Magic Workstation for Linux Guide updated 09/26/08

Azania · Joined: 13 Aug 2008 Posts: 52

I heard that there have been several requests for a linux version of magic workstation over the past few months. This guide is now here to help; however, this will be a very short guide, and depending on your distro it will vary. Anyway, MWS is not perfect yet, and there are some flaws which I will also highlight.

For those of you who are not familiar with Linux, you probably do not want to continue reading either. Quite simply, Linux is a full Operating System that does not rely on windows.

Recently WineHQ (www.winehq.com) released the 1.0 version of Wine with many improvements. Since this version you can run Magic Workstation almost flawless even with it.
You are recommended to install wine 1.1.2 or higher for MWS to fully work. The installation will vary per distribution.
I had no success with Cedega even and was not able to even get the installer running. From the command line run the following:

wine /path/to/mws094f.exe

And just follow the instructions. This is assuming you have downloaded mws from their website. Also change /path/to/ to where you have put the installer. After that download the mtg pack for the application and also run that on the same way as the installer. It should automatically have the path listed where you have installed Magic Workstation.

wine /path/to/mtg_gamepack.exe

Wine version 1.1.2 or later is required to have no graphical flaws during play. Only 1 very minor flaw currently is that the names of the cards when you view deck/gy/sb/rfg are upside down. Version between 1.0.0 and 1.1.2 will have flaws which appearing empty deck/gy/db/rfg lists (you can still scroll over them) and no card borders or backs... Any version lower then 1.0.0 will probably not even work.

Due to this we now support Magic Workstation for Linux as well. The support is since version 1.1.2. If you have any problems with older versions we recommend you to upgrade your wine. This will vary per distribution on how to.

update 26 September 2008:
With version 1.1.5 the very last flaw of names upside down was fixed.

Distro functionality:
- Gentoo: fully working
- Fedora Core: ??, you need to install wine from the wine site, the software system has only outdated packages.. other then that still testing..
- Ubunto: fully working but could have font issues, installing ubuntu-restricted-extras should fix this, this has been reported to fix the issue..
- add your experience with the distro your using..

youarenotpro · Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 8

1. Let me get this out of the way and say; Lets not start calling names..

2. It doesn't matter which Linux distro you are on. Every linux distro is roughly the same. You can all make them do the same thing. The only few things differently would be something like having to type "sudo" when in terminal to be root when on Ubuntu when on Suse you don't have to!

3. Magic Workstation on Linux isn't "almost flawless." It is still as useless as it was before where you couldn't see or hardly do anything.

4. Cedega is shit. If you use it, you are a I would not let children see this post. Wine does everything Cedega does, but for FREE! Hence the reason you are using Linux! If you have Wine on Linux there is no need to "wine /path/to/mws094f.exe " in terminal when you can simply right click and install it by opening it with Wine. It is faster.

5. The flaws you are speaking of is what makes MWS unplayable!
- Card borders and pictures of cards that are in play are not visible (note that names are visible).
- Deck/graveyard/hand/sideboard lists during play are not visible (Major !)
- Cards upside down are not visible at all (Major !)
5a. When searching your deck/graveyard/hand/sideboard you cannot see anything but a big gray box. The only way to see what you are clicking on is to drag and drop at a random location from said area onto the play area or slowly move your mouse over a giant blank gray box. This causes a major problem in all formats. It causes un-needed delays and is a major stale on time. Even more so on decks that constantly search their library/graveyard for cards or have a deck with many silver bullets.
5b. When you play a morph you cannot see it. So you have to add counters/make a note/etc., or you are left in the dark. More unnecessary time being waste when playing.
5c. This will be a problem for non-Linux users who have no delay in game when making a play that should only take a split second unless they are going into the tank to think out a vital play to win the game. Many complaints will be do to staling and the excuse will be "Linux" which shouldn't be allowed in the first place until it is able to run like it does on Windows.

Magic-League should not support Linux on MWS. It is not "almost flawless" calling it that is stupid. It isn't hard to have another computer or even daul boot your computer with Windows.

