As others have pointed out, Proton is a custom version of Wine. SteamPlay's whitelisted games are akin to my own Wine wrappers, while the unsupported games are effectively just installing them using its default settings (I haven't released any equivalent for that yet).

Many of Proton's improvements have been/will be merged into mainline Wine releases, or they are separate to Wine itself/can't be merged like DXVK. That would be because it is. I've been using Linux for almost 6 years, and last year I stopped using Windows entirely - it's not even installed on my new system. I use Linux for everything, including gaming. Also AMD's drivers have come so far that I use an AMD graphics card now too. No matter how many times you repeat this it won't make it true. I install and use plenty of software from outside the repositories. A few examples:

All GOG games + many games from the Humble store etc.
All Steam games
My Wine wrappers
Various source ports/alternative engines
PlayOnLinux
CrossOver
Innoextract

And I install such things to wherever I want to put them.

Your thread title doesn't match the text at all. Your post has nothing to do with Proton on GOG, and is just another attempt at bashing Linux.

Proton is a bit of game changer - it's being supported (whitelist only) at no extra cost. It makes windows games a one-click install, just like native games. It's easier than PlayOnLinux. Lutris is a similar experience, but not integrated into Steam.

I'll agree with you - GOG needs to do more stuff like Proton for Linux. They already do a little bit - there are dosbox and scummvm games with bundled and pre-configured binaries. There are a few (very few) wine-wrapped games. In these cases, the game is very native-like, you download the mojo-setup file, install, and execute, just like a native Linux game.

adamhm's wine wrappers prove that there are many more games that could be delivered by GOG as wine wrapped games. They should do this for as many games as possible.

Really, they should be paying adamhm.

Ummmm no. My post is about Proton I'm taking a rather cynical approach to Proton because you know. All the laying and down voting of everything I post. Even stuff that's in favor of Linux.

Most of my questions about Proton have been answered. We'll have to wait and see if it will change anything. But it's way to early to call it.

I get what you're saying but I honestly don't fully agree with it. The biggest problem I keep running into when trying Linux us that it keeps crashing and programs just won't launch. I tried Ubuntu, Zorin and Fedora. Ubuntu had broken packages from the moment it started. Fedora crashed whenever I tried to update it. I googled the error message and apparently it's a bug with Fedora 28 so it in the trash. Zorin on the other hand actually did work. I wasn't able to get any of my Windows games to work after trying both Crossover and Wine (which is pre installed with Zorin) But it had the least amount of problems compared to the others. Linux games worked just fine on Zorin. If I was going to pick a distro that would be the one.

Since this thread is at least nominally about Proton, I'm going to drop the following link to a site that gather data from its user on how well it works for different games:

https://spcr.netlify.com

EDIT: I can add that I've used Proton to play Final Fantasy VII without any issues (or tweaking).

You're doing it wrong. I know that you're a self-proclaimed god at bash, but you're still doing something wrong. If things are crashing all the time, and programs don't launch, you've either got bad hardware, or you f'ed up your config somehow, because, Linux is typically pretty damn stable.

So, I'm using F28, and have been with the hat since F25, and I've never had issues with DNF/Dnfdragora. So yeah, they are doing something amazingly wrong.

If only it would prevent you from using your keyboard. o.O

from the horse's mouth

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1518476

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1557808

Also what has this got to do with Proton? You're going to derail the thread and blame me for it again? I never said I was a god at the terminal, just that I knew how to use it. I understand if this confuses you.

Don't know what to say about it. I haven't tried as many distros as you but so far didn't experience any problems with crashes and programs not launching.

I'm not entirely ignorant as to why this happens. Windows games need dll files to work like everything else made for it. But Wine will more often then not try and emulate dll instructions with open source alternatives. When it should really just stick to using real dll files. For example I always had better luck with it when Mono wasn't installed and actual VC ++ dll files were used instead. I know the Linux community really hates closed source software, but if it does the job then just use it. The version I used was the one pre installed with Zorin.

