linux not supported AH-64D broken MFD-textures

[carlgo11]

Hi,

this seems to be a well-known problem in the community but oddly enough I haven't seen an official bug report.

 

When launching DCS World Steam Edition on Linux via Proton, the characters on the AH-64D MFDs show up as filled blank squares.

As far as I can tell, this is due to the .TGA files of the MFD containing RGB values greater than 255. Converting the files via an image converter (ImageMagick, Photoshop, etc) corrects the values and makes the module function as expected but also breaks the Multiplayer Integrity Check.

Screenshot of the bug:

 

Please remake the following files so that they contain valid color codes:

DCSWorld/Mods/aircraft/AH-64D/Cockpit/IndicationResources/Displays/MPD/*.tga

 

On Linux, the conversion is as easy as:

#!/bin/sh
for file in "<game path>/Mods/aircraft/AH-64D/Cockpit/IndicationResources/Displays/MPD/*.tga"; do
  convert $file $file
done

 

The bug was initially reported here: https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/issues/1722#issuecomment-1356226049

[Lord Vader]

Hi @carlgo11

Unfortunately, there isn't much to do if an operating system isn't supported.

Thank you for your suggestion and time.

[carlgo11]

But the Steam Deck is supported?

Regardless, the files mentioned are invalid on any OS. It looks like Windows just disregards the invalid values but nonetheless the values are invalid.

I think it would be preferable to convert the files so that DCS doesn’t rely on a Windows bug to fix the issue.

Edited March 31, 2023 by carlgo11

[BIGNEWY]

Hi 

all development is done on the windows platform, we do not officially support linux or steam deck, however some people have had success with these operating systems. 
We will mention the issue to our team but can make no promises at this stage. 

thank you

[skipparoo]

Would like to confirm this is still happening, I guess i won't be buying the Apache until it's resolved.

[JetCat]

So DCS will run on Steam Proton? I had very limited success with Steam Proton, which means none of my games and sims worked with Steam Proton back in 2020 - but this was during a rather complicated time while no graphics card was in my computer but a Ryzen 5 2400G with a Vega 11 onboard graphics chip (called APU, I like that, APU, like auxiliary power unit in planes...) APUs are not really supported by Proton.

Hm this is a strange bug. What happens when the colour depth output for the whole system is lowered from 10 bit to 8 bit, I can do that in my Radeon settings. How can an RGB value be higher than 255, this is the maximum limit of every colour channel. Maybe that´s a Targa file specific thing I rarely if ever use tga

"As far as I can tell, this is due to the .TGA files of the MFD containing RGB values greater than 255."

Try to convert it to Intel Texture Works .dds Colour mode RGB colour 8 bits per channel that limits every colour to 255, with no Alpha channel (but if the file comes with no Alpha channel it of course must be saved with Alpha Channel because the Alpha Channel is crucial for the night lighting and therefore must be left untouched), compression none 32bpp lossless to prevent any ugly JPEG-like compression artifacts and quality loss over time when modifying a file more often, and save it as .dds instead of .tga. Maybe this will work.

 

[skipparoo]

No, im not running proton, I'm using the following

CPU: 5700X3D
GPU: 6700xt 12gb VRAM

32GB ram, with 64GB swap (large swap to keep the game "steady" for multiplayer)
Wine: wine-lutris-GE-proton8-26-x86_64
DXVK: dxvk-2.3.1

 

And it's running pretty smoothly besides the entire VRAM being filled when playing in multipler (that really needs to be resolved to leave the system at LEAST 1-2gb free for the system to operate properly)

[skipparoo]

Hi there @BIGNEWY and @Lord Vader I have done some research in hoping to help you guys in getting the files working for non-windows users.

With the script provided by someone on github and converted the images over that actually allow us Wine/Linux users while playing the game to actually see the text instead of the box's provided from @carlgo11. Hopefully you guys can check the files and possibly pass them into the game so everyone is a happy camper? I'm wanting to get the AH-64D but won't due to the lack of support/update for it even providing some helpful tips.

