[TUTORIAL] AmigaSWOS on Linux/Ubuntu

[Kurrado]

While I was cleaning my old documents, I've found an old 'tutorial' I've never put on this forum. So, I'll do it right now:

How To Play AmigaSWOS Online On Linux ?

1.What do you need ?
A computer (obviously)
A display
Ubuntu (www.ubuntu.com)
A hard-disk to put Ubuntu on
A bottle of Wine

2.Linux: Kick the 'Microsoft'-habit
As you all know, Linux is not Windows and Windows is not Linux. However, the last few years, Linux has become very very user-friendly, even when die-hard Windows-users say it doesn't... This is just a matter of habit. I was also a Windows-users, have been for about 14 years, but I recently switched to Ubuntu. In the very beginning, I was constantly telling myself: “I don't wanna switch to Windows, I don't wanna switch to Windows, I...”, but after all, it took me four days to adapt to the new operating system, and another week to do some magic with Ubuntu. Now, after two weeks, I don't think about any switch to Windows anymore !
To ease up the switch to Ubuntu, just place the gnome-panel to the bottom, just to give you that Windows-feel. You don't have to shock yourself, just make the switch easier by giving the OS a kind of... Microsoft look

3.A bottle of Wine
Yeaah... Finally we're about drinking some glasses of excellent red Bordeaux wine... I can get one magnificent software bottle from www.winehq.org, although I download all my deb-packages from packages.ubuntu.com, so I can create a folder with all my favourites .deb installation-files, like I did in Windows with my exe's. Ubuntu-users advise you'd better don't do this, and always install via the 'repo's' or 'repositories' with Synaptic Package Manager. It's just the way you like it.
Install Wine, and most of your old Windows-applications will run in this Windows compatibility layer. (check database on www.winehq.org)

4.Amiga SWOS
Now, we are equiped to install Amiga SWOS Online on Ubuntu/Linux. Just open the setup-file (Setup_ASWOS.exe) by doubleclicking or by rightclicking on it and choose 'Wine Windows Program Loader'. You can leave the chosen directory as it is or choose your own. The 'Windows-C-drive' can be found under /home/profile/.wine/drive_c.
Normally, the Amiga SWOS shortcut can be found in the Gnome-menu under 'Other' or 'Wine', but you can easily replace it in the Gnome-menu Manager.
Enjoy playing Amiga SWOS, online or offline, with WinUAEXP in Linux !!!

[sakis_ser]

Indeed this method you're proposing makes it work. Additionally, you can achieve the same results (playable SWOS) by installing DOSBOX in your Ubuntu (check Software center) and then download and install SWOS for DOS from this sensiblesoccer.de website.

However, the real and difficult question is how do you incorporate your joystick in Ubuntu so as to make it work through WINE and/or through DOSBOX. In my occasion, I've setup my joystick through jscal and jstest Ubuntu applications. By default, it does not work at all through Wine. Same goes with DOSBOX, though DOSBOX seems to detect the joystick it's not configurable through INSTALL.EXE application (that is *after* you install SWOS for DOS on your machine).

I have even installed E-UAE which is the Linux version of WinUAE emulator (it has a more tricky way to make it work with SWOS, but it is possible - you have to manually edit the main configuration file to mount the HDF file containing SWOS). But, the same problem again...no joystick.

Has anyone make it work in ANY of the following applications?
-DOSBOX
-E-UAE
-Wine

[sakis_ser]

News update!

I downloaded and installed Sensible Soccer 96/97 Total Pack by Starwinds on a Windows machine just to check it out. It seems that mounting the main folder containing all SWOS files/executables and running the SWOS executable through DOSBOX on Linux, gives you the ability to configure and use a joystick right through DOSBOX (given that DOSBOX has detected your joystick of course). Bear in mind that you have to set DOSBOX cpu_cycles exactly to 10000 and you're good to go (otherwise you get strange behavior when using the joystick)!

A full running SWOS with everything + joystick support! :-)