Edited by Azania, you are warned for name calling

Azania · Joined: 13 Aug 2008 Posts: 52

Well first of all thank you for cursing at me, I will edit your post to exclude them.

1) wine vs cedega; there are people who have cedega installed and use. My post is to be as general as possible, I do not curse at people who use something which I think is a stupid action. Also there are still games that run better from Cedega then Wine, and neither are perfect.

2) distro's do vary in some way, as you say some require an extra command. And as I already said it, this mini guide is as general as it can be. Also no root is required to install, I wonder where you got that idea.

3) linux + wine = right click install? sorry but it seems you are the one lacking experience in linux. This might be true for Gnome or KDE but not for all WM's or DM's. I run Enlightened here and neither can you just right click from Fluxbox, there it would even depend on what file manager you are running. But people running Fluxbox or any minimal WM would use command line instead. I use command line most of the time.

4) In regards to the flaws;
- no visible borders or pictures on the play field is not a game breaker, instead you can see the names quite clearly. In a way I actually like it.
- cards upside down not visible is a matter of simply asking to set a note, can be seen annoying, still no game breaker.
- lists empty can be seen as a game breaker. However you did not read my post quite well it seems. by hovering your mouse over the list you can see the cards. It can be stalling the game but should not be if done properly and I suspect most linux players getting used to it. The way you tell me to handle it is a way of doing it, but not the way I would do it at all. Since you can see the cards quite quickly and effectively I can not say it is a game breaker.

Also here by I warn you, next time you post an offensive post I will simply delete it instead of editing it..

youarenotpro · Joined: 09 Aug 2005 Posts: 8

lulz! lulz! lulz! lulz! Since when is idiot and scrub cursing you? lulz! lulz! lulz! lulz!

If you are not running, Suse or Ubuntu you don't deserve to use Linux. lulz! lulz! lulz! lulz!

I was using root as an example to show differences. Please educate yourself. lulz! lulz! lulz! lulz!

MattCatt · Joined: 14 Dec 2004 Posts: 7

cm_ · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 7

nico · Administrator Joined: 28 Oct 2003 Posts: 837

Youarenotpro: change your name to Iamnotadult. I urge you to tone done your language, and behave civilized to someone who is spending a lot of time tohelp people, without getting paid for it.
next time I see you misbehaving like this, a ban is awaiting you from the forum, and it will be more than the standard week, since you have been warned before and didnot act according to the warnings.

Greetz Nico

Araeliz · Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 15

goat314 · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 17

BSD ftwz! ftwz! ftwz! ftwz! ftwz!

Seriously, though, thanks for the help Azania. I may attempt the install on OS X here at some point. If I have anything worthwhile to add from the experience, I will try to do so...

Open Source, Communist, Evolutionist, Devil-worshippers! (Sadly, the original article is gone, that was a great read).

Azania · Joined: 13 Aug 2008 Posts: 52

updated after running from KDE4, none of the flaws mentioned were present at all..

Azania · Joined: 13 Aug 2008 Posts: 52

After a more thorough research wine version 1.1.2 was found that would eliminate all of the flaws that were mentioned earlier. We recommend everyone who uses Linux to upgrade Wine to 1.1.2 or later.

Enjoy

goat314 · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 17

after just trying this on my fiance's mac. i can tell you that DarWine 1.12 still has the above listed flaws. I can't seem to get the 1.13 version installed right, don't know if anyone else has.

Azania · Joined: 13 Aug 2008 Posts: 52

Remember this is for Linux and not mac, I suggest you try to find out which version of wine they ported over with 1.12, I could find only 0.9x stuff on their website ><

carnuZ · Joined: 05 Apr 2005 Posts: 3

Azania · Joined: 13 Aug 2008 Posts: 52

hmm you even have flaws I never encountered before, you might want to tweak around with winecfg maybe.. not sure how I can help, could you post your configuration and system details? perhaps I can recreate the problems you have.. I do use Gentoo though.. also I have wine version 1.1.4 installed here..

Magic Workstation for Linux Guide *updated 09/26/08*

Magic Workstation for Linux Guide updated 09/26/08