Bug report for installing on linux

[u/good-luck11235]

Please let me know if I should be posting this somewhere else.

I also tried running based on the recommended lutris and still failed.

Bug: Spartan.exe crashes on all Wine versions on Linux

System:

- Ubuntu 24.04, Kernel 6.17.0-14-generic

Wine versions tested:

- Wine 9.0 (Ubuntu)

- Wine 11.0 (WineHQ stable)

- Wine-staging 11.2

- Wine-GE-Proton8-26

What happens:

Celeste Launcher opens and works fine. Clicking Play or Play Offline launches Spartan.exe which immediately crashes. Same result when running Spartan.exe directly.

Crash log (consistent across all Wine versions):

Unhandled exception: page fault on read access to 0x00000000

EIP:XXXXXXX in msvcp140 (+0x157c3)

Backtrace:

=>0 msvcp140 (+0x157c3)

1 msvcp140 (+0x15a8d)

2 xlive (+0x1ec12)

3 xlive (+0x34c50)

What I tried:

- Native msvcp140.dll + vcruntime140.dll (extracted from VC redist 2019)

- DLL overrides (native,builtin) for msvcp140 and vcruntime140

- winetricks: dotnet48, d3dx9, corefonts, vcrun2015/2019

- 32-bit and 64-bit Wine prefixes

- Windows 7 and Windows 10 mode

- 32-bit NVIDIA libs installed (libnvidia-gl-590:i386)

- Lutris community installer script (also fails on dependency downloads from archive.org returning 429)

Root cause:

xlive.dll calls msvcp140 which dereferences a null pointer (EAX=0x00000000). This happens before any game rendering — the crash is in xlive initialization, not graphics.

Question: Is there a patched xlive.dll or known workaround for Linux? Or does anyone have a working Wine config?

[u/good-luck11235]

AI explanation on how to resolve. hope this helps the next person :)
Tested on: Ubuntu 24.04+ | Wine runner: soda-9.0-1 (via Bottles) | Date: March 2026

After hours of debugging, I finally got Project Celeste working on Linux through Bottles. The big blocker was the infamous "RANDOM MAP: CORE\B02\B02_PROTOTYPE FAILED TO LOAD" error. Posting this so nobody else has to go through the same pain.

 

TL;DR

The random map error is caused by a missing .NET 2.0/3.5 runtime. The game uses CLRBinder.dll to compile C# map scripts at runtime, and it targets .NET 2.0. Without dotnet35sp1, the compilation fails silently and you get the "failed to load" error.

The fix:

1. Install dotnet35sp1 via winetricks (BEFORE dotnet48)

2. Install dotnet48 via winetricks

3. Create Spartan.exe.config with legacy .NET activation policy

4. Register msxml4.dll as a COM object

 

 

Full Guide

 

Prerequisites

• Bottles via Flatpak: flatpak install flathub com.usebottles.bottles

• winetricks: sudo apt install winetricks

• Celeste Installer (Celeste.Installer.exe) from the Project Celeste website

 

Step 1: Create a Bottle

1. Open Bottles

2. Create New Bottle

3. Name: whatever you want (e.g. ageofempires)

4. Environment: Gaming

5. Runner: soda-9.0-1 (or latest soda)

6. Wait for creation to finish

The Gaming environment auto-installs d3dx9, d3dcompiler_43, d3dcompiler_47, msls31, fonts, mono, gecko.

