Install and run Windows applications on Linux with CrossOver

Crossing the Line

Article from Issue 141/2012
Author(s):

If Wine has thrown you into the impenetrable depths of operating system arcana, you might try CrossOver, a commercial application that contributes to the Wine project.

Wine is the typical go-to solution when you need to run a Windows application on your Linux desktop. However, Wine [1] also can be daunting because the software does little to shield users from the technical intricacies of its inner workings. This is not such a bad thing if you have skills and you don’t mind tinkering with software. But, for mere mortals looking for a relatively easy way to be able to use their favorite Windows applications, this can be rather off-putting. If you belong to this category, then CrossOver Linux from CodeWeavers [2] should be right up your alley. Based on Wine, CrossOver Linux sports several creature comforts that make it significantly easier to install and run Windows software on Linux. CrossOver Linux is a commercial application, but its developers sponsor and contribute to the Wine project, so by buying CrossOver Linux you indirectly support Wine development

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