Home  » Lorebook
LOTRO under Linux and Mac OS/X
Options
View source
History
What links here
Related changes
Special pages
Permanent link
Player Entry
Original content created by various community members: Forum Discussion

DISCLAIMER: This is not for the faint of heart. All of this information is on an as-is basis, no guarantees are made about anything whatsoever and most importantly: IF YOU TRY THIS, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN! TURBINE DOES NOT, WILL NOT, HAS NEVER AND (probably) WILL NEVER PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR IT! There. If your toaster explodes as a result of this, it's your own fault. The instructions below worked for many people but also failed for a few.

Support is available for the CodeWeavers CrossOver Games (CXG) installation (Mac or Linux) however, CXG is a commercial product.

As of December 2012, this guide primarily applies to LINUX installations as Turbine released a Native Mac Client at that time (see below for details).

Contents

REQUIREMENTS

Linux

1- A PC with at least the minimum system specs for the game.

Turbine's System requirements for Windows, (note that they have not been revised since release in 2007):
Minimum Recommended*
Processor: Processor: Intel Pentium 4 - 1.8GHz or AMD equivalent Processor: Intel Pentium 4 - 2.8GHz or AMD equivalent
Video: 64MB NVIDIA Geforce 3 or ATI Radeon 8500 128MB NVIDIA Geforce 6800 or ATI 8500
OS: Windows XP (Service Pack 2 is recommended) Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or Windows Vista (Service Pack 1)
Memory: 512 MB 1.0GB (2.0GB for Vista)
Disk Space: 7GB NOTE: This requirement does not include recent game updates. Up to 10 GB may be required for the installation. 10GB NOTE: This requirement does not include recent game updates. Up to 12 GB may be required for the installation.
Internet: 56kbps Modem Cable (modem) or DSL Connection
DirectX Version DirectX 9.0c DirectX 9.0c (Latest Version)

2- Wine (Minimum version 1.5.18) or CrossOver (Minimum Version 12.0). Note that pre-built binaries (including LOTRO) are available on the AppDB page at WINEhq (pick the latest update).

Mac

In November 2012, Turbine released a "beta" version of a Native Mac Client.

  • This Native Mac Client REQUIRES OSX LION (10.7.5) or OSX MOUNTAIN LION (10.8.x).
  • If you are running OSX Snow Leopard (10.6.x) or earlier you MUST use the WINE, CrossOver or other alternative options below.
Minimum Recommended*
Processor: Processor: 2.0 GHz Intel Core i5 Processor: 2.0 GHz Intel Core i7
Video: Intel HD Graphics 3000 or better NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 650M or better
OS: OSX 10.7.5 OSX 10.7.5
Memory: 2 GB 4 GB
Disk Space: 25 GB available 25 GB available
Internet: 56kbps Modem Broadband DSL/Cable
Sound: Integrated Sound Integrated Sound

In December 2012, this same Native Mac Client was also made available via STEAM download http://store.steampowered.com/app/212500/

You first need to download and install the Steam engine if you do not have it installed. A pop-up "Got Steam?" will greet you as soon as you click the "play" (download) button. Steam is a separate 1.5 MB download.
  • Support can also be found in the LOTRO Forums, at the very bottom, under Customer Support: Mac Technical Support

Alternative solutions for the Mac

Note: these all require an Intel based Mac with at least the minimum specs for the game, and all install the Windows Client software.

1- Install Wine on Mac tutorial (Minimum version 1.5.15)

 :(If using Wine method) Your DNS servers must NOT be setup to redirect from false URLs to a search page. To see if this applies to you, go to your URL bar and type "cheese". If the page you get is a search page with your network provider logo at the top (like Optimum or Verizon), then you have a problem. The solution is in the appropriate section.

2- CrossOver (Minimum Version 12.0).

3- BootCamp - See Apple Documentation - This installs a copy of Windows  on your disc.

4- Parallels Desktop - See Parallels Documentation - This installs a copy of Windows on your disc.

