Beta-Launcher for Linux

[siebencorgie]

The Beta Launcher For Linux
Update 4# (version-0.4-1)
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This is the official page of a program I wrote for Linux, to make live with Unreal-Engine easier.
The program is called “Beta-Launcher”. I wrote the program for myself, for better handling Unreal Engine 4 on my Arch-Linux build. However, after some time I decided that it might come in handy for people who don’t want to start the engine from a Terminal.
The following page contains a small description what the launcher can do, and what not.

*Before reading further keep in mind that I only tested the building in Ubuntu 14.04 and Arch-Linux. Mint 17.3 should work, but is not tested as well.
The launcher (and ue4 itself) currently wont install on buntu 16.04 because of a bug in the intaller script of UE4 which I am using aswell. you cant find a workaround here!

Recent update highlights:

• added the new tools (Content Adding Tool, Backup and Restoring Manager) to the 0.4 version which is live on GitHub now
• fixed a bug which prevented the engine to start without the project when clicking on “Start Engine” in the main window
• moved some of the buttons in various windows to get a more uniform look, as well as removed some unnecessary widgets
• added some space between the rows in the install dialog to make it look more light
• made a small link to show the Icon in your taskbar (tested on gnome 3.20 and unity)

Features:

• Distributions: Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Arch Linux
• Loading Unreal-Blog
• Loading Unreal-Help page
• Loading Marketplace page (by default its CG-Trader, because they also sell “.uasset” models. I did not choose the Unreal-Marketplace, because it is still not possible to buy stuff from there and download it to Linux)
• Installing different versions of Unreal Engine
• Loading projects from the Launcher
• Start in OpenGl4 mode
• Start in OpenGl3 mode (when openGL4 is disabled)
• Start with Primus-run enabled (for Nvidia + Intel hybrid graphic solutions)
• Disable webpage loading on start (disabled by default, for enabling, enable “stream”)
• Change Installation procedure to other distribution (ATM: Ubuntu, Mint, Arch)
• Changing all the commands which will be executed when installing the engine
• Change the distribution specific commands
• Last but not least: Save all options into a readable .conf file in

 /etc/beta-launcher/settings.conf

• Easy install via .deb (Debian/Ubuntu and distros) or via AUR Pacman ready .tax.xz (Arch/Manjaro etc.)

Things I want to do in the future

• get Vulkan working with the engine (you actually can try to enable Vulkan in the preferences menu, this will add the -vulkan option to the start-command. However, it does not start correctly on my system, but maybe I installed Vulkan the wrong way)
• Add an option to make backups from project-folders, as well as restoring them [done for 0.4]
• Add a small tool for combining one-channel Textures like hight-maps with three channel Textures like albedo-maps
• Add a small tool for adding pre-made project-files (like base materials and blueprints) to existing new projects [done in 0.4]
• to be continued

As listed in the feature-list, it is possible to load other URLs

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Installing of the launcher:

Ubuntu 14.04 + Mint 17.x

Download Debian package and double-click it!

Arch-Linux

Download .tar.xz, then either double-click it if you have an AUR-helper like Pamac-AUR installed (manjaro/antergos by default) or change in your terminal to the download location and execute:

sudo pacman -U *NAME_OF_tar.xz_FILE*

Removing of the launcher

Just as you would do with any other package!

**
Troubleshooting **

If you have problems when launching the Launcher:

1. go to /usr/share/beta-launcher/src
2. open the “launcher.ui” file with an text editor
3. comment the line 1256 out
4. try to launch it again

If you start the launcher in the terminal and there are some modules missing these are the dependencies:

• python3
• gtk+
• pygtk
• pyWebKit
• VTE 2.91+
• python-module: configparser, subprocess

If you get the following error:

Could not load image '/usr/share/pixmaps/beta-launcher.png'

Create a icon file at the location ‘/usr/share/pixmaps’ called ‘beta-launcher.png’. You can use the official one from the launcher.

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Some Screenshots

On Budgie
MainWindow

Install dialog

Backup-Manager and Content-Adding-Tool

Preferences Window

Main Window on Ubuntu 14.04

Small tutorial video (a little bit outdated UI):
[video][Tool] Unreal Beta-Launcher Usage - YouTube

UI since version 0.3

[Tool] [UE4] Beta-Launcher 0.3 UI-Update

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If you are interested in the code, feel free to download from here:

https://github.com/SiebenCorgie/Beta-Launcher.git
this is also the link you can use with

git clone +link

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**Some small info in addition: **
I learn python since summer 2015, it is the first programming language I’m learning. The interface and program is made using Anjuta, which means it’s using GTK+ . I am learning the GTK+ stuff since January 2016. When reviewing the code, keep this in mind.

