Toggle menu
Toggle preferences menu
Toggle personal menu
Not logged in
Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits.

Installing EVE on Linux: Difference between revisions

From EVE University Wiki
m Picked up this link from the linux launcher thread in the eve online discord
full revisit of the steam installation and lutris installation
Line 4: Line 4:
=== New launcher ===  
=== New launcher ===  
<!-- Is there a name for this new launcher? -->  
<!-- Is there a name for this new launcher? -->  
Some basics about the parts & process:
For the Steam and Lutris setup this page assumes Linux Mint 22.2. Everything might be a bit different in your specific distro, but the setups are always very similiar. You can easily play EVE on Steam. Lutris is a bit more work but doable. Both will start the EVE launcher.<br><small>Note: By default not all game files are downloaded and the client can download when it does not have the file/part.
The launcher can download all files en cache them, update when needed and removes parts when no longer needed. This behaviour can be changed in the launcher and I recommend to do so to prevent any lag due to loading.</small>


Installation starts with an installer, always found on [https://www.eveonline.com/download this] page or direct [https://launcher.ccpgames.com/eve-online/release/win32/x64/eve-online-latest+Setup.exe link]. Steam and Lutris can manage the dependencies & installation & subsequent updates.<br>
=== Steam (recommended) ===


The [https://github.com/Squirrel/Squirrel.Windows Squirrel] installer is used to install & update the launcher -> The launcher downloads the client. -> The Launcher launches the eve client. <br>
* Install Steam through the software manager (any distro can use this guide https://www.linuxnest.com/install-steam-on-any-linux-distro-the-complete-2025-guide/)
* Open the steam app and Install EVE Online on Steam
* Right click EVE Online in steam and chose "Properties":
** in General copy the following launcher options: PROTON_NO_ESYNC=1 PROTON_NO_FSYNC=1 LD_PRELOAD= %command%
** in Compatibility check "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compability tool" and chose "Proton Experimental"
* Launch EVE Online in steam which then starts the EVE launcher
* Open the settings of the launcher (gear icon top right):
** in EVE Launcher disable hardware acceleration
** in EVE Online I suggest you chose "Download the full EVE game client"
** in EVE Online select DirectX version "DirectX 11"


<small>Note: By default not all game files are downloaded and the client can download when it does not have the file/part.  
And you are all set. Easy, right?
The launcher can download all files en cache them, update when needed and removes parts when no longer needed. </small>


The current(as of December 2023) launcher & Linux unofficial channel on discord: [https://discord.com/channels/940573867192221696/1096046348421312574 Official EVE Online Discord server, new launcher channel, linux thread]
By standard your settings will be in /home/$USER/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatadata/8500/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/AppData/Local/CCP/EVE/c_ccp_eve_tq_tranquility/ and can manipulated the same as in windows.


Thread on the EVE Forums: [https://forums.eveonline.com/t/recap-of-vanguard-on-linux-after-first-strike/432438 EVE Forums] Below from an excellent write up from Katrina Bekers:  
=== Lutris ===
[https://lutris.net/ Lutris] is a gaming platform for Linux. A setup with Lutris a bit more complex compared to steam but doable. It offers Wine builds that are pre-configured for specific games, and allows for a graphical installation of various games and applications. Those that are unable to roll their own wine prefix, or are weary on the process, may find this solution more viable.
 
Download  [https://launcher.ccpgames.com/eve-online/release/win32/x64/eve-online-1.9.4+Setup.exe eve-online-1.9.4+Setup.exe]  - stable EVE online excutable
 
Download eve-online-1.9.4-full.nupkg - EVE Online NUPKG
 
One should always be careful with executables but these are from ccp directly. Install Lutris via your package manager, and ProtonPlus. Start Lutris briefly so ProtonPlus knows about it and then start ProtonPlus and chose Lutris in the top left corner. Chose Proton-GE-latest as version and download it. Now back to Lutris:
 
Add a new game with the + sign:
 
