Linux Installation Guide

Installation Guide for Linux Systems

Prerequisites

Credits

I wanted to thank the github community for reporting the errors/solutions as they've seen, this is what has helped me get started.

https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/issues/3291

Assumptions

This guide assumes the following:

• You are running Linux, Preferrably PopOS or a Ubuntu/Debian variant.
  
  • Ideally Kernel 5.4 or newer.
    
  • Confirmed Distros:
    
    • PopOS
      
    • Arch
  
  
• You have installed the latest GPU drivers
  
  • NVIDIA Users You have installed the proprietary NVIDIA driver and/or the NVIDIA Vulkan
    
  • AMD Users You have already installed your AMDGPU/AMDGPU-PRO and/or AMDVLK/AMDVLK-PRO drivers.

Considerations

Distribution Choice
This guide was built off the distro I was running at the time, PopOS; however, if there are any suggestions you have for specific tweaks for other distros that don't work from the instructions I'm providing, then please let me know.

System Specifications

Hardware	Software
CPU Chipset AMD X570 GPU Chipset AMD ATI Radeon RX 5600/5700 series	OS PopOs 20.04 LTS x86_64 Kernel 5.4.0-7642-generic GPU Driver AMDGPU 20.30-1109583 (MESA 20.1)

As you can see, this guide does not have completed instructions/consideration for NVIDIA/Intel systems. While I could just include the settings I found around on the web, I didn't want to provide instructions I didn't test. For that reason, I've omitted the NVIDIA/Intel instructions until I can validate myself. Sorry for any inconvenience.

Limitations

There are some issues I've encountered. I've posted solutions in the Troubleshooting section, but I wanted to be upfront about this.

• Minimum Hardware Requirements Error
  
  • [WORKAROUND] - Just Click OK ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• Fullscreen Resolution beyond 1080p
  
  • [SOLUTION] - Run in Windowed Borderless Mode
• Multi Monitor Suppport & Windowed Borderless Mode
  
  • [WORKAROUND] - Use WM Extension to swap window place with another fullscreen app
• Activation Errors
  
  • [WORKAROUND] - Delete Rockstar Social Club Profile or entire compatdata file
• This guide does not have instructions/consideration for NVIDIA/Intel systems. This will change soon as I get another pc built.
  
• Single Player ONLY
  
  • Unfortunately, at the time of writing, there is no solution to this. Multiplayer does not work in linux.

Custom Proton Installation

bshanks Custom Proton for RDR2

Thanks to the user bshanks on codeweavers.com, we have a custom version of Proton that works with RDR2.

Installation

• Download https://www.codeweavers.com/xfer/bshanks/public/proton-5.0-rdr2-4.tar.gz
  
  • Password is public
• Extract to ~/.steam/steam/compatibilitytools.d/
  
• Restart Steam
  
• Navigate to Red Dead Redemption 2 in your Steam Library, right click, and select PROPERTIES...
  
• Check the Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool checkbox and select proton-5.0-rdr2-4
  
• Click CLOSE

Custom Launch Options

Overview

By default, you will likely have issues running this without tinkering. In my case, I had to massage Rockstar Social Club into working, which is the goal of this section. There are additional things such as custom resolution, and compatibility for NVIDIA/AMD cards here. That said, there are different strings for NVIDIA and AMD Cards and below we will describe how to get both working.

AMD Specific Launch Options

This string is essential to even get the game to launch, at the time of writing.

WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dxgi=n,b" %command%

If you would like to add ACO support (Recommended for AMDGPU users), add the following before the %command% string

RADV_PERFTEST=aco

NVIDIA Specific Launch Options

TO BE COMPLETED

Common Linux Variables

These settings all are set before the %command% string in the Launch Options. No particular order required.

Force use of RADV
Thanks to reddit user Bouromain for identifying this issue. I did not experience this, but Bouromain provided the instructions which worked for him, in Arch Linux. This may apply to other Distros too, but specifically the error that this resolves is in relation to the game crashing immediately before the smoke/R* logo.

VK_ICD_FILENAMES=/usr/share/vulkan/icd.d/radeon_icd.i686.json:/usr/share/vulkan/icd.d/radeon_icd.x86_64.json

Logging
To enable logging, simply add

PROTON_LOG=1

to your launch options

Common Steam Launch Options

These Launch Options are set after the %command% string. No particular order required.

Resolutions above 1920x1080
For whatever reason, there is a limitation for Fullscreen gameplay. If you run anything beyond 1920x1080, you will want to run in Windowed Borderless mode, and add in your resolution to the custom launch options. This will not fix fullscreen.

