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Public Betas For CrossOver Mac and Linux

Jeremy White writes, "I am happy to announce that we have put up a new version of our public beta of CrossOver Mac as well as an equivalent public beta of CrossOver Linux. For Mac users, this release includes fixes to Internet Explorer, fixes for many cases where programs would crash when run (e.g. Microsoft Office 2000 and similar older applications), fixes for Outlook 2003, and a range of other improvements. For Linux users, the big highlights are support for World of Warcraft and many Steam based games (including Half Life 2 and Counterstrike), as well as support for Outlook 2003. Version 6 also represents a major improvement in the core of Wine since version 5 of CrossOver, so you may be pleasantly surprised as you try running unsupported applications."

38 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. Valve's anti-cheat system by iknowrobocop · · Score: 5, Interesting

    As complicated as Valve's anti-cheat system is (checking various dlls, etc.) I'm not willing to risk testing my Steam account on Counter-Strike Source until I know for sure I won't get banned for "hacking" because of a bug in the compatibility layer. I can't find any info on this offhand.

    1. Re:Valve's anti-cheat system by dwandy · · Score: 2, Informative

      Well, *apparently* you can get banned from WoW and no amount of esplainin' helped.
      ...(at least the last time I read what was there they maintained that they were getting kicked off for running under wine...it's too long-a-read to see if that's changed.)

      --
      If you think imaginary property and real property are the same, when does your house become public domain?
    2. Re:Valve's anti-cheat system by daranz · · Score: 2, Interesting

      That's not really a bug in the compatibility layers. Stuff like Punkbuster, and, I assume, VAC demand full access to the operating system (that's why you gotta run games with PB with admin rights). If there is no actual operating system, they automatically consider that you're messing with something. They're paranoid that way.

      --
      This is a sig. It is appended to the end of comments I post.
    3. Re:Valve's anti-cheat system by WilliamSChips · · Score: 2, Informative

      You can only get banned from Valve by an automated system. There's only been one mistake in the history of the VAC and that was an MP3 player that was part of a lot of cheats. It was fixed.

      --
      Please, for the good of Humanity, vote Obama.
    4. Re:Valve's anti-cheat system by jwnewman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I've been testing Steam for months now on both my Mac and Linux CrossOver setups. (Same account on both) I have yet to see any problems with being banned. As long as you don't do anything dumb like try and log in with two machines at the same time you should be fine.

      I'd like it if someone from Valve could comment on this though.

      --
      -newman
  2. Re:I don't know why people bother... by finkployd · · Score: 5, Informative

    Because parallels requires you run a complete copy of Windows, where as wine doesn't.

  3. Re:I don't know why people bother... by BritneySP2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why bother emulating the hardware when you can just emulate the API.

  4. Re:I don't know why people bother... by MustardMan · · Score: 4, Informative

    Uh, because parallels has the extra overhead of running windows XP, doesn't support 3d acceleration, and uses up more hard drive space? Just a thought.

    Disclaimer: I use and enjoy parallels, but there is plenty of room for alternative approaches.

  5. Hmmm by Nos. · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It seems that Crossover targets people already running windows apps, and thus already with a windows license (okay, not all people have one, but go with me on this). So, if I have a Windows license (and I do), what would be the incentive to go with something like Crossover, when I can use VMWare or Xen for zero cost, and not worry about compatibility of any of my applications?

    1. Re:Hmmm by petard · · Score: 4, Informative

      So, if I have a Windows license (and I do), what would be the incentive to go with something like Crossover, when I can use VMWare or Xen for zero cost, and not worry about compatibility of any of my applications?

      Windows Activation. When you install a Windows XP or later OS on a new machine, you have to activate it. The activation will fail, and you'll have to call MS and ask them real nice to let you activate it anyway.

      Furthermore, if your windows license is OEM, MS may not let you move it to a different machine. So you need to purchase a new Windows license for your new virtual machines.

      --
      .sig: file not found
    2. Re:Hmmm by chroot_james · · Score: 2, Insightful

      How did you get to use vmware for zero cost?

