DotNet 4.7.2 not installing or not found by program on Steam Deck

[eversdp64]

I have one non-Steam (Windows) application I would like to be able to run on my Steam Deck that is giving me a headache: Open Rails.

The program requires DotNET 4.7.2 support. Which I think if I understood what I have read is available under the Steam Deck OS. However, if I try to install it via the Dependencies for the program, I get a message the Microsoft Component Installer is not available and it will not install correctly. The install does proceed, but in the end DotNET is not installed and trying to run the program confirms it is not installed or at least cannot be found on the Steam Deck.

I am beginning to suspect that it is not a fault of the Steam Deck OS, but something in the installer for the program.

Anyone have any useful advice?

[Haruspex]

Not on Deck, but software that requires .NET was the biggest headache for me when it came to getting it to work on Linux. I did have some success getting some things to work, but for the most part nothing did and it wasn't worth the hassle for me.

Maybe I was missing something and there's an easy fix. I couldn't find one though.

For Open Rails, there appears to be a Lutris installer[lutris.net]. You might try that.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Install that particular game to the Steam Deck itself.

[Omega]

How did you install it? What tool did you use?

WINE works with prefixes, a prefix is a Windows file system, it containes all the programs installed to this specific prefix and any Windows specific file your applications might require.

To install .NET you can do this via the terminal;

WINEPREFIX=/path/to/prefix  wine /path/to/.net_installer

You will have to install both the 32 and 64bit versions.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

You'd also want NET Framework patched up to 4.8

Horizon Zero Dawn for example gave me plenty of issues until I did that.

[eversdp64]

Thanks for that tip. I had not tried adding the framework. Perhaps tonight if I get free time.

[eversdp64]

Installing the DotNet 4.8 Framework was the ticket. It installed without issue, and the software installed properly after that. I don't know why the 4.7.2 Framework wouldn't install properly.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

4.7.2 requires that 4.7 be installed first

But it's all good if 4.8 took ok cause that is the latest and replaces all the 4.xx versions before it