Using Wine to run Windows programs in Linux. Wine stands for Wine Is Not an Emulator. And WINE is actually an acronym for that. And as previously stated, it’s not even a virtual machine. Rather it is a compatibility layer for running Windows applications on UNIX-like or POSIX-compliant operating systems (e.g. Linux, Mac, BSD). Linux users who want to run Windows applications without switching operating systems have been able to do so for years with Wine, software that lets apps designed for Windows run on Unix-like systems. Wine enables your computer to run Windows applications. Simply install and run your applications as you would in Windows. See #How do I run an installer using Wine? 6.2 Should I run Wine as root? NEVER run Wine as root! Doing so gives Windows programs (and viruses) full access to your computer and every piece of media attached to it. Wine is a free software that allows you to run Windows applications on Linux and Mac OS X, and has been around since the days of Windows 3.x. Made popular among the masses by gamers for its ability to run various Windows games on Linux and Mac, Wine can also run many other types of Windows applications on these platforms flawlessly.

Linux users who want to run Windows applications without switching operating systems have been able to do so for years with Wine, software that lets apps designed for Windows run on Unix-like systems.

There has been no robust equivalent allowing Mac applications to run on Linux, perhaps no surprise given that Windows is far and away the world's most widely used desktop operating system. A developer from Prague named Luboš Doležel is trying to change that with 'Darling,' an emulation layer for OS X.

'The aim is to achieve binary compatible support for Darwin/OS X applications on Linux, plus provide useful tools that will aid especially in application installation,' Doležel's project page states. Darwin is Apple's open source operating system, which provides some of the backend technology in OS X and iOS. The name 'Darling' combines Darwin and Linux. Darling works by 'pars[ing] executable files for the Darwin kernel... load[ing] them into the memory... and execut[ing] them.'

But there is a ways to go. 'Darling needs to provide an ABI-compatible [application binary interface] set of libraries and frameworks as available on OS X... by either directly mapping functions to those available on Linux, wrapping native functions to bridge the ABI incompatibility, or providing a re-implementation on top of other native APIs,' the project page notes.

Doležel, who started Darling a year ago, described the project and its progress in an e-mail interview with Ars. Darling is in the early stages, able to run numerous console applications but not much else. 'These are indeed the easiest ones to get working, albeit 'easy' is not the right word to describe the amount of work required to achieve that,' Doležel said. 'Such applications include: Midnight Commander, Bash, VIM, or Apple's GCC [GNU Compiler Collection]. I know it doesn't sound all that great, but it proves that Darling provides a solid base for further work.'

Users must compile Darling from the source code and then 'use the 'dyld' command to run an OS X executable,' Doležel said. One roadblock is actually getting Mac .dmg and .pkg application files working on a Linux system. Because doing so isn't that straightforward, Doležel said, 'I've written a FUSE module that enables users to mount .dmg files under Linux directly and without root privileges. An installer for .pkg files is underway.'

Unix/Linux synergy

The fact that OS X is a Unix operating system provides advantages in the development process. 'This saved me a lot of work,' Doležel explained. 'Instead of implementing all the 'system' APIs, it was sufficient to create simple wrappers around the ones available on Linux. I had to check every function for ABI compatibility and then test whether my wrapper works, so it wasn't as easy as it may sound.'

Another lucky break not available to Wine developers is that Apple releases some of the low-level components of OS X as open source code, 'which helped a lot with the dynamic loader and Objective-C runtime support code,' Doležel noted.

But of course, the project is an extremely difficult one. Doležel isn't the first to try it, as Darling was initially based on a separate project called 'maloader.' Doležel said he heard from another group of people 'who started a similar project before but abandoned the idea due to lack of time.'

Doležel was actually a novice to OS X development when he started Darling, being more familiar with OS X from a user's perspective than a developer's perspective. 'I have personally looked for something like Darling before, before I realized I would have to start working on it myself,' he said.

Darling relies heavily on GNUstep, an open source implementation of Apple's Cocoa API. GNUstep provides several core frameworks to Darling, and 'the answer to 'can it run this GUI app?' heavily depends on GNUstep,' Doležel said. Doležel is the only developer of Darling, using up all his spare time on the project.

No reverse-engineering

Doležel isn't reverse-engineering Apple code, noting that it could be problematic in terms of licensing and also that 'disassembling Apple's frameworks wouldn't be helpful at all because Darling and the environment it's running in is layered differently than OS X.'

The development process is a painstaking one, done one application at a time. Doležel explains:

To improve Darling, I first take or write an application I'd like to have running. If it is someone else's application, I first examine it with one of the tools that come with Darling to see what frameworks and APIs it requires. I look up the APIs that are missing in Apple's documentation; then I create stub functions for them and possibly for the rest of the framework, too. (Stub functions only print a warning when they are called but don't do any real work.)

The next step is to implement all the APIs according to the documentation and then see how the application reacts. I also add trace statements into important functions to have an insight into what's happening. I believe this is very much like what Wine developers do.

