Mods for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. on Linux

I will tell you how to play Stalker mod on Linux, step by step instructions.
If you have any suggestions, please provide them.

Mod Installation

Mods can be installed either in the original game directory—after deleting the original files—allowing you to enjoy hours of gameplay added to your Steam stats, or installed in a separate folder to avoid issues when an official patch is released and breaks your mod.

New Game

Simply unpack the mod into the desired folder or run the installer via Wine and install it where needed. You can also use the terminal, but on my setup, EXE files automatically open through Wine.
P.S. For convenience, you can install it in the Steam common folder.

Instructions:

1. Add the game as a non-Steam title and enable Proton compatibility. For Shadow of Chernobyl, Proton 5 may be required, but I usually use Proton Experimental.
   
2. Rename your mod in Steam to match the mod name and add an icon for convenience.

This works great, but if the game crashes, has graphical artifacts, or the mod installer requires additional drivers, make sure to install them, as the developer included them for a reason. Now, let's move on to driver installation in the next section.

Over the Steam Version

If you enjoy tracking hours in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and want to upload mod screenshots under the game's Steam screenshots, follow these steps:
1. Delete all files in the game folder, but do not delete the folder itself.
2. Unpack the mod or install it via Wine into the game folder.
3. Rename the folder containing `bin` to just `bin`—for example, folders like `bins` or `bin_x64`—and rename the executable inside `bin` to `XR_3DA.exe`.
4. Don't forget to enable Proton compatibility. I usually use Proton Experimental, but older Shadow of Chernobyl mods may only work with Proton 5, just like the original game.
P.S. Steam game updates might slightly break the mod, so you may need to fix it by restoring replaced files.

This works great, but if the game crashes, has graphical artifacts, or the mod installer requires drivers, make sure to install them, as the developer included them for a reason. Read the next section for details.

Drivers Installation

Install Protontricks

For further modifications, we need to install Protontricks.
You can find the application via the GUI, but using the terminal is more universal:

-Fedora/Redhat/Opensuse

sudo dnf install protontricks

-Debian/Ubuntu/Mint

sudo apt install protontricks

-Arch/Cachy OS/Garuda/Manjaro

sudo pacman -S protontricks

Install Drivers

Note: If you plan to install other mods and understand how everything works, make sure to launch the game before opening Protontricks. This ensures that Steam creates the Proton prefix.

Instructions:

1. Launch Protontricks.
2. Select the game prefix: either `<Non-Steam shortcut: your mod name>` or `<S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game title>`.
3. Choose "Set default wineprefix" and confirm.
P.S. It's normal for Protontricks to throw warnings—just keep clicking "OK" until the menu appears.
4. Go to "Install/remove programs" and install the necessary components for the mod—usually `vcredist2022` and `openal`. Don't hesitate to check which specific drivers the mod requires. They are typically found in the mod folder or installation package. Ukrainian translators often provide them separately in an archive.
After successful installations, click "OK." Now comes the most crucial step.

Adding DLL Libraries

After clicking "OK," the same window should appear.
Select "Install Windows DLL or component(s)."
In this menu, enable **only** the following checkboxes:

d3dcompiler_43
d3dcompiler_47
d3dx10
d3dx10_43
d3dx11_43
d3dx9
d3dx9_43

Then click "OK." The mod should now run smoothly.

Optimization

If your graphics card supports Vulkan, DXVK can help improve performance.
Download DXVK[github.com]
Unpack the DLL files into the folder containing the game's executable (`bin`, `bins`, `bin_x64`, or whatever applies to your setup).

Be careful to match the correct engine version: x32 or x64. Otherwise, DXVK won't work.

To check:

file

then drag the game's executable into the terminal and press Enter.

- If the file is 32-bit: **PE32 executable**
- If the file is 64-bit: **PE32+ executable**