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Thanvir Diouf S
Thanvir Diouf S

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How to Install and play repacked games on Linux using bottles

Repacks are not cracks. It is just a version of the game that removes unnecessary bloat and are useful to people who have storage constraints.

Step 1: Install flatpak
Just go to Flathub setup page and set up flatpak by following the instructions.

Step 2: Install bottles and flatseal
Open up your terminal and type

flatpak install flathub com.github.tchx84.Flatseal com.usebottles.bottles
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and just confirm on all the prompts.

Step 3: Set up flatseal
In the terminal, type:

flatpak run com.github.tchx84.Flatseal & disown
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This window opens up:
Flatseal window

Step 4: Change settings for bottles
The main settings to change are:
Device:
Device settings

Allow and Filesystem:

Filesystem settings

Now close flatseal and open a terminal again:

Step 5: Make a bottle for the installer
Open terminal and type:

flatpak run com.usebottles.bottles & disown
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Just click next and next in the prompts. It will take some time the first time you open.
Click on the + icon on the top left corner.
Give this bottle a name like "installer" and select the "Application" option and click create.

Installer creation

This will take some time as it is downloading the translation layer.
Step 6: Installing the game
For this tutorial, I will be installing Skyrim. Download the files and keep it read and go to the bottle.
Click on the installer bottle:

Installer bottle in list

Click on add shortcuts in the Programs section:

Add shortcut

Browse to your setup.exe and open it:

Setup.exe

Setup appears in your list. Click play:

Run the installer

It opens up. CLick okay and next
Language selection

Click okay and next till you reach the destination location:

Destination location

In your file host file manager. Make a Folder named Games in the home directory. Then browse to that folder in the installer. Make sure that the location is in Z: and not in C:.

Location

In the next page, pay attention to the programs needed.

Libraries

For me, it is direct x, and redist 2015-2019. This may not be the same for the game you are playing. Deselect them. We need to install these later manually before running the game.

Deselected

Now click on install and wait for it to finish.

Installing

Do not launch the game when it finishes installing
Deselect everything and click finish
Open file explorer and navigate to the installed location.

Installed location

You will find the installed files.

Step 7: Setting up the bottle that runs the game

Add a new bottle
new bottle

Name the bottle and select the Gaming option and click create.

Bottle creation

This will take some time as it is downloading a bunch of stuff that helps to translate windows graphics API calls to something linux can understand.

Be patient

Click Close once it is done

Click close

Open the gamer bottle.
Now we need to install some of the game dependencies.
For me it was:
Dependencies
Directx is already handled by bottles. Lets just get the redist.
Go to dependencies under options:

Dependencies option

Search vcredist:
I am going to install these 2:

That is done.
Next, go to settings

Settings

and advanced display settings

advanced display settings

Change Renderer to Vulkan and save it.

Vulkan

Click on add shortcut:

Add shortcut

And browse to your game binary:

Game binary

And now run the game:

Run the game

And the game works:

Skyrim

Congrats and happy gaming!!

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