.NET Framework inclusion in the proton stack

[[Bouncy]-|Henky‼|-[TTC]]

I am currently testing some unlisted games with the default Proton profile.
When i fired up the game Hell yeah! a .net framework installer popped up for .NET Framework 4.0. Unfortunately this setup hangs completely as its failing to download what it deemed a required Windows Update (Windows6.1-KB958488-v6001-x64.msu).

When i read guides on this platform i notice normally people would use Winetricks or a wine stack that includes .NET, perhaps its possible to add a profile with this included or add the files so it doesn't try to download Windows Updates that i can imagine being incompatible with the underlying platform.

[Kajo]

I am personally suspicious that .net simply does not work with proton right now. I installed some games (Final fantasy X HD, Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed, Homeworld Remastered Collection) which all use .NET launchers. None of them worked. Skyrim (which has a non .NET launcher) did work perfectly however.

Maybe they will resolve this problem later on in the beta?

[[Bouncy]-|Henky‼|-[TTC]]

There are some workarounds and methods to get it to install in Wine, using version changes and the like. My advice to valve is to include .NET in the default stack since many games expect it to be present given .net framework 3.5 was included by default in Windows 7 and .net framework 4.0 or higher are included since Windows 8. It would solve a lot of problems in .net related games and as far as i know it would come with little compromises. Alternatively they could allow multiple proton profiles, so instead of just Proton 3.7 we could get Proton 3.7 - NET4.0 etc.

Information regarding .net in wine can be found at : https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=17886

[WarnerCK]

Do they work if you put the .NET stuff - from Play On Linux, say - in the Proton environment?

[Cat on Linux]

I had same issue with Tropico 4. NET installer started but had no progress in 15 minutes. I fired htop and killed it's process alog with steam, reloaded steam and launched Tropico 4 again. It worked (I guess because wine already should have mono implementation and all these .NET installers from games not needed for game to function). Wine suggests to skip these installers completely.

[[Bouncy]-|Henky‼|-[TTC]]

Originally posted by Cat on Linux:

I had same issue with Tropico 4. NET installer started but had no progress in 15 minutes. I fired htop and killed it's process alog with steam, reloaded steam and launched Tropico 4 again. It worked (I guess because wine already should have mono implementation and all these .NET installers from games not needed for game to function). Wine suggests to skip these installers completely.

I had a different experience with the XNA game i tested where the XNA Framework wanted .net framework 4 client profile to be installed and as a result i could not get past this step.

[[Bouncy]-|Henky‼|-[TTC]]

Just had a few .NET 4 games install without issues, failure seems to be dependant on the bundled installer.

[Kajo]

Which games did you succeed in using? If I own them I might see if they work for me as well.

[[Bouncy]-|Henky‼|-[TTC]]

Originally posted by Mr. Last Hit:

Which games did you succeed in using? If I own them I might see if they work for me as well.

The one that worked for me was Killing Floor 2, it may have been present in some other Unreal Engine games but i am uncertain enough to name specifics.

[Minisori]

Some games just use .net for a launcher.

Some of them have the choice to run the game or the launcher when started, with these the launcher won't run, but you can select the game and they work correctly. Example: Mortal Kombat 9 and Injustice.

In other games the launcer is called within steam and they won't run. The first 2 Batman Arkham games seem to do this, so they don't work.

[Steven Seagull]

Keep in mind that installing .NET onto Linux is illegal if you don't have a Windows license for that computer. Maybe even if you have a license, it is illegal too. The .NET EULA is vague. It only states that you must own a Windows license. For gamers at home, well, who cares, right? But including it in Proton may cause legal issues between Valve and Micro$oft. There is a reason why wine-mono was created.

[edo]

Originally posted by Steven Seagull:

Keep in mind that installing .NET onto Linux is illegal if you don't have a Windows license for that computer. Maybe even if you have a license, it is illegal too. The .NET EULA is vague. It only states that you must own a Windows license. For gamers at home, well, who cares, right? But including it in Proton may cause legal issues between Valve and Micro$oft. There is a reason why wine-mono was created.

then I wonder why wine-mono cant replace games that expect .net (like xna games)

[Marlock]

AFAIK mono is not a perfect transparent replacement for all of .NET

now that .NET Core has been opensourced by MS the situation may improve (both mono catching up faster and .NET being less legally constrained)... but there is probably still a catch or two... there is always a catch.