Ubuntu install

Spring can be installed on Ubuntu 9.10, 9.04, and 8.10.

Super easy Ubuntu 9.10 Installation Instructions

Ubuntu 9.10: Go to Applications->Ubuntu Software Center, search for springlobby, and click go.

Installation on Ubuntu 9.04 and 8.10

We now have a maintained and up to date APT repository for Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty) and 8.10 (Intrepid). If you have some older version of ubuntu, you can easily upgrade with these instructions: http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/upgrading.

You'll need to add the Spring PPA below and install the springlobby package. Or you can upgrade to Ubuntu 9.10 and just install the springlobby package from the new Software Center.

Graphical Interface

Installing the repository key

First, we need to add the Launchpad PPA package-signing key; this allows Ubuntu to know the packages have been provided by the right people can can be trusted to be installed. If you skip this step then Ubuntu will complain about an unverifiable package every time there's an update for Spring.

Go to: http://keyserver.ubuntu.com:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xFC66403D8670A035

Cut and paste the page contents to a file called "ppa-spring.pgp" or something recognizable like that. Do not use 'Save As' in your browser as this will likely not work because of added HTML formatting. You can use Applications->Accessories->Text Editor to cut-n-paste into and save to disk.

Security-conscious people can go to the Spring Developers PPA page on launchpad.net at https://launchpad.net/~spring/+archive/ppa to verify that the key mentioned above is indeed the right one to trust.

Now go to System -> Administration -> Software Sources and click on the 'Authentication' tab to add the saved 'ppa-spring.pgp' with the 'Import Key File' button. The new key should now pop up in the list.

Installing the repository

In System-> Administration -> Software Soruces, click on the Third-Party Software tab. Then, click the Add button, and paste one of the two lines corresponding to your Ubuntu release (9.04 or 8.10).

Ubuntu 9.04 "Jaunty Jackalope":

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/spring/ubuntu jaunty main

Ubuntu 8.10 "Intrepid Ibex": Note: Please note if out of date. (It's easy enough to try.)

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/spring/ubuntu intrepid main

Close the dialog, and click Reload when it asks.

After that's done, you can just CLICK HERE TO INSTALL EVERYTHING. Alternatively, you can head to System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager, and search for spring. For the bare essentials, you'll need to install the spring-engine and springlobby packages.

Springlobby can be found in Applications -> Games. (Please note that you also need mods and maps to play. The easiest way to get them is to download them from Springlobby itself.

Or in the terminal CLI

Press alt-F2 to run a command. Enter:

gksudo -- wget -O - "http://keyserver.ubuntu.com:11371/pks/lookup?op=get&search=0xFC66403D8670A035" | apt-key add -

This will add the Spring-Developers PPA package-signing key to the list of keys that Ubuntu should trust for software packages. (See above for more info).

Then do:

gksudo gedit /etc/apt/sources.list.d/springproject.list

Copy and paste the following into the file:

Ubuntu 9.04:

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/spring/ubuntu jaunty main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/spring/ubuntu jaunty main

Ubuntu 8.10:

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/spring/ubuntu intrepid main
deb-src http://ppa.launchpad.net/spring/ubuntu intrepid main

Save the file. You can then either use the graphical package manager Synaptic (System->Administration->Synaptic Package Manager) and search for spring related packages, or just install spring from a terminal using:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install spring spring-maps-default

Other information

The webpage for the repository is here - you can browse other spring packages there as well: https://edge.launchpad.net/~spring/+archive

For configuring the lobbies, you can note that the package installs the Spring executable at /usr/games/spring and read-only data in /usr/share/games/spring.

Finalizing installation

You should have Spring installed by now; if not, please see the SetupGuide.

Maps & Mods

Since Spring is only an engine, you need to download games for it, and the maps that go with those games.

SpringLobby will automatically do this for you when you attempt to join a game with a map or mod that you do not currently have, using an integrated downloader.

If you want to download it manually or browse existing maps, there are several easy to use websites:

• SpringFiles
• Spring-Portal
• Darkstars

Pick any of those sites, download a map or mod, and then double click it. This will move it to your Spring folder, using the spring map/mod installer program. If you wish to move maps/mods by hand, they are located under ~/.spring/maps/ or ~/.spring/mods/ (if the folder does not exist - create it). Do not unpack the file in any way though, just download and save it. Reload your maps/mods in SpringLobby, (Tools - Reload maps/mods) and they will be ready to use.

These sites also may provide other neat things like Lua widgets, epic replays, AI bots (for playing offline or to team up on with a friend). Generally the installation requires you to download the file and place it in the appropriate folder in your ~/.spring directory. (you may have to create the folder)

Hint: If you know the name of the map you want, there is a Search function provided in those websites. Just write a part of the name, like one word, and you will easily find the map you were looking for.

Linux specific Troubleshooting

Ingame

Slow Mouse

Run:

echo '# Slow fullscreen cursor fix for Spring' >> ~/.xsessionrc
echo 'SDL_MOUSE_RELATIVE=0' >> ~/.xsessionrc
echo 'export SDL_MOUSE_RELATIVE' >> ~/.xsessionrc

And log out and log in again.

The mouse should now be as fast as in windowed mode.

Rotating Buildings

You can rotate a building before you give the build order, but the keys that do this do not work in Linux by default for some users. Issue the following commands in the beginning of the game:

/bind keycodex buildfacing inc
/bind keycodey buildfacing dec

Keycodex and keycodey above are just placeholders. What you want to write depends on which key you want to use. To see what keycodes any keys have, do:

/keydebug yes

And then hit the keys you want to use, and spring prints the keycodes in the message buffer.

If you want to save these keys you have to edit the uikeys.txt.

Problems with Audio

The engine needs at least OpenAL Soft 1.6 for its sound. If you still have the old openal-0.0.8 installed, you should update it.

Additionally, pulseaudio causes lots of issues, so try to disable it for spring if you have sound problems.

Desync in game

Spring only send the commands and not the result over the network, so it needs to run all math in a repeatable manner, so all other clients in a multiplayer match get the same results. So some CPU specific features have to enabled/disabled. If you desync, you either have a CPU that is not SSE1 capable, or you set the wrong -march/-mtune compiler flags. If you compile Spring via CMake, remove CMakeCache.txt, and leave the march flag at the default.

See also

• IRC