# VASSAL 3.7.24 Does Not Run on Ubuntu Linux

**URL:** <https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/vassal-3-7-24-does-not-run-on-ubuntu-linux/90301>\
**Category:** Technical Support & Bugs\
**Created:** [July 10, 2026, 6:22pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/vassal-3-7-24-does-not-run-on-ubuntu-linux/90301 "2026-07-10T18:22:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 6

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cholmcc](https://forum.vassalengine.org/user_avatar/forum.vassalengine.org/cholmcc/32/8319_2.png) [@cholmcc](https://forum.vassalengine.org/u/cholmcc)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/vassal-3-7-24-does-not-run-on-ubuntu-linux/90301/6 "2026-07-10T20:43:28Z")

</div>

> [@Babyear](#):
>
> Thank you. I removed JRE 11 and loaded JRE 21.

Which release of Ubuntu are you using? If you don’t know, run

```auto
$ cat /etc/ubuntu_version

```

Did you install Java through the distribution, i.e.,

```auto
$ sudo apt install default-jre

```

That should automatically install a newer JRE (see also [the installation instructions](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/installation-instructions/85146)).

As you are running Ubuntu, you can also use the [provided `.deb` package](https://vassalengine.org/download.html). Simply download the package, and then run

```auto
$ sudo install ./vassal_3.7.24-1_all.deb

```

and it will take care of downloading and installating needed third-party packages, as well as set up the desktop-integration (see also the [installation instructions](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/installation-instructions/85146#Debian)).

> [@Babyear](#):
>
> Buttons are super spaced far apart. Is this a result of JRE21?

Vassal on Linux (and MacOS) will use the [system look’n’feel](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/javax/swing/UIManager.html#getSystemLookAndFeelClassName--) (see also [How to set the VASSAL Look’n’Feel](https://forum.vassalengine.org/t/set-vassal-looknfeel/84865)). On Linux, this is `GTK+`, which will then use the current GTK theme. The spacing between (or rather margin of) elements is dictated by the used GTK theme. If you use the default GTK theme ([Adwaita](https://gnome.pages.gitlab.gnome.org/libadwaita/)), then the margins around pictures on buttons, for example, is relatively big. One open is to change the theme used by GTK to a more compact one.

> [@Babyear](#):
>
> My first time posting on this forum

Remember to mark the post that solved your issue. That helps others find the solution to their problems. Only you, as OP, can do that.

Yours,  
_Christian_

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