Sims under Lunix+Proton with Simucube - hopeless?

[R8pilot]

So there I was on the 'Ring. I'm going to beat my all-time record by a freaking mile! Almost there!!! YEEESSSS!!!

WHAT!? Sudden blue screen: "It's time to reboot!" NOOOOOO! Big crash upon rejoining. :-(

These days, the only reason I use windows is for Sims when a wheelbase is required. Aside from Sims, I simply don't consider playing a game if it can't be played on Linux.

When looking at protondb.com, I see that most of my sims should work, too, but what about the wheelbase? There is no Linux driver for Simucube. The folks there say that they would provide that if there's enough interest, but that just means "nope, never going to happen" due to the chicken-and-egg problem.

Proton is really shaping up into something quite viable. But I guess running sims with a Simucube wheelbase is still hopeless on linux? Has anyone tried?

 

[metalnwood]

I know if you were running a VM that you could theoretically run the SC2 software, sim, crew chief etc all in the same VM and get the same experience as windows.

What I dont know with proton is even if you were to run the sc2 software and a sim that they could even see each other, or maybe it wouldnt even matter.

I run linux on my desktops, laptops, servers but I def think that windows is the best thing to run the sims on.

these days a bluescreen is usually related to some hardware thing, you dont normally get it from a random windows bug but I do understand they can be tricky to get to the root cause sometimes.

 

[R8pilot]

I think I've missed your point about a VM. That would just be running a game via Windows in a sandbox, with all the same problems plus a few more, wouldn't it?

The goal is to avoid using Windows altogether. Running the games "natively" (via Steam's Proton) in Linux should not be a problem for many games, except potentially for interfacing with unusual hardware like a wheelbase.

My naive hope would be that Simucube's "True Drive" software could be run in Windows to set up the wheelbase, but as as that program is not needed thereafter, the wheelbase then (step 3: profit!) magically works with games in linux. You know, because of course it will.

I guess I could just try it. I already have a Linux partition on the machine anyway. I wonder which game I should try? Automobilista 2 is my current racing favorite, but Euro Truck 2 runs natively in Linux already, so maybe that's a better bet to start with.

OK, I'll see how far I get and I'll report back.

 

[R8pilot]

OK, I down-loaded Euro Truck 2, which has a native Linux port.

My pedals and shifter (Heusinkveld) all work beautifully. The Simucube 2, though, does not. There is no force-feedback, and there is a huge +/-30 or so degrees dead-zone. That's with the in-game dead-zone zeroed out (adding more in-game dead-zone does work). I suspect a cure for the dead-zone issue could be found, but I'm not enough of a hacker to likely figure out the force feedback issue.

I might try a second game just to see if the symptoms are consistent, but it's a disappointing, if not unexpected, outcome.

 

[Dave Stephenson]

FWIW I'm pretty sure I had a G25 working as a a generic directinput device under wine many moons ago but I'm not sure how much direct access to the prefixes you can get to do any manual config. Certainly could back when the project was young but I haven't deep dived it for a while or kept up with how things have changed as the project matured.

It might be as simple as disabling the input stuff in the Steam client if it's enabled so the game can fall through to Proton's windows compatibility layer for that controller (assuming ti is found and detected appropriately there too).

 

[R8pilot]

Hmm, looking at Steam's controller stuff is a thought.

I don't know how much effort sim companies have put into Linux. It's likely not much, but a very popular controller like a G25, etc., might come with some built-in support. I'm just afraid Simucube isn't on the radar for most companies, most of the time.

It probably needs Simucube to step up and provide support in Linux, but I have no confidence that will ever happen.

 

[metalnwood]

Hi, I wasnt suggesting running a VM, just pointing out that in theory sc2 software would be running in the OS at same time as game, if they needed to be.

With proton I don't know if different software can communicate.. e.g. if software uses IPC to talk to each other, can they do that with proton or is it essentially like they are running on different OS's.

I think you are right, you are going to have to try it.

 

[Dave Stephenson]

It's likely not much, but a very popular controller like a G25, etc., might come with some built-in support

I'm doubtful that it did intentionally though it's likely on a device like that Logi stick around conventional norms and standards. Maybe presents as some standard HID type of device on all platforms if there is no advanced driver available. I never managed to get my CSPs to work.

This was all way before proton or steam machines or any of that stuff was a thing. There was very little commercially available or supported on the gaming space.

With proton I don't know if different software can communicate.. e.g. if software uses IPC to talk to each other, can they do that with proton or is it essentially like they are running on different OS's.

In theory the same way they would on windows. Proton/Wine are compatibility layers so it's the same windows APIs that are presented to the application but any system calls use open implenmentations or are translated into linux system calls as required. In practice things arent always smooth sailing historically with games in particular because of things like circumventing the higher level and documented APIs in the name of speed or the supporting DRM/Anti-cheat software doing so.

 

[metalnwood]

Hi Dave, yes I guess you are right, if they use IPC and thats translated to linux ipc layer it shoud all be fine.

Most of what I was talking about would be for helper apps, I imagine that for the SC2 software it doesnt use any of that, it just needs to be running anywhere so that it can tell the bsae to turn on and run at full power.

 

[slemke]

Since the simucube holds the driver on whe servo itself, but seems only to 'activate' (3 beeps) with true drive app. open, wouldn't it work just by running the true drive app via wine ?

 

[reibes]

Hey guys, I was thinking about buying the SC2 or VRS, if one could be used in linux it would be a chosen one .
I have found this kind of article where it seams after patching some stuff on kernel and little bit tinkering everyhting on the SC2 works well with ACC
https://community.granitedevices.com/t/driving-simulator-for-vehicle-research/5492/29
Unfortunately I can't test it out.

 

[slemke]

So that thread above got some movement, with some simple adjustments and a beta simucube firmware(which probably will be out soon) I managed to play R3 and acc and ams2 on linux using steam proton (version6) on a simucube with forcefeedback 100% functional. At lest for R3 the performance on Linus is much much better. So, good new for Simucube2 owners that want to run on Linux.

 

[R8pilot]

So that thread above got some movement, with some simple adjustments and a beta simucube firmware(which probably will be out soon) I managed to play R3 and acc and ams2 on linux using steam proton (version6) on a simucube with forcefeedback 100% functional. At lest for R3 the performance on Linus is much much better. So, good new for Simucube2 owners that want to run on Linux.

Wow, really! That's very encouraging! Thanks for the update!

I run all games on linux except for sims due to the simucube software. I'd really love to extend that to sims too.

 

[Novopaine]

So that thread above got some movement, with some simple adjustments and a beta simucube firmware(which probably will be out soon) I managed to play R3 and acc and ams2 on linux using steam proton (version6) on a simucube with forcefeedback 100% functional. At lest for R3 the performance on Linus is much much better. So, good new for Simucube2 owners that want to run on Linux.

That sounds really promising. The $99 question is how well is triple screen and VR support on Linux right now?

 

[slemke]

That sounds really promising. The $99 question is how well is triple screen and VR support on Linux right now?

Well that's already another topic, first things first as simucube on Linux is already a very goos step.
IIRC triple monitor should not be a problem at all and VR probably depends on the device, if's a Windows media reality headset like the HP reberb I think it will not work, but I could acutally test that as I have one

 

[FrictionZone]

unofficial Simucube 2 compatibility is coming soon for Linux -- next True Drive release

 

[reibes]

Good news guys it looks like it is already working
https://community.granitedevices.com/t/simucube-2-on-linux/10166/8
It needs little bit of tinkering but seems good.