I actually wrote a recent guide for building Stepmania from source on Linux over in the releases forum.
It assumes that you know how to use the package manager to search for a package and install it, and that you can type commands into a terminal to change to a different directory.
If you need a basic commandline tutorial, I can write one up that covers changing directories and knowing what directory you're in and stuff.
According to RayZa, the Linux binary attached to the 5.0.8 (in the tar.gz file at the bottom of the release notes) works on Ubuntu 15.04, so it probably works on Linux Mint, if you have an amd64 processor.
I'm having some trouble on part 4 of the guide. I'm either missing things, or inputting the wrong commands. Could I get some clarification?
edit: did cd ~/stepmania/Build instead of cd Build and it seems to work.
I'm getting a lot of artifacting when it does its thing. Is this a serious concern? there don't seem to be any persistant effects.
also, I have an Intel Core Duo, so no on the amd64
UPDATE: Everything buffed out, finished, and the game launches. However, still no sound. I installed everything except for "OSS (kernel headers actually)" since I didn't know what you meant by that. The rest I managed to get through apt-get since not all were in the software manager. The problem seems to be identical to this http://beta.stepmania.com/forums/general-questions/show/2793
I'm guessing it has something to do with Sound driver: Null
this is what I'm getting:
mitocristae@Chris ~ $ ./stepmania/stepmania
StepMania5.0.8
Compiled 20150613 @ 16:08:51 -0700 (build 0)
Log starting 2015-06-13 17:27:59
Loading window: gtk
OS: Linux ver 031300
Crash backtrace component: x86 custom backtrace
Crash lookup component: backtrace_symbols
Runtime library: glibc 2.19
Threads library: NPTL 2.19
libavcodec: 0x372765 (3614565)
Couldn't load driver OSS: RageSoundDriver_OSS: Couldn't open /dev/dsp: No such file or directory
Sound driver: Null
Lights driver: SystemMessage
Lights driver: Export
(stepmania:4625): Gtk-CRITICAL **: IA__gtk_style_detach: assertion 'style->attach_count > 0' failed
Video renderers: 'opengl'
Display: :0 (screen 0)
X server vendor: The X.Org Foundation [1.15.1.0]
Server GLX vendor: SGI [1.4]
Client GLX vendor: Mesa Project and SGI [1.4]
Paletted textures disabled: GL_EXT_paletted_texture missing.
Direct rendering: yes
OGL Vendor: Intel Open Source Technology Center
OGL Renderer: Mesa DRI Mobile Intel® GM45 Express Chipset
OGL Version: 2.1 Mesa 10.1.3
OGL Max texture size: 8192
OGL Texture units: 8
GLU Version: 1.3
OGL Extensions:
GL_3DFX_texture_compression_FXT1
GL_AMD: seamless_cubemap_per_texture, shader_trinary_minmax
GL_ANGLE: texture_compression_dxt3, texture_compression_dxt5
GL_APPLE: object_purgeable, packed_pixels, vertex_array_object
GL_ARB: ES2_compatibility, clear_buffer_object, color_buffer_float, copy_buffer, debug_output,
depth_buffer_float, depth_clamp, depth_texture, draw_buffers, draw_elements_base_vertex, draw_instanced,
explicit_attrib_location, fragment_coord_conventions, fragment_program, fragment_program_shadow,
fragment_shader, framebuffer_object, framebuffer_sRGB, get_program_binary, half_float_pixel,
half_float_vertex, instanced_arrays, internalformat_query, invalidate_subdata, map_buffer_alignment,
map_buffer_range, multisample, multitexture, occlusion_query, occlusion_query2, pixel_buffer_object,
point_parameters, point_sprite, provoking_vertex, robustness, sampler_objects, seamless_cube_map,
shader_bit_encoding, shader_objects, shader_texture_lod, shading_language_100, shadow, sync,
texture_border_clamp, texture_compression, texture_compression_rgtc, texture_cube_map, texture_env_add,
texture_env_combine, texture_env_crossbar, texture_env_dot3, texture_float, texture_mirror_clamp_to_edge,
texture_mirrored_repeat, texture_non_power_of_two, texture_rectangle, texture_rg, texture_rgb10_a2ui,
texture_storage, texture_swizzle, transpose_matrix, vertex_array_bgra, vertex_array_object,
vertex_attrib_binding, vertex_buffer_object, vertex_program, vertex_shader, vertex_type_2_10_10_10_rev,
window_pos
GL_ATI: blend_equation_separate, draw_buffers, envmap_bumpmap, separate_stencil, texture_env_combine3,
texture_float
GL_EXT: abgr, bgra, blend_color, blend_equation_separate, blend_func_separate, blend_minmax, blend_subtract,
compiled_vertex_array, copy_texture, draw_buffers2, draw_instanced, draw_range_elements, fog_coord,
framebuffer_blit, framebuffer_object, framebuffer_sRGB, gpu_program_parameters, multi_draw_arrays,
packed_depth_stencil, packed_float, packed_pixels, pixel_buffer_object, point_parameters, polygon_offset,
provoking_vertex, rescale_normal, secondary_color, separate_shader_objects, separate_specular_color,
shadow_funcs, stencil_two_side, stencil_wrap, subtexture, texture, texture3D, texture_array,
texture_compression_dxt1, texture_compression_rgtc, texture_cube_map, texture_edge_clamp, texture_env_add,
texture_env_combine, texture_env_dot3, texture_filter_anisotropic, texture_integer, texture_lod_bias,
texture_object, texture_rectangle, texture_sRGB, texture_sRGB_decode, texture_shared_exponent, texture_snorm,
texture_swizzle, vertex_array, vertex_array_bgra
GL_IBM: multimode_draw_arrays, rasterpos_clip, texture_mirrored_repeat
GL_INGR_blend_func_separate
GL_KHR_debug
GL_MESA: pack_invert, texture_signed_rgba, window_pos
GL_NV: blend_square, conditional_render, depth_clamp, light_max_exponent, packed_depth_stencil,
primitive_restart, texgen_reflection, texture_env_combine4, texture_rectangle
GL_OES: EGL_image, read_format
GL_S3_s3tc
GL_SGIS: generate_mipmap, texture_border_clamp, texture_edge_clamp, texture_lod
GL_SUN_multi_draw_arrays
OpenGL Windowed 960x600 32 color 32 texture 60Hz NoVsync NoSmoothLines
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event0: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event1: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event2: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event3: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event4: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event5: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event6: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event7: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event8: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event9: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event10: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event11: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event15: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event14: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event13: Permission denied.
LinuxEvent: Couldn't open /dev/input/event12: Permission denied.
LinuxJoystick: Opened /dev/input/js0