DISCLAIMER
Using Linux with no prior experience can be challenging, especially if you are new to running Windows applications on Linux. Your first attempt may not be easy, and you might encounter some difficulties. However, with patience and the right resources, you can successfully navigate this process. Don’t hesitate to seek help from online communities and forums if you need
assistance.
Do not ask on the AlterWare forums or Discord for help with your Linux system unless the issue is strictly related to the actual Alterware Client itself. There are better resources online elsewhere for general Linux assistance.
This guide will be split up between Desktop and Handheld/Immutable Distros.
Desktop
Desktop
1. System Requirements
Ubuntu
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
wget -nc https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key
sudo apt-key add winehq.key
sudo apt-add-repository 'https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/'
sudo apt update
sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-staging
sudo apt install --install-recommends dxvk
sudo apt install --install-recommends wine-gecko wine-mono
sudo apt install --install-recommends winetricks
Debian (All Debian users run this first)
sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
sudo mkdir -pm755 /etc/apt/keyrings
sudo wget -O /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key
Debian Testing
sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian/dists/trixie/winehq-trixie.sources
Debian 12
sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian/dists/bookworm/winehq-bookworm.sources
Debian 11
sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian/dists/bullseye/winehq-bullseye.sources
Debian (All Debian use this after using above)
sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable
sudo apt install --install-recommends dxvk
sudo apt install --install-recommends wine-gecko wine-mono
sudo apt install --install-recommends winetricks
Arch
MAKE SURE MULTILIB IS ENABLED IN /etc/pacman.conf BEFORE RUNNING / SWITCH YAY IF U USE DIFFERENT AUR HELPER
sudo pacman -Syu
sudo pacman -S wine winetricks wine-gecko wine-mono
yay -S dxvk-bin
sudo pacman -S giflib lib32-giflib libpng lib32-libpng libldap lib32-libldap gnutls lib32-gnutls mpg123 lib32-mpg123 openal lib32-openal v4l-utils lib32-v4l-utils libpulse lib32-libpulse alsa-plugins lib32-alsa-plugins alsa-lib lib32-alsa-lib libjpeg-turbo lib32-libjpeg-turbo libxcomposite lib32-libxcomposite libxinerama lib32-libxinerama ncurses lib32-ncurses opencl-icd-loader lib32-opencl-icd-loader libxslt lib32-libxslt libva lib32-libva gtk3 lib32-gtk3 gst-plugins-base-libs lib32-gst-plugins-base-libs vulkan-icd-loader lib32-vulkan-icd-loader cups samba dosbox
Fedora
(nobara doesn’t use “dnf upgrade”, please use " sudo nobara-sync")
sudo dnf upgrade
sudo dnf install alsa-plugins-pulseaudio.i686 glibc-devel.i686 glibc-devel libgcc.i686 libX11-devel.i686 freetype-devel.i686 libXcursor-devel.i686 libXi-devel.i686 libXext-devel.i686 libXxf86vm-devel.i686 libXrandr-devel.i686 libXinerama-devel.i686 mesa-libGLU-devel.i686 mesa-libOSMesa-devel.i686 libXrender-devel.i686 libpcap-devel.i686 ncurses-devel.i686 libzip-devel.i686 lcms2-devel.i686 zlib-devel.i686 libv4l-devel.i686 libgphoto2-devel.i686 cups-devel.i686 libxml2-devel.i686 openldap-devel.i686 libxslt-devel.i686 gnutls-devel.i686 libpng-devel.i686 flac-libs.i686 json-c.i686 libICE.i686 libSM.i686 libXtst.i686 libasyncns.i686 liberation-narrow-fonts.noarch libieee1284.i686 libogg.i686 libsndfile.i686 libuuid.i686 libva.i686 libvorbis.i686 libwayland-client.i686 libwayland-server.i686 llvm-libs.i686 mesa-dri-drivers.i686 mesa-filesystem.i686 mesa-libEGL.i686 mesa-libgbm.i686 nss-mdns.i686 ocl-icd.i686 pulseaudio-libs.i686 sane-backends-libs.i686 tcp_wrappers-libs.i686 unixODBC.i686 samba-common-tools.x86_64 samba-libs.x86_64 samba-winbind.x86_64 samba-winbind-clients.x86_64 samba-winbind-modules.x86_64 mesa-libGL-devel.i686 fontconfig-devel.i686 libXcomposite-devel.i686 libtiff-devel.i686 openal-soft-devel.i686 mesa-libOpenCL-devel.i686 opencl-utils-devel.i686 alsa-lib-devel.i686 gsm-devel.i686 libjpeg-turbo-devel.i686 pulseaudio-libs-devel.i686 pulseaudio-libs-devel gtk3-devel.i686 libattr-devel.i686 libva-devel.i686 libexif-devel.i686 libexif.i686 glib2-devel.i686 mpg123-devel.i686 mpg123-devel.x86_64 libcom_err-devel.i686 libcom_err-devel.x86_64 libFAudio-devel.i686 libFAudio-devel.x86_64
sudo dnf groupinstall "C Development Tools and Libraries"
sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"
sudo dnf install wine
sudo dnf install dxvk
sudo dnf install wine-gecko wine-mono
sudo dnf install winetricks
Solus
sudo eopkg install wine wine-devel wine-32bit-devel winetricks
sudo eopkg install dxvk
sudo eopkg install wine-gecko wine-mono
All required packages should now be installed. If you encounter any errors mentioning missing dependencies when downloading, install those first, then rerun the commands. If any packages come back with incorrect names, simply google “Distro name + Package name” to find the correct one, as it may have changed format.
