Creation Kit in Linux (Mint) - Render window crashing (but the rest of the kit is working)

[SilverDragon437]

Heya. I am posting here to try to find a way to fix my creation kit.

The problem: The kit crashes when I use the render window
More specifically, I can use the render window normally for a few seconds. After a few seconds, the entire creation kit freezes.

I am assuming the cause of the issue is some kind of rendering driver is missing. Read on.

 

I have a very specific setup:
OS: Linux Mint (Cinnamon)
Dedicated folder for creation kit, which is a clone of my game folder
The files from creation kit from bethesda launcher (saved on a drive) in conjunction with the Creation Kit Fixes by Nuukem

Getting the thing to even run on linux was a massive headache, but in short, these are the steps I had to take to get it here:
- Using Proton 9.5 GE
- I downloaded several windows dependencies using ProtonTricks
- I defined the additional .dll files in WineCfg that are in the game directory

CK fixes mod is working. The rest of the kit appears to be working (at least I can edit objects in the object window.)

 

For windows .dll dependencies, I have the following added via protontricks: d3dx10_43, d3dx11_42, d3dx11_43, d3dx9_43, faudio

In Wine Config, I added the following to the libraries tab: bink2w64, binkw64, binkw64, d3dx9_42, flowchartx64, p4comm64, steam_api64, tbb, tbbmalloc, winhttp
(Note that doing both of these was essential to get the kit working as much as it currently is)

It is not a problem with my load order or mods as far as I can tell. I have an extremely minimalistic dedicated folder. In my tests, I loaded only skyrim.esm anyway

Running emulated VM windows isn't really an option either, I don't have any keys and am poor.
Now, before someone suggests using the latest AE creation kit with the creation kit modding platform mod: I need to make sure this plugin stays compatible with 1.5.97 skyrim, and to my understanding the AE creation kit makes older versions of the game unable to load the plugin. Is this true? Or am I misinformed?

 

Any help is tremendously appreciated. Been wracking my brain for days over this. In addition, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of documentation online about this (or I can't find it). I got this far through trial and error and the few google searches that did turn up a result.

Edited May 26 by SilverDragon437

[AaronOfMpls]

21 hours ago, SilverDragon437 said:

I am assuming the cause of the issue is some kind of rendering driver is missing. Read on.

Could be.  I have a different Linux setup -- Manjaro 24.0.0, with kernel 6.6.30-2, X Server 21.1.13, and an AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (drivers radeonsi, navi14, LLVM 17.0.6, DRM 3.54, 6.6.30-2-MANJARO) -- and the CK works for me, though the rendering window is a bit crashy if I load a lot in it and move it around.

How are you launching the CK?  You mentioned Proton, so are you launching it through Steam, or through Mod Organizer 2, or through some different Wine setup, etc? 

(I'm launching it through MO2 on Steam myself, via rockerbacon's installer script -- more details in another thread.)

21 hours ago, SilverDragon437 said:

I need to make sure this plugin stays compatible with 1.5.97 skyrim, and to my understanding the AE creation kit makes older versions of the game unable to load the plugin. Is this true? Or am I misinformed?

I'm not entirely sure myself.  I know there's a Backported Extended ESL Support mod for 1.5.97. 

And you can download the 1.5.97 CK itself via the Steam Console; there are Skyrim SE downgrade guides around.  But replace the Windows run command with

steam steam://open/console

to open the Steam client's hidden console.

Though I have no experience with this, really.  I belatedly got into Skyrim SE on Linux only in January 2024, as the dust was starting to settle from the 1.6.1170 updates.  And even then, I've mostly played Skyrim LE with the old Mod Organizer profiles I brought over from Windows, as I slowly build a mod setup on SE.  So I haven't bothered to downgrade anything.

-----------------------------------------------

Also, if you haven't found the Skyrim forums since last year's forum updates: they're hidden under Game Communities at the top-left of the forum pages.  Find Skyrim there and click Join Community to post.

[SilverDragon437]

Hi! I appreciate the response!

To launch CK, I went into steam and did "add a non steam game" and found the CreationKit .exe file. Once it was in my steam library page, I went into properties and set it to use proton through the compatibility tab. To launch I do so from my steam library.

