Must have XXIII(23) Ken Wood Linux only

[NewWorldHero]

I have played this version almost daily for what seems like a decade.

My scenarios and skirmishes (single player mode only) are somewhat

modified and ONLY work w/ v23 Ken Wood. Have tried many times

installing a new or latest version for Linux thru the Mint repositories and

moving the maps etc to new version. Never works.

 

I have searched and read here and everywhere else for almost a year merely trying to

find the Ken Wood v23 in a Ubuntu .deb package to install on a new PC build. Running

Mint 22.2 now the repos and everywhere else only have the latest 0AD versions, or the tar gz versions

that I have no idea how to "compile" or install. Even tried a Debian version that of course will not

work in Mint 22.2.

 

Finally decided to ask for help and need a good Linux pro.

Thanks

 

 

[hyperion]

The easiest would probably be using the windows binary with wine / proton. You might see a warning at the start tho as wine doesn't support numa and as such the hardware detection will fail. Just click continue in that case.

[Genava55]

How many scenarios do you have? 

[Deicide4u]

Hello, you mentioned that you don't know how to compile, but that may be the only option if you want Linux native older 0 A. D. And it's not too hard to do. 

First, get the a23b tar source and data archives from this link:

https://releases.wildfiregames.com/

Then, follow the build instructions for Linux on this page:

https://gitea.wildfiregames.com/0ad/0ad/wiki/BuildInstructions

Obviously, instead of the latest source and data archives, you would use the a23b ones.

Good backup practices apply before compiling any large software from source. 

Edited December 30, 2025 by Deicide4u

[Stan`]

There is an A23b appimage that might work too.

[NewWorldHero]

As feared this is turning into a nightmare fast.

Ive tried a wine/proton version before. This is a big difference when playing a windows version thru wine/Crossover etc vs a installed version in Linux. Appimage also. Not good.

 

I have dozens of customized scenarios/skirmishes. 

 

Again the compile option(s) ARE too hard and a mess to do. The build instructions in the link start by focusing on all the packages and additional  software you need to even consider compiling in Linux, and its ridiculous as the Windows versions are completed in the basic .exe install packages where anything Linux are raw and have to go thru the compile nightmare. Obviously previous Linux (Mint) versions of 0AD pumped into all the Linux Mint repositories were completed in a .deb format, and now are no where to be found.  

 

Just for FYI- my current install is in the outdated Mint 20.3. Ive even taken a good image of the entire install, placed on a new SSD on the new PC build, and it, of course will not work as the drivers built in the 20.3 kernels are outdated and do not work with new CPU and chipsets..  Doesnt matter if you 'forcibly' and manually install and try any of the new kernels in 20.3, same result.

 

 

 

 

[Gönndolsalv]

what about updating your maps and scenarios to the current or next release?

https://gitea.wildfiregames.com/0ad/0ad/wiki/PortA25ToA26

https://gitea.wildfiregames.com/0ad/0ad/wiki/PortA26ToA27

https://gitea.wildfiregames.com/0ad/0ad/wiki/PortA27ToR28

[Genava55]

6 minutes ago, Gönndolsalv said:

what about updating your maps and scenarios to the current or next release?

https://gitea.wildfiregames.com/0ad/0ad/wiki/PortA25ToA26

https://gitea.wildfiregames.com/0ad/0ad/wiki/PortA26ToA27

https://gitea.wildfiregames.com/0ad/0ad/wiki/PortA27ToR28

Editing directly in the XML files? Not very simple for most people. There are at least 8 python scripts in the pages you linked. 

[zyli]

@NewWorldBohate

You're exaggerating when you say compilation is difficult.

The description on the website:

https://gitea.wildfiregames.com/0ad/0ad/wiki/BuildInstructions#linux

may be confusing, but that's because it describes compilation cases for various distributions.
If you write down the commands, for example, on a piece of paper, it's not so bad.

I can help you with that—you just have to want it and show some good will.

