Preferred way is distro package manager.
Steam -> Settings -> Steam Play
Under Advanced "Enable Steam Play for all other titles"
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
Right click game -> Properties -> Compatibility
Check mark the box and select proton 5.0-10
Note: Avoid using 5.13 or higher, while game will work the bubblewrap that steam uses might cause issues when trying to run the game with FAF client.
Right click game -> Properties -> General
Set following Launch Options
PROTON_NO_ESYNC=1 PROTON_DUMP_DEBUG_COMMANDS=1 %command%
PROTON_NO_ESYNC will solve black screen / slow video playback problems in the main menu and other places.
PROTON_DUMP_DEBUG_COMMANDS will generate a RUN script for your game that you will be able to use later.
Run the game from steam and generate RUN file, which we will use later.
Note: For me the game opens on black screen, but pressing ESC or clicking with mouse does bring the menu up. It's only the intros and background video that doesn't play, which is fine.
To check if the run file was generated.
$ ls -l /tmp/proton_$USER/run
$ mkdir -p ~/games/faf
Download the client from github.
Note: Check the current version from github, this is just the one I tested with!
$ wget -O /tmp/dfc_unix_2022_2_0.tar.gz -c https://github.com/FAForever/downlords-faf-client/releases/download/v2022.2.0/dfc_unix_2022_2_0.tar.gz
Extract archive into the directory you made.
$ tar -xzf /tmp/dfc_unix_2022_2_0.tar.gz -C ~/games/faf
This varies depending on distro and it's most likely best to get prebuilt OpenJDK binaries.
Because Java 15 is old and outdated, you most likely won't find it in official repos.
They updated to java 17, use distro package manager, examples for Arch and Ubuntu below.
Arch
$ sudo pacman -S jdk17-openjdk
Ubuntu
$ sudo apt install openjdk-17-jre
Alternatively download the JRE binary. (change to version 17)
Linux x64 JRE tar.gz,
old adoptopenjdk.net.
new adoptium.net
For example
$ wget -c https://github.com/AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk15-binaries/releases/download/jdk-15.0.2%2B7/OpenJDK15U-jre_x64_linux_hotspot_15.0.2_7.tar.gz -O /tmp/java-15-adoptopenjdk.tar.gz
Extract it into install location ~/games/faf
$ tar -xzf /tmp/java-15-adoptopenjdk.tar.gz -C ~/games/faf
Note: If it doesn't exist yet, create it mkdir -p ~/games/faf
Get jdk15-adoptopenjdk from aur (recommended with aur helper)
How to aur with yay
$ yay -S jdk15-adoptopenjdk
Or downgrade / install old openjdk packages (not recommended)
$ sudo pacman -U https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/j/jre-openjdk/jre-openjdk-15.0.2.u7-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst \
https://archive.archlinux.org/packages/j/jre-openjdk-headless/jre-openjdk-headless-15.0.2.u7-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.zst
Note: If you do, when updating remember to ignore them with --ignore <package> or in /etc/pacman.conf IgnorePkg = <package>
Check java path
$ ls /usr/lib/jvm
Note: This is where you'll usually find it if you used package manager
Every time you launch faf-client you need to set environment variable to point java path.
For example (old java 15 binary downloaded from AdoptOpenJDK)
$ export INSTALL4J_JAVA_HOME=~/games/faf/jdk-15.0.2+7-jre
This can be automated by editing the faf-client file or adding the export in start script/desktop file.
Open faf-client file with your favorite editor and add export on new line below the #!/bin/sh
For example
$ sed -i '2i\export INSTALL4J_JAVA_HOME=~/games/faf/jdk-15.0.2+7-jre\' ~/games/faf/faf-client-2021.11.0/faf-client
Note: The change the path depending on what and where you actually installed. To check what you have installed if you used package manager.
$ ls /usr/lib/jvm
Run FAF Java client To see if it works.
$ cd ~/games/faf/faf-client-2021.11.0 && ./faf-client
Copy the run file into faf directory.
$ cp /tmp/proton_$USER/run ~/games/faf/
Edit the run file with your favorite editor and remove steam.exe from last line e.g.
$ sed -i 's/steam.exe //g' ~/games/faf/run
After you login to the FAF client
Click top left icon -> settings -> Forged Alliance Forever
In Game location add your Supreme Commander Forged Alliance dir e.g.