      --
      Reality is nothing but a collective hunch.
    3. Re:Hmmm by petard · · Score: 2, Informative

      It can only be installed one place at a time. If it's a retail license, they'll let you move the license, though you will likely have to call to activate. If it's an OEM license, I'm not sure. They may or may not let you move it; I don't remember the terms of that license well enough to say.

      So the upshot is, if you have a retail license and want to install it in a VM on Linux and will uninstall the standalone install, then no, you don't need two copies. If you want to have it installed in a VM and on bare hardware at the same time then you definitely do need two copies.

      If you have an OEM copy and want to move it to a VM, contact Microsoft or reread your license agreement carefully to see if it can be moved.

      --
      .sig: file not found
    4. Re:Hmmm by petard · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You've activated a lot. Microsoft makes you call them every time you install after you've used a specific key a certain number of times (something like 3). Whatever, it's not that big a deal.

      I had activated twice prior to moving the key to a VM. Once when I installed initially, and once when I reinstalled because my system was crapped up from having added and removed so many software packages that the registry had grown to 2GB and I felt (correctly) that a reinstall would improve performance. And I suppose 20 minutes on hold is not that big a deal. I was just watching a baseball game while sitting on hold anyway. I did feel punished by having to sit on hold to use software I had legitimately paid for, though. If I had just used a crack I wouldn't have had to call at all.

      --
      .sig: file not found
  6. Umm... by Savage-Rabbit · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't know why people bother ...... when Parallels just works.

    ...Half Life 2?

    --
    Only to idiots, are orders laws.
    -- Henning von Tresckow
    1. Re:Umm... by aesiamun · · Score: 2, Informative

      Ok...then I have a question. Why run WOW in Wine on a Mac when there is a completely full working Mac version on the discs that you got when you purchased it?

      You're not going to get better performance. I still boot to windows just for WOW...because the macbook has terribly limited video memory in OSX...*sighs*

  7. I sort of get it... by Thumper_SVX · · Score: 3, Insightful

    OK... games. That's one place the Mac seriously lacks. But having been a Linux geek for years before becoming a Mac geek this year, I've found the game situation to be almost a smorgasbord compared to what I had under Linux. Plus, of course on my MBP I can use BootCamp if I really get a hankering for Windows games... and it works damned well.

    I also use Parallels for those 1 or 2 Office type application I have left that I need Windows for.

    Which brings me to the part I don't get. Office? Why? When you're got Office 2004 (slow on the Intel architecture in my opinion), or fantastic and well-rounded free solutions like OpenOffice... why on Earth would you want Office 2000 running on your Mac? Besides, that'll just look UGLY on OSX compared to the rest of the desktop.

    If you're determined not to pay for Office 2004... great... NeoOffice is compiled for OSX natively, looks native and runs well (slow to start, but about the same startup time as Word 2004 but with all the apps there). If you're using Office 2000, then document compatbility is not a problem. Hell, if you've migrated to Mac then honestly the hard part of transitioning is over; learning the new OS. Apps are easy by comparison.

    Sorry... I do see a need for this for the gamer... but this is one Mac user who won't be buying.

    1. Re:I sort of get it... by mkiwi · · Score: 4, Funny
      Besides, that'll just look UGLY on OSX compared to the rest of the desktop.


      You are truely a convert :-)

    2. Re:I sort of get it... by nine-times · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Why Office?-- I can think of a couple reasons. First, Office 2004 doesn't really necessarily have all the same features and everything as Office 2003. It fits better with the OS, and you might like it better, but I've had Word documents, for example, generated in 2003, where the formatting wasn't the same in 2004 for Mac or OOo.

      Also, Outlook is a big deal. Entourage is getting better, but they didn't even have Exchange support until about a year ago, and it still isn't quite up to snuff. It's ok, more or less, but IIRC, it doesn't support stationery, which as obnoxious as stationery is, I've had that be a deal breaker for some users. Also public folders don't always work correctly, and it isn't connecting through MAPI, which depending on your perspective, may or may not be a good thing.

