Vortex for Linux!

[Deleted185153838User]

Not to be mistaken, but as far as I remember, it became possible to open many Windows (.exe) supported games on Linux with the Proton application. When I was using it 2 years ago, it could cause problems in some games! I don't know yet whether they have solved these problems or not because I use Windows. But why not Vortex in games made for Linux? Of course, it would be nice.

[tallchristianboi]

yes that would be good

[JLB39401]

So I went to the Github site for Vortex at: https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex

I was looking for a version which runs on Linux (Ubuntu 22.04 or 22.10). The Readme at the bottom of the page (under the various tags, which include Windows but no recognizable Linux versions) jumps right in to 'building from source code' -- looking down further it looks like all of the directory structures are Windows type, and nothing at all mentions Linux. It doesn't look like there is a Linux version yet, and I did not see any guide to install it through Wine.

Maybe I could fumble through in a few days as SuperNoob, but some actual support would be nice. In the absence of Vortex, what mod managers are Linux gamers suggesting?

[showler]

This whole thread is about Vortex not running on Linux.

[zixi]

On 11/10/2023 at 4:58 AM, JLB39401 said:

So I went to the Github site for Vortex at: https://github.com/Nexus-Mods/Vortex

I was looking for a version which runs on Linux (Ubuntu 22.04 or 22.10). The Readme at the bottom of the page (under the various tags, which include Windows but no recognizable Linux versions) jumps right in to 'building from source code' -- looking down further it looks like all of the directory structures are Windows type, and nothing at all mentions Linux. It doesn't look like there is a Linux version yet, and I did not see any guide to install it through Wine.

Maybe I could fumble through in a few days as SuperNoob, but some actual support would be nice. In the absence of Vortex, what mod managers are Linux gamers suggesting?

I'm a bit late to the party so I'm sorry. I've successfully run Vortex on Ubuntu. However, at some point it would no longer launch from my desktop - I had to launch it by instigating a download from Nexus. I never fixed the problem because it wasn't much 'broke'. However, my attempts to install Vortex on my new machine - running exactly the same version of Ubuntu -  have failed (so far). The difference is that I never installed the original OS on this machine - it was done by the company building the rig so I'm not exactly sure what they did. They also installed a stable long support version of Ubuntu (Jammy Jellyfish) whereas I was running Mantic Minotaur on the other machine and I then updated this machine to Mantic Minotaur. There may be something in all that.

I tried two ways of installing Vortex - one through effectively a manual install then two attempts (different ones) through Lutris and so far I have been unsuccessful. The first time it installed but then when it was relaunched it didn't... The second time it just burst into tears and refused to run at all. However, I have successfully installed Mod Organizer 2 using rockerbacon's version and instructions at github. It runs perfectly for Skyrim though whinges about some of the mods (I ignore that  - it runs... so who cares). However, so far I haven't got the instances to work so I can't use it on Morrowind - just SkyrimSE. I may just give up and manually mod Morrowind...

If you get Vortex to work then it's great but you may well have to set up symlinks (symbolic links) and that isn't easy if you're new to Linux. Lutris has a version which is supposed to recognise your games library in Steam but that version threw a tantrum for me and I gave up (for the time being). Just in case I sound like I give up easily - I don't but we use ASDL here and download speeds would make most of you weep. I tend to do big downloads overnight but that isn't always practicable if I'm needed to press a button or something.

I'm not sure how many people here  game on Linux. You may get some help from a Linux forum and Steam - there's a Linux community there who are very helpful and knowledgeable about Linux. There are many many many Linux gamers out there and some phenomenally talented and patient software engineers who seem determined to make it all work on Linux - rockerbacon is one such person but you'll come across others. 

 

rockerbacon's Linux version of MO2 is here:

https://github.com/rockerbacon/modorganizer2-linux-installer

Follow the instructions extremely carefully!

If you get Vortex to work then never ever let it update! 

