl.so versions. For this reason, you may still favor this way of starting games from X over using the GLX clients.
This is based on a Linux Gazette 2 Cent Tip by Joey Hess ( ) The original is at http://www.ssc.com/lg/issue20/lg_tips20.html#squake
Yes, it's possible to run the Quake games from X if you're root, but such behavior is naughty, and you still run the risk of having Quake crash and leave the console unresponsive. With a little work you can make it possible for a regular user to run SVGA and GL Quake from X AND automatically switch back to X when the program is finished, regardless of whether it exited normally or not.
Note: when I say "Quake" in the text below, I really mean "quake, glquake squake, qwcl, glqwcl, qwcl.x11 or quake2".
make;make install to compile and install it. Once it's installed, you need to make the open and switchto executables setuid root. So do this:
cd /usr/local/bin chown root open switchto chmod 4755 open switchto
getvc.c:
/* getvc.c
* Prints the number of the current VC to stdout. Most of this code
* was ripped from the open program, and this code is GPL'd
*
* Joey Hess, Fri Apr 4 14:58:50 EST 1997
*/
#include <sys/vt.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
main () {
int fd = 0;
struct vt_stat vt;
if ((fd = open("/dev/console",O_WRONLY,0)) < 0) {
perror("Failed to open /dev/console\n");
return(2);
}
if (ioctl(fd, VT_GETSTATE, &vt) < 0) {
perror("can't get VTstate\n");
close(fd);
return(4);
}
printf("%d\n",vt.v_active);
}
/* End of getvc.c */
$PATH:
gcc getvc.c -o getvc strip getvc mv getvc /usr/local/bin
runvc: your $PATH:
#!/bin/sh
# Run something on a VC, from X, and switch back to X when done.
# GPL Joey Hess, Thu, 10 Jul 1997 23:27:08 -0400
exec open -s -- sh -c "$* ; chvt `getvc`"
$PATH:
Now you can use thechmod 755 runvc mv runvc /usr/local/bin
runvc command to start Quake. Continue to use whatever command line you usually use to start your game, but put runvc at the beginning:
You'll automatically switch to a VC, run Quake and then switch back to X when it's done!runvc ./quake2 +set vid_ref gl +connect quake.foo.com
From the Quake II readme.linux file:
By default, the mouse will not be 'tied' to the Quake2 window. To cause Quake2 to grab the mouse, select 'Windowed Mouse' from the video menu, or type '_windowed_mouse 0' at the console. Do the reverse to release it. You can bind keys to grab and release the mouse in the console, like so: bind i "_windowed_mouse 1" bind o "_windowed_mouse 0" Then "i" will grab the mouse and "o" will release it.
You may have seen or heard mention of ways to "tweak" Quake's OpenGL performance by setting various environment variables. These variables are equally valid under Linux. You just set them slightly differently. If a Windows/DOS "tweak" guide tells you to:
SET SST_GRXCLK=59
Under Linux, do it like this:
export SST_GRXCLK=59
Joe S. ( ) suggests:
a trick I do with qstat: I make a file of my favorite servers, then do qstat -f /C/quake2/file.txt | less
hit control z to suspend, then copy the ip address or hostname I want with gpm to a command line like:
Then I can use fg to go back to the list later..../quake2 +connect expert.eqclans.com
lib3dfxgl.so for Quake I **You can use the 3Dfx mini-driver (lib3dfxgl.so) from Quakeworld or Quake II with glquake too. Simply copy the glqwcl.3dfxgl or quake2.3dfxgl scripts to a new file, say glquake.3dfxgl. Then edit the glquake.3dfxgl script so it runs glquake instead of glqwcl. The same restrictions about running as root apply here, as do the differences between running under glibc and libc5. See the Quakeworld or Quake II sections for more information on lib3dfxgl.so.