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Note: This is NOT a guide on how to pirate The Sims. You will still need a working install DVD and license key.
PlayOnLinuxOf the multiple approaches to running Windows software on Linux, PlayOnLinux is without a doubt the best choice for Sims 3. This is not because it’s any more “capable’ of running the program, but because PlayOnLinux provides an install script specifically for this game which makes the process FAR simpler than it would be on Cedega or Wine alone.
I recommend that you do not use the PlayOnLinux package provided by your distribution. In testing for this article, I found the pre-packaged versions to be much less functional and reliable than those provided by the PlayOnLinux website. They have up-to-date packages for nearly every major distribution available here.
Beginning InstallationFor the record, I believe they are incorrect about Shop Mode not working, as I had no trouble building and furnishing a house.
A Note About PrefixesPlayOnLinux uses prefixes to isolate game installations. When you install a game such as The Sims, you get the equivalent of a new instance of Windows for that game. If you then install a different game such as Spore, PlayOnLinux will create a NEW instance of Windows (a new prefix) for Spore to run. This prevents your files and settings for one game from interfering with another.
DependenciesThis is where PlayOnLinux really shines for Sims 3. On plain Wine or Cedega, you’d have to manually install several packages into your prefix before you can even begin the actual Sims install. Fortunately for us, PlayOnLinux takes care of all that. Before Sims begins, you’ll be prompted to install packages such as Gecko, the Microsoft C++ Runtime Library, and Mono. Allow each of these to complete before moving forward to the next step.
You’ll be given a choice as to whether you’d like to install through the DVD or the downloaded package. Either should work with PlayOnLinux, but the remainder of this guide will be using the DVD edition.
Sims InstallWhen the dependencies have completed, you’ll be asked to insert your media. CD/DVD drives should be detected automatically, but if you have trouble, you can specify a location by choosing Other. Pick the drive and move to the next step.
STOP. At this point it should have launched the Sims 3 Installer from your DVD. If that didn’t happen, go back and verify that you’ve selected the proper location of your installer.
If you DID get the Sims installer, then proceed exactly as you would in Windows.
If asked about the Download Manager, I’d recommend that you not install it. While it’s possible it may work on your setup, it has caused nothing but trouble on the tests I’ve done. Game patches can be applied manually (discussed in more detail at the end of this guide).
When the Sims 3 Installer window is finished and closed, proceed to the next PlayOnLinux screen. You’ll be asked a little bit of basic information about your video card and if you’d like to create shortcuts.
Important – Before You PlayIn the opening paragraph, I hinted that one of the problems with getting Sims 3 to run was because of the copy protection. In order to work around this problem you’ve got to replace the “TS3.exe” file with one that does not contain this copy protection. Unfortunately MakeTechEasier cannot provide such “cracks” or even links to them. You should have no problem obtaining more information from big brother G.
For Sims 3 to run, you’ll have to find a modified chúng tôi on your own, and use it to replace the one in your Sims 3 installation. This will likely be found in “~/.PlayOnLinux/wineprefix/TheSims3/drive_c/Program Files/Electronic Arts/The Sims 3/Game/Bin“.
Once that’s done, you’re ready to play!
Extra – Getting UpdatesEarlier I recommended that you skip installing the EA Download Manager. This leaves us with no updates to the game, and Sims 3 is certainly not without its glitches. Fortunately PlayOnLinux has a Patches category which includes a script to install Sims 3 updates manually.
That’s it. Enjoy!
Joshua Price
Josh Price is a senior MakeTechEasier writer and owner of Rain Dog Software
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How To Prevent Overspending On Android Apps In The Play Store
If you have a tendency toward spending a bit too much on Android apps and games each month, and you’d like to start cutting down on these purchases, then you may be interested to know that Google has a feature for you that could be very handy.
The tech giant quietly rolled out this tool back in 2023, so a lot of users may not even be aware of its existence. The option is available for most Android devices, and in this article we explain how you can implement it yourself in order to start curbing your Google Play expenses.
Enter the Google Play Store Budgeting ToolGoogle is making it easier for people to keep their app spending habits in check through a relatively new budgeting tool. This feature can be accessed from the Play Store on Android phones or tablets, but not via the Web.
The tool basically allows users to set a monthly budget to be spent on apps and other digital content. This cap applies to every type of content available via the Play Store, including movies, TV shows, music and more.
How to Set a Monthly App Budget on Your Android Device1. Open the Google Play Store on your device.