When things go wrong, I have to use GDB [GNU Debugger] to debug the original application.

It is rather unfortunate that Apple's documentation is often so poorly written; sometimes I have to experiment to figure out what the function really does. Many OS X applications seem to contain complete pieces of example code from Apple's documentation, presumably because one would have to spend a lot of time getting to understand how the APIs interact. This is why I appreciate open source so much—when the documentation is sketchy, you can always look into the code.

Years of development are needed. Similar to Wine, 'Having a list of applications known to be working is probably the best way to go,' Doležel said.

Darling should work on all Linux distributions, he said, with the catch that 'many apps for OS X are 32-bit only, and installing 32-bit packages on a 64-bit Linux system could be tricky depending on your distribution. I personally use Gentoo Linux, so I'm gradually creating a Portage overlay that would compile Darling and all dependencies for both 32-bit and 64-bit applications.'

Doležel would like to bring Angry Birds, other games, and multimedia applications to Linux. Darling could potentially 'be used to run applications compiled for iOS,' he writes on the project site. This will also be a challenge. 'The intention is to support the ARM platform on the lowest levels (the dynamic loader and the Objective-C runtime),' he writes. 'Rewriting the frameworks used on iOS is a whole different story, though.'

Mac is renowned for safety and smooth operation. However, if you are not switching from your Windows to Mac, because you don’t want to lose the programs compatible specifically with Windows, then you must know that there is a workaround with which you can run those programs.

Yes, you heard it right, with the help of a virtual machine, it is possible to work on both MacOS and Windows operating system on the same computer. With virtual machines, you can run Windows on Mac and also switch both the operating systems effortlessly.

Simple Ways to Run Windows on Mac

You must be thinking what a virtual machine is and how it works! So, without any further ado, let us know about Virtual machines!

Virtual Machine

In simple words, a Virtual machine (VM) is a program or image which acts an emulation of a computer system. It is one of the best methods to run Windows on a Mac, eliminating the need for actual physical hardware. With VM, a user can install Windows, Linux or any other OS in a window on Mac. Windows stay under the impression that it is running on a real computer however, it is running within software on Mac.

The Virtual Machine is based on computer architecture and operates as a physical computer. It runs in a window just like any other program on a computer, which provides a similar experience on Virtual Machine as they get on the host operating system. The software inside the Virtual Machine can’t tamper with the computer settings as the VM is sandboxed from the rest of the system.

Therefore, the virtual machines are an ideal software for those who want to use another operating system for testing beta releases, creating OS backup, accessing infected files and more. Every virtual machine has its own virtual hardware that’s CPU, hard drives, network interfaces, and other devices.

The VM is linked to the actual hardware on a physical machine which reduces the costs, as you don’t need physical hardware, hence, no maintenance costs applied to it.

Now you know about Virtual Machines, then read further to know some of the best ways to run Windows on a Mac using virtual machine apps.

Parallels Desktop

One of the best ways to run Windows on Mac is by using Parallels. Whether you want to switch from Windows to Mac or want to transfer data between them, Parallels can do it all. The tool is available for trial and you can get all of it in the paid version.

How To Run Windows Apps On Mac Using Wine Glasses

Let’s check the requirements to run Windows programs on Mac.

Hardware

• Mac computer with Intel Core i9, Core i7, Core i5, Core i3, Core 2 Duo, Core i7, Intel Core M or Xeon processor.
• Recommended 8 GB, 4 GB minimum required.
• 600 MB disk space on Macintosh HD for Parallels desktop application installation.
• Working internet connection to activate the product and select features.
• SSD drive for better performance.
• Additional disk space for VM

Software

The tool is available all mentioned operating system of Mac in the list:

• OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 or later
• macOS Sierra 10.12.6 or later
• macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 or later
• macOS Mojave 10.14

Guest Operating System

• Windows Server 2019
• Windows 8
• Windows 8.1
• Windows 10

Features Of Parallels:

Using Windows and Mac on the same screen on your Mac computer is easy with Parallels. It makes sharing files and folders, images and text between Mac and Windows apps effortless.

Once downloaded, it is easy to install and get started with another operating system. No matter how heavy a Windows application is, it will run smoothly without affecting your Mac’s performance.

The program works for both the latest version of Windows 10 and macOS Mojave. For easy access, it enables a user to add Windows application to Touch Bar. Parallels has the potential to optimize VM settings and performance for you, to match up the current mode. So, whether you are playing games or are into testing or development, Parallels will modify VM settings as per the need.

VMware Fusion

Vmware Fusion gives you the power to run Windows and other operating systems side by side with Mac apps, without even rebooting. The platform is quite simple, therefore could be useful for home users and is powerful to be handle developers, professionals and businesses needs.

