The Haus

ut2004@icculus.org FAQ

Originally Posted: April 12, 2004

Last Updated: December 19, 2005

This is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) file for the ut2004@icculus.org mailing list. This list is for information and help with the Linux version of Unreal Tournament 2004. For any additions or corrections to this FAQ, please email A.T. Hun. Complaints will cheerfully be accepted at /dev/null. An excellent source of information on Linux gaming in general is the Linux Gaming FAQ on icculus.org. Special thanks go out to Ryan "icculus" Gordon for doing the port and Epic for making it a reality.

Subscribing / Unsubscribing

Please note that subscribing, unsubscribing, and help information is available in the initial message you received when you subscribed to the ut2004@icculus.org mailing list. It is also included in the headers of any message you receive from the list.

Q: How do I subscribe to the ut2004@icculus.org mailing list?
A: Send a blank email to ut2004-subscribe@icculus.org

Q: How do I unsubscribe from the ut2004@icculus.org mailing list?
A: Send a blank email to ut2004-unsubscribe@icculus.org

Q: How do I get a complete list of commands for the ut2004@icculus.org mailing list?
A: Send a blank email to ut2004-help@icculus.org

Q: Are web archives available for the ut2004@icculus.org mailing list?
A: Yes indeed! You can find them at http://icculus.org/cgi-bin/ezmlm/ezmlm-cgi?42

Installation Help

Q: How do I install UT2K4 in Linux?
A: The binaries are included in the boxed version of the game. Note the handsome Tux logo on the box. Mount the CD marked "CD1 Install Disc" or the DVD marked "Play Disc". As root, issue the command /mnt/cdrom/linux_installer.sh and then follow the prompts. Naturally, replace /mnt/cdrom with wherever you mount CDs/DVDs.

Q: I still can't get it to install! What now?
A: There are two most frequent problems with installation. One is supermount. Trying disabling it and then installing the game. The other is that Joliet support is not compiled into your kernel. Most stock kernels have this built-in. If you rolled your own kernel, double check your .config to make sure it is being compiled in (look for CONFIG_JOLIET=y).

Q: That didn't help! Is there anyplace else I can look?
A: You bet! Check the installation section of the Linux Gaming FAQ

Patches

Q: What is the latest patch for UT2K4 in Linux?
A: The latest patch is 3369.2.

Q: Where can I find the 3369.2 patch?
A: You can download it right here from icculus.org. Make sure to install the patch AFTER you install the Editor's Choice Edition content (see below under "Mods"). Please note that AMD64 binaries are included in the patch. Just rename ucc-bin-linux-amd64 to ucc-bin and ut2004-bin-linux-amd64 to ut2004-bin and you're good to go.

Q: How do I install the patch?
A: It's pretty easy. Just use these commands:

tar xfvj ut2004-lnxpatch3369.tar.bz2
cd UT2004-Patch
cp -R * /where/i/installed/ut2004

Obviously, replace /where/i/installed with the actual path to your UT2K4 installation. After that you should be good to go!

Q: When will the next patch be out?
A: When It's Done. Keep an eye on the mailing list or icculus.org for an announcement.

Bugs

Q: I think I found a bug! How can I make sure that icculus knows about it?
A: Go to bugzilla.icculus.org and search existing bug reports to make sure someone else hasn't reported the bug already. After that, create an bugzilla account (if you don't already have one) and add a bug. Be as specific as possible, included pertinent hardware, kernel, driver, and distribution information.

Q: Why won't render-to-texture or realistic shadows work?
A: They do now! All you need is the 3369 patch, an NVIDIA card, and the latest NVIDIA drivers. To get render-to-texture (for the Hellbender license plate, etc.) add UseRenderTargets=True in the [OpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice] section of your UT2004.ini. To get realistic shadows add bPlayerShadows=True and bBlobShadow=False in the [UnrealGame.UnrealPawn] section of your User.ini.

Q: When I installed the 3236.1 patch, I lost all the decals. What happened?
A: This is a known bug. Check this Bugzilla entry for the details. Patch 3339 fixes this.

Q: I keep getting these crashes all the time. The end of my UT2004.log complains about a "KIntersect" crash. Or the game crashes with a p->model1 error. What's up with that?
A: This bug has thankfully been fixed in the 3204 patch. If you really want to read all the gory details about how the bug was fixed, read this infamous bug 1413 entry on bugzilla.icculus.org.

