The Steam Intergalactic Summer Sale continues! For the next seven days, take advantage of huge savings throughout our store on over ten thousand games. You can also help unlock free games by playing our Summer Saliens Game.

Today’s Featured Deals include:

Stellaris – 60% off
Steep – 70% off
Dying Light – 67% off
ELEX – 50% off
Batman Franchise – Up to 75% off
Battle Chasers Nightwar – 50% off
Bioshock Franchise – Up to 75% off
Company of Heroes Franchise – Up to 75% off
and many more

Along with the sale is the Summer Saliens Game. Team up with other Saliens to fight The Duldrumz on different planets and free the abducted games. Gain XP as you battle, level up, unlock new abilities, and win cosmetic items to deck out your Salien. Plus, get Summer Sale Trading Cards just for playing.

Choose to battle on a planet that piques your interest and you’ll automatically be entered for a chance to win one of its rewards when it’s conquered. The longer your Salien spends on a planet the higher your chances of winning! The groups with the most tiles when a planet is taken will get to plant their flag as conquerors, undoubtedly gaining Saliverse-wide fame in the process.

The Steam Intergalactic Summer Sale will run until 10 AM Pacific, July 5th. Complete information can be found HERE.

We’re on the final stretch for 1.13 and hope to have it released by the end of July. If you’re experiencing any issues with world conversion (opening a 1.12.2 world in 1.13-pre6), please let us know by reporting it on the Minecraft issue tracker.

A full changelog for this pre-release can be found on Minecraft.net.

• Changed dolphin treasure finding behaviour to be more on parity with Bedrock
• Improved fonts
• Some sounds are now more wet
• Brought out the bug spray!

FIXED BUGS IN 1.13-PRE6

• MC-234 – Digging straight down glitches out the breaking animation (Z-fighting)
• MC-14502 – Special characters on splash text on title screen rendered wrong
• MC-41410 – Random text does not work in unicode
• MC-64537 – Gui zooming out when using some languages (unicode)
• MC-72943 – Game freeze after closing an “Open to LAN” single player world
• MC-81876 – Number of characters before line cutoff in chat is not same when unicode mode is enabled and when it is off
• MC-91727 – loot table “spreading large stacks” will overwrite existing items
• MC-92255 – Singleplayer freezes instead of kicking a player
• MC-94325 – Shadow of obfuscated text does not match with displayed character
• MC-96524 – Language specific letters don’t look like they should
• MC-121798 – Can only scroll list in superflat preset selection when it is focused
• MC-121861 – Command argument validation does not work for entity id in /summon
• MC-122110 – BufferBuilder not expanding under specific conditions.
• MC-122478 – It is possible to create a server in the server list with a blank name and/or IP address
• MC-122495 – Cancelling backup screen using ESC opens main menu
• MC-122596 – Command autocomplete overrides command history navigation
• MC-122597 – “Preparing spawn area %s%%” string is hardcoded/not translatable
• MC-123078 – Scoreboard ranges don’t work correctly at extreme values
• MC-123087 – Fences, glass panes, iron bars, stairs, and melon/pumpkin stems in structures generate with wrong block state
• MC-123236 – Wrong error message when using invalid item in /replaceitem
• MC-123325 – You can no longer use damaged items in advancement icons to display different textures
• MC-123352 – Interaction error with block and GUI, when shift-clicking them with non-block items
• MC-123363 – Occasional crash when changing blocks with a special renderer that uses states
• MC-123432 – Snapshots are leaking tile entity data through to world save
• MC-124469 – GUI scale size 3 displays as size 2 when Unicode font is forced
• MC-124966 – Torches in mineshafts/strongholds are not always attached
• MC-125090 – Cartographer doesn’t unlock woodland mansion and ocean monument map trades
• MC-126244 – Extreme lag when using the /locate command or when generating explorer maps
• MC-126685 – Bubble columns don’t update when placing magma blocks or soul sand above them
• MC-126708 – Advancement trigger “bred_animals” does not trigger for breeding turtles
• MC-126769 – Observers detecting updates from redstone on top of them
• MC-127822 – Unicode on/off bug with another languages and english letters.
• MC-128387 – Dolphins try to pick up items on land
• MC-128687 – Picking up lava with an empty bucket would play the water picking up sound.
• MC-128736 – Dolphin’s pectoral (side) fins are flipped over instead of mirrored
• MC-129318 – The “How Did We Get Here?” advancement does not require Dolphin’s Grace
• MC-130127 – Dolphins generate in large amounts with ocean ruin structures
• MC-131019 – Setting and changing data of signs creates unnecessary “extra” tags and causes slow downs
• MC-131159 – Dolphins spawning in frozen/deep frozen oceans!
• MC-131288 – Shulker Box can’t be opened and disappears when mined
• MC-131783 – Crash on breaking 1.12.2 -> 1.13-pre5 upgraded banner
• MC-131903 – Banners not dropping as item when broken after unloading
• MC-132050 – Worlds <= 1.8.9 spam errors on conversion
• MC-132113 – 1.13-pre4+ crashes caused by invalid gamepad / controller configuration detected by LWJGL 3.1.6 build 14b
• MC-132242 – Upgrading enderman spawn egg causes chunk to regenerate
• MC-132252 – Player cannot leave the swimming animation underwater
• MC-132254 – Using /effect to give players an effect kicks them from the server
• MC-132259 – Poor TPS in latest pre-release
• MC-132278 – End Crystal beam is missing texture
• MC-132281 – Crash while creating a customized superflat world using capital letters
• MC-132292 – Some sound events are no longer playing the expected sound
• MC-132311 – Dolphins don’t save how long they have been out of water
• MC-132312 – Using bone meal on anything underwater places sea grass on it
• MC-132320 – Entities with new IDs disappear when upgrading
• MC-132335 – Shulkers no longer shoot missiles in 1.13-pre5
• MC-132375 – Upgrading 1.12.2 world to 1.13-pre5 crashes the game
• MC-132443 – Some advancements are not upgraded from 1.12.2 (to 1.13-pre5+)
• MC-132448 – Illager and golem statistics are not upgraded properly
• MC-132455 – Evoker spawn egg disappears when upgrading from 1.12.2
• MC-132579 – Inconsistent font

