Silent Hunter 4 on Wine, No sound Effects?

[Caption Ranker]

Hi, I recently jumped ship and switched to Linux. I tired to Run Silent Hunter 4 U-boat missions through Steam with Lutris. It works for the most part, but the funny thing is I don't have any sound effects. Music plays fine, voices work, but other then that I can't hear anything.

I'm running Linux Mint 19. Intel i5, 12gb ram Nvidia GtX970.

I tried switching out the Kernel to the latest version, but that had no effect.

I read online I should try switching the Audio drivers with Winetricks, I tried that but it seemed to have no effect... (although I'm unsure I did it right)

I can play cold waters just fine, so I'm somewhat inclined to just put SH4 on the list of games I won't be able to play ever again, unless somebody has any ideas.

Too bad Ubisoft never made SH4 open source... ah well.

[Aktungbby]

Caption Ranker! AFTER A LONG SILENT RUN!

[propbeanie]

Caption Ranker, some of the music, and a lot of the speech in SH4 is in ogg vorbis format. The rest is probably in wav format. Is there a codec for wav on your computer for Linux? I would think there would be, even before any Wine install... You can also check in the game's Options menu, under the Sound settings, and see what the various sliders are set to. The 3D slider on the upper left of that page is kind of wonky, and should probably be left of center, if you've moved it any. On my computer, it messes with the "stereo" field if I move it to the right. I'm using Win7, and I do not remember what happens with it in my Ubuntu 16.x... Are you usiig a built-in sound card on your motherboard, or an after-market thingie?...

[Caption Ranker]

Just an inbuilt sound card, although I got a USB dongle to headphones. I found out I have no sound in Skyrim when I ran that last night, so I'm assuming something is messed up with my wine install or I don't have my audio drivers working correctly. Thanks for letting me know about the sound effects. Maybe I don't have .wav codex?

I have not used linux in years, but I'm finding it much more stable then before, also don't need to open a console all the time now. Even without the sound I'm fairly impressed everything else works in SH4. I'm gonna look into fixing the sound in Skyrim, as it looks like a lot more support exists for solving that issue online, hopefully by fixing that I will fix this too. But I will also look into .wav codex and try and get a better understanding of Linux Audio.

[Caption Ranker]

Oh brother, well I got sound working on Skyrim, I have no idea what I did. I tried running it on different wine staging then switched it back and for some reason sound started working.



But now SH4 will crash anytime I try and load a mission... you know, you use Linux for awhile and it really makes you appreciate all the things that are not broken on windows that we take for granted.

Still I think I'm making progress, I'm not going back to windows, just not sure if I should list these as bugs on wine HQ.

[propbeanie]

I forget what I changed in my SH4 install one time, and it crashed from then on... Try to navigate to the game's folder, and double-click on the SH4.exe directly, instead of any shortcut you might have... BarracudaUAK and Rockin Robbins are two big Linux users here, let's see if we can get their attention...

[Caption Ranker]

I think lutris switched me over to a beta version of wine to run Skyrim. I told the runner in lutris to run staging 3.12 instead and I'm back to being able to play the game but with no sound effects.

I ran the game with the 1.9.21 version of wine that was the last version to get a platinum rating on wine HQ and it also ran but with the same issue.

There must be something I do not fundamentally understand about the audio drivers on my computer. Or maybe how wine interacts with them...

[propbeanie]

Don't forget the game's settings also though... That "3D Sound Channels" thingie, messes with my computer...

[BarracudaUAK]

I got propbeanie's message....

Originally Posted by propbeanie

...BarracudaUAK and Rockin Robbins are two big Linux users here, let's see if we can get their attention...

Who you callin' "BIG"?



On to buisiness...


I can say that I'm running WINE 3.13 staging (Fedora 28) and I have sound.
(It has been working fine for the last several versions.)
I just tried both a 64bit and a 32bit (w/DX9 and Dotnet 2.0), and both are working flawlessly.

Based on a quick perusal of the thread, I can see a few possibilites...

Originally Posted by Caption Ranker

Just an inbuilt sound card, although I got a USB dongle to headphones.
...

Are you using the headphones when you play?
Do they work for other things with sound in Linux?

If not, can you plug in a set of speakers/headphones to the sound card...

NOTE: As I was clarifying my post, I had the thought, Mint could be "seeing" the headphones as a separate sound device.
Which desktop are you running? (Cinimmon? MATE?)

Fedora "sees" my RX 580's built-in sound (for HDMI) and my motherboards sound card separately, and I can switch them "on the fly".

Can you right-click on the Sound/Speaker icon on (what windows calls) the System Tray?
Should pop-up a small menu:
KDE has "Configure Audio Volume" then I can choose the default in the window that pops up under the "Audio Volume/Devices" tab.
Cinimmon has "Output Device", Then it list the Sound options when you click on the drop down menu.
MATE has "Sound Preferences", in the box under the hardware tab it list all devices, and under the "Output" tab, you can select your prefered device...


END NOTE.

Originally Posted by Caption Ranker

I think lutris switched me ...

