Linux Doom


 * This page is about a source port. For the operating system, see Linux.

Linux Doom is a source port of Final Doom which was first ported by Dave Taylor in 1994. The source code of this port was initially released under the Doom Source License, then later re-released under the. It has become the basis for many source ports due to its close nature to the original code.

Summary
Due to being directly based on the original DOS source code, it had most of the original executable's bugs intact. Like Final Doom, it exhibited the Demo desyncing caused by bouncing lost souls bug which caused many demo compatibility issues in source ports based on it. The original DMX sound library code was stripped; instead, it features a sound server and a music server, which run as separate executables which receive data through inter-process communication. Thus, there is no actual sound code in the source, adding an extra level of portability as the multitudes of sound APIs are not exposed at all. It also only supports pseudo color X graphics (256 color) and refuses to run on any other color setting of the X Server.

Out of the total population of unofficial source ports, the largest number derive directly, in part or in whole, from the Linux Doom code base. Notable descendents which started their own port families include DOSDoom and ZDoom. In addition, this code base has served as the foundation for id Software's official new-generation console ports.