I game on Linux because I really want to and it is getting easier but one has to accept that most games aren't built with Linux in mind so it requires some extra help. Steam has come a long way with Proton and games they say aren't tested will quite often work but sometimes you have to be prepared to give them a tweak.

Good luck! 

 

To return to topic - yes - it would be nice if the next mod manager ran on Linux too. I notice that github has one that is currently being worked on... But I have no idea when it'll be ready for use as they don't say...

******

Mods - I'm sorry!  I tried to link to this and reply in the thread I started - it would be more appropriate there but I can't do it. Nor will it successfully cut and paste so I give lots of apologies and if this irritates you perhaps move it here :

But I read that question and felt sad that we hadn't been able to help. They're new here. I should have seen it. I haven't forgotten how lonely gaming on Linux can feel when you start out...

Thanks!

Edited November 25, 2023 by zixi
Said 'can' when I meant 'can't' ! :-/

[acser]

Well, lets turn it into a thread about running vortex in linux (steam experimental proton).

My setup:   Debian 12.1 with cuda 12.2, Steam (via deb) linux cinnamon, development version of vortex(not needed likely)

Since I am.  And its working excellent.  I even have the vortex dev testing version going. 
I didn't do anything special, just messed with it until I learned/figured steam proton out.

Vortex works in steam proton experimental, can/have video to prove... will stream even... lol

If you are doing a different game it will be a different folder number.
Just use your game folder in place of any skyrimse folder I state.

From here on, this instruction will show how to set up skyrimse.
If you have trouble setting up your "proton experimental, vortex compatible", game, make a post and I will try to help.

Verify you can create and play a new game properly in steam proton (experimental),
we are not here to troubleshoot LINUX/STEAM/PROTON, exit out once you verify it works without vortex.
If I can help with linux/steam/proton i will try, no expectations.

Ask steam to fix your game to work with proton, after all, thats how they make their money, they sell you other peoples games,
so they should do work and get them to work in proton, and they are doing very fine lately.

Make sure you have a working copy of skyrimse running vanilla, in steam using proton experimental,
( you can probably try this with any vortex game that works out of the box in steam proton experimental)
It should work right out the box running skyrimseV1130 once you enable proton experimental, start a new game, verify all works, and exit game.

This will create a skyrimse pfx folder in steam:  steamapps/compatdata/489830/pfx

This folder is the windows emulator for skyrimse (its the same folder for everyone)

download the latest windows vortex installer, and add the installer to steam

 

 

rename it to Vortex BEFORE YOU RUN IT (from installer.exe)
(JUST THE NAME,  keep the installer.exe link and start in path for now)

(make sure you enable proton experimental)

 

THEN run it, once it installs and opens vortex for the first time, exit vortex, and then change the steam link from the installer.exe to the pfx location for vortex.exe under blacktreegaming.
(just search your steamapps folder for vortex.exe)  make sure to change the working directory to the vortex folder also.

The pfx folder that steam creates during the vortex install is likely randomly named and will be different for everyone.
Once its created you can search your steamapps folder for vortex.exe and whatever number appears before pfx is now your vortex virtual windows drive.

(you might need to keep the installer.exe name though if you failed to rename it to Vortex above to keep it from creating a new pfx folder, when you first add installer.exe, change its name to Vortex before you run it for the first time)
If you failed at this step, you can delete the installer.exe in steam and start over making sure to rename it to Vortex before running the installer.

I think if you rename a non-steam proton application, it creates a new pfx folder, so keep the name if you already ran it. (just change the link to vortex.exe and the working folder)

(you may need to unhide the .steam folder or make a non hidden "steamnothidden" symlink to .steam in your home folder, so you can see it while inside vortex to setup the game folder properly to point to skyrimse)
but do not use this symlink in steam.