Yes, compilation requires a lot of dependencies, which are normally unnecessary.

But compilation can be performed on a Live system running from a DVD or USB drive (it must be the same version as the one you have installed on your PC).
After completing the necessary steps, back up the necessary directories and shut down the computer.
All the "mess" (as you wrote) is gone – you only have what you need.
Transfer it to your PC and you're done.

A small note about 0ad.
You build the Live installation in a directory on an external drive, as this directory takes up a lot of space.
The drive must have Linux partitions (ext4).

If you connect a USB drive with a FAT32 or exFAT file system, for example, the build will fail because Windows file systems do not support symlinks.

Best regards.

[Dunedan]

What all of you seem to forget is that the instructions to compile a23 are quite different from the instructions to compile recent versions of 0ad and that the versions of some libraries a23 depends on aren't available on modern Linux distributions. In my opinion that makes compiling a23 on a modern Linux distribution quite complicated.

[Stan`]

If app image is a no go for you then you'll have to run the migration scripts on the maps. Stuff that handle renamed actors, modified xml and removed terrain types.

[zyli]

@Dunedan

Good.
If compiling older versions of 0ad is as you describe, there's another way.
Probably easier than compiling.
In Debian, version 23.1 of 0ad was available in Bullseye (11.x).

1.
Install Debian 11 Bullseye on a USB stick just like you would on a hard drive.

https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/archive/11.11.0+nonfree/amd64/iso-dvd/

Includes firmware.

2.
Run the installed Bullseye from the USB stick on your computer.

Of course, unless it's a recent computer that the Bullseye kernel (5.10.x) can't handle.

3.
Since the Bullseye repository is already down (I think), 0ad and its dependencies (there aren't many) must be installed manually.

https://packages.debian.org/bullseye/0ad
The standard command:

apt install 0ad

will not work.

4.
Download the following:

http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool/main/0/0ad/0ad_0.0.23.1-5+b1_amd64.deb
http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool/main/0/0ad-data/0ad-data_0.0.23.1-1.1_all.deb
http://ftp.de.debian.org/debian/pool/main/0/0ad-data/0ad-data-common_0.0.23.1-1.1_all.deb

5.
Try to install it:

dpkg -i 0ad-data_0.0.23.1-1.1_all.deb
dpkg -i 0ad-data-common_0.0.23.1-1.1_all.deb
dpkg -i 0ad_0.0.23.1-5+b1_amd64.deb

We're taking a look at what dpkg outputted.
The first two packages should install correctly, unless some fonts are missing, in which case they need to be installed.

https://packages.debian.org/bullseye/0ad-data-common

The last command will be the hardest, as dpkg will output something like:

"error – package xxx is missing".
You'll need to download this package manually, install it, and try again:

dpkg -i 0ad_0.0.23.1-5+b1_amd64.deb

And so on until you succeed.
After a few rounds of this, we have 0ad ver. 23.1 installed for good.
Now you can run 0ad and finally put the Bullseye + 0ad USB stick away.

Best regards.
Happy New Year

Edited December 31, 2025 by zyli
Before Debian 12, there were separate DVDs without firmware and with included firmware.

[Deicide4u]

1 hour ago, Dunedan said:

What all of you seem to forget is that the instructions to compile a23 are quite different from the instructions to compile recent versions of 0ad and that the versions of some libraries a23 depends on aren't available on modern Linux distributions.

I didn't really forget that. I've just assumed that those library versions were backwards-compatible (as they should be) and that he would need fewer libraries anyway since it's an older alpha release. 

But yes, that is one issue you inevitably hit while learning to compile. And this knowledge ia quite valuable in today's world. 

Edited December 31, 2025 by Deicide4u
Spelling

[Stan`]

41 minutes ago, Deicide4u said:

2 hours ago, Dunedan said:

 

I didn't really forget that. I've just assumed that those library versions were backwards-compatible (as they should be) and that he would need fewer libraries anyway since it's an older alpha release. 

