Posted April 28, 2025
Running BG3 on linux using the GoG version is not discussed much online, as the vast majority go through Steam and use Proton. If you’re here you obviously use the GoG version, and if you’d like patch 8 to run flawlessly on linux, then this guide is for you. (yes there are faster ways to do this, but this guide is for noob to intermediate linux users)
*Make sure you have about 300 gb of drive space for both the install files and the game install – its not a bad idea to put the install files on an external drive in case you want to use that version again later.
1. Download the game’s 33 install files to a dedicated folder or drive.
2. Create a new wine prefix for BG3. I recommend using wine version 8 or higher, so upgrade it if you need to.
3. If you don't have it already, install Lutris and create a game profile for BG3. Right click and select Configure - in Game info enter a name and set the runner to Wine. In Runner options, browse to the new prefix you made so you can do your winetricks stuff from here. Save.
4. Add the following components with winetricks:
dotnet8 dotnetdesktop8 d3dcompiler_43 d3dcompiler_47 d3dx9 d3dx10 d3dx11_42 d3dx11_43 faudio quartz dxvk corefonts vcrun2022
*You may be prompted to download a dotnet and/or runtime installer. Download them and install them afterwards manually from inside the prefix or by using the install button in wintricks uninstaller.
5. Go back to your Lutris BG3 configuration and in Game options set the executable by browsing to the game install files you downloaded from GoG. Save and run.
6. After the game has installed, go back to the Lutris entry configuration and change the executable to the ../Baldurs Gate 3/Launcher/Larilauncher,exe inside your prefix. Save and run.
*Larian launcher may ask you for dotnetdesktop6. If so, add it as well via winetricks
** Running the game for the first time from the launcher will create a full set of Appdata folders.
7. Go and download Norbyte’s Script Extender https://github.com/Norbyte/bg3se and put the Dwrite.dll file into the /Baldurs Gate 3/bin/ folder of your prefix.
9. In your Lutris BG3 entry, configure it again and change the executable to ../Baldurs Gate 3/bin/BG3.exe. In the Runner options tab, add an entry to 'DLLoverrides' and set the Key to Dwrite.dll and the Value to n,b. Save and run.
* If you want to create a desktop launcher for this part, you can do it something like this:
env WINEPREFIX=/path/toyour/BG3/prefix WINEDLLOVERRIDES=DWrite.dll=n,b wine "path/toyour/BG3/prefix/drive_c/GOG Games/Baldurs Gate 3/bin/bg3.exe"
** This step is necessary for installing the latest version of the Script Extender – the BG3 Mod Manager launcher will not work for this part.
10. Once you’ve confirmed the script extender dialog ran and the game launched and showed the SE version on the main menu, we’re pretty much done.
11. Close the game, download the latest version of the Baldur’s Gate 3 Mod Manager from Laughing Leader at https://github.com/LaughingLeader/BG3ModManager. Go to your prefix on /drive_c/ and create a new folder for the mod manager and extract these files into it.
12. In your Lutris entry, Configure it one more time – in Executable, browse to your BG3 Mod Manager folder’s BGDModManager.exe. Save and run.
13. The mod manager will need you to fill in the path to the data folder and game in settings as usual, and you will need to go to Tools → ‘download and extract the script extender’. This will make it recognize the installation you did back in step 9.
* If you had any mods added in here already, you wil notice the 'requires script extender'warning icons will change to the hammer, and list the correct version of SE.
Now you have a GoG BG3 patch 8 install on Linux that will run exactly like a windows install. All the mods updated for Patch 8 work properly, so you can get on with your playthroughs. If you have saved games from Patch 7 that weren’t working, you can add them to your /story folder and see if they pick up ok in a properly set up environment.
*Make sure you have about 300 gb of drive space for both the install files and the game install – its not a bad idea to put the install files on an external drive in case you want to use that version again later.
1. Download the game’s 33 install files to a dedicated folder or drive.
2. Create a new wine prefix for BG3. I recommend using wine version 8 or higher, so upgrade it if you need to.
3. If you don't have it already, install Lutris and create a game profile for BG3. Right click and select Configure - in Game info enter a name and set the runner to Wine. In Runner options, browse to the new prefix you made so you can do your winetricks stuff from here. Save.
4. Add the following components with winetricks:
dotnet8 dotnetdesktop8 d3dcompiler_43 d3dcompiler_47 d3dx9 d3dx10 d3dx11_42 d3dx11_43 faudio quartz dxvk corefonts vcrun2022
*You may be prompted to download a dotnet and/or runtime installer. Download them and install them afterwards manually from inside the prefix or by using the install button in wintricks uninstaller.
5. Go back to your Lutris BG3 configuration and in Game options set the executable by browsing to the game install files you downloaded from GoG. Save and run.
6. After the game has installed, go back to the Lutris entry configuration and change the executable to the ../Baldurs Gate 3/Launcher/Larilauncher,exe inside your prefix. Save and run.
*Larian launcher may ask you for dotnetdesktop6. If so, add it as well via winetricks
** Running the game for the first time from the launcher will create a full set of Appdata folders.
7. Go and download Norbyte’s Script Extender https://github.com/Norbyte/bg3se and put the Dwrite.dll file into the /Baldurs Gate 3/bin/ folder of your prefix.
9. In your Lutris BG3 entry, configure it again and change the executable to ../Baldurs Gate 3/bin/BG3.exe. In the Runner options tab, add an entry to 'DLLoverrides' and set the Key to Dwrite.dll and the Value to n,b. Save and run.
* If you want to create a desktop launcher for this part, you can do it something like this:
env WINEPREFIX=/path/toyour/BG3/prefix WINEDLLOVERRIDES=DWrite.dll=n,b wine "path/toyour/BG3/prefix/drive_c/GOG Games/Baldurs Gate 3/bin/bg3.exe"
** This step is necessary for installing the latest version of the Script Extender – the BG3 Mod Manager launcher will not work for this part.
10. Once you’ve confirmed the script extender dialog ran and the game launched and showed the SE version on the main menu, we’re pretty much done.
11. Close the game, download the latest version of the Baldur’s Gate 3 Mod Manager from Laughing Leader at https://github.com/LaughingLeader/BG3ModManager. Go to your prefix on /drive_c/ and create a new folder for the mod manager and extract these files into it.
12. In your Lutris entry, Configure it one more time – in Executable, browse to your BG3 Mod Manager folder’s BGDModManager.exe. Save and run.
13. The mod manager will need you to fill in the path to the data folder and game in settings as usual, and you will need to go to Tools → ‘download and extract the script extender’. This will make it recognize the installation you did back in step 9.
* If you had any mods added in here already, you wil notice the 'requires script extender'warning icons will change to the hammer, and list the correct version of SE.
Now you have a GoG BG3 patch 8 install on Linux that will run exactly like a windows install. All the mods updated for Patch 8 work properly, so you can get on with your playthroughs. If you have saved games from Patch 7 that weren’t working, you can add them to your /story folder and see if they pick up ok in a properly set up environment.
Post edited April 28, 2025 by hellgeist