In this current setup, I am not launching through mod organizer. I do also have a mod organizer setup from when I was on windows, I got that working for when I actually play the game (portable installation.) But for the sake of getting the creation kit to work I've kept MO out of the mix for now.

Thanks for the tips on the steam console stuff. I might try that to find a completely fresh 1.5.97 version of both the CK and the game, if possible.  Apparently steam no longer has the 1.5.97 files available for download via console - I guess Todd is really intent on shoving the 1.6.x versions on us.

Thanks also for the tip on the skyrim forums - I thought I was in them x.x

 

I will see what happens if I downgrade both the game & the kit, if possible I might see if I can use the steam version of CK with the creation kit platform mod and try my luck there. Maybe there's an xEdit script that I'd be able to run to make the plugin still compatible with 1.5.97 .

 

After a bit more trial and error (5 hours yesterday) I am convinced it has something to do with the renderer. I think Proton defaults to Vulkan. I tried forcing different options in Winetricks/Protontricks but to no avail.

For testing, I loaded just skyrim.esm and opened the Abandoned Prison cell (the one LAL uses.) Crashes exactly the same - I can move around in render window for a few seconds and then the entire kit freezes and crashes.

The CK fixes did generate dump files, but I am a total noob when it comes to anything like that. The only answers I found via google about how to even open a dump file were cryptic instructions and didn't end up working for me. Opening them in a text editor crashes the text editor (they are about 1.2 mb and I guess the editor can't handle it.) I am certain if I could read the dump files it would give me even a slight clue as to why it's crashing.

 

I also uninstalled wine/proton and winetricks/protontricks and reinstalled, and made sure I am using the latest versions. Same result.

 

Other things to note:
- Installing VCRuntime2019 was hell but I did manage to put it into my default wineprefix. (It's listed as a requirement for CK fixes)
- I read a post somewhere about how your game folder has to be in the default steam folder for protontricks to properly detect it. I moved the folder there and reconfigured protontricks. It didn't make any difference.
- I read a post someone made about the animations folders causing CK to crash. I deleted all of the animations folders in my folder (they are in the bsa anyway) and it didn't make any difference
 

 

Edit: Apologies! I typed this yesterday but must have missed the "submit reply" button.

Edited May 28 by SilverDragon437

[AaronOfMpls]

5 hours ago, SilverDragon437 said:

To launch CK, I went into steam and did "add a non steam game" and found the CreationKit .exe file.

This isn't normally needed.  The CK should already be in Steam without it, under either Software or Tools. 

Spoiler

 

5 hours ago, SilverDragon437 said:

In this current setup, I am not launching through mod organizer. I do also have a mod organizer setup from when I was on windows, I got that working for when I actually play the game (portable installation.) But for the sake of getting the creation kit to work I've kept MO out of the mix for now.

I don't see much reason to not launch it through MO.  It's got to be able to see your mods somehow, if you're going to edit them.  And any new mods you create, any new files from them will end up in MO's Overwrite folder until you move them elsewhere.

And if you don't want the CK to see your existing mods, you can always make a MO profile with nothing enabled in the left pane.

5 hours ago, SilverDragon437 said:

After a bit more trial and error (5 hours yesterday) I am convinced it has something to do with the renderer. I think Proton defaults to Vulkan. I tried forcing different options in Winetricks/Protontricks but to no avail.

Yah, something with your graphics drivers is likely.  As I said, the rendering window can be a bit crashy for me too, though it doesn't insta-crash when I load things in it.  And come to think of it, it could be crashy for me in Windows too -- though that might've also been my old Win7 PC showing its age and weakness.  (I never did install SE on it because of that; only LE.)

Still not sure what to do regarding 1.5.97 compatibility.  As I said, I haven't messed with any downgrading stuff, due to my late start at SE.  And I figure many people on downgraded versions will have patcher programs or xEdit scripts to change file headers to be 1.5.97-compatible, or an SKSE plugin to make it read them anyway.  Maybe someone in the Skyrim forums here will know more about this.

Edited May 28 by AaronOfMpls