However, I am open for any criticism or tips etc. If something is not working, please post the error code and a small description what you did in this thread, I’ll try to fix it.

With that said, I hope someone except me finds the Launcher useful, I hope to get some reviews!

-Siebencorgie

[Tomza]

Thank you very much for the awesome work, man. Gods bless you! Finally, somebody has made the first step. However, for me, it would be more useful to get the possibility to build for Windows and other platforms on Linux. But thank you again! Hope other people will help you develop your useful software.

[siebencorgie]

Thank you!

If I could, I would give you the possibility to build for windows etc. on Linux, sadly that’s not a part I can develop. Building for windows and IOS seems to be restricted by their license models or some other stuff.
I hope the Launcher helps you somehow!

-siebencorgie

[Tomza]

@siebencorgie;530505

Thank you!

If I could, I would give you the possibility to build for windows etc. on Linux, sadly that’s not a part I can develop. Building for windows and IOS seems to be restricted by their license models or some other stuff.
I hope the Launcher helps you somehow!

-siebencorgie

For sure! I would help you develop the Launcher, but I really have no time now. I use OpenSUSE.

[siebencorgie]

That’s Okay, good luck!

[siebencorgie]

Small question for potential users:

What is better:

1. The launcher at /opt/Beta-Launcher + an addition to your shell script **pro: **you can start from everywhere in your terminal by typing “Launcher.sh” con: you’ll need sudo rights to copy the files there (I would do as script for this).
2. Leave It how it is pro: No sudo rights required con: you always need to navigate to the folder where the launcher Script is saved.

-siebencorgie

[Axtel_Sturnclaw]

@siebencorgie;530937

Small question for potential users:

What is better:

1. The launcher at /opt/Beta-Launcher + an addition to your shell script **pro: **you can start from everywhere in your terminal by typing “Launcher.sh” con: you’ll need sudo rights to copy the files there (I would do as script for this).
2. Leave It how it is pro: No sudo rights required con: you always need to navigate to the folder where the launcher Script is saved.

-siebencorgie

3: Move to /opt/Whatever, create an install script that emplaces a .desktop file so it can be opened without the terminal.

[eWomerOC]

You also may need to add these as part of your dep list, libwebkitgtk-3.0-dev libvte-2.91-dev and the code section should read

sudo apt-get install libgtk-3-dev python-webkit python-vte git libwebkitgtk-3.0-dev libvte-2.91-dev 

[siebencorgie]

@Salamanderrake;531060

You also may need to add these as part of your dep list, libwebkitgtk-3.0-dev libvte-2.91-dev and the code section should read

sudo apt-get install libgtk-3-dev python-webkit python-vte git libwebkitgtk-3.0-dev libvte-2.91-dev 

Thanks for the suggestion, I edited the post!

[Tomza]

@Axtel Sturnclaw;531003

3: Move to /opt/Whatever, create an install script that emplaces a .desktop file so it can be opened without the terminal.

Yes, it would be great for many users. Most of them are afraid of the terminal. If it is a GUI Launcher, all should be without the terminal.

[Tomza]

@siebencorgie;530575

That’s Okay, good luck!

Thank you!

[siebencorgie]

Update 1#

Hi people.

I changed the Installing stuff a little bit to provide a Menu-Entry etc. after executing a Install-Script (see the Installing part of the main post). I’ll try to learn how to create .deb packages and AUR-Packages till the next update. This would mean that we need no terminal Interaction at all. However, I never did this till now, It might need some time :D.

At the end: Huge thanks to Keziolio (name on git-hub) who helped me a lot with saving/loading the configuration files of the Launcher.

[Tomza]

@siebencorgie;532909

Update 1#

Hi people.

I changed the Installing stuff a little bit to provide a Menu-Entry etc. after executing a Install-Script (see the Installing part of the main post). I’ll try to learn how to create .deb packages and AUR-Packages till the next update. This would mean that we need no terminal Interaction at all. However, I never did this till now, It might need some time :D.

At the end: Huge thanks to Keziolio (name on git-hub) who helped me a lot with saving/loading the configuration files of the Launcher.

FANTASTIC! I love such news.

