WITPAE runs on Mac OSX

[sfatula]

This is just an FYI if anyone else ever wants to run WITPAE on Mac, or likely Linux. Using wine, which means no Windows license unlike emulators such as Parallels, Virtualbox, etc., WITPAE runs perfectly fine. And very fast and nimble too. On the Mac desktop. Should work the same on Linux. I am updating the winehq site for details on how to run it, hopefully, they will approve soon. For those who know what wine is (not the drink!). I use wineskin myself to make things easier. Read up on wine if you have any interest.

Have not run Windows in more than 15 years so this was needed for me at least.

[RogerJNeilson]

I would be very interested in this. Know nothing about Wine though - not in a software sense....


Roger

[Yaab]

Are Wine users called "winos"?

[sfatula]

Sometimes they are called w(h)iners! In any case, if you are on Mac OSX, then, google up wineskin, download, and then read a little. The instructions for this app will appear on the winehq website after they approve my comments for the game. You just have to load some extra pieces, which are pretty simple via wineskin, that the game uses. You should figure out at least how to make a wrapper in wineskin, and, load Windows libraries via winetricks. Once you can do that, it's really simple, the installer simply works, etc. I don't have any howto, I suppose that might exist on the wineskin site. The trick is always figuring out what things the game requires, without having the code. That is simply trial and error, but, those will be on the winehq site.

If you are Linux, then, I don't know if there is a similar product as wineskin that makes things a little easier to set up. I wouldn't have the slightest idea on how to make it work on linux, but, suspect it's the same idea at the lowest level, wine.

The cool thing is you can actually make a Mac executable that is self contained (via wineskin). Matrix, if they wanted, could then distribute the app if they so choose. Assuming there is no licensing involved with wineskin for commercial use, not sure.

For me, seems to run faster than an emulator. As fast as I have seen it run on a friends Windows machine.

[RogerJNeilson]

Ok I will have a look.

Roger

[mrchuck]

If anyone is interested I've been running WITP and AE (and WITE) under Play on Linux with ubuntu for more than a year.

Happy to provide the incantations if anyone wants them. No windows here either for the most part.

cm

[sfatula]

Not too surprising Play on Linux works. Underneath the name is in fact wine!

Roger, if you get stuck at some point, let me know as long as you are Mac.

[RogerJNeilson]

Thanks will do, written on my 29" Imac..... Lol

Roger

[oaltinyay]

ORIGINAL: mrchuck

If anyone is interested I've been running WITP and AE (and WITE) under Play on Linux with ubuntu for more than a year.

Happy to provide the incantations if anyone wants them. No windows here either for the most part.

cm

I would like to know how... Can you give details ?

[sfatula]

Details entails a lot of time I don't have right now. That being said, what I might be able to do is post the "wrapper" into which all you have to do is install the game by running the installer. Then, setup the shortcut as you do in Windows for your game options like full or windowed, etc. If you can extract the saved games from your windows machine, you can put them in the Mac as well as use them as they were.

I don't have a website for this. I might be able to just use a public dropbox type place to post the one file you need.

Or, maybe I could put in on the WITP AE wiki on wikia? If they allow me to.

[Spikeosx]

I have been running WitP AE on wineskin for over 2 years. I don't get any sound but that is perfectly fine by me. I then run it alongside all my other needed apps, such as my databases etc..
I got WITPTracker to run but the interface is not usable, so I go without that.

[sfatula]

The sound works if you follow the details on winehq. I will be getting WITPTracker too. I'll be posting a wineskin pre-made wrapper for anyone to install the game into. For those unfamiliar, think of a wineskin wrapper as a single (looking) Mac app. In it, is the windows dlls, wine, and Matrix code, and a virtual hard C drive. No windows OS. Not sure how big the Matrix folder is on Windows, but, the Mac app is 2.3GB in size once Matrix game is installed.

The only reason I posted about this is I see guys like Mike Solli and others saying they are running either dual boot, or, windows emulator, both of which are way too much work and hassle.

[oaltinyay]

ORIGINAL: sfatula

The sound works if you follow the details on winehq. I will be getting WITPTracker too. I'll be posting a wineskin pre-made wrapper for anyone to install the game into. For those unfamiliar, think of a wineskin wrapper as a single (looking) Mac app. In it, is the windows dlls, wine, and Matrix code, and a virtual hard C drive. No windows OS. Not sure how big the Matrix folder is on Windows, but, the Mac app is 2.3GB in size once Matrix game is installed.

The only reason I posted about this is I see guys like Mike Solli and others saying they are running either dual boot, or, windows emulator, both of which are way too much work and hassle.

that'll be great...

[oaltinyay]

ps. I have a website and blogsite - I may put those files there if you give me an idea how big it will be...

[Magpius]

are there any sound or screen resolution issues?

[sfatula]

Sadly, I can't use the link in my post yet, it's on witp-ae wiki. Not sure if that's valid any more, but, it does show as recent activity on the site. Once a sufficient number of days have passed, I will update this thread with the link for any future use by others.

I am using a 27" iMac. I am using -px2048 -py1152 as the game options in windowed mode just fine. Runs just like any other Mac application. There are no sound or screen resolution issues I see anywhere. The only thing it does not seem to do is play that opening video, the avi file, but I don't want to play it anyway! I am playing a PBEM game just fine with it. No crashes, nothing abnormal.

So, someone semi computer saavy should try and follow the instructions there and see where you get held up, if anywhere. And, let me know where instructions are not clear. They are of course perfectly clear, to me! [:)]

[DRF99]

This is great!

I got it running (except for sound) on my Macbook Pro (13" retina). It creates a wrapper that launches like an application. You can open the package and you have a virtual C: drive with all the files. Makes it easy to add extra scenarios, art, and maps.

[sfatula]

I will have instructions soon, working with someone who can post a wrapper with some pre formatted stuff in it so you can download and mostly just install the game. Works with sound (some tricks for that), and, works with WITP Tracker too. So, hopefully in a few weeks or less, we will have that posted.

[DRF99]

Working with Tracker would be the cat's meow. I couldn't get it to work under VMWare Fusion and was told it wasn't possible.

[sfatula]

Hopefully very soon, it already works for me as I've been using it. Once the oaltinyay makes sure my instructions are correct and they work for him as well as me, he will post on his machine.

It's so much easier than messing with Windows, don't have to worry about the Windows 8.1 issues, etc. etc. If you use time machine, then, you have backups too. Small ones at that.