How to Upgrade Wine to the Latest Version

Edited 27 days ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

WineUpgradeLinuxVersioningCommandsPackage ManagersRepositoriesTerminalMaintenanceUpdates

Wine is a popular software that allows users to run Windows applications on Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, macOS, and BSD. Many people depend on Wine to use software that has no native version for their operating system. As with any software, it is important to keep Wine up to date to benefit from the latest features, security fixes, and improvements. In this lesson, we will go through the detailed steps to upgrade Wine to the latest version. The instructions will cover various aspects and provide examples to make the process straightforward and simple.

Understanding alcohol and its different forms

Before upgrading Wine, it's important to understand what Wine is and how its versions are created. Wine stands for "Wine is not an emulator." Despite its name, it is not an emulator, which typically slows down performance. Instead, Wine acts as a compatibility layer, converting Windows system calls into POSIX calls that your operating system can understand.

Versions of Wine are released periodically, and each version includes new features, enhancements, and bug fixes. The versions are numbered in a certain format. For example, Wine 7.0, Wine 7.1, Wine 7.2, etc. Major versions are stable releases, while minor versions are often development versions, where new and experimental features are introduced.

Checking your current Wine version

Before you begin the upgrade process, it is useful to know which version of Wine is currently installed on your system. Here is how you can check it:

wine --version

Open the terminal and enter the command above. This will display the current version of Wine installed on your computer. Knowing your current version will help assess whether an upgrade is necessary and what steps to take.

Backing up your Wine configuration

Upgrading any software carries a slight risk that the configuration may change or not work as before. Therefore, it is a good practice to backup your existing Wine configuration before starting the upgrade. To do this, follow these simple steps:

cp -r ~/.wine ~/wine_backup

The above command will copy your current Wine configuration to a directory called `wine_backup`. If anything goes wrong during the upgrade, you can revert to this backup.

Choosing the right Wine repository

For Linux users, the preferred way to upgrade Wine is to use your distribution's package manager. However, not all Linux distributions keep the latest version of Wine in their default repositories. Therefore, it is helpful to add the repository from the Wine project itself. Here's how you can configure it:

Ubuntu and Debian-based systems

If you are using Ubuntu, Debian, or any Debian-based system, follow these steps to add the Wine repository and update the package manager:

sudo dpkg --add-architecture i386 wget -nc https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/winehq.key sudo apt-key add winehq.key sudo apt-add-repository 'deb https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/ubuntu/ YOUR_UBUNTU_VERSION_HERE main' sudo apt update

Replace `YOUR_UBUNTU_VERSION_HERE` with your actual Ubuntu version (e.g., Bionic, Focal). This will configure your system to fetch Wine packages from the official repositories. Updating the package manager's list of available software ensures you get the latest version.

Fedora

For Fedora users, the process is somewhat similar but uses the DNF package manager:

sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://dl.winehq.org/wine-builds/fedora/winehq.repo sudo dnf update

After executing these commands, your system will be set to pull the latest version from the Wine repository.

Installing the latest version of Wine

After adding the repository to your package manager, the next step is to install the latest version of Wine. This command varies slightly between distributions.

Ubuntu and Debian-based systems

To upgrade or install the latest stable version:

sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-stable

The above command will upgrade your Wine to the latest stable release available in the repositories. To maintain the development version (which may be less stable but contains the latest features and updates), use:

sudo apt install --install-recommends winehq-devel

Fedora

On Fedora, using DNF is simple:

sudo dnf install wine

This will upgrade Wine to the latest version available in your system’s repositories.

Verifying the upgrade

After the installation or upgrade process is complete, it is important to make sure that your system has actually received the new version. You can check this by running the command:

wine --version

This command will return the new version number, which will confirm that the upgrade was successful.

Testing and troubleshooting

Once Wine is upgraded, it's prudent to test some of the Windows applications you use frequently to make sure they're still working correctly. If they don't, you may need to troubleshoot. Here are some common troubleshooting steps:

Check the Wine App Database

The Wine Application Database is a useful resource for monitoring the compatibility of various Windows software with Wine. Checking here can provide information about known issues and recommended configurations.

Use a different Wine prefix

If you have problems with specific applications, consider using different Wine prefixes. This means that different Wine environments must be configured for different applications:

WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-new winecfg

This command will create a new configuration in a directory called `.wine-new` inside your home directory.

Check the output log

Wine often provides output that can be helpful for diagnosing problems. Running an application through Wine from the terminal may result in error or warning messages:

wine application.exe

Replace `application.exe` with the name of the executable you are trying to run. Error messages may indicate missing dependencies or configuration issues.

Additional tips for a smooth upgrade process

Here are a few more tips to make your Wine upgrade experience as seamless as possible:

• Keep checking the Wine website frequently for updates or for any recent issues reported by other users after the upgrade.
• If you're continually experiencing problems, consider joining the Wine forum or mailing list for direct support from the community.
• If a new version causes problems, you can easily backup your old Wine configuration. Simply delete the current `.wine` directory and restore the backup:

rm -rf ~/.wine mv ~/wine_backup ~/.wine

This will replace the problematic version with your backup configuration.

Conclusion

Upgrading Wine to the latest version enables your system to run Windows applications more efficiently and securely. With the steps outlined above, the process should be straightforward, regardless of the Unix-like system you are using. By adding the Wine repository to your package manager and executing a simple upgrade command, you stay up to date with the latest progress of the Wine project. Additionally, the ability to troubleshoot and undo configurations provides a safety net that ensures you can easily undo any unintended changes during the upgrade process. Remember, frequent updates and community involvement are important aspects of maintaining a fully functioning Wine environment on your system.

  Share This Article

If you find anything wrong with the article content, you can request an update