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(+1)

Ren'Py games are often ill-packaged for Linux. Especially when they come as .zip archives. Reason is that ZIP doesn't preserve POSIX permissions (like "this file is executable"). Some Linux systems will set the proper permissions automatically for certain file types (like the .sh script) when unpacking, while others sadly will not.

And that's why you were asked to "open that .sh file with a program". Because the executable flag was not set, so it couldn't just run it. With that being the case, the system wouldn't know what to do with the file (Just like when you rename an .exe file under Windows to something else, like .bin. Can't run the program anymore like that, because ".bin" isn't known).

In such cases, you'll have to do this manually. Like this, when sitting in the game folder:

$ chmod u+x ./lib/linux-i686/DoraKone ./lib/linux-linux-x86_64/DoraKone ./DoraKone.sh

That sets the proper permissions on the launcher script and the binaries for both 32-bit as well as 64-bit x86 systems. Afterwards, just launch it like this from your command line terminal, while still sitting in the game folder (or launch it from your file manager by double-clicking):

$ ./DoraKone.sh

I find it strange, that Ren'Py games are often packaged in a way, that requires some slightly more in-depth knowledge about POSIX (UNIX/Linux) systems to make them work there. I mean, if it would be packaged as .tar.gz/.tar.bz/.tar.xz with the permissions preserved properly, such things would never happen...

I assume that is a fault within the Ren'Py development environment itself? Because I've seen this issue a lot. Like really, a LOT.

that command is the same as right clicking and going into properties and allowing to run as program in there.. right? if so, no dice, still asking what to run it with/from.. but nvm, i have a version of wine that actually works now

(+1)

Should be the same thing, yes. In that case, ToomanyIDs is probably right, and its a file association problem.

If you still feel like pursuing this (I'd be curious), what if you open a terminal window, navigate to where the game is installed (e.g. $ cd "~/Games/DoraKone/" or something), and try to run in from there: $ ./DoraKone.sh. That's essentially also what ToomanyIDs suggested.

Usually, on modern Linux distros, you can find the terminal by just searching for an application named "Terminal". Or browse through your start menu - if you still have one.

If you don't wanna try that (because too much work), it's also fine. :)

(+1)

running it from terminal worked, this distro allows me to browse to a folder then right click "open in terminal" then i can run  it from there

Just out of curiosity: What Linux distribution (and version) are you on?

a pretty basic one tbh, ubuntu 18.04

Mh ok, thanks for letting me know. Might be helpful for giving advice in the future. I'm more used to RedHat/CentOS Linux and BSD UNIX (plus a little bit of Debian, and very little Ubuntu Linux), so I have just never tried/encountered this. Also, I'm just used to launching shell scripts from the command line, so the idea that somebody might try to launch an .sh script from the graphical user interface never even occurred to me.

If it's like that, then I think this is an issue that should be addressed within the Ren'Py build toolchain... I wonder if one should submit a feature request about that or something. Like, something similar to the .exe wrapper Ren'Py uses for its MS Windows releases may be helpful. There are quite a lot of Ubuntu Linux users after all. And maybe you guys are more accustomed to doing things on the GUI rather than on the command line? In that case, a small binary program might be better than the shell script we have now.

I mean, they didn't do a .bat or .ps script for Windows either...