Linux FAQ

[Noggog]

Braindump discussion hub on information trying to get Synthesis to run on Linux

[UplinkPhobia]

For those having an issue with the UI flickering and becoming partly black such as

The basic step that solved it for me was to disable DXVK (Running through MO2 under Lutris with 7.x ProtonGE version).

According to the DXVK documentation and doitsujin/dxvk#2568, you can create a dxvk.conf file containing

[Synthesis.exe]
d3d9.shaderModel = 1

To make sure that Lutris uses the config file, add an environment variable (System options tab in Lutris) called DXVK_CONFIG_FILE and set the value to the path of the dxvk.conf file.
In my case, that was enough to make things work.

(Just for the reference, I used this reddit guide to setup my MO2 and such, which might or might not have an impact. Mainly the fact that the default MO2 installer in Lutris uses a 5.x wine version.
I also have dotnet installed in my wine prefix, and not wine-mono, but I had issues with both so I can just say that wine-mono didn't resolve the problem. I don't know if this solution is valid only with dotnet, or with mono as well.

As for the explanation, it seems like .NET applications have this bug with DXVK. The same method resolved the issue with other tools that were apparently also made with .NET)

[Snogard]

i have a method of running mo2 with the steam runtime (cloud saves, achievements, and nxm links work). i can post my scripts if you are interested.

[har-nick]

If you're having issues with Synthesis not finding the dotnet SDK while running through SteamTinkerLaunch, try running the dotnet sdk install through STL's One Time Run feature. I previously tried manually installing through wine, and while it installed correctly, it wasn't detected by Synthesis.

[Snogard]

Just go in the settings and put the dotnet path manually and restart Synthesis

[Nuanulla]

What's the exact dotnet path I should put in settings?

[Snogard]

You can check inside your wine prefix. mine is:
C:Program Files\dotnet\dotnet.exe

[Snogard]

I got as far as installing a synthetizer but i have this errors.

SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3037: Package 'System.Security.Principal.Windows 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The author primary signature validity period has expired.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3037: Package 'System.Security.AccessControl 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The author primary signature validity period has expired.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3028: Package 'System.Security.Principal.Windows 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The author primary signature's timestamping certificate is not trusted by the trust provider.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3037: Package 'Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents 4.7.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The author primary signature validity period has expired.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3037: Package 'Microsoft.NETCore.Platforms 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The author primary signature validity period has expired.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3028: Package 'Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents 4.7.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The author primary signature's timestamping certificate is not trusted by the trust provider.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3028: Package 'System.Security.AccessControl 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The author primary signature's timestamping certificate is not trusted by the trust provider.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3028: Package 'Microsoft.NETCore.Platforms 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The author primary signature's timestamping certificate is not trusted by the trust provider.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3037: Package 'System.Security.Principal.Windows 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The repository countersignature validity period has expired.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3037: Package 'System.Security.AccessControl 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The repository countersignature validity period has expired.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3028: Package 'System.Security.Principal.Windows 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The repository countersignature's timestamping certificate is not trusted by the trust provider.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3028: Package 'System.Security.AccessControl 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The repository countersignature's timestamping certificate is not trusted by the trust provider.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3037: Package 'Microsoft.NETCore.Platforms 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The repository countersignature validity period has expired.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3028: Package 'Microsoft.NETCore.Platforms 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The repository countersignature's timestamping certificate is not trusted by the trust provider.
SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3037: Package 'Microsoft.Win32.SystemEvents 4.7.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The repository countersignature validity period has expired.

is there a way to turn of the signature verification? or is this working fine on the windows side?

Synth file from -> https://github.com/ExpensiveLadder/SustainedSpellsPatcher

[Noggog]

is this working fine on the windows side?

