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Porting WeiDU mods to Linux - initial thoughts


the bigg

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Since my Ubuntu machine is pretty much stable right now, I've started experimenting with actually converting mods to Linux (since Wine isn't working). I'll start collecting random notes and thoughts here, until I'll collect enough to make a decent tutorial :blush:

 

On-part-of-modder operations:

- start from the Mac package, lowercase everything, and remove WeiDU, sox and tisunpack executables (*real* Linux users have them in /usr/bin anyway).

- open all .sh files and convert all filenames to lowercase (there's no need to do that in tp2s, luckily); remove all paths to old sox and tisunpack executables (I.E. "mymod/bin/tisunpack mymod/tiz/foo.tiz override/foo.tis" will become "tisunpack mymod/tiz/foo.tiz override/foo.tis". All program names go lowercase, except for WeiDU, which must be WeiDU.

- Don't use .rar files (they technically work, but look bad due to copyright reasons). If you can, use .tar.gz; otherwise, user .zip. (note: there's also DOTtarDOTbz2, but G3 forum software would block that as spam).

 

Additional instructions for users:

- tell people to get the latest WeiDU version from http://www.weidu.org/~thebigg and copy WeiDU, WeInstall, tisunpack and tolower into /usr/bin. Maybe also WeiGUI, but only once it actually works half-decently. Copy also sox, if not already installed (can check by typing "which sox"). AT_* ~VIEW foo~ will require Firefox in the standard WeiDU (starting from 197), to avoid viewing HTML files with less. It's trivial to change this by altering the obvious line in WeiDU/src/arch_linux.ml and recompiling, though. It's possible that, at some time, we'll have .debs for apt-get easiness.

- Unpack all desired mods in the bg2 directory

- run tolower in the main bg2 directory

- run "WeInstall name_of_tp2_without_tp2_extension" (E.G. "WeInstall bg2fixpack") for each of your files; alternatively, run "WeiGUI &" and use the GUI (which is still at 10% of functionality and sanity checks)

- wine bgmain.exe and start playing :hm:

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Mur'Neth is not installable (at least not without renaming the directory) because the ' character has a special meaning in bash and, alas, would need to be escaped. Same goes for folder containing spaces. To avoid lots of problems, you should keep to this character set for file names:

 

a-z0-9#!_- (yes, also # and ! have special meanings, but they are ubiquitous and the problems are slightly easier to solve than with ' or with spaces).

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More nastiness on end user part.

 

If using cloned installs (E.G. EasyTutu), the user must create a copy of the cd aliases from baldur.ini, called linux.ini, containing paths in unix style, rather than in Windows style. Windows will ignore this, but WeiDU will read it and use it for his own benefit.

 

Example: on my system, D:\ is mapped to /media/hda1/.

 

this part of baldur.ini

[Alias]
HD0:=d:\tutu\
CD1:=d:\bg2\CD1\
CD2:=d:\bg2\CD2\;d:\tutu\CD2\
CD3:=d:\bg2\CD3\
CD4:=d:\bg2\CD4\
CD5:=d:\bg2\CD5\

[Program Options]
Installing=0
<etc, irrelevant>

 

will create this linux.ini:

HD0:=/media/hda1/tutu/
CD1:=/media/hda1/bg2/CD1/
CD2:=/media/hda1/bg2/CD2/
CD2:=/media/hda1/tutu/CD2/
CD3:=/media/hda1/bg2/CD3/
CD4:=/media/hda1/bg2/CD4/
CD5:=/media/hda1/bg2/CD5/

 

Otherwise, ToB won't be detected correctly, among other things. (tolower will also handle this).

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heck, I didn't have that under anything past DOS -- even now, a relatively "ok" non-technical person doesn't even know what a path is, let alone a subdirectory. All they know is "folders". GUIs have completely blown away any file structure understanding from the children and adults I work with every day! Linux folks are the same as OS2 folks were back in the day... if you are serious about getting the best operating system for your machine, and know your stuff, you can't believe any idiot would use anything else. If you are non-technical, you say"why the heck are these guys spending so much time with an OS that doesn't have a port of all my favorite X-Box games" :blush:

 

EDIT: probably should delete this chatty off-topic post, as I am currently both a WinXP(home, work) and Mac Jaguar/Tiger (work network) user...

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Hmm... How are you running BG2 under Linux?

 

Using WineX? If so, how well does it work? I've never used it myself but am curious about it.

 

Using a ported Mac-version of the game? I'm not even sure if there was a Mac version of BG2... just speculating here.