      So what I'm saying is, there are reasons. Having IE6 on your Mac is good for those annoying occasions where you run into an IE-only site. For example, when you want to use your Exchange server's webmail with all the bells and whistles.

      Is it worth it to run these apps in Crossover? Not for me. I really like NeoOffice a lot, and it's a universal binary to boot. But yeah, I can imagine someone wanting to run Office 2003 in Crossover, and I like having the option.

    3. Re:I sort of get it... by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Have you tried the new beta of NeoOffice? It's much, much better. The "Aqua" port.

      --
      WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
  8. Re:Intel Mac Only by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

    Come on, what do you expect? Of course it won't work on G4's. Wine stands for Wine Is Not an Emulator.

  9. I have to ask... by mhore · · Score: 4, Funny
    Why for Intel processors only? Is it that hard to compile their sources for PowerPC? I can't seem to find any answers to that.

    Mike.

    --

    Mmmm......sacrelicious.

    1. Re:I have to ask... by jrcamp · · Score: 5, Informative

      Because WINE is not an emulator. It's an implementation of the win32 API. Windows binaries are x86 so they have to run on an x86 platform if they are to run natively. That's why you can run 3D games with it--there's no overhead involved so they can run at their native speeds.

    2. Re:I have to ask... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      >Windows NT runs on ... Intel 486 or higher processors, MIPS R4000, Digital Alpha AXP, or PowerPC processors.

      Ok. Show of hands... how many of you are running Windows NT 4.0 on a non-x86 architecture, and want a version of WINE to run those apps on Linux? [the room fills with silence]

      Windows USED to run on other architectures, but nobody cared, so it was dropped.

  10. Lots of reasons for Crossover by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's not just for Office or for games. I've used Crossover for years and it lets me stay under Linux yet run applications that may never be ported to Linux. There are a lot of applications that work great - and it sounds like that list just got even bigger. Stuff that isn't even listed on the Codeweavers website.

    I agree witht he other poster about OpenOffice - it works great. But there are also some occasions (more rare now than before) where running a real MS Office app was required. Not having to reboot into Windows (I run dual boot) was very very nice.

    Just my two cents. I think Crossover Office good stuff and there are lots of other reasons to run it besides MS Office, Internet Explorer, or games. The same will hold true for the MacOS.

  11. Re:linux / wine noob question, pls help by Drooling+Iguana · · Score: 2, Informative

    You could check the Wine Application Database and see if it's listed. Not sure if Crossover has an equivalent.

    --
    ... I'm addicted to placebos
  12. Gotta love it! by Lumpy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Crossover office and Linux... together making undereducated windows admins STFU once again when they say "but you need windows to run the important applications!"

    Under 5.0 I ran EVERY vertical application we had at work perfectly. I demonstrated a 100% functional and far lower maintaince + TCO laptop to management that gained applause and support from everyone except the CTO... he nixed the project claiming compatability issues...

    Compatability with his friends who still worked for Microsoft and were his technical advisors.

    Oh well, I was able to prove to several people that linux was viable on the desktop :-)

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
  13. Re:I don't know why people bother... by MightyYar · · Score: 5, Funny

    You have to buy it separately. Fortunately, the prices are quite reasonable. The last time I was in Penang, I bought Windows Professional for 8 ringgit (about US $2). I don't know what the prices are like in the US. There was no activation necessary, but for some reason I have trouble using Windows Genuine Advantage.

    --
    W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
  14. Re:I don't know why people bother... by WhiteWolf666 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Here's the reasoning:

    1. Some of us are opposed to Window usage in all its forms. I hate Microsoft, and choose not to support their business practices, because I do earnestly believe they conduct bad business.
    2. Native Hardware access. Wine'd applications can directly access interfaces, while Virtualized applications can only access virtual interfaces. This has implications when it comes to Network Performance and OpenGL/Direct 3D software. Half Life 2 will never work as well in Parallels as in Wine.
    3. Environmental integration. Wine applications come a great deal closer to "native" than running inside a Parallels window.

