Claude
0202515163
Documents the EA App installation workaround for Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) running under Wolf/WolfSteam with GE-Proton10-34. Covers the bwrap capability problem, Steam launch wrapper trick, msiextract bypass for the JunoConfigureRegistry Wine incompatibility, and correct EA Desktop file layout. Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01D8ckUJQtj1pH8jtAddBDZs
260 lines
9.4 KiB
Markdown
260 lines
9.4 KiB
Markdown
# Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) — Wolf/Moonlight Setup
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**AppID:** 1237950
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**Proton:** GE-Proton10-34 (required — stock Proton does not work with EA App)
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**Platform:** Wolf (Games-on-Whales) — WolfSteam Docker container
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---
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## Why this is hard
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SWBF2 (2017) is an EA game. EA mandated their **EA App** launcher for all EA Steam titles.
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On launch, SWBF2 calls `ShellExecuteW("link2ea://launchgame/1237950?platform=steam&theme=swbfii")`.
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GE-Proton's `steam.exe` intercepts that URL, finds `Link2EA.exe` from the EA Desktop install, and
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hands off to the EA App which then launches the actual game.
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Without EA Desktop installed in the Wine prefix, the game exits immediately.
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---
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## The bwrap problem (why you can't just docker exec)
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The WolfSteam container runs Steam as uid 1000 (`retro` inside container).
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`docker exec` carries high Linux capabilities (`CapEff ≈ 0xa8ac35fb`).
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Steam processes have `CapEff=0`.
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When a high-cap shell tries to run bwrap (used by Steam's sniper/pressure-vessel runtime),
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bwrap attempts a privileged uid-map path that fails:
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```
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setting up uid map: Permission denied
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```
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This means you **cannot** run Proton or wine64 via `docker exec` — bwrap always fails.
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Only Steam itself can properly launch programs through sniper+GE-Proton.
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---
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## Solution: Steam launch wrapper
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Use SWBF2's **Steam launch options** to intercept the launch, run a helper script,
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then pass control back to Steam's real launch chain.
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Steam passes all its args to the wrapper as `$@`:
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```
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steam-launch-wrapper -- reaper SteamLaunch AppId=1237950 -- <sniper> --verb=waitforexitandrun -- <proton> waitforexitandrun <game>
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```
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The wrapper runs msiexec (or anything else) inside the full sniper+GE-Proton environment
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that Steam set up, then `exec "$@"` to hand off to the game.
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---
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## Step-by-step
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### 1. Lock localconfig.vdf against Steam overwriting it
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Steam uses atomic rename (write temp + rename) when saving config.
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`chmod 444` on the file is bypassed. Lock the **directory** instead:
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```bash
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WOLF_CONTAINER="WolfSteam_XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX" # docker ps to find exact name
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CONFIG_DIR="/home/retro/.steam/steam/userdata/XXXXXXXXX/config"
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# Find container name
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docker ps --format '{{.Names}}' | grep Wolf
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# Find Steam user ID
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docker exec "$WOLF_CONTAINER" ls /home/retro/.steam/steam/userdata/
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docker exec "$WOLF_CONTAINER" chmod 555 "$CONFIG_DIR"
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```
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### 2. Set SWBF2 launch options
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Edit localconfig.vdf **while Steam is not running** (or kill Steam first):
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```bash
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CONFIG_FILE="$CONFIG_DIR/localconfig.vdf"
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# Kill Steam so it flushes and stops watching
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docker exec "$WOLF_CONTAINER" pkill -f steam.sh || true
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sleep 3
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# Edit — find the LaunchOptions line for AppID 1237950
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# Add before it if missing:
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docker exec "$WOLF_CONTAINER" bash -c "
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sed -i '/\"1237950\"/,/}/ s/\"LaunchOptions\"\s*\"[^\"]*\"/\"LaunchOptions\"\t\t\"STEAM_UNIX_SOCKET=\/tmp\/steam.sock \/home\/retro\/ea_install.sh %command%\"/' '$CONFIG_FILE'
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"
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# Or if LaunchOptions key doesn't exist yet, add it manually.
