People would generally scoff to switch to using Linux OS because of software shortfall. Though this holds for a few people still, it’s not much of a concern nowadays. This is because a variety of things can be done via internet browser these days. This as such lessens one’s reliance on Windows software. For most people now, having a Chrome web browser is enough to meet their requirements.
However, what if you want to run some Windows games and apps which can run only on Linux OS? In such a case, it’s quite possible to avoid Windows and use something such as Linux Mint or Fedora. Thanks to the Wine software which can prove to be helpful in such a case. Wine developers have released Wine version 4.0 comprising of several new features.
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The cool new features
The Wine 4.0 has over 6,000 new changes made to it. Besides, this latest version brings four major changes- Vulcan support, game controllers support, better high-dpi support for Android and initial direct3D 12 support. To get the benefits of direct3D 12 support, you will require a graphics card with Vulkan support and vkd3d library.
Well, these are just a minor sampling included in the extensive change-log. There are many more. Moreover, it’s worth noting that a few of such features were available in Wine development as well as staging already. For instance, these are used by software such as Valve’s Proton, PlayOnLinux, and Lutris.
Is it the ultimate solution?
Before you get all excited, it’s important for you to know that Wine is not completely flawless. There are a few games and apps which would run just fine, but some others might be buggy or slow. Besides, there are chances of many trails as well as the error being involved. Hence, unless you want to use a Windows app for some important thing, it’s highly suggested you don’t try Wine. You can instead try to look for an alternative or choose a solution which is web-based like Microsoft Office Online.
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If you want, you can download Wine 4.0 from the source. However, if you want an easy way to download it, then you can check the links- Fedora, Debian and Ubuntu. But do make sure that you follow the instructions properly. Also, remember that it does not appear as if Wine 4.0 is available in reports as yet. Hence, if you do opt for installing it, then you may have to install Wine version 3.x instead. In such a case, you can wait for all packages to get updated sometime later. On the other hand, Wine version 4.0 should prove to be good specifically for all the gamers.
Notably, Wine is an open-source and completely free compatibility layer. Its main aim is to let the computer games and application software which are mainly developed for Windows to work on OS’s similar to UNIX. Wine is mainly developed for macOS and Linux. There are many amazing packages available for both of these platforms.
