Unreal Tournament 2003 — Linux setup
ut2003-ultrawide-screen-patch configures an existing UT2003 install for native windowed Zink (OpenGL via Vulkan), or optionally the Windows executable through Proton, plus optional OpenSpy multiplayer. No game, executable, assets, CD key, or system libraries are included. Obtain and install the game separately.
Get started
Place this whole repository folder inside the game directory, next to System/. Its folder name can be ut2003-ultrawide-screen-patch or LinuxPatch.
cd /path/to/UT2003/ut2003-ultrawide-screen-patch
./apply.shIn the menu: 1 configure → 6 test the game for one minute → 0 exit. Choose 2 for a read-only dependency check. Actions return to the main menu; changes and the test launch require confirmation. To use Lutris, select <game directory>/launch-ut2003.sh as its executable if it was not updated automatically.
Native needs: System/ut2003-bin, original Linux INIs/SDL, bash, Python 3, file, 32-bit Mesa Zink/Vulkan (or choose native OpenGL), 32-bit OpenAL Soft and libstdc++.so.5, plus X11/Xwayland. ./apply.sh --check checks files, not gameplay; ./apply.sh --help lists flags and runtime overrides.
Window size: Default is 1280×720. For a larger window that fits above your taskbar, choose Configure → Zink → Fit a 16:9 window above desktop panels → Remove decorations, or run ./apply.sh --fit-workarea --undecorated. This reads X11's usable work area, leaves a margin, and sets a matching game resolution. It needs xrandr and xprop for sizing and xdotool for window detection; --decorated restores the normal frame. Removing decorations is not fullscreen and will not hide the panel. A full-height 1920×1080 window cannot fit above a panel on a 1080-high desktop. You can also set a custom resolution (--width 2560 --height 1080), but fullscreen can clip or freeze and the menu is not reliably 4:3. The Escape and SDL compatibility options are experimental. No Vulkan-native game renderer is provided. Sound, rendering, and online play have not been verified on every system.
Proton (optional)
Choose Configure → Proton or run ./apply.sh --proton; requires System/UT2003.exe and an installed Steam Proton (override with UT2003_PROTON=/path/to/proton). This makes a private Windows game copy in Backup/ProtonGame and a separate prefix in Backup/ProtonCompatData, possibly using several GB. Neither is in Git. If ut2003-winpatch2225.exe is beside System/, Configure offers to extract and apply it directly to the private copy with 7z (CLI --proton does so by default; --skip-winpatch opts out). No Wine installer window or misleading Z: free-space check. Replaced private-copy files are saved in Backup/ProtonWinpatch2225.original; later runs skip the same patch. The EXE is not bundled here. A matching Lutris entry keeps its script runner and points to launch-ut2003.sh; native-only -opengl is removed. Use menu 9 to apply your own CD key to the private Proton registry (reuse native key or type one hidden); CLI: ./apply.sh --cdkey-from-native or ./apply.sh --cdkey. Your key remains in the private prefix and cdkey file under Backup/—never share those. Proton fullscreen: choose it in Configure, or run ./apply.sh --proton --proton-fullscreen --width 2560 --height 1080; use --proton-windowed to switch back. Fullscreen/input behavior is unverified: use menu 6 for a one-minute game trial first. Select Zink to switch back; the native INIs are not changed by Proton setup. Windows gameplay is not yet verified.
OpenSpy servers (optional)
Choose 7 in the menu or run ./apply.sh --openspy. This sets UT2003's master-server INI entries to utmaster.openspy.net:28902 (one active server) for browsing/hosting. Choose 8 or run ./apply.sh --restore-openspy to restore the previous entries. OpenSpy is an independent online service; enabling it changes no graphics or audio settings and does not fix launch freezes. See OpenSpy's UT2 guide.
If the game locks your controls
Use menu option 6 first: it stops the game after 60 seconds (TERM, then KILL 3 seconds later if necessary). This is not a guarantee against a GPU/compositor hang. You can also run ./test-launch.sh directly. If input remains trapped, press Ctrl+Alt+F3, log in as the same user, and run:
cd /path/to/UT2003/ut2003-ultrawide-screen-patch
bash recover-ut2003.shReturn to your graphical session with your desktop's VT shortcut (often Ctrl+Alt+F1 or F2). The recovery script stops this installation's native game and any processes using its private Proton prefix.
Undo / sharing
The first application keeps backups outside this repository, next to changed INIs (.pre-linuxpatch) or in the game's Backup/. Backups are not refreshed on later runs. The menu restores Escape, SDL, audio, or OpenSpy separately (options 3, 4, 5, 8); there is no one-command full uninstall. Restore other .pre-linuxpatch files manually if needed. Do not run the patch as root.
Only publish this repository's scripts and README. Never commit the parent game directory, Backup/, System/cdkey, logs, personal INIs, or runtime libraries. Run python3 test_patch.py for offline tests. The .gitignore allowlists patch files only.