2. Tap on the hamburger menu located in the upper-left corner of the display.
3. Select Account.
4. From there, select the Purchase History tab.
5. Set a budget for the current month by tapping on the “Set Budget” option.
6. Set the amount to spend per month. Hit Save and you’re done!
Please note that this budget can be adjusted at any time or removed altogether. Just follow the steps we’ve outlined above to do so. In the same screen, you’ll also be able to see a list of all the apps and games you’ve purchased during the last few months.
However, as Google itself cautions, this tool won’t take any action to prevent further purchases once you’ve exceeded the set amount. It’s meant solely as a way to easily track your spending on the Play Store. Consequently, you’ll have to periodically check the feature to make sure you didn’t go above your budget, although Google says it will let you know if you’re getting close.
Now, given all this, it wouldn’t hurt to set up some extra precautions to ensure your spending is kept in check. For instance, you should consider enabling authentication for purchases in the Play Store.
This helps to prevent any accidental purchases and may even make you think twice before buying a new app on a whim. It could also act as a reminder to go back to the Budget tool to see how much you’ve spent this month and check whether there’s room for yet another purchase.
How to Enable Authentication for Purchases on Your Android Device1. Open the Google Play Store on your device.
2. Tap on the hamburger menu located in the upper-left corner of the display.
3. Select Settings.
4. Tap on “Require authentication for purchases” under User controls.
5. Select the option For all purchases through Google Play on this device.
6. Tap OK to confirm it.
Now every time you make a purchase, whether for a new app, game or in-app purchase, you’ll be required to authenticate via your Google password.
Alternatively, you can also set up Biometric authentication for your Google Play purchases from the same User controls section. Once you’ve done so, you’ll be able to use whatever biometric authentication you have on your phone to authorize payments to go through.
How to Remove Your Payment Details from the Google Play StoreNow, if you want to take further action towards minimizing the temptation to buy new apps or games, you could also try removing your payment details from the Play Store.
1. Open the Google Play Store on your device.
2. Tap on the hamburger menu located in the upper-left corner of the display.
3. Select Payment options.
4. Tap on More payment settings.
5. A G Pay page will open in a browser window.
6. Find the payment method you want to get rid of and tap Remove.
7. Tap Remove again and you’re done.
By combining the methods described above, you should now be able to prevent overspending and keep your app-related expenses under control. If your device is also being used by a minor, then you may want to take the necessary steps to also childproof your Android..
If you are in the lucky position of having some money left to spend this month, you may want to check out this list of new mobile games to try.
Alexandra Arici
Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.
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How To Install Windows In Virtualbox In Linux
There are several reasons a Linux user would want to create a Windows virtual machine, and VirtualBox is easily one of the most popular hypervisors available for Linux. It’s simple to use, easily accessible, and extremely flexible in what it allows you to do with your virtual machines. In this guide, you’ll learn how to install Windows in VirtualBox in Linux.
Tip: other than Windows, you can also install macOS in Virtualbox.
Installing VirtualBoxThere are two ways to install VirtualBox in Linux. The first is to go to the website and download whichever package works for your system. Follow the steps below:
Follow the download prompts, and the package installer should automatically install the package.
However, there are some challenges with that. Generally, just installing the RPM or DEB will miss building the kernel modules necessary, which can bring up many errors. The way to get around that is to install VirtualBox from your distro’s repository. This is usually a simple command to install, depending on your distribution.
For Ubuntu and its derivatives:
sudo
apt
install
virtualbox virtualbox-guest-additions-iso Downloading Windows 11For those who may not be aware, Windows 11 is actually free to download and use. You can’t use it in a production environment without paying for it, but if it’s purely for personal purposes, it’s fair game.
Download Windows 11 by going to Microsoft’s Windows Download page.
Tip: aside from installing Windows from an ISO, you can also download an official VM image for Windows that comes already configured for VirtualBox.
Note: the download may take a while, especially on a slow network connection, as the ISO image is almost 5GB in size.
Do you know: other than VirtualBox, you can also install Windows 11 in Raspberry Pi.
Creating the Windows 11 Virtual Machine
Type “Windows 11” in the “Name” section. That will automatically choose the “Version” to “Windows 11 (64-bit).” From there, name it anything you want.
Go to the “Username and Password” group and write the credentials you want for your Windows 11 account.
