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Bobby Comet edited this page Sep 9, 2026 · 3 revisions

Kalium Wiki

1. Overview

Kalium helps Linux users run Mod Organizer 2 through Steam Proton:

  1. Non-Steam shortcut + Proton tool
  2. Prefix dependencies
  3. NXM protocol handling
  4. Optional Collections plugin/GitHub plugins
  5. Optional Skyrim SE runtime backpatch via Steam console depots

Before running Kalium, make a folder where you want the install to be placed, or make a new folder when asked to browse where you want MO2 to be installed by clicking the folder with the + icon

2. Installation

IMPORTANT! If you choose a Proton version, STICK WITH THAT PROTON!

Once an MO2 instance has been configured, do not change the Proton version assigned to that MO2 shortcut in Steam (for example, changing GE-Proton 10-25 to GE-Proton 10-28).

Kalium configures NXM handling and the MO2 environment for the Proton configuration selected during setup. Changing Proton versions manually through Steam can leave stale NXM registration and prefix configuration associated with the previous Proton environment.

This can cause NXM links to stop working or become associated with the wrong Proton environment. In some cases, MO2 may need to be cold->started before NXM handling works again, and a badly mismatched instance may require Kalium to repair or recreate its configuration.

If you need to change Proton versions, use Kalium's Proton/instance management with the setup existing feature rather than changing the Proton version directly in Steam.

TL;DR: Pick your Proton during setup and leave it alone unless Kalium is handling the change.

AppImage

  1. Open Releases.
  2. Download Kalium's AppImage.
  3. chmod +x or right-click -> properties -> permissions -> is executable and run.

From source

git clone https://github.com/bobbycomet/Kalium.git
cd Kalium
python3 -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt && pip install -e .
python -m kalium.main

AppImage build

./build-appimage.sh
# output under dist/

3. First MO2 setup

  1. Install the game on Steam; run it once with Proton; exit steam.
  2. Kalium → MO2 → new install or existing folder.
  3. Wait for dependency install (takes a few minutes).
  4. Start MO2 from the non-Steam entry.
  5. Create a portable instance; set game path to the real Linux install (e.g., under /mnt/.../steamapps/common/... or wherever else on your system).

SKSE

  • Core SKSE files often need to live in the game root on Linux (or Root Builder deploy). You must have the dll and skse loader in your game folder as well.
  • Executable in MO2: skse64_loader.exe.
  • Start in: MO2 instance directory.
  • Address Library must match the game runtime.

4. NXM links

After MO2 setup, Kalium registers Kalium NXM Handler and can point it at your instance.

  • Browser: always choose Kalium NXM Handler for nxm://, if it asks.
  • Settings: enable NXM per instance/re-register handler.
  • CLI: python -m kalium.main enable-nxm
  • When you enter the instance, it will ask to assign the instance for nxm://

Do not set MO2’s executable list to /usr/bin/flatpak—Proton maps that to Z:\usr\bin\flatpak and fails.

5. Marketplace

6. Skyrim backpatch

Settings → Skyrim SE backpatch

  1. Choose target: 1.6.1170, 1.6.1130, 1.6.640, or 1.5.97.
  2. Game folder = directory containing SkyrimSE.exe.
  3. Content folder = …/steamapps/content/app_489830 (show hidden: .steam).
  4. Steam Console: run the download_depot lines Kalium shows to copy one by one; wait for completion.
  5. Verify depot exe version with strings before Apply.
  6. Apply depots into the game folder (backup stores old binaries only).

Depot 489833 carries SkyrimSE.exe for 1.6.x targets.
1.7.104 is not supported.

7. Updates

Kalium checks:

GET https://api.github.com/repos/bobbycomet/Kalium/releases/latest

and selects a Kalium-*-x86_64.AppImage asset when present, matching release download URLs such as:

https://github.com/bobbycomet/Kalium/releases/download/v1.0.0/Kalium-1.0.0-x86_64.AppImage

Soon to be integrated with Griffin Updater

Credits & license

  • Author: Bobby Comet
  • Inspired by archived NaK (SulfurNitride)
  • License: MIT

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