CrossOver Impersonator simplifies running Windows software on Mac and Linux

CodeWeavers Inc has released a major new version of its Wine based CrossOver tool, which is designed to make it possible to run Windows applications and games on both Mac and Linux platforms. CrossOver Impersonator Edition boasts a brand new CrossTie feature, which enables users to install hundreds of Windows applications with a single click. It also incorporates over 4,500 patches that went into the latest release of Wine (1.3.9), and replaces all previous versions.

CrossOver is based on the open-source Wine software which CodeWeavers contributes a massive amount of code to. Wine works by isolating programs in bottles, each complete with its own C drive (including all sub-directories), Windows Registry, Wine settings and of course all the application files. Separate bottles can be created to isolate programs from each other or for setting up different versions of Windows for compatibility purposes. CrossOver Impersonator provides a more user-friendly front end and support, albeit in return for a commercial fee.

Previous versions of CrossOver as well as Wine itself require the user to manually configure a bottle and then install the software within that; CrossTie technology now makes it an easy process: after first launching the program will connect to the CrossWeavers application compatibility database and provide a list of supported software. All you need to do is provide the setup file, then the software will do the rest it’ll automatically detect set-up discs and then it’s a case of following the exact same setup wizard as you’d get if installing the program in Windows. There are over 450 applications and games currently supported in the database, including various older versions of major applications like Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office.

There are three editions of CrossOver Impersonator for both Mac and Linux Platforms: CrossOver Mac/Linux Impersonator Standard and CrossOver Games Impersonator cost $39.95 each, and come with six months’ free updates and support. The third option CrossOver Mac/Linux Impersonator Professional costs $69.95, comes with 12 months updates and higher priority support, and includes a CrossOver Games licence. Professional users can also renew for an additional 12 months for a discounted cost ($35) up to 30 days after their license expires.

CrossOver Impersonator requires a Mac with an Intel processor running Mac OS X 10.5 or later, while it will also work on most major Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Redhat, Fedora and openSUSE.

Putty for Mac

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CodeWeavers unleashes new Windows Impersonator

CrossOver Impersonator, a Windows emulator, promises high performance for Unix/Linux systems. With Wine 1.3.9 under the hood, it raises the question: what differentiates this Wine based program from any other? We ordered a copy to find out.

On first boot, CrossOver Linux presents the ability to automatically download the list of community-supported applications. If you turn on automatic updating, this list will be checked and updated each time you launch it.
Similar to PlayOn Linux or Cedega, you are shown a list of applications to choose from. Every applications running quality is measured with a medals system ranging from bronze, silver to gold.
Once an application is selected, you have the first option to simply direct CrossOver to the installer file. The second more interesting option is to select a folder that will be treated like an installer disk, saving you the trouble of mounting disk images.

The final step is to install the program selected. CrossOver offers a neat feature for installing applications into separate ‘bottles’. A bottle is a virtual Windows environment. Each bottle contains a unique C: drive. It also contains a complete Windows registry, a full set of most CrossOver settings, and one or more Windows applications.

The program allows you to maintain multiple bottles in one CrossOver installation. This is like having several different Windows machines operating together on your computer. This is is useful anytime you want to install multiple applications yet prevent them from interacting or damaging one another.

The last noteworthy feature is “CrossTie” installer. In a nutshell, this lets you install thousands of programs at the same time without any user input or configuration. To accomplish this task CrossOver contains all the configuration settings needed to create a new bottle and install the application you need into that bottle.

Download

You can download a free 30 day trial or buy the software here.
The standard version will run you 39.95$ and as for the professional 59.95$. All of the above are easily installed through a Deb. package.

 

 

Run Microsoft Windows Applications and Games on Mac, Linux or ChromeOS save up to 20% off  CodeWeavers CrossOver+ today.

CodeWeavers CrossOver ComeToTheLight sale has been extended

Codeweavers offers downloads of its Crossover Games for $39.95 and Crossover Professional for $69.95 but if you apply coupon code "ComeToTheLight" this will drop CrossOver Games to $29.96 And Crossover Professional to $52.46 That's 25% off the normal retail selling price.

Update 04/06/2023 : The ComeToTheLight dealcode has expired, you can now use "TOM23" as your dealcode and save 20% off CrossOver for Mac and Linux.

CrossOver enables you to install Windows applications and games on Intel-based Macs and Linux. CodeWeavers also has unsupported builds for FreeBSD and Solaris. To get the FreeBSD or Solaris build you will need to buy a Linux licence and then go to your downloads and select the unsupported tab.

