What you will need

We provide precompiled executables for Linux and Win32, built with default options. You can also compile an executable yourself, the source code package contains the compilation instructions.

Doom Legacy SDL version requires the SDL and SDL_mixer run-time libraries. Using SDL is recommended, but there are some other compile options (like X11 native).

• Doom Legacy executable

  Download the Doom Legacy executable for your system (e.g. doomlegacy_1.48.14_windows_32_sdl1.zip). The executable download contains this README file.

• legacy.wad and the docs package

  Download doomlegacy_1.48.14_common.zip. It contains legacy.wad 1.48, dogs.wad, and the docs. Install it in the same directory as the Doom Legacy executable. Doom Legacy requires the correct legacy.wad to run.

• WAD files

  • Obtain one or more IWADs containing the game data (Doom, Final Doom, UltDoom, Plutonia, TNT, Heretic, FreeDoom, etc.)
  • Arrange for them to be in one of the predefined directories, or make such a directory as a link to their location. They may also be in subdirectories. Doom Legacy will search these directories for WAD and DEH files.

Run-time libraries

You may need to install some run-time libraries. The Windows executable package already contains the required libraries.

• Doom Legacy SDL:

  • Doom Legacy can be compiled with SDL 1 or SDL 2. You must ensure you have the SDL libraries for the binary that you download.
  • SDL 2 will not be recognized by an SDL 1 binary.
  • If you have newer SDL libraries then use those.
  • Installing the latest SDL libaries is generally a safe thing to do. You can have both SDL 1 and SDL 2 installed on the same machine at the same time.
  • SDL 1:
    • You will need SDL 1.2 or better, 1.2.10 or better is recommended, and SDL Mixer that is compatible or better than it was compiled with. This is general, any markings on the binary supercede these notes.
    • Linux 32 bit:
      • SDL 1.2.10 (compiled with SDL 1.2.15)
      • SDL Mixer 1.2.10 (compiled with SDL 1.2.12)
    • Windows 32 bit:
      • SDL 1.2.10 (compiled with SDL 1.2.15)
      • SDL Mixer 1.2.8 (compiled with SDL 1.2.8)
    • Linux 64 bit: (latest of this release date)
    • Windows 64 bit: (latest of this release date)
  • SDL 2:
    • You will need SDL 2.0 or better, 2.0.4 or better is recommended, and SDL Mixer 2.0 or better.
    • Linux 32 bit:
      • SDL 2.0 (compiled with SDL 2.0.20)
      • SDL Mixer 2.0 (compiled with SDL 2.0.4)
    • Linux 64 bit: (latest of this release date)
    • Windows 64 bit: (latest of this release date)
  • Linux:
    • The SDL run-time libraries (SDL 1.2.x, SDL_mixer 1.2.x) may already be installed system wide, as they are commonly used with many games on Linux. You can obtain the SDL package from your Linux system distributor.
    • Otherwise, you can install such libraries in the same directory as the Doom Legacy executable.

• LIBZIP library: (optional)

  • The LIBZIP library is used to read zipped wads (such as phobiata.zip).
  • This is currently only for Linux. Some Makefile edits are needed for other similar OS to fix their library locations.
  • It is optional, this Doom Legacy release will detect if LIBZIP is present.
  • If it is not present, you will have to unzip all your wad files into a doomwad directory.

• ZLIB library: (optional)

  • The ZLIB library is used to decompress some extended nodes formats.
  • This is currently only for Linux. Some Makefile edits are needed for other similar OS to fix their library locations.
  • It is optional, this Doom Legacy release will detect if ZLIB is present. However, some wads may not be playable without it (very few).

• Doom Legacy SDL sound devices:

  Sound devices are handled by the SDL_mixer library. This should be with your SDL libraries, but could be a separate installation.

• Doom Legacy X11 sound devices:

  Some sound devices compiled into Doom Legacy may be required to be present. The library for the sound device must be installed. Most sound devices are detected, and are optional.

Play setup

Extract the executable package and the common package in the same folder.

Configuration and saves

Doom Legacy will create a hidden directory in your home directory to keep your config and game save files. This directory is named ".doomlegacy", or something similar as details vary by operating system. If you compile your own Doom Legacy, then this directory name is set by DEFAULTDIR1 and DEFAULTDIR2 of the doomdef.h file. The alternative home directory DEFHOME is used if a user specific one cannot be made.

