GOG.com drops protected installers following Linux backlash
GOG.com has heard the frustrations of Linux users, and has decided to remove password-protected installers from its games.
Previously, GOG.com had used password-protected .RAR files in select games that require multi-part Windows installers. The idea, GOG claims in a recent forum post, was to prevent less tech-savvy users from mucking around with the necessary installer files and making their game unplayable. This is a valid concern, given that so many of GOG.com's offerings are relatively ancient games that are only able to work on modern hardware through a combination of emulators and optimism. However, because the innoextract tool in Linux is unable to parse the password protection when unarchiving .RAR files, any games using those files become inaccessible to Linux users. You can see how this might upset people.
Following a lengthy forum thread outlining the problem, GOG has decided to remove the .RAR files. "We've heard your concerns regarding this solution and we do agree it could have been better," reads GOG.com's official response. "Although the same could probably be said about many other answers to this problem, it doesn't mean we shouldn't try to do better for our community.To that end we will be removing the mentioned archive protection from the select Windows installers that had it until a better solution, both technically and philosophically, is ready."
