This is a solution for gamers that bought Timelines on GOG and want to play under linux but cannot find the Timelines DLC in the download section of their game library. The solution was posted by DrazilT in the thread "x4 7.0 unavailable and timelines" (www.gog.com/forum/x_series/x4_70_unavailable_and_timelines/post57) but I think it deserves its own thread so it can be found more easily.

- Go to your Games on GOG

- Select "X4: Foundations"

- Under "System" select "Windows" (yes, this is correct, the game files are the same for Windows and Linux)

- In the "Download offline backup game installers" section download "X4: Timelines - X4: Timelines (Part 1 of 2)" and "X4: Timelines - X4: Timelines (Part 2 of 2)". You should receive the files "setup_x4_timelines_7.00_hotfix_1_(64bit)_(74365).exe" and "setup_x4_timelines_7.00_hotfix_1_(64bit)_(74365)-1.bin"

- Install innoextract. The procedure depends on your flavour of linux. On debian, Ubuntu and Pop!_OS it is "sudo apt install innoextract"

- Open a terminal window, optionally move the downloaded setup files to another directory, change to the directory with the downloaded files and enter "innoextract setup_x4_timelines_7.00_hotfix_1_\(64bit\)_\(74365\).exe". innoextract unpacks the files of both downloaded files. You should now have some directories (app, commonappdata, ..) and files

- Locate your X4 install directory, propably something like "/home/username/GOG Games/X4 Foundations". From here go to the "game" directory.

- From the extracted files, copy or move the "extensions" directory and the files "goggame-1143004245.hashdb" and "goggame-1143004245.info" to your game directory. You can delete the other extracted files afterwards.

- Done. When starting X4 you should see a new loading screen and have a selectable Timelines menu entry.

I do not know if this method is complete or if there is an easier way but it worked fine for me. Have fun.

Hi,

is there no native Linux download for Timelines, or was this a temporary hack?

Cheers, and thank you for your research ("Our research team thanks you for your cooperation") :-)

Edit: Oh, and does innoextract handle the windows executable or do you have wine installed?

Editedit: Oh, nevermind, found the answer to the last question here: https://constexpr.org/innoextract/:

"... innoextract allows to extract such installers without running the actual setup executable under Windows or using Wine ..."

Exactly, there are no Timelines downloads listed if you bought Timelines and select Linux as platform in your game library. However, there are Windows files. innoextract is a simple unpacker. There is no dedicated binary required, version 7.x of X4:Foundations has the ability to launch a Timelines game. You don't need the Windows exe files if you have Foundations installed, you just need the ego_dlc_timelines directory under extensions.

why is this solved? Its a quirky hack. Sorry but this is the signal for egosoft that they do not need to update quickly. x4 gog-galaxy implementation is very buggy and at least the downloads might seem timely. Always the same Steam users have their version very timely gog users are f**********.

Solves means Linux User don't do not need a timely patches that are already hacking. *sign*

Egosoft can't give gog-api update infos but please let's not look like idiots who were so stupid and bought at gog.

I also think the Linux version should have been available on Friday but at least the latest, 7.10 HF1, is available now and not after weeks' of waiting.

Yes the main game is on 7.10 hf1 but the dlcs are on 7.00 hf1.

It is necessary to remember that for the maingame and the dlcs you don't spend little money and gog and steam in the price are equal but not in service and fastness. Actually, the Steam release would have to be almost the same as the GOG release.

As the hack here is revealed, linux and windows are binary-equal.

I just wanted to say a hack isn't solved.

Must we live with the gog gamer not equal to the developers and publishers like steam gamer.

Oh, sorry then! I must admit I do not have the latest DLC. It is rather silly that the DLC is not updated while the main game is. You did use the ENGLISH download option, right, as other languages should be removed unless GOG starts to maintain them properly. The game's language can be changed afterwards or possibly during installation.

EDIT: I checked the DLCs I do have and they are version 7.10 HF1 when I chose English but lo and behold, when I switch to Deutsch, es ist als sie sagen. (It is as you say.) Only the main game is the latest version.

ah this bug, thx for the tip. I download and try german main installation-files with english dlcs and think the main game will do the language. on linux the installers don't check if the main game is installed or so:).

*sign* cool but egosoft are not an indie developer, hmm are diskspace at the distribution-server from gog are so expensive? Is that the reason?

Give it an language selektor ingame or so? I know only the ini-file 49 method.

When egosoft has problems with the costs they can make an english/multi version with an language selektor tool or ingame, like other developers/publishers here.I'm wondering why egosoft that do not make so. Its easy and simple and saves a lot of space and costs.

At the moment i want updated installations-files in german,when i choose that language. How i say Egosoft is not an small indie developer and switch to an language selektor should be in there mind.

But at the moment gog gamers sounds not like plug and play:)

I'm also waiting for german 7.10 DLCs and I don't want to use the "hack" (well, at least not now. I used it for Timelines a few weeks ago).
As far as I read the comments on the Egosoft Forum, GOG is getting the game files for linux asap and at the same time steam is getting them. But GOG has to wrap them with their linux installer... and that's where the delay is coming from.

Am I right or is Egosoft to blame? It doesn't really matter and does not change anything, but I want my hate to be addressed correctly.

I don't think it's clear to say that. GOG has many problems with her servers and api and the most users don't like Galaxy like me. But it gives a reason why Pubs/Devs loves Steam and "hate" drm free distribution.

In my opinion gog has put all cards on galaxy (kills the gog-downloader was the worst for me) and makes it difficult to download. Some devs/pubs report on problems with the dev/pub-api from gog.

I think egosoft could say gog is debt.
But egosoft can simply make the multilanguage solution like other devs/pubs. Saves space and work.

But i do'nt have any reason why a simple ini-variable can hold the german hotfix1 7.10 installers? Is egosoft debt? Nerves we special-users egosoft?

"Just use the GOG-Galaxy Client and good is."???

In the moment I'm a little bit angry. GoG must cutting cloud-saves, oh oh oh that not the first thing to save money, in my opinion ist that the last options.

*sign* Pubs/Devs loves steam ...

at this time not updated
*sign*

Every time you encounter the German version of a game not being updated, please make a report to GOG. If everyone does so, something should happen one day.

I got an answer from the support Team this week:

"Hello,

The EN DLC installers should work correctly with your Deutsch installation of the game. These are universal installers.
Please let me know should you encounter any further difficulties.

All the best,
XXXXX
GOG.COM | Senior Technical Customer Support Specialist"

And yes, the DLC installers are multi language, the installer showed me the german texts and so on. The files are there, they are just not correctly linked with the german download-site.
GOG did a good job with the linux updates this time, they are just not telling anyone. What a shame.

Edit: The same with Hotfix2. German Version of the base game is online, DLCs only in english, but are working fine.

It is working too for french. I've installed the french version of x4 and the english version of the dlc. I've done the basic tutorial and it was in french.