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From: dgardner@netcom.com (Dave Gardner)
Subject: WINE (WINdows Emulator) Frequently Asked Questions
Message-ID: <dgardnerCqnA60.2K3@netcom.com>
Followup-To: poster
Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions (and
their answers) about Wine, the WINdows Emulator project. This
should be read by anyone wishing to know more about the development
of this programming project, which will allow users to run MS Windows
binary programs under certain Unixes and Unix clones.
Sender: dgardner@netcom.com (Dave Gardner)
Organization: No place like home
Date: Tue, 31 May 1994 02:13:11 GMT
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU
Expires: Sat, 2 Jul 1994 00:00:00 GMT
Lines: 521
Archive-name: windows-emulation/wine-faq
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 30 May 1994 18:43:00 PDT
Version: 1.2a
Wine Frequently Asked Questions
Version 1.2a
This is the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for the Wine (WINdows
Emulator) project. It contains both general and technical information
about Wine: project status, what it is and what it does, how to obtain and
configure and run it, and more. Please read this FAQ carefully before you
post questions about Wine to any Unix newsgroup, to see if your question
is already answered here first.
This FAQ will be posted periodically to the following newsgroups:
comp.answers
comp.emulators.announce
comp.os.386bsd.announce
comp.os.linux.announce
comp.os.windows.i386unix
news.answers
and is also available by anonymous ftp from:
tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/ALPHA/Wine/Wine.FAQ
aris.com:/pub/linux/ALPHA/Wine/Wine.FAQ
ftp.netcom.com:/pub/dgardner/Wine.FAQ
If you have any suggestions for corrections, changes, expansion or further
clarification of this FAQ, please send them to dgardner@netcom.com.
The following topics are covered in this FAQ:
SECTION ONE
GENERAL INFORMATION QUESTIONS
1. What is Wine? What is it supposed to do?
2. Under what operating system(s) will Wine run?
3. What's the current version of Wine, and where and how can I get it?
4. When do you expect Wine to be ready for general distribution?
5. How much disk space will the Wine source code and binaries take on
my hard drive?
6. How much RAM do I need to have on my Unix system to be able to run
Wine and MS Windows applications smoothly?
7. What minimum CPU must I have on my computer to be able to run Wine
and MS Windows applications smoothly?
8. I have a Doublespaced or Stacked MS-DOS partition. Can Wine run
MS Windows binaries located in such a partition?
9. Will Wine run only under X, or can it run in character mode?
10. Will Wine run under any X window manager?
11. Which MS Windows programs does Wine run successfully?
12. Will Wine support MS Windows networked applications that use Winsock?
13. I'm a software developer who wants to use Unix to develop programs
rather than MS-DOS, but I need to write MS-DOS and MS Windows
programs as well. Will I be able to do this with Wine libraries?
Or will I at least be able to run my favorite MS-DOS or MS Windows
compiler under under Wine to compile such programs?
14. Which, if any, MS Windows programs do you expect Wine never to
be able to run at all, and for what reason(s)?
15. Will MS Windows programs typically run faster or slower under Unix
and Wine than they do under MS-DOS and MS Windows? Will certain
kinds of programs run slower or faster?
16. Are there any other advantages or disadvantages to running MS Windows
applications under Wine that I should be aware of?
17. What happens when Chicago/Win4 is released? Will 32-bit Chicago/Win4
applications run under Wine? Can I run 32-bit MS Windows NT programs
under Wine?
18. Do I need to have a MS-DOS partition on my system to use Wine? Does
MS Windows need to be loaded into that partition in order to run
MS Windows programs under Wine?
19. If Wine completely replaces MS Windows, will it duplicate all of
the functions of MS Windows?
20. Will I be able to install MS Windows application programs in any Unix
filesystem, such as ext2fs, minix, etc.? How about the new umsdos
file system for Linux?
21. Who is responsible for writing and maintaining the Wine source code?
22. How can I help contribute to the Wine project, and in what way(s)?
23. I've written some code that I'd like to submit to the Wine project.
How do I go about doing this?
SECTION TWO
TECHNICAL INFORMATION QUESTIONS
1. I want to help beta test Wine. How can I do this?
2. I just got the latest version. So how do I install it on my hard
drive? How do I compile the source code? How do I configure it
to run on my system?
