Compatibility layers: Difference between revisions

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===Comparisons===

*[[Wine]] is a free and open-source compatibility layer that aims to allow computer programs (application software and computer games) developed for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems, primarily Linux and macOS. Since late 2017 there is also an experimental build for Android. Wine is almost as old as the Linux project, starting in the summer of 1993. Today it's widely used, very popular and sponsored by companies such as CodeWeavers and Valve, and has even received some support from Microsoft themselves who donated the Mono implementation of the .NET Framework to the Wine project. The core Wine development aims at a correct implementation of the Windows API as a whole. In this regard it's similar to the [[MAME]] project in its focus on correctness over usability. There are a lot of versions/forks of Wine which focus of different goals, such as usability, compatibility, gaming, office applications, etc. A few are listed below, Wikipedia has [[wikipedia:Wine_(software)#Other_versions_of_Wine|a more complete list]].

;[[Wine]]: is a free and open-source compatibility layer that aims to allow computer programs (application software and computer games) developed for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems, primarily Linux and macOS. Since late 2017 there is also an experimental build for Android. Wine is almost as old as the Linux project, starting in the summer of 1993. Today it's widely used, very popular and sponsored by companies such as CodeWeavers and Valve, and has even received some support from Microsoft themselves who donated the Mono implementation of the .NET Framework to the Wine project. The core Wine development aims at a correct implementation of the Windows API as a whole. In this regard it's similar to the [[MAME]] project in its focus on correctness over usability. There are a lot of versions/forks of Wine which focus of different goals, such as usability, compatibility, gaming, office applications, etc. A few are listed below, Wikipedia has [[wikipedia:Wine_(software)#Other_versions_of_Wine|a more complete list]].

**[[Proton]]: is Valve's one-click solution to play Windows games on Linux. It's included in the Steam Linux client by default. Simply click on a whitelisted game and it will launch without any configuration, or enable it for all games in the settings. Proton is based on a fork of Wine in combination with other components such as [[Wrappers|DXVK]] (which is a wrapper explained below) and FAudio.

**[https://www.codeweavers.com/products/ CrossOver] is a commercialized, supported version of Wine from CodeWeavers. It uses additional patches on top of Wine to make it easy to use. They contribute all of their work on CrossOvers back to Wine and make up about two thirds of the commits made to Wine. CrossOver is available on macOS, Linux and Chrome OS.

**[[Wineskin]] is an open-source compatibility layer which allows users to easily convert Windows software to macOS. The ports are in the form of Mac .app bundles with a self-contained Wine instance which are wrapped around the application to be converted.

**[[Winlator]] is an Android application that lets you to run Windows (x86_64) applications with Wine and Box86/Box64.

* [[TeknoParrot]] is a compatibility layer for Windows PCs to run games originally made for Windows-based arcade systems. Has since version 1.51 also support for some games running on Linux.

:;[[Proton]]: is Valve's one-click solution to play Windows games on Linux. It's included in the Steam Linux client by default. Simply click on a whitelisted game and it will launch without any configuration, or enable it for all games in the settings. Proton is based on a fork of Wine in combination with other components such as [[Wrappers|DXVK]] (which is a wrapper explained below) and FAudio.

* '''Rosetta~~'''~~ was a compatibility layer for running PowerPC apps on x86-based Macs on OS X versions prior to 1.07. '''Rosetta 2''' is a comptibility layer on Apple silicon Macs allowing x86-64 apps to run on ARM-based Macs. Note that Rosetta 2 is not strictly limited to MacOS apps as software such as Crossover is able to call it to emulate x86 code in Windows binaries.

* '''Prism~~'''~~ is the built-in compatibility layer in Windows on ARM to run traditional x86 (also x64 in Windows 11) Windows programs.

:;[https://www.codeweavers.com/products/ CrossOver]: is a commercialized, supported version of Wine from CodeWeavers. It uses additional patches on top of Wine to make it easy to use. They contribute all of their work on CrossOvers back to Wine and make up about two thirds of the commits made to Wine. CrossOver is available on macOS, Linux and Chrome OS.