To get pre-releases, open your launcher and go to the “launch options” tab. Check the box saying “Enable snapshots” and save. To switch between the snapshot and normal version, you can find a new dropdown menu next to the “Play” button. Back up your world first or run the game on in a different folder (In the “launch options” page).

Please report any and all bugs you find in Minecraft to bugs.mojang.com.

Pre-releases can corrupt your world, please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds. 

Share your thoughts on how 1.13 is shaping up in the comments below!

Blockchain technology is transforming industries and bringing new levels of trust to contracts, payment processing, asset protection, and supply chain management. Blockchain-related jobs are the second-fastest growing in today’s labor market, according to TechCrunch. But, as in the rapidly expanding field of artificial intelligence, there is a pronounced blockchain skills gap and a need for expert training resources.

Blockchain for Business

A new training option was recently announced from The Linux Foundation. Enrollment is now open for a free training course called Blockchain: Understanding Its Uses and Implications, as well as a Blockchain for Business professional certificate program. Delivered through the edX training platform, the new course and program provide a way to learn about the impact of blockchain technologies and a means to demonstrate that knowledge. Certification, in particular, can make a difference for anyone looking to work in the blockchain arena.

“In the span of only a year or two, blockchain has gone from something seen only as related to cryptocurrencies to a necessity for businesses across a wide variety of industries,” said Linux Foundation General Manager, Training & Certification Clyde Seepersad. “Providing a free introductory course designed not only for technical staff but business professionals will help improve understanding of this important technology, while offering a certificate program through edX will enable professionals from all over the world to clearly demonstrate their expertise.”

TechCrunch also reports that venture capital is rapidly flowing toward blockchain-focused startups. And, this new program is designed for business professionals who need to understand the potential – or threat – of blockchain to their company and industry.

“Professional Certificate programs on edX deliver career-relevant education in a flexible, affordable way, by focusing on the critical skills industry leaders and successful professionals are seeking today,” said Anant Agarwal, edX CEO and MIT Professor.

Hyperledger Fabric

The Linux Foundation is steward to many valuable blockchain resources and includes some notable community members. In fact, a recent New York Times article — “The People Leading the Blockchain Revolution” — named Brian Behlendorf, Executive Director of The Linux Foundation’s Hyperledger Project, one of the top influential voices in the blockchain world.

