Just inherited a new computer ~

[Xonan]

Forgive me, but I am a newbie to this sort of thing and have a few questions. ShowEq forum is locked, so I apologize for posting this here but I wasn't sure where else to post it. My friend recently bought a new computer, so I'm inheriting an additional machine. I'm trying to figure out what to do with it.

I play two accounts with Everquest using EQW on the same computer, but obviously since I use the one comp to play both simultaneously, I have the same IP address for each copy of everquest.

I was wondering if it would still be possible for ShowEQ to work under these circumstances, or would I have to run only one copy of the game to keep it working.

Also, how would I go about converting the new computer to linux from windows? Would I just download Linux and install it while windows is active, or do I reformat the PC and try to start it up using a linux boot disc?

Lastly, I would need a router to link the two PCs, correct? Or do I need a HUB? Is there a difference between the two, and which brand or type do you recommend as best?

Again, I'm sorry for all these questions, I'm just trying to get things straight before I spend any more time and money on this game .

[Nurseling]

It is recently added feture from the wonderful Developement team

I beleive the feature is called session tracking.:

[Latigid]

Not sure about the session tracking thing but I wouldn't doubt the SEQ developers would have thought about that.

On installing Linux over Windows, yes, download the ISO images of the distribution you choose and boot off the first. Beyond that I'd recommend three things:

1. Do some reading in the documentation section of linux.org. There's lots of howto's to get you started (pay attention to the one on partitioning - this ain't the same as Windows partitioning).

2. Ask questions, but first search. Someone else has most likely asked the same question and gotten an answer. In these forums (which are the right ones for SEQ BTW), there are a couple walk throughs on installing SEQ. The one for Mandrake was extremely helpful.

3. Be ready to reinstall Linux a couple times until you get it right or learn a litlle more than the basics.

Enjoy and good luck!

[BlueAdept]

If you do take the time to install linux, please learn what it can do and how to use it. I find it pretty pathetic that people get seq up and running but dont even know how to copy or move a file.

Pick up a book on linux and a good place for reference is http:\\www.linuxdoc.org

[jtkirk]

Yes, it works as you want, without having to change anything. Showeq keeps track of which player (by some internal unique identifier) it is currently tracking. So if you run multiple instances of it, it keeps track of which player is associated with which instance. Me and the wife play EQ together at the same time, each of us running showeq from the same linux box (displayed to two different X servers).

You can't be running a standard windows setup at the same time as you install linux (unless you happen to have had the foresight to leave large amounts of disk space unallocated on the partition table of one of your drives)

Finally, it doesn't matter if you use a hub or a router, as long as all the traffic you send to (and receive from) the EQ servers passes the wire connected to your linux box. I use a switching hub in my house, but I use my linux box as an outgoing router, so that all my traffic goes through that box before hitting the rest of the internet.

You might want to look into setting up Network Address Translation on your Linux machine (http://ipmasq.cjb.net for more info)

There's a ton of this kind of info available on this site, you just have to use the search button on the upper right hand side of your screen to get to it.

Good luck

[RSB]

Not to be anal but just correct you don't run routers in your home network. You are refering to a switch.
HUB - General Ethernet hub sends the same packets to all ports
SWITCH - Send traffic to ports based on information MAC addresses in the packets.
ROUTER - Sends traffic down different ports dependant on routing information (tables) that are maintained. Used to connect multiple networks together allowing alternate routes to be used if a connected network link goes down.

SEQ works best/easiest with a hub as you can just place the SEQ box on the network and sniff the packets.
If you use a switch (which most places try to sell you these days even though a switch between 2 or 3 computers VERY rarely increases network performance) then you either have to have all traffic going through your SEQ box, or you have to set up the SEQ box to say it also owns the IP address of your EQ machine (not a easy setup) or you have to have your EQ box echo the UDP traffic to the SEQ box.

There is also issues if your SEQ box only has 1 NIC and you have all traffic going though it.