Foire Aux Questions du club
Foire aux Questions : noeud racine
La FAQ est classée thématiquement sous forme d'arbre : son
noeud racine est ce document, qui expose des informations générales
sur le club. Chaque arête partant de cette racine traitera des thèmes
plus spécifiques, pouvant eux-mêmes se subdiviser en sous-thèmes, et
ainsi de suite, de telle sorte que la FAQ soit arborescente.
Une autre FAQ est disponible (consultez-là, elle est plus centrée sur le club !), un certain remaniement à ce niveau va s'imposer.
Si vous ne trouvez pas de réponse à une de vos questions,
posez-la
nous, et sa réponse sera rajoutée à la FAQ...
Informations générales
- What is OSDL ?
-
- OSDL is a free cross-platform open-source library for
multimedia and game programming. OSDL is a C++ portable framework
built on top of Sam Lantinga's SDL.
- What does OSDL mean ?
-
- OSDL stands for Objet oriented Simple DirectMedia
Library, as a reference to SDL, which means Simple DirectMedia
Library.
- Why may I use a multimedia library
?
-
-
If you want to develop a multimedia application, like a game for
example, the easy way is to use a dedicated library such as the
ones spotted in the [multimedia
libraries section]. Those libraries offer simultaneously :
- a wide range of supported platforms : you develop your
application for one of them and it is painlessly available to
all the other supported platforms,
- higher-level features one cannot develop from scratch, for
it would in most cases take far too much time developing
components which would offer poor "added value".
A good idea would be to choose a library which is open
source, since they are often free, well documented, and you can
rely on strong and warm communities to help you.
- Why may I choose my multimedia library to
be OSDL ?
-
- There exists many game libraries, which already are stable and
offer many features, both points that OSDL, which is still in early
age, cannot provide [see the multimedia libraries section].
Nevertheless, one might consider of interest to develop such kind
of library, just for having the fun of designing by himself what
others use. In that case, he may join OSDL's team, and enjoy the
experience of the settler trying to build a new city ! That reason
stands as long as OSDL is doing its first steps. After, when the
authors themselves will have shown that something beautiful and
fast can be built thanks to OSDL, third parties might try
themselves to get the best of OSDL. In a few words, we expect a
continuous evolution of OSDL's members from library developers
to game developers.
- What are the rules in order to use OSDL
?
-
- There are not so many, except the respect of the LGPL licence,
which does not implies much, the recommended use of Linux (other
platforms are not tested at that time), and some kind of patience.
We advise users to get OSDL's installed thanks to LOANI, which should facilitate their work.
- Where can I get OSDL a.k.a. where
can I download latest sources ?
-
- Please jump to the dowload area, where the available methods are
explained.
- What is LOANI ?
-
- LOANI is an automatic installer for OSDL, please go to
LOANI's corner for a full
documentation.
- What are the links between OSDL and SDL
?
-
- OSDL uses SDL, as a dwarf might stand on a giant's
shoulder.
- What are the links between OSDL (this
project) and OSDL
(Open Source Development Lab) ?
-
- There are none. Those two projects share nothing, except their
acronym and some belief about the interest of open source. As far
as I know, the Open Source Development Lab is interested
in having data-centers and e-Business facilities running under
Linux.
- What is OSDL's mission ?
-
- OSDL has no mission nor particular goal, except to harvest some
pleasure while working on it.
- What are the possible futures for OSDL ?
-
- Knowing that very few projects of this kind succeed to complete
their initial goals, probabilities are against us. Nevertheless, if
ever we end up with a stable library offering some features, and at
least a non trivial game using it, we would be very glad. Of
course, they are numerous dreams that come included with OSDL, such
as the developing of a real good game with a large number of
players (maybe a small MMORPG), or the use of OSDL as a software
for a video chip of a full open source video game console (Once
Sol project), but let's first achieve realistic objectives
before !
- How can I have more informations ?
-
- If a careful reading of the FAQ and the other available
documentation does not suffice, we would suggest the OSDL's mailing list
- Does OSDL call for contributors ?
-
- What can I do for OSDL ?
-
- Are there games planning to use OSDL ?
-
- If OSDL helps providing code, algorithms and
various implementations, how can I have content (pictures,
animations, rules, etc.) to feed my game ?
-
- Where can I find more informations about
Speed Of Light ?
-
- Where can I find more informations about
Once Sol ?
-
- Where can I find more informations about
Clonic Tree ?
-
- Why C++ ? Isn't it slow ?
-
- Why not Java ?
-
- What are OSDL's supported platforms ?
-
- What is Ceylan ?
- Ceylan is our generic all-purpose library.
-
- What is current OSDL's development status
?
-
- What are the nearest spotted projects ?
-
- Where can I found OSDL's Sourceforge project
?
-
- Why is this site awfully dull with its black and
white style ?
-
- Why trying to rewrite 2D or 3D algorithms when
those computings are directly made by almost every current video
card's hardware ?
-
- faster, better, cheaper ok. But a choice can be made between
OSDL's software rendering and hardware rendering. A goal :
developing a video chip
- Who is behind OSDL ?
-
- Since when OSDL exists ?
-
- What are the latest version for OSDL, Ceylan,
LOANI ?
-
- OSDL's latest version is 0.2. Ceylan's latest version
is 0.1. LOANI latest version is 0.1. Those very low numbers may be
seen as hints about their module maturity ! To be honest, if I had
not screwed up OSDL's CVS repository, it would be still in
version 0.1 !
- What is the planning of subsequent releases and
versions ?
-
- Where can I found OSDL's CVS ?
-
- Where do I send questions, bug reports or
feedback ?
-
- Is there a mailing list ?
-
- The short answer : yes, osdl-general@lists.sourceforge.net.
The long one : see contact
informations
- Is there a newsgroup ?
-
- Is there an IRC channel ?
-
- Is there an official logo ?
-
- I have a project that uses OSDL, how do I add it
to the OSDL website ?
-
- Where can I find OSDL's API ?
-
- Short answerDocumentation repository
- Third party
Please react !
If you have information more detailed or more recent than those
presented in this document, if you noticed errors, neglects or points
insufficiently discussed, drop us a
line!
Top
Last update : 2004, July 5