Why is it when you and I say the same thing I get down voted and hated and you don't :P

Do you realise how subjective that is right? I guess I’m being subjective as well but can you say that the majority of Windows games will work on Linux? And if so how simple is it to get working? I’m always hearing how some new thing will be a game changer. Maybe this time it will be. Maybe Proton will be the thing that makes me want to use Linux. Because the community sure as shit doesn’t.

Hence the wording “from a users prospective” and “feels locked down” all the methods you’ve listed; most Windows users won’t even know what any of that means. It’s a lot of hassle to get Windows games to work on Linux. You of all people should know this if what the say about you is true. At the most ideal circumstances you’ll get equal to Windows performance on Linux.

Now for me personally I like to keep an archive of files needed to make my computer work. So for Ubuntu based I’ll write a script with the commands like this

sudo add ppa/the ppas that I want
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade -d
sudo apt-get -d install install-recommends {list of programs I want}

Then I’ll just copy and paste the files from the archives directory into a tar folder.

The reason I have to do this is because of the way Linux works, but the list of what’s needed changes with updates and revisions among distributions. It’s really annoying but it does allow you to take your software with you. In windows I just keep all my exe’s in folders. I found the Linux method much harder to deal with. If Proton makes life easier I might be able to forget about using Wine and Crossover which would be great because using and configuring these programs only to hope that the game runs is tedious and frankly stressful.




My GOD!! What an amazing discovery you made. Microsoft wants to control the market!!!!! Who'd a thunk it.

I've got news for you. Are you ready for the biggest shock of your life EVERYONE WANTS THAT!!!! You don't think Valve want a monopoly?

you don't think GOG or CD project Red want to make money and increase their market dominance?

Do you not understand how business works?

Put it this way. If Linux ever takes over the Desktop it won't be in the way you're imaging. It won't be Ubuntu or Mint that will lead way. It will be a corporate controlled OS that will rob you of your privacy like Android. That is how it will happen if it happens. I actually do want Proton to work but every time Linux looks like it's going to make progress, the community comes out and ruins it with thier BS.

You're right. I apologize.

I would suggest that your problems with Linux are too fundamental for Proton to have any impact on that opinion.

O.O I'm kind of speechless. I really wasn't expecting a response like this. If you want to talk more about Linux fundamentals feel free to hit me up on Discored. PM me for the address.

Maybe, but for home/consumer versions of Windows, they can. Which they've effectively done already twice, with Windows RT and Windows 10S. They can restrict "side-loading" to enterprise versions of Windows.

Which is enough to kill non-Windows Store digital stores, as 99.999999999999999999999999% of their users would be using home versions of Windows.

Currently Microsoft still seems to be in the process of trying to nudge the Windows consumer market to that direction, bit by bit. They will not swap it overnight or anything like that, but bit by bit try to make non-Windows Store applications and market less relevant, until the market is ripe for Windows Store-only. Just like you could still run MS-DOS programs in Windows 95/98, but not anymore in Windows XP.

MS introduces a Windows Store-only consumer versions of Windows every now and then (Windows RT, Windows 10S), testing whether the home users are already ready for Windows Store-only, and then backtrack a bit from it if that isn't the case, yet. But the direction where MS wants the home users to go is clear: buy all your Windows games (and apps) through the Windows Store.

Apparently you didn't, as just before this you claimed:

"That's not going to happen. I doubt Microsoft would prevent you from using your software."

So fine, now you've finally admitted that MS would do it, and wants to do it, after all. Good, we are progressing with the discussion even if you appear reluctant to do so.

The difference compared to GOG and even Valve is that Microsoft has the muscle to do it, as they totally control the OS where you buy and play your games. GOG definitely doesn't, and while Valve is the most dominant force within Windows gaming, they don't have a monopoly, which is why GOG, EA Origin etc. have emerged on the side.

Microsoft can control the whole Windows ecosystem, Valve (nor GOG) can't. And that is also why Valve has been preparing Linux gaming and SteamOS as plan B.