Seems to work for me:

I've never seen this error before. Feels like it's something related to non-windows. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/65919460/the-author-primary-signatures-timestamp-found-a-chain-building-issue-untrusted
Don't know too much about getting this all spun up on linux to give too much more advice

[Snogard]

thank you for testing it on windows, if i find a solution i'll report back

[gibsonjareds]

I just recently ran into this problem when I was forced to rebuild my prefix. I think it’s related to outdated certificates inside of wine’s fake environment. I still don’t know for sure how to update those. If you look in the everything log, it shows that the signatures/certificate validity expired in 2021 (if yours is like mine).

[gibsonjareds]

I've successfully run a few patchers locally. I had to switch to using Proton 7.0 (no GE or tkg). This required using Dotnet SDK 6.0.411 as for some reason dotnet 7.0+ don't seem to be able to run in that version of proton. I was able to launch, and the package verification succeeded. After that, I was able to install the recommended 7.0.201 SDK and run the patcher under Proton 8.11 tkg.

It's either the patches by TKG or GE or the version of dotnet that aren't working, I think.

[Cubeson]

I got as far as installing a synthetizer but i have this errors.

SustainedSpellsPatcher.csproj : error NU3037: Package 'System.Security.Principal.Windows 5.0.0' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The author primary signature validity period has expired.
(...)

I am having the same problem, I wonder if it has something to do with me having installed Dotnet 7 for linux already.
I ran prefix dotnet.exe --info with proton and I got this:

STEAM_COMPAT_CLIENT_INSTALL_PATH=/usr/games/steam STEAM_COMPAT_DATA_PATH=~/.steam/debian-installation/steamapps/compatdata/489830/ ~/.steam/root/compatibilitytools.d/GE-Proton8-6/proton run dotnet.exe --info
.NET SDK:
 Version:   7.0.306
 Commit:    f500069cb7

Runtime Environment:
 OS Name:     Windows
 OS Version:  10.0.19043
 OS Platform: Windows
 RID:         win10-x64
 Base Path:   C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\7.0.306\

Host:
  Version:      7.0.9
  Architecture: x64
  Commit:       8e9a17b221

.NET SDKs installed:
  7.0.306 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk]

.NET runtimes installed:
  Microsoft.AspNetCore.App 7.0.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.AspNe
tCore.App]
  Microsoft.NETCore.App 7.0.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.NETCore.
App]
  Microsoft.WindowsDesktop.App 7.0.9 [C:\Program Files\dotnet\shared\Microsoft.W
indowsDesktop.App]

Other architectures found:
  None

Environment variables:
  DOTNET_ROOT       [/usr/lib/dotnet]

global.json file:
  Not found

Learn more:
  https://aka.ms/dotnet/info

Download .NET:
  https://aka.ms/dotnet/download

interesting enviroment variable...

[ErikSteiner]

Hello guys, I was able to run 0.25.4 with GE-Proton8-16. I follow the guide Lexy’s Legacy of the Dragonborn: Special Edition, where it was required to build two files with several patches.

Up to this point, I used proton-8.0 or GE-Proton8-9.

The problem was that Synthesis either closed immediately after starting, or the red lights did not disappear completely or only partially. Partially, I could start Synthesis several times and always the same patches remained red. With the latest GE version, the probability is significantly higher that all red and purple lamps disappear and I can apply the patches. I say probability on purpose, because still sometimes Synthesis exits directly after the start, or the red lamps do not disappear completely with the patches.

I have installed .NET both as runtime and as SDK in version 7.0.11.sdk111-1. At least, I can start Synthesis, and it notices that the runtime is installed. It then tells me that the SDK has to be installed as well. Interestingly, it does not register the installation of the SDK on Linux. So I have to install the SDK in the prefix, while the runtime can be used from Linux.

Thanks to Steam Tinker Launch I can quite easily enable logging with traces. However, I lack the understanding to be able to derive anything from it. I suspect that something is not implemented in proton/wine.

[Stigir]

I'll chime in for people having .net SDK issues on launch.