5- VMWare Fusion -- See VM Ware Documentation - This installs a copy of Windows on your disc.

LINUX

Installing LOTRO under LINUX

Caveats

There's a few things you need to look out for:

  • With the release of Update 8 (Riders of Rohan) in October of 2012, all versions of WINE broke. WINE was successfully patched as of WINE 1.5.18 in late October 2012.
  • With the release of Update 8 (Riders of Rohan) in October of 2012, Awesomium replaced use of all external browsers for access to the LOTRO Store, in-game Help, Lorebook and similar functions.
  • Awesomium is also a 32 bit application based on Chromium.
  • If you run Linux and you run Beryl/Compiz (or some other 3D Desktop Effects software), disable them before launching LOTRO. The game will run normally, although with somewhat degraded performance. However, many hotkey functions and mouse gestures used in the game will also activate 3D Desktop effects, and could cause the game to crash.
  • If you get odd texture tiling on the ground, disable Anisotropic texture filtering in the LOTRO Advanced Graphics settings.

Installing Wine and prerequisite libraries

Install Wine (follow the instructions on their webpage if you run into problems).

Many distros have versions of Wine older than 1.3.9 in their repositories. Using the version from WINEhq will always give better results. Ubuntu users can add the Wine repository for easy installation.

It used to be the case that you had to set the Windows version to Windows 2000 in the Wine config utility, but that's not needed anymore. Neither do you need to mess with registry settings, the amount of video memory gets detected automatically by Wine.

If you wish you can install the MS DirectX9 libraries, though again, this is not needed. You'll want to install Winetricks for that and use it to install DX9. From the command line, run this: 

wget http://www.kegel.com/wine/winetricks
chmod +x winetricks 
./winetricks d3dx9_36

You'll want the VC++ runtime libraries as well, easily installed via Winetricks: 

./winetricks vcrun2008

(note: you will need cabextract installed for this to work correctly. If you don't have cabextract, the installations may seem to finish correctly. You may be able to simply install it with 'sudo apt-get install cabextract' or 'sudo yum install cabextract'.)

NOTE: WINE does NOT support DirectX 10. WINE only supports DirectX 9!

Installing LOTRO

  1. Install LOTRO. DO NOT USE THE MOM DVD FOR THIS! Install a downloaded version. Patching from the MOM [Mines of Moria] DVD will take as long, if not longer than downloading the current installer and patching it. Also, it is no longer possible to "patch-up" from the SOA [Shadows of Angmar] DVD.
  2. Download and install PyLOTRO by following the instructions from the PyLOTRO download page.
  3. Configure the PyLOTRO launcher. The settings should be adjusted to fit your system: 
Application      Wine
WINEDEBUG        fixme-all
WINEPREFIX       /home/your-username/.wine
Game Directory   /home/your-username/.wine/drive_c/Program Files/Turbine/The Lord of the Rings Online
Hi-Res Graphics  Enabled (or Disabled if you downloaded standard res LOTRO)

Command line launcher:

  1. If you would prefer a command line launcher, get it here. Beware, it's not supported and more or less requires a bit of geekery to get it going. (This is really old and outdated.)

Running LOTRO

The first time you run LOTRO it will fail, because it's missing its config files. During the crash it will create them however. From then on it will work fine. If you use the GUI launcher please remember to patch when needed (Tools->Patch->Apply, close when done).

Troubleshooting

Q: LOTRO does not start!

  1. On first run, it will crash because it's missing its config file, that's normal.
  2. Make sure you set the path to the LOTRO directory correctly in the GUI launcher. If you use the command line launcher, make sure you copied it into the LOTRO directory.
  3. If it still does not start after that, make sure that you have the proper graphics drivers installed in Linux (i.e. the proprietary nVidia and ATI drivers are needed) and that OpenGL works properly. From the terminal console, enter "glxinfo" and make sure that the glx vendor string does say nvidia or ati.

Q: The graphics are all messed up!

