The Dink Network

Welcome.

So, I decided that I don't want to derail a different topic any further, and figured to start a new one.

This is the topic where I chronicle my experiences, questions and problems that I encountered while trying to use a Linux distribution as my daily driver. In case anyone wants to know, right now I'm using the latest version of Linux Mint.

So, first question: I tried using Proton on Steam. Can someone tell me how to avoid compiling shaders every time I try to launch a Windows-only game?

Also, how can I avoid Wine switching my resolution and desktop scaling settings if I run a game at a different resolution then my normal one?

I've just started playing around the appimage format trying to use YeOldeDink. The format is interesting - in terms of limitations and my lack of experience. I had to check that ypu apperently specifically allow it's execution via a checkbox in the settings. Might be more secure, but annoying.

Is there a way to change the files inside the appimage? I want to use the original MIDI tracks snd sound effects from the original Dink version (yes, I did that even when I used the Windows version of YeOldDink. And yes, I'm aware MIDI will not sound the same as Windows). My other problem is language selection. I want to use English text. It's cool that translations exist, but I'm just used to playing Dink in English, and D-Mods are (with very few exceptions) only in English. Mixed language texts bother me. I typically bypassed this before by deleting localization files, but I hope there's a better way for this.

I recommend following Drone's guide in the Martridge pinned thread on how to extract base data from the 1.08 download and then passing it with the refdir parameter at launch. Also, MIDI should sound the exact same as on Windows as I tend to enforce audio library consistency across platforms when making releases.

Translations are typically set via some environment variables that you can see by running "env" from the command line. These are typically called LANG or LC_something and can be overridden either by setting them to something else with "export" or by prepending them to something when running.

Well, now I have the issue of having zero idea how to install Martridge on Linux Mint. Seems the more things I try to do, the more I have to learn stuff. Guess expectations and reality are never the same, eh? And I named the challenge appropriately, it is indeed a challenge.

Edit: Nevermind, I had to give Martridge permission to be executed. Seems I have to do this with every Linux app downloaded from a browser.

I can now say that I managed to get refdir to work. Took a while to figure stuff out. Also, it seems beause I'm using the original Dink data, the language problem is no longer an issue. I imagine someone who wants to play Dink translated and with original sounds might need to add the localization files to the refdir folder. But that's not going to be my problem.

Regarding Linux stuff, I just realized every application that doesn't run at native resolution resizes the desktop. Annoying. Or is this specific to Windows games running through a compatibility layer? Dink certainly didn't do this.

These are the times I wish I was drinking. I got the new PSU, but it was definitely not made for my PC case. This sideways connectors thing is alien to me. Thanks to my PC case, I couldn't connect the CPU power connector. That means the PC won't work. So I have two options: get a new PC case hoping it'll work, or place back the shitty PSU so that I can use my PC again. I'm very pissed off about this.

I have no idea what to do.

EDIT: Great. It seems the sideway connectors are not a new standard. This is apperently a "feature" exclusive to this line of Corsair PSUs. Of course, there was no indication about this anywhere before I purchased it.

EDIT2: Now that I'm calmer and and got suggestions, I guess the best thing is to return the PSU and get a refund. As this situation highlights, I completely lack common practicality. Guess that's where others come on to help. Makes me glad I have a family.

Managed to use a different PSU. No change, still overheats - maybe a bit slower though. But I now realize what caused the overheating - Proton. Maybe I should've used a more stable version of it, but it matters no longer. I plan to use Windows alongside Linux Mint. I don't think I'm quite ready to exclusively game on Linux.

There is a known issue with Proton where you can get CPU and (especially) GPU overheating if you don't add a command line like this one to the Steam game launch options (and/or manually adjust your CPU settings in the CPU's case) :

DXVK_CONFIG="dxvk.maxFrameRate = 60; dxgi.maxFrameRate = 60; d3d9.maxFrameRate = 60" %command%

(The same is true for Wine/Lutris/Bottles, although in these cases you would set the variable in a different way)

This will limit the frame rate to 60 FPS, should fix the overheating issue in most cases, and will spare you some nasty electricity bills.

