diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 048ce4e4343..38eeab44b65 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,8 +1,15 @@
 # Asset directory
 assets/*
-# We want certain xmls though
-!assets/definitions/
-!assets/definitions/*.xml
+
+# asset symlinks
+/cegui_examples
+/definitions
+/fonts
+/gui
+/materials
+/models
+/sounds
+/videos
 
 # Website directory
 
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 07807a45a4c..a209413d86b 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -55,6 +55,11 @@ include(utils)
 # Search path for dynamic libraries at runtime. Only relevant for Linux.
 set(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH ".")
 
+# Makes sure that the RPATH is always the install path. Required for linux
+# redistributable
+SET(CMAKE_BUILD_WITH_INSTALL_RPATH TRUE)
+SET(CMAKE_INSTALL_RPATH_USE_LINK_PATH TRUE)
+
 # Assure a proper build type
 if (NOT CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE)
   set(CMAKE_BUILD_TYPE
@@ -82,8 +87,8 @@ set(OGRE_PLUGINS
   # Plugin_BSPSceneManager
   #  Plugin_OctreeSceneManager
   #  Plugin_OctreeZone
-    Plugin_ParticleFX
-    Plugin_CgProgramManager
+    #Plugin_ParticleFX
+    #Plugin_CgProgramManager
   #  Plugin_PCZSceneManager
     RenderSystem_GL
 )
@@ -268,7 +273,8 @@ if(WIN32)
     )
 else()
     target_link_libraries(ThriveLib
-        ${AVRESAMPLE_LIBRARIES}
+      ${AVRESAMPLE_LIBRARIES}
+      ${SWRESAMPLE_LIBRARIES}
     )
 endif()
 
@@ -666,3 +672,25 @@ add_custom_target(zip
     DEPENDS Thrive
 )
 
+###############################################################################
+# Linux package
+###############################################################################
+
+if(UNIX)
+
+  file(READ "thriveversion.ver" THRIVE_VERSION)
+  set(LINUX_LIBRARIES "${cAudio_LIBRARIES}" "${BULLET_LIBRARIES}" "${AVRESAMPLE_LIBRARIES}"
+    "${SWRESAMPLE_LIBRARIES}" "${OgreFFMPEG_LIBRARIES}" "${FFMPEG_LIBRARIES}" "${Boost_LIBRARIES}"
+    "${OGRE_LIBRARIES}" "${OIS_LIBRARIES}" "${CMAKE_THREAD_LIBS_INIT}" "${BULLET_LIBRARIES}"
+    "${CEGUI_LIBRARY}" "${TINYXML_LIBRARIES}" "${OpenAL_LIBRARIES}")
+  
+  configure_file("${CMAKE_SOURCE_DIR}/cpack/CreatePackage.sh.in"
+    "${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR}/CreatePackage.sh" @ONLY
+    )
+
+  add_custom_target(linuxrelease
+    COMMAND "./CreatePackage.sh"
+    DEPENDS Thrive doc
+    )
+  
+endif()
diff --git a/SetupThrive.sh b/SetupThrive.sh
index 323222ad58b..95bccecb408 100755
--- a/SetupThrive.sh
+++ b/SetupThrive.sh
@@ -7,11 +7,12 @@ OriginalFolder=$(pwd)
 if [ -f ./thriveversion.ver -o "$InsideFolder" = "thrive" ]; then
 
     # Running from thrive folder
-    StartingDirectory=$(dirname "$(pwd)")
+    cd ..
+    StartingDirectory=$(pwd)
     
 else
     
-    StartingDirectory=$(pwd)
+    StartingDirectory=$(pwd)   
 fi
 
 
@@ -81,20 +82,24 @@ fi
 
 PackageManager="dnf install -y "
 PackagesToInstall="bullet-devel boost gcc-c++ libXaw-devel freetype-devel freeimage-devel \
- zziplib-devel boost-devel ois-devel tinyxml-devel glm-devel ffmpeg-devel ffmpeg-libs openal-soft-devel"
+ zziplib-devel boost-devel ois-devel tinyxml-devel glm-devel ffmpeg-devel ffmpeg-libs \
+ openal-soft-devel libatomic"
 CommonPackages="cmake make git mercurial svn"
 
 if [ "$OS" = "Fedora" ]; then
 
-    echo "Creating CEGUI project folder for $OS"
+    echo "Creating Thrive project folder for $OS"
    
 elif [ "$OS" = "Ubuntu" ]; then
 
+    echo "Creating Thrive project folder for $OS"
+
     PackageManager="apt-get install -y "
          
