Open Rails doesn't have a "quick start" tutorial

[pitcherj]

Thank you for your reply.

I uninstalled OR, deleted OR, then reinstalled OR.

I installed content files to C:\OpenRailsContent\TS_STARTER_ROUTE\ROUTES\BNSF_S cenic\ACTIVITIES\5_wb_empirebuilder.act

The problem still exists as shown in the attached screenshot. Do you have any other suggestions?

Capture.jpg

[pitcherj]

@Procopius

I asked an OR software developer for help here: https://www.elvastower.com/forums/in...rtual-machine/

I was informed OR does not work well with a virtual machine, but OR does work well with Wine if configured properly.

Here is how I got OR to work well with Linux Mint.


If winetricks is not already installed, then install winetricks using this terminal command.

$ apt install winetricks

Open terminal in the home folder to make a directory, wine64-OpenRails, in the home folder.

$ mkdir ~/wine64-OpenRails

Create a 64-bit Wine Prefix in the folder that was created with the prior terminal command. This will create a separate instance of Wine that can be configured specifically for your OpenRails installation.

$ env WINEPREFIX=~/wine64-OpenRails WINEARCH=win64 wine wineboot

NOTE: when using winetricks, it is important to understand the following points:
1) It is normal for Terminal to show many errors when using winetricks. Do not be discouraged by these many errors.
2) Some components, like .NET, have many dependencies that include prior versions of .NET and DirectX. Winetricks will automatically install these components, but this will cause a prolonged installation time. Patience is required.
3) Using "env WINEPREFIX=" to preface a wine or winetricks command will ensure you are modifying the correct instance (Wine Prefix) of your Wine installation.

Start winetricks with this terminal command:

$ env WINEPREFIX=~/wine64-OpenRails winetricks

Use winetricks to install the following font:

corefonts

Use winetricks to install the following components:

dotnet472

dxvk

Download stable version of OpenRails to the Downloads folder

Install OpenRails with this terminal command:

$ env WINEPREFIX=~/wine64-OpenRails wine ~/Downloads/OpenRails-1.5.1-Setup.exe

NOTE: Wine should create an OpenRails "Launcher" in the Wine folder of the Linux applications menu which you can use to start OpenRails.
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[yellowdog]

Maybe it's lower in the order of operations and therefore not visible, but I don't see that you've engaged the reverser to Forward.

Edit: Never mind, I do see it on the controls on the lower right-hand side.

[Jdark34]

train brakes is ' to release train brakes is ; spacebar is horn. b is your bell g is throw switch ahead of train shift g is throw switch behind train. hope this helps yellowdog w is increase reverser forward s is decrease reverser back. d is your increase throttle a is your decrease throttle

[pitcherj]

For future use, this whole text can be copied and pasted into a linux terminal as a more automated installation process.

# install base software packages using debian apt command
apt install wget wine winetricks
# make a directory to install Wine windows files and OpenRails
mkdir ~/wine64-OpenRails
# install 64-bit Wine windows files
env WINEPREFIX=~/wine64-OpenRails WINEARCH=win64 wine wineboot
# install corefonts
env WINEPREFIX=~/wine64-OpenRails winetricks corefonts
# install .NET 4.7.2
env WINEPREFIX=~/wine64-OpenRails winetricks dotnet472
# install DXVK
env WINEPREFIX=~/wine64-OpenRails winetricks dxvk
# download OpenRails 1.5.1
wget https://github.com/openrails/openrails/releases/download/1.5.1/OpenRails-1.5.1-Setup.exe
# install OpenRails
env WINEPREFIX=~/wine64-OpenRails wine OpenRails-1.5.1-Setup.exe
# delete the OpenRails installation file after OpenRails completed installation
rm OpenRails-1.5.1-Setup.exe

# terminal command to launch OpenRails
env WINEPREFIX=~/wine64-OpenRails wine "C:/Program Files (x86)/Open Rails/OpenRails.exe"

*
NOTE: Wine should create an OpenRails "Launcher" in the Wine folder of the Linux applications menu which you can use to start OpenRails.
*

[npbruce]

@Procopius:

I like working in Linux, and so early on with Open Rails tried running the program in a virtual machine. And I had the same experiences you are describing. It turns out the problem was that Open Rails does a lot of its processing within the graphics processor--- and many virtual machines don't "pass through" the graphics horsepower to the virtual machine. When I looked at the Open Rails log file from my (mostly frozen) session, the "Video" entry (7th line down from the top) correctly identified my graphics processor, but showed that I had zero GB Video Ram available!

I explored the issue online: it appears to be a common problem for video games. But the fixes for it didn't guarantee success, and were complicated enough that they were above my pay grade. (And/or my laziness quotient!) I had a "leftover" Dell Latitude Windows 7 laptop, and so got Open Rails up and running without a hitch. And I "inherited" an HP Pavilion (circa 2013!) from a friend's mother who was upgrading, put Windows 10 on it, and added a cheap graphics card. I'm getting great frame rates and really enjoying the sim! If you have any hardware you can spare for Windows 10 (even a dual-boot setup, which will give you all the graphics power from your computer), it might save you a lot of grief and frustration.

(But also thanks to pitcherj! I'm running Rocky Linux, which is Red Hat and not Debian based, but would like to try your method with Wine and Winetricks. I'm bookmarking this thread.)