playonlinux problem

[mouldy]

I have had good luck with POL last few years, no problems, its an easy way to choose pretty much any version WINE still available. However last couple days, I noticed the "install menu" is unresponsive. New install, existing install no difference. Oh the menu pops up, but I cant choose any of the offered software, nor can I choose the install my own windows software. Just nothing. Now tools tab works, I installed 32bit WINE 7.1 from POL. I was able to put XMsol.exe (solitaire program, it runs without installing) and create a shortcut for it. All fine, but the install menu page just doesnt work. Oh and I can configure WINE for any already installed program, meaning win7, win10, etc.

Now I tried POL in Manjaro, Fedora 35, MX19, and FossaPup. Same in all of them. Like say, any already installed windows software in WINE runs, no problem. But I cant install anymore software, as say the menu for installation is fubar and unresponsive.

Which brings up second question, is there a way to use the WINE that POL installs, independent of POL. They seem to have hidden access pretty good. And no obvious way to run winelauncher. Just get not found. I managed to install winetricks but it just gives that message, it cant find wine on path traveled or some such esoteric thing.

[Phoenix]

You could use pfind and search through /usr and /opt for it. Most likely it is not on the PATH, which determines at runtime/invocation where to search for an executable/script.

[mouldy]

You could use pfind and search through /usr and /opt for it. Most likely it is not on the PATH, which determines at runtime/invocation where to search for an executable/script.

I found it both in Puppy and in MX. In Puppy it is in /home/spot/.PlayOnLinux/wine/linux-x86/7.1/bin/wine

And no I couldnt get it to run even winenotepad.

In MX its also buried, but it will run programs, havent yet tried to find a way to install without going through POL.

[bigpup]

Maybe try moving playonlinux to /opt/.PlayOnLinux/wine/linux-x86/7.1/bin/wine

[mikewalsh]

@mouldy :-

I take it you ARE aware that the WINE team have made almost 11,000 changes to WINE 7.0/7.1 over the nearly 14 months it's been in development..? And that in some respects it simply doesn't work any longer like previous installs?

Up to and including WINE 6, I've been able to simply update WINE itself, and re-use an existing prefix. From WINE 7.0 onwards, this is no longer possible; it insists on starting from scratch, with a brand-new prefix. If you try to use an existing prefix, it will over-write it, and nuke the whole thing, giving you no option but to start again! So; the best thing is to move your existing prefix to a safe location, and allow it to do what it wants.

I haven't yet experimented to see if it's still possible to use multiple prefixes.

POL? Tried it a few times.....never could get on with it. Always preferred doing manual installs, one at a time. Can't really help with that aspect of it; I always got on better with the nitty-gritty of WINE's guts, rather than attempting to use a front-end for it...

(*shrug*)

Mike.

[mouldy]

I couldnt get the POL version WINE 7.1 working independent of POL. So installed the WINE 7.0 pet so kindly offered on forum. Ok, Puppy package manager refused to uninstall POL, and new install got confused by existing /root/.wine. It seemed to be 64bit that POL had also installed. So nuked that and let WINE 7.0 32 bit create new /root/.wine

Okay couple small windows progs installed and ran no problem, but it would not do Kindle, a version Kindle I know works in WINE 6.x. Hmm, maybe a corrupt Kindle install file. So download fresh latest greatest, like 1.33.xx. It installed but when opened almost immediately crashed. Grr... So ok, Amazon shot themselves in proverbial foot again. I know versions around 1.28/1.31 work and found Kindle 1.30.59036 on Filehippo. Installed and didnt crash. Whew. Seriously no idea what the big deal is for Amazon software people to make sure Kindle runs on WINE. If it runs on WINE its going to be that much more stable on native windows so win-win. But they really dont care I guess. Knew they were never going to make a native Kindle for Linux. The older version people used to have to use with WINE was 1.17, but Amazon made it so 1.17 cant register. So it cant download books.

[mouldy]

Ok, apparently WINE involves a goodly amount of magic fairy dust. This morning I booted up MX19. There is a new Kindle app icon on my desktop. POL never put one there for Kindle installed through it. MX19 only has the POL linux installed. I had played bit trying to install Kindle to it independent of POL. It hadnt seemed to work.

So of course I click the icon. Up pops an unregistered Kindle wanting me to register it. Checked, its version 1.32, the version that I finally decided my copy was corrupted. And tells me win7 is not longer supported, I can read books already downloaded but cant download more. Ok, kill it and click on POL and Kindle in it. It loads and is registered and works as expected. I had installed it back when POL was working, been using it for some time. Its version 1.33.0 and of course no warning about win7. I think its version 1.33 cause Kindle updated itself during time I used it. When I installed it, had to set it to win7 to register, then changed WINE configuration in POL to tell it to pretend to be win10 and the warning went away. But important thing, these are two different versions Kindle. I look in .wine and new file updated to allow independent installs to WINE.

So guess it is possible to use the POL installed WINE independently. So boot into FossaPup. I had nuked the POL /root/.wine and let the pet version of WINE7 recreate it. Ok it had put Kindle icon on desktop but clicking it no longer works. I go into .wine and drive_c and program files and Kindle and then click Kindle.exe there. Up pops Kindle. Its the version 1.30.xx I downloaded from Filehippo. The one I was so happy yesterday didnt immediately crash after installing.

So honestly WINE if fine, but liquor is quicker... Or fairy dust, or something like that. I know my head is spinning from all the gyrations WINE does or doesnt do or whatever. Biggest lesson, keep playing and few reboots, magic can happen or WINE has mood swing or something. LOL