Linux is a popular operating system that is widely used in servers, supercomputers, and embedded devices. It is open-source and has a large community of developers who contribute to its development. In recent years, there has been an effort to make Unreal Engine, a popular game engine, compatible with Linux. This article will provide a brief overview of the current state of Unreal Engine compatibility with Linux.

Why is Unreal Engine Compatible with Linux?

Unreal Engine is a cross-platform game engine that can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The reason for this compatibility is that Epic Games, the company behind Unreal Engine, wants to reach as many users as possible. Linux has a large user base, especially in the server and embedded device markets, and making Unreal Engine compatible with Linux will allow Epic Games to tap into this market.

What are the System Requirements for Unreal Engine on Linux?

To run Unreal Engine on Linux, you need a 64-bit version of Ubuntu or Debian-based distributions such as Elementary OS, Kubuntu, and Xubuntu. You also need a graphics card that supports OpenGL 3.3 or higher. The recommended graphics cards are NVIDIA GeForce GTX and AMD Radeon series.

What are the Features of Unreal Engine on Linux?

Unreal Engine on Linux has most of the features that are available in the Windows version. However, there are some limitations due to the differences in the operating systems. For example, some plugins and tools may not be compatible with Linux. Additionally, some performance issues may arise due to the differences in hardware and software architecture between Linux and Windows.

What are the Steps to Install Unreal Engine on Linux?

  1. Download the latest version of Ubuntu or Debian-based distributions such as Elementary OS, Kubuntu, and Xubuntu.
  2. Open a terminal window and run the following command to update the package list:

sudo apt-get update

  1. Run the following command to install the necessary packages:

sudo apt-get install git cmake make build-essential libqt5opengl5-dev qtmultimedia5-dev libavcodec-dev libavformat-dev libswscale-dev libxvidcore-dev libx264-dev gcc g++ libgdb8-dev libatlas-base-dev libatlas-dev libopenexr-dev libreadline-dev libffi-dev

  1. Clone the Unreal Engine repository from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/UnrealEngine/UnrealEngine.git

  1. Change to the Unreal Engine directory:

cd UnrealEngine

  1. Run the following command to generate the build configuration files:

./autogen.sh –prefix/usr/local

  1. Run the following command to compile and install Unreal Engine:

make -j$(nproc)
sudo make install

Conclusion

Unreal Engine is now compatible with Linux, which means that game developers can create games for Linux using this engine. While there are some limitations due to the differences in operating systems, Unreal Engine on Linux has most of the features that are available in the Windows version. With the growing popularity of Linux, it is likely that we will see more and more games being developed for this platform.