Scheduled Maintenance: We are aware of an issue with Google, AOL, and Yahoo services as email providers which are blocking new registrations. We are trying to fix the issue and we have several internal and external support tickets in process to resolve the issue. Please see: viewtopic.php?t=158230

 

 

 

How to run FOSS version of "Wolfenstein: ET" with FOSS graphics drivers

Share your HowTo, Documentation, Tips and Tricks. Not for support questions!.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
Fernando Negro
Posts: 124
Joined: 2013-11-24 01:29
Location: Portugal
Has thanked: 2 times

How to run FOSS version of "Wolfenstein: ET" with FOSS graphics drivers

#1 Post by Fernando Negro »

[Edited on 6/5/2023: The following instructions have been updated for Debian 11 "Bullseye" and version 2.81.1 of the game.]

(To me, still by far the best, or most entertaining, FPS game that you can play on GNU/Linux, and that is Free Software...)

The code of "Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory" has been released (i.e. has become Free Software) in 2010. However, this game still uses the intrusive and proprietary "PunkBuster" add-on client/software, that monitors the game usage for cheats.

This small tutorial describes then how you can install and run a variant of this game - called "ET: Legacy" - that, not only does not use (and is even incompatible with) the "PunkBuster" client/program, but whose authors have also corrected bugs of (and made small improvements to) the original code, while keeping their variant compatible with the original version of the game (https://www.etlegacy.com/about) - all this, on your 64-bit computer, running AMD's ("amdgpu") FOSS graphics drivers (which, unlike the proprietary NVIDIA ones, are not run as root) on Debian 11 "Bullseye".

(Note: The following instructions are for installing the 32-bit version of this game. You can also install a 64-bit version. But, the problem with the latter is that, by installing such, you'll only be able to play with people who have also installed that specific version, and not with people who still use the regular/original 32-bit version, which can still be a majority(?). And, for this option of installing the 64-bit version, I'm not sure what the instructions are.)

1) Because you'll need to install some i386 libraries, you'll first have to add the i386 architecture to your "APT" sources.

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo apt-get update
2) Install the necessary i386 libraries.

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install libc6:i386 libx11-6:i386 libxext6:i386 libstdc++6:i386 libgl1-mesa-glx:i386 libglu1-mesa:i386 libsdl2-2.0-0:i386
(Note 1: The last library, "SDL", is used to enable sound, at least on Debian 9 "Stretch" when your computer is using "PulseAudio". For other sound servers, it's possible that you might have to take a look at "Troubleshooting: No Audio/Sound" on the Debian Wiki page of the original version of this game - https://wiki.debian.org/Games/WolfensteinEnemyTerritory - or elsewhere, on the Internet.)

(Note 2: Contrary to the case when one is using the proprietary NVIDIA drivers, and because of that one has to use some other "GLX" library, these instructions also work on (a) an old laptop using Intel's Integrated Graphics driver "i915" and (b) an old laptop using AMD's "radeon" driver. So, taking into account the apparent logic, these instructions should also work with any other FOSS graphics driver.)

3) Download the latest (32-bit) version of "ET: Legacy", and install the game.

a) go to https://www.etlegacy.com/download and download the "Linux 32-bit installer" file

b) make the script that you've downloaded executable, by using the command "chmod +x" on the file you've downloaded (ex: "chmod +x etlegacy-v2.75-i386.sh")

c) install the game, by running the downloaded script (ex: "./etlegacy-v2.75-i386.sh")

(Say yes, when asked "Do you want to fetch the assets data files? [yN]" - so that the installer can download the original Wolfenstein installer file, from where it extracts necessary components - and you can answer yes too when asked "Do you want to delete downloaded Wolf:ET assets data files? [yN]", since you won't need those files anymore.)

4) Now you can run the game, by executing the "etl.i386" file.

(That's it. It's even simpler than installing the original version...)
Last edited by Fernando Negro on 2023-05-06 11:31, edited 5 times in total.
I just *love* the stability, much more bug-free nature, and modular installation options of Debian. Apart from the unfortunate adoption of "systemd" (viewtopic.php?f=20&t=129881&start=165#p671030) this distribution is *great*.

User avatar
Fernando Negro
Posts: 124
Joined: 2013-11-24 01:29
Location: Portugal
Has thanked: 2 times

Re: How to run completely free version of "Wolfenstein: ET"

#2 Post by Fernando Negro »

EDITED: As of May 2023, if you have any problems installing this game, you now have to look for help on the "Discord" platform, by using an invitation link listed on the game's website: https://www.etlegacy.com/
I just *love* the stability, much more bug-free nature, and modular installation options of Debian. Apart from the unfortunate adoption of "systemd" (viewtopic.php?f=20&t=129881&start=165#p671030) this distribution is *great*.

Post Reply