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Ask Jeremy White and Alexandre Julliard About the Future of WINE

Posted by timothy on from the don't-keep-those-puns-bottled-up dept.

Last week, after 15 years of development, tempered by the need for arduous reverse engineering, the WINE project released version 1.0. What "1.0" means for WINE is neither that the project is finished, nor that it is perfect, but rather that the software runs a small subset of specific freely downloadable Windows applications. That's not to say it doesn't run scads of others, too -- the apps database is proof that thousands of programs run to at least some degree. Here's your chance to ask WINE developer Jeremy White and WINE project lead Alexandre Julliard (both of Codeweavers) about the future of WINE, or any other questions about the project that cross your mind. The usual Slashdot interview rules apply; please ask as many questions as you'd like, but limit yourself to one question per post. We'll pass on the best questions to Jeremy and Alexandre for their answers.

8 of 346 comments (clear)

  1. Re:10 years from now? by Orange+Crush · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If in 10 years the dominant platform is Linux, or OS X, where does that leave WINE?

    I can answer this one. WINE will still be around and used, because the (by then) 30 years worth of Windows software development will include applications still around and being used.

    Also, using 10 years as the endpoint for Windows dominance doesn't address what happens between then and now. It's going to have to be gradual, and as development shifts to a different platform, I guarantee some developers will be tweak their code to run in either Windows or WINE, or use Winelibs to shoehorn most of their application onto OSX and Linux.

  2. Re:10 years from now? by hr.wien · · Score: 4, Insightful

    About where Dosbox is today I reckon.

  3. Wine in a world of virtual machines by yuna49 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    With virtual machines becoming ever easier to install and use, maintaining a Windows VM on my Linux desktop substantially reduces my need for Wine. Will Wine become an afterthought in another ten years as we move to desktops running multiple operating systems simultaneously?

  4. Re:Why? by The+Warlock · · Score: 4, Insightful

    VMs are notoriously shitty at hardware-accelerated graphics.

    But hey, if that ever changes...

    --
    I've upped my standards, so up yours.
  5. Wine 2.0 by jbeaupre · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So, what are your plans for Wine 2.0?

    --
    The world is made by those who show up for the job.
  6. Re:What about the small unique apps? by mrsteveman1 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Microsoft can't even do that themselves...

  7. Re:10 years from now? by spazdor · · Score: 3, Insightful

    familiarity > sanity.

    Just ask 98% of the PC-using public.

    --
    DRM: Terminator crops for your mind!
  8. Re:What's that, a challenge? by MrNaz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "For all we know..." ...first world countries will have reigned in their wanton wastefulness, everyone in the third world will not have want for food, shelter and medical care, media companies will decide that honest content delivery is more important than political statements and profit so will stop the practice of campaign contributions as well as ditch DRM, net neutrality will be enshrined in law and it will be discovered that Santa Claus does, in fact, exist.

    --
    I hate printers.