/home/USER/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Supreme Commander Forged Alliance
In command Line Format for Executable add path of the run file e.g.
/home/USER/games/faf/run "%s"
Note: change USER to your actual username.
Create test game with bots.
Play -> Custom games -> Create game
Insert name, optionally password, click create. Setup the game, remember to click ready, have fun.
Download icon
$ wget -P /home/$USER/games/faf/ https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tatsujb/FAFICON/master/faf.png
Create desktop file with your favorite editor and save it as faforever.desktop in ~/.local/share/applications/
#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Exec=bash -c "cd /home/$USER/games/faf/faf-client-2021.11.0 && ./faf-client"
Name=FAF
Comment=Forged Alliance Forever Client
Icon=/home/$USER/games/faf/faf.png
Example:
$ cat <<EOF > /home/$USER/.local/share/applications/faforever.desktop
#!/usr/bin/env xdg-open
[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Exec=bash -c "cd /home/$USER/games/faf/faf-client-2021.11.0 && ./faf-client"
Name=FAF
Comment=Forged Alliance Forever Client
Icon=/home/$USER/games/faf/faf.png
EOF
Note: copy from cat to last EOF and paste in terminal.
You can add symlink for easier use (optional)
$ ln -s ~/games/faf/faf-client-2021.11.0/faf-client ~/.local/bin
Note: If you use this approach you need to fix relative paths in faf-client.vmoptions
It might be easier to just create bash script instead and save it in /home/USER/.local/bin/faf-client (recommended)
#!/usr/bin/env bash
cd /home/$USER/games/faf/faf-client-2021.11.0 && ./faf-client
Example:
$ cat <<EOF > /home/$USER/.local/bin/faf-client
#!/usr/bin/env bash
cd /home/$USER/games/faf/faf-client-2021.11.0 && ./faf-client
EOF
Note: copy from cat to last EOF and paste in terminal.
$ sudo pacman -S winetricks
If you are missing audio, check that you got xact installed (32-bit)
$ WINEPREFIX=/home/$USER/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/9420/pfx/ winetricks dlls xact
If the game is crashing at start and giving errors about unable to load effect files.
$ WINEPREFIX=/home/$USER/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/9420/pfx/ winetricks dlls d3dx9
Adding PROTON_NO_FSYNC=1 in steam launch options might help if you're suffering low FPS.
Check the outdated wiki
Fresh install: Minimal ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS install, no proprietary included
.-/+oossssoo+/-. user@ubuntu-20-04-4-lts
`:+ssssssssssssssssss+:` ------------------------
-+ssssssssssssssssssyyssss+- OS: Ubuntu 20.04.4 LTS x86_64
.ossssssssssssssssssdMMMNysssso. Kernel: 5.13.0-30-generic
/ssssssssssshdmmNNmmyNMMMMhssssss/ Uptime: 21 mins
+ssssssssshmydMMMMMMMNddddyssssssss+ Packages: 1806 (dpkg), 7 (snap)
/sssssssshNMMMyhhyyyyhmNMMMNhssssssss/ Shell: bash 5.0.17
.ssssssssdMMMNhsssssssssshNMMMdssssssss. Resolution: 2560x1440
+sssshhhyNMMNyssssssssssssyNMMMysssssss+ DE: GNOME
ossyNMMMNyMMhsssssssssssssshmmmhssssssso WM: Mutter
ossyNMMMNyMMhsssssssssssssshmmmhssssssso WM Theme: Adwaita
+sssshhhyNMMNyssssssssssssyNMMMysssssss+ Theme: Yaru [GTK2/3]
.ssssssssdMMMNhsssssssssshNMMMdssssssss. Icons: Yaru [GTK2/3]
/sssssssshNMMMyhhyyyyhdNMMMNhssssssss/ Terminal: gnome-terminal
+sssssssssdmydMMMMMMMMddddyssssssss+ CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X (24) @ 3.800GHz
/ssssssssssshdmNNNNmyNMMMMhssssss/ GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
.ossssssssssssssssssdMMMNysssso. Memory: 2657MiB / 32025MiB
-+sssssssssssssssssyyyssss+-
`:+ssssssssssssssssss+:`
.-/+oossssoo+/-.
