- Jul 25, 2021
- 6
- 4
An it just werk tutorial on how to run video games and Japanese rpgmaker titles on Linux by using Steam Runtime + Proton-GE, this guide will also teach you how to hook rpgmaker titles to Textractor and, as an extension to that, it will also teach you how to install the required runtime packages (RTP) for your rpgmaker titles. This is my first time making a tutorial, please excuse the sloppy writing.
All commands listed on this post are for Arch Linux but the processes are quite similar on other Linux distros.
1. Requirement:
Graphic cards that support Vulkan. You need it to be able to run games that utilize dx11, 10 and 9. To see whether your graphic card supports Vulkan or not, check this website:
Note: First, check if you have all the necessary drivers installed
Second, make sure you have Japanese font and Japanese locale is enable, it's very useful for those Japanese Visual Novels or just Japanese games in general. You can install Japanese font with the package manager of your distro and enable Japanese locale by editing
2. Japanese font and Japanese locale:
3. Install Steam Runtime:
First off, you need to enable multilib repository, multilib contains 32-bit software and libraries and Steam is one of them. To do so, you need to use this command:
Note: Remember to download a free Windows game and run it after you have done all the steps above to make sure Steam got all the necessary components.
4. Get yourself the latest copy of Proton-GE at:
Congratz, now you are about to be able to play your vidyas on Steam, just a couple more steps and you are ready to go. Now, you have to add the game you want to play into the Steam Library. Click on ADD A GAME at the left bottom corner > Add a Non-Steam Game...
After all of that are done, the game will be added in your Steam Library, right click it and choose properties > compatibility > force the use of a specific steam play compatibility tool... > choose GE-proton instead of the vanilla one. You can now execute the game by clicking Play.
5. Hooking your game to Textractor on Linux (only useful if you want to play obscure Japanese RPGmaker games that no one bothers to translate.)
Install protontricks:
You can install it on Arch via the AUR:
Fires up your Non Steam Game on Steam (You have to run the game before you do the steps below. From my testing, Steam refuses to boot up the game when the shell of a game is up). Then, on the terminal, run:
to find the appid of your game(the prefix of the game)
Example: if I name my game "a-cool-game" when I add a Non-Steam Game to Steam then the command will be something like this
Copy the appid of your Non-Steam Game and then execute this command:
Example: says my appid is something like this "123456789" then the command will be something like this
Now you're in the shell. All you need to do is running Textractor, please use this command:
Almost there, open another terminal and use:
Then, > select the default wine prefix > run taskmgr > check the game's process id > copy paste it to Textractor and the game will be hooked to Textractor. And there you have it.
6. Installing RTP for your rpgmaker titles on Linux
Search for the game's appid:
Enter the shell (prefix):
Then, while you're in the shell, execute this command:
Install the RTP.
7. Tips:
1. When extract the zip file you got from dlsite, or some other Japanese sites, use this command:
Otherwise the extracted files will be nothing but a bunch of gibberish.
2. "Please run a virus-check and reinstall the application" error in Japanese RPGM VX ACE titles, simply change the folder name to something in English and run the game again. The folder's name can be anything as long as it only contains English characters.
******Please contribute to the thread by letting me know whether this works for you or not, and let me know if I'm missing something.******
All commands listed on this post are for Arch Linux but the processes are quite similar on other Linux distros.
1. Requirement:
Graphic cards that support Vulkan. You need it to be able to run games that utilize dx11, 10 and 9. To see whether your graphic card supports Vulkan or not, check this website:
You must be registered to see the links
Note: First, check if you have all the necessary drivers installed
You must be registered to see the links
Second, make sure you have Japanese font and Japanese locale is enable, it's very useful for those Japanese Visual Novels or just Japanese games in general. You can install Japanese font with the package manager of your distro and enable Japanese locale by editing
/etc/locale.gen with either nano or vim, or a text editor of your choice.2. Japanese font and Japanese locale:
- Install Japanese font with this command:
sudo pacman -S noto-fonts-cjk - To enable Japanese locale, open your terminal and type
sudo vim /etc/locale.gen, the terminal will then ask you for your password, type it in and then pressikey on your keyboard to get switch to insert mode, move around by pressing your arrow keys. - Look for the line that has
ja_JP.UTF-8, uncomment it by removing the#sign in front of the line that hasja_JP.UTF-8. - Then, press
ESCon your keyboard to exit insert mode, type:, then typewq!, then hitEnter - Next, run this command on your terminal
sudo locale-gen - Tada, your Linux box can now run applications in Japanese. You can check it by using these two commands,
locale -aandLANG=ja_JP.UTF-8 ls --help
3. Install Steam Runtime:
First off, you need to enable multilib repository, multilib contains 32-bit software and libraries and Steam is one of them. To do so, you need to use this command:
sudo vim /etc/pacman.confand then uncomment the multilib section
Code:[multilib] Include = /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist- Save the file with
:wq! - Now you can install Steam Runtime.
sudo pacman -S steam- For AMD graphic card, pick vulkan-radeon when prompted.
