This guide covers installation of additional tools that enhance compatibility and functionality for modlists on Linux and Steam Deck. These tools are used by both Jackify's automated processes and post-install phase of a Wabbajack installation.

Tools covered in this guide:

Protontricks: Tool for managing Proton prefixes — required regardless of which Proton version you use
GE-Proton: Alternative Proton builds with better performance and ENB compatibility

Installing Protontricks

Protontricks is a tool we will use to manage Wine components (like vcrun2022, dotnet, etc.) in Proton prefixes. It is required for modlist configuration regardless of which Proton version you use.

Why Protontricks?

Protontricks allows you to:

Install Wine components (DLLs, runtimes) in Proton prefixes
Apply registry fixes for .NET Framework compatibility
Manage and troubleshoot Proton prefix configurations

Required version: 1.11.0 or newer

Installation

Steam Deck: Discover Store

Search for Protontricks in the Discover Store and install it from there. No terminal needed.

All Distributions: Flatpak

Flatpak is recommended for all distributions — provides the latest version with universal compatibility.

flatpak install --user flathub com.github.Matoking.protontricks

Launch:

flatpak run com.github.Matoking.protontricks

Grant Steam access (if using Flatpak Steam):

flatpak override --user --filesystem=~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam com.github.Matoking.protontricks

Add alias for easier usage (optional but recommended):

To avoid typing the full flatpak run command every time, add an alias to your shell configuration:

For Bash (most Linux distributions):

echo 'alias protontricks="flatpak run com.github.Matoking.protontricks"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

For Zsh (some distributions):

echo 'alias protontricks="flatpak run com.github.Matoking.protontricks"' >> ~/.zshrc
source ~/.zshrc

For Fish:

echo 'alias protontricks="flatpak run com.github.Matoking.protontricks"' >> ~/.config/fish/config.fish
source ~/.config/fish/config.fish

For Steam Deck (uses Bash):

echo 'alias protontricks="flatpak run com.github.Matoking.protontricks"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

After adding the alias, you can simply use protontricks instead of the full command:

protontricks -l

Alternative: Distribution Packages

Distribution packages may be older versions. Flatpak is recommended for most users.

Arch/Manjaro:

sudo pacman -S protontricks

Fedora/Nobara:

sudo dnf install protontricks

Ubuntu/Debian (though I recommend you use the flatpack version):

sudo apt install protontricks

Verifying Protontricks Installation

Check that Protontricks is installed and working:

protontricks --version

You should see version 1.11.0 or newer.

List available Proton prefixes:

protontricks -l

You should see a list of Steam games and non-Steam shortcuts with their AppIDs.

Protontricks Troubleshooting

Command not found

Flatpak: Use full command flatpak run com.github.Matoking.protontricks
System package: Ensure protontricks is in your PATH

No Steam games found

Ensure Steam is installed and has launched at least once
For Flatpak Steam, grant filesystem permissions (see Flatpak installation section above)
Check Steam library paths are accessible

Winetricks fails to download components

Check internet connection
Try updating protontricks: flatpak update or your package manager's update command
Some components may require accepting licenses - follow prompts

Installing GE-Proton

While Steam provides official Proton versions, alternative builds like GE-Proton (GloriousEggroll) often provide better compatibility and performance for modded games. GE-Proton is highly recommended for use with Jackify and modlists, especially those using ENB.

Why GE-Proton?

GE-Proton (Proton-GE) is a community build of Proton with additional patches and features:

Better compatibility with modded games and ENB
Includes fixes not yet in official Proton releases
Recommended for Skyrim, Fallout, and other Bethesda modlists
Required for ENB support with Proton 10+

Recommended version: GE-Proton 10-14 (Specifically 10-14, anything newer than this breaks ENB compatibility)

Method 1: ProtonPlus

ProtonPlus is a graphical tool for managing Proton and compatibility tool versions, with a clean interface and broad distribution support. Install it via Flatpak (available in the Discover Store on Steam Deck) or your distribution's package manager.

Installing GE-Proton

Install and launch ProtonPlus — available via Flatpak (search for it in the Discover Store on Steam Deck), your distribution's package manager, or via another method. See the ProtonPlus GitHub for all options.