  1. Most often this is caused by either an ancient version of Wine (use version 1.3.9 or higher, the latest version is highly recommended) or bad graphics drivers. You will need to have the proprietary nvidia or ati drivers installed, the open-source drivers will not give you satisfactory results.
  2. On top of that, LOTRO is pretty graphically demanding. If all else fails, set the graphics options to LOW and then slowly start cranking them up and see where it pukes.
  3. If you see odd texture tiles on the ground, disable Anisotropic Filtering in the LotRO settings.
  4. If you use Compiz/Beryl/KDE Desktop Effects, turn them off.

Q: LOTRO crashes when I try to file a bug or go to the help menu!

  1. You'll need to install the Mozilla rendering engine. Open a terminal and enter "wine iexplore http://winehq.com". You'll be prompted to let Wine install the Mozilla engine.

Q: I get the following error: unimplemented function d3dx9_36.dll.D3DXGetShaderConstantTable

  1. You may need to get the .dll from a real Windows installation. You can find the file in c:\Windows\system32\ Copy that file to your wine installation's drive_c\windows\system32 folder. Or install it with winetricks: "winetricks d3dx9_36" should do it.

Q: I get the following error: WARNING: Cannot find Mozilla directory containing libgtkembedmoz.so. Some Addins may not be able to function. Please set MOZILLA_FIVE_HOME to your Mozilla directory.

  1. This library module used to come with Firefox 2.x, but doesn't come with Firefox 3.x in many distros. You can probably get it by installing libxul-dev in Ubuntu or a similar xulrunner-related package in other distros.

Q: LotRO crashes for me with some obscure sound system error

  1. if you have PulseAudio, disable Shared Memory, typically by editing /etc/pulse/daemon.pa and setting enable-shm = no (default is "yes").

MAC OS X

Last edit: Updated to reflect release of Native Mac Client and issues surrounding the Riders of Rohan expansion.

GENERAL NOTES: These methods will only work with Intel Macs. A PowerPC processor will not work. Also, Mac OS X 10.8.2 or higher is highly reccommended. The quality of your Mac will also have a profound effect on LOTRO's performance.

Update 9, the Riders of Rohan Expansion, released on 15 October 2012, broke ALL VERSIONS of WINE available at the time, including CrossOver and various WINESKIN bundles. WINE was patched in late October 2012. Version 1.5.18 was again able to run LOTRO. ANY VERSION of a WINE based environment, including Codeweaver's CrossOver and various WINESKIN bundles built prior to version 1.5.18 DO NOT WORK.

NOTES REGARDING CX and WINE: The information here is not frequently updated and is usually out of date in regard to the latest version of Codeweaver's CrossOver. Always check this page (CX) or this page (WineHQ) for the most up-to-date information. Note that WineHQ opens a new Version page for each release of LOTRO.

NOTES REGARDING WINESKIN CLIENT: The only support is located in this thread. It DOES use Wine, the files and such are just already compiled. Since the demise of File Planet, there is no generally available WINESKIN client.

Links to required files

  • Go to the LOTRO page at Codeweavers: here.
  1. Follow the three steps outlined - step 1 takes a brief period of time. Check out the "Tips & Tricks" tab as you wait.
  2. Click Step 2 "Install via CrossTie" with CrossOver Games installed. THIS part of the process will take about six (6) hours.
  3. Again, see "Tips & Tricks" for some of the Screens involved.
  • (WINE Method ONLY) Go to here to read a tutorial about installing WINE on the Mac.

As of 9 February 2012 There is no longer a "European client."

Update: Valamar 21:11, 21 January 2013 (UTC)

Wine based Installation Methods

Universal Notes


Gray Loading Screen Fix: With the Update of 29 November 2010, Turbine added 10 "Teleport screens" to its "update" download. If these files are NOT present, they will appear as a "loading screen" with an ornate top and bottom, and the progress bar, but with a grey center with a white cross-hatch. By default, PyLotRO cannot find these files. Installation instructions are here (Scroll down to Phase 2).