The hardest to compile is Spidermonkey 38 mainly because it relies on python 2.

Spidermonkey has very few minor versions that are ABI (backward compatible) sometimes they even break it in minor like 76.3 and .5

[zyli]

There have already been 12 posts, and "NewWorldHero" only wanted one answer:

how to run the older version of 0ad – ver. 0.0.23 (Ken Wood).

I figured out a way to do it:

https://wildfiregames.com/forum/topic/139802-must-have-xxiii23-ken-wood-linux-only/?do=findComment&comment=616373

But I only figured it out, not tested it.
It was bothering me.

So I did this:

1.
I downloaded Live Bullseye version 11.11 (+non-free)

https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/archive/11.11.0-live+nonfree/amd64/iso-hybrid/debian-live-11.11.0-amd64-xfce+nonfree.iso

2.
I copied it to a USB drive with Ventoy installed and booted it..
The laptop was even relatively new – Intel TigerLake (11th gen.) + Intel Xe.
Debian booted, and Wi-Fi was available (Wi-Fi on Intel too).
Good news: the Bullseye repositories are still available. 
You can use 'apt install'; you don't need to install anything manually.

3.
After connecting to the network, I issued the command:

apt-get update
apt-get install 0ad

I had to wait a while because one of the packages ('0ad-data_0.0.23.1-1.1_all.deb') is about 670 MiB.

4.
After installation, in the terminal as a regular user, type '0ad' + Enter or click Menu – Games – 0ad.

Done.

I'm attaching the images.

A short summary:

user@debian:~$ cat /etc/debian_version 
11.11
user@debian:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID:	Debian
Description:	Debian GNU/Linux 11 (bullseye)
Release:	11
Codename:	bullseye
user@debian:~$ cat /run/live/medium/.disk/info 
Official Debian GNU/Linux Live 11.11.0 xfce 2024-08-31T16:39user@debian:~$ 
user@debian:~$ uname -a
Linux debian 5.10.0-32-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 5.10.223-1 (2024-08-10) x86_64 GNU/Linux
user@debian:~$ glxheads 
glxheads: exercise multiple GLX connections (any key = exit)
Usage:
  glxheads xdisplayname ...
Example:
  glxheads :0 mars:0 venus:1
Name: :0.0
  Display:     0x56011f9c8da0
  Window:      0x3c00002
  Context:     0x56011f9eb4e0
  GL_VERSION:  4.6 (Compatibility Profile) Mesa 20.3.5
  GL_VENDOR:   Intel
  GL_RENDERER: Mesa Intel(R) Xe Graphics (TGL GT2)

user@debian:~$ dpkg -l | grep 0ad
ii  0ad                                    0.0.23.1-5+b1                    amd64        Real-time strategy game of ancient warfare
ii  0ad-data                               0.0.23.1-1.1                     all          Real-time strategy game of ancient warfare (data files)
ii  0ad-data-common                        0.0.23.1-1.1                     all          Real-time strategy game of ancient warfare (common data files)
user@debian:~$ 0ad
TIMER| InitVfs: 860.322 us
Writing the mainlog at /home/user/.config/0ad/logs/mainlog.html
TIMER| CONFIG_Init: 559.181 us
Sound: AlcInit success, using OpenAL Soft
TIMER| shutdown ConfigDB: 0.239 us
TIMER| resource modules: 2.12809 ms
TIMER TOTALS (9 clients)
... etc.

Best regards.
Happy New Year.
 

[NewWorldHero]

Wow. I most certainly appreciate all the work and responses in this post. Thank you.

 

But I feel like Im back to square 1 (start) and dont know what I should try that will actually work.

 

-The Debian Bullseye is just that isnt it? Using Bullseye to compile and try and get a working .deb that will work in Mint 22.2. But Mint (the cinnamon version I use) is Ubuntu.  Why wouldnt you use a Live USB of 22.2 that is Ubuntu based? 