 

Something else? You've likely more Linux exp. than I by the sound of it.

 

- D

 

EDIT:

 

Also... Linux rocks! hehe. But newer distros and programs sometimes anger me... They're such resource hogs! Useful only after a fair bit of tinkering.

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It runs perfectly on standard Wine (not the payware WineX), save for some minor audio/video glitches. There's also a Mac version of BG2, but I don't see how a PPC/Mac 9.x executable is going to run on a x86/Linux.

 

Also, if you use older distros, you should have more knowledge than me. I use Ubuntu 6.10 on my laptop and Debian 3.1 on the file server.

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It runs perfectly on standard Wine (not the payware WineX), save for some minor audio/video glitches. There's also a Mac version of BG2, but I don't see how a PPC/Mac 9.x executable is going to run on a x86/Linux.

 

You mentioned something about porting Mac stuff to Linux in your first message (?), so I posted that thought thinking that you might know something that I don't. :)

 

 

Also, if you use older distros, you should have more knowledge than me. I use Ubuntu 6.10 on my laptop and Debian 3.1 on the file server.

 

Not necessarily older, per se. Just smaller and more efficient. Damn Small Linux, Knoppix, distros of that nature. Distros that don't hose my older machines. I have a fair amount of Linux know-how but am by no means a 'guru'.

 

- D

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You mentioned something about porting Mac stuff to Linux in your first message (?), so I posted that thought thinking that you might know something that I don't. :)

Oh yeah, I was talking about Mac mods, not Mac BG2. You need Windows BG2 to run the game with Linux, but Mac mods are easier to port to Linux than Windows (since bash shells don't change between Mac and Linux).

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Just a hint for new users. Using the BG2fixpack for an example, the installer puts the .tp2 into the BG2fixpack directory so before you can install it you need to copy the .tp2 to the main Baldurs Gate directory.

 

ronin

That shouldn't cause any troubles. Can you detail how you launch WeiDU? (ie, with the setup-foo thing, or weidu foo.tp2 list_of_params, or weinstall foo).

 

I use "weinstall foo" (or "weigui &") and it works with all four canonical tp2 positions.

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to install mods i just ran WeInstall setup-foo (without any extension).

 

for NPC mods like amber, auren, fade, yasraena and tashia the audio install is a pain in the ass. .bat files dont run so you have to "cat" it to see whats in it and then run all the commands by hand.

 

Ubuntu Linux 6.06 LTS Dapper Drake

 

my system: Linux warhammer 2.6.15-27-686 #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Sep 16 02:13:27 UTC 2006 i686 GNU/Linux

 

cedega version: Cedega GUI Version: 5.1

Cedega Engine Version (current default): 5.2.6

 

 

weidu.log so far, I plan on using the BG2Tweaks, Ding0's tweaks and quest, redemption, divine remix and BPv177 and of course Biggs tweaks and quest when I get home from work today :)

 

 

