Running the EVE Online 360229 Client on Linux with Wine (evemu Guide)

How to install, patch, and run the legacy EVE Online client on Linux without Steam, Lutris, or CCP Launcher.

Introduction

Running the legacy EVE Online 360229 client on Linux for use with evemu is absolutely possible — but most instructions you’ll find assume Windows, outdated installers, or a Steam-based setup.

This guide documents a clean, Linux-native approach using Wine, manual client extraction, and the blue_patcher tool— avoiding Steam, Lutris, and the modern CCP Launcher entirely.

If you’ve ever:

Installed the client and “nothing appeared”
Heard music but saw a black screen
Or fought Wine, DX9, and invisible windows…

This guide is for you.

What This Guide Covers

Installing the EVE Online 360229 client on Linux
Running .exe files correctly with Wine
Patching blue.dll for evemu
Configuring the client for a local server
Fixing the “music but no visuals” issue using a virtual desktop

What This Guide Assumes

You are on Linux
You already have Wine installed and working
You have the EVE Online 360229 client archives
You have an evemu server ready (or are setting one up separately)

This guide does not use:

Steam
Lutris
Proton
CCP Launcher
SharedCache

That’s intentional.

Required Downloads

You will need:

1. EVE Online Client (Version 360229)

Two files:

eveonline_360229_1of2.7z
eveonline_360229_2of2.7z

These are the legacy client archives used by evemu.

2. blue_patcher (Linux-safe fork)

Use this fork (tracks evemu compatibility):

https://github.com/sonicj/blue_patcher

Clone or download the repository and extract blue_patcher.exe.

3. evemu Server (Optional, but recommended)

If you are running your own server:

https://github.com/sonicj/evemu_server

Step 1: Create a Dedicated Client Directory

Do not install this client inside Steam, Lutris, or a Wine prefix.

Create a clean, portable directory in your home folder:

mkdir -p ~/evemu-client/bin
cd ~/evemu-client

Your layout will eventually look like this:

~/evemu-client/
├── bin/
│   ├── exefile.exe
│   ├── blue.dll
│   ├── start.ini
│   └── common.ini
├── res/
├── cache/
└── ...

Step 2: Copy the Client Archives

Move both .7z files into the new directory:

cp /path/to/eveonline_360229_1of2.7z .
cp /path/to/eveonline_360229_2of2.7z .

Step 3: Extract the Client

Extract both archives:

7z x eveonline_360229_1of2.7z
7z x eveonline_360229_2of2.7z

If prompted to overwrite duplicate files, choose:

A  (Always)

This is normal for split archives.

Step 4: Verify the Client Files

You should see:

~/evemu-client/bin/blue.dll

If you don’t, stop here — extraction failed.

Step 5: Patch blue.dll for evemu

Move blue_patcher.exe into the bin directory:

mv /path/to/blue_patcher.exe ~/evemu-client/bin/
cd ~/evemu-client/bin

Run the patcher using Wine:

wine blue_patcher.exe

You should see a success message.
If you see errors, do not proceed.

Step 6: Edit Client Configuration Files

Edit `common.ini` in evemu-client directory

nano common.ini

Change:

cryptoPack=CryptoAPI

To:

cryptoPack=Placebo

Save and exit.

Edit `start.ini`

nano start.ini

Change:

server=Tranquility

To:

server=127.0.0.1  (Or your evemu server IP or URL.)

Save and exit.

Step 7: Fix the “Music but No Visuals” Problem

This will happen on modern Linux systems if you skip this step.

Enable Wine Virtual Desktop

Run:

winecfg

Applications tab

Set Windows version to Windows 7

Graphics tab

Enable Emulate a virtual desktop
Set resolution: 1920×1080 (or desired resolution)
Disable window manager control and decorations

Click Apply → OK

Step 8: Launch the Client (Correctly)

Do NOT run eve.exe

Always launch the client using:

cd ~/evemu-client/bin
DXVK_DISABLE=1 wine ExeFile.exe

Why:

ExeFile.exe is the real client
eve.exe is a helper and causes headless audio-only behavior
Disabling DXVK prevents invisible DX9 windows

Step 9: Stopping the Client if It Hangs

If you hear music but can’t close the client:

wineserver -k

This safely terminates all Wine processes.

Troubleshooting:

Linux (Nobara / Fedora-based) – Fix for Client Stuck at Loading Screen

If the EVEmu client launches but freezes at the loading screen (audio plays, screen stuck), this is a known issue with newer Wine versions and Trinity’s DirectX 9 renderer.

Symptoms

Client opens but never finishes loading
Audio continues playing
Terminal output may include:
- try_map_free_area mmap() error
- Library d3d9.dll not found
- RtlpWaitForCriticalSection … heap.cs wait timed out
- d3dx_effect_* partial stub

What Worked (Confirmed)

Requirements

Wine 8.x (portable build recommended)
DXVK disabled
32-bit Wine prefix
D3DX9 runtime installed into the prefix
ASLR disabled for the launch

1) Create a dedicated 32-bit Wine prefix

export WINEPREFIX=~/wine-evemu
export WINEARCH=win32

2) Use Wine 8 (portable)

Example path used below:

~/tools/wine-portable/wine-8.20-amd64/bin/wine

(Do not use system Wine 11 / Wine Staging — it causes Trinity memory mapping failures.)

3) Install DirectX 9 D3DX into the prefix

This fixes the Trinity renderer deadlock.

WINEPREFIX=~/wine-evemu \
WINEARCH=win32 \
winetricks -q d3dx9

⚠️ Do not add a d3d9 override in winecfg. Leave it as builtin.

4) Launch EVEmu with ASLR disabled and DXVK off

Run as a single line:

DXVK_DISABLE=1 \
WINEPREFIX=~/wine-evemu \
WINEARCH=win32 \
setarch "$(uname -m)" -R \
~/tools/wine-portable/wine-8.20-amd64/bin/wine \
~/evemu-client/bin/ExeFile.exe

5) Create a Simple EVEmu Launcher Script (Linux)

Instead of typing a long Wine command every time, you can create a small launcher script and run EVEmu with a single command.

Create the launcher script

nano ~/evemu-launch.sh

Paste the launcher script contents

Create another Code block and paste exactly this:

#!/usr/bin/env bash

export DXVK_DISABLE=1
export WINEPREFIX="$HOME/wine-evemu"
export WINEARCH=win32

setarch "$(uname -m)" -R \
"$HOME/tools/wine-portable/wine-8.20-amd64/bin/wine" \
"$HOME/evemu-client/bin/ExeFile.exe"

Save and exit Nano:

CTRL + O → Enter
CTRL + X

Make the script executable

Create a Code block and paste:

chmod +x ~/evemu-launch.sh

Launch EVEmu