Hyperledger offers proven paths for gaining credibility and skills in the blockchain space. For example, the project offers a free course titled Introduction to Hyperledger Fabric for Developers. Fabric has emerged as a key open source toolset in the blockchain world. Through the Hyperledger project, you can also take the B9-lab Certified Hyperledger Fabric Developer course. More information on both courses is available here.

“As you can imagine, someone needs to do the actual coding when companies move to experiment and replace their legacy systems with blockchain implementations,” states the Hyperledger website. “With training, you could gain serious first-mover advantage.”

Whether for research or recreation, installing a new GPU can bolster your computer’s performance and enable new functionality across the board. This installation guide uses Fedora 28’s brand-new third-party repositories to install NVIDIA drivers. It walks you through the installation of both software and hardware, and covers everything you need to get your NVIDIA card up and running. This process works for any UEFI-enabled computer, and any modern NVIDIA GPU.

Preparation

This guide relies on the following materials:

• A machine that is UEFI capable. If you’re uncertain whether your machine has this firmware, run sudo dmidecode -t 0.  If “UEFI is supported” appears anywhere in the output, you are all set to continue. Otherwise, while it’s technically possible to update some computers to support UEFI, the process is often finicky and generally not recommended.
• A modern, UEFI-enabled NVIDIA card
• A power source that meets the wattage and wiring requirements for your NVIDIA card (see the Hardware & Modifications section for details)
• Internet connection
• Fedora 28

Example setup

This example installation uses:

• An Optiplex 9010 (a fairly old machine)
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti XLR8 Gaming Overclocked Edition 4GB GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 graphics card
• In order to meet the power requirements of the new GPU, the power supply was upgraded to an EVGA – 80 PLUS 600W ATX 12V/EPS 12V. This new PSU was 300W above the minimum recommendation, but simply meeting the minimum recommendation is sufficient in most cases.
• And, of course, Fedora 28.

Hardware and modifications

PSU

Open up your desktop case and check the maximum power output printed on your power supply. Next, check the documentation on your NVIDIA GPU and determine the minimum recommended power (in watts). Further, take a look at your GPU and see if it requires additional wiring, such as a 6-pin connector. Most entry-level GPUs only draw power directly from the motherboard, but some require extra juice. You’ll need to upgrade your PSU if:

1. Your power supply’s max power output is below the GPU’s suggested minimum power. Note: According to some NVIDIA card manufacturers, pre-built systems may require more or less power than recommended, depending on the system’s configuration. Use your discretion to determine your requirements if you’re using a particularly power-efficient or power-hungry setup.
2. Your power supply does not provide the necessary wiring to power your card.

PSUs are straightforward to replace, but make sure to take note of the wiring layout before detaching your current power supply. Additionally, make sure to select a PSU that fits your desktop case.

CPU

Although installing a high-quality NVIDIA GPU is possible in many old machines, a slow or damaged CPU can “bottleneck” the performance of the GPU. To calculate the impact of the bottlenecking effect for your machine, click here. It’s important to know your CPU’s performance to avoid pairing a high-powered GPU with a CPU that can’t keep up. Upgrading your CPU is a potential consideration.

Motherboard

Before proceeding, ensure your motherboard is compatible with your GPU of choice. Your graphics card should be inserted into the PCI-E x16 slot closest to the heat-sink. Ensure that your setup contains enough space for the GPU. In addition, note that most GPUs today employ PCI-E 3.0 technology. Though these GPUs will run best if mounted on a PCI-E 3.0 x16 slot,  performance should not suffer significantly with an older version slot.

Installation

1. First, open up a terminal, and update your package-manager (if you have not done so already), by running:

sudo dnf update 

2. Next, reboot with the simple command:

reboot 

<!– Authors left out code or an app in this step, so since it's optional…

3. (Optional) If you’d like, check your system’s current GPU performance to compare against:
To verify that your NVIDIA card performs better than your current setup, you may want to record your current GPU’s performance before installation. To do so, scroll down to the “Run GLMark2” section under “Verification.” Record your current GLMark2 score, then proceed to the next steps.
–>

3. After reboot, install the Fedora 28 workstation repositories:

sudo dnf install fedora-workstation-repositories 

4. Next, enable the NVIDIA driver repository:

sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled rpmfusion-nonfree-nvidia-driver 

5. Then, reboot again.

6. After the reboot, verify the addition of the repository via the following command:

sudo dnf repository-packages rpmfusion-nonfree-nvidia-driver info 

If several NVIDIA tools and their respective specs are loaded, then proceed to the next step. If not, you may have encountered an error when adding the new repository and you should give it another shot.