The Linux versions of .net install "properly" for me, but Synthesis couldn't find them. So I used Wine to install the Windows version of .net, and that worked for me. It even prompted me to point it specifically at my game.

Then just add the .net directory to the settings tab of Synthesis, as suggested above:
C:Program Files\dotnet\dotnet.exe
(It could also be in Program Files (x86), pending on which .net you installed).

I also had the nuget issue after that, but it fixed itself after re-opening MO2 a couple of times.

[monyarm]

Well, I have the black screen and the suggestion here didn't help. Anyone else have any ideas?

[studioph]

I've been experimenting a ton with Bottles in hopes of creating a stable, reproducible environment to run Synthesis in so that everyone doesn't have to keep troubleshooting the same things. However, I've had almost the opposite experience of others in this thread and found Synthesis to be the most finicky piece of software I've ever tried to run in wine...maybe it's bottles? maybe it's me? I'm running Ubuntu 22.04 so I'd be shocked if it was the Linux host...

Some of my own notes (which don't seem to align with others' experience above but putting them down nonetheless in case it helps others):

• kron4ek seems to be the most stable/compatible, specifically staging or staging-tkg. Trying to use the non-staging version of kron4ek triggers a wine crash dialog on startup
  • Still get the stupid nuget error when adding a patcher, closing and reopening usually changes the package, hoping means it makes progress, but after a couple of times it gets stuck on one package
• Unable to get Synthesis to startup with any version of GE Proton I've tried (including several versions of 9 and 8), not even a wine error dialog like above
• Using DXVK seems to cause crashes when hovering over the buttons in the top left (group, git, local, etc)
• Caffe and soda are also equally useless

My process for creating the bottles (which I've scripted and am thinking of posting a gist or something) is as follows:

• Create the bottle (custom, , win64)
• Install the dotnet 7 SDK downloaded from MS using "Run executable" (never had SDK install issues FWIW)
• Unzip Synthesis (using the latest 0.27 release) into C:\Program Files\Synthesis
• Add Synthesis.exe to the bottle as a program
• Run Synthesis
• ???
• Profit?

Overall, I've been trying to go about this methodically in hopes it would yield better results but I'll be honest, it's been trying my patience...very close to making a Windows VM just for this, though that poses its own challenges.

I'd love to pool heads with people and see if we can't nail down a reliable, reproducible way to run on Linux

[farelmapm]

• Unable to get Synthesis to startup with any version of GE Proton I've tried (including several versions of 9 and 8), not even a wine error dialog like above

I'm having this issue right now but it seems like no one else have this problem? Synthesis won't start if I run it with a proton prefix, which means I can't run it through my MO2 (Because I'm using the MO2 Linux Installer). I got an error stack of the crash, but I'm not a .NET developer so reading this is beyond me

Output of wine Synthesis.exe (runs as normal): https://gist.github.com/farelmapm/48abd2238f902ac671a228b4c4ff030e
Output of protontricks-launch -vv --appid 489830 Synthesis.exe: https://gist.github.com/farelmapm/feb5c84417effd0201b2a1b012581138

[junip0r]

error NU3037: Package '...' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The repository countersignature validity period has expired.
error NU3028: Package '...' from source 'https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json': The repository countersignature's timestamping certificate is not trusted by the trust provider.

The solution that worked for me on Arch Linux:

• Download the Verisign Universal Root Certificate:

wget https://cacerts.digicert.com/universal-root.crt.pem

• Add the certificate to the system:

sudo trust anchor --store universal-root.crt.pem

[studioph]

Thanks for sharing this! I finally came back to Synthesis after a hiatus and was still struggling with the nuget issue. Before I saw this though I symlinked the .net/nuget downloads folder to my linux home and just ran dotnet restore from linux, which had no issues, thus when I opened synthesis it didn't need to download anything so no issues.

[zachboatwright]

This worked for me also! I'm on Kubuntu so I just had to modify what you said with the instructions specific to Debian here.