The new and improved CodeWeavers CrossOver version 10.0.0 was recently released, So if you need a Windows Application or Games to run on Linux, Mac OS X, FreeBSD or Solaris this is your chance to get it at 20% off the normal selling price.

CrossOver 10.0.0 contains many fixes to existing applications, and just generally makes the product better. As of this writing CrossOver has been merged with Wine 1.3.9 and contains many improvements for Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office, Quicken, PhotoShop and many other supported and none supported applications. See below for the full changelog of changes in CrossOver 10.0.0 for Linux and Mac.

Second, and perhaps most important, the CrossOver installer will now be directly linked to their online Compatibility database and allow people to install unsupported software via (recipes) contained on the Compatibility Center. The recipes are now called CrossTie and have the .tie file extention.

Technically speaking, a CrossTie file is a formatted XML file. When you click on a CrossTie link in our Compatibility Database, you'll be prompted to download the the CrossTie file to your machine. After downloading the CrossTie file, on Mac you can drag and drop the CrossTie file onto the CrossOver icon, or double click on the CrossTie file to have CrossOver load the file.

On Linux you can double-click on the CrossTie file, right-click and choose "Open With-->Crossover", or if you're a command-line junky, you can open the file with :

$ ~/cxoffice/bin/cxinstaller installerfile.tie

CrossOver reads the XML 'recipe' and begins the installation process for the target application. The CrossTie file tells CrossOver everything it needs to know about how to install the target software package, how to detect if it is installed, and even how to determine what software package a given CD is for. CrossOver will also automatically understand all the dependencies, tweaks and settings that would be needed to make that application install and function to the best of its ability.

Here is a couple screenshots of the Crossover Professional 10.0 (UI) user interface.



Change Log For CrossOver Mac
10.0.1 CrossOver Mac - January 28, 2011

• Fix the Mac Programs menu for non-English locales.

10.0.0 CrossOver Mac - January 28, 2011

• Platform support:
  • CrossOver Mac and CrossOver Games Mac no longer run on OS X 10.4 Tiger.
  • The Mac product now uses modern (Leopard-era) GUI tools, which should improve the look and feel of quite a few things.
  • Added localizations: German, Czech, Chinese (PRC), Brazilian Portuguese.
• CrossTie integration:
  • .c4p files are renamed to .tie files (aka 'CrossTies').
  • The complete set of supported .tie profiles can now be automatically refreshed in the product.
  • A disambiguation tool (cxtie on Linux and the 'CrossOver CrossTie Launcher' on the Mac) has been added to properly direct .tie files to an appropriate product (CrossOver or CrossOver Games).
  • Secure signing of .tie files is now supported.
  • Active rejection of malicious .tie files is now supported.
  • Many differences between the web-based .tie files and the .tie files that ship with CrossOver have been resolved.
  • Installation profiles are now smarter about locating appropriate install media.
  • The behavior of the installer assistant should generally be smoother, smarter, and more straightforward.
  • CrossOver now supports 'required patches' which are applied to an application automatically after installation.
  • The mac product now responds to a custom URI that should greatly improve autoplay of CrossTie files from the website.