 

- I still dont get why I cant get Wildfire to merely state WHERE the original Ken Wood v23 is that was uploaded to the Mint repositories already in a complied .deb format.  If I run these commands in the terminal it will install the latest v. 0AD only 

apt-get update
apt-get install 0ad

[ShadowOfHassen]

1 hour ago, NewWorldHero said:

- I still dont get why I cant get Wildfire to merely state WHERE the original Ken Wood v23 is that was uploaded to the Mint repositories already in a complied .deb format.  If I run these commands in the terminal it will install the latest v. 0AD only 

 Wildfire Games doesn't do packaging for distros, the distros package it on their own. That way they can package the dependencies and other things required for the game. In short, that is more of a Linux mint problem, not a Wildfiregames. However, they usually only provide up-to-date packages because that's what most people want.

 

I honestly would recommend trying to port the scenarios. It may be difficult, but while installing v23 successfully might work, you'll be kicking the can down the road, and eventually you'll have to port it.

 

[Stan`]

3 hours ago, NewWorldHero said:

The Debian Bullseye is just that isnt it? Using Bullseye to compile and try and get a working .deb that will work in Mint 22.2. But Mint (the cinnamon version I use) is Ubuntu.  Why wouldnt you use a Live USB of 22.2 that is Ubuntu based? 

No his point was that you could install an old debian to get it to run without compiling it. Same as running an old ubuntu.

 

[zyli]

@NewWorldHero

I understand what you're writing as follows:

I have Linux Mint 22.2.
Why don't you tell me where the *deb 0ad file is in version 0.0.23?

Of course, that would be the simplest.

But it's IMPOSSIBLE.

0ad ver. 0.0.23 (0.0.23b, Debian 0.0.23.1) was released in May (December) 2018.
https://releases.wildfiregames.com/
Linux Mint 22.2 was released in August 2025.
https://pub.linuxmint.io/stable/22.2/
Linux Mint 22.2 is based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Noble Numbat, released in April 2024.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_version_history#Table_of_versions

Six years passed between 2018 and 2024.
Systems from 2024 no longer contain the package versions that 0ad 0.0.23 requires. 
Such old packages (boost, icu, and whatever else) cannot be installed on new systems.
Therefore, it can't be done.

The only thing left is to find an older distribution for which this version was available and install it on a USB flash drive as if it were a hard drive.
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy includes 0ad already in version 0.0.25b

https://packages.ubuntu.com/jammy/0ad

I found such a distribution for you – Debian Bullseye 11.11, which, moreover, still has the repositories enabled.
Speaking of which, the Bullseye repositories won't be disabled until 2026-08-31.
https://wiki.debian.org/DebianReleases
You'll easily be able to install both the system and 0ad 0.0.23.1 on a USB flash drive before the repositories are disabled.

After installing, keep the USB flash drive in a drawer, and when you want to play, you take it out, start your PC, and play.

When you decide that's enough, you turn off your PC, disconnect the flash drive, put it back in the drawer, and then start your Mint.

And you can go on like this forever.
Well, maybe not that long – until you replace your PC with one that Bullseye can't handle.

Happy New Year!

Edited 2 hours ago by zyli

[zyli]

@NewWorldHero

You've spurred me into action.
I managed to install 0ad ver. 0.0.23.1 on Linux Mint Live 22.3 (still in beta).
I figured there's no point in bothering with 22.2 since 22.3 will be released soon.

0ad is from Bullseye, and some dependencies are also from Bullseye, the rest from Mint – it works for now.

If you're interested, post on the forum, but first read:
https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian
The whole thing – from start to finish.

This also applies to other systems, including Mint.

By installing 0.0.23.1, I turned Linux Mint into Frankenstein Mint, which, in my opinion, can only be done for fun or for testing purposes.

Best regards

 

Edited 37 minutes ago by zyli