Hi GOG team, hi everybody!
There are a lot of great games on GOG.com that easily run on Linux - be it through wine or dosbox. I found my way to GOG through a link by the Freespace Source Project. Releasing Linux versions of some games would be a good way to give something back, don't you think?
@ the team: Would you consider releasing Linux-Friendly versions of some of the games?
@ everybody: Who of you is running Linux?

Whilst doing DOSBox wrapped games would be quite possible, I think it would be extremely challenging for any Windows based games to get them wrapped in WINE with zero config.
Though maybe GoG could offer zipped files of the game contents so people familiar with Linux can get them up and running themselves without having to download and install it in Windows first.

Anyone that has the technical knowledge to install, configure, and properly use linux shouldn't have any issues getting the games to run themselves.
It just doesn't make sound business sense to prepackage linux installs.
Also making linux installs would give back to whom exactly? And why should GOG feel they should have to give back to linux users? What did they take from them?
This thread reeks of someone that's spent too much time on OSS forums and not enough time in the business world.

This have been talked numerous times already and as others above me stated, it does not make sence business wise, at least for now. If GOG makes it big and manages to gather large catalog over the years (and number of Linux users increases significantly) perhaps they will reconsider/look into it but don't expect much before that.
Meanwhile you should check and sticky (check 'This is my favourite topic' box at top of the topic) GOG Games that are working fine with Linux with wine topic to see what games other Linux users have managed to get working on linux.

I totally agree.
I think for games compatible with Linux they should distribute the data files you need instead of just the exe installer.
Like with UT2k4, you need to install the game with Wine, then use the Linux installer and move the data files around.
It would be nice to be able to get like a .zip or a .tar.gz with just the data files needed to run the game.
And as for DosBox games, there should be a .tar.gz with just the stuff you need to run it in DosBox for Linux.

While I hold utter contempt for Linux, I appreciate the dedication the users have for it, and I think that they should have access to the files so that they can create a solution for themselves. If they can make Linux run on everything, creating a Linux-friendly version of a game should be no problem for the community.
UPDATE: I think I used the word "contempt" wrong. Hatred's better, without the "utter".

We keep getting these threads. This is annoying.

I forgot to search the forum for Linux or Ubuntu before posting. Sorry for that.
That's exactly what I had in mind. There's no need for a self-installing archive or even installable packages for the mayor distributions. An archive with the game data itself would be perfect. Is that too much to ask for?

First think about how many sales you would get from doing that. Keep in mind it's sales of people that wouldn't buy the windows executable at all, not people that would simply prefer a package of just the data files.
Ok once you've figured out how much you think you'd make from doing it, you need to figure out your costs.
Near double the storage costs because you now have to keep copies of the executible and the data files, available for down load.
You have to pay someone to prep, QA, and maintain all these data file packages.
You have to pay to train your support people on all the issues that will come up with them. And you know as well as anyone else that it's not going to be expert linux users that down load them, so your support staff is going to have to be trained on how to install and support all linux platforms or you end up with a PR nightmare of "They're selling games for linux but they refuse to support them!!!"
Finally, and this may be one of the biggest issues, they'll probably have to go back and renegotiate all their licensing agreements in order to sell the games in yet another format.
So once again I ask, does it make "sound business sense" to bother releasing the games in a linux friendly format, when it's possible for the users that are technically savvy to get them to run on linux on thier own?
If you think it would be a business slam dunk then I suggest you start your own company and sell just linux versions of them, and see how long you can last bleeding money like that.

seriously, who even cares about linux?
I have android on my G1, and to be honest, it's terrible, all the apps are pay, I mean, paying for an application for linux? that's like ridiculous.

Linux has it's place, I personally run a couple different distros and have no less than 3 different network appliances that run different versions of Linux or BSD as their base.
I'm just not delusional enough to think it's the end all of computing and that every company need to cater to it, no matter the cost.
It's great for servers and dedicated appliances, as well as specialized desktop systems. It's not ready for the average users desktop (probably never will be), and it certainly isn't a gamers OS.

Everybody in the world who is in any way connected with running at least one server somewhere.

There is also Linux Game Publishing that makes proper ports of commercial Windows games to Linux. You have to pay pretty high premium for the games (royalties are payed per game sold, porting costs, continued support and maintenance of games, small customer base, retail packaging etc.) and they tend to be older titles.
LGP currently offers such titles as Majesty Gold, Sacred Gold, Gorky 17, X2: The Threat, X3: Reunion, Postal 2: Share the Pain, Shadowgrounds Survivor (latest ported title) among others (see full catalog).
edit: oh and read their . Interesting insight on game porting to linux and linux game publishing in general. Oh and does recent blog entry [url=http://blog.linuxgamepublishing.com/2009/08/09/why-you-wont-get-a-linu-installer-for-the-windows-version/]'Why you won’t get a Linux installer for the Windows version' sound similar as GOG's situation :P.

I was looking at their prices and... wow... just wow.
Gorky 17
GOG: $5.99
LGP: $41.27
Majesty Gold
Impulse: $9.99
LGP: $41.27
Knights and Merchants
GOG: $5.99 (With the expansion)
LGP: $41.27 (No mention of the expansion)
And people wonder why most Linux users don't even bother trying to game on Linux?

If a Linux user want to play games so badly, then he needs to run a dual boot system or build a second computer. I have two LInux boxes, but I'm not foolish enough to believe they are complete Windows replacements.