Fantasy Grounds in Ubuntu/Linux/WINE

[sturtus]

Update: I have updated these instructions for April 2017. They now reflect Ubuntu 16.04.2 LTS and WINE 2.6.

It has been a pleasure to use Fantasy Grounds on a Mac in WINE using Winebottler and Wineskin Winery, and my Mac players are most appreciative of the pre-wrapped version that downloads from Steam. Zeus (DrZeuss) has done an excellent job supporting and documenting that environment. I hope Smiteworks is paying him well for all of the hard work he's put in over the years, I really do.

I am using Ubuntu and will instruct on how to get FG running in a vanilla Ubuntu Desktop install, using the built-in Software Center and without using any extra software repos. My goal is to create instructions that do not require a user to open a terminal window *gasp. Scroll down for additional instructions for those that prefer to work in the terminal.

Update Ubuntu
- Run the prescribed updates in Software Updater
- Reboot
Fantasy Grounds Installer Download
- open Firefox on the Ubuntu system and go to fantasygrounds.com/downloads/
- Download the Demo version of Fantasy Grounds (the Linux link just takes you to this forum post!)
- save the FG installer to a local folder, anywhere, Downloads is good
- close Firefox
Install PlayOnLinux
- open Software Center
- search for and install playonlinux
Open PlayOnLinux
- Tools > Manage WINE versions
-- PlayonLinux First Use, just click Next
-- Install 2.6 by highlighting it and clicking the arrow
-- Click Next on the Wine 2.6 installer and wait for it to complete
-- Close wine version manager
- Install a non-listed program
-- Click Install > Install a non-listed program
-- Manual Installation starts
-- Install a program in a new virtual drive
-- name it FantasyGrounds
-- Do NOT select "use another version of wine", "configure wine", or "install some libraries"
-- Choose 32 bits windows installation
-- Wait while a virtual drive (prefix) is created.
-- Select the install file to run, Browse to FGWebInstall.exe, Next
-- Install Fantasy Grounds
--- FG Installer will run
--- Agree to terms
--- make sure Cross-Platform compatibility is checked and hit OK
--- FG Updater runs, downloads everything, installs, then attempts to run FG
--- ERRORS COULD POP UP
----- CHECKDEVICETYPE FAILED! ERROR CODE 16
----- COULD NOT INITIALIZE GRAPHICS SYSTEM!
----- ignore these, just hit OK
--- If Fantasy Grounds launches as normal, simply click OK in the Settings window
--- You should see the Fantasy Grounds start screen. If you do, choose Load Demo Campaign to test performance and for draw issues. Roll some dice. Open some FG windows. Close the window.
--- You will return to the Manual Installation wizard
--- Choose a shortcut: FantasyGrounds.exe
--- Name your shortcut, just keep default is fine, click Next
--- Choose I don't want to make another shortcut, click Next
- (OPTIONAL IF YOU HAD ERRORS OR SCREEN ISSUES UPON LAUNCH) Configure Fantasy Grounds in PlayonLinux
-- Go to the list of applications in PlayOnLinux
-- Highlight FantasyGrounds2
-- Click Configure and Display tab
--- offscreen rendering mode > backbuffer
--- render target mode lock > readdraw
-- Close all windows
Run FG from the desktop shortcut, and license it from within.
ENJOY!



Alternate method posted by Galach


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1.Installing WineHQ

The first step is to install the newest version of Wine. Since Ubuntu did not update its repositories, the stable 2.0 version is not available to an easy install and this is why we will work right now with the development version. To do things right, we just need to follow some steps, describer below, all of them using the Terminal Console:


a. Adding Multiarch Compatibility (Mandatory for x64 users)

Ubuntu don’t have a good native support for multiarch (i.e. running 32 and 64 bits applications alongside each other), and installing the 32-bit libraries is mandatory to run 32-bit applications on Wine:

$ sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386

b. Adding Wine Repositories to your system

This step will configure your system to look into Wine repositories instead of Ubuntu repositories for the installation files. For some reason, even adding the Wine repository, the system cannot find the wine-stable packet, only the wine-devel and wine-staging (development and bleeding-edge packets, respectively).

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:wine/wine-builds

$ sudo apt-get update

c. Installing Wine

This step will install Wine and Winetricks, a too, used to manage more easily some aspects of Wine:

$ sudo apt-get install winehq-devel winetricks

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2. Configuring Wine

Here, we will be configuring Wine so we can install Fantasy Grounds. Since Wine will always install things in the same default folder, and installing different softwares in the same place can mess things, it is a good practice to create different folders (also knows as bottles or prefixes) for each different software we are installing.
The first step is to create a subfolder inside your home folder were wine prefixes will be stored. For example, mine is .wine-prefixes (the “dot” as first character in the folder name will make it a hidden folder – if you do not want it to be hidden, create your folder without it).

