How to run ZT on Linux

[fern]

Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection on Linux Ubuntu, How to run ZTCC on this Linux O.S.

Author: Borsata

Many thanks to Borsata for allowing us to post this

Like me, many users wants to play Zoo Tycoon on their PC, but if you have an O.S. like Linux Ubuntu (one of the most Linux O.S. used) what can we do?
For this question there is a very simple answer, to be precise we going to use Wine.(*) The version of wine I used is 1.0.

In my case, I have a Linux Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron with a VESA for graphic drivers.
Let's see what we have to do:

1) First, open Synaptic (System -> Amministration -> Synaptic Packet Manager), and search Wine.
2) Mark the option: wine
wine-dev
3) After the installation, insert the first Zoo Tycoon CD and open the file .exe with a rigth click of the mouse and select "Open with another application" and choose "wine".(**)
4) Now, after the installation of Zoo Tycoon, please when it start the game change the window opened with another, pressing alt+tab. Wait 5-6 minutes and return to the Zoo Tycoon window. Then exit from the tutorial and let's install the expansions.
5)Do the same thing above

When I play with it, many times it blocks when it is loading, for jump this problem after have started the game from the menù (Application -> Wine -> Programs -> Microsoft Games -> Zoo Tycoon -> Play ZTCC) or after have pressed the Play button of the initial windows use the same trick of alt+tab.(***)

* Another possibility is install a Virtual Machine using Virtual Box or create a partition in the same hard disk with Windows. Don't tell me How can I do it because I don't know.
** Wine is perfect for emulating Window's Programs on O.S. like Linux Ubuntu
*** In internet I've read about some problems similiar at this, but about the two initial videos. Just delete them from the main folder of Zoo Tycoon. The main folder of Zoo Tycoon can be found in this position:
Application -> Wine -> Browse C:\ Drive
From here you will see the classic tree of directory that is in a normal Windows O.S., then:
Programs -> Microsoft Games -> Zoo Tycoon
Another most nice way is to open with a text editor (like gedit or mcedit) the Zoo.ini and should be changed to use "playMovie=0" and "playSecondMovie=0" instead of "playMovie=1" and "playSecondMovie=1".

Fern have told me about Zoo Tycoon and Suse Linux 7. With Winex the game it will run, but we don't know if with the latest version of Winex can run ZTCC, because the old version of Winex don't run on Suse Linux 11.

If there are other problems, please contact me, I will help you ^^
How many new info I will get, many new information I will add to this post.
I tried to be more clear possible, excuse me I'm not english xD, but I wanted to help this Zoo Tycoon Community.

Thanks to Fern for the new information about Suse Linux.
Thanks to Jay for the other method to bypass the video problem.

[Jay]

How to install and run the original Zoo Tycoon and Marine Mania on openSUSE Linux versions 11.0 and 11.1

I have installed and run Zoo Tycoon (ZT) under several versions of Linux using 2 different types of MS Windows emulators. One type of emulator is called "wine" and the other is called "winex". "wine" is both open source and free. "winex" is a modified version of "wine" that is not free. Until recently, ZT did not work in "wine". So I was using "winex" to run ZT from 2002 until 2008. There are a couple problems with "winex". First, only the original ZT worked and not the expansion packs. Second, the version of "winex" that I had would not run in newer versions of Linux. So if I wanted to continue using "winex" every time I updated my Linux, I would have to pay again for "winex" and there was no guarantee that ZT would continue to work. Therefore I would not recommend using that. Fortunately, "wine" has continued to improve over the years. Although ZT did not work for me in wine version 1.0 release candidate 1 and earlier wine versions, ZT does work for me in wine version 1.0. I have installed and run both the original ZT (version 10.10.00.0009) and Marine Mania (MM version 12.04.00.0009) in two computer environments:

1) An emachines W3644 computer with an ~2109 Mhz AMD processor, 1 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 6100 nForce 405 graphics adapter, HANNspree HSG1054 widescreen LCD monitor, openSUSE Linux version 11.0-2.6.25.20-0.1, and x11-video-nvidiaG01 video driver version 173.14.15. That is the proprietary nvidia driver. The open source nvidia driver had problems displaying things properly, both with ZT (positioning) and in KDE 4 (squishing).

2) A Toshiba Satellite M45-S2693 PSM42U-01Q006 laptop with an ~1729 Mhz Intel processor, 1 GB RAM, Mobile Intel 915 GM/GMS, 910 GML Express Chipset graphics adapter, openSUSE Linux version 11.1-2.6.27.7-9, and video driver version 1.4 Mesa 7.2.

