This week I started investigating a native Linux build of the game. Unity makes creating a Linux build easier, but there’s no guarantee it will work on the first try, so some testing and fixes are expected.
Since I didn’t have a Linux machine, this was a technical hurdle. My first attempt was to install Ubuntu 18 on an old laptop, but it was unable to run the game: the Linux build required a minimum of OpenGL 3.x which the laptop’s antiquated internal video didn’t support.
My second attempt was to create a USB boot stick. This worked, but I haven’t managed to create a persistent boot stick that works reasonably. That means that every time I boot to Ubuntu I have to reinstall Steam and the game. Using this method I was able to get Steam and the game running. If any of the game’s players are running Linux and would like to give it a go, let me know on the Steam discussion forum.
In other news, I’m still nailing down an official graduation from Early Access date, which will be in approximately one month. The current live version, which is the first release candidate, looks in great shape. There are a few minor bugs reported and I’m hoping to get some additional tracks from our composer in, but the actual scheduling is more dependent on some externals that aren’t development related (e.g., personal plans, timing relative to Steam sales, etc.)
Until next week! You can always find me on Twitter, Discord or the game’s Steam Forums.