* add locally installed game
* General Info
** name the game EVE Online
** chose runner "Wine (Runs Windows games)
* Game options
** Game executeable: link the EVE Online executable we downloaded
** Wine prefix: /home/$USER/Games/eve-online (where $USER is your user)
* Runner options
** Wine version: Proton-GE-latest
** uncheck Enable Esync
** uncheck Enable Fsync
* System options
** add enviroment variable with KEY: LD_PRELOAD, no value
* SAVE
 
Now start the newly created item in Lutris and it will start the launcher asking you where to install. CLOSE THAT INSTALLATION. DO NOT PROCEED.
 
Instead, after closing right click the EVE item in Lutris and chose configure.
 
Set a new path for the executable in game options: /home/$USER/Games/eve-online/drive_c/users/$USER/AppData/local/eve-online/eve-online.exe  (where $USER is your user)
 
Unpack the NUPKG into a folder. Create the folder /home/$USER/Documents/EveLauncher/ and copy the content of nupkg/lib/net45 to it. 
 
Create the following bash script as /home/$USER/Documents/eve-prelaunch.sh <syntaxhighlight lang="bash">
#!/bin/bash
SOURCE="$HOME/Documents/EveLauncher"
TARGET="$HOME/Games/eve-online/drive_c/users/$USER/AppData/Local/eve-online"
GOODVER="app-1.9.4"
ls -d  $TARGET/app-* | xargs rm -rf
cp -R "$SOURCE" "$TARGET/$GOODVER"
cp "$SOURCE/eve-online_ExecutionStub.exe" "$TARGET/eve-online.exe"
</syntaxhighlight>This can be done by copying the above into any text editor and save as the filename given above. Make sure the target line in here actually points to your prefix location.


* Use Steam, by opting-in the Beta branch and the code “TheInvitation” (case sensitive), installing the launcher from Steam, bypassing Squirrel altogether.
Right click the .sh file and in the properties chose
*  Manually extract the launcher package (“nupkg”, which is just a zip archive), and put it where it can be correctly run by WINE/Proton. Use this URL, modifying the version number adequately: https://launcher.ccpgames.com/eve-online/release/win32/x64/eve-online-1.1.0-full.nupkg
* Use [[Linux#Lutris|Lutris]], which implements a workaround for the “run as Administrator” default behavior in WINE/Proton, thus letting Squirrel do its job, see [https://lutris.net/games/eve-online/ install notes].
* Get the Squirrel installer and modify the Setup file with a binary editor so that the check for Administrator is reversed, and the installer proceeds if the user has Administrator privileges. smurftek: If you want to use the beta launcher under wine / proton without going through steam or having to change a bunch of settings, edit the binary and at address 00407436 replace it with “b8 01 00 00 00” and presto the launcher will work anywhere.


<hr>
* permissions
** check run as executable
 
Back to Lutris. Right click and configure the EVE item. In system options turn on advaned mode. Scroll down to the prelaunch script and enter the /home/$USER/Documents/eve-prelaunch.sh we created. Enable wait for pre-launch script completion. Save.
 
Pheewww. Done!


You now be able to start the EVE launcher with the Lutris item created.


=== Steam ===
Open the settings of the launcher (gear icon top right):
https://www.protondb.com/app/8500


=== Lutris ===
* in EVE Launcher disable hardware acceleration
[https://lutris.net/ Lutris] is a gaming platform for Linux. It offers Wine builds that are pre-configured for specific games, and allows for a graphical installation of various games and applications. Those that are unable to roll their own wine prefix, or are weary on the process, may find this solution more viable.
* in EVE Online I suggest you chose "Download the full EVE game client"
* in EVE Online select DirectX version "DirectX 11"


Install Lutris via your package manager, and then head to the [https://lutris.net/games/eve-online/ EVE Online page on the Lutris website] to pick an install script. As of December 2023, there are four main install scripts: a DXVK variant, a non-DXVK (OpenGL-based) one, one with Steam, and a Chinese distribution. The DXVK version offers generally better performance. For the new launcher there is a eve-online-april-beta-launcher installer.
Credit to cloroken who also made a very recent [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFVWKN2h2-Y&t=212s video guide]