3. I've configured Wine, but it cannot find MS Windows on my drive.
What did I do wrong?
4. How do I run a MS Windows program under Wine?
5. I got Solitaire to run, but the menus don't work. What's wrong?
6. OK, so I've run Solitaire and now I'm bored. How do I exit it if
I can't operate the MS Windows menus?
7. I think I've found a bug. How do I report this bug to the Wine
programming team?
==========
SECTION ONE
GENERAL INFORMATION
1. What is Wine? What is it supposed to do?
The word Wine stands for WINdows Emulator. It is both a program loader
and an emulation library that will allow Unix users to run MS Windows
applications in a Unix environment. The program loader will load and
execute an MS Windows application binary, while the emulation library will
take calls to MS Windows functions and translate these into calls to
Unix/X, so that equivalent functionality is achieved.
MS Windows binaries will run directly; there will be no need for machine
level emulation of the program's instructions. Sun has reported better
performance with their version of WABI than is actually achieved under MS
Windows, so theoretically the same result is possible under Wine.
==========
2. Under what operating system(s) will Wine run?
Unixes currently being tested for Wine compatibility include Linux, NetBSD
and FreeBSD. The Wine development team hopes to attract the interest of
commercial Unix and Unix clone vendors as well.
==========
3. What's the current version of Wine, and where and how can I get it?
Wine is currently pre-beta and is not yet ready for distribution to the
general public. New releases of Wine are made available to Wine
programmers and other project participants nearly every Tuesday during its
developmental stage.
==========
4. When do you expect Wine to be ready for general distribution?
Because Wine is being developed solely by volunteers, it is difficult to
predict when it will be ready for general distribution. Or, as the Little
Old Winemaker says: There will be no Wine before its time. About 30
percent of the MS Windows API functions have been ported to Wine at the
current time (1st quarter 1994).
==========
5. How much disk space will the Wine source code and binaries take on
my hard drive?
When Wine is completed, you will need approximately 6-8 megabytes of hard
drive space to store and compile the source code, while the Wine binary
currently takes about 800k. You would have needed more, but Wine
programmers are creating shared libraries to save space and create a more
efficient and faster running Wine. This compares well to the approximate
12 megabytes needed for a typical MS Windows installation under MS-DOS.
==========
6. How much RAM do I need to have on my Unix system to be able to run
Wine and MS Windows applications smoothly?
If you can run X smoothly on your Unix system now, you should be able to
run Wine and MS Windows applications just fine too. A Wine workstation
should realistically have at least 8 megabytes of RAM and a 12 megabyte
swap partition. The more, the better.
==========
7. What minimum CPU must I have on my computer to be able to run Wine
and MS Windows applications smoothly?
If you can run X, you will be able to run Wine and MS Windows
applications. This means you should have a fast 386 or better CPU. As
always, the faster, the better. The existence of a FPU (floating point
processor, or math coprocessor) is unimportant. However, having a
graphics accelerated video card supported by X will help greatly.
==========
8. I have a Doublespaced or Stacked MS-DOS partition. Can Wine run
MS Windows binaries located in such a partition?
Only if the OS supports mounting those types of drives. Currently, Linux,
NetBSD, and FreeBSD do not.
==========
9. Will Wine run only under X, or can it run in character mode?
Being a GUI (graphical user interface), MS Windows does not have a
character mode, so there will likewise be no character mode for Wine. You
must run Wine under X.
==========
10. Will Wine run under any X window manager?
Wine is window manager independent, so the X window manager you choose to
run has absolutely no bearing on your ability to run MS Windows programs
under Wine, whether you use mwm (Motif window manager), olwm (OpenLook
window manager), twm (Tab window manager), fvwm (Feeble virtual window
manager), or whatever you choose that is currently supported by X. Wine
uses standard X libraries, so no additional ones are needed.
==========
11. Which MS Windows programs does Wine run successfully?
At the current time, test programs written specifically for Wine are
running. MS Windows Solitaire (SOL.EXE) is running with some success, as
well as a shareware Taipei game. A security system application sold by
one of the Wine developer's clients is also running. Recent bug fixes
have allowed several applications to begin to run as well, so work is
progressing smoothly.