When you use a drawmode, and if that drawmode config file does not exist, then the settings from the main config file will be used instead. If the drawmode config file exists, then settings from that drawmode config file will be displayed, and in force, while that drawmode is selected.

To create a drawmode config file, to hold video settings for that drawmode, follow these steps.

1. Go to video options menu.
2. Press F3 (changes to drawmode config file editing)
3. Go to drawmode menu.
4. Select the drawmode.
5. Press 'C' to create an initial drawmode config file.
6. Goto video menu.
7. If there is a setting you want in the drawmode config file, go to it and press INSERT.
8. Set your default video mode. Remember to press 'D' to set default.
9. Repeat for other drawmodes.
10. Press F1 to close config editing.

WAD files

Doom Legacy will search for WADs in predefined directories before it looks in the current run directory. To find legacy.wad, it searches LEGACYWADDIR. For the game IWAD and other WAD files, it searches several directories. These are defined by DEFWADS01 to DEFWADS20 in the doomdef.h file. You can keep shared WADs in one of the system-wide directories, and personal WADs in one of the user relative directories, and Doom Legacy will find WADs in those directories without having to specify the directory. Doom Legacy will also search sub-directories, so you can organize your WADs.

Predefined directories

In the DEFWADS strings, ~ denotes the user home directory.

Windows:
DEFHOME   "\legacyhome"
DEFAULTDIR1 "doomlegacy"
DEFAULTDIR2 "legacy"
DEFWADS01  "~\games\doom"
DEFWADS02  "~\games\doomwads"
DEFWADS03  "~\games\doomlegacy\wads"
DEFWADS04  "\doomwads"
DEFWADS05  "\games\doomwads"
DEFWADS06  "\games\doom"
DEFWADS10  "\Program Files\doomlegacy\wads"

Linux, FreeBSD, and Unix:
The binary can also be installed in "/usr/local/bin".
DEFHOME    "legacyhome"
DEFAULTDIR1 ".doomlegacy"
DEFAULTDIR2 ".legacy"
LEGACYWADDIR  "/usr/local/share/games/doomlegacy"
DEFWADS01  "~/games/doomlegacy/wads"
DEFWADS02  "~/games/doomwads"
DEFWADS03  "~/games/doom"
DEFWADS04  "/usr/local/share/games/doomlegacy/wads"
DEFWADS05  "/usr/local/share/games/doomwads"
DEFWADS06  "/usr/local/share/games/doom"
DEFWADS07  "/usr/local/games/doomlegacy/wads"
DEFWADS08  "/usr/local/games/doomwads"
DEFWADS09  "/usr/share/games/doom"
DEFWADS10  "/usr/share/games/doomlegacy/wads"
DEFWADS11  "/usr/share/games/doomwads"
DEFWADS12  "/usr/games/doomlegacy/wads"
DEFWADS13  "/usr/games/doomwads"
DEFWADS16  "~/games/doomlegacy"
DEFWADS17  "/usr/local/share/games/doomlegacy"
DEFWADS18  "/usr/local/games/doomlegacy"
DEFWADS19  "/usr/share/games/doomlegacy"
DEFWADS20  "/usr/games/doomlegacy"

Other versions

There are some options to compile a version of Doom Legacy for other systems.

• Linux X11-windows native (tested, have binaries)
  • Requires X11 (such as X11R6), the usual Linux window system that is included with every Linux package (only tiny Linux systems running standalone would be without this).
• FreeBSD X11-windows native (tested by at least one user)
  • Similar to Linux X11 but has some slight library differences.
• NETBSD (tested by at least one user)
  • A few library differences
• Linux GGI (old and not tested lately)
  • Requires GGI libraries
• Unixware, and Openserver5 versions (untested lately, usability is unknown)
  • Has different music servers
• Windows Direct-X native (may or may not work depending upon your header files)
  • Requires Direct-X 7 (at least).
  • With or without FMOD
• Mac SDL (code exists, is not working, needs a tester).
• Macos native (old and not tested lately).
• OS2 native (old and not tested lately).
• DOS native (old, but was tested and updated recently).
  • Requires Allegro
  • Requires DOS compiler

Compiling from source

See docs/README_Compiling.txt.