CrossOver (software) facts for kids
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| Developer(s) | CodeWeavers |
|---|---|
| Stable release |
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| Operating system | Linux, macOS, ChromeOS |
| Type | Compatibility layer |
| License | Proprietary, GPL, LGPL |
CrossOver is a special computer program that helps you run Microsoft Windows applications on other computer systems like Linux, macOS, and ChromeOS. Think of it like a translator that helps a Windows program understand how to work on a different type of computer.
CrossOver is made by a company called CodeWeavers. It's built using another open-source program called Wine. "Open-source" means its code is available for anyone to see and improve. CodeWeavers takes the Wine code, makes it better, adds helpful tools, and provides support to users. All the changes they make to Wine are also shared publicly. CodeWeavers even has a website where you can check how well different Windows programs work with CrossOver.
Contents
Different Versions of CrossOver
CrossOver for Linux Computers
CrossOver Linux was the first version of CrossOver. It's designed to work smoothly with popular Linux desktop styles like GNOME and KDE. This helps Windows programs feel like they belong on a Linux computer.
In the past, there were different versions of CrossOver Linux, like "Standard" for single users and "Professional" for businesses. But since 2012, all these versions were combined into one easy-to-use CrossOver Linux product.
CrossOver for Mac Computers
In 2005, Apple announced that their Mac computers would start using Intel processors. This change allowed CodeWeavers to create a version of CrossOver for Mac computers, which they called 'CrossOver Mac'.
CrossOver Mac was first released in 2007. Just like the Linux version, it used to have "Standard" and "Pro" editions. But by 2012, all these were merged into a single CrossOver Mac product.
In 2019, Apple's macOS Catalina update only supported newer 64-bit programs, which meant older 32-bit programs wouldn't work. CodeWeavers quickly released CrossOver 19 to fix this! It allowed 32-bit Windows programs to run on the 64-bit macOS, which was a big help for many users.
More recently, in 2023, CodeWeavers announced that CrossOver 23 would start supporting DirectX 12 on macOS. DirectX is important for many video games. Apple also released its own tool, called the Game Porting Toolkit, to help bring Windows games to Mac. This tool is actually based on CrossOver's technology! In September 2023, CrossOver 23.5 was released, which works with Apple's new D3DMetal feature from the Game Porting Toolkit.
Past CrossOver Products
Today, if you get CrossOver, it includes all the features that used to be in separate products like CrossOver Games, CrossOver Standard, and CrossOver Professional. These older, individual versions are no longer sold separately.
One of these older products was CrossOver Games, which was launched in 2008. It was made specifically for playing a wide range of Windows games on other systems. The idea was to update it very often with the newest improvements from Wine. However, it couldn't update fast enough to keep up with new games, so it was stopped in 2012 and its features were added into the main CrossOver product.
Another product was CrossOver Server. This was a special version of CrossOver Linux that let Windows programs run on "thin-client" systems, which are simple computers that connect to a main server. It was stopped in 2007 because many of its features were already in the CrossOver Linux Pro edition.
Free Software Giveaways
CodeWeavers has given away their software for free a couple of times!
On October 28, 2008, they had a "Lame Duck Challenge." They gave away all their products for free for one day. So many people wanted the free software that their website had trouble keeping up! Over 750,000 people registered for a free copy that day.
Then, on October 31, 2012, they had another giveaway called "Flock the Vote." CodeWeavers promised to give away their software if 100,000 American voters pledged to vote in the election. More than 100,000 people made the pledge, so CodeWeavers let anyone in the world download and register a free copy of CrossOver Linux or CrossOver Mac. It was a way to encourage people to participate!
See also
- Wine
- WINE@Etersoft
- PlayOnMac
- PlayOnLinux
- Wine-Doors
- Darwine
