The Wine Application Database

For Linux users, gaming has historically been a challenge due to the dominance of Windows-exclusive titles. Enter Wine, an open-source compatibility layer that allows Windows applications, including games, to run on Linux.

With Wine lots of titles became playable, while it evolved from a complicated, bare-bones tool to a diverse ecosystem supported by front-ends and helper apps. For instance Winetricks, a script that simplifies the installation of some Windows runtimes and libraries, like DirectX or Visual C++, which many games require. Others like Lutris and PlayOnLinux allow creating and managing isolated Wine environments tailored to specific programs, through a graphical interface.

Even with the help of these tools configuring Wine to run certain games often involves manual tweaking of settings, registry edits, and troubleshooting compatibility issues. The process can be daunting and time-consuming for newcomers and even seasoned Linux users.

The Wine Application Database (AppDB) allows users to browse and submit test results, documenting how well each application runs under Wine and any tweaks that were needed to make it work. Contributing to the AppDB not only helps other users but also serves as a personal record for future reference. For example, my submissions include:

• Pirates of the burning sea - A naval MMORPG that ran smoothly with the addition of a few dependencies.
• Final Fantasy VIII - PC port of the classic PS1 JRPG which also ran well with really simple adjustments.
• UOSteam - Mapping tool for the game Ultima Online. Only needed one small additional library to execute without issues.

By sharing these setups, I think I might’ve helped others manage to replicate successful configurations while creating a reference for myself when installing a similar application, or the same program on a new machine. This can be especially useful since official support in my experience is usually very hard to get for particular problems.