==========
12. Will Wine support MS Windows networked applications that use Winsock?
Wine will support applications that need WINSOCK.DLL. You will be able to
run MS Windows applications such as Cello and Mosaic (though there is a
32-bit Unix version of the latter available).
==========
13. I'm a software developer who wants to use Unix to develop programs
rather than MS-DOS, but I need to write MS-DOS and MS Windows
programs as well. Will I be able to do this with Wine libraries?
Or will I at least be able to run my favorite MS-DOS or MS Windows
compiler under Wine to compile such programs?
DOSEMU is currently not able to run either the Microsoft C/C++ or Borland
C/C++ compilers because it lacks DPMI (MS-DOS protected mode interface)
support. Wine is not a MS-DOS emulator, so it cannot run these compilers
either. Wine is not currently able to run any MS Windows debuggers, and
may not be able to for some time.
Wine is being designed to run existing MS Windows applications. Be aware
too that a custom MS Windows program specifically written to be compatible
with Wine may not work the same as when it is run under MS-DOS and MS
Windows.
==========
14. Which, if any, MS Windows programs do you expect Wine never to be able
to run at all, and for what reason(s)?
Any MS Windows program that requires a special enhanced mode device driver
(VxD) that cannot be rewritten specifically for Wine, will not run under
Wine.
==========
15. Will MS Windows programs typically run faster or slower under Unix and
Wine than they do under MS-DOS and MS Windows? Will certain kinds of
programs run slower or faster?
Programs should typically run at about the same speed under Wine as they
do under MS Windows.
==========
16. Are there any other advantages or disadvantages to running MS Windows
applications under Wine that I should be aware of?
As with OS/2, you will be running 16-bit MS Windows applications in a
32-bit operating system using emulation, so you will have the same
advantages and disadvantages.
There will be crash protection. That is, each MS Windows application
running under Wine will be running in its own X window and its own chunk
of reserved memory, so that if one MS Windows application crashes, it
won't crash the other MS Windows or Unix applications that you may have
running at the same time.
Also, MS Windows programs should run at about the same speed under Wine as
they do under MS Windows. You'll be able to run your favorite MS Windows
applications in a Unix environment, to fill in the gaps such as the
current lack of a full-featured free/shareware GUI oriented Unix word
processor and spreadsheet.
The disadvantages are minimal, as you might expect. However, be aware
that any application written for a 16-bit operating system will run much
less efficiently than its 32-bit cousin, so if you find a 32-bit
application that fits your needs, you'll be much better off switching.
==========
17. What happens when Chicago/Win4 is released? Will 32-bit Chicago/Win4
applications run under Wine? Can I run 32-bit MS Windows NT programs
under Wine?
Wine developers do eventually plan on supporting Win32, but such support
is not in the current version of Wine.
==========
18. Do I need to have a MS-DOS partition on my system to use Wine? Does
MS Windows need to be loaded into that partition in order to run
MS Windows programs under Wine?
When it's completed, Wine will not require that you have a MS-DOS
partition on your system at all, meaning that you won't need to have MS
Windows installed either. Wine programmers will provide an application
setup program to allow you to install your MS Windows programs straight
from your distribution diskettes into your Unix filesystem, or from within
your Unix filesystem if you ftp an MS Windows program over the Internet.
==========
19. If Wine completely replaces MS Windows, will it duplicate all of
the functions of MS Windows?
Most of them, yes. However, some applications that come with MS Windows,
such as File Manager and Calculator, may likely be considered redundant,
since 32-bit Unix programs that duplicate these functions already exist.
==========
20. Will I be able to install MS Windows application programs in any Unix
filesystem, such as ext2fs, minix, etc.? How about the new umsdos
file system for Linux?
Wine is filesystem independent, so MS Windows applications will install
and run under any Unix supported filesystem.
==========
21. Who is responsible for writing and maintaining the Wine source code?
People who have generously donated time to the Wine project include Bob
Amstadt, Martin Ayotte, Erik Bos, John Brezak, Andrew Bulhak, John Burton,
Peter Galbavy, Jeffery Hsu, Miguel de Icaza, Alexandre Julliard, Scott A.
Laird, Peter MacDonald, David Metcalfe, John Richardson, Johannes
Ruscheinski, Yngvi Sigurjonsson, Linus Torvalds, Carl Williams, Karl
Guenter Wuensch, and Eric Youngdale.
