Wine:  Wine is not an emulator  [recursive acronym]

Windows Programs under GNU/Linux

Table of content of JMB's Info about Wine: Windows Programs under GNU/Linux

What is Wine? How to get Wine? How to install Wine in the best way? Personal bug experience Problem List for Wine games Source collection about Wine

What is Wine?

Wine

(see Wikipedia article)

How to get Wine?

• Wine (like Mono) are maintained by ⛓WineHQ, i.e. the headquater and thus the ⛓2006+ developers, who steadily improve Wine and release a new stable version each year (e.g. the current ⛓Wine 11 in 2026).
• Those versions are put by many 🐧GNU/Linux distributions like Debian and their derivates like Ubuntu in their repositories, so that these can simply installed by the system (like on Ubuntu 24.05 LTS ⛓Wine 9 or on Ubuntu 25.10 STS ⛓Wine 10). Unfortunately are not as recent and Mono can not be fully installed. Additionally there are further reasons to generally prefer the WineHQ Repo, like more reasonable bug‑reports. Thus I give a clear recommendation to always use Wine from WineHQ repositories and show it's installation in the next section (see also ⛓original WineHQ manual).
• Wine from WineHQ is Free Software, but there are also proprietary offerings, which use Wine in its core.
  Especially CodeWeavers' CrossOver had helped especially in the starting period and also later as business partners and contractors e.g. providing support or adding important features.
  As noted by CodeWeavers on their website, about 95% of written Wine code by CodeWeavers is published in a form so that Wine Project can use that code (so 5% is sadly missing). If a company has special needs, one could look at the proprietary version (⛓currently version 26.0.0 CrossOver of 10. February 2026 based on Wine 11) which my have some advantages and additionally has support. Furthermore CodeWeavers is also sponsoring WineHQ.
  Those details are mentioned at the ⛓WineHQ Site or on the linked site of ⛓CodeWeavers.

How to install Wine in the best way?

1. Step – specifying the Ubuntu/Debian Distribution by using 'cat /etc/os‑release', i.e. the code name for Ubuntu and Debian Distributions:
   
   

   Examples of Codenames for Ubuntu/Mint/Debian

   Ubuntu and Mint
   Code Name:	Distro Name(s) [Ubuntu Release Table]:
   questing	for Ubuntu 25.10 STS
   noble	for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS respectively Linux Mint 22
   jammy	for Ubuntu 22.04 LTS respectively Linux Mint 21.x
   Debian
   Code Name:	Distro Name(s) [Debian Release Table]:
   forky	for Debian Testing (in development)
   trixie	for Debian 13 (latest stable version)
   bookworm	for Debian 12 (stable version)

   
   
2. Step – Download and adding of thes Repository Key  (access right):
   'sudo mkdir ‑pm755 /etc/apt/keyrings'  (make sure the necessary directory does exist);
   'wget -O - https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key -'
     (download and storing the key in the created directory)
   
3. Step (?!?) – append the 32 bit architecture:
   [only for distros before Ubuntu 25.10 LTS, before Linux Mint 23 or before Debian Forky, for later version it is just not reasonable (as later WOW64 {32‑bit Windows under pure 64‑bit Linux} is activated by default)]:
   'sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386'  [This should be avoided these days!]
4. Step – Adding the source file:
   1. Ubuntu (here using the example 25.10 LTS = 'questing' or in future Linux Mint 23 which is same as 26.04 LTS = 'resolute' {when supported by ⛓WineHQ} [Step 3 is omitted])
      'sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/questing/winehq-questing.sources'
   2. Debian (here using the example version 14 = 'forky' [currently same as Debian Testing; Step 3 is omitted])
      'sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/debian/dists/forky/winehq-forky.sources'
5. Step – refresh of pckage information due to new repositories of WineHQ:
   'sudo apt update'
6. Step – installation of Wine from one of the 3 Branches:
   
   1. Stable – for by Wine good supported programs [default ✔]:
      'sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable'
   2. Devel – for bug reports and program tests with Wine problems [test / bugreports ✔]:
      'sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-devel'
   3. Staging – for programms with bugs marked as 'STAGED' by WineHQ [not yet ready Code: but important in future ✔]:
      'sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-staging'
7. Step – creating necessary directories etc.:
   'winecfg'  (just clicking OK; if Mono is not yet installed, one will be presented with Mono installer automatically started – this is also to be confirmed).
8. Step – larger font for e.g. 4k screens (3840 pix × 2160 pix, thus high pixel density, i.e. High‑DPI)
   'wine regedit' (double click on: "HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG", "Software", "Fonts", "LogPixels", "Basis", put this to 'decimal', and "Value data:" to '200', and click on OK – Done!)

