Bottles, a software tool built on top of Wine, designed to help users manage and run Windows applications and games on Linux systems by providing a user-friendly GUI, has just released its latest version, 51.12. Let’s see what’s changed.
Bottles 51.12 Highlights
A key update in this release is the added support for Direct3D 8 (D3D8) via DXVK, a Vulkan-based translation layer for Direct3D used in gaming.
This allows older DirectX games and software to run more efficiently under Linux environments—an enhancement that benefits users looking to run legacy games without complex configurations.
The new version also removes the @lru_cache decorator from the Paths class, alongside minor typing fixes, which streamline code execution and reduce memory overhead.
Additionally, performance has been improved by utilizing case-fold for the drive_c directory when available, ensuring faster file handling and search capabilities.
On the bug fixes side, Bottles 51.12 addresses several critical bugs that affected user experience in previous versions:
- A crash on startup has been resolved, enhancing the software’s stability.
- The GNOME runtime, which Bottles relies on for its graphical interface, has been updated in the manifest, ensuring better integration with the latest Linux desktop environments.
- Previous issues with handling file names containing spaces and executing commands in the terminal through the kgx Launch have been fixed.
- Syntax warnings in the command-line interface and issues with MIME-type definitions that affected application detection and categorization have been corrected.
On top of that, the update introduces several user-oriented features to enhance its flexibility and usability:
- An option to skip checksum verification during dependency installations offers a faster setup process for users who prioritize speed over security verification.
- The desktop entry specification changes now include a TryExec field, which provides better integration with desktop environments and ensures that shortcuts only appear when the executable is available.
Lastly, the transition from add_mime_type to add_pattern in file filter management marks an important improvement in how Bottles handles file associations, particularly on certain Linux distributions where file filtering poses issues.
For more information on all changes in Bottles 51.12, visit the changelog.