     PackagesToInstall="bullet-dev boost-dev build-essential automake libtool libfreetype6-dev \
- libfreeimage-dev libzzip-dev libxrandr-dev libxaw7-dev freeglut3-dev libgl1-mesa-dev \
- libglu1-mesa-dev libois-dev libboost-thread-dev tinyxml-dev glm-dev ffmpeg-dev libavutil-dev libopenal-dev"
+      libfreeimage-dev libzzip-dev libxrandr-dev libxaw7-dev freeglut3-dev libgl1-mesa-dev \
+      libglu1-mesa-dev libois-dev libboost-thread-dev tinyxml-dev glm-dev ffmpeg-dev libavutil-dev libopenal-dev \
+      libatomic1"
 else
          
     echo "Unkown linux OS \"$OS\""
@@ -175,10 +180,12 @@ else
 fi
 
 hg update default
+# Working commit
+hg checkout a2e49193409c
 
-mkdir build
+mkdir -p build
 cd build
-cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DCEGUI_BUILD_APPLICATION_TEMPLATES=OFF -DCEGUI_BUILD_PYTHON_MODULES=OFF -DCEGUI_SAMPLES_ENABLED=OFF
+cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DCEGUI_BUILD_APPLICATION_TEMPLATES=OFF -DCEGUI_BUILD_PYTHON_MODULES=OFF -DCEGUI_SAMPLES_ENABLED=OFF -DCEGUI_STRING_CLASS=1
 
 cd "$StartingDirectory"
 
@@ -196,8 +203,8 @@ else
 
     #Official repo
     #git clone https://github.com/scrawl/ogre-ffmpeg-videoplayer.git ogre-ffmpeg-videoplayer
-    # Currently working hhyyrylainen's fork
-    git clone https://github.com/hhyyrylainen/ogre-ffmpeg-videoplayer.git ogre-ffmpeg-videoplayer
+    # Currently working Revolutionary games fork
+    git clone https://github.com/Revolutionary-Games/ogre-ffmpeg-videoplayer.git ogre-ffmpeg-videoplayer
     cd ogre-ffmpeg-videoplayer
 fi
 
@@ -215,9 +222,8 @@ echo "cAudio"
 if [ -d cAudio ]; then
 
     cd cAudio
-    #Workaround for broken latest version
-    #git checkout master
-    #git pull origin master
+    git checkout master
+    git pull origin master
 
     
 else
@@ -227,7 +233,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 #Workaround for broken build with latest version
-git checkout 22ff1a97a9a820c72726463708590adfae77008c
+#git checkout 22ff1a97a9a820c72726463708590adfae77008c
 
 mkdir -p build
 cd build
@@ -324,28 +330,37 @@ fi
 
 echo "Making all the links"
 ln -sf assets/cegui_examples cegui_examples
-ln -sf assets/definitions definitions
+#ln -sf assets/definitions definitions
 ln -sf assets/fonts fonts
 ln -sf assets/gui gui
 ln -sf assets/materials materials
 ln -sf assets/models models
 ln -sf assets/sounds sounds
+ln -sf assets/videos videos
+
+mkdir -p build
 
 echo "Copying Ogre resources file"
 cp ogre_cfg/resources.cfg build/resources.cfg
 
 echo "Copying complelety pointless Ogre files"
 
-cp /usr/local/share/OGRE/plugins.cfg build/plugins.cfg
-
+cp ogre_cfg/plugins.cfg build/plugins.cfg
 