Go to the “Additional Options” group. Change the values in both the “Hostname” and “Domain Name” textboxes. For this, you can write any value that you want as long as the Domain Name is two characters long.
Go through the menu and set whatever you’d like for the configuration of the virtual machine. I’d recommend at least 4096MB memory and creating a 60GB virtual disk.
After you are done creating your virtual machine, VirtualBox will automatically start and install Windows 11 in the background.
Once Windows is installed, you may notice that it’s complaining about inadequate video drivers and that you’re limited to a very small screen. To fix all that, you will need to install VirtualBox Guest Additions.
Installing VirtualBox Guest Additions in Windows
You can choose to reboot now or do it later.
With that done, the Guest Additions are installed, and you can experience true 3D acceleration, screen size selection, and many of the other great benefits that come with using VirtualBox Guest Additions, like shared clipboards and file sharing from Host to Guest and back.
Note that the VM is now full screen.
Tip: learn how to share USB and network devices in VirtualBox.
Transferring Files from Linux to Windows 11Another benefit of enabling VirtualBox Guest Additions is that it allows you to seamlessly transfer files between your host Linux machine and Windows 11. This can be helpful if you are using your VM for data processing and need a way to push and pull files from your guest operating system. To get started, follow the steps below:
Creating a Permanent Shared Folder in VirtualBox
While using the File Manager utility allows you to transfer files from your host to your guest OS, there are instances where you might need a more permanent channel between them. To this end, VirtualBox provides a “Shared Folder” feature, which is used to create a link between your two machines.
Select the folder that you want to use in your host OS from the File Picker menu.
Good to know: while a Share Folder allows you to back up files inside your VM, you can also make an OVA file in VirtualBox, which will create a reproducible image that you can reinstall at anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions Why does my Windows 11 VM keep crashing on startup?While this can be due to a number of issues, the most common cause for this is a BIOS setting that disabled your machine’s virtualization features. To fix this issue, go into your system’s BIOS and enable any setting that contains either an Intel VT-x/VT-d or AMD-V.
How do I fix my VM, as it’s slow and sluggish when running?This is most likely due to a lack of available system resources in your host machine. As such, you can fix this by making sure that VirtualBox is the only heavy program that is running whenever you boot a guest operating system.
Why am I getting a UEFI Shell whenever I boot my Windows 11 ISO?This happens whenever VirtualBox tries to load a guest operating system using UEFI. By default, VirtualBox only uses UEFI as a fallback mode for pickier operating systems and will not boot Windows 11 under UEFI.
Image credit: Unsplash. All alterations and screenshots by Ramces Red.
Ramces Red
Ramces is a technology writer that lived with computers all his life. A prolific reader and a student of Anthropology, he is an eccentric character that writes articles about Linux and anything *nix.
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How To Fix “Server Error” In Play Store App
The most useful app on any Android phone is the Google Play Store app, as it lets you download other apps on your device. Of course, you can download apps through other methods without using Play Store, but the ease and the security that Google Play Store offers is far ahead of other methods.
Google Play Store comes pre-installed on almost all Android phones except in countries where Google services are banned like China, Myanmar etc. Over the years, Google Play Store has improved a lot but nothing is perfect. Like other apps, Google Play Store also throws up various kinds of error every now and then. No, wait. We are not blaming Google Play Store; usually, the errors come up due to an issue from the user side.
Check out: High battery usage by Android? Here’s how to fix it.
One such error that usually pops up on the Google Play Store is “Server error” with a Retry button (as shown in the above image). So what should you do in this case when hitting Retry button multiple times doesn’t solve the issue.
Look no further, just follow the fixes gives below and the Server error should be gone in no time.
Check internet connection
Normally, Google Play Store throws up the “Server error” when the internet is not working on your device. If you are on a Wi-Fi network, check whether your Wi-Fi internet is working or not. Launch Chrome on your device and open any web page. If the web page also doesn’t open, something is wrong with your internet connection. You should switch to mobile data to see if it fixes the issue.
Similarly, if you are on mobile data, first check whether the internet is working or not. If mobile data is not working, switch to Wi-Fi. Basically, this fix involves checking the internet connection on your Android device, since it is the major reason for Server error in Play Store app.
Check out: Wirelessly sync files between PC and Android without internet
Reboot phone
Nope, fellas, we didn’t forget the reboot phone fix. Stop whatever you are doing and reboot your phone. Restarting or rebooting your phone is quite helpful for various issues and you should always try it for any issue on your device.
