How to Install and Play Trackmania United Forever on Linux

Trackmania United Forever is sold through Steam, and on Linux the practical route is Steam Play with Proton. The old Snap package name tmunitedforever no longer resolves in the Snap Store, so install the game from its Steam store page instead.

What you need before installing

You need a Linux desktop with current graphics drivers, a Steam account that owns Trackmania United Forever, and enough storage for Steam, Proton, and the game. Steam lists Trackmania United Forever as a Windows title, so Proton is the compatibility layer that starts it on Linux.

On Ubuntu, Canonical publishes Steam as a Snap, so check that your system can see the package before you install it.

snap info steam | head -n 15

The output names the Steam package and its publisher. If Snap cannot find Steam, install Steam using your distribution’s supported package source before you continue.

Install Steam and sign in

Install the Ubuntu Steam package, then open Steam from your application menu and sign in, because the first launch creates its client files and asks you to authenticate.

sudo snap install steam

Steam’s Snap package is maintained by Canonical. Use the distribution package source on Fedora, Arch, or another distribution instead of copying this Ubuntu command.

Enable Proton for Trackmania United Forever

In Steam, open Settings, choose Compatibility, and enable Steam Play for all other titles, then open Trackmania United Forever in your Library, select Properties, open Compatibility, and force a Proton tool for that game.

Install Trackmania United Forever from its Library page after selecting Proton, then use Play, which makes Steam create a separate compatibility prefix for the game inside its library.

Use the first launch to check the game

Let the first launch finish before changing Proton versions or adding launch options. A title screen followed by a local race is the useful test because it checks startup, rendering, input, and audio together.

• Start a solo race and confirm that the car responds to keyboard input.
• Open the audio settings and confirm that music and engine sound play.
• If you use a controller, verify it in Steam Input before launching a race.

For controller mapping, use our Steam controller setup guide. If the game opens at the wrong size on a Wayland desktop, follow the focused Steam scaling fix for Wayland before trying unrelated launch flags.

Troubleshoot a failed launch

Start with the game-specific Compatibility page, select another Proton release there, launch once, and keep the version that gets you to a playable local race.

Do not install a second compatibility manager for a single failed start. If you manage several non-native games, ProtonPlus gives you a graphical way to manage compatibility tools, while the Steam Proton setup guide explains Steam’s built-in route.

Steam updates Proton and game compatibility over time, so check fresh player reports before treating an old workaround as required. The Among Us Steam and Proton walkthrough is a useful second example of the same per-game compatibility choice.

Play Trackmania United Forever on Linux

Install the game through Steam, force Proton only for this Windows title, and verify one local race before changing anything else. Once that works, configure controllers, graphics, and multiplayer from the game and Steam settings that affect your setup.