Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

LAUSER · 2026-09-27 17:33:31

It was easy on Mint, as I would just use CDEmu with Winetricks, download the mfc42 thing, along with 32-bit dependencies. Arch isn't as easy. I have been trying but can't get it working. I did eventually get it installed and it asked for a desktop icon, said yes, then after clicking it, it would not boot the game. I assume maybe that was because my GTX 1060 graphics card was not logged onto Arch. So, I had to eventually learn how to fix THAT issue, but I had already reinstalled Arch, and now I can't even get it to install fully. Ready to rip my hair out. Does anyone got a step by step way as to how to install and play this? Looking to do it without Lutris, or Steam, or any of that. Just using my own .bin/.cue files, to keep it as vanilla as possible.

jonno2002 · 2026-09-27 18:53:49

if your going to use arch you need to realise that you are expected to handle everything, mint probably has lots of configuration done automatically, arch does nothing automatically, thats all up to you.
read these pages and try again:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Offici … s#multilib
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Wine
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/NVIDIA

since you have a 1060 you will need the 580xx drivers from the AUR
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_User_Repository
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/nvidia-580xx-utils
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/nvidia-580xx-dkms
https://aur.archlinux.org/packages/lib3 … 80xx-utils

after youve read all that and got all your packages set up it should be as easy as:

WINEPREFIX=/home/<username>/.mafia winecfg
WINEPREFIX=/home/<username>/.mafia winetricks <mfc42 and other requirements>
WINEPREFIX=/home/<username>/.mafia wine /path/to/installer
WINEPREFIX=/home/<username>/.mafia wine /path/to/game/exe

thats a very general explanation to use as a guideline, do not copy/paste any of that

if your still stuck please reply with detailed info of what you have tried using code tags

LAUSER · 2026-09-27 20:34:26

After some tinkering and a chatbot to help, this is what I have come up with. This gives me a clean install every time, but I am unable to actually launch the game. Neither on the terminal or via the desktop icon. Just know that my Arch is nearly completely as minimal as it gets, so the desktop icon doesn't show the red/white game icon, but just a white sheet of paper with a "?", so I don't know if that makes compatibility worse or no. Here are my notes, and thank you for taking the time to even try to squash this issue....

# 1. Install CDEmu, Wine, and Winetricks

sudo pacman -S cdemu-client cdemu-daemon wine winetricks

# 2. Load the VHBA kernel module

sudo modprobe vhba

# 3. Start CDEmu daemon

systemctl --user start cdemu-daemon

# 4. Create/use Mafia Wine prefix

export WINEPREFIX="$HOME/.wine-mafia"

# 5. Go to Mafia disc images

cd ~/Desktop

# 6. Load Disc 1

cdemu load 0 "Mafia (USA) (Disc 1).cue"

# 7. Install Microsoft Visual C++ 6 runtime

winetricks mfc42

# 8. Start Mafia installer

wine /run/media/$USER/MAFIA_CD_1/MafiaLauncher.exe

# 9. When installer asks for Disc 2

cd ~/Desktop
cdemu unload 0
cdemu load 0 "Mafia (USA) (Disc 2).cue"

# 10. When installer asks for Disc 3

cd ~/Desktop
cdemu unload 0
cdemu load 0 "Mafia (USA) (Disc 3).cue"

# 11. Put Disc 1 back for launching

cd ~/Desktop
cdemu unload 0
cdemu load 0 "Mafia (USA) (Disc 1).cue"

# 12. Launch Mafia

export WINEPREFIX="$HOME/.wine-mafia"

wine "$WINEPREFIX/drive_c/Program Files/Mafia/Game.exe"

Do you suppose I am missing something? Obviously I must be, but if you have any tips, I would so so much appreciate it.

dimich · 2026-09-28 01:56:24

There is mention of some "winegstreamer.dll removal" workaround at https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager. … n&iId=2291. You can try to search in that direction.
Also some old apps, e.g. Battle.net Launcher, won't work with wine package but work with wine-staging. You can also try it. However, sometimes next release of wine-staging breaks it, next after next release repairs it and so on

LAUSER · 2026-09-28 03:30:00

Thanks for your friendly advice, I tried both of these, and they seem to continuously give this error:

ZwLoadDriver failed to create driver ... Services\SecDrv: c0000142
Auto-start service "SecDrv" failed to start: 1114

I got no idea. I mean, Mint, Arch, it's all Linux, so there's just got to be something missing that Mint has, and I just don't know what it is. Huh. I keep going around in a circle with ChatGPT, though they helped me get it launched on Mint easily. Works perfect too. I just prefer Arch so it's a bit more of a challenge. I just don't know. If we all could figure out what is the missing link, then it would be perfect. At least I got the installer down good, and it'll always work using those specific codes. Don't know why the SecDrv keeps going out of whack.

jonno2002 · 2026-09-28 04:24:56

i found this: https://forum.winehq.org/viewtopic.php?t=37718
looks like its to do with the safedisc copy protection and suggests a 32bit wine prefix fixed it, give that a try

dimich · 2026-09-28 04:41:05

LAUSER wrote:

Mint, Arch, it's all Linux, so there's just got to be something missing that Mint has, and I just don't know what it is.

