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Tomb Raider (2013) Fails to Launch
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Linux Distribution: Pop!_OS 22.04 LTS (based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS)
Desktop Environment: GNOME 42.9
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 for laptops
GPU Driver Version: 555.58.02

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When I try to launch Tomb Raider (2013) from within Steam, the (Steam) button says "launching" and then nothing... I just see the "play" button again, as if I had exited the game. If I instead launch the game from the applications menu (with or without Steam already running), I see a pop-up telling me that the game is launching, then the pop-up disappears and nothing happens.

It looks like the game is crashing immediately, before it even gets as far as actually loading (at least visually).

This is the native version of Tomb Raider (2013), ported to Linux-based operating systems and the sequels (Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Tomb Raider), which are also native copies that have been ported to Linux-based operating systems, run just fine at the highest possible settings.

Any ideas?
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tuubi Sep 2
Have you tried running with the Steam Linux Runtime? You can set in the game properties, the same way you'd enable Proton.

Klaas Sep 2
When you start Steam from a terminal, you might get some helpful information.

Otherwise you might want to search the log file (I'm not sure if it is enabled by default).
Snak30 Sep 2
Try using proton instead.

The protondb reports suggest using proton as well: https://www.protondb.com/app/203160?device=pc

The native port of that game is old compared to the ones of rise of the tomb rider and shadow of the tomb rider which use vulkan, and uses opengl instead. It is buggy even if it works, especially on nvidia. I also played it on my nvidia laptop and had rednering issues with native, but proton ran perfectly.

Funnily enough, it also defaults to proton 9.0 on Steam Deck, where it's verified.
Quoting: tuubiHave you tried running with the Steam Linux Runtime? You can set in the game properties, the same way you'd enable Proton.

This worked, though curiously, I only have Steam Linux Runtime 1.0 (rather than 3.0, as shown in your screenshot)... Is that because the available options are game-specific?


Quoting: Snak30Try using proton instead.

The protondb reports suggest using proton as well: https://www.protondb.com/app/203160?device=pc

The native port of that game is old compared to the ones of rise of the tomb rider and shadow of the tomb rider which use vulkan, and uses opengl instead. It is buggy even if it works, especially on nvidia. I also played it on my nvidia laptop and had rednering issues with native, but proton ran perfectly.

Funnily enough, it also defaults to proton 9.0 on Steam Deck, where it's verified.

That's odd - this version is using Vulkan as well, because it was occasionally showing a message that it was loading all the Vulkan components when it was trying to launch the game... I'm pretty sure bought this game looong before Proton was even a thing (it was a Launch Day purchase for me, or close to it, if memory serves me correctly), so I wonder why that is?

Maybe they automatically upgraded me to the newer Vulkan version at some point? Or maybe I'm just getting old and don't remember purchasing the newer version for Linux (I have a number of copies of Tomb Raider (2013) across multiple platforms) instead of the original Linux release?
tuubi Sep 2
Quoting: Cyba.Cowboy
Quoting: tuubiHave you tried running with the Steam Linux Runtime? You can set in the game properties, the same way you'd enable Proton.

This worked, though curiously, I only have Steam Linux Runtime 1.0 (rather than 3.0, as shown in your screenshot)... Is that because the available options are game-specific?

Search for "linux runtime" in your Steam library. Install 3.0 and it should appear in the dropdown.
Snak30 Sep 2
Quoting: Cyba.CowboyThat's odd - this version is using Vulkan as well, because it was occasionally showing a message that it was loading all the Vulkan components when it was trying to launch the game... I'm pretty sure bought this game looong before Proton was even a thing (it was a Launch Day purchase for me, or close to it, if memory serves me correctly), so I wonder why that is?

Maybe they automatically upgraded me to the newer Vulkan version at some point? Or maybe I'm just getting old and don't remember purchasing the newer version for Linux (I have a number of copies of Tomb Raider (2013) across multiple platforms) instead of the original Linux release?

Strange. I don't think they updated the linux native version, on the contrary, it is no longer even listed as linux native on steam.

I tried opening the game's native version to check through mangohud, but it doesn't work on my new PC. And I'm pretty sure the game was on OpenGL the last time I played, which was on 2018. I had very bad perfomance and visual glitches which did not happen on Rise of the Tomb Raider, which is on vulkan.

You could check on the game (or the launcher)'s options to see if there is a mention of OpenGL (I think there was), or through mangohud if you're curious.
Quoting: Snak30Strange. I don't think they updated the linux native version, on the contrary, it is no longer even listed as linux native on steam.

