Wine has released version 10.14 of its popular compatibility layer which makes it easy to run Windows applications on Linux. The update includes an upgraded vkd3d library, now at version 1.17, an updated Mono engine at version 10.2.0, IPv6 ping support, Gitlab CI running on Debian Trixie, and a set of bug fixes.
Wine takes its name from the recursive acronym “Wine Is Not an Emulator,” because although it may seem like it emulates Windows, it actually translates Windows system calls directly into Linux ones. This allows many Windows apps, including games and productivity software, to run almost as smoothly on a Linux OS as they would on Microsoft’s own operating system.
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The bundled vkd3d library upgrade is among the biggest of changes in this new release. vkd3d is the Direct3D to Vulkan translation library that plays a key role in making modern Windows graphics workloads run on Linux.
With the jump to version 1.17, it brings initial High-Level Shading Language support for thread group shared memory, experimental features for the Metal Shading Language target, and a range of bug fixes.
These additions should improve compatibility for apps and games that depend on more advanced graphics functions.
Wine fixes
The 10.14 release also resolves a range of issues, including crashes in VemsTune, ShowStopper, and Roblox Studio, missing or broken graphics in Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst and Death to Spies, installer failures in Trae and Fritz Chess Coach, as well as fixes for long path handling, gameinput.dll support, and improved stability for multiple Windows games.
Wine 10.14 arrives not long after version 10.13, which was released earlier in the month. That update added a Windows.Gaming.Input configuration tab in the Joystick Control Panel, expanded cryptographic algorithm support with ECDSA_P521 and ECDH_P521 in BCrypt, generated OpenGL WoW64 thunks, and broadened Windows Runtime metadata support in WIDL.
Both updates continue the steady stream of regular refinements that Wine is known.
For Linux users, Wine represents an important bridge. It can make older or Windows-exclusive applications accessible without extra hardware or dual-booting setups. Gamers in particular benefit from the ongoing work on vkd3d, since translation of Direct3D calls into Vulkan often determines how well Windows games perform.
Developers and businesses, on the other hand, often rely on Wine to keep legacy software running smoothly in mixed environments.
Wine 10.14 is available to download now at WineHQ.
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