Clear Google Play Store cache and data
Open device Settings followed by Apps/Application Manager.
Scroll down and tap “Google Play Store”.
Tap “Storage” on the next screen.
Tap Clear Data followed by Clear cache.
Reboot your device.
Force Stop Google Play Store
Open device Settings followed by Apps/Application Manager.
Scroll down and tap “Google Play Store”.
Tap the “Force Stop” Button.
Go back and open Google Play Store again. It should work fine.
Check out: How to take 360° photo on Android
Remove Google account from phone
To remove Google account from your phone and to re-add it, follow the steps:
Go to device Settings followed by Accounts.
Under accounts, select Google.
Select the account name linked with the Google Play Store.
On the next screen, tap the overflow menu or three dots present at the top right corner and Select “Remove Account”.
After removing the account, clear data and cache for Google Play Store as mentioned above.
Reboot your device.
Now go to Accounts, then Google, add your Google account back.
Then launch the Google Play Store. It should open normally.
Open device Settings followed by Apps/Application Manager.
Scroll down and tap “Google Play Store”.
Tap “Disable” Button.
A pop-up will ask for your confirmation, tap Disable on the pop-up.
Once it removes all the recent updates, “Disable” button will be replaced by “Enable”, select it.
Wait for some time so that Google Play Store updates itself automatically to the latest stable version. Open Google Play Store and “Server error” should be gone.
Change the language to English (United States)
Another fix that you can try is to change the system language to English. To do so, follow the steps:
Open device Settings followed by Language & input.
Tap Language and select English (United States).
Go back and open Play Store.
How To Hire The Linux Talent You Need
Hiring good help is never easy, but the difficulty is compounded considerably when demand for the skills you’re seeking exceeds supply.
That, in fact, is just the situation being faced by companies in search of Linux skills today. In a recent Linux Foundation survey conducted for the operating system’s 20th anniversary, for example, respondents said that one of the biggest challenges for the Linux platform looking ahead is finding SysAdmins and developers with Linux-related skills.
That backs up data from a separate study by the foundation late last year in which more than a third of corporate respondents indicated that they’re worried about finding people with the skills to support their increasing reliance on the free and open source operating system.
It’s a candidate’s market, in other words, in the world of Linux skills today.
So what’s a company in need of Linux skills to do? I spoke recently with both Alice Hill, managing director of chúng tôi and Amanda McPherson, vice president of marketing and developer programs at The Linux Foundation, about this very question. What follows is a collection of their best tips and suggestions.
1. Get Involved
One of the best ways to tap into the Linux talent that’s out there is to be an active part of the community before you’re in desperate need of related skills.
“You have to know who the best hires are before you’re ready to hire,” Hill explained. “Reach out and start building relationships now. This way, the relationship can start to develop before you need each other. Down the road, they’ll be more ready to join your team, and not your competitor’s, if you already know them.”
One way to do that, for example, is to tap into the Dice Talent Network, which allows technology professionals to connect directly with hiring managers at specific companies.
Another good strategy is to “get your developers involved in projects,” McPherson suggested. “The best way to recruit is for your existing developers to be well-known and respected in the community.”
On an organizational level, it’s also a smart move to join groups like the Linux Foundation and the Ada Initiative, McPherson said. Supporting such organizations not only gets you involved with the community and its key events, but it also shows developers that you care about their community and are willing to support it.
Indeed, sponsoring, exhibiting at or at least attending conferences like LinuxCon can also help a company tap into fresh Linux skills. “We actually find most sponsors are looking to raise or extend their profile for hiring and have had a lot of success connecting people at these events,” McPherson told me.
2. Be Specific
Also be sure to specify in your job description the specific Linux distributions you’re focusing on. If you’re seeking someone with expertise in Debian and Ubuntu, for example, you should “be clear about that and help those candidates stand out to you,” Hill recommended. “Same with looking for a single version like Mint. Get that in your job header and make sure it is searchable by keyword.”
One no-no to keep in mind, however: “Whatever you do, do not spam the Linux kernel mailing list with job postings,” McPherson stressed. “Developers don’t take kindly to spam on working mailing lists.”
3. Be Clear
Given that there are more than 11,000 Linux-related jobs on chúng tôi alone, potential employers need to do everything they can to stand out, and a big part of that is making it clear what benefits they have to offer.
