Wine reaches milestone version 2.0 release, with 64-bit support and Retina compatibility f...
The team behind Wine, a tool that allows Windows programs to run on macOS and other operating systems, has released version 2.0 of the open source software, with 64-bit support for macOS included as part of 6,600 changes.
The milestone release is now able to handle 64-bit programs written for Windows on macOS for the first time, as well as the previous support of 32-bit software. In the release notes, it is also noted the macOS graphics driver is able to support a high-resolution rendering mode, improving the appearance on Retina-level displays, which can be enabled by changing the "RetinaMode" flag in the driver.
Support for "many new applications and games" are included in version 2.0, headlined by Microsoft Office 2013. Multiple changes relating to DirectWrite, Direct3D 10 and 11, DirectDraw, and other frameworks have enabled the extended support, with other alterations to networking, internationalization, and built-in tools also listed.
A new driver architecture has been put in place to enable support for HID devices, following the Windows model using platform-specific bus drivers and HID mini drivers. The inclusion of this new architecture will apparently be used in future releases to "unify support for HID devices" in the software, and potentially could be used for USB device support.
The arrival of Wine 2.0 comes nine years after version 1.0 released, with the team publishing occasional version updates between the milestone releases. The Wine team also claims this will be the first of a "new time-based, annual release schedule," which aims to increase the regularity of public releases.
Due to the new release schedule, the team notes that some features being worked on "couldn't be finished in time," and have been deferred to the next development cycle. This includes work on the Direct3D command stream, message-mode pipes, and full HID support.
Source code for the latest release, as well as binary packages for macOS and other operating systems, are available to download now. Those interested in using Wine could also consider using CrossOver, paid software from Codeweavers that uses Wine 2.0 but simplifies the process.
The milestone release is now able to handle 64-bit programs written for Windows on macOS for the first time, as well as the previous support of 32-bit software. In the release notes, it is also noted the macOS graphics driver is able to support a high-resolution rendering mode, improving the appearance on Retina-level displays, which can be enabled by changing the "RetinaMode" flag in the driver.
Support for "many new applications and games" are included in version 2.0, headlined by Microsoft Office 2013. Multiple changes relating to DirectWrite, Direct3D 10 and 11, DirectDraw, and other frameworks have enabled the extended support, with other alterations to networking, internationalization, and built-in tools also listed.
A new driver architecture has been put in place to enable support for HID devices, following the Windows model using platform-specific bus drivers and HID mini drivers. The inclusion of this new architecture will apparently be used in future releases to "unify support for HID devices" in the software, and potentially could be used for USB device support.
The arrival of Wine 2.0 comes nine years after version 1.0 released, with the team publishing occasional version updates between the milestone releases. The Wine team also claims this will be the first of a "new time-based, annual release schedule," which aims to increase the regularity of public releases.
Due to the new release schedule, the team notes that some features being worked on "couldn't be finished in time," and have been deferred to the next development cycle. This includes work on the Direct3D command stream, message-mode pipes, and full HID support.
Source code for the latest release, as well as binary packages for macOS and other operating systems, are available to download now. Those interested in using Wine could also consider using CrossOver, paid software from Codeweavers that uses Wine 2.0 but simplifies the process.
Comments
MacOS desktop computers have the benchmarking performance of cheap PC laptops. The GPU's Apple uses are always generations behind what PC users are used to at similar price points.
Wine will always be a millstone, never a milestone.
For fun reasons there is known track racing report application that has been implemented many years ago, but it is only for Windows. I am not talking about some gaming, but real live race track data from control tower at any track in the USA (it is around certain communication protocol). That Windows application works perfectly with Wine providing status data to teams in pits as well as advanced and demanding spectators. You know you have to leave your home sometimes and your portable device is not always the best to present volume data to analyze by expert user. Please do not confuse this with average Joe looking for F1 data for spectators fun - we are talking about something more advanced and in any local race track.
Arcade-style games work really well, because they're mostly limited by CPU performance. Games that rely on the GPU don't do so well, because most DirectX calls don't translate directly to any OpenGL calls.
Graphics programming in general is all kinds of awful. Most 3D graphics drivers provide two "paths" code can take. The "fast path" uses dedicated hardware to do certain complicated math very rapidly. The "slow path" does the math in software. There is sometimes a "medium path" which uses some hardware acceleration, but not full acceleration. The GPU vendors try to move as much as they can into the fast path. Unfortunately, programmers often have rather "interesting" ideas of how a problem should be solved. Getting code onto the fast path involves working with the developers to figure out what they are trying to do and comparing it to what they are actually doing, then replacing some of what they actually do with code the GPU vendor has written to do what they want to do. GPU drivers are basically a library of patches for thousands of games to get as much of their rendering as possible onto the fast path. This is why almost every big game release is accompanied by a new video driver release.
With the graphics API second-guessing the programmer and the GPU driver developers second-guessing the graphics API, there's already a lot of translation going on. It probably isn't feasible for a team to add their own layer of translation when they don't have access to the hardware documentation or the code they're trying to translate.
OK thanks. It's sounds very limited.
The problem has NOTHING to do with Apple which has woven some amazing things for gamers directly into the OS. The problem is lazy as developers who don't seem to care about the Mac platform for gaming.
Games that have been programmed with OpenGL have PROVEN to run faster on a Mac than on a PC but developers still insist on developing for DirectX. Until the game developers start learning to program properly then it doesn't matter what Apple does Macs are going to be second class citizens on the gaming front.
It is starting to support DirectX 10 and 11 but it's nowhere near reliable.
I'll tell you this though, running games like Eve Online through Wine is much better than the other way of using Cider which is a knock off of Wine that most games companies use to get Windows games over on the Mac. There is a HUGE difference in running. So much so that Eve Online has killed off support for Cider and has made their client run only in Wine.