Tip: You can use your own photo as a loading screen:
1. Make sure it has a resolution of 1024 × 576 and is in jpeg format.
2. Drag it to to: <Hard Disk>Library/Application Support/Crossover Games/Bottles/<LOTRO>/drive_c/Program Files/Turbine/The Lord of the Rings Online/raw/en/logo.
3. Rename it based on where you want it to show up:


lotro_ad_pregame.jpg - When the game starts.
lotro_generic_teleport_screen_<01 through 10>.jpg - After clicking "Enter Middle Earth". It rotatess between 10 (01 through 10)


What PyLotRO is: PyLotRO is an alternative launcher for LOTRO and DDO, since the original one doesn't work with Wine. Originally, it was called LotROLinux and LotROMac. When both became a technical headache, the producers made a Windows launcher instead, but one that was tailored to work with Wine. This way PyLotRO would work with any machine that ran Wine.

CXG Method

  1. Install CrossOver Games Demo first (file 1a), then install the CrossTie (file 2b above).
  2. CrossOver Games should give you a completed install window. Click install.
  3. Wait while Pando Media Booster downloads the software. Agree to all the license agreements.
  4. When it's done, DO NOT LAUNCH LOTRO NORMALLY. Launch PyLotRO instead.
  5. In PyLotRO, go to Tools --> Options. Click the "..." by "Game Directory". Navigate like this: <home folder>/Applications/Crossover Games/Turbine/Lord of the Rings Online/Lord of the Rings Online.app . Apply. Click Save.
  6. In PyLotRO, go to Tools --> Settings Wizard. Choose Lord of the Rings Online as Game, then click "Find Games". click on the available one.
  7. Finally, go to Tools -->Patch. In the window that pops up click "Start". It should give you "Connecting to patch.lotro.com:80" or something like that, then start to spew out a lot of text and dots.
  8. Wait for about an hour. When its done it will display ***Finished***. Now you can log in normally using PyLotRO.


Note on Patching: From the Tools pulldown in PyLotRO, select "Patch" click "Start". You should see a message like: "Connecting to patch.lotro.com:80." Depending upon Turbine, you may find no patching take place, or extensive patching. Patching typically will take 30-60 minutes, depending, again on Turbine.


Explanation of Process: Using a file called a CrossTie, it is possible to install LOTRO in "one step". The CrossTie installer creates a Windows XP bottle to house LOTRO and install various support software (including PyLotRO; the joke it that CXG is based on Wine, and you make bottles...). Pando Media Booster (PMB) downloads Turbine's LOTRO client. The PMB download is a "torrent style" downloader; even with that fact it takes 3-6 hours to download the client. Once the PMB download completes, installation will continue by launching the Turbine Installer. This instalation phase can vary a lot in time depending on your CPU and disk speed. At the completion of the installation the Turbine Installer might try to launch the Turbine LOTRO Launcher. The Turbine LOTRO Launcher will fail -- usually with a crash. So we launch and configure PyLotRO instead.


Price: $40: Versus the $100 to $400 for Windows, this is an improvement.


The Golden Rule: Thou shalt start LOTRO using only PyLotRO.

Tip: For easy access to LOTRO, drag PyLotRO to the dock. To start LOTRO, just click on PyLotRO.

Wine Method

The coming steps are taken from LOTRO's WineHQ page. Visit it for more information.

The actual steps are coming soon!


Old instructions:

Installation under WINE: Once you have installed WINE, visit Wine HQ: http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iAppId=4891 select the latest version and follow the instructions there for the appropriate "Wine Tricks." It is strongly recommended that you use the Pando Media Booster (PMB) downloader fromt the LOTRO download page http://www.lotro.com/support/download-lotro, rather than ANY previously existant (or recommended) downloads. (See also the Turbine FAQ for additional information: http://support.turbine.com/ics/support/default.asp

Download the Turbine Downloader (PMB) and download the client. (Again, this is about a 6 hour process on a 6med DSL line or cable modem.)

