CompLayer is a tool for compressing and managing games using SquashFS + OverlayFS, allowing games that would normally require more storage space to be used when available storage is limited.
Before using CompLayer, make sure your system has:
- Linux with OverlayFS support.
mksquashfsinstalled.- Sufficient permissions to perform mount operations (
mount). - Enough free space to perform the compression.
- A filesystem compatible with the operations performed by the program.
The CompLayer interactive menu provides information and tips during operations. Carefully follow the rules and tips shown by the program to avoid problems.
Installation is simple:
- Create a folder for CompLayer.
- Place all program files in the root of that folder.
- Run the program.
Example:
CompLayer/
├── CompLayer
├── CompLayer.dll
├── CompLayer.deps.json
├── CompLayer.runtimeconfig.json
└── ...
There is no need to spread the program files throughout the system. Keep them together in the same folder.
When you start CompLayer, you will see an interactive menu.
The menu itself helps guide you through the process. Simply follow the instructions, rules, and tips shown for each option.
In general, CompLayer works with:
- Creating games/projects.
- Compressing files using SquashFS.
- Using OverlayFS to make compressed files available.
- Mounting and unmounting projects.
- Managing created projects.
Read the messages displayed by the program before confirming an operation.
Some operations may require administrative privileges because the program uses Linux mount functionality.
It is more than expected for some games to experience slowdowns or performance loss when used through CompLayer.
The main goal of the project is not to achieve the highest possible performance, but to allow games and other files to take up less storage space and be used in situations where the available storage would normally not be enough.
Depending on the game, storage device, compression level, and hardware, there may be a noticeable performance difference.
Therefore, if you have a large amount of available storage, it may simply not be worth using or testing CompLayer. In that case, installing the game normally will most likely provide better performance and a simpler experience.
CompLayer is primarily designed for situations where saving storage space is more important than achieving maximum performance.
CompLayer was developed in C#, using:
- .NET
- Avalonia UI
- JetBrains Rider Community Edition
The project was developed with a focus on Linux and efficient storage usage.
Thank you for using CompLayer! ❤️
I hope the project is useful to you and helps you make better use of the storage space available on your system.
If you encounter any problems or have suggestions, feel free to contribute to the project.