Running X86_64 (Linux) Game Servers on ARM With Box64
Though native Linux game servers have been scarce over the last two decades, “I’ve seen people using the Box64 emulator to play x86_64 games on ARM devices,” writes Slashdot reader VennStone. “It got me thinking: why not apply this to game servers…?
“I thought it would be fun to see if I could build a super low-power Trackmania 2 server using a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.”
They dubbed the experiment “Trackberry”, and shared all the technical details in a blog post at Interfacing Linux (includinga video). For example, they installed PyEnv so it could create a virtual environment for the PyPlanet server controller. (“That’s right, your little Pi Zero 2 W is about to compile some software, slowly….”)
But ultimately “it turns out that the A53 can run not only the server but also the server controller, with minimal effort. Five players push one core to around 50% load, while the others handle the database and controller.”
WHY STOP THERE? There are a gang of x86 Linux servers that could potentially run with Box64. Imagine playing Pirraria, 7 Days to Pi, Counter-Pi 2, Pitorio, and countless others! Granted, you may need a more powerful device than a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. I’ll leave that research up to you.
My main takeaway from this experiment? Box64 is straight-up Scandinavian witchcraft and is not to be trifled with. Not even a little bit.
That said, it introduces a compelling option for those of us looking to run dedicated game servers that don’t require much in the way of system resources. Under load, TrackBerry averages 2.8 watts and, according to the scientific number digits below, ends up running just under $3.00 a year or $0.25 a month. I find the concept of having a stack of microSD cards, each holding a different game server, neat….
You can see TrackBerry in action every Tuesday and Friday on Twitch…
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Though native Linux game servers have been scarce over the last two decades, “I’ve seen people using the Box64 emulator to play x86_64 games on ARM devices,” writes Slashdot reader VennStone. “It got me thinking: why not apply this to game servers…?
“I thought it would be fun to see if I could build a super low-power Trackmania 2 server using a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.”
They dubbed the experiment “Trackberry”, and shared all the technical details in a blog post at Interfacing Linux (includinga video). For example, they installed PyEnv so it could create a virtual environment for the PyPlanet server controller. (“That’s right, your little Pi Zero 2 W is about to compile some software, slowly….”)
But ultimately “it turns out that the A53 can run not only the server but also the server controller, with minimal effort. Five players push one core to around 50% load, while the others handle the database and controller.”
WHY STOP THERE? There are a gang of x86 Linux servers that could potentially run with Box64. Imagine playing Pirraria, 7 Days to Pi, Counter-Pi 2, Pitorio, and countless others! Granted, you may need a more powerful device than a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. I’ll leave that research up to you.
My main takeaway from this experiment? Box64 is straight-up Scandinavian witchcraft and is not to be trifled with. Not even a little bit.
That said, it introduces a compelling option for those of us looking to run dedicated game servers that don’t require much in the way of system resources. Under load, TrackBerry averages 2.8 watts and, according to the scientific number digits below, ends up running just under $3.00 a year or $0.25 a month. I find the concept of having a stack of microSD cards, each holding a different game server, neat….
You can see TrackBerry in action every Tuesday and Friday on Twitch…
Read more of this story at Slashdot.