“Remember the best candidates have options and, more often than not, one of them is to stay in the job they already have,” Hill explained. “If you want to convince them to take a risk and leave the security of the known, you need to show them clearly how they will be better off in this new role. This has to be reinforced at every stage of the hiring process and certainly in a job posting.”
It’s also worth companies’ while to continue that clear communication even with candidates they don’t end up hiring.
“Most candidates don’t find out why they’ve not been hired–the feedback line goes dark,” Hill noted. “There needs to be a mutual give and take of information between hiring managers and candidates. The benefits of returned calls are an improved reputation.”
4. Be Flexible
Companies should “think creatively about mobility,” Hill says, including seriously considering allowing candidates to telecommute.
“So many companies don’t have robust telecommuting options, but it’s the one benefit that tech professionals say they would give up 10 percent of their salary to have,” she pointed out. “And it definitely makes you stand out in the hiring process.”
5. Repurpose and Retrain
Just because your developer doesn’t already know Linux, that doesn’t mean he or she can’t learn, McPherson pointed out. Often, in fact, it’s far more cost-effective to get the skills that way than to hire someone new, she added.
The Linux Foundation offers developer training that’s being used by companies around the world to re-purpose Unix and proprietary-platform developers to Linux, McPherson noted, and there are numerous other places to get Linux-related training as well.
6. Reward and Retain
Finally, it’s difficult to overstate the importance of treating your staff well, Hill stressed.
“Your employees are your best promoters,” she explained. “In a networked community like technology, putting your company at the top of best practices pays off.”
Customized retention plans, for example, are a good way to keep employees happy, she pointed out, since “a salary increase to one tech professional may be flexible work hours to another.”
Whatever means you choose, though, if you treat your current employees well, Hill said, “they will do their part to fill the pipeline with top talent.”
How To Install Snap Applications In Arch Linux
If you’re a longtime Linux user, you likely recall how difficult installing new applications could be. Unless it was included with the installer, you usually needed to go through the configure, make, make install process, usually hunting down missing dependencies along the way. Package managers like apt and yum made this much more manageable, but dependencies could still bite you.
You may have heard of Snap, which claims to fix many of these problems. You might have also heard that it’s an Ubuntu-only thing, but fortunately, that’s not true.
What Are Snap Applications?Snap applications, known as “snaps,” are meant to be distribution-agnostic, so ideally they should run the same no matter which system they run on. To achieve this, most of the dependencies and runtimes an application needs in order to run are bundled into the snap. This means that once you have snap set up and running on your system, adding applications that would otherwise need several dependencies is now much easier.
Snap is backed by Canonical, which is why it is often mentioned around Ubuntu, but it is meant to run on any major Linux distribution. Arch is even an officially supported distribution, so snap is a great way to run apps that aren’t packaged for Arch.
Installing the snapd DaemonIn order to install snaps on your system, you’ll need the snapd daemon installed. While snap officially supports Arch, you’ll need to install it from the Arch User Repository (AUR). Fortunately, this is easy to do using the yaourt tool.
First, install snapd by running the following command:
yaourt-S
snapdNow you need to enable the service to run. To do this, simply type the following command:
systemctlenable
--now
snapd.socket Installing Snap ApplicationsNow that you have snap installed, you can use it to install packages as you would any other package manager. For example, to install a particular application using snap, just run the following:
snapinstall
application-nameTo list the snaps available on your system, run the following:
snap listTo search for a package, you can query whether it is available by typing the following:
snapfind
searchtermFinally, to remove a package, simply run this:
snap remove application-name Other Snap Tips and TricksSnap applications are automatically kept up to date by default, but to manually update all applications, run the following:
snap refreshSome snaps don’t use the traditional path, which is “/var/lib/snapd/snap.” Instead, they install to “/snap.” In order to support installing these “classic snaps,” simply create a symbolic link with the following command:
ln
-s
/
var/
lib/
snapd/
snap/
snapNow you’ll be able to install and run these applications, but they’ll be installed alongside all your other snaps. It’s the best of both worlds and also happens to be compliant with the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard.
ConclusionSnap isn’t the only technology of its sort. Flatpak and AppImage are two similar package systems that aim to sort many of the same problems. That said, with Snap having the backing of Ubuntu, it seems to be the most popular of these formats, at least for now.
Does that mean it’s the best? A while ago, we took at look at Snap and Flatpak to see how they hold up against each other and to find out which one is the best.
Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk is a writer, musician, and whatever it’s called when someone makes videos for the web.
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