Manual Install for Proton/Linux users

[cschoenig]

Is there a manual launch process for users who cannot run powershell? Having to get a powershell script to run let alone in the correct prefix seems convoluted. I dropped the exe and dlls into the install folder. I'm launching the zhv.exe directly with the '-vr -win -noshellmap -vrscale 500 -vrres 1.0' args from the powershell script. The game does launch but it stays flat on my deskstop during a skirmish, nothing in the headset.

[Gonzorro]

Fair point about PowerShell. The launcher isn't just convenience though, it does three machine-specific setup steps, and the one you're missing is exactly why you get flat-only: DXVK needs registry values under HKCU\Software\Wine\VR (Vulkan extension lists, per GPU) or the VR session can't share images with the game's renderer, and it silently falls back to flat. On Proton those keys need to go inside the game's prefix, and there are more unknowns (Proton's OpenXR bridge only talks to SteamVR, and Proton may use its own d3d8 instead of the bundled one unless you override).

Honest status: Linux/Proton is untested and not something I can support yet. But I'd like to document a manual install for power users, can you tell me your setup (distro, SteamVR or ALVR/WiVRn, whether you launch through Steam)? I'll write up the exact registry keys and flags the launcher applies so you can replicate them by hand.

[cschoenig]

• NixOS 26.05
• WiVRn (wired)
• SteamVR link (Wireless), when WiVRn doesn't work for a title this typically does.

I usually launch the game through Steam. For this I added the exe as a non-steam game so it would have launch options specific to it.
Adding WINEDLLOVERRIDES="d3d8=n,b" to the launch options will tell Proton to use your override. I have to do that for most cnc mods.

[Gonzorro]

Plz try this. Download GeneralsVR–v0.1.6–alpha.zip from the latest release and extract it over your folder. It must contain GeneralsVR–xrhost.exe next to generalszhv.exe. Since v0.1.5 the game does all OpenXR through that 64 bit helper, because the game itself is 32 bit and no 32 bit OpenXR runtime exists, on your stack I'm not sure. The version you tried had no helper, so VR could not start no matter what else was right.

Launch options in Steam: WINEDLLOVERRIDES="d3d8,d3d9=n,b" %command% and keep your args: –vr –win –noshellmap –vrscale 500. Working directory stays the game folder, as you had it.
Registry, inside the game's Proton prefix. The two big values are REG_BINARY holding plain ASCII, so build the hex first:

echo –n 'VK_KHR_surface VK_KHR_external_memory_capabilities VK_KHR_win32_surface VK_KHR_external_fence_capabilities VK_KHR_external_semaphore_capabilities VK_KHR_get_physical_device_properties2' | xxd –p | tr –d '\n'
echo –n 'VK_KHR_swapchain VK_KHR_external_memory VK_KHR_external_memory_win32 VK_KHR_external_fence VK_KHR_external_fence_win32 VK_KHR_external_semaphore VK_KHR_external_semaphore_win32 VK_KHR_get_memory_requirements2 VK_KHR_dedicated_allocation' | xxd –p | tr –d '\n'

Then, with WINEPREFIX pointed at the game's prefix (or via protontricks):

wine reg add "HKCU\Software\Wine\VR" /v state /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
wine reg add "HKCU\Software\Wine\VR" /v openvr_vulkan_instance_extensions /t REG_BINARY /d /f
wine reg add "HKCU\Software\Wine\VR" /v PCIID:xxxx:yyyy /t REG_BINARY /d /f

PCIID:xxxx:yyyy is your GPU's vendor:device in lowercase hex, lspci –nn shows it. These keys are what let DXVK share images with the VR side.
Use the SteamVR path, not WiVRn: the helper is a Windows binary and can only reach a Windows OpenXR runtime.
Under Proton that is wineopenxr, which bridges to SteamVR.
Start SteamVR, then launch through Steam.
Still flat? Attach DebugLogFile.txt and xrhost_log.txt from the exe folder and I will read exactly where the chain breaks.

I hope it works!
Thanks for testing !! <3

[cschoenig]

Thanks for the info! Couldn't get past the splash screen unfortunately. I was trying with WiVRn open, steam link isn't working for me today. Wondering if an update temporarily broke steam link for me. There was no xrhost_log.txt so the process didn't get very far.

DebugLogFile.txt