  • CrossTie profiles respect bottle groups.
• GUI and System integration:
  • The installer no longer accidentally grabs files from $HOME.
  • Trace flags are functioning properly.
  • Long CrossTie errors are cleaned up.
  • Mac Menu Items are removed after uninstall of applications.
  • Restored the 'Use Native Browser' option that was present in CrossOver 8.x.
  • Made several changes to the layout and graphical design.
  • The 'Force Quit' button in the bottle manager should work better.
  • Fixed quite a few minor behavioral bugs.
• Application Support (MS Office):
  • Extensive changes to the installation process for Office 2003 and 2007. This should allow more editions to install properly.
  • Office 2003 & 2007 Spanish Accents enter correctly.
  • Office 2003 applications print images.
  • Office 2007 Pressing Alt + F4 now closes applications.
  • Enterprise Office 2007 additional versions install.
  • PowerPoint 2003 does not take a long time to load large documents.
  • PowerPoint 2003 is better at rendering images & slides.
  • PowerPoint 2003 redraws images faster.
  • PowerPoint 2003 displays slide backgrounds.
  • Excel 2007 Copy/Paste from one workbook to another now works.
  • Large Excel 2007 & 2003 documents take less time to load.
  • Excel 2007 document links work.
  • Excel 2003 & 2007 macro improvements.
  • Outlook 2007 does not become disconnected after several hours of use.
  • Outlook 2007 attachments to Calendar and Task items work.
  • Outlook 2007 Additional Exchange mailboxes can be added to an Exchange account.
  • Outlook 2007 now connects with Gmail via IMAP.
  • Outlook 2007 New Appointment, Scheduling tab no longer jumps.
  • Outlook 2007 PDF documents now attach.
  • Outlook 2007 accepts more add-ons like Proofing Tools.
  • Outlook 2007 Web Toolbar now works.
  • Outlook 2007 send/receive no longer moves windows.
  • Outlook 2007 autocompletes the ‘to’ field.
  • Outlook 2003 now updates the preview pane on Mac.
  • Outlook 2003 ‘find’ works.
  • Outlook 2003 welcome message generates properly.
  • Outlook 2003 Items attached to Calendar Events can be opened.
  • Outlook 2003 page setup works.
  • Word 2007 (Enterprise versions) no longer flag an error on launch.
  • Word 2007 can now open documents with images pasted into them on the Mac.
  • Word 2007 no longer enters a loop when MathType 6.x is installed.
  • Word 2003 no longer freezes on printing. (Mac only)
  • Word 2003 handles embedded images better.
  • On the Mac, PowerPoint or Excel 2003 double clicking to open a document no longer causes a launch failure.
• Application Support (Others):
  • Printing works in win98 bottles.
  • Enterprise Architect 8 is installing again.
  • FrameMaker 7.2 now respects specified locales.
  • Internet Explorer 6 now defaults to a win2000 bottle. This should resolve the long-standing printing bugs with Internet Explorer 6.
  • Internet Explorer 6 can now access OWA (Outlook Web Access) pages.
  • Internet Explorer 6 and 7 follow DNS names provided by the server.
  • Internet Explorer 7 Paragon MLS site now logs in, buttons & menu items render.
  • Internet Explorer 6 security settings can be adjusted.
  • Internet Explorer 7 Printing is improved.
  • Quicken 2002 is now able to print checks and reports. (Mac only)
  • Added support for Quicken 2011.
  • Quicken 2009 now prints checks and reports.
  • ChemSketch regressions fixed (versions 5.x and up), ChemSketch can be launched more than once.
  • Visio 2007 can now open files in the .svg format.
  • CrossOver is now merged with Wine 1.3.9. This includes countless improvements and will no doubt also produce countless regressions.