IN STEAM SHORTCUTS, DO NOT USE SYMLINKS:
they will fail to run your program, just use
TARGET:  "/home/user/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/       -your unique number-             /pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Black Tree Gaming Ltd/Vortex/Vortex.exe"
START IN:  /home/user/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/       -your unique number-            /pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Black Tree Gaming Ltd/Vortex/

Heres what mine looks like with my unique number:
TARGET:"/home/user/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/3453632636/pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Black Tree Gaming Ltd/Vortex/Vortex.exe"
START IN:/home/user/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/3453632636/pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Black Tree Gaming Ltd/Vortex/

Obviously the "user" and "3453632636" will be different for you.

 

 

 

( i am running beta version of vortex also, have it running skyrimse using skse in the vortex dashboard, bethini is in the dashboard along with nemesis, all works as of right NOW, even the latest .499 enb works.)
(i run v640 of skyrimse because bethesda totally sucks, they break all mods just so they can sell you a mod that makes you look like you are eating or something)

I couldn't get the latest .499 enb (linux version) working until....
Then copy the skyrimse pfx folder pasting it over the vortex pfx folder overwriting everything (i had to do this to get .499 enb working)
(I actually copied all the files/folders in the "steamapps/compatdata/489830" folder to my vortex randomly numbered folder overwriting everything)
(((I don't know the correct way to do this or the reason it works, but huzzzah, it gives us enb vortex compatibility. )))
(perhaps its just directx install or .net installs, someone could test by installing these files via vortex dashboard, basically vortex is now your "OS" interface.
((((something exists in the skyrimse pfx folder that lets enb work, but I haven't tried to look what, and its missing from the vortex pfx folder, so we copy with reckless abandon))))
((omg registries, databases, etc.,   AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH)

 

NOW YOU NEED TO FIX VORTEX OUR MATRIX MOVE PROBABLY BROKE IT.

STEP 1. Change the Vortex Steam link to point to your original vortex installer.exe file, run it, it will reinstall vortex into the same pfx folder IF YOU NEVER CHANGE THE link name"Vortex"
Also keep the start in folder pointed to the vortex folder as is, it doesn't matter for the installer.exe

STEP 2. After it installs, update the extensions then restart, and if you want the beta, install it and restart, then exit vortex.

STEP 3. Change the steam link back to pointing to vortex.exe.

You are done with the really nasty vortex proton stuff.

The steps above are how you reinstall vortex using a installer.exe file (for updates etc)

LAST FINAL WARNING: Never, ever, change the steam link name "Vortex"

USE A FRAME RATE LIMITER IN ALL PROTON APPLICATIONS or you will crash often.
goverlay is one example program that I use to limit all applications to 60fps (144 still crashes vortex)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- BELOW IS FOR SERIOUS VORTEX HACKERS ONLY, BEWARE!!!!
-- (you can have multiple vortex installs for each game, and a separate vortex install for every game, thus naming the steam link name "VortexSkyrimSE", and "VortexFallout" of which you will never change the steam link name again, RIGHT?....right.)
-- They will be in their own pfx folders and never interact unless you use the same stagingfolders in vortex, which is a really bad idea and never do that, use different staging folders for each copy of vortex.
-- You can probably use the same download folder for all copies of vortex as long as you don't mind that they will all have the downloads available to them in their install lists, if you delete a download in one, they all get that download deleted.
-- If you have multiple vortex installs for the same game, this lets you quickly switch all mods without enabling, disabling, uninstalling, installing or anything inside vortex, you just install/launch a totally NEW copy of vortex in steam, each copy has its own mod config.
-- collection 1: steam link name: VortexSkyrimSeDungeonsAndDragons
-- collection 2: steam link name: VortexSkyrimSeEso-UI
-- collection 3: etc...
-- collection 99: wtf? no way bro....... way....
-- To do this properly you will need to purge the staging folder BEFORE running the other copy of vortex in steam. (ideally, you purge when you plan to exit vortex, and deploy first thing when you start)
-- With the ability to do this in proton, you can have a copy of vortex for each mod collection, and switch between them (after purging) within minutes(plus deployment time).
-- (just make sure to use seperate staging folders for each copy of vortex.)
-- (also don't forget you need to run this install process for each copy of vortex, copying the games pfx folder over the vortex pfx folder, and re-running the vortex installer again)
-- Be careful, its easy to mix up what copy of vortex goes to what pfx folder, ya might wanna make a note about it if you plan to use multiple copies of vortex.
-- You can also look at the link to the vortex copy to figure out what folder its in.
--

