EQ1 on Ubuntu Linux 22.04+ guide

This post is inspired by our friend "Wdor", who reached out to me for help with Ubuntu and EQ1. I'm actually gonna be doing a EQ1 Linux tuto video soon, and I think I'll just do an extension to the one that I already have for EQ2. But for now, here is how you can get EQ1 up and running on Ubuntu 22.04 and higher (22.10 etc.) with Steam: https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq2/index.php?threads/eq2-on-linux-and-mac-guide.604032/

Alternatively this link should also forward you directly to the post on page 6: https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq...inux-and-mac-guide.604032/page-6#post-6720190

[Placeholder for EQ1 on Ubuntu 22.04.1+ additional video]

Before we start, are you running an older Ubuntu release? No problemo, you should be able to upgrade from one release to the other:

Option 1: Upgrading from one Ubuntu LTS to another Ubuntu LTS. For example, going from Ubuntu 20.04 LTS to Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Simply run system updates and you should automatically get a notification offering you an upgrade from an older LTS to a newer version of Ubuntu.

Option 2: Upgrading any previous Ubuntu release to the most recent version of Ubuntu (22.10, non-lts). See this video:

Not my vid, kudos to its creator. When all is set and done, you shall proceed.

EQ1 on Ubuntu 22.04.1 and higher

Step 1 - First follow this guide to install EQ1 instead of EQ2:

My vid (EQ2R) for our community

Please note: If you're getting an "insufficient storage" error when patching EQ1 (has to do with how locked down your personal files are on Linux), your Steam launch command has to be modified to look like this: PROTON_SET_GAME_DRIVE=1 gamemoderun %command% --disable-gpu . This launch command is also necessary if you plan on Beta testing future EQ1 and 2 clients.

Step 2 - After installing EQ1 via Steam on Ubuntu and setting the launch command options as mentioned above, make sure to install an app called "Protontricks" via the Ubuntu Software Center:

Protontricks = simplifies the installation of additional libraries, fonts, dlls, DirectX and more. Imagine it this way, instead of heading over to Microsoft's website for a fresh batch of DirectX9 updates, which you manually have to look for, you use Protontricks to download and install the newest DirectX9 files for you instead. It's an automated process that makes life easier.

Step 3 - Use Protontricks to install DirectX9 files into your Everquest 1 folder on Steam:

Select EQ1 from the list of installed Steam games and click "OK"

Select "standard" wineprefix and click on "OK"

Select "install Windows-DLL" and click on "OK"

Select "d3dx9" and click on "OK"

Done. Be patient when installing DirectX9 files as this may take a few minutes to complete. If the Winetricks / Protontricks windows disappears, don't worry, this is normal and it should be back within a few seconds or minutes (depending on how fast the files get downloaded and installed onto your PC). If the window doesn't reappear by itself after a few 10-15 minutes of waiting, feel free to reopen Protontricks again and redo the process. Example: In my case and on my system, core i7 with NVME drivers plus 30MB/s download speed, this process took no more than a few seconds to complete.

Step 4 - optional, in case you notice some fonts are off or not being displayed correctly in EQ1 (wasn't the case on my Ubuntu system):

Select "install fonts" and click "OK"

Select "corefonts" and click "OK"

Same as step 3, be patient and wait for the app to download and install the necessary corefonts onto your system.

Please note: If you're getting an "insufficient storage" error when patching EQ1 (has to do with how locked down your personal files are on Linux), your Steam launch has to be modified look like this: PROTON_SET_GAME_DRIVE=1 gamemoderun %command% --disable-gpu . This launch command is also necessary if you plan on Beta testing future EQ1 and 2 clients.

That's pretty much it! Launch EQ1, patch, enjoy! Feel free to reach out if you need help. You can also just use Crossover, Lutris, Bottles, vanilla Wine and more on Ubuntu if you don't need or want Steam, but as mentioned a few pages back, I recommend using Steam for everything for the best out of the box experience. Crossover and Lutris guides are already online, see page 1 in the EQ2 forum for tutos, and I will be posting updates to these for EQ1 and more asap. If you decide to go with Crossover Linux instead of Steam, feel free to use this coupon code for your purchase as it'll give you 30% off the original price: RYAN30

Why?

As mentioned before, the main benefit of doing this is that you are switching to a more modern and faster API called "Vulkan". Ofc you also gain additional benefits like a more secure and highly flexible system, less data mining for the folks concered about data and privacy related issues on Windows and the US, free upgrades, enterprise stability and much more. As of this writing, EQ1 runs on DirectX9, with an upgrade to DirectX11 announced for 2023. So far translating DirectX9 to Vulkan can potentially yield a 200% performance boost versus the vanilla Windows client (your mileage may very though - this will depend on various factors ofc), see screenshots below. That said, even translating DirectX11 via DXVK to Vulkan is most likely still going to be faster than running the vanilla DirectX11 client as seen in many other older and modern PC titles. So for what it's worth, I assume Linux is most likely still going to have the edge over the vanilla Windows version even after upgrading EQ1 to DirectX11.

DXVK / Vulkan vs DX11 vs DX12:

World of Warcraft: Old test, about two years old - DXVK has gotten even faster since then. DXVK / Vulkan: 209 fps and DX11 / 12: 170-184 fps. Click on the picture to see the benchmark in action.

EQ2 - Kubuntu 22.04 versus Windows 7, identical system (screenshots from Aterskia, more on page 2):

Windows 7 -> 23 fps

Kubuntu 22.04 -> 70 fps

Windows 7 = A security risk in 2023?

Still holding on to Windows 7 because you hate the way Windows 8, 10 and 11 behaves? Well then you might just the look and feel of the KDE desktop environment, which is what Kubuntu uses for example:

KDE Plasma, highly tweakable, similar to the Windows 7 look and feel

Cheers

Small reminder: The above goes for Ubuntu with the Gnome Desktop Environment. Let me know if you're interested in KDE Plasma instead (used in Kubuntu) and I'll post a few more details. Linux is all about freedom of choice, and boy oh boy do you have a lot to choose from. This is a good thing IMHO because we all have different tastes. Some prefer the Windows 7 look and feel (KDE Plasma), some will enjoy a more modern approach similar to our smart devices (Windows 8+, MacOS -> Gnome etc.), and some miss the good old XP or Windows 98 days (Xubuntu, Lubuntu).

Another small reminder: The fps boost is only possible if your hardware is compatible with Vulkan. Post some hardware specs and I'll check for you. That said, even if you're running on an ancient Windows 7 machine, chances are that you'll still experience a solid performance boost, even if your gpu isn't compatible with Vulkan (in addition to other benefits). A modern Linux distro like Ubuntu only uses a fraction of your system RAM when compared to the likes of Windows 10 and 11 for example - while boasting more advanced and modern desktop features too.

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