I Can't Figure out how to open and play this linux file

[t3chno]

I have this game I downloaded from itch.io, and it is the linux version, but for the life of me I cannot figure out how to play it on my computer. I am on chromebook, and what I have is Linux(Beta). The file is too large to attach onto this, but the name of the file is DatingStartVN-1.0.2-linux.tar.bz2
The game is simply called Dating Start, if that helps any. I have been trying for weeks to play this, but to no avail.

 

[JasKinasis]

.tar.bz2 is a compressed, archive format. Similar to .zip, or .rar.
So first you'll need to extract/decompress the archive.
To do this, open a terminal and use the cd command to navigate to your Downloads directory (or wherever you downloaded the file to. Then use the tar command to decompress the file
e.g.

cd Downloads
tar -xvf DatingStartVN-1.0.2-linux.tar.bz2

That will probably end up creating a directory called DatingStartVN-1.0.2-linux/.
cd into that directory and there will probably be a shellscript or some other launcher/installer file.

Once you have found a launcher/shellscript, make sure it has executable permissions:
e.g.

chmod +x nameoflauncher.sh

Where nameoflauncher.sh is the name of the shellscript/launcher.

Then you should be able to run the script/program/launcher.
Run the script in the terminal and see what output it gives.
If you're lucky - the game should start. If not - the error messages should give you some idea of what things might be needed.

For example, if this is a python based game, you might need to install some additional python libraries in order for it to run properly.
If the game is not pre-built and it's only in source form - you may have to compile/build the game. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. We can tackle that later, if need be.

The first step is to decompress the archive and see what it contains.
Then make sure that any launcher scripts, or binaries have executable permissions. Then run it in the terminal to see if it runs, or displays any error messages.

If it runs - great!
If it doesn't, and it throws a bunch of errors and you are unsure what to do next:
Then add a reply in this thread, with any error messages that are displayed in the terminal when you run the script/program.

EDIT -
BTW - Once you have got the game working properly, you should be able to launch it from your GUI/file manager.
The reason I'm getting you to run it in the terminal at first is because it's going to be the only way to see any error messages/information from the game if it goes wrong!

 

[t3chno]

I am fairly new at using Linux, so I may be doing something wrong, but when I put in DatingStartVN.sh to test the chmod, it said that the operation was not permitted. Am I using the wrong name? If so, how do I find the correct one?
I also saw many 'python' files after it went through the -xzf command, if that changes anything at all.
I apologize for the trouble.

 

[JasKinasis]

What is the output of the following command?:

ls -alh DatingStartVN.sh

 

[t3chno]

-rwxr-xr-x 1 thatfandompotato thatfandompotato 2.2K Mar 16 2019 DatingStartVN.sh

 

[JasKinasis]

OK, well the file IS executable.
Maybe the reason you got an error was because the file was already executable - IDK!!

Either way - now that it is executable, it should just be a case of running:

./DatingStartVN.sh

 

[LorenDB]

OK, well the file IS executable.
Maybe the reason you got an error was because the file was already executable - IDK!!

Either way - now that it is executable, it should just be a case of running:

./DatingStartVN.sh
[/icode]

Might want to take out the icode ending tag there.

 

[t3chno]

OK, well the file IS executable.
Maybe the reason you got an error was because the file was already executable - IDK!!

Either way - now that it is executable, it should just be a case of running:

./DatingStartVN.sh

Well, I did this and this is what popped up instead.
----
Ren'Py platform files not found in:

/mnt/chromeos/MyFiles/Downloads/DatingStartVN-1.0.2-linux/lib/linux-aarch64

Please compile the platform files using the instructions in README.md
or point them to an existing installation using ./after_checkout.sh <path>.

Alternatively, please set RENPY_PLATFORM to a different platform.
----

 

[Sweetness55]

I have done all of this for myself, but when I put in the (./DatingStartVN.sh) thing into my terminal, it pops up but it's nothing but a black screen and I can only hear it's music, what should I do?

 

[KGIII]

I have done all of this for myself, but when I put in the (./DatingStartVN.sh) thing into my terminal, it pops up but it's nothing but a black screen and I can only hear it's music, what should I do?

Have you set the executable bit? You can do so with the properties in the right click menu usually. You can open the terminal, cd to the correct directory, and try the following:

chmod +x ./DatingStartVN.sh

 

[Sweetness55]

I'm new to this, and I'm not sure how to use the cd command, can you help me?

And just so you know, I'm trying this on a chromebook with linux terminal.

 

[KGIII]

I'm new to this, and I'm not sure how to use the cd command, can you help me?

And just so you know, I'm trying this on a chromebook with linux terminal.

Hmm... The directions will be different, maybe?

But, when you open your terminal you should be in your home directory. If the file is in your Downloads directory (kind of a default, so that's probably where it is) then the command would be:

cd Downloads

You'll have to open the terminal, of course. But, once you're in the Downloads directory (it is CaSe SeNsItIVe) you can run the ls command to show all the visible files in the directory.

If that's where the file is, you can then set the executable bit with the previous command.

Now, that's for Linux. I have no idea what capabilities and features you have with your Chromebook. I have no experience with one. From what I've seen, it generally doesn't give a good experience. We get a number of questions about Chromebooks and we don't really have a Chromebook-guru that regularly visits the site to answer questions.