Now you need to setup vortex and your game.

Add and Run all tools in vortex using the dashboard.

Open all nexus links inside vortex using the downloads tab option, paste the url, to the mod or collection, and it will prompt you to browse using the vortex built in browser.

this makes links to download work.

 

Add a file in your games folder called steam_appid.txt and put the number for your game into it.
This lets steam see the game when played.
So for skyrimse, the number inside the steam_appid.txt file is: 489830

 

MY CRASHES AND BUGS could have been due to:
-not using a frame rate limiter at 60fps
-not letting vortex create the deployment folder itself, manually type the path to it in vortex staging folder configuration and press APPLY.
(do not create the folder using your os, let vortex create the last folder)
-not reinstalling vortex after puillin the matrix destructive copy move,
so the install/deploy bugs I mention below are possibly fixed....

Proton will crash vortex once in a while, and if it does this during a install, that install is BAD, but vortex will not think it is.

This is an issue on windows also, vortex will not know if an install went properly, right now they do not have a way to let you verify the install worked from the download.

I crashed during the install of skyui, and at restart, vortex showed skyui as working, enabled, and installed.

But the skyui.esp file was missing and it never ended up in the loadorder.txt or the plugins.txt

I simply reinstalled the mod and it worked.

Vortex had no idea the files were even missing <--- huge bug/wtf? (this will happen in windows too)

This is a bug and I submitted a report asking for a way to verify the installs against the downloads.  Fomods mess this up but at least verify that the files in the download are also in the installed folder.. at minimum.

The loadorder.txt and plugins.txt files get loaded by skyrimse because skse is launched inside of vortex so no need to copy or symlink the appdata\local\skyrim special edition to the skyrim pfx location, never start skyrim via the steam button.  

You can and should generate new ini files for skyrim in vortex by launching the skyrimselauncher.exe file inside vortex using the dashboard for the first time before you setup skse.

Then create a dashboard link to bethini to tweak your ini files. (the latest version of bethini crashes in proton for me so use a version of BETHINI (not the new one)

Whenever you work with skyrimse or use any tools for it, always launch them from inside vortex using the dashboard, this causes your ini files and your plugin/loadorder files to be used from the VORTEX pfx virtual drive. (not the skyrimse pfx virtual drive)

If you all cannot get it to work, let me know and I will look into re-creating it all from scratch to see if it still works,  (I did all this as of a few days ago, from a new copy of steam linux and skyrimse)

 

V640 of SkyrimSE (the best and most mods available right now)

(do not use a downgrade patcher, these no longer work due to extra AE files being left in the skyrimse folder still after patching, you need to download skrimse 640 using the steam console.)

The steam console will open in steam linux as a tab in the program if you run this command in any terminal when steam is not running.

$           steam -console

Then download skyrimse v640 by pasting these into the console:

download_depot 489830 489831 3660787314279169352

download_depot 489830 489832 2756691988703496654

download_depot 489830 489833 5291801952219815735

This downloads the v640 of the entire skyrimse into those 3 folders, once it downloads it tells you where they are.

