Install PulseDepot

PulseDepot has no installer: you extract the package and start it. Pick your system:

Windows

1. Download pulsedepot-…-windows-x86_64.zip from Downloads.

2. Extract it to a folder you can write to, for example C:\Games\PulseDepot. Do not use Program Files. Keep the whole folder together: PulseDepot refuses to apply without its Crux\ folder.

3. Optional: check the zip against its SHA-256 (PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\pulsedepot-…-windows-x86_64.zip).

4. Start pulsedepot.exe. The build is not code-signed, so SmartScreen may say “Windows protected your PC”. Choose More info, check that the file is pulsedepot.exe from this folder, then choose Run anyway.

5. Only for script mods: install a JDK 17 or newer, for example the Eclipse Temurin JDK 17 (or 21) MSI from adoptium.net with Set JAVA_HOME variable and Add to PATH turned on. Then start PulseDepot with Start-PulseDepot.cmd, which puts %JAVA_HOME%\bin first on PATH. Check-Java.cmd shows the versions it finds.

Linux

1. Download pulsedepot-…-linux-x86_64.zip from Downloads and check it with sha256sum.

2. Extract it anywhere you can write, for example ~/Games/PulseDepot, with unzip pulsedepot-…-linux-x86_64.zip (or any archive manager that keeps file permissions). Start ./pulsedepot or ./start-pulsedepot.sh. If it won’t start, run chmod +x pulsedepot start-pulsedepot.sh check-java.sh in the extracted folder.

3. PulseDepot finds your Steam libraries in ~/.steam/steam, ~/.steam/root, ~/.local/share/Steam and the Flatpak Steam folder, reading every library listed in each one’s libraryfolders.vdf. FF13_GAME_DIR, FF13_2_GAME_DIR and LR_GAME_DIR override the detection.

4. Standalone Crux (no NovaFix): set the game’s Steam launch options once, in Properties › General › Launch options:

   WINEDLLOVERRIDES="version=n,b" %command%

   Without this override, Proton uses Wine’s own version.dll and Crux never loads. With NovaFix (Crux as addons/Crux.dll), keep whatever NovaFix itself needs: Crux adds no requirement.

5. Only for script mods: install a JDK 17 or newer from your distribution, for example Arch jdk17-openjdk or jdk21-openjdk, Debian/Ubuntu openjdk-17-jdk, Fedora java-17-openjdk-devel. ./check-java.sh shows the versions it finds.

PulseDepot writes only into the game folder (see What Apply writes). It never touches the Proton prefix or your saves.

Next: 1. First setup.