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Macha
Asked: 2010-08-08 14:22:53 +0800 CST

How can I run Dwarf Fortress in text mode (ncurses) on my Linux VPS?

  • 772

I installed Dwarf Fortress on my Linux VPS to use with dfterm. It's running Ubuntu 10.04 Server x86-32. I'm fairly certain I have all the dependencies:

I've installed:

  • ncurses
  • ncursesw
  • libsdl
  • libsdl-image
  • libgtk
  • libglu
  • libopenal1

I had to turn sound off or it will instantly segfault, and I set the display mode to text. I've made no other changes to the config.

However, even before I go near dfterm, it won't run properly. It just displays a blank screen. What could be causing this? Is there a dependency I missed? Is there something else I should have changed in the config?

Given that it is a server, there is a good chance that if there is a missing dependency, it's something that the devs went "Sure, everyone has that" and didn't bother to list.

Other ncurses applications (vim, irssi use it, I think?) work fine.

10.04 server vps

4 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    I was able to recreate the segfaulting by running df on a regular Ubuntu install with X turned off.

    ...
(Dwarf_Fortress:5346): Gdk-CRITICAL **: gdk_window_new: assertion `GDK_IS_WINDOW (parent)' failed
Segmentation fault

    I suspect the problem is that this game expects to have a functioning GL driver available. And for that you need X running. But a VPS doesn't have X!

    Instead, use Xvfb, which is a "fake" virtual X. You'll need to install xvfb and whatever dependencies it wants (probably xorg-server-core and a bunch of other stuff that may not be installed on Ubuntu Server).

    Start the fake xserver up like this:

     $ Xvfb :1 -screen 0 1024x768x16 &

    Then make sure your DISPLAY variable is pointed to it:

    $ export DISPLAY=:1
$ ./df

    I also needed to disable sound and run in TEXT mode, but it worked this way, with no X running. I hope it works for you.

    • 10

  2. You could try to use ldd to see if there is a shared object missing.

    For example, something like:

    ldd /usr/local/bin/df

    Everything that ldd lists as "not found" is missing.

    You should also try to look at all the *.so files (with ldd) if any in the game folder. You can find the *.so files by using this command: find . -iname '*.so' -type f

    • 1

  3. Have you seen this DFTerm article on the DF Wiki? It lists some dependencies that you don't seem to have listed above....

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  4. You need to edit your init.txt. Look for a setting for [PRINT_MODE:2D] and change it to [PRINT_MODE:TEXT]

    You probably want to change to [SOUND:NO] as well.

    You'll only run at 80x24 unless you run inside of screen or tmux though.

    • 1