    --
    WhiteWolf666 an exBush supporter. All you new-school,compassionate,save the children Republicans can rot in hell
  15. Re:MOD ABUSE by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 2, Insightful
    Sheesh. Ask a legitimate question to spark a useful discussion, and you get labeled Troll.

    No question was asked, legitimate or otherwise. What was posted was dismissive and sarcastic. It was subsequently demonstrated to also be ignorant. Apparently a moderator or two took that to be willful ignorance, which would indicate trolling.

  16. Re:Skype by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    I've run the Windows version of Skype on Ubuntu under Crossover 5.x. It worked, but not 100% reliably.

  17. Re:Intel Mac Only by WilliamSChips · · Score: 4, Informative

    WINE doesn't work on PowerPC machines because WINE doesn't translate instructions, only function calls.

    --
    Please, for the good of Humanity, vote Obama.
  18. No CrossOver for me! by Ice+Wewe · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This only works on Intel macs, which means that everyone else with a PPC mac is screwed.

  19. Re:I don't know why people bother... by StikyPad · · Score: 4, Funny

    Windows will offer you a discount on a fully working version if you tell them where you bought the illegitimate copy. I think the only catch is that they have to be able to contact the merchant, which can be difficult when it was sold out of the back of an old Proton.

  20. Re:I don't know why people bother... by GMontag451 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yes it does. It emulates the video card, sound card, usb controller, etc. It just doesn't emulate the processor.

  21. Re:linux / wine noob question, pls help by MPolo · · Score: 2, Informative

    Yes, Crossover Office also has an application database, although it's called a "Compatibility Center".

  22. running Windows on architectures other than Intel by falconwolf · · Score: 2, Informative

    Windows USED to run on other architectures, but nobody cared, so it was dropped.

    Also Windows apps weren't supported on other systems. I got a DEC Alpha running NT 4 and the only commercial app I was able to install was Borland C++ Powerbuilder. I found it weird I got more shareware apps installed than commercial apps.

    Falcon
  23. My Experience by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 3, Informative

    So have a brand new Intel-based MacBook work gave me, partly so I can consolidate my workstations. The number one Windows program I need to run is Adobe Framemaker. My options seem to be CrossOver and Parallels. Crossover, at first blush, looks ideal for me, since I don't want the overhead of a full Windows install, or the expense of another Windows license (sure it's the company's money, but I have stock options to think of). Also, Framemaker is on the very short list of programs actually supported on the mac version.

    So I download both solutions as trials and set them up, or try to. You see, Crossover claims support for Framemaker 7.1, but Adobe only sells version 7.2 these days. Well, will that really make a difference? Apparently so. It fails to install in a bottle designed for Framemaker 7.1. It fails to install in generic bottle for either Win98 or WinXP. The support forums don't have any info and no one else seems to have tried this yet. I'd submit my own comment there, but who wants to make an account for software they aren't even going to use?

    Option two was Parallels which seems to be working just fine, on the other hand. Maybe once Crossover is out of beta I'll give it another try, but my brief trial does not fill me with hope. Oh, and another thing, Crossover seems a bit too intrusive for me. Even after I quit it, a process was left running that brought up a dialogue whenever I inserted a Windows CDROM (until I killed it). For some reason that sort of thing really bugs me.

  24. Re:MOD ABUSE by 99BottlesOfBeerInMyF · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A call is supposed to behave as it is documented to behave. Any programs that rely on undocumented features are just asking to break.

    So? I'm not the poster you were replying to but, how does this help me, the end user, run the software I want? I tried Crossover the other day and I'm not using it because the software I need to run does not install. I don't care if it should work, I care if it does. In Parallels, it does.

    Do you run all your native Mac software in little OS X sandboxes as well, just in case they go all "rogue" on you?

    I do run one or two in sandboxes, but in general I don't. That does not mean I would not prefer to do so if it were convenient. That does not mean I'm not even more motivated to run Windows applications in a sandbox, since they are more heavily targeted.