#umu unified launcher

[linuxgamenews]

Glorious Eggroll's UMU Unified Launcher: Enhanced Gaming on Linux

UMU Unified Launcher is shaping up to be a solid tool to play games on Linux outside Steam with Proton. Thanks to the creative work of Thomas Crider — better known to fans as Glorious Eggroll. Which is available on GitHub, but let me explain further. If you have yet to learn about this unified launcher, let me introduce you UMU. A very slick tool that makes it easy to launch Windows games on Linux without needing Steam. If you’ve ever wanted to play games from different stores like Epic or GOG on Linux but hated juggling setups, UMU might just be your new best friend. It's built to work just like Proton, Steam's famous compatibility layer for Windows titles, but with a twist. You don't even need Steam installed to use it. The name UMU might sound odd at first, but there's a nice story behind it. An "umu" is a Polynesian above - ground oven that uses hot stones to cook food. This was chosen because Valve’s own tool for Proton is called a “pressure vessel,” so this launcher is the perfect "cooking" setting to support your gaming.

So, What Does UMU Actually Do?

When Steam runs a game with Proton, it goes through a series of setup steps in the background. UMU recreates this setup outside of Steam, using a script that tells Proton everything it needs to run that title. Normally, Steam sends certain environment variables (envvars) to Proton so it can handle Windows titles. This launcher mimics that process, so it’s like having all the benefits of Steam Proton — without Steam. With UMU, you can specify the Proton version, WINEPREFIX (the custom folder where your game settings and files go), the executable (the .exe file for the game). And also any custom launch options. This means you can launch games from any store and they’ll still run through Proton, as if Steam were handling it. No need to add that title to your library or even have Steam installed.

Watch Thomas Crider Glorious Eggroll explain

Getting Started

Setting it up is straightforward. Here’s a basic example: WINEPREFIX=$HOME/Games/epic-games-store GAMEID=umu-dauntless PROTONPATH="$HOME/.steam/steam/compatibilitytools.d/GE-Proton8-28" umu-run "$HOME/Games/epic-games-store/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/Epic Games/Launcher/Portal/Binaries/Win32/EpicGamesLauncher.exe" -opengl -SkipBuildPatchPrereq In this command:

WINEPREFIX tells UMU where your data lives.

GAMEID is the name you give your game in UMU’s system.

PROTONPATH points to your Proton version.

The last part is your path to install files and any launch options like "-opengl."

If you’re using game fixes (protonfixes) or specific store setups, you can add the STORE variable. This lets UMU know which fixes to apply for each title from places like Epic Games Store (EGS) or others. v Now here’s where this unified launcher gets really exciting. Imagine using launchers like Lutris, Bottles, Heroic, and others. All tapping into the same system for Proton fixes. Right now, each launcher might have its own set of scripts to get that title running. But with the unified launcher, they can share a universal setup.

UMU allows all these launchers to:

Use and contribute to a single set of protonfixes. No more maintaining separate setups.

Run games through Proton just like they would on Steam.

Skip installing Steam or any Steam binaries—UMU handles it all.

And since UMU automatically fetches and organizes the latest Steam Runtime files, you’ll always have the most updated setting for Proton, without manual downloads. This is elegant.

Making It All Happen:

To keep things streamlined, UMU’s team plans to build a centralized database. Where each title from various stores can be matched with its unique “umu ID.” Here’s how it could work:

Database Creation: For each title, the database will have details like game title, store, codename, and its UMU ID.

Launcher Integration: When you launch a title from, say, Heroic or Bottles, it can pull the UMU ID from the database.

Proton Fixes: Based on the store and UMU ID, protonfixes will load the right fixes before running the game.

Using the example on Github: Running Borderlands 3

Let’s say you have Borderlands 3 from the Epic Games Store (EGS), which goes by the codename “Catnip.” Your launcher (like Lutris) can search UMU’s database using “Catnip” and EGS as search terms. Which also links it to the UMU ID for Borderlands 3. With that ID, UMU unified launcher will know which fixes to apply, making setup a breeze. So, in a nutshell, UMU unified launcher is like a universal Proton setup for Linux gaming. By setting up Proton outside of Steam, UMU lets you run titles from any store using a consistent setting. Doing so without the hassle of managing separate install scripts or needing Steam. For setup details and learn more, check out the GitHub page. For a quick setup, use Lutris with the tool built in. Thank you Glorious Eggroll and team!!