To install Vmware Fusion on your Mac to run Windows, you need:

• Mac launched in 2011 or later except 2012 Mac Pro “Quad Core” using the Intel® Xeon® W3565 Processor.
• 2010 Mac Pro “Six Core”, “Eight Core” and “Twelve Core”.
• OS X 10.12 Sierra Minimum Required

Features Of VMware Fusion

VMware Fusion comes with an updated user interface along with customizable support for the latest Touch Bar enabled Macs. The tool supports the latest versions of Windows 10 as a virtual machine running on your Mac. Vmware Fusion has an ability to drive complex, GPU intensive applications and games with an improved hardware-accelerated 3D graphics engine by taking advantage of Apple Metal graphics technology.

When it comes to graphics performance and accuracy, VMware Fusion leads the way. With Unity View Mode, it allows you to hide Windows desktop, so you can run Windows apps on your Mac seamlessly.

This app allows you to launch Windows apps from Dock, Launchpad or Spotlight. With the common VMware hypervisor, Fusion makes it simple to transfer virtual machines back and forth with drag and drop or control VMs right from corporate data from the comfort of your Mac

BootCamp

Bootcamp is an inbuilt utility app which enables Mac OSX user to use Windows on the same screen. The app is easy to use and after installation, you just need to restart and switch between Windows and MacOS to run Windows on Mac.

Before you get started with it, let’s check the requirements to run Windows programs on Mac.

• Sufficient free disk space to form a Boot Camp disk partition with at least size of 64GB.

Note: It is recommended to have 128 GB space for better performance.

• An external mouse and Keyboard, in case you are on Mac desktop.
• A USB with free 16GB or more.

The List of Mac Models Supporting Windows 10 Home 64-bit version or Pro:

• MacBook Pro (2012 and later)
• MacBook (2015 and later)
• MacBook Air (2012 and later)
• iMac (2012 and later)*
• iMac Pro (2017)
• Mac mini (2012 and later)
• Mac Pro (Late 2013)
• Mac mini Server (Late 2012)

Features of Bootcamp:

Bootcamp is popular due to its performance. Having Windows on an internal drive of Mac eliminates the need for a virtual machine or external device. If you have ample space on your Mac, you should install Windows using this utility app.

Upon installing Windows on your Mac, you could use Windows & its applications with best possible performance. Your Mac and Windows PC both will perform with the same specifications. Install Windows using Bootcamp and enjoying using both platforms on the same screen.

VirtualBox

If you want to run Windows on Mac, without even rebooting your computer, then VirtualBox can help. VirtualBox is a free and open source hosted hypervisor for x86 computers.

If you want to get Windows 10, then you need to check the Installation requirements:

How To Run Windows Apps On Mac With Wine

• 16GB free space on hard disk.
• A processor of 1 Gigahertz or more
• 1GB RAM for 32 bit and 2 GB for 64 bit
• Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device along with WDDM driver.
• IDE, SATA, and SCSI hard drives are supported.
• ISO disk image files are supported.

Supported guest operating system

You can install Windows Server 2008, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP, Debian, and FreeBSD while using VirtualBox

Features Of VirtualBox

Virtual Box allows you to run the applications on Windows and the applications on Mac side by side seamlessly. It allows the guest system to access physical hard disk partitions present on the host system.

It lets your guest system to directly access the USB devices connected to the host computer. You can set Shared Folders which can be accessed by both guest and host operating system. Copy, paste, drag and drop the files from guest to host or vice versa easily.

If you want to run server software inside the Virtual Machine, then VirtualBox allows you to set up port forwarding. Running VM on a remote system or server is possible with VirtualBox. The tool makes it possible with the help of VRDP which is backwards compatible with Microsoft’s RDP protocol. So, you can establish a remote connection to your VM by using the Remote Desktop Connection program(Windows program) without any VirtualBox app.

Wine

Wine originally means Wine Is Not An Emulator. The app is based on Linux. It is a compatibility layer that enables Windows applications to run on other operating systems. It is open and legal and is available for free. Also, you don’t need any Windows license to use the tool.

How To Run Windows Apps On Mac Using Wine Opener

To install Wine on your Mac, you will need to have the following things:

• macOS 10.10 or later
• A working internet connection
• Access to an Admin account, with credentials

Features Of Wine

With Wine, Mac and Windows run side by side and you can switch between the two via Boot Camp. However, you need to reboot your computer every time you switch. Unlike other apps used to run Windows on Mac, Wine doesn’t take up a lot of disk space and doesn’t hog memory.

As it takes permission to use system resources such as disk space and memory from OS. Wine makes sure all the requests are responded so that the program can run properly. Therefore the programs get all the connections to work properly and it doesn’t feel that it is not on Windows. As it is only interpreting requests, no need to copy real Windows OS. Being an open-source, Wine is continuously refining and new features are added to it now and then.

So, these are popular ways to run Windows on Mac. We know it is not as easy as installing Windows apps on Windows computer but with these apps, you can beat the need of having two operating systems on two separate machines, instead, you can have both of them on the same machine.

Which One To Choose?

If you have a Windows license and want the best compatibility on your Mac, then you must go with Parallels. However, don’t have or don’t want to buy Windows license key then you can use Wine to run Windows on Mac.

Well, this was our opinion on how to run Windows on Mac. Did you like the article? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.