• Guiding help under Wine using a 🐧GNU/Linux system:
  
  • Root directory or 'root' (under Linux):  '/', the directory tree evolves from left to right.
    Caution: under Linux there is no blank in a directory or file name [i.e. ' ' is changed on Linux CLI to '\ '],
    same for normal brackets [a '( )' under Windows is changed under CLI Linux to '\( \)'], additionally there is clear distinction between lowercase letters and capital letters; both in contradiction to Windows.
  • Home directory of a user (under Linux): Used by symbol: '~' for the directory '/home/<username>'.
  • Root directory for Wine:  'cd ~/.wine';
  • Drive C: for Wine:  'cd ~/.wine/drive_c';
  • Install directory for GOG games:  'cd ~/.wine/drive_c/GOG\ Games;
  • Starting point of Shares (Configutation and Saves files):  'cd ~/.wine/drive_c/users/jmb/AppData';
    from here one can look for game names, Developer or Publisher, e.g. in case of Asterix in game name,
    one can search e.g. with 'find . -name "*sterix*", with 'replacement *' being any characters,
    'man find' or 'find --help': gives small manual or help of the system program, here 'find', or one uses Internet search via Google.
• Installation of a game under Wine on Linux:
  
  1. One gets from GOG Offline Installer the two installer files for "Asterix & Obelix XXL: Romastered": 'setup_asterix__obelix_xxl__romastered_1.0.34.0_\(57924\).exe' and 'setup_asterix__obelix_xxl__romastered_1.0.34.0_\(57924\)-1.bin'
     Those two files are copied to 'cd ~/.wine/drive_c' and can be deleted after successful installation.
     [All installation executables should be saved, e.g. with Configs/Saves of the games, via USB‑Sticks or USB HDDs!]
     After that one can start installation via 'wine setup_asterix__obelix_xxl__romastered_1.0.34.0_\(57924\).exe'.
  2. Starting the game under Wine:
     As the game was puchased from GOG, it was installed by the installer in location 'cd ~/.wine/drive_c/GOG\ Games' and can be started in the subdirectory
     'cd Asterix\ \&\ Obelix\ XXL\ \ Romastered' by 'wine oXXL1GameGog.exe'.
  3. Warning: I only use games from the plattforms GOG and itch.io, and unfortunately can not recommend another sales platform.
     Only on the named both platforms one can really buy games due to freedom from DRM on GOG and itch.io.
     In worst case even expensive games are after a short time no longer playable, e.g. due to switched off servers which are necessary for the game (see Heise‑Online, Article of 13.10.2024: "Steam notice clarifies: Purchased games do not belong to you")
     Besides local cooperaton or local player vs. player is much more interesting than online gaming.

# ******************************************************************************
# * Installation of 🍷Wine-Branches from 🍷WineHQ-Repos                        *
# ******************************************************************************
# *  Here: WineHQ-Stable and Distro: Ubuntu Questing                           *
# ******************************************************************************
  🔽  Step ❶  🔽
cat /etc/os‑release  # Code‑Name bestimmen, z.B. forky (Debian 14) oder resolute (Ubuntu 26.04 LTS & Linux Mint 23.x)
  🔽  Step ❷  🔽
sudo mkdir ‑pm755 /etc/apt/keyrings
wget -O - https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/winehq-archive.key -
  🔽  Step ❹  🔽
sudo wget -NP /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/dists/questing/winehq-questing.sources
  🔽  Step ❺  🔽
sudo apt update
  🔽  Step ❻  🔽
sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable
  🔽  Step ❼  🔽
winecfg       # ok drücken
  🔽  Step ❽  🔽
wine regedit  # double click on "HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG", "Software", "Fonts", "LogPixels", "Basis": 'decimal' and '200', click on OK

Personal bug experience

Source collection about Wine

1. Original WineHQ Resources
1. ⛓Wine User's Guide
2. ⛓WineHQ Repos for Debian/Ubuntu
3. ⛓Wine FAQ
4. ⛓Wine Wiki
5. ⛓Wine Forum
6. ⛓Who's Who – Wine Committers
7. ⛓Wine Bugreporting
8. ⛓Precise Wine Bug Reports
9. ⛓Programs running under Wine: AppDB
10. ⛓Latest news in the Wine community
11. ... please hold the line ...
12. General Information about Wine – besides the 'winehq' Domain
11. Wine
12. CrossOver
13. ⛓CodeWeavers – CrossOver
14. ... please hold the line ...

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