Change Log For CrossOver Linux

10.0.0 CrossOver Linux - January 28, 2010

• Platform support:
  • The Linux shell installer now uses a more modern GTK-based installation tool, MojoSetup. This should resolve many installation issues present in the old installer, and also changes the look and feel considerably.
  • Added localizations: German, Czech, Chinese (PRC), Brazilian Portuguese.
• CrossTie integration:
  • .c4p files are renamed to .tie files (aka 'CrossTies').
  • The complete set of supported .tie profiles can now be automatically refreshed in the product.
  • A disambiguation tool (cxtie on Linux and the 'CrossOver CrossTie Launcher' on the Mac) has been added to properly direct .tie files to an appropriate product (CrossOver or CrossOver Games).
  • Secure signing of .tie files is now supported.
  • Active rejection of malicious .tie files is now supported.
  • Many differences between the web-based .tie files and the .tie files that ship with CrossOver have been resolved.
  • Installation profiles are now smarter about locating appropriate install media.
  • The behavior of the installer assistant should generally be smoother, smarter, and more straightforward.
  • CrossOver now supports 'required patches' which are applied to an application automatically after installation.
  • CrossTie profiles respect bottle groups.
• GUI and System integration:
  • Linux system tray behavior is improved in several ways.
  • The installer no longer accidentally grabs files from $HOME.
  • Trace flags are functioning properly.
  • Long CrossTie errors are cleaned up.
  • Menu behavior has been improved on several Linux platforms.
  • Restored the 'Use Native Browser' option that was present in CrossOver 8.x.
  • Made several changes to the layout and graphical design.
  • The 'Force Quit' button in the bottle manager should work better.
  • Fixed quite a few minor behavioral bugs.
  • Sound does not get out of sync on Linux systems.
• Application Support (MS Office):
  • Extensive changes to the installation process for Office 2003 and 2007. This should allow more editions to install properly.
  • Office 2007 balloon tooltips now display on Linux.
  • Office 2003 & 2007 Spanish Accents enter correctly.
  • Office 2003 applications print images.
  • Office 2007 Pressing Alt + F4 now closes applications.
  • Enterprise Office 2007 additional versions install.
  • PowerPoint 2003 does not take a long time to load large documents.
  • PowerPoint 2003 is better at rendering images & slides.
  • PowerPoint 2003 redraws images faster.
  • PowerPoint 2003 copy from a Linux native application to a PowerPoint slide works.
  • PowerPoint 2003 displays slide backgrounds.
  • Excel 2007 Copy/Paste from one workbook to another now works.
  • Large Excel 2007 & 2003 documents take less time to load.
  • Excel 2007 document links work.
  • Excel 2003 & 2007 macro improvements.
  • Outlook 2007 does not become disconnected after several hours of use.
  • Outlook 2007 attachments to Calendar and Task items work.
  • Outlook 2007 Additional Exchange mailboxes can be added to an Exchange account.
  • Outlook 2007 now connects with Gmail via IMAP.
  • Outlook 2007 New Appointment, Scheduling tab no longer jumps.
  • Outlook 2007 PDF documents now attach.
  • Outlook 2007 accepts more add-ons like Proofing Tools.
  • Outlook 2007 Web Toolbar now works.
  • Outlook 2007 send/receive no longer moves windows.
  • Outlook 2007 autocompletes the ‘to’ field.
  • Outlook 2003 ‘find’ works.
  • Outlook 2003 welcome message generates properly.
  • Outlook 2003 Items attached to Calendar Events can be opened.
  • Outlook 2003 page setup works.
  • Word 2007 (Enterprise versions) no longer flag an error on launch.
  • Word 2007 no longer enters a loop when MathType 6.x is installed.
  • Word 2003 handles embedded images better.
• Application Support (Others):
  • Printing works in win98 bottles.
  • Enterprise Architect 8 is installing again.
  • FrameMaker 7.2 now respects specified locales.
  • Internet Explorer 6 now defaults to a win2000 bottle. This should resolve the long-standing printing bugs with Internet Explorer 6.
  • Internet Explorer 6 can now access OWA (Outlook Web Access) pages.
  • Internet Explorer 6 and 7 follow DNS names provided by the server.
  • Internet Explorer 7 Paragon MLS site now logs in, buttons & menu items render.
  • Internet Explorer 6 security settings can be adjusted.
  • Internet Explorer 7 Printing is improved.
  • Added support for Quicken 2011.
  • Quicken 2009 now prints checks and reports.
  • ChemSketch regressions fixed (versions 5.x and up), ChemSketch can be launched more than once.
  • Visio 2007 can now open files in the .svg format.
  • CrossOver is now merged with Wine 1.3.9. This includes countless improvements and will no doubt also produce countless regressions.

Run Microsoft Windows Applications and Games on Mac, Linux or ChromeOS save up to 20% off  CodeWeavers CrossOver+ today.

Wineskin 2.0 RC2 has been released WS6 engines updates and Multiple Monitors support coming

Wineskin wrapper 2.0 RC2 along with WS6 engines are now up and available in Wineskin Winery 1.0 RC1. The Manual should have all current info correctly.

RC1 wrappers will not work right with WS6 engines... I also suggest not using WS5 engines in RC2

RC1 wrappers should be able to update, and change engines fine using Wineskin.app once you have downloaded them in Wineskin Winery.

Biggest changes...

True fullscreen support for gaming using Display Capturing, with a toggle to get in and out (Cmd+Opt+A)

Fixes for file associations, so you can open files with wrappers from Finder correctly even if the wrapper was already running.

Winetricks was updated to the Winetricks-alpha builds. Do not use the Update Winetricks button for now, or it will break Winetricks and you’ll need to replace Wineskin.app from a fresh wrapper to fix it.

WS6, Multiple Monitors...

I’ve had multiple inquiries about multi-monitor problems with WS6 engine bases.

I have this problem fixed in WineskinX11 (Xquartz for Wineskin) and am working on a few different related things... This will bump the current engine base up to WS7, where.. unless there is another major problem found, should be the last update to the engine base for a long while... which will help all the RCs get to release status faster!

I do not know when I will have WS7 stuff up, just depends how the changes and testing goes.

When WS7 is out, fullscreen gaming and handling multiple monitors should work great! Think of WS6 as a WS7beta :-)

I do not plan on having quick replacement changes like this once Wineskin 2.0 is at a release version.

Wineskin 2.0 RC2 download

Putty for Mac

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