Steam tries to launch Half-Life mods using Windows version of HL

steamclosed reviewedSteam clientMOVED: Half-Life 1

ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux#960 · opened 2013-01-27 by Chemrat · updated 2014-10-09 · 28 comments · github

CChemrat 2013-01-27 github

After unpacking a mod into Half-Life directory, it shows up on the game list, but when I attempt to run it, Steam downloads Windows version of Half-Life first and then nothing happens. Following lines show up in console:

Game update: AppID 70 "", ProcID 8228, IP 0.0.0.0:0
ERROR: ld.so: object 'gameoverlayrenderer.so' from LD_PRELOAD cannot be preloaded: ignored.
/bin/sh: /home/my_username/.local/share/Steam/SteamApps/my_account_name/Half-Life/hl.exe: Permission denied
Game removed: AppID 70 "", ProcID 8228 
saving roaming config store to 'sharedconfig.vdf'
roaming config store 2 saved successfully

Apparently Steam tries to launch mods using Windows version of HL.

Jjohndrinkwater 2013-01-27 github

Which mod is it?

CChemrat 2013-01-27 github

It appears to happen with any mod, though I've tested only three mods so far:

http://www.moddb.com/mods/halfquake-amen/downloads/halfquake
http://www.moddb.com/mods/half-life-zombie-edition/downloads/zombie-edition-v-11
http://www.moddb.com/mods/ispitatel-4-classic/downloads/ispitatel-4-classic-english

Also it seems that I can't install HL mods from Steam. When I click on "Install Game" in the store console just prints out

ExecSteamURL: "steam://run/90017"

with different appid for different mods and nothing happens.

AAnAkkk 2013-01-27 github

Try this:

Exit Steam
Delete appmanifest_70.acf in SteamApps
Start Steam, reinstall HL1

HL1 should now be installed in SteamApps/common/Half-Life. Try to put your mod in this folder and see if it works.

CChemrat 2013-01-27 github

I did what you've said and it behaves exactly the same way:

HL1 installation puts Linux version of HL in common which works just fine
After unpacking a mod into SteamApps/common/Half-Life/ and restarting Steam, installed mod appears in the game list
When I try to launch installed mod through it's entry in Library, Steam "updates" HL1 and downloads Windows executables and libraries into SteamApps/username/Half-Life and tries to launch hl.exe

Linux version of HL1 installs into common dir and works just fine, even after downloading Windows binaries in user's dir.

Aalfred-valve maintainer 2013-01-28 github

Mods won't work because they won't have a linux port of their game dlls, so that is going to be a problem even if you get the install to work. We will dig into the install path though.

Rrfinnie 2013-01-30 github

I'm seeing the same issue with mods which use the pure base Half-Life base, no custom gamedlls. For example, SteamLink, a repackaging of the HL:Uplink demo BSPs using the standard GoldSrc engine. The liblist.gam I created (below) still fails (on Linux and OS X) with:

/bin/sh: 1: /home/ryan/.local/share/Steam/SteamApps/fo0bar/Half-Life/hl.exe: Permission denied

NB: I am the packager of SteamLink, so if you would like additional testing, I would be happy to help.

game "Half-Life: Uplink"
icon "icon"
developer "Valve"
developer_url "http://www.steampowered.com/v/index.php"
manual "http://www.halflifeuplink.com/steamlink"

startmap "hldemo1"
trainmap "t0a0"
gamedll "../valve/dlls/hl.dll"
gamedll_linux "../valve/dlls/hl.so"
gamedll_osx "../valve/dlls/hl.dylib"
type "singleplayer_only"

Rrfinnie 2013-01-30 github

FYI, this limitation (for mods without custom gamedlls) appears to only be in Steam itself, not Half-Life. I found I can do:

$ ~/.local/share/Steam/SteamApps/common/Half-Life/hl.sh -game steamlink

Assuming the correct mod files are in ~/.local/share/Steam/SteamApps/common/Half-Life/steamlink, and liblist.gam has the correct gamedll_linux (or gamedll_osx on OS X) entry, this works fine in both Linux and OS X.

Aalfred-valve maintainer 2013-02-07 github

This is infact a steam client bug, and the next steam client release should fix this issue.
This DOESN'T mean all mods will start to work on OSX or Linux, each mod team will need to determine what is needed for OSX/Linux support, but it enables them to do that work. For mods that don't alter the game code (i.e just content) things should start working.

