Building for Mac and Linux on Windows

[mirage]

Is it possible to build for Mac and Linux using Windows? If so, how?

[vrld]

(Since you did not mention what you want to build I'm assuming you want to compile the love binary for different platforms.)

Yes, in theory it's possible using a cross compiler. For windows, there is a GCC distribution called mingw, which should be able to cross-compile at least for linux.

In practice however, things tend to get really complicated and painful, because you not only have to compile the love binary, but also the libraries that love uses, which in turn use other libraries, which use yet other libraries ... you get the idea. The simplest solution might be to use a virtual machine (e.g. VirtualBox) to compile stuff using the OS you want to build for.

[T-Bone]

If you, on the other hand, simply want to distribute your LÖVE game on Linux and Mac, that's much easier. For Mac, download the already prepared .app from love2d.org and put your .love-file in its proper location, and edit the plist. For Linux, it's probably easiest to just give the .love-file and tell Ubuntu-users in a readme.txt to run "sudo apt-get install love" first, and tell other Linux users to head over to love2d.org.

http://love2d.org/wiki/Game_Distribution contains plenty of good info, but it tends to assume you're sitting on the OS you're distributing to.

[nevon]

For Linux, it's probably easiest to just give the .love-file and tell Ubuntu-users in a readme.txt to run "sudo apt-get install love" first.

I would not recommend that, as Ubuntu currently ships with an ancient version of LÖVE. Better to write an install script that adds bartbes' ppa and pulls in LÖVE from there, and then installs the game itself.

[BlackBulletIV]

For Linux, it's probably easiest to just give the .love-file and tell Ubuntu-users in a readme.txt to run "sudo apt-get install love" first.

I would not recommend that, as Ubuntu currently ships with an ancient version of LÖVE. Better to write an install script that adds bartbes' ppa and pulls in LÖVE from there, and then installs the game itself.

Or just merge the .love file with the Linux executable (on Ubuntu it'll be located at /usr/bin/love).

[thelinx]

Or just merge the .love file with the Linux executable (on Ubuntu it'll be located at /usr/bin/love).

Which requires a bunch of libraries a user is not likely to have installed by default

[BlackBulletIV]

Or just merge the .love file with the Linux executable (on Ubuntu it'll be located at /usr/bin/love).

Which requires a bunch of libraries a user is not likely to have installed by default

Oh really? That's not good. So I guess the install script option is the best way to go for Ubuntu/Linux?

[T-Bone]

For Linux, it's probably easiest to just give the .love-file and tell Ubuntu-users in a readme.txt to run "sudo apt-get install love" first.

I would not recommend that, as Ubuntu currently ships with an ancient version of LÖVE. Better to write an install script that adds bartbes' ppa and pulls in LÖVE from there, and then installs the game itself.

Is 0.7.1 really that old? I use it for everything (didn't actually know I wasn't using 0.7.2). Never noted any incompatabilities (unless we're talking about 0.8.0, which isn't finished).

Install scripts are good too. There really should be a standard install script, at least for Ubuntu, on the wiki.

.deb-files (and rpm) is another possibility.

[nevon]

Is 0.7.1 really that old? I use it for everything (didn't actually know I wasn't using 0.7.2). Never noted any incompatabilities (unless we're talking about 0.8.0, which isn't finished).

A lot of dependencies were updated, fused games were fixed (they didn't work in 0.7.1), and a lot of other bug fixes: http://love2d.org/wiki/0.7.2

I was thinking of 0.5.0 though, which was in the repos in <=10.10, IIRC.

Install scripts are good too. There really should be a standard install script, at least for Ubuntu, on the wiki.

.deb-files (and rpm) is another possibility.

I guess me and Bartbes' could share our solution.

[T-Bone]

Is 0.7.1 really that old? I use it for everything (didn't actually know I wasn't using 0.7.2). Never noted any incompatabilities (unless we're talking about 0.8.0, which isn't finished).

A lot of dependencies were updated, fused games were fixed (they didn't work in 0.7.1), and a lot of other bug fixes: http://love2d.org/wiki/0.7.2

I was thinking of 0.5.0 though, which was in the repos in <=10.10, IIRC.

Install scripts are good too. There really should be a standard install script, at least for Ubuntu, on the wiki.

.deb-files (and rpm) is another possibility.

I guess me and Bartbes' could share our solution.

Please do!

Since Volley Brawl is in the Software Center, I guess you know how to make .debs? I'd really like to learn.