How to use crossover 21 to run Windows apps on your Chromebook – Guide
It’s been a while since we played CrossOver. It is a commercial product from CodeWeavers, the developers behind Wine and Proton, that allows Windows applications and games to run natively on Linux and macOS. Fortunately, the nasty old days of CrossOver running on Chromebooks through limited Android integration are behind us. They changed to run it in the Linux environment (Crostini), which provides an improved experience. A lot of changes have been made under the hood since we last took a look at CrossOver, just 4 years ago. Installation is easier, compatibility is much better, and even the user interface has been given a little more polish. Check out all the new updates on CrossOver 21 on the CodeWeavers blog. Where Proton shines at making games work, CrossOver shines at making productivity tools work. A big focus for them is making sure the software businesses need every day, like the Microsoft Office suite, work on Linux. They’ve also done an amazing job on Apple’s ecosystem, making their product run on 64-bit macOS systems only and also run on the new M1 processor. Very impressive to say the least! Why should you consider CrossOver? You get support, it’s cheaper than Parallels for Chrome OS, it doesn’t require the hassle of enterprise licenses for Chrome OS, and it offers great integration with Chrome OS. Although it’s a paid product, you can get it for free by subscribing up to be a beta tester. The problem is that you occasionally need to provide feedback about upcoming releases. That sounds like a win to me! Get a high quality free product, try the latest features first, and feel good about contributing to the product. You would be positively impacting the product and previous Wine project! Otherwise, they offer a 14-day no-obligation trial or you can help support Wine developers directly by purchasing an annual subscription. CodeWeavers recently posted a video on their YouTube channel describing how to install CrossOver for Chrome OS. This basically involves going to the download page, downloading and double clicking on the Linux package. Oh yes you will need Linux feature installed on your Chromebook first. their installation tutorial the video is less than 2 minutes long. That’s right, you can have a Windows alternative installed in literally minutes. Talk about quick and easy! When installing Windows software, CrossOver will create a “bottle” (think of it as a standalone Windows installation), also known as a “Wine prefix”, installs third party software as sources (similar to what the winetricks project does) , installs other Linux dependencies and finally installs the chosen application. Once the installation is complete, a shortcut to the app will be available in the CrossOver app itself and also in the app launcher in Chrome OS. Now that we’ve cleared up some of the history and details, let’s move on to the fun part: actually installing Windows apps! As an example, let’s walk through the Steam installation, as I don’t have any Windows productivity software (LibreOffice is my favorite open source suite!). Most software requires that you have a digital copy or an external CD/DVD drive with the disc inserted. The Steam installer will actually come out and download it for us automatically. In fact, there are some advantages to installing Steam with CrossOver compared to using the native Linux client. You can keep all your Steam games installed in a single bottle to save space. Also, certain games that use the Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) program, such as some Call of Duty games within Wine, will work online. Open the new CrossOver application and select “Install Windows software…” This will open a new window where it will download the latest information about how to install the specific software optimally. There are two different methods for installing a Windows program. It is recommended to use “Select Application” and find an existing installer. This will provide all the necessary adjustments to make it work. If the app isn’t listed, use “Select Installer” and use a local executable install file on your Chromebook. Confirm that you want to allow CrossOver to install additional OS packages in the Linux environment. If you select “No”, there is a high probability that Steam will not even start. Wait until everything is downloaded and installed. Perhaps you will have a drink of your choice or your captain’s choice. Tea. Earl Grey. Warm. After installation, a shortcut called “Steam (CrossOver)” will be created. Honestly, I tried some games through Steam that didn’t work or didn’t have enough space on my Chromebook. The state of games on Chromebooks is still heavy work in progress. CrossOver 21 relies heavily on Vulkan for the best gaming experience, so we hope it will be officially supported in the Linux environment soon. I must also reiterate that, although I have installed Steam as an example, you will have a better experience if you find and specifically install a game or program you want through CrossOver itself. It will automatically install all the specific dependencies you need to make your app work. For general gaming, the native Linux client for Steam with Proton enabled is still the best experience. CrossOver interest you? Do you prefer Parallels for Chrome OS, upstream Wine or just using native Linux apps? No matter what, it’s great to have options!
Final note
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