---
name: "quake2"
section: "6"
platform: "linux"
package: "quake2"
version: "85.1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/quake2"
---

# quake2(6)

classic first person shooter

## NAME

quake2 - classic first person shooter

## SYNOPSIS

**quake2** \[*WRAPPER-OPTIONS*\] \[*ENGINE-OPTIONS*\] \[*ENGINE-COMMANDS*\]*...*\

## DESCRIPTION

This manual page documents briefly the **quake2** command.

**Quake II** is a popular first-person shooter game, released in 1997 by iD Software.  This wrapper script will launch the Quake II engine.  The game data needs to be installed independently using the 'game-data-packager' program, and by default it will be looked for at */usr/share/games/quake2* and */usr/share/games/quake2-demo*.

This wrapper script accepts a few GNU-style options. Any further arguments are passed to the engine unmodified. Consult the engine documentation for full details, but most engines support a syntax where you can give console commands by prefixing with a plus sign.

Additionally, if **quake2** is run via a symbolic link whose name contains **reckoning**, **xatrix**, **groundzero** or **rogue**, it will play one of the Quake II mission packs, **The Reckoning** (by Xatrix Entertainment) or **Ground Zero** (by Rogue Entertainment). This requires that additional data files are installed.

## OPTIONS

These options are accepted for **WRAPPER-OPTIONS** in the synopsis.

- **-h, --help**

  Show summary of options.

- **-v, --version**

  Show version of program.

- **--engine=ENGINE**

  Select a non-default Quake II engine binary

- **--demo**

  Use the demo data, even if you have both the demo and the full version installed

- **-q**, **--quiet**

  Disable all console output

- **--debugger=***DEBUGGER*

  Prepend a debugger or other prefix (such as **strace**) to the engine command line

- **--print-backtrace**

  Use [**gdb**(1)](/gdb/1.md) to get a backtrace if the engine crashes (the **gdb** package must be installed)

## EXAMPLES

Play the demo in cooperative mode: **quake2 --demo +map demo1 +set coop 1**

- Connect to a server for multiplayer:

  **quake2 +connect quake2.example.com**

- Run the client as a temporary dedicated server (see the **quake2-server**

  package for more server infrastructure): **quake2 +set dedicated 1 +set deathmatch 1 +map q2dm1**

## SEE ALSO

[**quake2-server**(6)](/quake2-server/6.md), [**game-data-packager**(6)](/game-data-packager/6.md).

## AUTHOR

This manual page, and the quake2 wrapper script, were written by Simon McVittie \<smcv@debian.org\>, for the Debian project (and may be used by others). They are based on the Quake packaging by David Banks and Simon McVittie.