MMRZA-MRZA 2013-02-08 github

That's a big disadvantage of HL linux port. Because no one will port old mods and not every mod developer will port their mod to Linux. So wine is still preferable for me.

Jjohndrinkwater 2013-02-08 github

@SkaarjZR https://swordfischer.com/2013/01/27/Half-Life-Mods-for-Linux/ has compiled a list of working mods for half‐life, suggest you contact the authors of your preferred mods.

MMRZA-MRZA 2013-02-08 github

johndrinkwater, that was compiled by Valve (but not included to Steam). But for 3rd party mods, I indeed should contact the authors to port mods, but it's much easier to run HL using wine.

Aalfred-valve maintainer 2013-02-14 github

Last steam client beta update should have fixed being able to launch mods.

Rrfinnie 2013-02-16 github

Nope, now I'm getting a popup, "Failed to start game (missing executable).", with nothing relevant on the console. Are relative paths not being parsed perhaps? This is the relevant liblist.gam entry:

gamedll_linux "../valve/dlls/hl.so"

MMailaender 2013-02-19 github

I can confirm that it is still broken:
ns1-v36-linux-steam
You can start third-party mods via the command line.
http://www.reddit.com/r/linux_gaming/comments/17ahm3/how_to_install_and_run_half_life_mods_on_steam/
While Natural-Selection 1 works with .so files released for dedicated servers it is glitchy:
ns-barney-glitch
All player models are replaced with barneys and some animations are missing, the VGUI is completely broken.

MMailaender 2013-02-19 github

The link in the URL is broken, too: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8676-EFLX-7453&l=english

Aalfred-valve maintainer 2013-02-19 github

The NS guys need to do a linux port for it to work, you see it half working because it is failling back on the Half-Life client dll, which only half works (at best).

MMailaender 2013-02-19 github

Do you have the Natural Selection 1 source code for a quick port/compile on the ns/cl_dlls/client.so? It is listed in your database as http://store.steampowered.com/app/90002/. I will buy you a beer or something.

Ddscharrer 2013-04-15 github

I still get the "Failed to start game (missing executable)." error with SteamLink even though I can launch the game manually.

I have both the Steam Beta and Half-Life Beta enabled.

MMailaender 2013-04-15 github

There are plans to port Natural Selection to Half-Life 1.1.1.1 including Linux http://forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/comment/2102913/#Comment_2102913 but there is zero progress because the code is old and Valve did not release an SDK update.

Nnmirthes 2013-04-15 github

Surprised this is still broken. Is there an open bug against the Steam client's calling the wrong executable? Commenting on a closed bug seems pointless.

By the way, if you create a symlink, hl.exe -> hl.sh, and add the gamedll_linux hint to liblist.gam mods will launch from the steam client library. Mods that don't use a game dll seem to work, at least.

Ddscharrer 2013-05-05 github

@alfred-valve: this has been closed for months and now added to milestone steam-2013-04-24 - is it supposed to be fixed? I still get the missing executable error when launch HL: Uplink (with the steam beta enabled).

Creating a hl.exe symlink that points to hl.sh as suggested by nmirthes above works, but that shouldn't be necessary.

Nnmirthes 2013-05-11 github

Here are a couple of threads showing myself (Hardtimes) and others working on getting Source engine mods to work:

http://steamcommunity.com/app/221410/discussions/2/828938532549623359/?tscn=1368260628

http://steamcommunity.com/app/221410/discussions/0/828938532638150996/

On a side note, it'd be great if someone could update the Gameinfo.txt page at the Valve developer community site.

Aalfred-valve maintainer 2013-05-14 github

Okay, I see the issue and have a fix pending for the Steam client.

Dd10sfan 2013-05-17 github

Apparently there's a new patch for the steam client that fixes this for hl1. does this also fix source games?

SSarkie 2013-05-17 github

This is now fixed, I had to copy the latest .so file for it to load and update liblist.gam like @swordfischer said in #1070 but now it works perfectly.

Thank you.

Nnmirthes 2013-05-17 github

Confirming fixed with both Goldsrc and Source mods.

Jjohndrinkwater 2013-05-17 github

Closing as confirmed fixed, thanks peeps.

Iinukaze 2014-10-09 github

Someone have a site with the mods for linux , i mean a site , with the ".so" files requiered by some mods.

DLLs

hl.dllx1 2013-01