[SOLVED] The "native" Linux build seems to be a Windows Build

[DaDummy]

The current Linux build seems to actually be a Windows build that has Proton disabled.

Could you please turn off the Linux support for the production depot until you have an actual Linux build uploaded? Currently users have to manually force the use of Proton to make the game start.

[Fel]

There is a linux build but for some reason steam seems to deliver the windows version to many people regardless.

As far as I know, you can get the proper linux version by forcing compatibility in the steam settings of the game.

[DaDummy]

Focing compatibility makes the game revert to the Windows build with Proton, which does work. Still it might be good to either make the Linux distribution work or remove it for now since the out-of-the-box experience at the moment is, that the game just won't run on Linux devices.

Did you by any chance forget to limit the original game content depot that probably contains the Windows build to only Windows users when you added a Linux depot?

[DaDummy]

Additional note: Toggling force Compatibility Tool on, letting it install, then toggling it back off has now installed the native Linux build. In case all configuration is correct, this might then be a bug in Steam where it fails to migrate users to the native Linux build if they had the game installed before it became available. That might be worth notifying Valve about.

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by DaDummy:

Additional note: Toggling force Compatibility Tool on, letting it install, then toggling it back off has now installed the native Linux build. In case all configuration is correct, this might then be a bug in Steam where it fails to migrate users to the native Linux build if they had the game installed before it became available. That might be worth notifying Valve about.

You may want to email Kitfox with your report or post in on Bay12's forums. I don't think their bugtracker is public, anymore. (It was costing too much money to support that based on per-user/account fees, I think. At least on the old tracker.)

[rome of oxtrot]

Originally posted by Morkonan:

You may want to email Kitfox with your report or post in on Bay12's forums. I don't think their bugtracker is public, anymore. (It was costing too much money to support that based on per-user/account fees, I think. At least on the old tracker.)

The reason the hosted one has been discontinued is that people were not using it because it was too cumbersome for end users to interact with and because triage of new bug reports was simply too slow; it wasn't over fees. It is true that Mantis' per-user fee structure for their cloud hosting is why they didn't offer "reporter" accounts, the way the old one did, which may well have contributed to the community's failure to adopt the Mantis-hosted tracker.

Bay12/Kitfox is in the process of launching a new bugtracker that will be hosted on its own server rather than using Mantis' cloud service, which should be available to the public any day now; this instance will allow the public to register for and use reporter accounts the same as on the old Bay12 Mantis, and in fact they've even migrated the accounts from the old Bay12 Mantis. It's up now and I've even logged into it myself with my old account, but I don't think it's been announced that it's up yet so I won't share the URL just yet.

All that said, the issue with the Steam client "forgetting" your compatibility settings is a Steam bug, not a Dwarf Fortress bug, and should be reported to Valve via its product feedback mechanisms. There's nothing Bay12 or Kitfox can do about bugs in Steam's software.

[rome of oxtrot]

Originally posted by DaDummy:

Did you by any chance forget to limit the original game content depot that probably contains the Windows build to only Windows users when you added a Linux depot?

DF itself contains four depots, one which is universal (contains game data and the OST), one which is Windows-only, one which is Linux-only, and the fourth which is the shared VC 2022 redist install (marked as Windows-only). Bay12 has their depots set up correctly; the problem here is not how DF has configured SteamPipe, but instead how Valve has (mis)implemented the Steam client on Linux.

[higuita]

Turn on the Steam compatibility AND choose the "linux runtime compatibility", not the proton one (if you don't have it, search for it in steam and install it)
this will force your steam to download the linux version instead of the windows one.

Many games that had windows only releases, that later on release the linux version end with this problem, steam will try to download the windows one instead of the linux, but forcing the compatibility for the steam runtime DO fix the problem. After install, you can even remove the force compatibility, usually it keeps the linux version at this time, it if was really "released" (ie: not just a beta release)

[DaDummy]

Thanks. I'll report this to Valve then.

[Morkonan]

Originally posted by rome of oxtrot:

...There's nothing Bay12 or Kitfox can do about bugs in Steam's software.

Kitfox is the one paying Valve for use of their service. They're the only one that can work directly with Valve to get the bug resolved. It was just an efficiency-based suggestion they might be able to act on quickly.

[rome of oxtrot]

Originally posted by Morkonan:

Kitfox is the one paying Valve for use of their service. They're the only one that can work directly with Valve to get the bug resolved. It was just an efficiency-based suggestion they might be able to act on quickly.

Sadly, it's hard to get Valve to pay attention to issues that aren't impacting games in the top 100 list, and while Kitfox does well enough for themselves, even if you add their whole franchise together they don't even start to reach the level where Valve will likely notice them complaining

[DaDummy]

Well this issue is likely not limited to just this one title. It's simply a corner case that probably even did work correctly some time in the past. But it's an issue that occurs when devs improve Linux and thus Steam Deck-support in their game so Valve - given their investment in pushing Linux gaming - might just be interested enough to pay attention.

Anyway I've sent a support request and will update here in case anything comes of it.

[Grimr]

can confirm that on this linux laptop it is running native linux no windows parts at all.
but I have never had it running windows version..

[DaDummy]

As you expected: Steam Support wasn't too helpful. They just directed me to the Proton GitHub Issues section, so I'll guess I'll go there next...

[Fel]

Steam's support is rarely helpful in cases like that, they don't even understand the specifics of issues and don't really have time to do research on them so they have goto answers ("use proton to play games on linux, here is where you can get it").

This is the sad reality of steam, many half-finished features and leftover bugs, left alone for years while they work on making things pretty on the store and library.

Still one of the best platforms for PC gaming but I wish they would start to do some cleanup at some point.

Kind of funny to say this on dwarf fortress' forum though, since the game suffers from similar issues (bugs and not-quite-working stuff left for years).

[Simon]

Why is this Thread marked as SOLVED; when there is no solution? Or is the solution, that there is none at the moment?