Development Setup & Building

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Cloning the repository
  3. Automated build process
  4. Manually building
    1. Setting up Python & dependencies
    2. Setting up steamfiles module
    3. Using SteamworksPy binaries
    4. Building SteamworksPy from source
    5. Texture optimization (todds)
    6. Running RimSort from source
    7. Packaging RimSort

Introduction

RimSort is built in Python using the PySide6 module, as well as several others. Some modules require special care in order to be built. It is compiled and packaged using Nuikta.

Cloning the repository

  • RimSort uses submodules that are hosted in other repositories that also need to be cloned
  • To clone (with submodules): git clone --recurse-submodules -j8 https://github.com/RimSort/RimSort

Automated build process

  • Prerequisites:
    • Run an OS that PySide6 supports
      • Example “minimum requirements”:
        • For our Linux builds, we target Ubuntu 22.04 and Ubuntu 24.04.
        • For our macOS builds:
          • i386 utilizes GitHub’s macos-13 runner
          • arm utilizes GitHub’s macos-latest (macos-14 at the time of writing) runner
        • For Windows, we utilize GitHub’s windows-latest (Windows 2022 at the time of writing) runner
    • Install the latest version of Python 3.12 for your platform. (CPython recommended)
  • For a (mostly automated) experience building RimSort, please execute the provided script:
    • Run python distribute.py
      • This will build RimSort for your platform and output a build for your platform (Including all requirements and submodules)
      • For additional options such as disabling certain steps, see python distribute.py --help

Manually building

  • It is recommended that you build inside a Python virtualenv:
    • From inside the RimSort project root, execute:
      • python -m pip install virtualenv
      • python -m venv .
      • To activate this:
        • Unix (*sh): source bin/activate
        • Windows (powershell): .\Scripts\Activate.ps1
    • Ensure that build requirements are installed requirements_build.txt
  • RimSort also depends on the following submodules (run git submodule update --init --recursive to initiate/update):
    • steamfiles: used to parse Steam client acf/appinfo/manifest information
    • SteamworksPy: used for interactions with the local Steam client
      • SteamworksPy is a python module built to interface directly with the Steamworks API
      • This allows certain interactions with the local Steam client to be initiated through the Steamworks API via Python (such as subscribing/unsubscribing to/from Steam mods via RimSort)

Setting up Python & dependencies

  • RimSort uses Python, and depends on several Python modules. You can install/view most of the above dependencies via requirements.txt. You can install them all at once by executing the command at the project root:

    • pip install -r requirements.txt
    • Note that requirements.txt does not include some dependencies such as steamfiles. These are included as submodules to the repository and need to be installed manually locally
      • This will be done for you if using the distribute.py script

  • There are steamfiles and SteamworksPy dependencies can’t be installed with just requirements.txt for various reasons

    • See their respective sections for information on how to set them up. Alternatively, use distribute.py to do so automatically. By default, the script will build RimSort, but it can be configured to enable or disable various steps including building. See python distribute.py --help for more info.

  • If you are using a Mac with an Apple M1/M2 CPU, the following instructions also work for i386, if you would rather use MacPorts over Homebrew or another method. Consider the following:

    • sudo port select --set pip3 pip39
    • sudo port select --set python python9

  • Mac users should also keep in mind that Apple has its own Runtime Protection called Gatekeeper

    • This can cause issues when trying to run RimSort (or execute dependent libs)!
    • You can circumvent this issue by using xattr command to manually whitelist:
      • xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /path/to/RimSort.app
      • xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /path/to/libsteam_api.dylib
    • Replace /path/to/ with the actual path where the file/folder is, example:
      • xattr -d com.apple.quarantine /Users/John/Downloads/RimSort.app

Setting up steamfiles module

  • You can set up this module by running pip install on the module
    • pip install -e submodules/steamfiles

Using SteamworksPy binaries

  • You can set up this module using the following commands:

    • cd SteamworksPy
    • pip install -r requirements.txt

  • For RimSort to actually USE the SteamworksPy module, you need the compiled library for your platform, as well as the binaries from the steamworks SDK in the RimSort project root - in conjunction the python module included at: SteamworksPy/steamworks.

    • Repo maintainers will provide pre-built binaries for the SteamworksPy library, as well as the redistributables from the steamworks-sdk in-repo as well as in each platform’s respective release.
    • On Linux, you will want to copy SteamworksPy_*.so (where * is your CPU) to SteamworksPy.so
    • On macOS, you will want to copy SteamworksPy_*.dylib (where * is your CPU) to SteamworksPy.dylib

Building SteamworksPy from source

This is an OPTIONAL step. You do not NEED to do this - there are already pre-built binaries available for usage in-repo as well as in each platform’s respective release. Please do not attempt to commit/PR an update for these binaries without maintainer consent - these will not be approved otherwise.

Reference: SteamworksPy

  • On Linux, you need g++. It worked right out of the box for me on Ubuntu.
  • On macOS, you need Xcode command line tools. Then, you can compile directly with the script (without a full Xcode install):
  • On Windows, you need to get Visual Studio & Build Tools for Visual Studio:
    • MSVC
      • When you run the downloaded executable, it updates and runs the Visual Studio Installer. To install only the tools you need for C++ development, select the “Desktop development with C++” workload. Alternatively, just install VS Community 2022 with the standard load set.

Execute: python -c "from distribute import build_steamworkspy; build_steamworkspy()"

Texture optimization (todds)

  • RimSort uses todds as a dependency for texture optimization. It is shipped with RimSort, archived into the binary releases. If you are building/running from source, you will want to place a todds binary at ./todds/todds (for Linux/Mac) OR .\todds\todds.exe (for Windows)

Running RimSort from source

  1. Clone this repository to a local directory with submodules.
  2. Ensure you have completed the prerequisite steps above.
  3. From the project root, execute python -m app

Packaging RimSort

  1. First, clone this repository to a local directory.
  2. Packaging with nuitka:
    • Follow the prerequisite setup instructions, and then run python distribute.py
    • Alternatively, see the commands used by platform in the aforementioned script.