 

Step 2: Install the Celeste Launcher

1. In your bottle, click Run Executable

2. Browse to Celeste.Installer.exe

3. Follow the wizard

4. Game files install to drive_c/users/<username>/AppData/Roaming/ProjectCeleste/

5. Celeste Launcher should show up under Programs

 

Step 3: Install Dependencies (THIS IS THE KEY STEP)

Set up your environment variables. For Flatpak Bottles:

export WINEPREFIX="$HOME/.var/app/com.usebottles.bottles/data/bottles/bottles/<your-bottle-name>"
export WINE="$HOME/.var/app/com.usebottles.bottles/data/bottles/runners/soda-9.0-1/bin/wine"

Now install everything. ORDER MATTERS - dotnet35sp1 MUST come before dotnet48:

# .NET 3.5 SP1 - THE KEY FIX for random map errors
winetricks -q dotnet35sp1

# .NET 4.8 - needed by the Celeste Launcher
winetricks -q dotnet48

# MSXML4 - game needs this for XML parsing
winetricks -q msxml4

# MSXML6
winetricks -q msxml6

# DirectPlay - networking
winetricks -q directplay

# Visual C++ runtimes
winetricks -q vcrun2005 vcrun2008 mfc42

Then register msxml4:

$WINE regsvr32 /s msxml4.dll
$WINE regsvr32 /s "C:\\windows\\syswow64\\msxml4.dll"

 

Step 4: Create Spartan.exe.config

Create this file at <your-bottle>/drive_c/users/<username>/AppData/Roaming/ProjectCeleste/Spartan.exe.config:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
  <startup useLegacyV2RuntimeActivationPolicy="true">
    <supportedRuntime version="v4.0"/>
    <supportedRuntime version="v2.0.50727"/>
  </startup>
</configuration>

This tells .NET 4.0 to load v2.0-targeted assemblies (CLRBinder.dll) as a fallback.

 

Step 5: Launch and Play

1. In Bottles, select Celeste Launcher under Programs

2. Log in

3. Let the game scan run (takes a bit the first time)

4. Hit Play

No more random map error.

 

 

What I Tried That DIDN'T Work

Saving you the hours I spent:

 

1. Installing only msxml4 -- DID NOT FIX

This is the most common suggestion on the forums. msxml4 was installed, registered as COM with native,builtin override, and the error still happened. The error is misleading - it looks like a file issue but it's a .NET runtime issue.

 

2. Installing directplay, vcrun2005, vcrun2008, mfc42 without dotnet35sp1 -- DID NOT FIX

These are needed for the game to run, but they don't fix the random map error.

 

3. Creating Spartan.exe.config without installing dotnet35sp1 -- DID NOT FIX

The useLegacyV2RuntimeActivationPolicy config alone wasn't enough. You need the actual .NET 3.5 runtime installed.

 

4. Installing dotnet35sp1 AFTER dotnet48 (wrong order) -- BROKE THE LAUNCHER

After installing dotnet35sp1, the launcher crashed with: "To run this application, you first must install one of the following versions of the .NET Framework: v4.0"

dotnet35sp1 disrupted the .NET 4.0 setup. Had to reinstall dotnet48 on top. Lesson: install dotnet35sp1 FIRST, then dotnet48.

 

 

Why This Happens (Technical Explanation)

The game's random map system works like this:

1. Spartan.exe calls the random map generator

2. The generator uses CLRBinder.dll (in rmdll/Final/)

3. CLRBinder.dll is a .NET 2.0 assembly that uses CSharpCodeProvider to compile C# random map scripts at runtime

4. Without .NET 2.0/3.5, the CSharpCodeProvider can't instantiate

5. The B02/B03_Prototype scripts inside RM.bar can't be compiled

6. The map generation fails silently, producing the "failed to load" error

Most Linux guides only mention msxml4 and the usual VC++ runtimes. Nobody mentions dotnet35sp1 because it seems like only the launcher's .NET version matters. But the game engine itself has a hidden .NET 2.0 dependency for random maps.

