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Installing (OpenApoc)

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Installing (OpenApoc) covers how to download, install, and run OpenApoc on Windows, Linux, and macOS. OpenApoc is an open-source reimplementation of X-COM: Apocalypse and requires the original game files to play.

Note: OpenApoc is currently in alpha state. Expect bugs, crashes, and incomplete features. Please report issues on the bug tracker.

System Requirements

Supported Platforms

  • Windows (x64)
  • Linux
  • macOS (including Apple Silicon)

Downloading OpenApoc

GitHub Releases (Recommended)

The primary download location for OpenApoc is the GitHub Releases page. This provides the latest official Windows builds.

  1. Visit https://github.com/OpenApoc/OpenApoc/releases
  2. Download the appropriate installer or zip package
  3. Run the installer and follow the prompts

Note: Linux and macOS users must compile from source. See Compiling (OpenApoc) for instructions.

AppVeyor CI Builds (Experimental)

For users who want the very latest (and potentially unstable) development builds, experimental Windows x64 builds are available from AppVeyor:

  1. Visit https://ci.appveyor.com/project/OpenApoc/openapoc/history
  2. Look for a build with a green bar indicating a successful build (use "Show More" to list additional builds if needed)
  3. Click on the green build entry
  4. Click ARTIFACTS
  5. Download the file ending in .exe that does not contain "debug" in the filename
  6. Run the downloaded installer

Warning: AppVeyor CI builds are experimental and may contain untested changes. Only Windows x64 builds are available from AppVeyor. For stable releases, use GitHub Releases instead.

Setting Up Original Game Files

OpenApoc requires the original X-COM: Apocalypse game data to run. The game files must include the music tracks; pirated or incomplete disc images that are missing music will cause problems such as crashes and map issues.

Steam

  1. Locate your Steam installation of X-COM: Apocalypse
    • The default path is typically: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\X-COM Apocalypse
  2. Find the cd.iso file in the Steam installation directory
  3. Copy cd.iso into the OpenApoc data folder

Note: On Linux, the Steam version of X-COM: Apocalypse will only install if Steam Play (Proton) is enabled.

GOG

The GOG version provides the game data as .cue and .bin files. These require a specific setup:

  1. Locate the GOG installation directory for X-COM: Apocalypse
  2. Find the XCOM.cue and XCOM.BIN files
  3. Rename XCOM.cue to cd.iso
  4. Place the renamed cd.iso file into the OpenApoc data folder
  5. Place XCOM.BIN into the OpenApoc data folder without renaming it

Both files (cd.iso and XCOM.BIN) must be present in the data folder for the GOG version to work correctly.

Original Retail CD

  1. Create an ISO disc image from your original X-COM: Apocalypse CD-ROM
    • You can use tools such as ImgBurn (Windows) or dd (Linux/macOS) to create the image
  2. Rename the resulting image file to cd.iso
  3. Place cd.iso into the OpenApoc data folder

Alternative: Specify Location During Installation

If you use the Windows installer, you may specify the location of cd.iso during the installation process. In that case, you do not need to manually copy the file into the data folder.

Running OpenApoc

Windows

After installation, run OpenApoc from the Start Menu shortcut or from the installation directory. Ensure that:

  • The data folder (containing cd.iso) is present in the OpenApoc installation directory (unless you specified a different location during install)
  • The latest Visual C++ Redistributable is installed

Linux

Linux does not have prebuilt packages; you must compile from source (see Compiling (OpenApoc)). After building, run the executable from the repository root so that it can find the data folder: 

./build/bin/OpenApoc

macOS

macOS does not have prebuilt packages; you must compile from source (see Compiling (OpenApoc)). After building, run the application from the repository root: 

open ./build/bin/OpenApoc.app

Portable Installation

The Windows installer offers a portable install option. When selected, all save games and configuration settings are stored within the installation directory rather than in your user profile. This is useful if you want to:

  • Run OpenApoc from a USB drive or external storage
  • Keep multiple independent installations with separate settings
  • Easily back up or move your entire OpenApoc setup including saves

To use portable mode, select the "portable install" option when running the installer.

Post-Installation Configuration

OpenApoc stores its settings in a file named OpenApoc_settings.conf. For portable installations, this file is located in the installation directory. For standard installations, it is located in your user profile directory.

You can create or edit this file to configure common settings. Below are some useful options.

Changing Language to English

If OpenApoc displays blank buttons or garbled text because your system language is not English, you can force English by adding the following to OpenApoc_settings.conf: 

[Framework]
Language=en_GB.UTF-8

Restart OpenApoc after saving the file.

Fullscreen Mode

To run OpenApoc in fullscreen at a specific resolution, add the following to OpenApoc_settings.conf: 

[Framework.Screen]
Width=1920
Height=1080
Fullscreen=1

Adjust the Width and Height values to match your monitor's resolution.

Skipping the Intro Movie

To skip the intro movie on startup, add the following to OpenApoc_settings.conf: 

[Game]
SkipIntro=1

Updating OpenApoc

When updating to a newer version of OpenApoc, it is recommended to install to a new folder rather than overwriting the existing installation. In-place updates may cause issues. After verifying that the new version works correctly, you can delete the old installation folder.

Your save games and settings will be preserved if you are using a standard (non-portable) installation, since they are stored in your user profile directory.

Troubleshooting

Blank Buttons in the Interface

This is a known issue that can occur when your system's native language is not English. OpenApoc has translations in multiple languages, but not all fonts are available yet. To fix this:

Crashes or Map Problems

If you experience crashes at startup or broken maps during gameplay:

  • Verify that your cd.iso is a complete copy of the original game including all music tracks
  • Incomplete or pirated disc images that are missing music are known to cause these issues
  • Re-acquire the game files from a legitimate source (Steam, GOG, or original CD)

GOG Version Not Working

If the GOG version does not load correctly:

  • Ensure you have both cd.iso (the renamed XCOM.cue) and XCOM.BIN in the data folder
  • Ensure XCOM.BIN has not been renamed

Missing Visual C++ Runtime (Windows)

If OpenApoc fails to start on Windows with errors about missing DLLs:

Getting Help

If you encounter issues not covered here:

  • Search the bug tracker for known issues
  • Join the OpenApoc Discord server, which is the most active community hub for support and discussion

See Also

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