Installing on Ubuntu/Wine

by Webjester

updated: 2019-11-20

This guide will aid you in downloading, installing, configuring, and launching Final Fantasy XI on Ubuntu 18.04. While it is written from the perspective of Ubuntu 18.04, it may possibly be adapted for later versions (LTS 20.04 is right around the corner and 19.10 is out at the time of this writing).

Assumptions:

  • You have a working install of Ubuntu 18.04 (or one of its many flavors).
  • You are comfortable typing things in a shell prompt (bash, etc).
  • You have access to sudo or have root permissions to install software.

Downloading and installing Wine and Winetricks

WineHQ has Pre-built packages for Wine on its website (https://wiki.winehq.org/Ubuntu). We’ll be using the Staging branch as it has the best compatibility with Ashita.

  1. Add the WineHQ repository and install Wine. Open a shell session and run the following:

    $ sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386
$ wget -nc https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key
$ sudo apt-key add winehq.key
$ sudo apt-add-repository 'deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ bionic main'
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:cybermax-dexter/sdl2-backport
$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-staging cabextract p7zip-full

    ``

  2. Download and mark executable the latest version of winetricks. In a shell session run the following:

    $ mkdir ~/bin
$ cd ~/bin
$ wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Winetricks/winetricks/master/src/winetricks
$ chmod +x winetricks

    ``

Configuring your wine container for FFXI w/ Ashita

  1. Create a new wine prefix for this install.

  2. Launch Wine Config:

    $ WINEARCH=win32 WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi winecfg

    ``

  3. You will get a few pop ups, including a warning that Wine Mono is not installed. If you are prompted to install Wine Mono, cancel the prompt (we will be using Native .NET instead of Mono). You can install Gekko when prompted. image image

  4. In the Wine configuration window, ensure your Windows version is set to Windows 7 and click ok (this is visible on the Applications tab at the bottom). image

  5. Install the dependencies that Ashita requires using Winetricks:

    $ WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi ~/bin/winetricks --force vcrun2010 vcrun2012 vcrun2013 vcrun2015 vcrun2017 dotnet40 dotnet452

    `` The dependencies for Ashita:

    • vcrun2010
    • vcrun2012
    • vcrun2013
    • vcrun2015
    • vcrun2017
    • dotnet40
    • dotnet452
    • windows 7 wine prefix

  6. You will receive a series of prompts to install the Microsoft VC Runtimes and Dotnet 4.0 and 4.5. You can use the default install options after accepting the EULA on each prompt. image

  7. After all the installs complete you may get a prompt that “Windows needs to reboot”, you can choose “Reboot Now” which will reload the wine server in the background. You do not have to actually reboot your PC. image

  8. Relaunch Wine Config, and change it back to a Windows 7 prefix. The framework update will have shifted it to Windows 2003.

    $ WINEARCH=win32 WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi winecfg

    `` image

Download and Install Final Fantasy XI

In mid 2019 Square-Enix refreshed their installer package to include updates to the most recent release at that time. This guide uses that installer as a reference.

  1. Download the Installer Files:

    $ mkdir -p ~/Downloads/ffxi
$ cd ~/Downloads/ffxi
$ wget https://gdl.square-enix.com/ffxi/download/us/FFXIFullSetup_US.part1.exe
$ wget https://gdl.square-enix.com/ffxi/download/us/FFXIFullSetup_US.part2.rar
$ wget https://gdl.square-enix.com/ffxi/download/us/FFXIFullSetup_US.part3.rar
$ wget https://gdl.square-enix.com/ffxi/download/us/FFXIFullSetup_US.part4.rar
$ wget https://gdl.square-enix.com/ffxi/download/us/FFXIFullSetup_US.part5.rar

    ``

  2. Unpack the installer

    $ WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi wine ~/Downloads/ffxi/FFXIFullSetup_US.part1.exe

    ``

  3. You will be prompted for a location to unpack the files. The default path should be the directory you downloaded the files, add a /unpack to the path, e.g.:

    Z:\home\username\Downloads\ffxi\unpack

    `` image

  4. Once the unpack job is done, launch the installer:

    $ cd ~/Downloads/ffxi/unpack/FFXIFullSetup_US/
$ WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi wine ./FFXISetup.exe

    ``

  5. Select PlayOnline Viewer and Final Fantasy XI and click Install image

  6. The PlayOnline Viewer Setup window will launch, accept the license and next through the defaults. Note, the text in the EULA may not display correctly. image

  7. The FINAL FANTASY XI Setup window will appear after a while, it will hang for multiple minutes computing space requirements (this is normal). Next your way through the dialogs using defaults, and wait while the installation completes (this may take quite some time). image image image image

Update Final Fantasy XI

  1. Download the DSP patch package to your downloads directory

    $ mkdir ~/Downloads/dsp
$ cd ~/Downloads/dsp
$ wget https://forums.dspt.info/download/file.php?id=1996 -O FFXI-UpdatePatch.zip

    ``

  2. Navigate to your Final Fantasy Install Directory

    $ cd ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/PlayOnline/SquareEnix/FINAL\ FANTASY\ XI/