Please do let us know if you guys decide to check the files (original files are included as well, you can cross check them) and possibly help others as well with this.

 

Converted-original.zip

[Lord Vader]

Hello again, @skipparoo

Like we already said above, we cannot provide support for other operating systems/platforms. 

It is clearly listed what the prerequisites are here: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/world/stable/

Thanks for understanding. 

[skipparoo]

11 hours ago, Lord Vader said:

Hello again, @skipparoo

Like we already said above, we cannot provide support for other operating systems/platforms. 

It is clearly listed what the prerequisites are here: https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/downloads/world/stable/

Thanks for understanding. 

But yet... Steamdeck is listed through this link here. https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/support/faq/SteamDeck/ and saying that Linux isn't supported but that's literally what Steamdeck is....

 

So basically the entire non-windows platform is getting a thumbs down (would say it another way but won't) and even providing methods/ways/files to help fix it will be ignored and not even bothered?

[BIGNEWY]

12 hours ago, skipparoo said:

But yet... Steamdeck is listed through this link here. https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/support/faq/SteamDeck/ and saying that Linux isn't supported but that's literally what Steamdeck is....

 

So basically the entire non-windows platform is getting a thumbs down (would say it another way but won't) and even providing methods/ways/files to help fix it will be ignored and not even bothered?

Windows is the only OS we officially support currently. 

As mentioned in the link support are happy to take a look at your dcs log 

https://www.digitalcombatsimulator.com/en/support/

thank you 

[FalcoGer]

This situation is frustrating and unfair to Linux users, especially when this is not even looked at. Here are some points to reconsider this decision:

1. Texture Format Issue: The textures provided are in a broken format, which even on Windows is technically incorrect. DirectX may tolerate these errors, but it doesn't mean the textures aren't faulty.

2. Community Solution Ignored: A community member has already fixed the textures, demonstrating that the solution is simple and effective. However, using these corrected files breaks the integrity check, preventing online play.

3. Community Engagement: The community has demonstrated both the willingness and ability to fix the problem, which is a valuable resource for developers. Ignoring such contributions not only wastes this resource but also alienates a dedicated user base.

4. Linux Support Hypocrisy: While Linux isn't officially supported, the Steam Deck, which runs on a Linux-based OS, is supported. This inconsistency is confusing and frustrating for users. To drive the point home:

   Quote

   If you have problems playing DCS World on Steam Deck

   To diagnose any problems that you are facing, technical support needs to see the dcs.log file, which stores all the actions and events that occur in DCS World.

   Meaning technical support staff is willing to look at error logs for Steam Deck users (aka Linux users). How is this "Not supported"?

   6 hours ago, BIGNEWY said:

   As mentioned in the link support are happy to take a look at your dcs log 

   Why honor the promise of looking at the log when the root cause is already identified and a fix is proposed and implemented? All that is needed is to copy the corrected files. This response feels petty and dismissive. It's almost as if you're saying, "We know you fixed the issue but we don't care. But we promised to look at the useless log, so we are happy to do that for you."

5. Minimal Effort for a Significant Impact: Replacing the broken textures with the corrected ones is a trivial task—literally a few minutes of work. This small effort could significantly improve the experience for many users.

6. Economic Sense: Addressing this issue could even be economically beneficial. A user has offered to buy the game if this bug is fixed. Spending a few minutes to fix the bug for a potential sale makes financial sense.

7. Future proofing: You are planning Linux support down the line anyway with Vulcan support. Might as well take small steps now, especially when they are trivial and literally involve replacing a few files.

Addressing this issue would be beneficial not just for Linux users, but for the community as a whole. It demonstrates responsiveness to user feedback, commitment to product quality, and a willingness to support a broader range of platforms, all of which can enhance the reputation and success of the game. Instead it is immediately dismissed as "Linux not supported", which demonstrates a whole lot of other things.

Edited May 24, 2024 by FalcoGer

[BIGNEWY]

Again we only support windows OS currently, that may change in the future once we have vulkan support. 

Support will always try to assist where they can, so contacting them directly on our website is the best option. 

thank you