Screenshot: ProtonPlus main window

Navigate to the "Runners" tab
Find "Proton-GE" in the list of available tools
Select and install GE-Proton 10-14 — this is the recommended version for modlists. If your modlist uses ENB, do not install a newer version as it will break ENB compatibility

Screenshot: ProtonPlus — GE-Proton selected for installation

Wait for installation to complete
Restart Steam for the new version to appear and be available to use in Jackify
Verify installation: Open Steam, go to any game's Properties > Compatibility, and you should see the new GE-Proton version in the dropdown

Screenshot: Steam game Properties — Compatibility tab showing GE-Proton

Method 2: ProtonUp-Qt

ProtonUp-Qt is an alternative graphical tool for managing Proton versions. Install it via Flatpak (available in the Discover Store on Steam Deck) or your distribution's package manager.

Installing GE-Proton

Install and launch ProtonUp-Qt — available via Flatpak (search for it in the Discover Store on Steam Deck), your distribution's package manager, or via another method. See the ProtonUp-Qt GitHub for all options.

Screenshot: ProtonUp-Qt main window

Select "Add version"
Configure installation:
- Compatibility tool: Select "GE-Proton"
- Version: Select and install GE-Proton 10-14 — this is the recommended version for modlists. If your modlist uses ENB, do not install a newer version as it will break ENB compatibility

Screenshot: ProtonUp-Qt — version selection dialog

Click "Install" and wait for the download to complete.
Restart Steam for the new version to appear and be available to use in Jackify
Verify installation: Open Steam, go to any game's Properties > Compatibility, and you should see the new GE-Proton version in the dropdown

Screenshot: Steam game Properties — Compatibility tab showing GE-Proton

Verifying GE-Proton Installation

After installing GE-Proton with any method:

Restart Steam (if not already done)
Right-click any game in your Steam library > Properties
Go to Compatibility tab
Check "Force the use of a specific Steam Play compatibility tool"
Open the dropdown - you should see your newly installed GE-Proton version

Manual GE-Proton Installation (Advanced)

If you prefer manual installation or the above methods don't work:

Download GE-Proton from GitHub Releases

Extract to compatibilitytools.d:

mkdir -p ~/.steam/steam/compatibilitytools.d
tar -xf GE-Proton*.tar.gz -C ~/.steam/steam/compatibilitytools.d/

For Flatpak Steam:

mkdir -p ~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/data/Steam/compatibilitytools.d
tar -xf GE-Proton*.tar.gz -C ~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/data/Steam/compatibilitytools.d/

Restart Steam

GE-Proton Troubleshooting

GE-Proton doesn't appear in Steam

Ensure you restarted Steam completely (not just closed the window)
Check installation path is correct:
- Native Steam: ~/.steam/steam/compatibilitytools.d/
- Flatpak Steam: ~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam/data/Steam/compatibilitytools.d/
Verify the extracted folder name matches the version (e.g., GE-Proton9-20)

ProtonUp-Qt can't find Steam

If using Flatpak Steam, grant ProtonUp-Qt filesystem permissions:

flatpak override --user --filesystem=~/.var/app/com.valvesoftware.Steam net.davidotek.pupgui2

Recommended GE-Proton Versions

For modlists and ENB compatibility:

GE-Proton 10-14 (recommended maximum - newer versions break ENB)
GE-Proton 9-27 (alternative for ENB modlists, but may cause other issues)
Versions newer than GE-Proton 10-14 will cause endless black screen with ENB

External Links

Resource	URL	Description
GE-Proton Releases	https://github.com/GloriousEggroll/proton-ge-custom/releases	Official GE-Proton downloads
ProtonUp-Qt	https://github.com/DavidoTek/ProtonUp-Qt	ProtonUp-Qt project page
ProtonPlus	https://github.com/Vysp3r/ProtonPlus	ProtonPlus project page
Protontricks	https://github.com/Matoking/protontricks	Protontricks project page
ProtonDB	https://www.protondb.com/	Game compatibility database

This guide is referenced by: Installing a Modlist with Jackify, Installing a Modlist with Wabbajack, and Manual Installation Guides.