Installation and Setup

Installation and Setup

You need Linux x86_64, glibc 2.34+, and system SDL2 (libSDL2-2.0.so.0). SDL2 is not bundled. The quick-start guide names libsdl2-2.0-0 on Debian/Ubuntu and SDL2 on Fedora.

1. Download xanth-port-v0.1.0-alpha.5-linux-x86_64.tar.gz and optionally SHA256SUMS from alpha.5. Extract into a folder you can write to.
2. Put your own XANTH.EXE and all 90 runtime files listed in the package’s DATA_FILES.txt directly in one separate data folder. The accepted set is the pinned XANBUD release; other variants are rejected.
3. From the extracted package folder, run ./launch.sh /path/to/game-data, or double-click launch.sh. A chooser opens if needed; successful selections are checked and remembered. XANTH_DATA can also specify the folder.

For Steam Deck/Game Mode, add launch.sh as a non-Steam game in Desktop Mode. Set Start In to the extracted package directory and Launch Options to your data-directory argument. Leave Force Compatibility Tool disabled. The README provides this setup route; physical handheld validation is still pending in the public docs.

The package includes Python checkpoint-building tools, but no saves or checkpoints. Optional local setup from its directory:

python3 tools/xanth_dev_checkpoints.py --vmboot tools/tool_vmboot --data /path/to/game-data
python3 tools/xanth_dev_warp_sweep.py --port ./xanth_port --data /path/to/game-data
python3 tools/xanth_dev_warp_sweep.py --port ./xanth_port --data /path/to/game-data --steps

Building can take substantial time. Only locally verified entries appear in the menu; do not redistribute generated saves or reference frames.

Build from source: alpha.5 is a binaries-only milestone; the current port is developed separately from the public decompilation. The public README still documents Git, CMake, GCC/Clang and SDL2 development libraries, then ./scripts/build_port.sh and ctest --test-dir build for the public snapshot. That snapshot does not reproduce alpha.5. For matching decompilation requirements and limits, use Reproduction with your own selected disc.

Sources checked 2026-10-07: README.md, releases/GETTING_STARTED.txt, docs/DEV_MENU.md, docs/REPRODUCE.md, published v0.1.0-alpha.5 notes.