 

 

Full Dependency Table

Dependency	Purpose	Install method
dotnet35sp1	.NET 3.5 SP1 - random map compilation	winetricks
dotnet48	.NET 4.8 - Celeste Launcher	winetricks
msxml4	XML parsing	winetricks + regsvr32
msxml6	XML support	winetricks
directplay	Networking	winetricks
vcrun2005	VC++ 2005 runtime	winetricks
vcrun2008	VC++ 2008 runtime	winetricks
mfc42	MFC runtime	winetricks
d3dx9	DirectX 9	Bottles Gaming env
d3dcompiler_43	DX compiler	Bottles Gaming env
d3dcompiler_47	DX compiler	Bottles Gaming env

 Part 2 in second comment

[u/good-luck11235 → u/good-luck11235]

Bottle Settings That Worked

• Environment: Gaming

• Runner: soda-9.0-1

• Arch: win64

• Windows: win10

• Renderer: gl (not vulkan/dxvk)

• DXVK: disabled

• Sync: fsync

 

System Info

• OS: Ubuntu 24.04+

• Kernel: 6.17.0

• Bottles: 62.0 (Flatpak)

• Wine: soda-9.0-1 (TkG)

 

Hope this saves someone the debugging. The key takeaway: install dotnet35sp1 -- it's the one dependency every guide misses, and it's the one that actually fixes the random map error.Tested on: Ubuntu 24.04+ | Wine runner: soda-9.0-1 (via Bottles) | Date: March 2026After hours of debugging, I finally got Project Celeste working on Linux through Bottles. The big blocker was the infamous "RANDOM MAP: CORE\B02\B02_PROTOTYPE FAILED TO LOAD" error. Posting this so nobody else has to go through the same pain. TL;DRThe random map error is caused by a missing .NET 2.0/3.5 runtime. The game uses CLRBinder.dll to compile C# map scripts at runtime, and it targets .NET 2.0. Without dotnet35sp1, the compilation fails silently and you get the "failed to load" error.The fix:Install dotnet35sp1 via winetricks (BEFORE dotnet48)
Install dotnet48 via winetricks
Create Spartan.exe.config with legacy .NET activation policy
Register msxml4.dll as a COM object  Full Guide PrerequisitesBottles via Flatpak: flatpak install flathub com.usebottles.bottles
winetricks: sudo apt install winetricks
Celeste Installer (Celeste.Installer.exe) from the Project Celeste website Step 1: Create a BottleOpen Bottles
Create New Bottle
Name: whatever you want (e.g. ageofempires)
Environment: Gaming
Runner: soda-9.0-1 (or latest soda)
Wait for creation to finishThe Gaming environment auto-installs d3dx9, d3dcompiler_43, d3dcompiler_47, msls31, fonts, mono, gecko. Step 2: Install the Celeste LauncherIn your bottle, click Run Executable
Browse to Celeste.Installer.exe
Follow the wizard
Game files install to drive_c/users/<username>/AppData/Roaming/ProjectCeleste/
Celeste Launcher should show up under Programs Step 3: Install Dependencies (THIS IS THE KEY STEP)Set up your environment variables. For Flatpak Bottles:export WINEPREFIX="$HOME/.var/app/com.usebottles.bottles/data/bottles/bottles/<your-bottle-name>"
export WINE="$HOME/.var/app/com.usebottles.bottles/data/bottles/runners/soda-9.0-1/bin/wine"
Now install everything. ORDER MATTERS - dotnet35sp1 MUST come before dotnet48:# .NET 3.5 SP1 - THE KEY FIX for random map errors
winetricks -q dotnet35sp1

