Please release a Linux client or, even better, officially support and invest in developing Heroic Games Launcher so we can play our DRM free GOG games on a libre OS.
Literally sitting with Lutris in front of me downloading a game from GOG right now. Can Heroic Games not handle it themselves like Lutris? Seems easy enough for other FOSS projects to do, I'd rather GOG continue focusing on ensuring the games run on modern hardware, and acquiring licenses to good old games, rather than now expanding the support for their already mediocre launcher.
Heroic works perfectly, in a manner identical to Lutris (from a user perspective). I tested both several years ago and have been a happy Heroic user since.
However, neither support 2 key features of GOG Galaxy:
1. cloud saves
2. achievements
These are 2 of the most significant features of competitors like Steam, IMO, so missing them for GOG on Linux is unfortunate.
I was mixing up the fact that "Linux native games do not support GOG's Cloud Saves feature" (direct quote from the app itself), with a general lack of support. Given it says "Use the Windows version instead", I am quite wrong, it clearly does support them for Windows games.
If you think that's a "lie", consult a dictionary.
As for whether my general point stands, I think it's a reasonable inference that if GOG Galaxy supported Linux, it would support Linux games and cloud saves for those games, and only then would Heroic and the like be able to implement such a feature. I could be wrong, as it depends on details I don't know, and I'm just making an educated guess.
I just installed a GOG Windows game in Heroic, and the Settings state "This game does not support Cloud Saves" even though my account has cloud saves clearly visible for that same game on the GOG website.
Given I'm using Heroic from AUR on a supported OS, and installed with default settings, I consider this cloud save support to be less than stellar, but that's a separate matter, I'm not trying to turn this thread into a support issue.
Yeah I was wrong and admitted it and explained the genesis and nuances of it. "And yet somehow"... why say "somehow" as if it's a mystery now? "outright opened" is a very poor construction as well. "direct" in "direct falsehood" is not doing much there either. Please work a little harder at your scolding and condescension, the quality is somewhat low. Better yet, engage thoughtfully and charitably instead.
I use lgogdownloader, but yeah they should improve their Linux support. At the very least the immediate benefit would be Galaxy protocol support for their Linux builds.
The whole point of GOG is that you don't need a "client" -- it's just a store.
If you want to use something other than a standard web browser to install your games, there are plenty of options, including projects like Lutris and lgogdownloader.
I think the issue with requests to "release the client" isn't as simple as "you can use an open source alternative".
Their Galaxy backend only handles Windows and macOS builds of games. Linux builds aren't included now. There are hacks around it like using access to individual files over HTTP through zip format for Linux installers as pseudo Galaxy (lgogdownloader supports that) but it's still just a hack.
Another piece is multiplayer integration that games can ship. That depends on their support too (authentication, matching and etc).
The OSS alternatives do download and install the Linux builds.
But again, the whole point of GOG is that you don't need a special client in the first place. You just get ordinary installers, and don't have to deal with the game requiring a third party's proprietary launcher.