C&C: Red Alert 3 Uprising Guide

The Command and Conquer RTS games started in 1995. The First title was Command & Conquer. Shortly afterwards another version Red Alert was released. Both games are God View and require base building and resource mangement. Command & Conquer are based on Sci-Fi and Red Alert is a sort of alternative history.

Command & Conquer is the Global Defense Initiative vs. the Brotherhood of NOD.
Both versions got updates and expansions. Up to and include Command & Conquer 4 and Red Alert 3. Also in the Command & Conquer series is Generals. Generals is a more realistic near future game played much the same way as Command & Conquer and Red Alert.
Last release date for any of these titles was around 2010 with the exception of C&C Tiberian Alliances that was released for free in 2013.

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Follow my step-by-step guide on installing, configuring and optimizing C&C: Red Alert Uprising in Linux with PlayOnLinux.

Note: This guide applies to the Steam version of C&C Red Alert 3 - Uprising. Other versions may require additional steps.

Tips & Specs

Try SteamPlay before using this guide as Valve now uses a fork of Wine called Proton and should run most Windows games.

To learn more about PlayOnLinux and Wine configuration, see the online manual:
PlayOnLinux Explained

Mint 14 32-bit
PlayOnLinux: 4.2.1
Wine: 1.7

Installing Wine

Click Tools
Select "Manage Wine Versions"

Look for the Wine Version: 1.7
Note: Try using stable Wine 1.8 and 1.8-staging

Select it
Click the arrow pointing to the right
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Click Next

Wine Download Wizard
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PlayOnLinux will automatically download it and save it in this directory:
/home/username/.PlayOnLinux/wine/linux-x86

Note: username is where you put your login name

Its a good idea to backup this directory to another computer because you won't have to keep downloading wine versions when you need them.

Extracting
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Gecko downloading
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Installed
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Wine 1.7 is installed and you can close this window

Downloading Steam

Go To: http://www.steampowered.com
Click Install Steam
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Do not click "Install Steam Now"
It will automatically install Linux Steam. Since Red Alert 3: Uprising isn't made for Linux, we will download the Windows Steam instead.
click "Windows" under the green button
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Navigate to your desktop
Click Save
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Setup PlayOnLinux

Launch PlayOnLinux
Click Install
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Click "install a non-listed program"
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Click Next

Select "Install a program in a new virtual drive"
Click Next
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Name you virtual drive: redalert3
No spaces
Click Next
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Select all three options:
  • Use another version of Wine
  • Configure Wine
  • Install some libraries
Click Next
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Select Wine 1.7
Click Next
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Note: If you are running a 64-bit system, PlayOnLinux will prompt if you want to use a 64-bit or 32-bit virtual drive.
Always select 32-bit virtual drive.

Configure Wine

Applications Tab
Windows Version: Windows XP
Click Apply
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Graphics Tab
Check: Automatically capture the mouse in full-screen windows
Check: Emulate a virtual desktop
Desktop size: 1024x768
Click Ok
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Install Libraries

Check the following libraries:
  • POL_Install_corefonts
  • POL_Install_d3dx9
  • POL_Install_registeredfonts
  • POL_Install_tahoma
  • POL_Install_vcrun2005
  • POL_Install_msxml3
Click Next
All libraries will automatically download and install
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Installing Steam

Click Browse
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Navigate to your desktop
Select: SteamInstall.msi
Click Open
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Click Next

Click Next

Check: I accept the license...
Click Next

Click Next

Click Next

Click Install

Click Finish

Updating Steam
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More updating, extracting and installing
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When Steam is done installing the login screen will pop up. You probably won't see any text because there is a font bug.
Click the "X" to close Steam login

PlayOnLinux Shortcut

Select Steam.exe
Click Next
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Name your shortcut: Red Alert 3 Uprising
Click Next
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Select "I don't want to make another shortcut"
Click Next
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More PlayOnLinux Configuration

Back to PlayOnLinux
Click Configure
Select Steam virtual drive

General Tab
Arguments: -no-dwrite -no-cef-sandbox
This fixes the missing font and store problem
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Note: -no-dwrite only works if you launch Steam from PlayOnLinux. Steam is automatically set to launch when Windows starts, which means if you do a "Windows Reboot" from the Wine tab -no-dwrite won't execute. Just close Steam and try again.

Display Tab
Direct Draw Renderer: opengl
Video Memory Size: size of memory on your video card
Offscreen rendering mode: fbo
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Wine Tab
Click "Windows reboot"
Close Steam because it will automatically launch when Windows reboots and won't execute -no-dwrite.
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Close Configure

Launch Red Alert 3 Uprising

Select Red Aleart 3 Uprising
Click Run
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Login to Steam

Select: Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising
Click Install
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Click Next

Click "I agree"

Click Next

Click Finish

Wait for download to finish

Click Play
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Click Play
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Wait for Microsoft VC Redist Package to install
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Create a profile name
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Optimizing Red Alert 3 Uprising

Click Options
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Click Settings
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Select a resolution
If your computer can't handle the same resolution of your desktop, then you will have to change the Linux desktop resolution to match the game for full screen. Or go back to Wine configuration and uncheck "virtual desktop"
Click Confirm
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Graphics Presets
Select a preset for all the graphical settings. I suggest starting low and working your way up. If the game has really high frames per second, then move it up one. If you are satisfied with the frame rate and visual appearance, then its a good setting for game play.
Click Confirm
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Conclusion:
Steam installed and work great as usual. Don't forget if you do a Wine Windows Reboot and Steam will launch without fonts. The argument -no-dwrite fixes this problem with almost any version of Wine. Red Alert 3 Uprising ran perfectly with high resolution and video settings on high.

Screenshots:
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Last edited:
Click to expand...
rolandttg
I got it to run per your tutorial and the game runs good in Steam.
But.. If I run it in the window mode the screen will not enlarge. It will run this way but too small. If I change video settings in the game it will lock up.
I can run it without window mode in full screen. But if I change video settings the game will lock up.
If I run the game it seems to be 800 x 600 and the detail is very good. In the non window mode after exit the desktop does not return to the original resolution.
I backed up the game and need maybe to add more libraries? Any ideas?
It looks as if the program wants to keep the resolution of the Steam App/browser.
 
booman
This is very common for Wine.
I never use "windowed mode" for games, but you can use virtual desktop.
Is that what you mean by "windowed"?

The best way to handle resolutions is to change the virtual desktop resolution to match the Linux desktop. If your video card can handle it, try setting it for the exact same resolution as your desktop. This way you don't have to resize the desktop before launching your game.

If you have an older video card or laptop, you would need to set virtual desktop to 1360x768 or something similar, then change your Linux desktop resolution before launching your game. This way it will be fullscreen.

My GeForce 550 Ti could handle 1680x1050 so I just left the virtual desktop at 1024x768 and then changed game resolution to 1680x1050. This way the virtual desktop will automatically resize to match.

Sometimes that won't work, which is why you have to set your virtual desktop first.

Kinda trial-n-error. But I have stuck with virtual desktop for most games and it handles everything really well.
 
rolandttg
I did mean virtual desktop instead of windowed. I'm glad it works as it is. But I am going to try to figure it out.
 
booman
Yeah, its a common problem with Wine. I usually end up figuring out which resolution resolution works best for my card and the specific game, then just make the necessary adjustments
 
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