Linux guys, if you have knowledge, please help developing the Beta-Launcher for Linux project. Maybe support from Epic? Builds for Windows and other platforms on Linux? Please!

[system]

@Tomza;532928

FANTASTIC! I love such news.

Linux guys, if you have knowledge, please help developing the Beta-Launcher for Linux project. Maybe support from Epic? Builds for Windows and other platforms on Linux? Please!

I would be happy to help! How do we organize?

[siebencorgie]

@erlog;534076

I would be happy to help! How do we organize?

In general:

I think the most important thing to do is, to use the engine. We have to show Epic that people are developing on Linux.
I know that on some configurations the Bug-Reporter is not working. If that’s the case on your system please report your bug (what you did before it crashed and maybe the engine log) in the answer-hub. That way epic should notice the increased usage of the engine on Linux.
Further some social-media attention on Twitter, YouTube and co. should be a good idea. Like a graphics demo running on Linux or something like that… just an idea.

For the Beta-Launcher: If someone has experience in creating custom packages for Ubuntu feel free to create one for the Beta launcher. I think it should be okay if the package just installs the dependencies and then executes the install script. I’m still working on this, but … I never did it so it could take one to three weeks till I have a working solution.

Last but not least:
I think it would be a great idea to create a support thread were people can ask general questions about Linux problems, like installing graphics driver (sometimes still a pain). But I would do this just if its needed.

I hope we can get that far in a reasonable time .

[siebencorgie]

Small Update

Hi,

today I got the first .deb* package working which can be installed by double-clicking it. This will start the software-center of Ubuntu. It worked on my Ubuntu14.04 VM. Maybe someone finds the time to try it out. Next I’ll try to create the AUR packages for Arch-Linux. I’ll add the link to the .deb* package to the main post.

*.deb packages: This is the native package format for debian (deb) based distributions. However, the packages which work for Ubuntu and sub-distros don’t have to work on Debian and sub-distros. This is because the company behind Ubuntu, canonical does not use the naming etc. of the packages which is used at Debians repositorys. This .deb package will work for Ubuntu 14.04, it is not tested on any other distribution or version of ubuntu.

[siebencorgie]

UPDATE #2 (version-0.2-1)

I added Debian and AUR files to the git repository. You will now have the typical 1-2 step installation you know from any package. Have at the new Install-section on the main post!
This are the first .deb and tar.xz packages I ever did. If you have any problems with them, please post the here. I tested the .deb package on Mint 17.3 and will test the AUR package on ManjaroVM or ArchVM when I get time for it.

Have fun, I hope someone needs all this stuff :rolleyes: .

Next: Adding some of the features I want to implement.

[Tomza]

@siebencorgie;536537

I added Debian and AUR files to the git repository. You will now have the typical 1-2 step installation you know from any package. Have at the new Install-section on the main post!
This are the first .deb and tar.xz packages I ever did. If you have any problems with them, please post the here. I tested the .deb package on Mint 17.3 and will test the AUR package on ManjaroVM or ArchVM when I get time for it.

Have fun, I hope someone needs all this stuff :rolleyes: .

Next: Adding some of the features I want to implement.

For sure, many needs your project! The launcher for Linux is missing and many people are afraid of compiling. Your work is EXTREMELY useful - no doubts.

Now, I have no access to my development computers, but soon I will try your solution out. I will write an article on my blog to make your project more popular. Our solution for Unity was very popular before releasing the native Unity Editor on Linux.

I coded in Python many years ago, but maybe some day I will join you because I really want to the same what I did for Unity on Linux.

[Tomza]

@erlog;534076

I would be happy to help! How do we organize?

Just branch the Github repo and write code if you have such skills :). Python coders are wanted!

[siebencorgie]

@Tomza;537167

For sure, many needs your project! The launcher for Linux is missing and many people are afraid of compiling. Your work is EXTREMELY useful - no doubts.

Now, I have no access to my development computers, but soon I will try your solution out. I will write an article on my blog to make your project more popular. Our solution for Unity was very popular before releasing the native Unity Editor on Linux.

I coded in Python many years ago, but maybe some day I will join you because I really want to the same what I did for Unity on Linux.

Thank you!

I noticed that the launcher doesn’t compile correctly on Ubuntu 16.04 because of a missing feature in the “Setup.sh” of the Editor. I hope that is no problem for you. I posted a small bug-report/question on answer-hub. If this is not fixed till the 4.13 release I’ll include the workaround (somehow) in the Launcher .