WINE or How to run your Windows game on Linux

[Skybird]

Bookmarked, thanks!

[BarracudaUAK]

I was going to edit my first post, but the edit button is gone... so I'll put it here.

Before I go in to the next bit concerning WINE, I thought I would post up some info I just read in the WINE 2.0 release notes. This makes the last section now "old news".

From WINEHQ...
https://www.winehq.org/announce/2.0

*** Release numbering - Starting with 2.0, version numbering will change: stable release updates will follow the existing scheme: 2.0.1, 2.0.2, 2.0.3, etc. but the developemnt branch will drop the intermediate number: the releases will be numbered 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, etc. leading to the next stable release, which will be called 3.0.

Just thought I would update the first post before moving on to things such as getting S3D working in WINE.

I had planned to update this sooner, but I've been really busy with work lately.

Barracuda

[BarracudaUAK]

Since it has been several months since I started this, (getting sidetracked really messes with your plans...)

Typing this all out takes a bit of time, and I seem to be getting short(er) on time lately.

I was going to cover Getting S3D installed and working (as SH3/SH4 is a rather large part of this forum).

Should I continue?


Barracuda

[Skybird]

Honestly said I think the interest is - well, see the many replies.

Beyond that, Wine is corrupting one of Linux signature features, that is security. You can catch Windows malware while
running Wine, that is why it is often recommended to not use Wine. Even if it does not attack your Linux, it infests your
saved data, texts, photos, these then are "sleepers" - and if you ever put them on a stick or send them via mail and the
receiver is a Windows user, then he got it - all inclusive, and the sleeping stuff awakens. Meanwhile, while sleeping, it
nevertheless may spread from your Linux system. Windows malware can also infest apps under Linux, waiting for an
opportunity that the carrier system is connecting to a Windows system in any way - and then infests the target Windows
machine via this app becomign active on Linux.

At least do not run Wine on Linux without a Virus scanner that is capable for both Linux and especially Windows.

Last time I read about such scanners, many failed and especially all the free ones - that often get recommended in
forums - are useless if not dangerous.



^ Valid in autumn 2015 !

For gamers, two system or dual boot solutions are the way to go. Windows or consoles exclusively for gaming, Linux for everything else. Save yourself
the hassle.

https://www.av-test.org/en/news/news...t-to-the-test/

As Linux PCs are increasingly used to connect Windows PCs, they ought to use a security package as well. The
lab at AV-TEST put 16 current security solutions to the test under Ubuntu – against Linux and Windows threats. The
result is bitter for several products: for some, 85% of the Windows malware goes through unrecognized, and up to
75% of pure Linux malware remains undetected.

The invulnerability of Linux to Malware, is a myth. It gets less
often attacked - and that is all.

P.S. Many users do not know, it seems, that Linux Mint comes with an inbuild firewall. It is - stupidly - switched off by
default and must be manually switched on.

P.S. I use the default firewall on Mint, and Eset Nod32 Antivirus under Linux. I may occasionally switch between my two
platforms and transfer data via usb stick. So for me it indeed makes double sense to use a scanner that is capable both
under Windows and Linux.

[BarracudaUAK]

I would like to note: nothing is COMPLETELY secure...

However,
I looked at the link and noticed this particular point:
https://www.av-test.org/en/news/news...t-to-the-test/

Having infiltrated a system, malware seldom causes any damage under Linux, as it actually expects a Windows system. Infected files simply remain dormant, waiting for the opportunity to attack a Windows system. To do so, it is often sufficient to copy files from a Linux environment to Windows.

I'm not saying don't run a anti-virus software. If you are, keep doing so...
But it seems the biggest threat is still to the Windows system.

----------

Seems to me, if you are worried about viruses, which can't infect the -actual- system.
Then run 2 accounts. One for your gaming, one for everything else.

2 Users "A" and "B" would each have their own "home" folder.

/-
. |
. -home-
. . . . . . . |
. . . . . . . -A-
. . . . . . . | . |
. . . . . . . | . -.wine
. . . . . . . | . -documents (and so on)
. . . . . . . |
. . . . . . . -B-
. . . . . . . . . |
. . . . . . . . . -documents (and so on)

(I had to add all the '.' because the forum was ignoring the spaces. )

"A" can NOT access "B" because "A" is a user, and does NOT have read, or write permissions to "B". "A" only has read/write/execute permissions in "A".
Not even in /home, only in /home/A (i.e.: ~ ).

The same goes for "B". Only in /home/B does "B" have read/write/execute permissions.
(Please note: if logged into "B", /home/B would also be "~".)

This would "compartmentalize" your system even further. So if you ever did get a virus, just delete the user account.
-------


I will try to get the 3rd planned post up soon.
I'm trying to make it less "walk through", more "quick reference".

Barracuda

[Skybird]

First, there is malware targetting Linux. It is growing both in quality and quantity.

Second, the currently bigger concern indeed is Windows. But like it is considered to be polite to not sneeze your infleuntia virus into other people's faces, but turn away, it is nice if you do not help to spread malware damaging other people even you yourself stay unharmed.

Mind you, probably most severs feeding stuff to Windows, are running under Linux. Also mind you, that the bigger a network, the greater the chance that single Linux units may contact and link up to Windows units, it can also happen in company networks.

And in my personal case, i occasionally use USB sticks to transfer something from my Windows to my Linux machine, a scan for example. I am well-advised to scan for malware on BOTH machines. My main concern is - for statistical reasons - not Linux malware, but Windows malware. And that I can catch up with Linux as well.

As I said, total security is an illusion. But you can push chances in your favour. Technical preparation s one important thing - behaviour is the other important thing.

And once again: Linux malware is growing both in raffinesse and quantity. To say that Linux is not being hunted, is a false statement. It just happens not as often as under Mac or Windows. We can be thankful that Linux is not much used in the private user sphere, so this will continue to grow slowly into a major problem only, not fast. But growing it will. After all, Linux is just code - and like every code it can be attacked.

Some years they said that Tor is "safe". There is reason to assume that the NSA has successfully comprimised it, they say since two years or so. Once Android was said to be safe. When it became much unsafer due to growing popularity and being atacked more often, they said the Google repository is safe. Now even the Google appstore is compromised.

Every code and software can be attacked. We do not think in absoluta when saying "comouter security". We should think in probabilities only. So my advise: shift the chances in your favour a bit.

Regarding Wine, that one is a risk, that simple. In all books I looked into and stumbled over a chapter on Wine in the bookshop, the authors recommended to not use it. It shares the same vulnerabilities with Windows. And if you use Windows in a virtual machine, be careful with any datafiles you may extract fromt hat session on a USB stick, photos aor working project files. The virtual machine may collapse after you shut down the computer, the system may be unharmed. But the data on your stick may be compromised.