Client on Linux using Lutris Manual

Requirements

• Basic knowledge about the Wine Prefix
• Lutris
• Lutris Wine Runner: lutris-6.1-3
• A prefix with GTA:SA V1.0 installation (Lutris can be used)
• MTA Installer
• During this tutorial, make sure to only use 32-bit prefix for MTA:SA, or else you'll run into a plethora of hard-to-fix issues.

Installing MTA

1. On Lutris, Add a Game:
   • Game Info -> Name: Multi Theft Auto
   • Game Options -> Wine Prefix: 'Same as the GTA:SA installation prefix.
     

 Make sure all prefixes for MTA/GTA are 32-bit, to avoid running into a plethora of issues.

1. • Runner Options -> Wine Version: lutris-6.1-3
   • Runner Options -> Enable DXVK/VKD3D: Disabled
2. On Lutris, click on Multi Theft Auto and on the bottom bar, click on the Wine popup menu and select Run EXE inside Wine prefix
   • On the File Manager that appears, find and select the MTA Setup executable that you downloaded
3. Run the setup normally, defaults should be working fine
   • Before finishing setup, make sure you untick Run MTA
4. On Lutris, right click Multi Theft Auto and select Configure
   • Game Options -> Executable: Should point to "Multi Theft Auto.exe" inside the Wine Prefix path (eg. "{Wine Prefix path}/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/MTA San Andreas 1.5/Multi Theft Auto.exe")
5. On Lutris, click on Multi Theft Auto and on the bottom bar, click on the Wine popup menu and select Winetricks
   • Select the default wineprefix -> Install a font -> Check Tahoma and Verdana
6. On Lutris, launch Multi Theft Auto
   • You should be greeted with an "Error serial", but that's actually a good sign, continue to solve it
7. In order to solve the "Error serial", download and run the Linux Native MTA Server
   • After about a minute running the server, close it
8. On Lutris, launch Multi Theft Auto
   • MTA should launch without any issues, as well as successfully connect to servers

Updating MTA

Updating MTA through the client itself doesn't work. You have to manually download the new version of MTA Installer, and install it by repeating Steps 2 and 3 on Installing MTA section

Tips

• This setup works with MTA 1.5.8 (tested)
• There are probably some Lutris Scripts available for installing MTA, but doing it manually should work better (untested)
• Ignore any Wine Mono and Wine Gecko installation prompts, as they are not needed for MTA (tested)
• The wine-tkg 6.1 version works and can be used instead of the Lutris one (tested)
• For audio streaming, installing "wmp10" using Winetricks from Lutris might help (untested)
• Make sure you also check Client on Linux Manual for more info

Known issues

• MTA isn't starting (even with fonts installed)

1. Try to start MTA:SA in a virtual desktop

   Go to WineConfig, choose the tab "Graphics" and select "Emulate a virtual desktop".
   

2. Try to delete your gta_sa.set file

   which is located in the "GTA San Andreas User Files" folder, which can be found in your home directory.
   (Remember to create a copy, if you're playing San Andreas in singleplayer)

3. Try to delete your MTA config file

   which is: "MTA San Andreas 1.3/MTA/coreconfig.xml"
   (Also remember to create a copy, if you don't want to lose your edited MTA configuration)

• MTA won't start on Ubuntu 12.04 LTS [Temporary fix is available here. Although, just updating away from such an old version of Ubuntu is the recommended way to go]

• "SD #16 Error" when connecting to a server
• "No audio card detected" when launching either GTA:SA or MTA
• Using standard Full-screen mode on MTA might cause some occasional artifacts
• Enabling DXVK might not break GTA:SA, but it breaks MTA
• Using Linux brings a higher-than-usual chance for game crashes due to various reasons (sometimes to do with resources & mods on individual servers)

* Making the mistake of using a 64-bit prefix may specifically result in:

• "SD #16 Error" when connecting to a server
• "libcef.dll" MTA crash upon joining servers, or during gameplay (when server uses CEF and your CEF web browser is enabled)
• Even higher chance for instability, lag issues and game crashes

.. and much more

Specific issues with workarounds

Crash when connecting
Sometimes the audio-server makes problems (could be related to PulseAudio), in this case, you've to go to WineConfig and choose the tab Audio, then deselect "ALSA" and select "EsoundD". Save the settings and restart MTA.

Crash in basswma.dll module while streaming audio
Workaround: Install Windows Media Player 11
Before carrying this out, install Winetricks

winetricks -q wmp11

If that doesnt solve the issue, try an older version:
winetricks -q wmp10

Special Detections (SD)
This was already described above in general terms, of possible issues if you're not using 32-bit prefix as is recommended. But for this "Specific issues" section we will go in-depth more regarding SD #21 kick from AC that commonly affects Linux/Wine users:
If you are using a 64-bit wine version/prefix you may have problems with Special Detections. If the server you are trying to connect keeps showing something like this, then you should make a 32 bit wine prefix (or bottle).

export WINEARCH=win32 WINEPREFIX=~/.winegta
winecfg

Look at your Windows version and press OK to create the prefix. Now you have a 32-bit wine prefix on ~/.winegta. Install GTA:SA and them MTA. After this, MTA and GTA have been installed within ~/.winegta prefix which is a 32-bit wine environment.

Note: In some scenario's, while creating your 32-bit prefix, it may be needed to change Windows version on the bottom to Windows 7. But avoid it whenever possible.

Closing words
To avoid many of the roadblocks when it comes to Linux/Wine issues in general, just use 32-bit Prefix as suggested. However, if you still run into issues, you can inform yourself better about MTA's Linux/Mac support levels and background by joining the MTA discord and going to #help-support channel, to specifically read information at this pinned message: https://discord.com/channels/278474088903606273/278521065435824128/894932698269900830

We realize that the wiki pages & documentation regarding Linux, macOS support (such as: through Wine, Lutris, PlayOnLinux, Parallels Desktop etc) is far from perfect, and that the list of potential issues you can run into isn't complete. As the MTA discord linked post tries to explain, these platforms are supported on a best-effort basis (in a technical sense, not an user support sense) and even then you'll find others on the MTA discord that are Linux users & play MTA after performing some workarounds, that may be willing to help you. These people are also advised to add any known issue (and workaround for it) to the wiki documentations, so if that sounds like you then feel free to edit this page for instance, and help future users that find themselves in the same situation as you were. Linux/Wine just gives really obscure, hard to fix issues with MTA and other applications/games, including niche ones that individual users happen to resolve somehow.. that's the point.