This write up is shamelessly taken from Playing DayZ on Arch Linux | Space Bums and Some documentation on vm.max_map_count · Issue #141 · lutris/docs · GitHub with a tweak or two for installing on OpenMandriva and updates to the Steam interface. While I love OM there really is not much documentation for installing games which makes it a little more difficult for super noobs like me to use it the way I want to.
Step 1. Install Steam from OMWelcome. Dont install it other way as you may introduce problems not only here but with any other game you want to play from steam.
Step 2. Enable Steam play. In the upper left corner click on the “Steam” button and navigate down to “Settings” and click on it. Navigate down to “Compatibility” and open it. Toggle on “Enable Steam Play for all other titles”. Below this under “Run other titles with:” select “Proton Experimental”. <note: I think this is obsolete, i did it with and without and they both worked.
Step 3. Install DayZ. Then navigate to your library and right click on Dayz, and then click on properties. Select “Compatibility” and check the box labeled “Force the use of a Steam Play compatibility tool”. Below that select “Proton Experimental”
Step 4. Install Battleye anti-cheat. You probably wont have to do this, when I installed DayZ it was automatically installed. If yours doesn’t automatically install this then In the game library search string in the left column enter “proton” and select Proton BattlEye Runtime** and press the Install button if it’s not already installed.
Step 5. Fix loading screen crash. The game will crash on the loading screen without this step. To fix this Issue open Konsole or your terminal and enter:
sudo sysctl -w vm.max_map_count=1048576
You should see this output in the terminal
vm.max_map_count = 1048576
You should now be able to launch the game. When the launcher opens select “Run Dayz client” instead of “Play DayZ”
You should be able to play DayZ now.
But we are not done yet. The command lines you just put in wont save when you reboot so you have to fix that.
Step 6. Open the Konsole again and past in
sudo nano /etc/sysctl.d/max_map_count.conf
It will bring up another window which you will need to paste in
vm.max_map_count=1048576
Hit ctrl + x then y and then enter, and then exit the Konsole, reboot your computer and you should be good to go.