Quakespasm Ubuntu with Steam launcher and controller support?

[SCAREGRYLLS]

Yesterday I picked up quake on Steam, and after some reading this morning I learned Quakespasm is the port I should be using. I would like to run it at 1440p, the best experience possible but still being true to the original game, and an option for controller support on lazy days would be a nice bonus.

It is running, but I am unsure if I have configured everything correctly, especially as there is an option in the main menu for help/ordering?

I could have input sudo apt-get install quakespasm, but I keep all of my games on a separate drive, and I want them to remain there independent of any future Ubuntu installs, so instead I downloaded quakespasm-0.93.1_amd64.tar.gz. After extracting the contents to /mnt/play/games/linux/quakespasm, I read the Linux install instructions from Quakespasm.txt, and with the same dir open in terminal I input make, but this output the error: 'make: *** No targets specified and no makefile found. Stop.'

Next I copied the PAK0.PAK and PAK1.PAK files from the original Quake install Steam created, renamed the files including the file extension to lowercase, and placed them in /mnt/play/games/linux/quakespasm/id1/. I was then able to launch Quakespasm by running the quakespasm file from Nautilus.

In steam I added a non steam game, pointing to this same file. In the video options of Quakespasm I set my resolution, and the game seems to run fine, though as I mentioned I am concerned something is wrong because of the main menu option for help / ordering? Have I set this up correctly?

I also placed gamecontrollerdb.txt in /mnt/play/games/linux/quakespasm/ but still the game does not seem to detect my XBOX 360 controller?

[[AU] Tabris:DarkPeace]

Copy the /ID1/*.* folder to the Quakespasm target folder.

You 'might' have to rename some of the files to use lowercasefilenames.ext under Linux.

[SCAREGRYLLS]

Scotty, thanks for the input.

Can you confirm by *.*, you mean just files containing a full stop, which are the two .pak files and one .cfg file, or you mean ALL files AND directories, which would then include the directory /Id1/glquake?

scaregrylls@contraption:/mnt/play/games/linux/steam/steamapps/common/Quake/Id1$ ls
config.cfg glquake PAK0.PAK PAK1.PAK

[[AU] Tabris:DarkPeace]

Can't recall, pretty sure I mean everything as in the DOS style "*.*"

It's been ages since I set-up Quake under Linux.

[triple_agent]

I believe on this site HERE[quakespasm.sourceforge.net] you have a downloadable archive with precompiled build for Ubuntu, at least this is how it worked in my case. No need to build or even install from the repository. Go with the *-SDL2 launcher.

Perhaps you would be able to run the game as usual through Steam, if you will rename the launcher file exactly to how the default .EXE binary is, though I am uncertain of that, have not been using Steam client for a good while and some people say some old dog tricks cease to work.

[triple_agent]

To run a mod, you need to place the mod folder next to your id1 directory, within the Quake location, then open a game with the command of {binary} +game {mod}, where "{binary}" stands for a file used to start the game, while "{mod}" for the name of a mod folder. You can launch a mod from within the game, as an alternative, which would be more useful to having playtime recorded on Steam. To do that, go to a Quake command console - either press escape when in the main menu or the ~ when in the gameplay - then execute game {mod}. Mind that the commandlines are case sensitive, which means, you have to type in the folder name exactly, minding capital letters.

[SCAREGRYLLS]

Hi Triple_Agent_AAA, I believe that is the file I downloaded, it just for some reason includes make instructions in the Quakespasm.txt :)

Okay, I have copied the whole Id1 folder and renamed it to id1, but not noticed any difference. Perhaps it is normal for the 'help / ordering' option in the main menu to be there, as it is also there when I play the normal installed version of Quake through Steam?

Another issue I am working on now is sound distortion, there is none when playing the normal installed Quake, but when playing Quakespasm, the sound drops out for a split second, every few seconds - there is almost a click sound when the sound drops in and out. It does not occur with the demo playing, oddly unless I increase the resolution from 800x600 or enable fullscreen, but whenever I start a new game - at any resolution or with fullscreen on or off - it starts to happen. I have rebooted and reinstalled a fresh copy of Quakespasm, but still have the same issue. I have tried searching online but have not found a solution. I do not see any errors in the console. Any thoughts?

EDIT: I have just noticed I was launching normal quakespasm, not sdl2. sdl2 has no sound at all, but I am checking the website and docs for this now...

[triple_agent]

Only files you need in your Quakespasm location are pak0.pak and pak1.pak, contained within the id1 folder. Rename those files to lower case letters only. To be certain of the effect, run the game via default binary - without changing the name of it - normally, outside of Steam. If you verify everything works, then you may try to smuggle it unto Steam.

For those sound bugs, unfortunately, I dunno.

On a sidenote, if you wanted to include music - the original NIN, for example - Quakespasm can play it, once you get everything straight with your basic setup first.

EDIT:

I suggest checking out with the SDL2. Look up your desktop audio settings, having ALT-TABbed from the game. Maybe you need to switch something there.

[triple_agent]

On a second thought, you may lack in libraries. Go to the Synaptic Package Manager, find Quakespasm, mark it and write down every library file name it suggests you to install. Then, install these libraries, perhaps from the Terminal, alternatively you may just cancel the request, close down and reopen the Manager, then search out and install these libs from there, selectively.

[SCAREGRYLLS]

quakespasm-sdl2 working quite well now, no sound issues, and I just completed the first level with all secrets :)

Is there a way to enable autosaving on exit, or intermediate autosaves some how?

I will delete the glquake dir from id1 if it is not required.

It would be very cool if I can rename the executable, make steam think quakespasm is quake, and perhaps have ti backup saves to steam cloud!

[triple_agent]

I doubt the cloud saving for Quakespasm by Steam. For the autosaves, did not hear of any such mod, but if you find one, let me know.

For the music, in your id1 directory, make a music folder, where you need to contain at most ten .OGG or .MP3 files, named exactly as follows: track{$$}.{EXT}, where "{$$}" stands for a consecutive number ranging from 02 - the 01 is excluded - ending up with 11, while "{EXT}" goes for the extension. It needs to be in lowercase letters. Example:

track02.ogg

track11.ogg

This can be any music, but the ten classic NIN tracks, you can find and download if diligent.

EDIT:

In the Quakespasm options, enable external music.

[SCAREGRYLLS]

Thanks, music working great :)

What is the purpose to renaming files then (apart from pak1.pak and pak0.pak), or pasting over actual Quake install?

[triple_agent]

Originally posted by SCAREGRYLLS:

Thanks, music working great :)

What is the purpose to renaming files then (apart from pak1.pak and pak0.pak), or pasting over actual Quake install?

I would ask you to rephrase the question, do you mean the Quakespasm or the music and do you mean something hypothetical or do you mean something you have actually done?

[SCAREGRYLLS]

Basically, I am wondering if there is any point pasting the contents of Quakespasm into the actual Quake folder Steam uses? At the moment I have it in its own separate directory, not in the Steam directory at all, and I created a launcher in Steam for it called Quakespasm.

[triple_agent]

To run Quakespasm, you need to move the id1 folder including .PAK files from the original game into the Quakespasm directory, eventually also rename some files to lowercase letters only. AFAIK, you did that. Why would you now ask about copypasting entire Quakespasm upon Quake main directory or other way around? Some people do that, but this is a very rough way out.

What you can do now is entirely substitute the Quake folder that Steam recognizes with Quakespasm, meaning, cut out regular Quake, rename your Quakespasm to Quake - or whatever the default name was - then rename your Quakespasm launcher to equivalent that of Quake. Just do not delete the cut out Quake directory, so that you can roll back in case it did not work.