Having recently switched completely to Ubuntu, I sought a DirectConnect client that works as well on Linux as DC++ does on Windows. Sadly, the experience on Linux wasn’t as easy for me as it is on Windows where I can install DC++ and expect it to just work. I’ve had to go through many trials of installing various clients to figure out the best way to experience DirectConnect on Linux.

There are a few DirectConnect clients on Linux, but they’re not worth bothering to use. Most of them aren’t maintained anymore and almost all aren’t compatitble with the latest DC++ which most people use. The sheer popularity of DC++ means that one must use a program based on its core. There are two ways to do this. One can run DC++ through Wine or compile LinuxDC++ (linuxdcpp) from source.

The easiest and future-proof method is running DC++ through Wine. There are many tutorials on the web that can help one set up Wine and run Windows programs. The benefit to this approach is that one isn’t at the mercy of another developer to update the program to the latest version. One can stay up-to-date by downloading the latest DC++ release. The downside to using Wine is that the program looks unattractive and incoherent with the operating system. As noted in the Wine Application DB, there are a few application settings to tweak to get it to run properly. Also, as of the time of this post, the version of Wine in the Ubuntu repositories has a bug which won’t kill the process when closing DC++.

The alternate way to use DirectConnect is to build LinuxDC++ (linuxdcpp) from CVS, a scary proposition for normal users. Fortunately, instructions for Ubuntu are posted in their forums making accessible to the people. Using LinuxDC++ means that the application feels in place with the operating system. Of course, one is now at the mercy of the developer of LinuxDC++ for updates to synchronize the core with DC++.

Choosing which route to take is an exercise up to the reader. Reflecting back on my experience, I would run DC++ with Wine if I hadn’t already compiled LinuxDC++. But for now, either method is acceptable.