Install steam
$ sudo apt install steam
In steam
Right click game -> properties -> compatibility, check force use and select proton 5.0-10
Install supreme commander: forged alliance and proton 5.0
Note: I highly suggest using specifically 5.0-10 version for this game with FAF client.
Start the game - gpu error
Unable to start
Unable to create Direct3D
Please ensure system has current video driver
Problem is that ubuntu 20.04 only has nouveau driver installed for nvidia by default. You very much want the proprietary (non-free) one for gaming.
Note: To check what GPU you have, these instructions are for nvidia
$ lspci | grep -i --color 'vga\|3d\|2d'
or (need to install hwinfo)
$ sudo apt install hwinfo
$ hwinfo --gfxcard --short
You can run following command
$ sudo ubuntu-drivers devices
Notice the "recommended" line
vendor : NVIDIA Corporation
model : GP102 [GeForce GTX 1080 Ti]
driver : nvidia-driver-470 - distro non-free
driver : nvidia-driver-510 - distro non-free recommended
driver : nvidia-driver-390 - distro non-free
driver : nvidia-driver-418-server - distro non-free
driver : nvidia-driver-450-server - distro non-free
driver : nvidia-driver-470-server - distro non-free
driver : xserver-xorg-video-nouveau - distro free builtin
Automaticly install recommended drivers
$ sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall
Restart PC
$ reboot
Check if you're on nvidia drivers (need to install mesa-utils)
$ sudo apt install mesa-utils
$ glxinfo -B
Should give things like
OpenGL vendor string: NVIDIA Corporation
OpenGL renderer string: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti/PCIe/SSE2
OpenGL core profile version string: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 510.47.03
Or with nvidia stuff
$ nvidia-smi
Or gui application
$ nvidia-settings
If you can't run these, rebooted and still get error you have problems. Maybe xorg configs need fixing, maybe nouvaeu needs blacklisting or integrated gpu is messing up someting. There's too many guesses, hopefully search engine helps.
Start the game - general
CD3DDeviceResources::DevResInitResources: Unable to load effect file /effects/cartographic.fx
Game needs d3dx9 libs to run. Also I had to get xact to hear audio. This is where we use winetricks!
Note: you can use protontricks too It's just additional layer ontop winetricks which isn't necessarily needed, but might be easier to use.
$ sudo apt install winetricks
$ WINEPREFIX=/home/$USER/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/9420/pfx/ winetricks dlls d3dx9 xact
Pay attention to the WINEPREFIX path, for example I have my games in another drive so I would type
$ WINEPREFIX=/mnt/games/SteamLibrary/steamapps/compatdata/9420/pfx winetricks dlls d3dx9 xact
End
Those were the problems I did encounter when testing to install and play the game on Ubuntu. After installing nvidia drivers and getting the dlls the game started fine, check what to do next to get FAF client working 1.5 Set launch options
Very quick rundown of commands for (unsupported) java 17, which seems to so far work fine.
Tested with java 17 (much easier to install), even thought FAF client devs still recommend 15.
Note: I don't follow java developement nor know what was changed between 15 and 17, but from my limited testing everything seems fine. Check the situation here
Getting the recommended version shouldn't be too much of a hassle java 15
$ sudo apt install openjdk-17-jre
Check java dir
$ ls /usr/lib/jvm
Edit ~/games/faf/faf-client-2022.2.0/faf-client add the following or modify the existing override var
export INSTALL4J_JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-17-openjdk-amd64
more importantly if you're using higher than intended version modify the check on line 150 (shouldn't need anymore)
if [ "$ver_major" = "" ]; then
return;
fi
if [ "$ver_major" -lt "15" ]; then
return;
fi
if [ "$ver_major" = "" ]; then
return;
fi
if [ "$ver_major" -gt "17" ]; then
return;
fi
copy the generated run file 1.5 Set launch options
$ cp /tmp/proton_$USER/run ~/games/faf/
after that you should be able to run the game
$ cd ~/games/faf/faf-client-2022.2.0/ && ./faf-client
After you login to the FAF client
Click top left icon -> settings -> Forged Alliance Forever
In Game location add your Supreme Commander Forged Alliance dir e.g.
/home/USER/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Supreme Commander Forged Alliance
In command Line Format for Executable add path of the run file e.g.
/home/USER/games/faf/run "%s"
Lol whoops, I missed adding the command to actually generate the run file. My bad!