Morrowind talk:Linux

using Wine

Wine is still a viable option; currently, I am running MW in Wine 8 on Ubuntu 22.04, parallel to another installation in OpenMW 0.47, and there are a few issues with OpenMW which (after some dialogues with the openmw crew) are not likely to be fixed anytime soon, since they are more focused on having modern visual/gameplay effects than on having 100% engine compatibility. Thus, in OpenMW, some Mods do not work (at all), and I mean mods which do not use MWE or MWSE or MGE's language extensions. Some animations (like those in „The Twylyth”) do not play. Some Activators and Doors might not be easily accessible or hidden from view. Some engine-related differences in object placement can cause weird „wrong bounding box” effects in OpenMW. If you're unlucky due to your mod list, you'll be stuck back in the character creation dialog whenever you re-enter the Census and Excise Office in Seyda Neen. So it is a good idea to run mods which do not work — correctly or at all — in a Wine/Morrowind installation instead.

There are only a few issues you need to be aware of when using Wine:

You need to use the winecfg and set „Windows 98” or „Windows XP” as environment for Morrowind.exe. Optionally, you can declare running it in a virtual desktop in the Graphics tab.

You need to install all required DirectX drivers as you would do under MS-Windows.

You need to install the MCP (Morrowind Code Patch) 2.1 or newer since it fixes some issues which might arise with Morrowind when not running in a real MS-Windows98 environment (asides from that, you get rid of the silly „it rains/snows beneath closed roofs” bug and get a few neat game options).

MGE-XE is not likely to work, so don't try.

Morrowind tends to do a quick check on all .esp, .esm and .bsa files, whether they are tagged for use or not. Under MS-Windows, this takes a few seconds; under Wine, it can take up to ten minutes(!) depending on how many of them you have in $MWDIR/Data Files. So you'd better adopt the Wrye Bash method (Mash doesn't do this) to rename all un-used esm, esp and bsa with an additional suffix (eg. „.inactive”).

--kuli (12 Mar 23) 77.10.64.157 06:27, 12 March 2023 (UTC)

The issues with OpenMW not being compatible with MWE, MWSE, or MGE is listed in the OpenMW page, which is linked to in this article. It might be worth adding the rest of your comment (advice for using Wine) to the "Running directly with Wine" section of the article since it seems helpful for other users. Jack3103 (talk) 12:12, 13 March 2023 (UTC).

Verifying Bugs

If anybody is keeping track, I can verify the inventory bugs, maps not working and music not playing using a CVS checkout from 3 days ago. I can also verify the shadows (seem to be) completely working (a couple of hours of game play).

-- Chris Mortimore (16/12/2007) — Unsigned comment by 85.210.138.224 (talk) at 10:37 on 16 December 2007‎

I tried to provide more detailed information on what the changes where accomplishing and add some things that you have to take into special consideration for linux (i.e. Multiple users and case sensitvity). I also updated the known issues to be more current.

-- Jason Brown (30/1/2008) — Unsigned comment by 144.73.71.1 (talk) at 22:42 on 30 January 2008

I added some results I've got from running versions 0.9.55 through to 0.9.57, basically just the same again, but I put the details in the "Known Issues" section. Results are from two Debian Etch systems, one running amd64 and one running i386. Using the packages provided by WineHQ.

-- Chris Mortimore (10/03/2008) — Unsigned comment by 79.68.90.9 (talk) at 09:29 on 10 March 2008

Fascinating - last I tried running Morrowind on Debian unstable, official 0.9.56 packages, I didn't get music, but after I re-ran wineprefixcreate, music started working. I haven't checked how well .57 works yet, though. Does this work for you? --Wwwwolf 07:18, 19 March 2008 (EDT)

Running wineprefixcreate fixes the music, cheers for the heads up.

-- Chris Mortimore (08/04/2008)

Tested again in 0.9.58, still the usual inventory paperdoll issues and local map not working. Performance is a bit sluggish.

-- Chris Mortimore (08/04/2008) — Unsigned comment by 88.107.133.42 (talk) at 17:39 on 8 April 2008

Linux on a PS3

has anyone tried to play morrowind via linux on a ps3? — Unsigned comment by 75.154.124.81 (talk) at 00:56 on 13 March 2008

Advice

I already moved or deleted most of the stuff added by our anonymous friend but that seemed least vaguely useful. I'm more than happy to bow to the greater knowledge of the community though. If you want to delete it - please do. –Rpeh^{•T•C•E•} 17:01, 7 November 2008 (EST)

Deleted ridiculous sounding advert. I can't find how it would be relevant for elder scrolls players for a number of reasons. I'm adding proper links for the Wine forks in case someone needs support for their proprietary application. Lukish_ Tlk Cnt 19:32, 7 November 2008 (EST)

Console

How does one open the in-game console with Linux? I tried the usual way with key next to [1], but it didn't work. --77.185.70.44 09:33, 14 November 2008 (EST)

tilde key, as normal. i have no issues with opening the console. Niffweed17, Destroyer of Chickens 02:39, 19 December 2008 (EST)

I got it, I just switched to US kezboardlazout, works fine :P Merry Xmas =) --77.185.105.224 04:58, 24 December 2008 (EST)

Win98 vs. XP

User:Lukish removed my "first-person comment" about why Windows 98 is necessary as opposed to Windows XP. Ostensibly this was due to the unencyclopedic nature of the comment; however, the point is an important one: does anyone have a good reason or experience that Windows 98 worked better for them than XP or other incarnations of Windows when running Morrowind? I have always used Windows XP and it seems to work fine. If anyone does, please feel free to go into greater detail, but for the moment I don't think there's a significant difference and so I will remove the Windows 98 recommendation. Niffweed17, Destroyer of Chickens 15:09, 31 December 2008

All the information I could find was for this setting was this sentence on the AppDB.

• Morrowind also behaves better when WINE emulates Windows 98.

Although; I've read a few places the same advice for different games. I can't see why one would deviate from the well tested norm. I have tested it both ways and don't see any reason to not report the version this game was designed for. In any case, everyone has been using this setting for a long time, so changing it now will only further complicate matters when they are testing their results against others. Lukish_ Tlk Cnt 10:30, 31 December 2008 (EST)

I've put back the recommendation. The fact that one user finds it works fine in XP doesn't mean we shouldn't follow established suggestions when making our own. –Rpeh^{•T•C•E•} 10:59, 31 December 2008 (EST)

After further digging, I found the source HOWTO:

• In winecfg set winver=win98 for best application behavior.

It seems it was written to the article originally by me. Lukish_ Tlk Cnt 11:40, 31 December 2008 (EST)

all right, fine. Niffweed17, Destroyer of Chickens 03:32, 1 January 2009 (EST)

Wine Settings

I'm using Wine 1.4-0ubuntu4.1 on Linux Mint 13 (LTS), and some of the settings mentioned simply don't apply. For example, the Graphics tab has no "Direct3D" section: [1]

Additionally, the registry has no Direct3D folder: [2]

My first guess was that these were from an old version of Wine and have been phased out, but perhaps my version is old. If there's some other step to getting Direct3D in Wine, then I think a relevant description or link should be added to the article.

Dbbolton (talk) 06:12, 17 February 2013 (GMT)

Your version is not old. The newer versions of wine simply don't have the Direct3D settings in them. If you're indeed running a newer version of wine, the Direct3D steps are safe to skip. Perhaps it should be noted on the actual page. --Rawnald (talk) 09:23, 12 August 2013 (GMT)