guix-linux-run/README.md

# Presentation

This tool is a simple wrapper that help running Linux binaries on Guix because otherwise you can't easily execute a binary that doesn't come from the system itself.

This is inspired by the [steam-run](https://nixos.wiki/wiki/Steam#steam-run) wrapper available on NixOS, which is not related to Steam because it's used to run any Linux binary.


# Usage

You need to have to following packages installed to make it work: `gcc-objc++:lib gtk+` but this may depend on what you are running.

Then to use it, it's as easy as: `linux-run ./some_executable`.


# Compatibility

I tried a few programs to see if it was working fine.

## Known to work

- game Steam Marines 2 (itch.io)
- game Frick (itch.io)
- game Depth of Extinction (itch.io)
- game Nowhere Prophet (GOG)


## Doesn't work

- software Firefox: `couldn't load XPCOM`
- software Deltachat AppImage: `error while loading shared libraries: ./DeltaChat-1.20.2.AppImage: ELF file ABI version invalid`
- game Mewnbase: guix lacks `lwjgl`
- game Midboss: `monoconfig not found!`
- game FTL: because they provide x86 binary only
- game Barony:  `error while loading shared libraries: libGLU.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory`
- game Into the breach: `error while loading shared libraries: libfmodstudio.so.10: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory`
- game Torchlight 2: `error while loading shared libraries: libuuid.so.1: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory`


# Guix package definition

```
(define-public linux-run
  (package
    (name "linux-run")
    (version "1.0.0")
    (source (origin
              (method git-fetch)
              (uri (git-reference
                    (url "https://tildegit.org/solene/guix-linux-run")
                    (commit version)))
              (file-name (git-file-name name version))
              (sha256
               (base32
                "0prh4i68xw6r8vkzz3g7njfgsj32i1viw17rbrhds25dr64zi070"))))
    (build-system copy-build-system)
    (arguments
     '(#:install-plan
       '(("linux-run" "bin/"))))
    (propagated-inputs
     `(("gtk+" ,gtk+)
       ("gcc-objc++:lib" ,gcc-objc++ "lib")))
    (home-page "https://tildegit.org/solene/guix-linux-run")
    (synopsis "Wrapper to run Linux binaries that are not from Guix")
    (description "This package provides a shell wrapper that will redefine
the environment to use Guix libraries for running a Linux binary.")
    (license license:bsd-2)))
```