    ``

  3. Unzip the updater:

    $ 7za -aoa x ~/Downloads/dsp/FFXI-UpdatePatch.zip

    ``

  4. Launch Playonline Viewer for the first time. This can be done via the command line:

    $ WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi wine ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/PlayOnline/SquareEnix/PlayOnlineViewer/pol.exe

    ``

    This can also be done via your installed programs list. image

  5. Run through the PlayOnline update process. PlayOnline will update a number of files.

    image

  6. After PlayOnline updates and relaunches itself, you will be prompted to setup an account. Choose “For PlayOnline Members!” and setup a dummy account. The Member name and PlayOnlineId can be ABCD1234.

    image

  7. Click Check Files on the left-hand side of the screen.

  8. Click PlayOnline Viewer, which will bring up a drop down menu. Select FINAL FANTASY XI Ver.Unknown.

    image

  9. Click Check Files at the bottom of the window to begin scanning the files for changes.

    image

  10. After it scans your drive, click File Repair and Yes to the prompt.

  11. After completing the file check, ok the Repair Files dialog and exit out of PlayOnline viewer.

    image

  12. Should you need to reload or update PlayOnline at a later time, you should find it in your program list, typically by pressing the Superkey (also known as the Windows Key) and typing playonline.

Download and install Ashita

  1. Navigate to your FFXI wine prefix to download the installer:

    $ mkdir ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/Ashita
$ cd ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/Ashita
$ wget http://git.ashita.atom0s.com/Ashita/Ashitav3-Launcher/raw/master/Ashita.exe

    ``

  2. Launch Wine to run the Ashita auto updater:

    $ WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi wine ./Ashita.exe

    ``

    image

  3. Ashita will launch and auto update itself when it’s launched.

    image

  4. Details on how to configure Ashita to connect to the server can be found here:

    https://nocturnalsouls.net/getting-setup/setup-ashita/

  5. After configuring your profile, close Ashita.

    In its current revision, launching the game directly from the Ashita GUI doesn’t work. You can, however, launch it directly from a custom launcher.

    image

  6. To create a custom launcher, find the name of the profile you created:

    $ ls -rlt ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/Ashita/config/boot

    ``

    The configuration file you just created should be listed at the bottom. You can rename this file to be friendlier, e.g. charactername.xml.

  7. Try launching the game directly from the commandline:

    $ cd ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/Ashita
$ WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi wine ./injector.exe nocsouls.xml

    ``

    You can replace nocsouls.xml with whatever you renamed the .xml to

  8. Final Fantasy XI should launch.

  9. Assuming it launched correctly, you should now be able to create a custom Launcher to jump directly into game. This process differs with each desktop manager, but often it’s as simple as navigating to a folder, right clicking, and adding a new launcher, shortcut to application, etc. The command you will use will be:

    cd ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/Ashita/; WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi wine ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/Ashita/injector.exe nocsouls.xml

    ``

  10. In Ubuntu 18.04, you can add a launcher by following these steps:

    $ sudo apt install --no-install-recommends gnome-panel
$ gnome-desktop-item-edit ~/Desktop/ --create-new

    image

    In the Dialog that appears, create a shortcut for Ashita and a shortcut to launch directly to your login:

    Ashita: sh -c "cd ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/Ashita/; WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi wine ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/Ashita/Ashita.exe"

NocSouls: sh -c "cd ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/Ashita/; WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi wine ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/Ashita/injector.exe nocsouls.xml"

    image

Gotchas / Nuances / Troubleshooting

  • Initial account creation/character creation may require the use of the standalone xiloader v1.0.1 or xiloader v1.0.2. This can be called directly for account and character creation with:
cd ~/.wine-ffxi/drive_c/Program\ Files/Ashita
mkdir alt_loader
cd alt_loader
wget https://github.com/DarkstarProject/xiloader/releases/download/v1.0.1/xiloader.exe
WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-ffxi wine ./xiloader.exe

  • The Gamma settings tend to be a bit wonky when using Ashita/Final Fantasy XI on Wine. This may result in an overly bright/“washed out” color profile. To resolve launch your systems built in Gamma tool and adjust your gamma and color levels back to 1.0. nvidia users who are using the Binary driver can simply launch the nvidia x server settings tool, and it will automatically apply the gamma profile.

  • Hung Wine Processes: Sometimes Ashita will simply crash or freeze. The fastest way to clear this up (without a reboot) is to kill the Ashita process.

    $ pkill --signal 9 pol.exe

  • Disconnects/Reconnects/Crashes: This may not be unique to Linux, but you will need to wait up to 3 minutes in between logging fully out and logging in again, otherwise you will get a connection error.

  • Wine/Ashita will hold on to pressed keys when tabbing out of an active window. If you alt tabbed, you may have to press alt to clear it. I.e. when you come back to the Ashita window after alt tabbing back, it may behave like alt is still pressed. Pressing alt will clear this (the same may be true for ctrl, alt, shift, and the Super key).

  • Wine/Ashita does not work very well with multiple sessions active at once.