The comp allows games submitted for any platform. See 2008’s entries, for example – there was even an Alan game that year. If your game isn’t Windows-only, don’t submit it as a Windows game; submit it as a Node-X game, and make sure people know where they can get a Node-X interpreter (putting that information in the README file is a good idea).
The IFComp administrators also prepare a package of all the necessary interpreters for Windows, as well as a package of all the games plus all the interpreters for Windows. So if you point them at your interpreter I’m sure they’ll include it in those packages. And people on non-Windows machines can get the interpreter from wherever it’s officially hosted.
The admins can include the Win32-version of the interpreter in their package and put the game file under a section called “Node-X Games”, “Other Games” or even “Platform-independent Games” on their IFComp website, so users know what it is. People on Linux machines will find a seperate download link for the interpreter in my readme file.
since the first generation of Node-X is nearing “gold” status and undergoing final beta-testing
I would like to announce a few changes concerning my game entry to the IFComp 2009:
Both, the standalone interpreter and the gamefiles, will be submitted together as a Windows Game.
A readme-file including the download link for the Linux version will be attached.
Both, the Win32 and Linux executable of the Interpreter, will be crunched with
the latest version (3.03) of the widely known and used executable packer UPX. Note: Make sure to turn off heuristic analysis in your anti-virus application to
avoid false virus warnings!
Last but not least, some Q&A/FAQ for those of you who might have some questions:
Q: Why are you using an executable packer such as UPX? What are the advantages of using it?
A: First off, exe packers are useful to lower the size of a software distribution. UPX produces better compression rates on unpacked executables than ZIP. Second, the executable stays packed when unzipped, saving you space on your medium (disk, harddisk, USB drive, etc). Third, the whole package can be downloaded faster from the bandwidth-limited ifarchive.org server, saving you time.
Q: Will you use a Windows installer or stuff like that?
A: No, executable and gamefiles will be zipped (*.zip) and uploaded to the IFComp server, as usual. The entry can be unzipped to wherever you want and the executable can be run instantly.
Q: What are the minimum requirements/specs for the Node-X Win32 executable?
A: Windows 95/98, Intel 80386 or AMD
Q: What OS/Class and processor type Node-X ELF will support?
A: Linux/ELF32, Intel 80386 (minimum specs)
Q: Can I run the Node-X ELF on Solaris or any other OS none of the less?
A: As long as your OS supports ELF32 and UNIX - System V, you should be able to run it on any operating system.
If your question hasn’t been answered, feel free to post it in this topic.