* [[Box86/Box64]] lets you run x86 Linux programs (such as games) on non-x86 Linux systems, like ARM (the host system needs to be 32bit little-endian).

* [[Darling]] is a translation layer that allows you to run unmodified macOS binaries on Linux. In its nature, it is similar to the well-known [[Wine]] project. At this point, does not yet run macOS application with a GUI.

:;[[Wineskin]]: is an open-source compatibility layer which allows users to easily convert Windows software to macOS. The ports are in the form of Mac .app bundles with a self-contained Wine instance which are wrapped around the application to be converted.

* [https://mcpelauncher.readthedocs.io/ Minecraft Bedrock Launcher] is a compatibility layer made specifically to run the Android version of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on Linux and macOS. It is not compatible with any other Android apps.

* Windows Subsystem for Linux 1 is a compatibility layer and shouldn't be confused with WSL2. WSL2 introduced important changes such as a real Linux kernel, through a subset of '''Hyper-V features''', so it's not a compatibility layer like WSL1.

:;[[Winlator]]: is an Android application that lets you to run Windows (x86_64) applications with Wine and Box86/Box64.

* Berberis, libhoudini, libndk and nb-qemu are Android [https://android.googlesource.com/platform/art/+/refs/heads/main/libnativebridge/README.md Native Bridges] used to run apps made for other architectures. libhoudini was made by Intel and Google with its most notable use being on WSA for Windows 11, libndk was made by Google to expand Android compatibility on Chromebooks, there's no official source to download them other than online reuploads or extracting them from those systems yourself.

* KMRE is a compatibility layer and it's the official solution to run Android applications on computers with Chinese homegrown Phytium/KunPeng ARM processors and NeoKylin Linux operating system, though later also available on x86-64 on [https://www.ubuntukylin.com/index-en.html Ubuntu Kylin]. KMRE is not designed with third-party applications outside its app store and in fact, force installing third-party apps breaks older versions of KMRE. It's the go-to solution if you are restricted to working with these kinds of computers due to national security reasons. See [[Android_emulators#KMRE|KMRE section]] for more information.

;[[FEX]]: is a lightweight "compatibility layer" that enables the execution of x86 applications on ARM‑64 Linux devices. It supports both 32‑bit and 64‑bit binaries and can be paired with Wine or Proton to run Windows games on ARM hardware.

* Vita2hos is an early compatibility layer for Nintendo Switch that runs PlayStation Vita applications natively. Only able to load simple test homebrews such as vita-8 as of December 2022. Appears to only be developed every once in a while.

:;[https://gamehub.xiaoji.com/ GameHub]: is an Android application created by GameSir, a company best known for its gaming controllers. The app bundles [[Proton]], [[FEX]] , a graphical [[Frontends|front‑end]], and the necessary drivers, providing a complete environment for installing and playing Windows games on Android. It comes with pre‑configured cloud profiles for many titles, lets you build personal game collections, and offers detailed settings for CPU translation, GPU drivers, and controller layouts. Additionally, it provides real‑time monitoring of CPU, GPU, RAM, and temperature. However, the app is proprietary, which may conflict with the open‑source licenses of the included software, and it is developed by a Chinese company that incorporates extensive telemetry and requests numerous permissions.

::;[https://github.com/Producdevity/gamehub-lite GameHub Lite]: is a community‑maintained fork of the original GameHub app that focuses on privacy and simplicity. It removes many telemetry libraries and unnecessary permissions, and eliminates the separate GameHub account requirement—users only need to log in to Steam. From a user’s perspective, GameHub Lite feels slimmer, more privacy‑friendly, and less intrusive, though it sacrifices some of the convenience features found in the official version.

;[[Box86/Box64]]: Box86 and Box64 are compatibility layers that allow x86 Linux programs, including games, to run on non‑x86 Linux systems such as ARM. Box86 targets 32‑bit little‑endian hosts, while Box64 handles 64‑bit binaries.

;[[TeknoParrot]]: is a compatibility layer for Windows PCs to run games originally made for Windows-based arcade systems. Has since version 1.51 also support for some games running on Linux.

