Build and play the native Linux version from your own PAL disc image. The Linux bootstrap installs the public build tools it needs and calls the same game-building pipeline as the Windows version.
Before you start
You need your own PAL SCES-500.06 release as a plain .iso. The USA release (SCUS-971.28) is an experimental Windows-only build for now: see USA disc support.
Build specs (one time)
| Requirement | What you need |
|---|---|
| Architecture | x86-64 Linux; this bootstrap does not support ARM |
| Distribution | Ubuntu 22.04 or newer is the validated environment; automatic dependency installation supports Debian/Ubuntu |
| Memory | 16 GB or more; compiling the generated game code is memory-heavy (use --jobs 1 with less) |
| CPU | Any x86-64 CPU; more cores build faster. --jobs sets how many build jobs run (see below) |
| Disk space | About 10 GB free, plus your ISO |
| Network | Internet access for the source checkout, packages and pinned build tools |
| Permissions | sudo access if required system packages are missing |
Game specs (to play)
| Requirement | What you need |
|---|---|
| Desktop | A graphical desktop (X11, or Wayland with XWayland) with audio |
| Graphics | A GPU with Vulkan drivers for the shared WebGPU renderer (an OpenGL fallback exists but is slower) |
| Memory | 8 GB recommended |
| CPU | 4 or more cores recommended |
The Linux player uses the same WebGPU renderer as Windows, including the portable temporal AA and compute ray tracing. DLSS and hardware (DXR) ray tracing are Windows Direct3D 11 only. Performance varies by scene, GPU and CPU; see Platforms & portability.
Get the source
Install Git if your system does not already have it. On Debian/Ubuntu:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install git
git clone https://github.com/ChristopherVR/Drakan2PC.git
cd Drakan2PC
If you already have a checkout, use it instead of cloning a second copy. Keep the ISO in a stable location; the game continues to read it during play.
Build from your ISO
Run this from the repository root, replacing the path with your own disc image:
bash scripts/buildtool/Build-Drakan.sh "/path/to/Drakan.iso"
The bootstrap checks for the compiler, CMake, Ninja, Python, PowerShell and runtime dependencies. On Debian/Ubuntu it installs missing public packages through apt-get, including the audio, graphics and FFmpeg development libraries. It downloads pinned Python/PowerShell tools when required.
It validates the disc, prepares the generated game code, compiles the Linux runtime and stages the playable installation at dist/DrakanPC-linux. The default work directory is build/final-game. Allow substantial time for the first compilation and leave the terminal open until it finishes.
The default is two build jobs. If memory is tight, or to leave the PC free for other work, use one:
bash scripts/buildtool/Build-Drakan.sh "/path/to/Drakan.iso" --jobs 1
Do not run simultaneous target builds against the same work directory.
Launch the game
./dist/DrakanPC-linux/Play-Drakan.sh
Launch from the deployed folder through this script rather than a bare executable in the build tree. Modern title, pause, save/load and PC Settings screens have a portable rendering path; full Windows inventory/map overlay parity remains unfinished.
The portable controls include WASD movement, mouse look, Shift to walk, Space to jump, E to use, Q for Quick Inventory, Tab for inventory and arrows for menus. F10 releases mouse capture. Use the in-game controls and key prompts for the current portable mapping; some bindings differ from Windows.
Rebuild and keep your saves
Run the same bootstrap command again. When the existing work directory has been prepared, it automatically requests an incremental build:
bash scripts/buildtool/Build-Drakan.sh "/path/to/Drakan.iso"
Native Linux saves live in the deployed mc0 folder, with mc1 used if present. Back up the card folders and INI files with the game closed before updating or moving your installation. See Saves & updates.
To use an existing optional texture pack, supply its location:
bash scripts/buildtool/Build-Drakan.sh "/path/to/Drakan.iso" --texture-dir "/path/to/textures"
Build the browser version on Linux
The same bootstrap can prepare WebAssembly instead:
bash scripts/buildtool/Build-Drakan.sh "/path/to/Drakan.iso" --web
./dist/DrakanPC-web/Play-Browser.sh
Keep the local server running during play. Follow Play in your browser for hosted-launcher use and browser save-storage rules.
Common Linux setup problems
- Unsupported architecture: the bootstrap currently requires x86-64; ARM devices need a separate porting effort.
- Missing packages on another distribution: automatic installation is Debian/Ubuntu-specific. Install equivalent compiler, OpenGL/X11, ALSA and FFmpeg development packages; use Build from source for the supported build layout.
- Compiler killed or out of memory: retry with
--jobs 1, close memory-heavy applications and check available RAM/swap. Reuse the same work directory. - No display: the native player needs a graphical session. A headless shell alone cannot show the game. WSL additionally needs a working GUI environment such as WSLg.
- No sound under WSLg: check the host sound configuration and the ALSA PulseAudio plugin. The bootstrap includes
libasound2-pluginsfor the native target.
For disc validation, moved ISO paths and reproducible bug reports, see Troubleshooting.