There are few things that can be done (and can be easily done) to improve integration of Minecraft with the Linux desktop.
Launcher Distribution - Package Management
At the moment, the Minecraft Linux launcher is distributed as a jar file. It is worth considering packing said jar file in rpm and deb to ease installation of Minecraft on Linux systems.
Benefits of Package Management
Package files include a list of dependencies, thus you can make sure users won't have to install Java manually to play Minecraft on Linux – The package manager will install it for them
Packages are installable globally, for all users of the system. Thus, if the system is shared by more than one user, they would only need to download and install Minecraft once.
Packages can be automatically updated using the system's native update manager. Having official Mojang repositories for rpm and deb packages will allow updating the launcher automatically for Linux users should the need to update the launcher ever arise
Desktop File -- ie. A Menu Icon to Start Minecraft
This is not needed on windows, where double clicking on an exe file will launch it. But in Linux, a jar file will be opened with the system's default archive manager.
In order to add a usable menu icon, one should create a desktop file which include meta-data such as path to icon file (if Minecraft will ever be packaged as deb or rpm, such icon should be installed in /usr/share/icons/hicolor/256x256/icon-name-here.png), tags for search, application name, executable path and parameters.
Having a desktop file that'll put itself in the applications menu (system wide: /usr/share/applications or per-user: ~/.local/share/applications) will make it easier for novice Linux users to actually start Minecraft.
I can help
I know Linux has never been a high priority platform for Mojang, and I know your time is valuable. Therefore, if you want to implement my suggestion, I can make the desktop file and the rpm spec file for you (for free), as well as give you pointers on how to create software repository.
Comments 14
@Nathan Workman : as a bug report can contain details for missing non-programming features ( such as support, social, econommy, art ... ) to make the program experience better, this can be considered as a bug report.
This is not a feature request. The lack of proper desktop launcher in Linux is a problem.
Assume the use case of a new person who is not familiar with the operation system:
1) Download .jar file from mojang
2) double click the .jar file
3) Archive Manager opens. User can't play the game.
If you still think this is not a bug then you can't claim you support Linux when you actually don't support it.
This IS a feature request. Minecraft does work on Linux systems. That is "supported". This is something which would make it easier for new users - which is nothing like a bug, and as such shouldn't be on this bug tracker.
from Wikitionary:
Hack (verb) (computing) To make a quick code change to patch a computer program, often one that is inelegant or that makes the program harder to maintain.
Hack (noun) (computing) An expedient, temporary solution, meant to be replaced with a more elegant solution at a later date.
The EULA prevents me from redistributing "hacked" versions of the minecraft client, and making an rpm myself without it being supervised, signed and distributed by Mojang is clearly a hack by that definition. Since lawyers are usually keen on dictionary definitions, and an EULA is a legal document, I refuse to take any action which is against the EULA in any sense, I don't have the time and money to get sued for trying to help.
If your rpm doesn't contain (any version of) the client (because it downloads it from the "central source"), how can it possibly contain/be a hacked client?
Anyway, I'm not here to give you legal advice; do what you like, but please use this issue tracker for bug reports only, not requests for enhancement.
This is not a bug and as such should not be posted here.