I haven't used 'Lutris', or 'Play on Linux' so I'm unfamiliar with the specifics, but based on what I've read...
It allows multiple different versions of WINE, and then runs the program through those.

There may be a disconnect somewhere in there, since WINE isn't running from the default location on the system.
The System may not be allowing WINE access to the sound...
OR could be a bug in the version of Lutris that you have.


I'm not sure about this, but I thought I would mention the possibility...

-----------------------------------------------------------------
BTW, which Kernel version are you using?
At the terminal: uname -r


Barracuda

P.S. I'm one of those that is going to ask you some questions that you might have to use the terminal to answer...

I from the DOS era, so command line is "home" for me!

[Caption Ranker]

Yeah I'm running Mint 19 with the Cinnamon desktop. I should have mentioned that I switched from my headphones, to my speakers and had the same issue.

Yeah, lutris is great, it's really making the transition to Linux much easier. It's basically a better version of play on linux, making set up of wine games a one click process in most cases.

I can run off my systems version of wine with Lutris. I just did so and used wine tricks to switch between the different audio divers Alias, OSS, Plus audio to no effect.

It's sounding more and more like there is something wrong with my version on linux mint 19 and how it is handling audio. I believe I should be able to install another version of Linux alongside my current OS fairly easy if I remember. I think that is my next step in determining what's wrong here.


Edit: Also my sound works fine in everything else, I had an issue with Skyrim but somehow that fixed itself by just switching between wine versions with lutris.


Edit: Did you install DX 9? I'm trying to do anything but install DX9.

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by BarracudaUAK

I got propbeanie's message....

Who you callin' "BIG"?
...

Why, me of course, big on Linux, that is!...

Just a "refresher" for my memory, but check out:

Rockin Robbin's Let's Install Linux on Moonlight's Spare Computer!

and

BarracudaUAK's WINE or How to run your Windows game on Linux


Of particular note here is RR's post #27 on page 2 wherein DirectX v9.0c and the WindowsMedia 9 Codecs are part of the game install at about the 55 second mark of his video...

there might be updates to the Linux stuff though...

[THEBERBSTER]

A Warm Welcome Back To The Subsim Community > Caption Ranker
Subsim <> Make A Donation <> See The Benefits <> Support The Community
SH3 – 4 - 5 Tutorials And Other Information Links In My Signature Below

[BarracudaUAK]

I had a system freeze while typing, so this will be short and to the point, appologies ahead of time...


Typos possible too....

>> NOTE: Freeze again... somethings up, booted with older kernel, hopefully it holds this time!
I had similar trouble, and it wasn't WINE, it was the Video drivers, it was finally fixed with a Kernel update... So that may very well be the problem you are having...
Still, I'll leave the entirety of my post here so you can see my wandering and rambling before coming to this conclusion...


END NOTE <<

Originally Posted by Caption Ranker

Yeah I'm running Mint 19 with the Cinnamon desktop. I should have mentioned that I switched from my headphones, to my speakers and had the same issue.
...

Ok, that removes "wrong device" as a possible issue.
Is the output "muted"? (I've done that before.)

Originally Posted by Caption Ranker

...
Yeah, lutris is great, it's really making the transition to Linux much easier. It's basically a better version of play on linux, making set up of wine games a one click process in most cases.

I can run off my systems version of wine with Lutris. I just did so and used wine tricks to switch between the different audio divers Alias, OSS, Plus audio to no effect.
...

> I was typing this section when it froze, so this is the short version. <

Aplication Launcher ("start menu"), under WINE:
WINE Configuration. (or terminal "winecfg"), you can select the output device.

If the rest of the system is working with one of them, then sticking with that while you try to troubleshoot the issue is probably best.

Originally Posted by Caption Ranker

...
It's sounding more and more like there is something wrong with my version on linux mint 19 and how it is handling audio. I believe I should be able to install another version of Linux alongside my current OS fairly easy if I remember. I think that is my next step in determining what's wrong here.
...

Yes you can, you need an empty partition to put the System on.
If you setup a seperate "Home" partition (a partition mounted at /home) for MINT...
THEN...
EITHER:
A: Put the 2nd Linux distro's /home on the "system" partition. That is, don't setup a separate /home partition when you install it.

B: Use a different Desktop for the 2nd Linux Distro.
OR
C: Use a different USERNAME.

OTHERWISE:
The Settings files might over-write each other if it is the same desktop (Cinimmon/MATE/KDE/etc.) if on the same partition.


If you go with option "A" or "C", you will need to reinstall (or copy over) SH4.

>>> CAN CLARIFY THIS IF NEED BE <<<

(I really need to do a basic run-down on how this works, with pics and all.)

Originally Posted by Caption Ranker

...
Edit: Also my sound works fine in everything else, I had an issue with Skyrim but somehow that fixed itself by just switching between wine versions with lutris.
...

I've had issues that are fixed with a WINE update.
But if the problem persist, then it's probably not WINE.