How would I try to investigate such an issue:
* In Arch, compile wine of the same version as Mint provides. Check whether it works.
* Run the app on both systems with "WINEDEBUG=+all" environment variable and save logs. Compare logs and find where the differences begin.
* Compare content of your $WINEPREFIX directories (~/.wine by default) on both systems.

LAUSER wrote:

ZwLoadDriver failed to create driver ... Services\SecDrv: c0000142

Here similar error seems to be fixed by enabling virtual desktop emulation (I have no idea how it could be related).

nikolascpt · 2026-09-28 05:24:22

Mafia 1 (2002) is 32bit.

install video driver
install game

Official repositories
lib32-vulkan-icd-loader lib32-nvidia-utils vulkan-icd-loader nvidia-utils gst-plugins-base gst-plugins-base-libs gst-plugins-good gstreamer wine

AUR
lib32-gst-plugins-base lib32-gst-plugins-base-libs lib32-gst-plugins-good lib32-gstreamer dxvk-bin lib32-mpg123

Then double klik on game.exe

cryptearth · 2026-09-28 05:33:20

just to throw in some salt: steam version just works with ge-proton11-6
so - if you don't mind to spent 10 bucks: go for the steam version ...

jonno2002 · 2026-09-28 19:00:42

after a bit of reading it seems that wine no longer requires 32bit prefixes but can also have compatibility issues with 32bit apps:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Wine#3 … plications
it looks like linux mint uses wine 9.0 which supports 32bit prefixes, maybe thats why it works on mint and not on arch ? if it is the safedisc protection causing the issue then the steam version obviously doesnt have that and thats probably why the steam version works...

LAUSER · 2026-09-29 03:21:14

Thanks you all for the kind responses in trying to help. I really truly appreciate it because this is one of the best games I have ever played, nothing tops this old gem. Unfortunately, wasn't able to get it working. Don't know. I'm not particularly a whiz at this stuff, but nothing I do seems to work. I'm tired of distro hopping because Arch fits my needs for minimalism, and it's quite stable for me, and installs very fast if I need a reset, but just this particular game just can't seem to get working. Maybe one day someone will try installing it themselves, and possibly put in a step by step terminal code walkthrough of how to do it, and not only will that help me, but also anyone else with this issue on Arch. Thanks again guys, but until then, I will just take a break from even trying. It's exhausting me, lol. Sorry..... gee.

bivan · 2026-09-29 07:16:10

In general instead of Wine I recommend Proton Experimental (on Steam) https://www.protondb.com/app/40990#aEZCrl070p , by experience I had some video games not working by Wine but working by Proton Experimental, Valve works on games compatibility https://github.com/ValveSoftware/Proton/wiki/Changelog .

LAUSER wrote:

wine "$WINEPREFIX/drive_c/Program Files/Mafia/Game.exe"

why Program Files , not Program Files (x86) ?

What is written after this command?

Last edited by bivan (2026-09-29 09:19:40)

killertofus · 2026-09-29 08:15:15

no piracy support will be given here
https://terms.archlinux.org/docs/code-o … licitation

LAUSER · 2026-09-29 09:02:37

It isn't piracy whatsoever. I have physical discs bought in 2012. Still got the receipt inside the PC box. I am a disc archiver, and have helped Redump with some hard to get stuff, so I am not in the underground warez groups. Just wanted to get Mafia running on Arch.

Last edited by LAUSER (2026-09-29 09:07:25)

Lone_Wolf · 2026-09-29 10:00:45

Converting physical discs you own to isos and use them through cdemu with wine is not piracy in my book, but a good way to save the originals .

I still have atleast a dozen physical games I bought between 1995 and 2005 that I occasionally play that way.

Moderator Note
I see no signs of piracy in this thread.

jonno2002 · 2026-09-29 19:12:08

i had a bit of a play with the demo version of the game using my normal wine-valve 9.0 in a 32bit prefix and it worked perfect with no winetricks, also tried with the latest wine (no 32bit prefix due to wow64 mode) and it worked perfect there too, in both cases it crashes after the initial config screen but after that the game loads and plays fine in both cases, so id say this is purely the safedisc causing the issues

SimonJ · 2026-09-29 19:43:09

I have to use a NOCD patch for some games as the cd check fails to work, even though I have the CD, yes an actual disc in a drive. It is a weird world to be in.

Arch Linux

#1 2026-09-27 17:33:31

Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#2 2026-09-27 18:53:49

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#3 2026-09-27 20:34:26

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#4 2026-09-28 01:56:24

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#5 2026-09-28 03:30:00

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#6 2026-09-28 04:24:56

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#7 2026-09-28 04:41:05

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#8 2026-09-28 05:24:22

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#9 2026-09-28 05:33:20

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#10 2026-09-28 19:00:42

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#11 2026-09-29 03:21:14

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#12 2026-09-29 07:16:10

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#13 2026-09-29 08:15:15

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#14 2026-09-29 09:02:37

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#15 2026-09-29 10:00:45

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#16 2026-09-29 19:12:08

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

#17 2026-09-29 19:43:09

Re: Can someone help me install Mafia 1 (2002) onto Arch?

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