This article goes more into how EAC for Linux is being altered. Basically EAC can run with ring 0 access on windows machines to prevent cheats, but on Linux it doesn’t have the same level of invasive access. This is better for user privacy, but also limits its ability to prevent cheating.
The upcoming EAC Linux v2 will fall into a middle ground between the two, and will require the kernel to be signed with a key Epic recognizes. The system will also have to have TPM 2.0 and secure boot enabled. I recommend reading the article for more details.
All you have to do is say fuck almost all the reasons i switched to linux and BAM youll be playing a shitty free2play royal rumble shooter in no time!
EAC Linux v2 runs a systemd service that stays active just for the length of a protected game session, alongside eBPF programs written by Epic that watch for tampering and cheats.
For players, this means a stricter boot setup, so Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 need to be on, the kernel has to be signed with a key Epic recognizes, and several other boot and kernel settings come into play.
EAC checks all of this only when a protected game launches, and failing the check brings up an error, not a ban. Players can also keep a separate boot entry for protected games and run their own keys elsewhere.
So I guess MOK is not supported? That would make it impossible to play with Nvidia drivers because they need a MOK for signing.
Using eBPF is actually a pretty neat idea, but I guess MOK would be too easy of a bypass because you can sign your own kernel modules and just do whatever in kernel space.
It’s way better than a crappy kernel module but I wonder if hackers will actually abuse this for access over windows, especially when the Android version is also right there without any significant anticheat.
so Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 need to be on
Nah, fuck off and stick to Windows.
Umm maybe it’s just me and my distro, but using secure boot won’t even let my Nvidia drivers run, soooo…
Although I’m not as familiar with the TPM, being knowing that Win11 needed it for some goddamn reason. I’ve never even noticed a setting for it or whether it’s on or off (never had a reason to care).
These are some reasons I stopped using Windows in the first place. I don’t need an evil corpo telling me what settings I must use so they can hide what there doing.
Exactly. When I first switched to Win10 (after it itself was just a free upgrade for me from 7, which I thought was odd for a corporate product), and saw the candy crush thing and (fuck I swear there was a second thing there, but I can’t remember) whatever that other thing was already sitting in the start menu, I knew on day 1 that that was gonna be my last version of Windows.
And then it got worse and worse. Luckily I’m that same time Linux was making huge strides with Wine and other compatibility tricks that by the time I got off the MS train I lost nothing as far as gaming potential, just maybe added a few minor snags to get everything nice.
Well well well, fortnite losing tons of players, epic firing thousands of devs … suddenly the people that are switching to linux getting more relevant huh timmy.
You can go fuck yourself tho.
No thanks, i dont care for anti-cheat titles to begin with and there is Heroic in case i need to run a game from epic store.
Fortnite must be hemmoraging players for them to do this.
Needs TPM, Secure Boot, and restricted Distros. Naw Dawg… I’m good.
Lot of loopholes to jump through for something not many people want
People with Steam decks, for example, would have access to EAC titles. I think it is worth it financially for Epic.
Is the OS remaining secure and private with the anticheat that is requiring tpm, secure boot, etc?
Or like the Windows anticheat is it going to be able to access all the files on the PC?
My understanding is that there’s a systemd service that runs only when the game runs, and that uses ePBF to restrict read/write access to the game files while it’s running (to prevent tampering). The tpm/secure boot/recognized kernel part is to make sure the user doesn’t have a modified kernel that will lie to the anti-cheat.
If everything works like they say, they shouldn’t have access to the non-game files and no direct kernel access. So privacy should be maintained, and theoretically no risk of a EAC bug or exploit causing a full system crash.
Overall it sounds much better to me than windows anti-cheat, but that’s a pretty low bar.
If true that does sound like a huge improvement over the Windows anticheat experience.
Agreed to your comment. Only problem i have with it is that i use mainline to get latest kernels, and that wont work (kernel is not signed). Other than that, sounds good tbh
Still not gonna run epic stuff, but technically it sounds goodYou can have multiple kennels installed, so you could normally boot with mainline, but if you wanted to play a EAC game you could reboot with an approved kernel.
Oh i know i can. I always have latest mainline + latest supported incase i run into issues. I just dont want to reboot to play games. Might as well use windows for gaming then :)
Overall it sounds much better to me than windows anti-cheat, but that’s a pretty low bar.
I think all the things you are saying are just claims. As far as I understand it, this will be closed source software that runs as root, so basically it’s just trustmebro, the same as on Windows. I’m not a systemd expert, but seems challenging to fulfill the part where it “only runs when the game runs”.
The EBF module can be inspected, and EAC won’t have kernel access, so that limits it significantly. Things like crowdstrike, completely hiding it’s processes, etc shouldn’t be possible without it having kernel access.
The systemd service can easily be confirmed to only run while a game is running as well. You can even restrict the service to be masked except when specific games are running.
EAC having root access is a valid concern though, it will have full access to your entire filesystem. Normally you can restrict what files a systemd service can access, so we may be able to quarantine this to block any privacy concerns. However we’ll have to wait until it comes out to know that part.
Overall it’s not perfect, but users will have much higher ability to audit it on Linux versus the Windows version.
Fuck off and do the anticheat server side, stingy cunts.
Cheap bastards can’t even do the shit we were taught in college: always validate inputs server-side too!
Stick it up your ass, Tim Sweeney (the bitch).
No thanks. Piss off Timmy boy
Yeah Sweeny has been an outspoken hater of Linux his entire life. Now that its gaining marketshare, hes flip flopping. Fuck off Timmy boy
OG Unreal Tournament games had native Linux versions, even as late as 2016 when Epic was developing a (now cancelled) 4th UT title.
But then Fortnite happened and Epic switched from supporting Linux to antagonising it as it’s Valve’s platform thus enemy’s platform (his reaction, probably).
All 4 of the 9 year old children who are on Linux want to play Fortnite are going to be pumped for this!
This targets the parents more. My son started out on Linux but has since moved to Windows because that makes it easier for him to play games with his friends.
I am not gonna play Fortnite or anything with an invasive anti-cheat, but more multiplayer games available for Linux means more adoption amongst casual players. So, at the end of the day it’s a net positive thing.
Epic doesn’t care about Linux gamers. This is an AI publicity stunt. The app does not work and probably never will.
Epic doesn’t care about
Linuxgamers. FTFYThis article is about EAC, not their new app.
Same same
I didn’t realise there were eight year olds using Linux.
I know many kids using Android phones.
Why wouldn’t you gift a child a Steam Deck?
Apart from the price, a kid would probably destroy it pretty quickly. And I certainly wouldn’t want them playing fucking Fortnite on it.
Mine have kept theirs in good shape for multiple years. Both are under 10
That’s the case with any game console.
My six year olds do a really good job with it honestly. I had to make sure I had a decent case on it because I’ve got ADHD Gremlins with some gross motor delays so they forget not to walk around with it and drop it occasionally, and they’re not the most careful about plugging it in so I’ve had to repair the charging port once. But overall they’ve done really well in the 2 years we’ve had one.
That’s awesome.
I’m honestly pretty impressed with how sturdy it is. To have the only thing that’s failed be a charging port in two years of letting at the time 4 year olds use the things regularly is pretty impressive.
I dropped mine onto a carpeted floor from less than a metre (the one time I picked the case up by the handle was the one time I hadn’t zipped it up) and it broke one of the bumpers. Cost me $350 to repair it.
It’s good to hear that multiple people here have said their young kids are looking after them, though.
My daughter and I built her first pc together when she was about 7 or 8, and it ran Linux.
