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How to Run Dwarf Fortress on Chrome OS

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We're going to install and run the classic Linux game Dwarf Fortress. As of now (mid-September 2018) Linux apps on Chrome OS still don't have GPU acceleration, so the games won't be smooth and pretty, if they run at all. Fortunately for us, Dwarf Fortress isn't smooth and pretty anyway! I wrote this using a Pixelbook, but other Chromebooks should work too.

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Download a Starter Pack

How

Go to the Dwarf Fortress File depot and click the "Download Now" link. Save the file to Linux files/Downloads.

Why

We're going to use a starter pack here that includes the base game, plus a number of modifications that make the game more accessible. There are LOTs of options, so feel free to play around and explore. I'm going to get the game running in this guide. For an in-depth tutorial on playing the game, try this walkthrough.

Extract the game files

How 
mkdir ~/Games
cd ~/Games
tar -xzvf ~/Downloads/LinuxLNP-0.44.12-r01.tar.gz
Why

Here we're making a Games directory and extracting the contents of the Starter Pack compressed file into it. You should now have a ~/Games/LinuxLNP-0.44.12-r01/ directory. The directory name contains the version of Dwarf Fortress, so your directory's version number might be higher if you're following this guide after a new version is released.

Install required libraries

How 
sudo apt-get install libsdl1.2debian libsdl-image1.2 libsdl-ttf2.0-0 libglu1-mesa
Why

Dwarf Fortress requires a few additional libraries that are not installed by default in the current version of Chrome OS Linux App support. I found this Ask Ubuntu question which helped me identify the necessary libraries to install.

Run the launcher

How 
~/Games/LinuxLNP-0.44.12-r01/startlnp
Why

This runs the Starter Pack launcher program, which lets you download graphic tilesets and change game settings before starting Dwarf Fortress itself. I found that the game had pretty severe input lag until I went to the Advanced tab and changed the Processor Priority to "REALTIME."

Play Dwarf Fortress!

How

Click the big "Play Dwarf Fortress!" button at the bottom of the launcher window.

Why

Again, you'll probably want to explore the other options and customize the game to your preferred experience, but this should be enough to get you running.