Using our "install.sh" shell script to install LAC on your computer

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As a general rule, conventional, executable instances of LAC (whether you've compiled it yourself from source code, or whether you've downloaded one of our precompiled versions for Raspberry Pi, or SteamDeck) must be INSTALLED in your filesystem. The installation process involves copying the executable program to "/usr/bin/lac" and copying associated "resource" files (sound effects, music, narration, textures, and 3d models of aircraft, airstrips, ships, and outbuildings) to /usr/share/lac.

Note that proper installation of a conventionally compiled instance of Linux Air Combat REQUIRES that the executable be located at /usr/bin/lac. From that location in your filesystem, LAC can easily find its required resource files. From any other location in your filesystem, LAC may be unable to locate those resource files.

The only exception to this rule comes from using our "AppImage" format, which bundles the executable, all of the resources described above, and related software library files into one single, self-extracting file that you can store anywhere in your filesystem with no need to "install". Even in this case, we recommend storing the resulting executable at /usr/bin/lac for consistency with our documentation and other LAC conventions.

If you are using our "AppImage" version, you will want to learn more about it and you can do so from our "LAC Distributed in universal, binary AppImage format" forum.

If you are using any of the other executable LAC versions, you will want to use our "install.sh" shell script to properly install it in your filesystem, along with all of the required "resource" files. You should find the "install.sh" file in the same downloaded folder where the source code is stored. You will want to make sure the install.sh shell script file is marked as "executable". This is best done from a "bash" shell. Use the well-known "cd" (change directory) command to enter the same folder where the install.sh shell script is stored. Then issue the following command to add the "executable" attribute to that file. The exact command is:

chmod +x install.sh

After marking that file "executable" with the above command, you will want to execute it under "root" privileges. On most systems, the command syntax is:

sudo ./install.sh

The install.sh shell script will start running immediately, and it will inform you, step by step, as it completes all required elements of the installation process. If you watch it as it progresses, you will know when it's done.

After installation, LAC can always be started from a command shell with the following command:

lac