Originally Posted by Caption Ranker

...
Edit: Did you install DX 9? I'm trying to do anything but install DX9.

Only my 32bit prefix has DX9 and Dotnet 2.0, others have Dotnet 4/4.5/4.6/etc as required by mod tools/editors.


My default 64bit. is "clean" unless a game has installed something on its "first run".

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Why, me of course, big on Linux, that is!...

Just a "refresher" for my memory, but check out:

Rockin Robbin's Let's Install Linux on Moonlight's Spare Computer!
and
BarracudaUAK's WINE or How to run your Windows game on Linux


Of particular note here is RR's post #27 on page 2 wherein DirectX v9.0c and the WindowsMedia 9 Codecs are part of the game install at about the 55 second mark of his video...

there might be updates to the Linux stuff though...

My WINE thread only covers the basics, it doesn't go into that much detail.


I did plan on covering the install of tools like S3D, since the install isn't straight forward.
It's not hard, just not as easy as point and click.

[propbeanie]

Someone (you??) has some notes on their adventure getting S3D on their computer, and I used that, but cannot remember...

But, let me get this straight, a newer Linux distro, 64-bit, and a newer Wine do not ~need~ the DirectX v9.0c and the Windows Media Codec install from the SH4 install package?... but 32-bit Linux installs do - or might?... ??

As a little side comment to your "freezes", I'm getting the same thing on my Win7-64 install, and the dirty fingernail is being pointed at the first signs of hard drive failure on my Seagate 3G "back-up" drive (which somehow became a "data" drive over the course of time... ). My Windows swap file is on the drive, and I'll have all sorts of weirdness as the drive is accessed. A move of the swap file, and the computer is fine. At this time, I'm trying to do a true back-up of the data, and going nutz trying to do it and mod FotRSU right now - and keeping my tootsies crossed that the drive lives long enough to get the data off of it...

[BarracudaUAK]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Someone (you??) has some notes on their adventure getting S3D on their computer, and I used that, but cannot remember...
...

It is entirely possible that I covered it in one of the many threads where I covered a little bit (as necessary to clarify my point), but it's not in the thread you linked.
(Planned, but has yet to happen.)

Originally Posted by propbeanie

...
But, let me get this straight, a newer Linux distro, 64-bit, and a newer Wine do not ~need~ the DirectX v9.0c and the Windows Media Codec install from the SH4 install package?... but 32-bit Linux installs do - or might?... ??
...

The vast majority of DirectX 9 "redirects" are in place in WINE. Certain programs may have been programmed with certain DX 'bugs' in mind (for example: 99% of Win95 programs), as a such may require a certain DirectX to be installed.


However, even if they are installed, by default WINE will not use them.
You must set the .dll 'overrides' in winecfg.
WINETRICKS does this automatically when you use it to install DirectX/Dotnet/etc.
My Steam based SH4 "installed" DX9 on it's first run.
As several other games, all in that same prefix.
WINETRICKS won't install certain items to a 64bit prefix, Dotnet is one of them.
(Makes it hard to use some mod tools for certain games.)


S3D requires Dotnet 2.0, which will NOT install (last I checked) in a 64bit prefix.
So it would require a 32bit prefix with it installed.
I setup one because a few games, "way back" in 1.7.xx (late 2014, when dinosaurs roamed the earth) required it to work properly.
WINE v1.7-1.8 finished up the DX9 work (based on what I've read), and 1.9+ has started on DX10/11...

Originally Posted by propbeanie

...
As a little side comment to your "freezes", I'm getting the same thing on my Win7-64 install, and the dirty fingernail is being pointed at the first signs of hard drive failure on my Seagate 3G "back-up" drive (which somehow became a "data" drive over the course of time... ). My Windows swap file is on the drive, and I'll have all sorts of weirdness as the drive is accessed. A move of the swap file, and the computer is fine. At this time, I'm trying to do a true back-up of the data, and going nutz trying to do it and mod FotRSU right now - and keeping my tootsies crossed that the drive lives long enough to get the data off of it...

I'm running through the basic test to check what it is, but it started with an upgrade, but the old 5200x2 is working fine, for now...


I thought maybe it was settings as I used the backup "test" user which is 'stock' on all the settings to test if maybe it was a case of conflicting settings, but it still froze on running the Unigine Heaven benchmark.


So I'm thinking it video driver related, I'll swap back to my R9 380, and my R7 370X later to test and see if it's just the RX 580's drivers or if is something else.


Drive test came up clean, RAID is in good shape.
Plus I'm running a RAID 10 f2, so I've got a backup, a single drive failure wouldn't stop it.


Odd thing is, it's not a "hard" freeze, music still plays, and you might even be able to "ctrl-alt-f2" and login there. But even then it'll eventually hang if I try to shut it down.




-------------------------------------------------------------------












Back to the no sound problem.....




Only thing I can think of through all of this, is that maybe there is a bug for that sound card, or maybe something is simply turned "off".


But without being able to sit in front of it, I'm almost "wandering around in the dark..."

Things have changed a lot lately.




Barracuda