Inside this folder, each Wine prefix will be stored in a subfolder, created as part of the process of setting up that prefix. Since Fantasy Grounds is a 32-bit application, we will create a 32-bit prefix, using the following command:

$ WINEPREFIX="$HOME/.wine-prefixes/Fantasy-Grounds” WINEARCH=win32 wine wineboot

The first time you do that in your machine, some new windows will pop-up asking to install mono and a bunch of other things required to Wine work properly. Accept them all and wait a bit until they are installed.

After that, we will make sure the system will configure the right Wine prefix by using the following command:

$ export WINEPREFIX="$HOME/.wine-prefixes/Fantasy-Grounds”

Then, we will configure Wine to be seen by the application as if it was a windows 10 machine:

$ winecfg

Another window will pop-up. There you will change the Windows 7 under “Windows Version” to Windows 10, hit apply and then ok. Next step is install the Microsoft Core Fonts, to be sure everything will be displayed correctly in your Fantasy Grounds:

$ winetricks

Another window will be displayed, with the option “select default wine-prefix” already selected. Leave it that way and hit OK. Select the option “install a font”, hit OK , select the option “corefonts” and “tahoma” and then OK again. Wait the download and installation process finish , and close winetricks window.
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3. Installing Fantasy Grounds

Download the FG web installer from Fantasy Grounds page. Inside the console, go to the folder were you saved the file (I will be assuming it is in the Downloads folder):

$ cd ~/Downloads

And then, use Wine to install it:

$ wine FGWebInstall.exe

The install window of Fantasy Grounds will pop-up. In this window, you will need to:

- Fill your license key in the corresponding field;
- Check the “Cross-platform compatibility mode for Linux and Mac” selection box; (experiment with this setting - using it will consume more CPU and may not be necessary on your install)
- Enter your Fantasy Grounds account username and password.

For purposes of easier backup process, I also recommend you change the default folders path to a shorter one. Mine are like this:

App Directory: C:\Fantasy Grounds\App
Data Directory: C:\Fantasy Grounds\Data

Hit OK and wait until it finishes downloading everything. Here, everything worked just fine; except for a minor glitch on library selection – when rolling up and down through the window, the module icons look like they are “going out/off” the window.
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A final comment

Just remember that purchases made through Steam will not be downloaded, even if you install the Windows version of Stem in the same prefix as Fantasy Grounds. FG relies on the Steam background service to work with it, but this service do not run in a Wine install.

If you have purchased modules on Steam, take some screenshots of your Steam Library as well as from your order confirmations and send it to the support email address of Fantasy Grounds, asking to add those products to your account.

[ddavison]

Thanks Sturtus.

Does it run fairly well still on that machine once you've gotten configured? Also, I thought it was against the laws of the universe to complete that many steps on Linux and not use a terminal screen for at least 1 or 2 steps.

[sturtus]

Dice animations are pretty low FPS, but for somebody running a 7YO laptop you take what you can get. I tested the default test campaigns and all was well enough. Tonight I plan to connect this laptop to my hosted campaign just to verify the network functions.

[sturtus]

Worked fine. If somebody were to make a script for PlayOnLinux that did this all automatically like all of their other games, I bet you'd sell some copies. Seems like a cheap investment.

[tseliger]

Out of interest: Why did you configure the registry settings (or display option in play on linux) "offscreen rendering mode > backbuffer" and "render target mode lock > readdraw"?

I'm on Ubuntu 14.04 and Wine 1.7.18 and it works with or without these settings. I noticed, that I have to use a "emulate a virtual screen" in Wine options. Without it, maximizing the FG2 window will not work correctly.

Another thing I noticed is that when FG2 is started, it will use 100% of one CPU, even when in IDLE mode. Setting "env __GL_YIELD=USLEEP" halved CPU usage without slowing down FG2.

[sturtus]

On my HP laptop, the application would not refresh after its initial screen without back buffer enabled, and the UI was completely mirrored until I enabled read draw. Mileage may vary for different GPU's.

[Niven81]

Sorry for the res on the thread but I have a question. I just used this to get Fantasy Grounds working on my Ubuntu 14.10. It works great! Being the release of 5e's stuff though I purchased the adventure and ... welp, how do I install it? I tried it shows up in the update when I use my forums log in but nothing appears in the "Load Campaign" section.

[Nylanfs]

The adventures are modules inside the campaign. Start a 5e campaign and then open the book in the Modules section.

[ddavison]

Nylanfs has it right. Depending on which modules you purchased, you should see a new theme option for any 5E campaign you launch. Then, inside your FG campaign, you should go to Library | Modules to activate your individual purchases.

[cyanobacterium]

This worked on my Fedora 21 (x64) Linux laptop. Thank you Sturtus for your linux install instructions. Very much appreciated!