For me, I run 2560x1440, so I added the following:

-width 2560 -height 1440

Vulkan
You really, really should just use vulkan. So much better. Add the following to your launch options:

-vulkan

So my launch options ended up being:

RADV_PERFTEST=aco WINEDLLOVERRIDES="dxgi=n,b" %command% -ignorepipelinecache -vulkan -width 2560 -height 1440

Set Custom Launch Options for Red Dead Redemption 2

1. Right Click on Red Dead Redemption 2 in Steam Library
   
2. Select PROPERTIES...
   
3. Select SET LAUNCH OPTIONS...
   
4. Insert the Launch Options String from the earlier instructions, and click OK and then click CLOSE

Troubleshooting & Known Issues

Game Doesn't Launch, but Steam says its running

Description
If you've gotten through the Rockstar Social Club Installation, but you don't see anything else, you might need to massage this to work. Huge credit to user albin-engstrom[github.com] over on github for the initial solution, and jakogut[github.com] posted the bash command. This is, quite literally the strangest solution to a video game launching issue, that I've ever heard of.

Workaround
Try to run this code in a terminal window (does not have to be root/sudo):

PID=$(pgrep RDR2.exe); kill -s SIGSTOP $PID && kill -s SIGCONT $PID

Working on identifying a solution, as I did have this working at one point.

Minimum Recommended Specifications Error

Description
Despite me running AMDGPU Driver v20.3 (confirmed) I still receive this error message:

Workaround
Just click OK. That's it. I don't know why this pops up but I think it is an issue with the WINE layer not detecting the driver version, Or that Mesa's Driver Version is 20.1 and this is what is being picked up from glxinfo

Social Club Error

Description
There is an issue with Social Club loading your profile sometimes. You might be able to just delete your profile within the Prefix itself and let Rockstar Social Club re-download your profile.

Workaround
You can delete the whole wine prefix folder for RDR2 at ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1174180

rm -rf ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1174180/

Activation Error

Description
This one is a bit strange. You will sometimes get an 'Activation Error'.

Workaround
This can happen for a number of reasons, but the solution should be to either just restart RDR2, or you may need to delete your ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1174180 folder. It is because of this reason, you should seriously consider enabling cloud saves. You can do this via GUI or just run this in terminal.

rm -rf ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1174180/

Resolution & Frame Rate Locked

Description
Fullscreen mode has known issues, such as being locked in at 60fps and 720p/1080p. This is not great and therefore I highly suggest using

Workaround
Running Windowed Borderless mode fixes this issue. You can manually set your settings at ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1174180/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/My Documents/Rockstar Games/Red Dead Redemption 2/Settings/system.xml\

If you open this file, you will see the <video> section. You can set the <windowed> setting here as follows:

Setting	Value
Fullscreen	0
Windowed	1
Windowed Borderless	2

You can also adjust the <refreshRateNumerator> setting if you want to go above 60fps.

Multi-Monitor Issues

Description
For me, I had issues with multiple monitors and Windowed Bordereless mode. No matter what I did, I couldn't force the application to open on the correct screen. It would always display on the secondary monitor. To fix this, I would use PopOs window control to swap place with another fullscreen application, which put it into the right window. I don't know what other Distros experience/solution to this will be, however. YMMV and if you have a suggestion, LMK.

Singleplayer Only

Since I just started the game, I actually had no idea that Multiplayer was borked on Linux, but it doesn't surprise me. I'm sad to say that there is no current solution for this. Thanks to reddit user TheOptimalGPU for letting me know!

https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=49543

[ImNotAHacker]

The current link doesnot work

[I.R. Baboon]

Ubuntu 22.04. Launch from steam. Used proton 5.0 from the article at first - no use. Then tried GE 7-43. Worked at first (wayland) Now is not working at all.

[AgniKobi]

do i still have to use this guide? or does the game work now. i tried using it but it didnt work at all

[Batou]

@afrothundaaaa thanks for your reply. I'm going to see if it's anything I can tweak in system.xml. I have on this Linux machine 15Gb ram and a total of 10Gb available so should be ok with lower performance settings..

[afrothundaaaa]

@Batou, i can't comment on copying files from windows to linux, i'd imagine it works, since its running on proton.

As far as wine goes, Proton/Wine is not an emulator and does not create a VM. Wine is a compatibility layer that works by dynamically converting Windows kernel instructions to Linux kernel instructions.

I don't know that there is a way to 'increase' the memory that wine uses, since its just using your hardware, and is not a VM.

[Batou]

Any tips on increasing virtual memory in Linux/Proton installs? I'm guessing this is a wine-esq container and the VM is too small..

[Batou]

Can I copy the download files from my W10 install into my Linux steam install dir to save downloading again?

[Febzen]

@racc +1

[seeyouspaceraccoon]

I was honestly expecting a joke guide where it was just "stop using Linux" in binary code

[Madrd59]

What's the use of this anyway