7. Login, connect to the internet, and open the software app. Click Add-ons> Hardware Drivers> NVIDIA Linux Graphics Driver> Install.

Then, reboot once again.

8. After reboot, go to ‘Show Applications’ on the side bar, and open up the newly added NVIDIA X Server Settings application. A GUI should open up, and a dialog box will appear with the following message:

Take the application’s advice, but before doing so, ensure you have your NVIDIA GPU on-hand and are ready to install. Please note that running nvidia xconfig as root and powering off without installing your GPU immediately  may cause drastic damage. Doing so may prevent your computer from booting, and force you to repair the system through the reboot screen. A fresh install of Fedora may fix these issues, but the effects can be much worse.

If you’re ready to proceed, enter the command:

sudo nvidia-xconfig 

If the system prompts you to perform any downloads, accept them and proceed.

9. Once this process is complete, close all applications and shut down the computer. Unplug the power supply to your machine. Then, press the power button once to drain any residual power to protect yourself from electric shock. If your PSU has a power switch, switch it off.

10. Finally, install the graphics card. Remove the old GPU and insert your new NVIDIA graphics card into the proper PCI-E x16 slot, with the fans facing down. If there is no space for the fans to ventilate in this position, place the graphics card face up instead, if possible. When you have successfully installed the new GPU, close your case, plug in the PSU, and turn the computer on. It should successfully boot up.

NOTE: To disable the NVIDIA driver repository used in this installation, or to disable all fedora workstation repositories, consult The Fedora Wiki Page.

Verification

1. If your newly installed NVIDIA graphics card is connected to your monitor and displaying correctly, then your NVIDIA driver has successfully established a connection to the GPU.

If you’d like to view your settings, or verify the driver is working (in the case that you have two GPUs installed on the motherboard), open up the NVIDIA X Server Settings app again. This time, you should not be prompted with an error message, and information on the X configuration file and your NVIDIA GPU should be available (see screenshot below).

Through this app, you may alter your X configuration file should you please, and may monitor the GPU’s performance, clock speed, and thermal information.

2. To ensure the new card is working at capacity, a GPU performance test is needed. GL Mark 2, a benchmarking tool that provides information on buffering, building, lighting, texturing, etc, offers an excellent solution. GL Mark 2 records frame rates for a variety of different graphical tests, and outputs an overall performance score (called the glmark2 score).

Note: glxgears will only test the performance of your screen or monitor, not the graphics card itself. Use GL Mark 2 instead.

To run GLMark2:

1. Open up a terminal and close all other applications
2. sudo dnf install glmark2
3. glmark2
4. Allow the test to run to completion for best results. Check to see if the frame rates match your expectation for your NVIDA card. If you’d like additional verification, consult the web to determine if a glmark2 benchmark has been previously conducted on your NVIDA card model and published to the web. Compare scores to assess your GPUs performance.
5. If your framerates and/or glmark2 score are below expected, consider potential causes. CPU-induced bottlenecking? Other issues?

Assuming the diagnostics look good, enjoy using your new GPU.

References:

• How to benchmark your GPU on Linux
• How to install a graphics card
• The Fedora Wiki Page
• The Bottlenecker
• What Is Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)

By Ian Boudreau 04 Jul 2018

A brand new tutorial series just went live on devga.me (to join the existing Armory 3D series), the Cocos Creator Crash Course.

The series currently consists of the following tutorial parts:

Cocos Creator Tutorial Series homepage

• Introduction and Getting Started
• Creating a Sprite
• Introduction to Cocos Scripting
• Debugging
• Handling Input
• Sound and Music
• Animation

There are a few more tutorial chapters in active development.  The existing content should already be enough to get you up and running using the Cocos Creator game engine!  There will also be at least one video tutorial covering basically everything covered by the text series.

GameDev News, Programming Cocos2D, TypeScript, JavaScript, 2D