They must have done, because I loved this game when it came out, and I'm pretty sure I bought it close to Launch Day, if not on Launch Day... Which would have made it the original (OpenGL) version. This is also supported by the fact that for a good while, I was going out of my way to purchase native Linux titles (usually at full price), to "show my Linux support to developers".

But I can't tell you exactly when I bought it, because if I go to the store page - which no longer lists Linux-based operating systems as compatible - it says I own the game... But if I go through my purchase history, Steam thinks I've never bought this game; ditto for when I checked my admin computer (I archive the digital receipts).

Work that one out. 😕


Quoting: Snak30I tried opening the game's native version to check through mangohud, but it doesn't work on my new PC. And I'm pretty sure the game was on OpenGL the last time I played, which was on 2018. I had very bad perfomance and visual glitches which did not happen on Rise of the Tomb Raider, which is on vulkan.

This is the first laptop I've had in quite a while for gaming under Linux-based operating systems, so it's been a long time... But I'm pretty sure the last time I played this, it worked just fine.

If I originally had the native version and the performance was as bad as you're saying for some people, with as big of an improvement under Proton as you're saying, then it would make sense that they replaced the older version with the Proton version... This would also explain why the game is no longer listed as Linux-compatible in the store.

Anyway, I'm not too fussed - it works now and, like the other games on my shiny, new laptop, it runs flawlessly under the absolute highest settings! 😃

Last edited by Cyba.Cowboy on 2 September 2024 at 9:44 pm UTC
tuubi Sep 2
Quoting: Cyba.CowboyIf I originally had the native version and the performance was as bad as you're saying for some people, with as big of an improvement under Proton as you're saying, then it would make sense that they replaced the older version with the Proton version... This would also explain why the game is no longer listed as Linux-compatible in the store.

The game ran just fine on my mid-range hardware back when the Linux port came out.

The fact that it's not advertised as Linux-compatible any longer might have something to do with Feral's (the company behind the Linux and Mac ports) license expiring or something like that. The port is still downloadable as indicated by SteamDB, but Feral is only listed as a publisher/dev for the Mac version.
Quoting: tuubiSearch for "linux runtime" in your Steam library. Install 3.0 and it should appear in the dropdown.

Ugh.

It doesn't like the newer runtime Steam Linux Runtime 3.0 (sniper), and won't run... It only runs if Steam Linux Runtime 1.0 (scout) is used.

But, the game appears to play just fine, so I'll give it a complete run through the next time I have a day off, and hopefully all is well.


Quoting: tuubiThe fact that it's not advertised as Linux-compatible any longer might have something to do with Feral's (the company behind the Linux and Mac ports) license expiring or something like that. The port is still downloadable as indicated by SteamDB, but Feral is only listed as a publisher/dev for the Mac version.

I was wondering why they only list the Apple macOS version on their website now, when I know for a fact that they previously developed a version for Linux-based operating systems, so this makes sense...
rcrit Sep 3
I was curious so I fired up my install last payed Dec 2020. It insta-failed until I set the runtime to 1.0 (thanks for that).

Now it fails because it can't initialize EGL.

[0829/131514.604889:ERROR:angle_platform_impl.cc(43)] Display.cpp:1021 (initialize): ANGLE Display::initialize error 0: Internal Vulkan error (-3): Initialization of an object could not be completed for implementation-specific reasons, in ../../third_party/angle/src/libANGLE/renderer/vulkan/RendererVk.cpp, initialize:1404.
[0829/131514.604969:ERROR:gl_display.cc(508)] EGL Driver message (Critical) eglInitialize: Internal Vulkan error (-3): Initialization of an object could not be completed for implementation-specific reasons, in ../../third_party/angle/src/libANGLE/renderer/vulkan/RendererVk.cpp, initialize:1404.
[0829/131514.605009:ERROR:gl_display.cc(932)] eglInitialize SwANGLE failed with error EGL_NOT_INITIALIZED
[0829/131514.605052:ERROR:gl_ozone_egl.cc(23)] GLDisplayEGL::Initialize failed.
[0829/131514.606172:ERROR:viz_main_impl.cc(186)] Exiting GPU process due to errors during initialization

inxi -G reports EGL as available:
API: EGL v: 1.5 drivers: nvidia,swrast
platforms: gbm,x11,surfaceless,device
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