After picking your script from the Lutris website and following the installation procedure, an EVE Online icon will show up in your Lutris client UI. From this point, you can click on "EVE Online" to start the EVE Launcher. You may configure options for the game, runner or system. For troubleshooting, make sure '''Run Client with Logging''' is enabled in the EVE Launcher options.
=== Discord Server: EVE on Linux ===
Join the growing community that plays on Linux. You can find specific help there easily.


When having trouble with the scripted installation of the new launcher in Lutris the following steps should give results:  
https://discord.com/invite/eKMEVeC7SQ
* Set the default installer to lutris 7.2.2
* Install a new program using lutris with the new launcher installer. At some point it will produce an error, the install will fail it seems.
* Edit the new program, add the launcher executable as the program to launch (c_drive/users/[username]/appdata/local/eve-online/eve-online.exe). Change the runner to something newer if desired.
* Start the launcher, it might error out, check the log it might need something, this might take a few tries.


=== Roll your own ===  
=== Roll your own ===  
Line 49: Line 100:


Depending on the hardware used changing from/to Direct3D 11/12 can have a positive or negative effect on the quality and/or performance of the game client, this also depends on the in-game graphics setting. Your mileage may vary, since you use Linux it is expected that you have more than average computer knowledge and are able to figure out what works in your specific situation.  
Depending on the hardware used changing from/to Direct3D 11/12 can have a positive or negative effect on the quality and/or performance of the game client, this also depends on the in-game graphics setting. Your mileage may vary, since you use Linux it is expected that you have more than average computer knowledge and are able to figure out what works in your specific situation.  
We recommend to use DirectX 11 in the launcher options, this might be different on your maschine or change int the future (current Sep 2025.


=== Client slowing down / high CPU usage ===
=== Client slowing down / high CPU usage ===


* Behavior like lagging is reported, a solution for this behavior is to disable '''Esync''' & '''Fsync'''.  
* Behavior like lagging is reported, a solution for this behavior is to disable '''Esync''' & '''Fsync'''. In the steps above we took care of that.


Steam: Start the launcher with a custom command [https://forums.eveonline.com/t/still-anyone-using-linux/401624/63 source]
Steam: Start the launcher with a custom command [https://forums.eveonline.com/t/still-anyone-using-linux/401624/63 source]
Line 60: Line 113:
=== Disk usage ===  
=== Disk usage ===  


The updater is unable to update the launcher due to a missing component in wine. [https://discord.com/channels/940573867192221696/1096046348421312574/1187888482048299108 `unimplemented function msdelta.dll.ApplyDeltaW, aborting`]  This results in a ever growing squirreltemp directory. Manually cleaning is required at this point in time (January 2024). A fix for this behavior is being worked on: make the updater detect wine and do a full update.  
Through steam, the launcher can run the updater normally.
 
On Lutris the stable, recommended version (1.9.4+ on Sep 2025) given in the installation process might change. The updater is unable to update the launcher due to a missing component in wine. [https://discord.com/channels/940573867192221696/1096046348421312574/1187888482048299108 `unimplemented function msdelta.dll.ApplyDeltaW, aborting`]  This results in a ever growing squirreltemp directory. Manually cleaning is required at this point in time (January 2024). A fix for this behavior is being worked on: make the updater detect wine and do a full update.  


<small> Note: [https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=56007 on the wine bugtracker] </small>
<small> Note: [https://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=56007 on the wine bugtracker] </small>


<hr>
<hr>
=== 'Old' launcher ===
* Use Steam
* Use [[Linux#Lutris|Lutris]]
When the old launcher is deprecated the split in installation methods is no longer relevant.


{{Cleanup| Content below should be reviewed & updated}}
{{Cleanup| Content below should be reviewed & updated}}