How to run BrickLink Studio 2.0 on Linux using Wine.

[apemax]

Hello,

The easiest way to run BrickLink Studio 2.0 on Linux is using a Wine manager. So far I have tested BL Studio with the following:

Bottles.

https://usebottles.com/

Bottles doesn't have a installer for BL Studio yet however if you create an application bottle and install BL Studio into it no other changes are needed.

Known issues: 1

Lutris.

https://lutris.net/games/bricklink-studio/ (Note, Currently the install script does not install corefonts, I have updated the install script with corefonts and am waiting for it to be approved.)

Lutris has a install script that will automatically download and install BL Studio. Once installed no other changes are needed.

Known issues: 1

Crossover.

https://www.codeweavers.com/compatibility/crossover/bricklink-studio-20

Crossover has a crosstie that will automatically download and install BL Studio. Once installed the only change needed is to enable a virtual desktop to workaround known issue number 2.

Known issues: 1 2

How to install using Wine.

First make sure you have the latest version of Wine and Winetricks installed, Then install the core ttf fonts using winetricks:

winetricks corefonts

Next start winecfg and change the Windows version to Windows 10. Then go to the "Graphics" tab and enable the "Emulate a virtual Desktop" option. Now set the Desktop size to just under your actual desktop resolution so the wine desktop window fits on your desktop. Once you have done that click "Apply" then "OK" to close winecfg.

Now download the latest 64 bit version of BrickLink Studio 2.0 and start the installer. You can do this through the terminal using this command:

wine Studio+2.0.exe

Now go through the installer like normal. Once the installer has finished you should have a "Studio 2.0" application shortcut in your desktop application menu you can use to start it. Mine is under the category "Wine" for example.

Known issues on stock Wine: 1 2 3

Know issues and workarounds:

1: CUDA rendering doesn't seem to work. No known workaround yet.

2: Mouse and keyboard inputs stop working after changing window focus. Workaround: Open winecfg go to the "Graphics" tab and enable the "Emulate a virtual Desktop" option. Now set the Desktop size to just under your actual desktop resolution so the wine desktop window fits on your desktop. Once you have done that click "Apply" then "OK" to close winecfg.

3: Instruction Maker step preview doesn't show. No known workaround yet.

I will try to keep this post as up to date as possible with known issues and workarounds. If you know of any workarounds to any issues please let me know and I will add them to this guide.

[JopieK]

There is a native Mac version (Darwin is almost Linux ;).

[apemax]

@JopieK,

Yes there is, Unfortunately the Mac version doesn't work on Linux as Mac and Linux are actually quite a bit different. They may both have been similar to Unix in the past but they really don't share much. So best option for Linux users it to run the Windows version through Wine.

[JopieK]

Yup, but it is strange that there is no wine-like idea for Mac apps. Probably it has to do with Apple working against Mac OS on non-Mac's.

[apemax]

@JopieK,

I suppose there just isn't as much demand for it as most software that are on Mac are also on Windows and Windows has a lot more software compared to Mac so it kind of makes sense to focus on Wine. Although now I come to look there is actually a Wine equivalent for running Mac software on Linux called Darling (https://www.darlinghq.org/). Still quite far behind compared to Wine though by the looks of it.

[pow]

Hi @apemax i can confirm that instruction maker isn't working on wine. 'tried some other wine versions like lutris-fshack and proton but none of them fixed that problem. I can imagine that some other switches (there are a lot in lutris) may be helpful. Or fiddling with some libs in wine?

Best wishes Marco

[SylvainLS]

Hi,

I run Studio on Wine since the beginning (on a Debian Sid, so lots of versions of Wine & Studio during the years). The only problems I had with IM are:

1. The missing fonts: texts show but you can’t grab them or the sizes are wrong / settings have no effect, callouts don’t appear.  Just link the .ttf in drive_c/windows/Fonts and it works.  (It’s because Studio directly reads the files (or tries to) to get their sizes, so if they aren’t where it looks for them, sizes are set to zero and that screws up a lot of things.)
2. Outlines around the bricks are too thin when you export the instructions.  No solution found yet.

As for general problems, there’s the focus problem (problem 2 in OP), that can be solved with a virtual desktop or by disabling window management for Wine windows.  Best solution depends on how you work: I use almost full screen windows in virtual desktops, not icons/reduced windows in a task manager, and mouse focus, so a virtual “sub-”desktop for Wine is best.

There’s also the update dialog (where the patcher shows the changelog and its progress bar) that sometimes appears black.  Solution is to just wait a few seconds and click on the bottom right (where the “launch” button would be).

 

Be sure to have Mesa installed.  It’s not easy to see when a lib is missing but tracing Wine can help.

[pow]

On 12/8/2022 at 2:28 PM, SylvainLS said:

1. The missing fonts: texts show but you can’t grab them or the sizes are wrong / settings have no effect, callouts don’t appear.  Just link the .ttf in drive_c/windows/Fonts and it works.  (It’s because Studio directly reads the files (or tries to) to get their sizes, so if they aren’t where it looks for them, sizes are set to zero and that screws up a lot of things.) 

Hi @SylvainLS , thank you that's brilliant.
I debuged studio using the command lutris -d (as i'm using lutris on top of wine)
It gave me those errors when opening the Instruction Maker (clearly somethings wrong with fonts):

InvalidOperationException: Sequence contains no elements
  at System.Linq.Enumerable.First[TSource] (System.Collections.Generic.IEnumerable`1[T] source) [0x00010] in <ad4a992768794363ade575f9e564f6e6>:0
  at Ins_FontManager.ChangeFontForLabel (UILabel label, System.String fontFamily, UnityEngine.FontStyle fontStyle, System.Int32 fontSize) [0x000a7] in <e9f0eb738a904c05b65aacf8a30d08f6>:0
  at Ins_PageDesign_TextItem.UpdateContents () [0x00077] in <e9f0eb738a904c05b65aacf8a30d08f6>:0
  at Ins_PageDesign_TextItem.UpdateAll () [0x00000] in <e9f0eb738a904c05b65aacf8a30d08f6>:0
  at Ins_PageDesign_SlotItem.AddContents (Ins_IPageDesign_ContentItemMeta meta) [0x00408] in <e9f0eb738a904c05b65aacf8a30d08f6>:0
  at Ins_PageDesign_SlotItem.UpdateContents () [0x0004f] in <e9f0eb738a904c05b65aacf8a30d08f6>:0
  at Ins_PageDesign_PageItem.GenerateSlots () [0x00245] in <e9f0eb738a904c05b65aacf8a30d08f6>:0
  at Ins_PageDesign_PageItem.UpdateAll () [0x0000a] in <e9f0eb738a904c05b65aacf8a30d08f6>:0
  at Ins_PageDesign_PageItem.Update () [0x0003b] in <e9f0eb738a904c05b65aacf8a30d08f6>:0

Solution: I've just copied all files from the Fonts Directory(C/windows/Fonts) of my Windows installation into the wine directory as you mentioned and everything works fine now.

Thanks a lot!