Start by totally erasing all files in the "skyrim special edition folder" first. (erasing skyrimseV1130)
Then copy all files in those folders you just downloaded in the console into "skyrim special edition" folder.
You are now at v640 of skyrimse.
Generate the ini files by running skyrimse inside vortex. (this runs the skyrimse launcher, yes we want this for the first time)
Install skse 2.2.3 and enbv499 (linux) (install the windows wrapper, and then overwrite with the linux files)
Begin mods for v640.
Link to skse inside vortex dashboard, and make it default launcher for vortex, so vortex will run skse instead of the launcher from now on.

.dll mods are likely a big problem still (photo mode etc), like in the dungeons and dragons 2 collection....
so if you know how to get them working in proton experimental,  please pay it forward and post,
my first attempt failed at dlls, but then I discovered that my vortex crashes mid-collection installing, left bad install terdz behind...(as was described in the bug above)
Now im cleaning up the bad install terdz by reinstalling the entire collection via the mods tab.  It waits for every fomod for user tho but the options are still set as the collection set them
If I uninstall everything and re-run collection, will it crash again.... or did frame rate limiter fix that.
I suspect the crashes are due to no frame rate limiter, so I turned on frame rate limit in goverlay enabled global mode.   No crashes yet.

If you install goverlay you can see the fps of vortex, this lets you determine if proton/vortex/game has frozen.

I suggest you back up the entire steam directory(this will have your pfx folders and the game
and if you placed the staging folder and vortex downloads folder somewhere inside the steam directory (like in common next to skyrim)
you can back it all up on an external offline backup that you never use once you get all this running.
Its all so involved it would be easier to IMAGE THE ENTIRE DRIVE that you have it all installed on, yes? (no mucking about in permission/invalid link linux nightmare etc, land.gz)
dd.
 

[acser]

I just had the SAME bug again, but this time it was for a mod I thought I already reinstalled, and i did.

Po3 tweaks.   Shows as installed, enabled.

I checked the install folder and it has the folder structure, but all files are completely missing.

Wow.   Looks like proton linux vortex has a bad bug with file writing?

Oddly, it works to uninstall the mod, and then install it.

I reinstalled everything without uninstalling everything.

So now I am going to try uninstalling everything, and manually installing everything one at a time, verifying that all files are in the deployment folder after install..of...each...mod....

This is a really bad bug because wow, I will be doing this for the next week considering this collection has 1,300+ mods.

So to really replicate this bug, install ANY mod, delete some files from the deployment folder for that mod, and see if vortex knows its jacked...

We need a way to verify installed files against the archives.

If vortex already does this, then its not working properly in this setup.

[acser]

The mods that end up totally empty, and improperly installed actually end up in the redundant list, so that may help with finding the problem mods, uninstalling them and reinstalling them, which works they get removed from the redundant list.

But my concern is those mods that may have a few files missing, thus not end up in the redundant list.

Still the only solution without a way to verify the installs against the download archives, is to uninstall everything, and install each mod one at a time, and manually look at the deployment folder for the mods files, against the archive of that mod.

This problem shouldn't be.   But it iz.

When you see what mods are listed redundant, you will laugh at some of them.  Thats because their folders are empty.

[acser]

I removed all mods, uninstalled them except the collections.

After I looked into my staging folder, it had over 100 mods still installed, even after vortex said they were uninstalled.
I deleted the staging folder completely.
This removed my collections, oh well, they are now in the uninstalled..   I will have to find them manually by name to reinstall them.

I then had vortex recreate a new staging folder by manually typing in the path I wanted, but a new folder so it didn't use the old one.

This allows vortex to create the folder instead of you doing it with your OS.   This may resolve any permission problems I was having?

We will see, it complained about those 100+ mods after I applied the pathway change, oddly, none of those mods are installed anymore, actually all mods have been removed.

I reinstalled vortex again by changing the path to installer.exe in steam Vortex link
(keep the Vortex name, DO NOT TOUCH IT). 
This allowed me to reinstall on the same pfx, and it worked.

It then updated its extensions and then installed the beta again. 

