Hi! I posted this on SimHub forum, but in case that disappears and to give Lemmy some love (let’s hope it gets indexed somewhere), here is a guide to run SimHub on Linux, as I couldn’t find any resource that said that it was even possible.
I searched around and couldn’t find any resource about running SimHub on Linux, so I thought it wasn’t possible… Wrong! It’s possible, it works and it’s pretty easy. Here is how you do it.
- Install dotnet48 on prefix. Usually we do this just using protontricks, selecting the game/prefix and installing dotnet48, but for whatever reason, the install using protontricks fails for me (maybe it works for you). So I used winetricks with the following command (find the path of the game prefix using protontricks, for example):
WINEPREFIX=/run/media/extra/SteamLibrary/steamapps/compatdata/805550/pfx winetricks
And then select dotnet48.
The installer takes a while and usually throws some warnings, but it should work just fine if the installation was successful. If it doesn’t work the first time, try it again (sometimes it stops on the second step, you restart the installer, tell it to “repair” and then it finishes).
- Install Simhub Download Simhub (in case older/newer version don’t work, confirmed working on 9.4.1). Install it on the prefix using
WINEPREFIX=/run/media/extra/SteamLibrary/steamapps/compatdata/805550/pfx wine removed link
Uncheck Install .net and c++ redist and usb display drivers (it would be great that it worked, so we save step 1, but they didn’t work for me)
- Run SimHub and game with Steam Tinker Launch Install Steam Tinker Launch as per their instructions and select it under Compatibility tab on the game settings on Steam. Press “Main menu” (be fast) on the Steam Tinker Window after launching the game to configure it.
https://i.imgur.com/dMs8CLJ.png
Then on the new window, select:
✅Use custom command, look for SimHub exe (SimHubWPF.exe) in the game’s prefix.
✅Fork custom command
✅Inject custom command
Inject wait (5 seconds, for example)
https://i.imgur.com/tuMSGBV.png
These are the most reliable options (note the 5 seconds delay) in order for SimHub to launch. It feels a bit finicky, sometimes it gets stuck, but most of the times it just works. Click save and run and wait for the game and SimHub to launch (first launch takes a bit, if SimHub doesn’t launch on the first launch, close the game on steam and retry)
Then when everything launches, just do your usual configs like you would in windows (follow SimHub instructions to enable telemetry or whatever each game needs)
I got it to work with my devices: bass shakers using a sound card and wind sim using an Arduino, just like I would do on windows. Only gripe is that sometimes I need to re-enable the audio interface in SimHub. Only games I’ve tried are Asetto Corsa, Asetto Corsa Competizione and Automobilista 2, probably it just works on everything.
Also, probably steps 1 and 2 can also be done with Steam Tinker Launch, just using the “one time command” for installing SimHub and the “winetricks” menu using that same “one time command” option. The thing is installing successfully dotnet48 and SimHub on the prefix, be it with winetricks, protontricks, steam tinker or manually.
That’s basically it. It needs some tinkering for the first time setup, but know that it’s possible and it works.
Cheers! Hopefully this is useful for someone out there, let me know if you manage to run some exotic device/setup!
An explanation of what SimHub is might be a good idea.
if anyone reading this knows, what IS SimHub???
edit: it appears to be software for connecting additional hardware to racing sim games