2. Front End (optional)
Lutris / Heroic / Bottles
Steam is the recommended front end for Alterware. This gets touched back on in Step 5. Using a Front End
3. Installing Alterware.
Head over to Releases · mxve/alterware-launcher · GitHub and download the most recent version.
64 Bit File
If you are on a 64-bit Architecture (Ryzen/Intel) you want the alterware-launcher-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz file.
Arm File
If you are using an ARM Architecture (SnapDragon/QualComm), you want to install the alterware-launcher-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz
Once installed, use your respective unpacker (KDE has Ark, Gnome has Nautilus etc.) to unpack the launcher files into your games directory.
An example would be to extract/drag and drop alterware-launcher to ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3/ if I wanted to play MW3 on Alterware. (Same process for MW2/Ghosts/AW)
Now open a terminal in that directory (right-click an empty space, a prompt should show up) and select “Open Konsole Here” or whichever CLI you use. Enter the command chmod +x alterware-launcher to give permission to the launcher.
Now run ./alterware-launcher to install all client files. You may be prompted to select a choice, please read the name. Look for SP or MP to indicate singleplayer or multiplayer and choose which one you would like.
You can get both by hitting enter / rerunning the command and selecting the other that was not chosen.
4. Launching Alterware
Each game is similar besides IW4X. Launching a game on Linux is a little different. We have to use args. The available args are -singleplayer , -multiplayer , and -zombies,
so If I wanted to play MW3 Multiplayer, I would browse to where the game is, open a terminal in that directory and use
wine iw5-mod.exe -multiplayer
If I wanted to play AW zombies, I would use wine s1x-mod.exe -zombies and so on.
For IW4X, simply use its .exe to launch into either or like wine iw4x.exe or
wine iw4x-sp.exe
5. Using a Front End
Luckily, we can make this 1000x faster by using a Front End. I personally use Steam, but you can use anything you want.
For Steam, go to your library, browse to the bottom left for “add non Steam game”, browse again, and find your games directory (where we put alterware-launcher) and select the games file. (iw4x.exe / iw5-mod.exe etc)
Once selected, hit “Add Game” and then find it in your Library. Once found, add -multiplayer or whichever mode you want to use, into its launch options.
Handheld / Immutable Distro
Handheld / Immutable
These devices/distros tend to already have everything pre-configured and downloaded. You shouldn’t have any setup needed.
1. Installing Alterware
Install the client at Releases · mxve/alterware-launcher · GitHub
Most Devices will want the
alterware-launcher-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz,
if you know its an ARM devices, use
alterware-launcher-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz
2. Launching Alterware
After installing, drag the .tar.gz file into the game directory you want to play
An example would be to drag and drop/move the tar.gz to ~/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3/ if I wanted to play MW3 on Alterware. (Same process for MW2/Ghosts/AW)
Once in the games Folder, right-click the .tar.gz file, and find “Extract” or “Extract Here” and make sure the alterware-launcher is now with your files after you extracted it.
Once the alterware-launcher is there, open a terminal in that folder and run chmod +x alterware-launcher to give it permissions.
Now, run ./alterware-launcher in order to download the client files. It may prompt you to select between two things (sp/mp). SP will be single-player, and MP is multiplayer.
Don’t worry, you can get both by just hitting enter/going back and choosing the other that wasn’t chosen.
You should now have some new files like iw5-mod.exe or other related .exes for your game.
3. Running a Game
Now for the easy part, go into Steam, and go to your Library. Now find “Add a non-steam game” in the bottom left. Once selected, Hit “Browse” and go to your game folder location (where alterware-launcher is).
Select the games file, an example would be iw5-mod.exe or iw4x.exe. Once selected, hit “Add Selected Programs”
Now, go to the game in your Library (it will be at the very bottom), right-click it, Select “Properties” and add -multiplayer, -singleplayer, or -zombies depending on the game mode you would like to play.
If you want to play all 3, you can add multiple “Non-Steam Games” and just input different game modes for them (I.E, I would use 3, s1-mod.exe in my Library. One with -multiplayer, one with -singleplayer, one with -zombies).
4. The end.
That’s all that is required to run Alterware on a Steam Deck / other Linux Handheld. If you got stuck/have any issues or questions, Please join the Alterware discord and ask in the respective support channel. We are happy to help any users, please be respectful and patient when asking for support.
Alterware DOES NOT support pirated files, You will not receive any help with such files. Please purchase the games on Steam to use the client.