+echo "Copying Ogre libs to bin"
+cp $StartingDirectory/ogreBuild/build/ogre/lib/RenderSystem_GL.* build/
+cp $StartingDirectory/ogreBuild/build/ogre/lib/Plugin_ParticleFX.* build/
+#cp $StartingDirectory/ogreBuild/build/ogre/lib/Plugin_CgProgramManager.* build/
+#cp $StartingDirectory/ogreBuild/build/ogre/lib/libOgreMain.* build/
 
 echo "Compiling Thrive"
-mkdir -p build
 cd build
 cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=RelWithDebInfo -DCMAKE_EXPORT_COMPILE_COMMANDS=ON
 eval "make $MakeArgs"
 
+echo "Making symlinks to libraries in bin/contrib"
+ln -s contrib/lua/liblua.so liblua.so
+
 echo "."
 echo "."
 echo "."
diff --git a/contrib/luabind b/contrib/luabind
index 55b1bd92172..a0edf58e14c 160000
--- a/contrib/luabind
+++ b/contrib/luabind
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 55b1bd9217205253b41ab7d4746637ee5b0d276f
+Subproject commit a0edf58e14cfb8cd4f13779707921b5e9caf686c
diff --git a/cpack/CreatePackage.sh.in b/cpack/CreatePackage.sh.in
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..afd20a99205
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cpack/CreatePackage.sh.in
@@ -0,0 +1,130 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+# Creates a zipped redistributable Thrive package for linux
+version=@THRIVE_VERSION@
+versionedname=Thrive-$version
+stripfiles=1
+
+target=$versionedname
+
+librariestoinstall="@LINUX_LIBRARIES@"
+
+mkdir -p $target
+mkdir -p $target/bin
+
+
+# Copy all required files
+cp Thrive $target/bin
+cp contrib/lua/liblua.so $target/bin
+
+
+if [ $stripfiles = 1 ] ; then
+    strip $target/bin/Thrive
+    strip $target/bin/liblua.so
+fi
+
+# Copies a single library
+
+CopyDependency () {
+
+    echo "Copying dependency $1"    
+    
+    cp "$1" $target/bin
+
+    linkto=$(readlink "$1")
+
+    if [ ! -z "$linkto" ]; then
+
+        echo "Following symlink $1 => $linkto"
+        linkdir=$(dirname "$1")
+        
+        CopyDependency "$linkdir/$linkto"
+        
+    fi
+
+    # Strip the copied file
+    if [ $stripfiles = 1 ] ; then
+
+        filename=$(basename "$1")
+        echo "Stripping dependency $filename"
+        strip "$target/bin/$filename"
+    fi
+}
+
+# Loop through all required libraries
+echo "$librariestoinstall" | awk 'BEGIN { RS=";" } { print $0 }' | while read -r line ; do
+
+    filename=$(basename "$line")
+    extension="${filename##*.}"
+    
+    if [ -f "$line" ] && [ "$extension" != "a" ]; then
+        
+        CopyDependency "$line"
+        echo ""
+    fi 
+done
+
+# Ogre plugins
+cp ./RenderSystem_GL.* $target/bin
+cp ./Plugin_ParticleFX.* $target/bin
+#cp ./Plugin_CgProgramManager.* $target/bin
+
+if [ $stripfiles = 1 ] ; then
+    strip $target/bin/RenderSystem_GL.*
+    strip $target/bin/Plugin_ParticleFX.*
+    #strip $target/bin/Plugin_CgProgramManager.*
+fi
+
+# Assets
+# TODO: see if these could be symlinks
+cp -r ../assets/fonts $target/
+#cp -r ../assets/definitions $target/
+cp -r ../assets/gui $target/
+cp -r ../assets/materials $target/
+cp -r ../assets/models $target/
+cp -r ../assets/sounds $target/
+cp -r ../assets/videos $target/
+cp -r ../scripts $target/
+
+echo "Copying and creating rest of the resources"
+
+# Ogre files that are required until Thrive gets its own config files
+cp resources.cfg $target/bin
+cp plugins.cfg $target/bin
+
+# Launch links
+echo "#!/bin/sh
+cd bin
+./Thrive" > $target/launch.sh
+chmod +x $target/launch.sh
+
+# Info files
+cp ../LICENSE.txt $target/
+cp ../README.md $target/
+cp ../gpl.txt $target/
+
+# documentation
+cp -r doc $target/
+
+# Version file
+cp ../thriveversion.ver $target/
+touch "$target/package.version.$versionedname"
+
+# Source code setup script
+mkdir -p $target/source_build
+cp ../SetupThrive.sh $target/source_build
+echo "To get a copy of the source code and automatically build it run ./SetupThrive.sh.
+Note: the script requires root, so you should read through it before running it" > $target/source_build/README.MD
+
+# Delete log files, if ran from the staging folder before
+echo "Deleting log and settings files if they exist"
+rm $target/bin/cAudioEngineLog.html
+rm $target/bin/CEGUI.log
+rm $target/bin/default
+rm $target/bin/ogre.cfg
+
+echo "Zipping it up"
+
+# Zip it up
+7za a "Thrive.$version.7z" $versionedname
+
+echo "Package Thrive.$version.7z done"
diff --git a/src/engine/engine.cpp b/src/engine/engine.cpp
index 1a56fb191ce..5c4182c4923 100644
--- a/src/engine/engine.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/engine.cpp
@@ -209,6 +209,7 @@ struct Engine::Implementation : public Ogre::WindowEventListener {
         namespace fs = boost::filesystem;
         fs::path manifestPath = directory / "manifest.txt";
         if (not fs::exists(manifestPath)) {
+            throw std::runtime_error("Missing manifest file: " + manifestPath.string());
             return;
         }
         std::ifstream manifest(manifestPath.string());
@@ -348,8 +349,7 @@ struct Engine::Implementation : public Ogre::WindowEventListener {
         // Using the handling on keydown mode to detect when inputs are consumed
         m_aggregator->initialise(false);
 