Here is the procedure I followed to install ZT in openSUSE Linux:

The wine version that comes with openSUSE 11.0 and 11.1 was not current enough for me to install ZT. So I went to www.opensuse.org and looked for the list of repositories, which was in Get Software, followed by Package Repositories. In the list, I found the repository links for wine for the specific openSUSE versions I was using. Then I added the link to the repositories searched in "Install Software". I then ran "Install Software" to get wine 1.0. For the computer with the nVidia graphics, I also went to www.opensuse.org, looked for the list of repositories, and got the repository link for nvidia for the specific openSUSE version I was using. Then I added the link to the repositories searched in "Install Software" and I ran "Install Software" to get the proprietary nvidia driver.

Now that the proper version of wine and the driver software were installed, I started the terminal program called "konsole". In that, I ran winecfg, went to the Audio tab, which selected an audio device, and I clicked Apply, followed by OK. Now that wine was configured, I could install ZT. I inserted the original ZT disk into the CD/DVD drive. I waited for the drive automatic loader to give options and I clicked somewhere else to have the loader ignore the options. In the "konsole" window, I then typed the following commands:
cd /media/Z*
wine setup.exe
On ZT's setup screen, I selected "Install". It gave a warning about processor speed, but allowed clicking OK. If the screen changes but you do not see anything, click Alt-Tab to go to the original screen and then click Alt-Tab again to get back. During the setup, I unclicked the creation of a Desktop icon. After the Install finished, I closed the Install window. If it freezes, right click on the Zoo Tycoon in the task bar and click Close.

Now that the original ZT was installed, I could get ready to run it for the first time. ZT has problems with fullscreen and with displaying its logo videos in wine. So I typed the following in the "konsole" window:
cd ~/.wine/dr*/Program*/Micros*/Zoo*
Then I edited zoo.ini with a text editor (I prefer vim/gvim) and changed fullscreen=1, playmovie=1, and playsecondmovie=1 to fullscreen=0, playmovie=0, and playsecondmovie=0.

Now I was ready to run the original ZT for the first time. So I typed the following in the "konsole" window:
cd /media/Z*
wine setup.exe
On ZT's setup screen, I clicked "Play". If nothing seems to happen, you might need to do Alt-Tab then Alt-Tab again as described above. When the EULA appeared, I clicked "Accept". Then the ZT tutorial started. You do not have to complete the tutorial, if you do not want. You can wait until you get to the point where you can click Exit.

Now that the original ZT was run at least once, I installed the MM/DD expansion pack. I inserted the MM/DD disk into the CD/DVD drive. I waited for the drive automatic loader to give options and I clicked somewhere else to have the loader ignore the options. I typed the following in the "konsole" window:
cd /media/M*
wine setup.exe
On ZT's setup screen, I selected "Install". I did not do the Express Install because I did not want a Desktop icon. It gave a warning about the processor speed, but allowed clicking OK. If the screen changes but you do not see anything, click Alt-Tab to go to the original screen and then click Alt-Tab again to get back. I unclicked the creation of a Desktop icon. After the Install, I closed the Install window. Then I typed the following in the "konsole" window:
wine setup.exe
On ZT's setup screen, I clicked "Play". You might need to do Alt-Tab then Alt-Tab again as described above. On the EULA, I clicked "Accept". The tutorial then started. You do not have to complete the tutorial, if you do not want. You can wait until you get to the point where you can click Exit.

After having done the above once, whenever I want to run MM, I insert the MM disk into the CD/DVD drive and type the following in a "konsole" window:
cd ~/.wine/dr*/Program*/Micros*/Zoo*
wine zoo.exe.
MM will then run in a window. It depends on your hardware if it can also run fullscreen. I tried on the emachines computer with the nVidia graphics and the Hanspree widescreen LCD. It looked like that might have worked with a different monitor, or possibly different graphics settings, because it showed in fullscreen but the monitor put up an "adjusting" box over it which it did not remove. I also tried fullscreen on the Toshiba Satellite laptop with Intel graphics. Although it could be switched to fullscreen while running, it freezed when I tried to start it fullscreen, plus it has an error while trying to exit, causing X Windows to stay in the different video mode, which I was not able to change and would have to restart Linux.  Both computers worked without problems in window mode.

It is possible to have multiple ZT versions at the same time, for example the original ZT in a .wine directory and MM in a .wine2 directory. To install a version in .wine2, do the above, but use "WINEPREFIX=$HOME/.wine2 winecfg" and "WINEPREFIX=$HOME/.wine2 wine" insetad of "winecfg" and "wine".