Hacking So... Why is Linux on Switch exciting?

[Idaho]

Then port the ARM version of Windows to Switch and enjoy your expansive Windows game library.

I'm not seeing the problem here. Windows is Windows, Windows programs run on all Windows systems. That's the reason why people use Windows after all, isn't it?

No Windows programs don't run on all Windows systems and not all Linux programs work on all Linux system, do you even know what a cpu architecture is and how it limits this kind of thing?

Happily there's a version of Windows for ARM that runs x86/64 apps thanks to a lot of emulation work, but that's not the case for Linux, making that version of Windows work on the switch would be kinda hard though and even if it'd work, it'd probably be clunky, so in the end having a Linux port is more desirable...

 

[GerbilSoft]

No Windows programs don't run on all Windows systems and not all Linux programs work on all Linux system, do you even know what a cpu architecture is and how it limits this kind of thing?

I do know what CPU architectures are, but according to Windows fanboys, all Windows run all Windows programs regardless of CPU. It just needs to be 64-bit, which the Switch is.

 

[Idaho]

I do know what CPU architectures are, but according to Windows fanboys, all Windows run all Windows programs regardless of CPU. It just needs to be 64-bit, which the Switch is.

Don't believe what everyone says here... But yes there is a version of Windows for ARM that runs x86/64 apps, making it work on the switch is just probably hard and not worth the efforts...

 

[GerbilSoft]

Don't believe what everyone says here...

Hence my original proposition: Port Windows and run Windows games instead of whining about how Linux is "crap".

Windows is so easy to use, so it shouldn't be that much effort to do.

 

[Idaho]

Hence my original proposition: Port Windows instead and run Windows games instead of whining about how Linux is "crap".

Windows is so easy to use, so it shouldn't be that much effort to do.

You don't "port" something you don't have the source code of...

 

[the_randomizer]

Make them work yourself. That's the point. There's mountains of documentation on how to do so. Also, emulators? Really? There's no problems with those on Linux.

This is a fault of whatever flash media you're using, not Linux.

Oh, and before some assuming asshole comes along, I don't even use Linux. UNIX is UNIX is UNIX. It's all the same if you know what you're doing.

That's easy for you to say to someone who has no programming experience.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

You don't "port" something you don't have the source code of...

He knows

 

[Idaho]

He knows

Well didn't sound like it...

Also does he know you could actually at least theoretically run Windows x86/x64 apps on a switch?

 

[GerbilSoft]

Well didn't sound like it...

Also does he know you could actually at least theoretically run Windows x86/x64 apps on a switch?

Using CPU emulation, yes. Based on my experience with Virtual PC on a G5 iMac, it'd be slow as hell, especially if the programs in question use SSE or AVX.

 

[Idaho]

Using CPU emulation, yes. Based on my experience with Virtual PC on a G5 iMac, it'd be slow as hell, especially if the programs in question use SSE or AVX.

it's not slow as hell, it's a built-in feature and it works pretty well, just see the demos by yourself, it just requires a good enough ARM CPU, which the switch kinda more or less has (we're not talking about shitty VirtualPC or anything like that here, this is a way more advanced technique) :

https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/7/13866936/microsoft-windows-10-arm-desktop-apps-support-qualcomm

 

[GerbilSoft]

By "way more advanced", you mean "it's basically WINE with a CPU emulator instead of running code natively".

That'll probably work okay for anything that isn't CPU-intensive, which means not games.

 

[Idaho]

By "way more advanced", you mean "it's basically WINE with a CPU emulator instead of running code natively".

That'll work fine for anything that isn't CPU-intensive, which means not games.

Well i'd be fine with that actually, if I can use my switch just like a regular laptop Windows PC and launch small games with it, it'd be pretty cool, obviously i'm not expecting to run crysis with that kind of emulation but it could at least run a few emulators and a few old games that are only available on Windows...

 

[Futurdreamz]

it's not slow as hell, it's a built-in feature and it works pretty well, just see the demos by yourself, it just requires a good enough ARM CPU, which the switch kinda more or less has (we're not talking about shitty VirtualPC or anything like that here, this is a way more advanced technique) :

https://www.theverge.com/2016/12/7/13866936/microsoft-windows-10-arm-desktop-apps-support-qualcomm

WoWARM uses features that the 8x5 series has built in, and uses recompiled libraries. It's good enough for any app that is NOT CPU intensive but 32-bit games would have a severe performance hit. Windows on ARM is currently only optimized for the 835 and maybe 845, and anything different will not function correctly. Microsoft is spending many years and manhours making this work, but it's not a solution that you can slap into a Switch then play Crysis.


Honestly, several people on this forum are like arguing with a guy that believes you can land on the sun if you go at night.

 

[Idaho]

WoWARM uses features that the 8x5 series has built in, and uses recompiled libraries. It's good enough for any app that is NOT CPU intensive but 32-bit games would have a severe performance hit. Windows on ARM is currently only optimized for the 835 and maybe 845, and anything different will not function correctly. Microsoft is spending many years and manhours making this work, but it's not a solution that you can slap into a Switch then play Crysis.


Honestly, several people on this forum are like arguing with a guy that believes you can land on the sun if you go at night.

Can you like, just read my previous posts and stop being a massive jerk? You clearly lack any kind of nuances I added in my sentence and are building a fake counter-argumentation that is clearly not in tune with my opinion...

 

[guicrith]

Linux is shit, next question, please.

Ok, use Linux + Qemu + Wine and run Windows then.

 

[Don Jon]

O would love to see the mugen xbox version running on the switch. Im not familiar with the xbox mods but it was able to run the exe mugen files perfectly

 

[DarthDub]

Cause it means it's exploitable. Potential.

 

[simbin]

... to play Tux Racer.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

This is not how it works, you don't "port" something that you don't have the source code of, and well Windows could work on the switch, afterall there's an ARM version of it...

Actually the source code of Windows 2000 was leaked (at least a large chunk of it) and there's also ReactOS.
Still most programs wouldn't run because they're made for x86/x64. Basically only some .net apps would run. Besides, Windows for ARM already exists and has the same limitations, so there wouldn't be any point in trying to port Windows in the first place.

 

[Deathscreton]

Can you like, just read my previous posts and stop being a massive jerk? You clearly lack any kind of nuances I added in my sentence and are building a fake counter-argumentation that is clearly not in tune with my opinion...

It's classic temp man. I wasn't here for two days before someone wanted to rip my throat out. Community is weird. lmao