;Rosetta: was a compatibility layer for running PowerPC apps on x86-based Macs on OS X versions prior to 1.07. '''Rosetta 2''' is a comptibility layer on Apple silicon Macs allowing x86-64 apps to run on ARM-based Macs. Note that Rosetta 2 is not strictly limited to MacOS apps as software such as Crossover is able to call it to emulate x86 code in Windows binaries.

;Prism: is the built-in compatibility layer in Windows on ARM to run traditional x86 (also x64 in Windows 11) Windows programs.

;[https://mcpelauncher.readthedocs.io/ Minecraft Bedrock Launcher]: is a compatibility layer made specifically to run the Android version of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on Linux and macOS. It is not compatible with any other Android apps.

;Windows Subsystem for Linux 1: is a compatibility layer and shouldn't be confused with WSL2. WSL2 introduced important changes such as a real Linux kernel, through a subset of '''Hyper-V features''', so it's not a compatibility layer like WSL1.

;Berberis, libhoudini, libndk and nb-qemu: are Android [https://android.googlesource.com/platform/art/+/refs/heads/main/libnativebridge/README.md Native Bridges] used to run apps made for other architectures. libhoudini was made by Intel and Google with its most notable use being on WSA for Windows 11, libndk was made by Google to expand Android compatibility on Chromebooks, there's no official source to download them other than online reuploads or extracting them from those systems yourself.

;KMRE: is a compatibility layer and it's the official solution to run Android applications on computers with Chinese homegrown Phytium/KunPeng ARM processors and NeoKylin Linux operating system, though later also available on x86-64 on [https://www.ubuntukylin.com/index-en.html Ubuntu Kylin]. KMRE is not designed with third-party applications outside its app store and in fact, force installing third-party apps breaks older versions of KMRE. It's the go-to solution if you are restricted to working with these kinds of computers due to national security reasons. See [[Android_emulators#KMRE|KMRE section]] for more information.

;Vita2hos: is an early compatibility layer for Nintendo Switch that runs PlayStation Vita applications natively. Only able to load simple test homebrews such as vita-8 as of December 2022. Appears to only be developed every once in a while.