-        CEGUI::System::getSingleton().getDefaultGUIContext().setDefaultTooltipType(
-            reinterpret_cast<const CEGUI::utf8*>("Thrive/Tooltip") );
+        CEGUI::System::getSingleton().getDefaultGUIContext().setDefaultTooltipType("Thrive/Tooltip");
 
         // For demos
         // This file is renamed in newer CEGUI versions
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ struct Engine::Implementation : public Ogre::WindowEventListener {
       //  CEGUI::ImageManager::getSingleton().loadImageset("GameMenu.imageset");
        // CEGUI::ImageManager::getSingleton().loadImageset("HUDDemo.imageset");
 
-        CEGUI::System::getSingleton().getDefaultGUIContext().setDefaultTooltipType( reinterpret_cast<const CEGUI::utf8*>("Thrive/Tooltip") );
+        CEGUI::System::getSingleton().getDefaultGUIContext().setDefaultTooltipType("Thrive/Tooltip");
         CEGUI::AnimationManager::getSingleton().loadAnimationsFromXML("thrive.anims");
 
         //For demos:
diff --git a/src/gui/CEGUIWindow.cpp b/src/gui/CEGUIWindow.cpp
index 263e4775133..1c4f9fc917e 100644
--- a/src/gui/CEGUIWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/CEGUIWindow.cpp
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ CEGUIWindow::destroy() const {
 
 std::string
 CEGUIWindow::getText() const {
-    return std::string(m_window->getText().c_str());
+    return m_window->getText().c_str();
 }
 
 
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ CEGUIWindow::listWidgetGetFirstSelectedItemText(){
     if(!selected)
         return "";
 
-    return std::string(selected->getText().c_str());
+    return selected->getText().c_str();
 }
 
 int
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ CEGUIWindow::setSizeRel(
 
 std::string
 CEGUIWindow::getName() {
-    return std::string(m_window->getName().c_str());
+    return m_window->getName().c_str();
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/src/sound/caudio_include.h b/src/sound/caudio_include.h
index de3b8c6ca22..9038fb4b091 100644
--- a/src/sound/caudio_include.h
+++ b/src/sound/caudio_include.h
@@ -20,11 +20,6 @@
 #include <cAudio.h>
 
 
-__attribute__((unused)) static void toWINSTRNotUnused(){
-#ifndef _WIN32
-    cAudio::toWINSTR(static_cast<const char*>(nullptr));
-#endif
-}
 
 __attribute__((unused)) static void toUTF8NotUnused(){