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# Verify:
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docker exec "$WOLF_CONTAINER" grep -A5 '"1237950"' "$CONFIG_FILE" | grep LaunchOptions
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```
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### 3. Write the EA install wrapper
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The wrapper runs `msiexec /a` (administrative install — no custom actions) to extract
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EA Desktop files, then execs the real game:
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```bash
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cat > /tmp/ea_install.sh << 'EOF'
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#!/bin/bash
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echo "=== ea_install.sh called $(date) ===" >> /tmp/ea_install.log
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echo "Args: $@" >> /tmp/ea_install.log
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"$1" "$2" "$3" "$4" "$5" "$6" "$7" "$8" "$9" "${10}" "${11}" \
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msiexec /i "C:\\ea_app.msi" /qn \
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TARGETDIR="C:\\Program Files\\Electronic Arts" \
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/l*v "C:\\msi_admin.log" \
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>> /tmp/ea_install.log 2>&1
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echo "MSI exit: $?" >> /tmp/ea_install.log
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exec "$@"
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EOF
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chmod +x /tmp/ea_install.sh
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docker cp /tmp/ea_install.sh "$WOLF_CONTAINER":/home/retro/ea_install.sh
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```
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### 4. Get the EA App MSI
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The MSI ships inside SWBF2's game files. Copy it into the Wine prefix:
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```bash
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MSI_SRC="/home/retro/.steam/steam/steamapps/common/STAR WARS Battlefront II/__Installer/Origin/redist/internal/EAappInstaller.exe"
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# EAappInstaller.exe is a WiX Burn bootstrapper — the real MSI is buried inside.
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# Easier: use the MSI that gets extracted to the Wine prefix during a first launch attempt:
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MSI_IN_PREFIX="/home/retro/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1237950/pfx/drive_c/ea_app.msi"
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```
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The MSI appears in the Wine prefix (`drive_c/ea_app.msi`, ~227 MB) after SWBF2 is launched
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once — GE-Proton's protonfixes or steam.exe drops it there.
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### 5. Extract EA Desktop files on the host (bypassing Wine custom actions)
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The MSI's `JunoConfigureRegistry` custom action fails in Wine (it tries to set registry
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ACLs via `SetSecurityDescriptorSddlForm` which Wine doesn't support). This causes
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MSI rollback and removes all installed files. Bypass it by extracting on Linux:
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```bash
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# Copy MSI out of container
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docker cp "$WOLF_CONTAINER:/home/retro/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1237950/pfx/drive_c/ea_app.msi" \
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/tmp/ea_app.msi
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# Extract (msitools package)
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sudo apt-get install -y msitools
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mkdir -p /tmp/ea_app_extracted
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msiextract -C /tmp/ea_app_extracted /tmp/ea_app.msi
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```
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### 6. Copy EA Desktop into the Wine prefix
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The MSI installs to `C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\EA Desktop\` with a versioned
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subdirectory (`14.2.0.3345`) and a symlink `EA Desktop -> 14.2.0.3345`.
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The normal MSI install creates that symlink via `JunoSetupSymlinkMode`. After a
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failed install + rollback, the symlink may remain but the versioned dir is gone.