Next, install PyLotRO into the bottle you just created. (LOTRO and PyLotRO must be in the same bottle) This utility replaces the Turbine Launcher wich does not work under WINE, and serves the same purpose.

Follow the instructions CONFIGURE PyLotRO and PATCHING instructions above.


The Golden Rule: Thou shalt start LOTRO using only PyLotRO.

Unofficial Client Method

Over time, there have been various individuals who have packaged together a LOTRO client as a single download.

These are typically "WINESKINS." There is no repository for them nor are they maintained on any kind of regular basis.

Most are "simply" download aids, and as such once downloaded, you run and patch as you would normally.

Information about them is normally nonexistent (or trustworthy) beyond some Forum announcement somewhere.

Today (January 2013), with the existence of the official Native Mac Client from Turbine, LINUX is the only environment which "needs" such a package.

Notes and Clarifications

  • CrossOver (CX) is a commercial product based on the open-source WINE project. It is developed by CodeWeavers, not to be confused with Codemasters, the (prior to June 2011) international publisher for LOTRO. A time-limited demo version is avaialble. Note that there is now only one CrossOver (CX) product there are no longer separate downloads for CrossOver Mac, CrossOver Pro and CrossOver Games.
  • The first issue plaguing Linux and Mac users using a WINE based system is that the Turbine Launcher for LOTRO relies on Microsoft .net, which does not work with WINE (and by extension CrossOver, Winesking or Cider). PyLotro was developed to be a launcher and patcher that works properly in this environment.
LOTROLinux and LOTROMac have been discontinued and replaced by PyLotRO. PyLotRO is written in Python and no longer relies on mono. Also no longer required is the fakenet11.reg hack.
Due to technical headaches, the Mac version of the PyLotRO has been scrapped. Mac users should install the Windows version of PyLotRO in to the LOTRO bottle instead. (This is done automatically by the CrossTie installer for CXG.)
  • It is also possible to run LOTRO using either Apple's Boot Camp or a virtual OS tool, such as VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop. Each of these options requires you possess a full Windows license and distribution in addition to the LOTRO distribution. Each has its own particular quirks and requirements.
  • File Planet is now a discontinued service of IGN. No files found there will run the current versions of LOTRO.
  • Valve's STEAM now (December 2012) offers a download of the Turbine Native Mac Client. This is frequently a viable alternative for individuals having difficulty downloading the Native Mac Client directly from Turbine (lotro.com)

Historical notes

  • As of October 2012, CrossOver support of LOTRO was broken because of the Riders of Rohan release which broke ALL versions of WINE. Crossover 12.x, (January 2013) which runs on Mountain Lion, is now based on WINE 1.5.15 which DOES run LOTRO with no problems.
  • As of March 2011, CX (and Wine 1.3.9) support the Pando Media Booster (PMB) used by Turbine to download their game client. The CrossTie installer makes use of this fact.
  • As of 1 June 2011, there is only ONE Turbine client download. Turbine assumed operation of the European and International servers from Codemasters.
Update: Valamar 21:00, 21 January 2013 (UTC)

Useful Links

LOTRO Native Mac Client

The Native Mac Client is currently (January 2013) 17.74 GB in size and, depending upon the speed of your Internet connection, takes approximately 4-6 hours (or longer) to download. These downloaded files must be patched before play can begin, a process taking an additional 20-60 minutes, depending upon the speed of your Mac.

Update: Valamar 20:24, 21 January 2013 (UTC)

Forums and Threads

  • Forum discussion - Linux (ask for help there): [1]
Update: Valamar 20:53, 21 January 2013 (UTC)

Non LOTRO Support Links

Update: Valamar 20:58, 21 January 2013 (UTC)
35 comments [hide]
Post comment Options
You need JavaScript enabled for viewing comments
Retrieved from "http://lorebook.lotro.com/wiki/LOTRO_under_Linux_and_Mac_OS/X"