The Wine Project, a compatibility layer that allows Linux and macOS users to run Windows applications, has released version 11.4, the fourth maintenance update in the stable 11.x series. Here are the main highlights.
A key update is the reimplementation of the SAX reader in MSXML. This change modernizes XML parsing using Microsoft’s XML technologies, which are essential for many Windows applications.
Wine 11.4 also improves audio performance. Developers have optimized resampling in DirectSound, which should increase efficiency and reduce overhead when processing audio streams.
On top of that, the release lays the groundwork for implementing CFGMGR32, the Windows Configuration Manager API, which enables applications to interact with hardware and system settings. Additionally, Wine 11.4 improves Unix timezone matching.
As with previous releases, this update includes bug fixes, with 17 issues resolved, addressing problems in applications such as Roblox Studio, FL Studio installers, Native Access 2, ROMCenter, and Explorer++.
Additional fixes address Windows API issues, including process handle inheritance, TreeView rendering, C++ exception handling, and failures in functions such as FormatMessageW. The release also resolves a wine-staging build issue caused by a missing VKD3D linkage.
For more information, visit the announcement. Wine 11.4’s source code can be downloaded from GitLab’s project page for those interested in trying out or upgrading their current installation. The binary packages for various distributions are expected to be available shortly.
