this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2025
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it's consistent, quick, and dependable. There's no reason to use anything else. I get the original purpose was for people in countries with slow internet connections but now everyone just uses it.
Which is kinda positive because that mean faster torrents
It's harder to use on Linux, and lower-performance devices. I would prefer prefer having dumps of the pre-installed game folder to use on a steam deck, for example.
I use it all the time on linux, what problems did you have?
I mainly had trouble on the steam deck, in the early days. Most people recommended unpacking on a windows PC and transferring the files back then. It might be easier now, but it is more trouble than a game dump.
What's your process for running the unpacker executable? Maybe it depends on the game, but I set up a wineprefix through Lutris and always seem to run into issues getting it to complete properly without any unpacking errors.
Here are some tips for FitGirl installers on linux:
https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/40009123/19900598
For the setup:
Final Edit: The wine prefix is the same for the games and the installer, just a windows subsystem that has all the dependencies.
First I install the wine-cachyos package, create a WINEPREFIX variable for the folder i want to put the prefix in, then i run winecfg to start the prefix, then I install the dotnet packages and vcredist packages through (before, when the repos existed) these links for the vcredist and dotnet (maybe archive.org or somewhere else still have the executables), or using winetricks too, but these are nicer to use as they install everything in one go.
Then I install the dxvk and vkd3d (you can install through lutris, so this is kinda useless hahaha).
Then I run the fitgirl repack through lutris and click to install the vcredist or .net when asked.
Then I just run the game with a runner or wine-cachyos.
I'll update this with valid links when I find them.
Edit: last time I used this and this, installing just the .net runtimes, not directx, java, silverlight, etc.
winetricks should be able to install all of those dependencies, including versions of .net and vcredist. But it's a terminal script, so requires the environment variables that Wine uses for the paths and stuff.
Yeah, remembered that wrong, thanks for the correction! Corrected it in my comment.
winecfg can add drives too, I always put an U: to /home/username , that makes it easier to pick a better location to install the game files (in my case, to ~/Games). A lot of things can be tweaked with winetricks and winecfg hahaha.
I think WINEPREFIX is all those tools need. Lutris can use that too (if i remember correctly).
The last time I used one, I had to edit some paths in a .md5 file to get the hash verification to work.
EA: please take it out of the game.
I'd suggest having a look into LinuxRuleZ! repacks, maybe not for lower performance devices but at least it's like 2 clicks and you're up and running for basically any game.
Even games that are notoriously difficult to make work pirated, like Forza Horizon 4 and 5.
You're missing the point. The other user is highlighting why your typical player would go with those repacks. And, well, your typical player doesn't use Linux (...yet - Microsoft is fixing this real fast.)
(I typically use johncena141, but I don't recall having problems with FitGirl.)
As someone trying to move to Linux this year, what issues are there? I've heard this before, but I never see an explanation on what makes it difficult.
Proton can handle the game files but not the installer. So you have to install in wine and it's a hassle. I install the games on my windows pc, zip them and then transfer them to my deck.
At that point perhaps it's easier to just not use FitGirl's releases.
Since Fitgirl's installer just unpacks stuff, I just use the same prefix for all installers. Protontricks/wine lets you specify a path in the Z:/ drive as well (the linux base system), so no need to move stuff.
I even made a dummy exe file that does nothing and added that as a non steam game that works as a catch-all prefix for whatever I need to run without adding it as a non steam game first.
Huh? I add the installer to steam, use proton and install. No problem.
The fitgirl unpacker and installer? Tbh I never tried, everyone on the web simply said it didn't work.
Everything. Installer then the game. I switch install path also so I can find the damn game after it is installed. Not doing this is... Complicated.
They seem to work fine for me on Linux? Only thing is that stupid isdone.dll error but that's easily fixed using a different runner