Quake 4 stops working when updating these packages.

[Supersayano]

Quake 4 is a Windows game from 2005 that I like to play from time to time. It is possible to install this game on Linux without using wine or anything similar, since there is an application that makes this possible and it is called quake4-linux-1.4.2.x86.run
On 32-bit Linux with this application the game installed and ran without problems, but on 64-bit systems, before installing the .run file mentioned above, it is necessary to install the package called quake4:i386, because if you don't do this, even though the game installs correctly, then when you run it, it gives an error that I don't remember exactly now, but it says that libsdl is not found or something similar.
The thing is that a few days ago there was an update of many packages on my system, and among them are those shown in this image:



Since those packages were updated, Quake 4 stops working, throwing the same error that libsdl is not found, the same one that was thrown on the 64-bit system before installing the quake4:i386 package. Thank goodness, just a couple of days before I had saved an image of the system partition, so when I realized the problem I restored it and Quake 4 started working again. But of course, as soon as I update those packages, Quake 4 stops working, so for the moment I have had to block them so that they are not updated. I have already tried a couple of times restoring the saved system image, and the same thing always happens, that is, when updating those packages, Quake 4 stops working. I must say that although perhaps the problem is caused by only one of them (I don't know), the truth is that none of them can be installed because they seem to depend on each other, and as soon as you try to install any of them, the others are also installed automatically.

Could someone please help me figure out what is going on? I would like to update all the packages but I don't want my game to stop working. And my fear is that over time if I don't update those packages they won't allow other packages to be updated and the time will come when I will become totally obsolete.
Thanks and regards...

[claydoh]

Those are your accelerated video drivers (mesa) for intel and AMD graphics. They do get updated somewhat regularly.

I'll wager that if this hasn't been noticed and/or will be soon. I'll see what I can find. Ubuntu 24.10 users would have the same issue iirc, and probably the rolling and somewhat more current distros will have seen issues already. The old Linux native .run file is completely unmaintained, and has been so for ages. I'm wager using a steam version will be fine.

I don't think anything will break, at least not right off the bat.

[claydoh]

Most people seem to use more modern tools than the 2007 quake4linux thing.
it should just work out of the box using normal Proton in Steam, or maybe luxtorpeda (again, on Steam)

i will wager Lutris would also be another option.

Chatter seem to indicate that Quake using wine/proton actually will work better than the native Linux one these days.

[Supersayano]

Thanks for the answers. The thing is that what worries me the most is having those packages blocked. I mean, won't there be problems if they are blocked so that they block others and end up with the system being unupdatable and obsolete? I don't understand why those packages affect the game so much, especially considering that my graphics card is from NVIDIA.

As for Quake 4, the truth is that if possible I prefer to leave it installed in the current way. I really don't feel like going into Steam right now and the hassle that that entails in order to play such an old game that I've been playing like this forever without any problems. I don't care that the .run file hasn't been maintained for years, the game hasn't changed in those same years anyway, so it's always worked perfectly.

So you're telling me that there's a problem with those drivers for those packages and that the problem will eventually be noticed by everyone? And if that's the case, it's supposed to end up being fixed, right? The truth is that all of this has been a great disappointment for me. Partly because of these things, I left Windows many years ago, that is, because I was fed up with the fact that one day, with an update, the system or some application that previously worked well went to hell. And the fact that this has now been replicated in Linux has been a real disappointment for me.
Thanks and greetings...

[claydoh]

so maybe these specific ones are not the real cause?

Which specific Nvidia proprietary driver are you using? Are you actually using it?
Are there any actual error messaging if things are run from the command line?

Other things that may uses the mesa packages may not get updated if you block these, though I can't say how long.

The Linux version you are running is 20 year old code that hasn't been updated at all since 2007. There will be things that break the game, especially on the 32 bit side of things. Surprised it has taken this long to be honest.

So you're telling me that there's a problem with those drivers for those packages and that the problem will eventually be noticed by everyone?

everyone that [plays the game using the same tool you do. It is still somewhat popular-ish. Most seem to use the steam version, but that is just my guess from a small amount of research

it isn't a problem with the drivers, it is a problem with the 20 year old code. You may want to search for others trying to play the game with libsdl (audio) issues in the past year or so, and not just on Ubuntu.

libsdl is not related to mesa in any way, iirc Possibly there are deep interconnected package dependencies tying something together.

This is why I think it is possible that the mesa packages you list are not the real culprit. And then throw in the 32 bit support that probably is showing cracks.

[Supersayano]

If those packages are not the real cause, what could be the cause given that it is precisely when installing them that the game stops working?

I'm using the proprietary NVIDIA 550 driver as you can see in the screenshot.



When I run the game from the terminal it gives me the error I mentioned before, that is, the one that says that libsdl is not found. I don't remember the exact words it says, but that's essentially what it says. Now I can't put the exact output from the terminal because for it to come out I would have to update those packages, and then I would be forced to restore the system image, and all of that would take me too much time and work.



I just tried running the game through Proton as you advised me. And seeing the results I remembered why I wasn't doing it already. I mean I remembered that I had already tried it some time ago and had to give up because the game doesn't work well. The pointer moves at an unusual speed and it's impossible to fix even by reducing its sensitivity to the minimum in the game menus. What's more, it's almost impossible to even exit the game because there's no way to hit the buttons to click on them. In short, with Proton this game is not playable. Then I tried installing it directly through wine. And in this case it does work well, but unfortunately it jerks a lot so it's not an option either. On the other hand, with the old native installer in .run format the game works WONDERFULLY, it's impossible to distinguish it from if it were running on Windows itself.
Greetings...