Q: Why does UT2K4 crash the first time I try to run the game after installing new maps?
A: Good question. Check out this bugzilla entry to track this bug. The good news is that if you just run the game a second time everything works fine. It's more annoying than anything else.

Installing Maps and Mods

Q: How do I install custom maps?
A: If the maps just came in a ZIP file or a tarball, just put the various files in the proper directories where you installed UT2K4. Put .ut2 files in Maps; .usx in StaticMeshes; .utx in Textures; .uax in Sounds; .ogg in Music; .ukx in Animations; .ka in KarmaData; and .int, .u, .ucl, .so (if any) in System.

Q: Can I install a ut2mod?
A: Yes. Please note that this functionality is not well tested. I got it took work in UT2K3 but haven't tried it in UT2K4 yet. Others have reported that it works with UT2K4. This information is from the UT2K3 README-2199 (ucc-bin is in your ut2004/System directory):

Usage:

to extract:
./ucc-bin umodunpack -x file.ut2mod -nohomedir

to list contents of file:
./ucc-bin umodunpack -l file.ut2mod -nohomedir

Q: Epic released a bonus pack with two Onslaught maps (ONS-Aridoom and ONS-Ascendancy), but the installer only supports Windows XP! I'd sooner be disemboweled alive than install XP. Is there some way Linux users can enjoy these maps too?
A: There sure is! Worthplaying has the map pack in a 12M ZIP file. This just contains ONS-Aridoom.ut2 and ONS-Ascendancy.ut2. Unzip these files into your ut2004/Maps directory as noted above.

Q: Epic released the content from the Editor's Choice Edition of UT2K4. Can I install this in Linux?
A: Yes you can! There's even a tarball available to make things easier. However, you may want to go on to the next question and just download and install the UT2K4 Mega Pack instead. To install ECE content, follow these steps:

tar xfvj ut2004-ECEBonusPack.tar.bz2
cd ut2004-ECEBonusPack
cp -R * /where/i/installed/ut2004

Obviously, replace /where/i/installed with the actual path to your UT2K4 installation. Important! Make sure you install the 3339 or later patch after you install the ECE content. After that you should be good to go!

Q: Epic released the content from the UT2K4 Mega Pack. Can I install this in Linux?
A: Yes you can! There's even a tarball available to make things easier. This tarball includes all of the Editor's Choice Edition (ECE) content, the 3369.2 patch, and the new Mega Pack maps. To install the Mega Pack content, follow these steps:

tar xfvj ut2004megapack-linux.tar.bz2
cd UT2004MegaPack
cp -R * /where/i/installed/ut2004

Obviously, replace /where/i/installed with the actual path to your UT2K4 installation. After that you should be good to go!

Performance Tips

Q: People keep telling me to edit my .ini files. Where are they?
A: You can find your UT2004.ini and User.ini files in ~/.ut2004/System

Q: I've got an awesome box, but I can't get more than 9 fps on AS-Mothership. Help!
A: Open up your UT2004.ini file and change VARSize=32 to VARSize=64. It should be under the [OpenGLDrv.OpenGLRenderDevice] section. That should do the trick. VARSize controls how much static geometry in megabytes can be cached in AGP memory.

Q: Are there any other tweaks I can try?
A #1: Some people on the list have gotten a big speed boost by replacing the stock libSDL-1.2.so.0 and openal.so with ones they compiled themselves. Instructions on how to do this go beyond the scope of this FAQ. If you do try this, make sure to back up your libSDL-1.2.so.0 and openal.so files first. If you want to compile your own openal.so and want VoIP to work, then follow these instructions. I tried this and it didn't help me, but YMMV.
A #2: It seems counter-intuitive, but some people have reported that increasing your graphics settings may actually improve performance with newer video cards. They claim that higher settings user newer shaders that the newer cards can use more effectively. It can't hurt to try. I cranked everything with my GeForceFX 5700 Ultra. I don't know if I saw a huge speed-up, but I certainly didn't lose much.

Other Links

Q: Where else can I look for help with UT2K4 in Linux?
A: Here's a couple of links for you: