Football Manager 2009

[AndyCooll]

Let's post all help, comments, problems etc relating to the latest version of the Football Manager series here.

You can get the demo here, with the full-version due for release on 14th November.

The following is as far as I've got so far and may prove useful to some people (I've gathered the following hints off this thread, last years thread, wild_oscar's thread on the SI Games forum, and the Wine bug reports):

Preparation

1. Disable Compiz effects (System > Preferences > Appearance > Visual effects tab > Select "None")

2. Install Wine:

sudo apt-get install wine

3. Install Winetricks (information about Winetricks here: Winetricks and a number of Microsoft libraries:

wget http://www.kegel.com/wine/winetricks

sh winetricks directx9 vcrun2005 vcrun2005sp1

(Installation setup boxes will pop-up, accept agreements and defaults)

4. Install Java, the version for Windows (it's required for your Wine environment). You can get it here: Java

Navigate to where you downloaded to and double-click on it. It should open up in Wine (accept agreements and defaults)

Installing the game

5. Download the demo from: Football Manager 2009 Demo

6. Using Archive Manager (i.e. File Roller), manually unpack the demo, and delete the "jre" folder (located in the unpacked Windows > Resource folder)

7. Run "Setup FM2009 Demo.exe" from the "Windows" folder. E.g.:

cd ~/Sports\ Interactive/Windows

wine "Setup FM2009 Demo.exe"

8. In the installation options choose "Advanced" and then choose "No" when it asks if you want to install "DirectX".

Playing the game

9. Once installed, run the game the game itself. E.g.:

wine "c:\Program Files\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2009 Demo\fm.exe"

Known bug: http://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=15893

Unfortunately, for me running the game either leaves a blank screen, or still doesn't run ...yet. However I know others have got the game running. As for me ...I'll keep working at it and update as appropriate.

[AndyCooll]

And I'll start the ball rolling (so to speak). Has anyone managed to get the demo running yet?

When I tried the install this morning (strawberry demo version) it begins loading the setup process and then crashes right out of my Ubuntu session. Unfortunately I've not yet been able to read the error messages before it crashes, so I'm still trying to find out why it's failing.

[mabulco]

well, installing the game starts just fine for me, only problem is direct x. Whenever I trie to install it, I get some kind of error and after that the installation is failed and the whole football manager setup freezes. I guess that I only need to install direct x in order to install FM succesfully. But How?

[Coslany]

I did this:

Skipped DX installation in FM setup.

Installed directx via winetricks
Installed some other runtimes via winetricks

So far I can play but...

No sound.
Graphics in the 3D view a bit glitchy.
Can't get fullscreen to work.

Keep the tips coming (all you bright people out there!)

[mormor]

Could you be a bit more spesific about those winetricks? : ) Im dloading demo now, to decide if im going to buy the game or not.

[Tosh78]

Yeah, please, tell us how did you do. I installed the game fine without Direct X, but after I installed two libraries. When I did that I'm still getting an error when I try to play.

[Coslany]

Steps.

I skipped the Direct X installation.

From terminal I used:
sh winetricks directx9
sh winetricks vcrun2005sp1
sh winetricks vcrun2005

Used virtual desktop and run!

Keep 'em coming!

[AndyCooll]

Winetricks was a new one on me too, I hadn't heard of it until Coslany mentioned it. I'll have to investigate further.

Anyway, for those interested there's more information about Winetricks here: Wine Wiki: winetricks

[wild_oscar]

I tried to install the demo this morning.

However, when running the setup, I get to the first installanywhere screen, it runs to 100% and then just goes to a blank window. The size of the window is the same as probably the 1st installation screen, I can even go "next" by pressing enter, but the window is just blank - only the close "x" on top right corner shows.

Any idea why this is happening? Did none of you have this issue when installing?

[wild_oscar]

A bug was submitted in Wine regarding this issue.

It would be really good if you could help out with this one - lets make FM 2009 the most compatible with Linux!

For those who have managed to run the installation, could you please tell me:

1) OS version
2) Wine version
3) All other installed things on wine and how you installed them
4) Any non-default configuration in wine
5) Hardware - processor, graphics card...

Moreover, if you backup your .wine folder and start up from the beginning (ie, with a fresh wine config), does the installation work alright?

Thank you for the help!