You know, I wish I managed to isolate the issue sooner, because this whole power supply mess would not have happened.

Well, I guess I could play some games with 60 fps, but for others I prefer a higher framerate.

This whole Proton issue makes me certain that I won't be using Linux as a replacement for Windows gaming. Wine seemed to be less affected by this issue. Native Linux games had no such issue.

At the end of the day, I definitely see why so many people abandoned their early tries with Linux. There are so many challenges, and what worked well on Windows might not work on Linux.

In case you want to know, my verdict is that Linux is not ready to be a replacement for Windows for my purposes. That said, I will not abandon Linux. Using it is a good learning experience, and there are aspects that I feel are good enough that I'm actually going to use Linux for instead of Windows. Like web browsing. Or native games. So dual booting it is.

And of course, there's still plenty for me to learn. It is a big challenge, but it might just make me grow.

Well, I guess I could play some games with 60 fps, but for others I prefer a higher framerate.

You could try replacing 60 with a higher number in that case, and see whether the overheating issue persists. It just might not, as long as you limit the frame rate to a reasonable amount rather than use the default unlimited setting.

what worked well on Windows might not work on Linux.

True (the reverse is also true, mind you). As I like to say, Linux sometimes makes things needlessly complicated when it should be easy... And oddly enough, on Linux, sometimes things that should be very difficult turn out to be relatively simple instead. That's how I feel about it, anyway.

As for me, I've pretty much abandoned Windows for nearly everything except for Windows apps that just won't run properly on Linux despite my best efforts.

but it might just make me grow.

If you choose to persevere, I can guarantee it will.

EDIT : I modified the config line in my previous post a bit after looking at the documentation.

Got Martridge working, so I might as well play the two D-Mods I missed. And maybe have play some older ones I did not play. Or played only a long time ago. Surprisingly, there are still some I never played.

I'm getting used to Linux. The Wine version I use could use a GUI. But TBH, I like it better then Proton. It annoys me a bit that Steam needs to download files and compile shaders every time I want to play something. On the other hand, I don't know which one is more compatible.

I'm thinking about trying a new distro in the far future. Maybe I'll like a different one better then Linux Mint. Or not. I will find out. Any recommendations?

I would recommend investigating CachyOS if you're willing to become accustomed to Arch and Pacman, as it comes with a lot of features included, as well as fairly comprehensive documentation if you consider the Arch Wiki as part of that. In the past, I have used Lutris and the Heroic Launcher with it as a frontend for Wine, both of which worked reasonably well from what I recall.

The only other distro I would reasonably recommend would be Nobara at this point, although in comparison its documentation is pretty poor.

"It annoys me a bit that Steam needs to download files and compile shaders every time I want to play something. On the other hand, I don't know which one is more compatible."

The shader compiling is obsolete actually ever since one Vulkan extension was added and supported by DXVK and VKD3D-Proton which makes shader compiles a breeze. You can safely disable Steam's shader compiling off, but there is one drawback. Mainly re-encoded videos for some games won't be downloaded/

What do i mean by that? Well Microsoft made a stupid thing, a video codec called Media Foundation which is included in DirectX and why does a video which uses it needs to be re-encoded? Because it lacks a codec library to handle it and officially they can't do anything about it because Media Foundation is under a patent.

There is a remedy in it which is by using something like Proton GE or Proton-Cachy. Not only those include the library needed to play these videos but by using em ya save a lot of space in your disk drive.

From distros i'd stick to either Kubuntu, Fedora KDE Edition or Bazzite. I do not recommend Nobara primarily because its maintained by just one guy, cause of that god knows if it gets abandoned.

On the other hand, I don't know which one is more compatible.

Sadly, I am afraid this depends on the game you're trying to play. Sometimes Wine/Lutris/Bottles will do a much better job (particularly for older games), and sometimes Proton seems to be unavoidable (as was the case for StarCraft 2 and its Battle.net launcher for me...)

Also, for some games, you just may need winetricks/protontricks.

So, completely unrelated, but does anyone here want a Steam key for Borderlands 1?

Got it from a bundle. I already have a copy. I'm not sure if it's region locked or not. Keep that caveat in mind.