Answer
Yes, Unreal Engine works on Linux. Epic Games, the company behind Unreal Engine, supports Linux as a platform for both game development and gameplay deployment. Developers can download the source code of Unreal Engine from the official GitHub repository and compile it on their Linux systems.
Additionally, Unreal Engine provides a version of the editor for Linux, enabling developers to create and edit projects natively. However, setting up Unreal Engine on Linux might require additional dependencies and libraries compared to Windows or macOS setups.
Here are the basic steps you would typically follow to get started with Unreal Engine on a Linux system:
-
Install Required Dependencies: Before building Unreal Engine, you need to install some required software packages. These can be installed via your package manager. For example, on Ubuntu, you could use:
sudo apt-get install build-essential clang-8 lld-8 g++-7 cmake ninja-build python3-pip python3-distutils git
-
Clone Unreal Engine Source Code:
You need to clone the Unreal Engine source code from Epic Games’ GitHub repository.git clone -b 4.27 https://github.com/EpicGames/UnrealEngine.git
Note: You must have an account on GitHub linked to your Epic Games account to access the repository.
-
Build the Unreal Engine:
Once the source is cloned, navigate to the directory and run the setup script followed by the build script.cd UnrealEngine ./Setup.sh ./GenerateProjectFiles.sh make
After successful compilation, you can launch the Unreal Editor by running:
cd Engine/Binaries/Linux/ ./UE4Editor
If you encounter issues during installation or development, it’s recommended to refer to the latest official documentation or community forums for updates and assistance. Note that some users have reported difficulties, such as issues entering passwords during setup; these might require specific troubleshooting steps available in community support channels.