- Run Steam through your app launcher or run it directly by typing
steamon your terminal and hitEnter - Let it run a bit, then login.
- Go to Steam > Settings > Steam Play > check the box at "Enable Steam Play for all other titles".
- Steam will then ask you to restart the application, restart.
- (optional) Install Wine-staging:
sudo pacman -S wine-staging
Note: Remember to download a free Windows game and run it after you have done all the steps above to make sure Steam got all the necessary components.
4. Get yourself the latest copy of Proton-GE at:
You must be registered to see the links
- Alternatively, you can use this handy application for easy installation and management of Proton-GE, called ProtonUp-Qt:
You must be registered to see the links
- Download the latest .AppImage from the github page.
- Before you give the file execute permission, please install
fuse2on your system because AppImage needs it to be able to run. On Arch Linux, you can install fuse2 by using this command:
sudo pacman -S fuse2
- Now you can go to the directory where the AppImage is located and then give it execute permission with chmod. Usually it's located inside of your Downloads directory.
chmod +x $HOME/Downloads/*.AppImage - Now you can run Protonup-QT by double clicking it or run it straight from the terminal. The application is fairly simple to use.
- Choose Steam from the install for section, then click add version, then choose Proton-GE in the compatibility tool section, then pick the latest version of Proton-GE, finally, let it install the latest version of Proton-GE for you.
- Restart your Steam if it's running.
Congratz, now you are about to be able to play your vidyas on Steam, just a couple more steps and you are ready to go. Now, you have to add the game you want to play into the Steam Library. Click on ADD A GAME at the left bottom corner > Add a Non-Steam Game...
After all of that are done, the game will be added in your Steam Library, right click it and choose properties > compatibility > force the use of a specific steam play compatibility tool... > choose GE-proton instead of the vanilla one. You can now execute the game by clicking Play.
5. Hooking your game to Textractor on Linux (only useful if you want to play obscure Japanese RPGmaker games that no one bothers to translate.)
Install protontricks:
You must be registered to see the links
You can install it on Arch via the AUR:
You must be registered to see the links
- Use yay to install AUR packet:
You must be registered to see the links
- Execute this block:
Code:pacman -S --needed git base-devel git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git cd yay makepkg -si - After yay has been installed on your system, run
yay -S protontricks-git - Press Enter whenever it gives you the diff prompts
Fires up your Non Steam Game on Steam (You have to run the game before you do the steps below. From my testing, Steam refuses to boot up the game when the shell of a game is up). Then, on the terminal, run:
protontricks -s <the name of your game>to find the appid of your game(the prefix of the game)
Example: if I name my game "a-cool-game" when I add a Non-Steam Game to Steam then the command will be something like this
protontricks -s a-cool-gameCopy the appid of your Non-Steam Game and then execute this command:
protontricks <appid> shellExample: says my appid is something like this "123456789" then the command will be something like this
protontricks 123456789 shellNow you're in the shell. All you need to do is running Textractor, please use this command:
WINEESYNC=1 wine /path/to/your/Textractor/Textractor(dot)exeAlmost there, open another terminal and use:
protontricks <the game's appid> --gui Then, > select the default wine prefix > run taskmgr > check the game's process id > copy paste it to Textractor and the game will be hooked to Textractor. And there you have it.
6. Installing RTP for your rpgmaker titles on Linux
Search for the game's appid:
protontricks -s <the name of your game>Enter the shell (prefix):
protontricks <appid> shellThen, while you're in the shell, execute this command:
WINEESYNC=1 wine /path/to/your/RTP setup/setup(dot)exeInstall the RTP.
7. Tips:
1. When extract the zip file you got from dlsite, or some other Japanese sites, use this command:
unzip -O shift-jis /path/to/your/zip/file(dot)zipOtherwise the extracted files will be nothing but a bunch of gibberish.
2. "Please run a virus-check and reinstall the application" error in Japanese RPGM VX ACE titles, simply change the folder name to something in English and run the game again. The folder's name can be anything as long as it only contains English characters.
******Please contribute to the thread by letting me know whether this works for you or not, and let me know if I'm missing something.******
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