Perhaps this will fix my issues since I copied the skyrimse windows install over the vortex install at one point to get enb working,
this trashes the registries of vortex, so hopefully all this is now fixed.  ...Doubt it?

I changed my steam link back to vortex.exe, all is good, so this is how you update vortex. (never change the Vortex link name)

Now my staging folder is clean, and I let vortex set it up instead of me making the folder in linux.

I have installed and deployed a few mods and all is now ok.

Power of three tweaks works and skyui and address library.   Ok, i got this starting out REALLY SLOW.

I actually started a new game with those three mods in 640 and 499 enb, the enb works, I use ESOUI enb looks great, but, the enb menu key does not work. (shift enter does nothing)
I don't even need the enb menu, I use the esoui preset.
https://eso-ui.com/ultimate-immersion-se-enb/

Skyui shows the mod menu now, i have been having staging folder problems THIS WHOLE TIME, but vortex almost never complained?  (it never did complain about skyui or any other mod that had folders but no files)
(it did rarely,on rare odd mods, never for my problem mods: skyui or power of threee tweaks, and when it did, it never granted permissions, i had to cancel the prompt,
sometimes I had to crash vortex because it was asking permission and never granting it)
So far I do not see that permission prompt, and PRAY YOU NEVER DO.

lol, see you this time next year once I am done installing these 1,000 mods one at a time?  j/k Im starting the collection over again.
Perhaps I had permission issues?   I did create the staging folder myself in linux before, and this time I let vortex create it in the location I wanted by manually typing the path and hitting apply.
I put my downloads on an external drive, vortex is fine with that.

I put my staging folder here, by manually typing in the path and letting vortex create the "VortexMods" folder:   /home/username/vortex/steamapps/common/VortexMods
I created a "vortex" symlink to .steam/steam because when you are running vortex, .steam is hidden and you cannot navigate to the common folder to skyrimse.

Wow, the mods are installing much faster too, how could me creating the Deployment folder in linux be any different than letting vortex create it? lol
And why is it now installing them 3 times faster...
You have entered the twilight zone.

Perhaps reinstalling vortex after I went insane and did a matrix move copying the skyrimse pfx over the vortex pfx,
I will update the instructions to reinstall vortex after the skyrimse pfx copy.
Also, always let vortex create the staging folder, if it cannot, resolve that problem, do not just create it using your OS.

[acser]

Success, !!!!!!!!

vortex shows full deployment using the Dungeons and Dragons 2 collection,

with no missing assets and only 1 unresolved conflict, the deployment folder shows exactly plus one number of mods installed.

I had a permissions error pop up when uninstalling photomode, I clicked RETRY and it worked.    Likely it was a timing issue, vortex or proton or linux refused a file activity due to being flooded or flooding with file operation requests.

Crumbly but good.

DLL mods fail, -photomode, -seasons of skyrim skse, -to your face ae.

Disabled those mods and now skyrimse starts, calculates the enb shaders and displays the new interface and crashes.

Either the disabled 3 mods cause this crash or the curator failed at making a collection.
But they did well, because I have no conflicts or missing assets, close... very close..
Being that I am running proton, I will not bug/comment/vote on this collection as I cannot prove that its not proton.

I now will try another collection, but I will do it by making a whole new steam link for vortex, and once the pfx folder is created, I am going to copy my current running copy of vortex over it, then start it.
It will steal my staging folder so I will need to create a new one if I run the first vortex copy.  I won't even run that first copy anymore, it will be my default vortex copy that I copy when I want to create a new "steam link vortex mod profile".

VortexEnhanced is what I will name this new steam link.

And when I add this collection to my new copy of VortexEnhanced i will add it to a new profile when it asks so i can keep track of all the vortexes I create.
(when vortex runs it shows the profile name in the top left window) (the profiles in vortex don't really do anything useful except give your vortex a unique name in that window, lol)

https://next.nexusmods.com/skyrimspecialedition/collections/uh1yjz