People and organizations who have given generous contributions of money
and equipment include David L. Harper, Bob Hepple, Mark A. Horton, Kevin
P. Lawton, the Syntropy Institute, and James Woulfe.
==========
22. How can I help contribute to the Wine project, and in what way(s)?
Although the Wine programming team has received some new donations of
money and equipment, they could use more. Current plans call for the use
of monetary donations to buy programming time from student programmers, as
coding help is also needed.
Monetary and equipment donations should be sent to:
Bob Amstadt
5059 Wayland Ave.
San Jose, CA 95118
USA
Those willing to donate their programming skills should do three things:
a) Join the Wine mailing list by sending an email message
to wine-request@amscons.com. In the body of your message,
type:
subscribe wine-users YOUR REAL NAME
For example:
subscribe wine-users John Doe
To send mail to everyone on the list, the address is:
wine-users@amscons.com
b) Read the files:
DEVELOPERS-HINTS
NEWBIE-PROJECTS
RELEASE
These files are available from the ftp sites listed at the
top of this FAQ.
c) Contact Bob Amstadt <bob@amscons.com> if you have
any further questions.
New releases of Wine are made available to developers nearly every
Tuesday, and all releases are announced to the mailing list.
==========
23. I've written some code that I'd like to submit to the Wine project.
How do I go about doing this?
A mail alias, wine-new@amscons.com, has been created specifically for this
purpose. Please use this mail alias when submitting weekly code
contributions to the Wine project. This alias has been set up to
automatically send you a reply when your submission is received.
However, you should still verify that your code was included in the
subsequent release of Wine, as project managers cannot guarantee that the
mail server will not suffer some computer failure that will cause loss of
your message and code after it is received.
==========
SECTION TWO
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
1. I want to help beta test Wine. How can I do this?
Beta testers are currently not needed. However, anyone is welcome to
download the latest version and try it out. Those with ftp access can
find the latest version on:
tsx-11.mit.edu:/pub/linux/ALPHA/Wine/private/devel/Wine-[yymmdd].tar.gz
aris.com:/pub/linux/ALPHA/Wine/private/devel/Wine-[yymmdd].tar.gz
ftp.netcom.com:/pub/dgardner/Wine-[yymmdd].tar.gz
Some of these sites archive previous versions of Wine as well as the
current one. To determine which is the latest one, replace [yymmdd] with
the numbers for year, month and date respectively. That's the one to get.
==========
2. I just got the latest version. So how do I install it on my hard
drive? How do I compile the source code? How do I configure it
to run on my system?
Just un-gzip and un-tar the file, and follow the instructions contained in
the README file that will be located in the Wine directory.
===========
3. I've configured Wine, but it cannot find MS Windows on my drive.
What did I do wrong?
First, make sure you've mounted your MS-DOS partition into your Unix
filesystem, either by putting the entry into /etc/fstab, or by manually
mounting it. Next, check your path statements in the wine.conf file. No
capital letters may be used in paths, as they are automatically converted
to lowercase.
==========
4. How do I run a MS Windows program under Wine?
Assuming you're running X already, call up a shell window. Then, at the
shell prompt, type 'wine [/path/programname]'. Another X window will pop
up on top of the shell window and the binary should begin to execute.
Let's say, for instance, you want to run MS Windows Solitaire. Under
MS-DOS, you installed MS Windows on your C: drive under the subdirectory
/WINDOWS. Under Unix, you've mounted the C: drive under /dos/drive-c. To
run MS Windows Solitaire, you would type:
wine /drive-c/windows/sol.exe
==========
5. I got Solitaire to run, but the menus don't work. What's wrong?
Emulation is not complete at this time, so the menus will not work. They
will in time.
==========
6. OK, so I've run Solitaire and now I'm bored. How do I exit it if
I can't operate the MS Windows menus?
Kill the shell window that you called up to run MS Windows Solitaire, and
the X window that appeared with Solitaire will be killed too.
===========
7. I think I've found a bug. How do I report this bug to the Wine
programming team?
If you are not an active developer, try sending mail to wine users mailing
list. A mailing list for reporting bugs will be established when Wine is
more mature.
================================[ end ]====================================
--
--
Dave Gardner
dgardner@netcom.com