This release is kind of major for a "minor" release, but we've streamlined the installer process on all platforms by removing our dependencies on Make and devkitARM and replacing them with dependencies on Ninja and LLVM. The installers for Windows and macOS and the deb/rpm packages for Linux now install these dependencies, and the AppImage is now bundled with them as well. Finally, we will soon be shipping the Flatpak on Flathub, which will be the preferred way to download the editor on Linux.
Additionally, we now support more platforms! Specifically, we have ARM builds for Linux and Windows and an x86 build for older Windows machines.
Installation Notes
To test the game you will need to have a Nintendo DS emulator installed. We recommend melonDS for its accuracy.
Because our application contacts GitHub's servers to check for new releases on launch, it is possible it will get flagged by firewall software – please allow it through so it can function correctly.
Windows
Simply download the Windows installer application for your architecture and run it. It will walk you through installation, including installing the necessary dependencies. Specifically, it will run the LLVM installer.
Alternatively, you can download the zip file for a portable application; however, dependencies are not included with this option.
Which Windows installer should I choose?
Most modern Windows machines are x64-based; however, there are quite a few Windows laptops that now run with ARM processors. If you're not sure, you can download both—only the one that matches your computer's architecture will run. The x86 installer should only be used on older Windows hardware (theoretically, it should support Windows 7+, though we do not officially support older operating systems).
macOS
Pick the macOS pkg installer that fits your computer's architecture. Before executing it, you will need to open the Terminal application and run xattr -cr ~/Downloads/SerialLoops-macOS-arm-v0.3.3-installer.pkg for the ARM installer and xattr -cr ~/Downloads/SerialLoops-macOS-x64-v0.3.3-installer.pkg for the x64 installer. This is required because we currently don't codesign the installer, meaning macOS will refuse to run it without explicit approval from you.
The pkg installer will guide you through installing Serial Loops and will automatically install the LLVM and ninja dependencies. If you don't already have the Homebrew package manager installed, it will automatically install this for you and then use it to install LLVM (and LLD) and ninja. The installer will pop multiple terminal windows in order to do these installations – please be patient and allow them to complete their installations before closing them.
Which macOS pkg installer should I choose?
If your Mac is newer, you will probably want the ARM installer. If it is older, you may want the x64 one. To make sure, go to Settings → About and check your chip. If it is an Intel, you want the x64 installer. If it is an Apple chip, you want the ARM installer.
The first time you install Serial Loops, this process can take several minutes, so please be patient!
Linux
We highly recommend installing the Serial Loops Flatpak from Flathub. This is the simplest way to run Serial Loops and comes with the added benefit of auto-updates for major versions via Flathub.
You can also install the official melonDS Flatpak from Flathub to use as your emulator.
However, if you want to use a preview version of Serial Loops or you simply don't want to install Flatpak, you can instead use one of our other distribution:
- The AppImage is designed to run on all Linux distros and is an easy, click-once option.
- The
.debpackage is intended for Debian-based distros (e.g. Ubuntu). Install it withsudo apt install -f ./SerialLoops-linux-x64-0.3.3.deb. - The
.rpmpackage is intended for Red Hat-based distros (e.g. Fedora). Install it withsudo dnf install ./SerialLoops-linux-x64-0.3.3-1.fc39.x86_64.rpm. - You may also opt to simply use the binaries packaged in the
.tar.gzarchive; when doing so, ensure you install the SDL2 binaries so audio playback works.
What's Changed
- Update NuGet packages, update official build version, and hide updater in Flatpak by @jonko0493 in #557
- Support more architectures, remove dependencies on devkitARM/make in favor of LLVM/ninja by @jonko0493 in #558
Full Changelog: 0.3.2...0.3.3