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```bash
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PFXBASE="/home/retro/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1237950/pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Electronic Arts/EA Desktop"
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# Remove any broken symlink
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docker exec "$WOLF_CONTAINER" bash -c "
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[ -L '$PFXBASE/EA Desktop' ] && rm '$PFXBASE/EA Desktop'
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mkdir -p '$PFXBASE/14.2.0.3345'
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ln -s 14.2.0.3345 '$PFXBASE/EA Desktop'
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"
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# Copy extracted files into versioned directory
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docker cp "/tmp/ea_app_extracted/Electronic Arts/EA Desktop/EA Desktop/." \
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"$WOLF_CONTAINER:$PFXBASE/14.2.0.3345/"
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# Verify
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docker exec "$WOLF_CONTAINER" find "$PFXBASE" -name "Link2EA.exe"
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```
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Expected output:
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```
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/home/retro/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1237950/pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Electronic Arts/EA Desktop/14.2.0.3345/Link2EA.exe
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```
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### 7. Switch wrapper to pass-through and launch
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Once EA Desktop files are in place, update the wrapper to just exec the game:
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```bash
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cat > /tmp/ea_passthrough.sh << 'EOF'
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#!/bin/bash
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echo "=== launch $(date) ===" >> /tmp/ea_install.log
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exec "$@"
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EOF
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chmod +x /tmp/ea_passthrough.sh
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docker cp /tmp/ea_passthrough.sh "$WOLF_CONTAINER":/home/retro/ea_install.sh
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```
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Launch SWBF2 in Moonlight. Steam → GE-Proton → SWBF2 → link2ea:// → steam.exe
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finds Link2EA.exe → EA App launches → SWBF2 loads.
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### 8. EA account login (one-time)
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On first launch, EA Desktop will show a login screen. Log in with your EA account.
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Credentials are cached; subsequent launches skip login.
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### 9. Restore clean state
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After EA Desktop is confirmed working, remove the launch wrapper:
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```bash
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# Restore directory to writable
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docker exec "$WOLF_CONTAINER" chmod 755 "$CONFIG_DIR"
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# Remove LaunchOptions from localconfig.vdf
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# (edit the file while Steam is stopped, remove the LaunchOptions line for 1237950)
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```
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---
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## Troubleshooting
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### "link2ea not found" / game exits in ~6 seconds
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EA Desktop files are missing or in wrong path. Check:
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```bash
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docker exec "$WOLF_CONTAINER" find \
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"/home/retro/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1237950/pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Electronic Arts" \
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-name "Link2EA.exe"
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```
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### Wrapper never runs (Steam ignores launch options)
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Steam wrote config before chmod 555 was applied. Kill Steam, chmod 555 the directory,
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then edit localconfig.vdf. Steam reads config fresh on startup.
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### INST-14-1603 error in EA App installer
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`JunoConfigureRegistry` .NET custom action returns 0 in Wine. This is a Wine limitation
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with registry ACL operations. Use the `msiextract` bypass (Step 5–6) instead of
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running the MSI through Wine.
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### msiexec DISABLEROLLBACK=1 produces empty log
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MSI detected a stale product registration from a previous failed install.
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Check: `grep -i C2622085 /home/retro/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1237950/pfx/system.reg`
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If present, delete those registry keys then retry.
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### wine64 segfaults outside Steam (exit 139)
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GE-Proton10's wine64 requires the sniper runtime. Never call it directly from
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`docker exec` — always use Steam's launch chain via the wrapper approach.
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### localconfig.vdf gets overwritten on Steam shutdown
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Steam uses atomic rename (temp file + rename into place). `chmod 444` on the file
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is bypassed by the rename. Solution: `chmod 555` on the **directory** containing
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localconfig.vdf — this prevents new files being renamed into the directory.
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---
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## Key paths (inside WolfSteam container)
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| Path | Description |
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| `/home/retro/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1237950/pfx/` | SWBF2 Wine prefix |
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| `/home/retro/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1237950/pfx/drive_c/ea_app.msi` | EA App MSI (~227 MB) |
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| `/home/retro/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1237950/pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Electronic Arts/EA Desktop/14.2.0.3345/` | EA Desktop files |
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| `/home/retro/.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/1237950/pfx/drive_c/Program Files/Electronic Arts/EA Desktop/EA Desktop` | Symlink → `14.2.0.3345` |
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| `/home/retro/.steam/steam/userdata/<uid>/config/localconfig.vdf` | Steam per-user config (launch options) |
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| `/home/retro/ea_install.sh` | Launch wrapper script |
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| `/tmp/ea_install.log` | Wrapper log (inside container) |
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