==Shims==

@@ Line 427: / Line 427: @@
 <references group=N />
 ===Comparisons===
-*[[Wine]] is a free and open-source compatibility layer that aims to allow computer programs (application software and computer games) developed for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems, primarily Linux and macOS. Since late 2017 there is also an experimental build for Android. Wine is almost as old as the Linux project, starting in the summer of 1993. Today it's widely used, very popular and sponsored by companies such as CodeWeavers and Valve, and has even received some support from Microsoft themselves who donated the Mono implementation of the .NET Framework to the Wine project. The core Wine development aims at a correct implementation of the Windows API as a whole. In this regard it's similar to the [[MAME]] project in its focus on correctness over usability. There are a lot of versions/forks of Wine which focus of different goals, such as usability, compatibility, gaming, office applications, etc. A few are listed below, Wikipedia has [[wikipedia:Wine_(software)#Other_versions_of_Wine|a more complete list]].
+;[[Wine]]: is a free and open-source compatibility layer that aims to allow computer programs (application software and computer games) developed for Microsoft Windows to run on Unix-like operating systems, primarily Linux and macOS. Since late 2017 there is also an experimental build for Android. Wine is almost as old as the Linux project, starting in the summer of 1993. Today it's widely used, very popular and sponsored by companies such as CodeWeavers and Valve, and has even received some support from Microsoft themselves who donated the Mono implementation of the .NET Framework to the Wine project. The core Wine development aims at a correct implementation of the Windows API as a whole. In this regard it's similar to the [[MAME]] project in its focus on correctness over usability. There are a lot of versions/forks of Wine which focus of different goals, such as usability, compatibility, gaming, office applications, etc. A few are listed below, Wikipedia has [[wikipedia:Wine_(software)#Other_versions_of_Wine|a more complete list]].
-**[[Proton]]: is Valve's one-click solution to play Windows games on Linux. It's included in the Steam Linux client by default. Simply click on a whitelisted game and it will launch without any configuration, or enable it for all games in the settings. Proton is based on a fork of Wine in combination with other components such as [[Wrappers|DXVK]] (which is a wrapper explained below) and FAudio.
-**[https://www.codeweavers.com/products/ CrossOver] is a commercialized, supported version of Wine from CodeWeavers. It uses additional patches on top of Wine to make it easy to use. They contribute all of their work on CrossOvers back to Wine and make up about two thirds of the commits made to Wine. CrossOver is available on macOS, Linux and Chrome OS.
-**[[Wineskin]] is an open-source compatibility layer which allows users to easily convert Windows software to macOS. The ports are in the form of Mac .app bundles with a self-contained Wine instance which are wrapped around the application to be converted.
-**[[Winlator]] is an Android application that lets you to run Windows (x86_64) applications with Wine and Box86/Box64.
-* [[TeknoParrot]] is a compatibility layer for Windows PCs to run games originally made for Windows-based arcade systems. Has since version 1.51 also support for some games running on Linux.
+:;[[Proton]]: is Valve's one-click solution to play Windows games on Linux. It's included in the Steam Linux client by default. Simply click on a whitelisted game and it will launch without any configuration, or enable it for all games in the settings. Proton is based on a fork of Wine in combination with other components such as [[Wrappers|DXVK]] (which is a wrapper explained below) and FAudio.
-* '''Rosetta''' was a compatibility layer for running PowerPC apps on x86-based Macs on OS X versions prior to 1.07. '''Rosetta 2''' is a comptibility layer on Apple silicon Macs allowing x86-64 apps to run on ARM-based Macs. Note that Rosetta 2 is not strictly limited to MacOS apps as software such as Crossover is able to call it to emulate x86 code in Windows binaries.
-* '''Prism''' is the built-in compatibility layer in Windows on ARM to run traditional x86 (also x64 in Windows 11) Windows programs.
+:;[https://www.codeweavers.com/products/ CrossOver]: is a commercialized, supported version of Wine from CodeWeavers. It uses additional patches on top of Wine to make it easy to use. They contribute all of their work on CrossOvers back to Wine and make up about two thirds of the commits made to Wine. CrossOver is available on macOS, Linux and Chrome OS.
-* [[Box86/Box64]] lets you run x86 Linux programs (such as games) on non-x86 Linux systems, like ARM (the host system needs to be 32bit little-endian).
-* [[Darling]] is a translation layer that allows you to run unmodified macOS binaries on Linux. In its nature, it is similar to the well-known [[Wine]] project. At this point, does not yet run macOS application with a GUI.
+:;[[Wineskin]]: is an open-source compatibility layer which allows users to easily convert Windows software to macOS. The ports are in the form of Mac .app bundles with a self-contained Wine instance which are wrapped around the application to be converted.
-* [https://mcpelauncher.readthedocs.io/ Minecraft Bedrock Launcher] is a compatibility layer made specifically to run the Android version of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on Linux and macOS. It is not compatible with any other Android apps.
-* Windows Subsystem for Linux 1 is a compatibility layer and shouldn't be confused with WSL2. WSL2 introduced important changes such as a real Linux kernel, through a subset of '''Hyper-V features''', so it's not a compatibility layer like WSL1.