// Log of Currently Installed WeiDU Mods
// The top of the file is the 'oldest' mod
// ~TP2_File~ #language_number #component_number // [Subcomponent Name -> ] Component Name
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #0 // BG2 Fixpack - Core Fixes
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #1 // BG2 Fixpack - Game Text Update
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #2 // Super Happy Fun Lucky Modder Pack
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #100 // Party Gets XP for Sending Keldorn to Reconcile With Maria
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #101 // Improved Spell Animations
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #102 // Cromwell's Forging Actually Takes a Day
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #103 // Mixed-Use Dagger Fixes
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #104 // Ghreyfain's Holy Symbol Fixes
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #105 // Additional Hero Quests in Trademeet Wait Until Hero is Officially Named
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #106 // Giants Receive Penalties When Attacking Halflings, Dwarves, and Gnomes
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #107 // Remove Dual-Classing Restriction from Archers and Stalkers
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #108 // Remove Second Attribute Bonus for Evil Path in Wrath Hell Trial
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #109 // Corrected Summoned Demon Behavior
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #110 // Additional Script Fixes
~SETUP-BG2FIXPACK.TP2~ #0 #111 // Bard Song Fixes
~SETUP-1STMOD.TP2~ #0 #0 // 1St Mod. Correct IDS, Scriptable Spells, and similar beneficious stuff.
~1PP.TP2~ #0 #0 // 1PP: Everything but Potions
~1PP.TP2~ #0 #1 // New Potion Graphics
~SETUP-DUNGEONBEGONE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Dungeon Be Gone V1.4
~SETUP-BPDETECTSTAT.TP2~ #0 #0 // Big Picture Detectable Stats, v1.2 (WeiDU)
~SETUP-GMINION.TP2~ #0 #0 // gMinion v1.8
~SETUP-CELESTIALS.TP2~ #0 #0 // PnP Celestials
~SETUP-ESERIES.TP2~ #0 #0 // eSeries v1.8
~SETUP-SWORD_AND_FIST.TP2~ #0 #1 // Monk Remix
~SETUP-SWORD_AND_FIST.TP2~ #0 #30 // Install Hexblade fighter kit
~SETUP-SWORD_AND_FIST.TP2~ #0 #31 // Install Duelist fighter kit
~SETUP-SWORD_AND_FIST.TP2~ #0 #32 // Install Fist of Order fighter kit
~SETUP-SWORD_AND_FIST.TP2~ #0 #33 // Install Blackguard fighter kit
~SETUP-FAMILIARPACK.TP2~ #0 #0 // FamiliarPack - WeiDU
~SETUP-ITEMUPGRADE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Shadows Of Amn Item Upgrades
~SETUP-ITEMUPGRADE.TP2~ #0 #1 // Throne Of Bhaal Item Upgrades
~SETUP-SELUNEARMOURY.TP2~ #0 #0 // Selune's Armoury v1
~SETUP-VALHORN.TP2~ #0 #0 // Improved Horns of Valhalla v1.2
~SETUP-AMBER.TP2~ #0 #0 // Amber the NPC MOD for BGII:SoA
~SETUP-AURENASEPH.TP2~ #0 #0 // Auren Aseph V4 for BG2:SoA
~SETUP-AURENASEPH.TP2~ #0 #1 // Alternate Auren Portrait -> Portrait 1 (From Neverwinter Nights Vault)
~SETUP-TASHIA.TP2~ #0 #0 // Tashia NPC Mod -> Full version (ToB required)
~SETUP-TASHIA.TP2~ #0 #3 // Tashia Add-on Pack by Bri and Lord Ernie (English only, Tashia ToB Required) -> Baldurized Dialogues
~SETUP-TASHIA.TP2~ #0 #4 // Alternate portrait for Tashia. -> Tashia's Alternate Portrait 1 -  Created by Amalthea.
~SETUP-YASRAENA.TP2~ #0 #0 // Yasraena v7 (BG2:SoA & TOB NPC) created by nethrin & Sillara of the Tamari
~SETUP-TOTEMIC_CERND.TP2~ #0 #0 // Totemic Cernd v1.6
~SETUP-SONG_AND_SILENCE.TP2~ #0 #0 // Changes to trueclass bards and thieves, and unmodded game kits (required for other components)
~SETUP-SONG_AND_SILENCE.TP2~ #0 #1 // Add new bardic store and thief items
~SETUP-SONG_AND_SILENCE.TP2~ #0 #2 // Install Acrobat bard kit
~SETUP-SONG_AND_SILENCE.TP2~ #0 #3 // Install Chorister bard kit
~SETUP-SONG_AND_SILENCE.TP2~ #0 #4 // Install Dirgesinger bard kit
~SETUP-SONG_AND_SILENCE.TP2~ #0 #5 // Install Gypsy bard kit
~SETUP-SONG_AND_SILENCE.TP2~ #0 #6 // Install Adventurer thief kit
~SETUP-SONG_AND_SILENCE.TP2~ #0 #7 // Install Burglar thief kit
~SETUP-SONG_AND_SILENCE.TP2~ #0 #8 // Install Soulknife thief kit
~SETUP-SONG_AND_SILENCE.TP2~ #0 #9 // Install Sharpshooter thief kit

 

ronin

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to install mods i just ran WeInstall setup-foo (without any extension).

Note that it's weinstall foo, not weinstall setup-foo :)

 

for NPC mods like amber, auren, fade, yasraena and tashia the audio install is a pain in the ass. .bat files dont run so you have to "cat" it to see whats in it and then run all the commands by hand.

That's why I always start from the Mac port, where existing, or either I give up on using that particular mod - if s/he can't make something that works on my computer, then probably s/he can't code very well and I'll avoid a buggy mod :)

 

cedega version: Cedega GUI Version: 5.1

Cedega Engine Version (current default): 5.2.6

Just FYI, Wine is fine (apart from some graphical glitches), so you can avoid paying the 10$ monthly if you only need to run BG2 (however, under Wine bg2 install doesn't work; BG1 install, EasyTutu install and NSIS mods all work and/or unpack to an usable state).

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