Install K1R+K1CP (that use TSLPatcher) on Linux

[gnutix 4]

Hello everyone,

After years of not playing KotOR 1 because I've switched to Linux (I've tried the Android version, but that's not really the same...), I've finally found the "Steam Play + Proton" combo which allows to run the game on Linux via Steam.

I've spent the afternoon looking at the current game's ecosystem (including all the great mods that were developed during the last few years) and I'd like to install K1R 1.2 + K1CP 1.7 for my next play.
However, the installation instructions are all for Windows, running .exe installers. Has anyone experience doing that on Linux and could provide instructions ?

@Fair Strides : I've found a 2016 comment from you stating it would be hard to port TSLPatcher to Mac/Linux. Was there any demand for it, or is the modders community fine as it is ?
@ChaosRonin : you said in 2018 that "Kotor Tool doesnt run correctly under wine for me [...] Thankfully the TSL Patcher ran just fine". How did you do it ?
@N-DReW25 : you mention "use or find an alternative to the TSLPatcher" in your mod setup FAQ. Do you know any ?

Any chance one of you could help ?

Thanks!
gnutix

Related topic ? https://deadlystream.com/topic/5726-modding-kotor-2-on-macbook-pro/?tab=comments#comment-70241

Edited August 10, 2019 by gnutix

[A Future Pilot 161]

Howdy! I've played KOTOR on Linux before with mods, and there are two ways I've found that work well for mods:

1. Install them through Wine. Honestly I would recommend playing the whole game through Wine, since it has perfect compatibility, and I've never encountered an issue with it. To make it easier you can use PlayOnLinux (but don't use the built-in KOTOR script). If you wanna try it out and run into any trouble, let me know and I can help!

2. You can install KOTOR and all of its mods in a Windows environment (either an actual machine, or a VM running Windows), then copy the entire game directory in place of your directory on Linux.

 

Let me know if you need any more help!

[gnutix 4]

I was afraid that "One Does Not So Simply Run a VM" (because of registry edits and others Windows' shenanigans) and install the patch.

But it worked! 👍

The steps :

1. [Linux] run a Windows VM (downloaded here : https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virtual-machines ) using Virtualbox with a shared network folder ("Settings" => "Shared Folders" => "Add folder" icon, then provide the game's folder path "~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/swkotor" and check "Auto-mount")
2. [Linux] download UniWS.exe + the no-CD 1.03 swkotor.exe and put them in the game folder
3. [VM] patch swkotor.exe using UniWS.exe (using the proper options as described here : http://wsgf.org/article/star-wars-knights-old-republic )
4. [Linux] download and copy UniWS's specific 2560x1600 assets to the game's Override folder
5. [Linux] download k1hrm-1.3 here : https://deadlystream.com/files/file/1159-kotor-high-resolution-menus/ and patch swkotor.exe again, this time using using k1hrm-1.3's .pl script : "./hires_patcher.pl 2560 1600 yes ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/swkotor/swkotor.exe"
6. [Linux] copy k1hrm-1.3's specific 2560x1600 assets to the game's Override folder
7. [VM] download K1R + K1CP and put them in a separate folder on the VM's desktop (that's important, because TSLPatcher does a lot of IO writing, so if you have them in the network's shared folder, it'll most likely crash or be very very slow) 
8. [VM] install K1R's main patch (by pointing TSLPatcher to the game folder's network shared folder, which is found under Windows' "Network" menu) and then the secondary patches (same method)

I stopped at the 9th step, which would have been "[VM] install K1CP patches". But following the recent announcement of the very-soon-to-be 1.8 version, I was wondering if I should wait for it ? Or if I could already install the master branch ? (but I guess there's no "install.exe" binary for it yet - at least I can't find one in the Github repository) How could I participate to the beta phase ? Or will it then be possible to "upgrade" during a game play, if I install 1.7 now and I switch to 1.8 once it's released ?

Thanks for your guidance.

Addendum : in k1hrm's README, it says "There is no scaling on font size, and as far as I know no one has figured out how to do it".
Have you heard of anyone finding a fix for this (maybe in another mod) ? They are pretty damn small, these fonts... #hurting_tired_eyes

Edited August 14, 2019 by gnutix

[DarthParametric 3,785]

On 8/14/2019 at 8:38 AM, gnutix said:

Or if I could already install the master branch ? (but I guess there's no "install.exe" binary for it yet - at least I can't find one in the Github repository)

You can use the existing TSLPatcher exe from 1.7 (nothing has changed on that front), but the public 1.8 repo currently doesn't include any binaries - no compiled scripts, models, textures, modules, etc. Because we don't currently have blanket permissions from the various contributors to host outside Deadly Stream, the public repo only has the config, readmes, and script source. That may change in the future, but for now public access to the full release will only be via Deadly Stream as and when it is updated.

On 8/14/2019 at 8:38 AM, gnutix said:

Have you heard of anyone finding a fix for this (maybe in another mod) ? They are pretty damn small, these fonts... #hurting_tired_eyes

Have a look at the comments for the KOTOR Font Tool. That's as good as you are going to get.

[gnutix 4]

Thanks! Seems like the result of KotOR Font Tool still is a buggy one, and most people gave up on it. Guess that's where we stand as of today.

[gnutix 4]

Hello @DarthParametric !

I'm was thinking again about playing KotOR, this time on a Windows laptop connected to a big television in 4k (would be nice :D), but then I remembered the "unreadable small fonts" issue...
Would you know if a solution was developed since I asked you 1.5 year ago ?

As an alternative, I bought the Android version of the game (which includes a complete revamp of the fonts, so that works great on the TV) that runs on an NVIDIA Shield box. Would you know if I can install K1CP on this Android system, and if so how ?

Thanks for your insights and help.
gnutix

Edited January 24, 2021 by gnutix

[DarthParametric 3,785]

Nothing has changed regarding fonts.

Installing K1CP on Android would be the same as any other TSLPatcher mod. You presumably need to do it on a PC and then copy the files back. But I don't have the mobile version, so I have never done it myself. You'd have to ask someone conversant with it how to do it.

And be aware that as of K1CP v1.8, it is no longer compatible with K1R, so you have to pick one or the other.