+:;[[Winlator]]: is an Android application that lets you to run Windows (x86_64) applications with Wine and Box86/Box64.
-* Berberis, libhoudini, libndk and nb-qemu are Android [https://android.googlesource.com/platform/art/+/refs/heads/main/libnativebridge/README.md Native Bridges] used to run apps made for other architectures. libhoudini was made by Intel and Google with its most notable use being on WSA for Windows 11, libndk was made by Google to expand Android compatibility on Chromebooks, there's no official source to download them other than online reuploads or extracting them from those systems yourself.
-* KMRE is a compatibility layer and it's the official solution to run Android applications on computers with Chinese homegrown Phytium/KunPeng ARM processors and NeoKylin Linux operating system, though later also available on x86-64 on [https://www.ubuntukylin.com/index-en.html Ubuntu Kylin]. KMRE is not designed with third-party applications outside its app store and in fact, force installing third-party apps breaks older versions of KMRE. It's the go-to solution if you are restricted to working with these kinds of computers due to national security reasons. See [[Android_emulators#KMRE|KMRE section]] for more information.
+;[[FEX]]: is a lightweight "compatibility layer" that enables the execution of x86 applications on ARM‑64 Linux devices. It supports both 32‑bit and 64‑bit binaries and can be paired with Wine or Proton to run Windows games on ARM hardware.
-* Vita2hos is an early compatibility layer for Nintendo Switch that runs PlayStation Vita applications natively. Only able to load simple test homebrews such as vita-8 as of December 2022. Appears to only be developed every once in a while.
+:;[https://gamehub.xiaoji.com/ GameHub]: is an Android application created by GameSir, a company best known for its gaming controllers. The app bundles [[Proton]], [[FEX]] , a graphical [[Frontends|front‑end]], and the necessary drivers, providing a complete environment for installing and playing Windows games on Android. It comes with pre‑configured cloud profiles for many titles, lets you build personal game collections, and offers detailed settings for CPU translation, GPU drivers, and controller layouts. Additionally, it provides real‑time monitoring of CPU, GPU, RAM, and temperature. However, the app is proprietary, which may conflict with the open‑source licenses of the included software, and it is developed by a Chinese company that incorporates extensive telemetry and requests numerous permissions.
+::;[https://github.com/Producdevity/gamehub-lite GameHub Lite]: is a community‑maintained fork of the original GameHub app that focuses on privacy and simplicity. It removes many telemetry libraries and unnecessary permissions, and eliminates the separate GameHub account requirement—users only need to log in to Steam. From a user’s perspective, GameHub Lite feels slimmer, more privacy‑friendly, and less intrusive, though it sacrifices some of the convenience features found in the official version.
+;[[Box86/Box64]]: Box86 and Box64 are compatibility layers that allow x86 Linux programs, including games, to run on non‑x86 Linux systems such as ARM. Box86 targets 32‑bit little‑endian hosts, while Box64 handles 64‑bit binaries.
+;[[TeknoParrot]]: is a compatibility layer for Windows PCs to run games originally made for Windows-based arcade systems. Has since version 1.51 also support for some games running on Linux.
+;Rosetta: was a compatibility layer for running PowerPC apps on x86-based Macs on OS X versions prior to 1.07. '''Rosetta 2''' is a comptibility layer on Apple silicon Macs allowing x86-64 apps to run on ARM-based Macs. Note that Rosetta 2 is not strictly limited to MacOS apps as software such as Crossover is able to call it to emulate x86 code in Windows binaries.
+;Prism: is the built-in compatibility layer in Windows on ARM to run traditional x86 (also x64 in Windows 11) Windows programs.
+;[https://mcpelauncher.readthedocs.io/ Minecraft Bedrock Launcher]: is a compatibility layer made specifically to run the Android version of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on Linux and macOS. It is not compatible with any other Android apps.
+;Windows Subsystem for Linux 1: is a compatibility layer and shouldn't be confused with WSL2. WSL2 introduced important changes such as a real Linux kernel, through a subset of '''Hyper-V features''', so it's not a compatibility layer like WSL1.
+;Berberis, libhoudini, libndk and nb-qemu: are Android [https://android.googlesource.com/platform/art/+/refs/heads/main/libnativebridge/README.md Native Bridges] used to run apps made for other architectures. libhoudini was made by Intel and Google with its most notable use being on WSA for Windows 11, libndk was made by Google to expand Android compatibility on Chromebooks, there's no official source to download them other than online reuploads or extracting them from those systems yourself.
+;KMRE: is a compatibility layer and it's the official solution to run Android applications on computers with Chinese homegrown Phytium/KunPeng ARM processors and NeoKylin Linux operating system, though later also available on x86-64 on [https://www.ubuntukylin.com/index-en.html Ubuntu Kylin]. KMRE is not designed with third-party applications outside its app store and in fact, force installing third-party apps breaks older versions of KMRE. It's the go-to solution if you are restricted to working with these kinds of computers due to national security reasons. See [[Android_emulators#KMRE|KMRE section]] for more information.
+;Vita2hos: is an early compatibility layer for Nintendo Switch that runs PlayStation Vita applications natively. Only able to load simple test homebrews such as vita-8 as of December 2022. Appears to only be developed every once in a while.
 ==Shims==