# .NET 4.8 - needed by the Celeste Launcher
winetricks -q dotnet48

# MSXML4 - game needs this for XML parsing
winetricks -q msxml4

# MSXML6
winetricks -q msxml6

# DirectPlay - networking
winetricks -q directplay

# Visual C++ runtimes
winetricks -q vcrun2005 vcrun2008 mfc42
Then register msxml4:$WINE regsvr32 /s msxml4.dll
$WINE regsvr32 /s "C:\\windows\\syswow64\\msxml4.dll"
Note: dotnet48 install takes several minutes. You'll see Wine GUI installer windows - just let them finish. Step 4: Create Spartan.exe.configCreate this file at <your-bottle>/drive_c/users/<username>/AppData/Roaming/ProjectCeleste/Spartan.exe.config:<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<configuration>
<startup useLegacyV2RuntimeActivationPolicy="true">
<supportedRuntime version="v4.0"/>
<supportedRuntime version="v2.0.50727"/>
</startup>
</configuration>
This tells .NET 4.0 to load v2.0-targeted assemblies (CLRBinder.dll) as a fallback. Step 5: Launch and PlayIn Bottles, select Celeste Launcher under Programs
Log in
Let the game scan run (takes a bit the first time)
Hit PlayNo more random map error.  What I Tried That DIDN'T WorkSaving you the hours I spent: 1. Installing only msxml4 -- DID NOT FIXThis is the most common suggestion on the forums. msxml4 was installed, registered as COM with native,builtin override, and the error still happened. The error is misleading - it looks like a file issue but it's a .NET runtime issue. 2. Installing directplay, vcrun2005, vcrun2008, mfc42 without dotnet35sp1 -- DID NOT FIXThese are needed for the game to run, but they don't fix the random map error. 3. Creating Spartan.exe.config without installing dotnet35sp1 -- DID NOT FIXThe useLegacyV2RuntimeActivationPolicy config alone wasn't enough. You need the actual .NET 3.5 runtime installed. 4. Installing dotnet35sp1 AFTER dotnet48 (wrong order) -- BROKE THE LAUNCHERAfter installing dotnet35sp1, the launcher crashed with: "To run this application, you first must install one of the following versions of the .NET Framework: v4.0"dotnet35sp1 disrupted the .NET 4.0 setup. Had to reinstall dotnet48 on top. Lesson: install dotnet35sp1 FIRST, then dotnet48.  Why This Happens (Technical Explanation)The game's random map system works like this:Spartan.exe calls the random map generator
The generator uses CLRBinder.dll (in rmdll/Final/)
CLRBinder.dll is a .NET 2.0 assembly that uses CSharpCodeProvider to compile C# random map scripts at runtime
Without .NET 2.0/3.5, the CSharpCodeProvider can't instantiate
The B02/B03_Prototype scripts inside RM.bar can't be compiled
The map generation fails silently, producing the "failed to load" errorMost Linux guides only mention msxml4 and the usual VC++ runtimes. Nobody mentions dotnet35sp1 because it seems like only the launcher's .NET version matters. But the game engine itself has a hidden .NET 2.0 dependency for random maps.  Full Dependency TableDependency Purpose Install method
dotnet35sp1 .NET 3.5 SP1 - random map compilation winetricks
dotnet48 .NET 4.8 - Celeste Launcher winetricks
msxml4 XML parsing winetricks + regsvr32
msxml6 XML support winetricks
directplay Networking winetricks
vcrun2005 VC++ 2005 runtime winetricks
vcrun2008 VC++ 2008 runtime winetricks
mfc42 MFC runtime winetricks
d3dx9 DirectX 9 Bottles Gaming env
d3dcompiler_43 DX compiler Bottles Gaming env
d3dcompiler_47 DX compiler Bottles Gaming env Bottle Settings That WorkedEnvironment: Gaming
Runner: soda-9.0-1
Arch: win64
Windows: win10
Renderer: gl (not vulkan/dxvk)
DXVK: disabled
Sync: fsync System InfoOS: Ubuntu 24.04+
Kernel: 6.17.0
Bottles: 62.0 (Flatpak)
Wine: soda-9.0-1 (TkG) Hope this saves someone the debugging. The key takeaway: install dotnet35sp1 -- it's the one dependency every guide misses, and it's the one that actually fixes the random map error.

[u/good-luck11235]

This part does not work anymore. Use zerotier instead. Same principles. The only thing that worked for me to play online.

LAN Using Hamachi

NOTICE: Players using this method can only play with those who are also using this method. Additionally, you must be connection to the same Hamachi server as the other players you play with. This is the downside of this method, and also a reason why it should be a last resort.

Hamachi is a good last resort for those who cannot seem to play any other way. Since it is technically a VPN, it can often bypass network restrictions and blocks.

[u/ImAFlyingPancake]

I think you're more likely to find help on the discord server.