openmw.org

Hi, I'd like to try OpenMW on Linux. Up to now I've been using the Windows version. I mostly use Parabola Linux (based on Arch); however, according to the Arch Linux AUR link on the Downloads page, it looks like the latest version on there is 0.41.0, which is pretty old.

Does that mean if I want to use the latest nightly on Arch, I'd have to compile it myself? I mean, I can probably manage it, but just wondering if there's an easier option ...

(the AUR package was last updated in 2017, so it doesn't exactly look like a nightly)

If you read the page for the git version it advises that the stated version 41 is not what is d/l but the current git version is, provided that openmw have correct version numbers in the git repository. The git version should give you a current or at least recent nightly.

Tinker wrote: ↑05 Mar 2020, 10:40 If you read the page for the git version it advises that the stated version 41 is not what is d/l but the current git version is, provided that openmw have correct version numbers in the git repository. The git version should give you a current or at least recent nightly.

You mean this package? I had a look at that page and it says 'Last Updated: 2017 xxx'. So you're saying, even though the package version says '0.41.0', it's actually a more recent nightly build?

Is there any way to check which version/date the build is? Why isn't the package version being updated with the actual current build version?

It's the latest nightly, taken directly from the github repo. The build file is old since it doesn't need to be updated unless dependencies change. The AUR uses the version at the time of packaging as the version for VCS-based packages.

line 18 of the PKGBUILD: Also, if you don't want to have to build it, there is a binary package available too (v0.45.0 at the moment): https://www.archlinux.org/packages/comm ... 64/openmw/. Parabola also apparently has a binary package (same version): https://www.parabola.nu/packages/libre/x86_64/openmw/

What bmw said. Besides "compiling" from an AUR package is little more than (but check the Arch wiki for the fine print)
so there is really not much needed in terms of knowledge.

Thanks for your replies. Ok, so this is a source package that pulls the latest source from the git repository? I hadn't realized that.

Still, judging from the comments on the package page, it seems I'm not the first person to be confused by the outdated version string. Would it not be possible to change the package description to clarify that it pulls the latest source?

It's already in the package name, in that every '-git' package in the AUR behaves like this (as well as '-svn', '-hg' etc.). It's also addressed on the AUR page of the wiki here and here.

Could it be clearer? Probably, but the AUR isn't supported out of the box anyway, and you're expected to read the documentation (Arch's box is admittedly very small. Everything else is DIY).
Like your suggestion, some VCS packages do include something along the lines of "(git version)" in their description, which could be helpful for this package too. You'd have to ask the maintainer to change it.

@bmw ok, thanks for your reply. I admit I haven't explored the AUR and source packages much. I'll download and give it a try.

Ok, I've built the openmw-git package and it seems to work well in Arch; however, the openscenegraph-openmw-git package seems to be broken. I was able to build openmw with the vanilla openscenegraph package, but it broke with the openmw version of OSG. A comment on this page from today suggests that the OSG-openmw package may be pulling the source from the wrong git branch? I thought I would mention it in case no-one is aware on the OpenMW side.

Hey Time4Tea. I'm going to give my comment on the AUR some time to gestate in case the maintainer of the openscenegraph-openmw-git package sees it and corrects the issue. In the meantime, you can certainly add the branch to the PKGBUILD. I'm sure that someone will correct me, but I don't think maintenance of the AUR package falls under the purview of the openmw devs, just on the package maintainer.

Until there is some action, feel free to add '#branch=3.4' to the end of your source= line in the PKGBUILD:

It will read: Then rebuild the package with makepkg and install it as normal. You'll then be able to build the openmw-git package as you normally would.