gamerun script

One simple easy-to-use script that wraps around these for gaming:

• MangoHUD
• Gamemode
• Libstrangle
• and set-up dedicated GPU (via prime-run or switcherooctl)

Currently only intended for Nvidia users with Nvidia's drivers (both propriety and open-sourced) with just switcherooctl as a backup solution. However, any request to add support for AMD and Intel or Nouveau is welcomed.

IMPORTANT

I decided to make this script into an actual full-fledged application where you can even edit stuff (enabling/disabling components or changing their configuration) per app via GUI. The development of that version will continue on this brnach. App will be Linux only (just like this script).

This script should still work, except there won't be any updates on it starting now (not like there are people use this shit and actually reading this anyways).

INSTALLATION

For script (main branch or the current version):

1. Clone the repository with git clone https://github.com/haltroy/gamerun.git or Download ZIP
2. On Arch Linux (and Arch-based distributions), use makepkg -si to install it directly or (for all distributions) copy the gamerun script to either:
   • /bin: # cp gamerun /bin (Requires privileges)
   • /usr/bin: # cp gamerun /bin (Requires privileges)
   • /usr/local/bin: # cp gamerun /bin (Requires privileges)
   • $HOME/.local/bin: # cp gamerun /bin (need to add this path to PATH variable)
     • For BASH: add export $PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH" to your $HOME/.bashrc
     • For ZSH: add export $PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH" to your $HOME/.zshrc
     • For FISH: run fish_add_path "$HOME/.local/bin"
3. Run games with gamerun command.
   • For Steam, open up properties for game and add gamerun %command% to the Additional Argument section.

For the upcoming version (in gamerun-next branch):

1. Clone the repository with git clone -b gamerun-next https://github.com/haltroy/gamerun.git or Download ZIP
2. Install .NET SDK (Latest LTS is recommended).
3. Open Gamerun/Gamerun folder in terminal (by either using "Open in terminal" option in your file manager or navigating there on your terminal emulator of choice).
4. Run dotnet publish -c Release -r <your system RID> -o ./publish/.
   • Your system RID depends on 2 things, the C library that your ysstem uses (just linux-<processor> if it's GNU and linux-musl-<processor> if its MUSL) and your processor (x86 for 32-bit Intel and/or AMD, x64 for 64-bit Intel and/or AMD, arm for 32-bit ARM and arm64 for 64-bit ARM). For example, if you want to build for Fedora 42 on an Intel system it should be linux-x64 and if you want to build for an Alpine machine running in a 64-bit ARM machine it should be linux-musl-arm64.
5. There should be an executable named Gamerun in the publish folder. Run it by passing a game as argument (ex. ./Gamerun vkcube).
6. If you want to test/use deamon then start it with --daemon argument. If you want to use renicing, IO renicing and other stuff that needs root privileges then you need to run it with sudo sudo ./Gamerun --daemon.
7. If you want to change settings for apps, go to the Gamerun\Gamerun.Editor folder and build it with the command mentioned in the 4th entry.

In the future, there will be a service file for all init systems for daemon mode, fine-tuned GUI as well as an proper AUR & DEB & RPM packages available in the Releases when it is done. For now most of the stuff are very prone to changes and might feel unfinished.

UNINSTALL

Just either remove the script or use pacman -R gamerun on Arch & Arch-based systems.

CONFIGURE

This section is subject to change in the next version (as you won't be needing to configure using command-line/file methods but directly from GUI app). The rest of the document is for the script.

Configuration is made with multiple files.

• For system-wide configuration, add files to /etc/gamerun/ folder
• For personal configuration, add files to $HOME/.config/gamerun/ folder

Here's a list of each file and what they configure:

• pre_launch: Script to run before launching. Useful for pausing crypto mining or setting up compositor for gaming.
• post_launch: Script to run after launching. Useful for reverting stuff from pre-launch script.
• strangle_vars: Additional arguments to add to libstrangle (ex. 60:40 tells game to run on 60 FPS on AC and 40 FPS on battery)
• disable_strangle: Disables libstrangle if this file exists.
• disable_gpu: Disables switching ot dedicated GPU if this file exists.
• disable_gamemode: Disables Gamemode if this file exists.
• disable_mangohud: Disables MangoHUD if this file exists.

NOTE: You don't need to use this for special launchers like MultiMC/Prism Launcher or Bottles since they have the same settings in their own Settings menu.

DEVELOPMENT

Any requests and PRs are welcomed. Just don't forget to update the SHA512 checksum on PKGBUILD file if you changed anything on the main script.

Future big development on this project halted in favor of an upcoming update.

I originally intended this for my own personal use (hence why there's not enough stuff here in the first place) but I thought maybe others can use it as well.

WELL KNOWN ISSUES

This list is subject to change in the next version of script.

Game doesn't launch:

This usually caused by libstrangle. You can:

• Remove it
• Disable it (via touch $HOME/.config/gamerun/disable_strangle)
• Disable DLSYM hijacking with echo "-n" > $HOME/.config/gamerun/strangle_vars
• Make it Vulkan only (echo "-k" > $HOME/.config/gamerun/strangle_vars)
• or use libstrangle-git package instead.

You can limit FPS using MangoHUD too.

If disabling libstrangle didn't work, make an issue here.

Game doesn't launch with X comonent (component missing)

Then you might be mssing the X component already. Install it via package manager. Also cheeck if it's accessible. If not, find it's directory and add it to PATH variable:

# In ~/.bashrc and/or ~/.zshrc and/or ~/.profile
export PATH=$PATH:full_path_of_directory_here

If you still having issues, try manually downlaoding the package from your distribution's online package search and look into its contents. Linux distros usually put the files in their relative path so a component in /usr/bin/ in the package will be extracted to /usr/bin. If it still doesn't work, contact to your distro's maintainer.

Some componenets (like gamemode, libstrangle and discreet GPU switching) don't have an UI. Only MangoHUD has it.

Component X is missing in the script

Feel free to make an issue here or submit your own code here.