 

[Sweetness55]

I have linux on my chromebook, and if that changes things, can you please try to give me step-by-step instructions on how to work the terminal to get this game please.

 

[KGIII]

^ What @APTI said.

Those are step-by-step instructions, or as close to it as we're going to get. I mean, you can try pressing CTRL ALT DEL to open a terminal to get that started, but those are the instructions.

At the end, you'd just run the file.

You just enter the ./<filename>.sh into the terminal and if it's going to install it's going to do so at that point.

The ./ is telling the terminal that the path is in the directory you're currently in, so the path has to be correct.

I really can't make it any easier than that, and that's how you'd do it in Linux.

 

[APTI]

chromebooks are essentially a throw away computer. sort of like the old car "yugo". once the laptop runs out of battery you throw it away just like the yugo when it is time for an oil change. The take away of this is that a chromebook is incredibly limited and is nothing more than a tablet with an attached keyboard. I commend anybody for taking the time and effort to learn linux. But you may just have to get a new computer, something that is capable of running windows (sorry for the curse word) but if it runs that it will run a good distro of linux and pretty sure problems solved.

I fear that using a chromebook will end up giving you a bad taste for linux because the chromebook is just such a low end piece.

invest in an inexpensive pc that has more to it.

 

[kibasnowpaw]

Playing a Linux game on a Chromebook using Linux (Beta) is definitely possible, but it requires a few steps to set up. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you play "Dating Start" on your Chromebook:

1. Enable Linux (Beta) on your Chromebook:
If you haven't already done this:

• Go to Settings.
• Look for "Linux (Beta)" on the left sidebar and click on it.
• Click "Turn on" and follow the on-screen instructions.

2. Download and Save the Game:
Since you've already downloaded the game, make sure it's saved in the "Linux files" section of your Chromebook's Files app. This will make it accessible from the Linux terminal.

3. Open the Terminal:
Click on the Launcher (bottom-left corner) and type "Terminal" to open the Linux terminal.

4. Install Required Software:
To extract .tar.bz2 files and run Linux games, you might need some software. Install them using the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install tar bzip2 libsdl2-2.0-0

5. Navigate to the Directory:
Navigate to the directory where you saved the game using the cd command. If you saved it in the default "Linux files" directory, you can skip this step.

6. Extract the Game:
Extract the game using the following command:

tar -xvf DatingStartVN-1.0.2-linux.tar.bz2

This will extract the game's files into a new directory. Navigate into that directory:

cd DatingStartVN-1.0.2-linux

(or whatever the extracted directory's name is)

7. Find the Executable:
In the game's directory, there should be an executable file (usually with no file extension) that you can run to start the game. List the files in the directory with:

ls

Look for the game's executable file. It might be named something like "DatingStart" or "startgame".

8. Run the Game:
Once you've identified the executable, run the game with:

./[executable_name]

Replace [executable_name] with the actual name of the executable file.

For example, if the executable is named "DatingStart", you'd run:

./DatingStart

The game should now start!

Troubleshooting:
If the game doesn't run or you encounter errors:

• Ensure you have all the required libraries installed.
• Check if there's a README or INSTALL file in the game's directory. It might have specific instructions or dependencies listed.

I hope this helps you play "Dating Start" on your Chromebook! If you encounter any issues, let me know, and I'll do my best to assist you further.

 

[atanere]

Rather than attempting to install a 2-year old game (from this 2-year old thread).... perhaps @Sweetness55 should take a look at the game's website and download the current version (1.0.3) from March 2023.

But skimming through the Comments on their website, I find this:

Objectfinder wrote:

i haven't played that game because im on my school chromebook and the version is chrome OS so none of these work, and going to linux also doesnt work so i dont know if its possible to make a chrome OS download for the game

The game developer, DerpyChoCho, replied:

I really wish I could create a port for Chrome OS. Unfortunately, I don't have a way to do it for Ren'Py games. Not sure if Ren'Py will release Chrome OS support in the future. If it does, I'll look into porting it!

Unless @kibasnowpaw's instructions are spot on, I agree with @APTI's comments above... this is more likely to leave a bad taste for Linux when the problem is not the fault of Linux, but of Chromebooks.

 

[Sweetness55]

It says "Permission Denied", how do I gain permission?
and how do I know when I gain permission?

 

[Deleted member 108694]

It says "Permission Denied", how do I gain permission?
and how do I know when I gain permission?

you could put sudo in front of the command

first you should right click the file DatingStartVN.sh and select properties, then permission, then put a check mark in "Allow executing Files as a program"

since it is a bash file try opening the terminal where the file is located - right click and "Open Terminal Here" it may say "Open in Terminal" or something to that effect - once terminal is open type in

sudo bash ./DatingStartVN.sh

 

[Sweetness55]

when I run the sudo bash ./DatingStartVN.sh, this pops up:

What should I do?
And also I'm using 1.0.3 version of DatingStart if that helps any.
And respond as soon as you possibly can.

And now, when I run ./DatingStartVN.sh in my terminal, it pops up with a black screen and the music plays the second it pops up.
I'm not sure what to do.