Feature Request: Windows Binaries via WINE

[Bob The Nob]

Could we have some sort of system that detects WINE, PoL or similar and then run the Windows exe via that?
This would mean games such as Skyrim would still be launchable from the Steam for Linux instead of having a complete separate steam install for Wine.

Edit:
Adding some ideas and stuff (Below)


Idea 1:
Much like the Controller Support for Big Picture Mode; we could have a Linux Support type...
Full = Native
Partial = Works via WINE (or similar)
None = No Support

This partial support could be determind via user submitted list (like AppDB @ WineHQ) and also detect your version of Wine Installed... So the "Partial Support" tag is more dynamic but still allowing some sort over overrides for new wine versions etc


Idea 2:
No tags, and no functionality from the off but a CLI switch to enable the ability to install these games.


The idea of enabling this ability isn't to detract from Native Linux games but to open up the whole catalogue of games to Steam that will never be ported for one reason or another.

My main issue with just saying "Go run Steam in WINE seperately" is that I'd have to log out of one steam to use the other and in cases (like my own) where people have a large steam catalogue; they will just opt to use one or the other and therefore not showing true Linux demand.

This system could be ported to OS X too. This is the time where this kind of functionality could be requested to be implemented to help transition gaming to the Unix based platform.

[slight]

Yeah I second this. You'd probably want to layer it up in warnings and require the user to explicitly ask for it per game installed but it would.be very useful.

[johndrinkwater]

-1

[ÜberNoob]

It is a terrible idea. Wine is not so good as you think.

[ewomer]

Evil man you are should go back to your desk Mr. Microsoft Exec.

[Flaming Sapz]

I feel this would make devs claim to have Linux support even if it's not actually native (Read: EA's "Linux" games) if they run well through Wine.

[Bob The Nob]

I'd just like to see a way to play Skyrim and Fallout without having to have two steam's installed, one native linux and one wine based.

This would also open up more games to being 'linux ready' or at least 'partial linux support' maybe? Obviously going native would be better with faster and more direct access to resources.

[Kaede Kuroi [黒い楓]]

Now hold on a second. We had this discussion in the general discussion section, and I think the best thing to do is to have it as a hidden feature that can only be used when adding a switch that is something like:

steam --allow-windows-software

This way, those that don't want it enabled won't have it by default, those that do will be able to enable it, and game developers can't use it as an excuse for not making a native Linux version.

[Bob The Nob]

Oprindeligt skrevet af LinuxSpice:

Now hold on a second. We had this discussion in the general discussion section, and I think the best thing to do is to have it as a hidden feature that can only be used when adding a switch that is something like:

steam --allow-windows-software

This way, those that don't want it enabled won't have it by default, those that do will be able to enable it, and game developers can't use it as an excuse for not making a native Linux version.

Or use a full/partial/no support option like the controllers in big picture mode? It would mean devs would have to actively make their apps run in a vanilla wine to get partial support but open Linux up to more games.

Gaming is the only thing keeping me on Windows which is why I'm eager for more native Linux games but like the OS X adoptation, only certain publishers have opted to support Mac but an option for partial support would help ease transition for the future...

[Xpander]

+1 for wine support. hate to switch betweeen 2 steam versions.
or at least make it possible to log into the both of them at the same time

[76561198032540486]

I think the best way to do this would be for value/wine/(interested)game developers to collaborate on improving compatability between the three areas.
It would be great if there could be some cooperation with the wine developers like there is with the graphics driver maintainers, parhaps even to the point of getting windows games to interoperate with the linux version of steam to the degree they do on windows.

What would be optimal would be special linux releases of windows games that include the usual windows data, along with a game specific linux pack that includes things like wine configurations and special libraries if neccersary (maybe a special steam optimized release of wine). Of course, all this would require time and money and we don't know if linux looks lucrative enough for value to invest that into it yet.

[Tele42]

If individual games are to use wine officially on linux, then it is the game developers choice to do so, LIMBO is the example of this, it has a specially tuned version of wine packaged with the windows version to run on linux. The game developers should not be bombarded with support questions that need to goto wine that they neither expected or wanted. Wine should not be enabled system-wide for Steam.

[Kaede Kuroi [黒い楓]]

The other option would be if Valve were to make a headless, Windows steam client specifically for launching games (basically, everything stripped away but the authentication to launch programs, multiplayer or single), that way we can simply add it as a "non-steam game" and launch is with different parameters (such as "Wine /steamcli.exe -appid 440").
The point isn't to give developers the ability to use Wine, but to give the end users the ability to play the games they paid for if the developers haven't/wont release a native Linux version.

[CJ777]

This is a ♥♥♥♥ idea. This will give Developers the idea we will settle for running games in WINE and not native ports.

[Kaede Kuroi [黒い楓]]

Oprindeligt skrevet af /home/CJ UK:

This is a ♥♥♥♥ idea. This will give Developers the idea we will settle for running games in WINE and not native ports.

Hence why I think it should be disabled by default and hidden. If it's not default, then developers will have no choice but to either make a native version, or lose sales from Linux users.

[CJ777]

Oprindeligt skrevet af LinuxSpice:

Oprindeligt skrevet af /home/CJ UK:

This is a ♥♥♥♥ idea. This will give Developers the idea we will settle for running games in WINE and not native ports.

Hence why I think it should be disabled by default and hidden. If it's not default, then developers will have no choice but to either make a native version, or lose sales from Linux users.

I still dispise this idea.