ECWolf¶

Overview¶

ECWolf is a modernized Wolfenstein 3D engine that builds on Wolf4SDL and adds mod support, modern input controls, and configuration polish. REG-Linux keeps it under the ports heading with its own ecwolf metadata group.

Quick reference¶

ROM folder: /userdata/roms/ecwolf
Accepted formats: .ecwolf, .pk3, .squashfs
Saves: /userdata/saves/ecwolf/[romname]/
Emulator: ecwolf
System group: ports

BIOS¶

ECWolf loads the original Wolfenstein-era data and does not need a BIOS file.

Game files¶

Install Wolfenstein 3D, Spear of Destiny, or other supported collections into dedicated .ecwolf folders inside /userdata/roms/ecwolf/. Each folder holds the data archives for that release (e.g., audiohed.wl6, config.sod, gamemaps.sod, vgagraph.n3d, etc.), so the hierarchy might look like:

/userdata/roms/ecwolf/Wolfenstein 3D.ecwolf/
  audiohed.wl6
  audiot.wl6
  ...

/userdata/roms/ecwolf/Spear of Destiny.ecwolf/
  audiohed.sod
  audiot.sod
  dgamemaps.sd2
  ...

/userdata/roms/ecwolf/Super 3D Noah's Ark.ecwolf/
  audiohed.n3d
  ...

ECWolf also accepts .pk3 mods placed alongside the base data. When mixing HD packs, high-detail textures, or campaign mods, wrap the command line in a .ecwolf script that contains the arguments you normally pass to the binary (for example, --data wl6 --file ../HD/pack.pk3). This makes it easy to combine multiple .pk3 files while preserving the base dataset.

Really custom setups can mix .pk3 archives directly next to the .ecwolf folder, but the wrapper files give you full control over command-line switches such as -gamegrp, -data, and -file.

Emulators¶

ECWolf¶

REG-Linux bundles the ECWolf binary with the standard ecwolf.* ES options (videomode, padtokeyboard, decoration, etc.). Most tuning is done inside ECWolf’s native menu or by editing its config.wl6/config.sod files.

Controls¶

Mouse and keyboard remain the primary controls, but you can bind retropad buttons with the Quick Menu and global controller configuration. The default overlay shows the classic keyboard layout; adjust as needed from within ECWolf’s Options screen.

Troubleshooting¶

If a folder fails to launch, verify that the expected .wl6, .sod, .n3d, or .pk3 files are present and that their extensions match the title you are starting.
When combining mods, keep track of file order in the .ecwolf wrapper; typos or missing paths cause ECWolf to ignore the custom pack.
For deep dives on modding or data structures, refer to the ECWolf wiki and the modding guides linked in the original documentation.