Login
View Cart
Ticket System
Documentation4.3. Using bottles
A bottle is a virtual windows environment. Each bottle contains a unique C drive and all its standard sub directories: Windows, Program Files, etc. A bottle also contains a complete Windows registry, a full set of most CrossOver settings, and one or more Windows applications.
CrossOver Linux Server allows you to maintain multiple bottles in one CrossOver installation. This is like having several different Windows machines operating together on your single Linux computer. This is useful anytime you want to install multiple applications yet prevent them from interacting or damaging one another. For example: Typically the Internet Explorer 6.0 installer upgrades any existing Internet Explorer 5.0 installation. Using bottles it is possible to install Internet Explorer 6.0 into a new, empty bottle, while leaving an existing install of Internet Explorer 5.0 intact and untouched.
Multiple bottles are also useful anytime a particular application requires special system settings that are otherwise undesireable. It is also possible to maintain bottles that emulate different Windows versions. For example, Microsoft Office 2003 only works on Windows versions 2000 or later, whereas Microsoft Office 97 runs best in a bottle that emulates Windows 98.
Most CrossOver users will be happy using a single, default bottle. The CrossOver Installation Wizard will automatically create the default bottle and any other bottles which you may require during normal use. You may manually edit your bottle configuration via the Manage Bottles tab in OfficeSetup.
 | Parts of this manual that specifically relate to multiple-bottle installations are marked with a bottle icon, like this. |
4.3.1. Bottle Windows versions
Most bottle settings can be adjusted once a bottle is created. The Windows version of a bottle, however, must be chosen when the bottle is created.
The CrossOver Installation Wizard will set the Windows version appropriately when creating a new bottle. If you are creating a bottle by hand using the Manage Bottles tab you must specify a Windows version.
Most supported applications run best in a bottle of type 'win98'. A few applications (Office 2003 and iTunes in particular) require a newer operating system to run, and must be installed into a 'win2000' or 'winXP' bottle. When installing unsupported applications, it may be worthwhile to test them in both a win98 and a win2000 bottle to determine which works the best. For purposes of compatibility, winXP and win2000 are generally equivalent.
4.3.2. Bottle modes
When running as root, CrossOver Linux Server supports bottles of two types: managed and private. This mode must be selected when a bottle is created. A given installation of CrossOver may make use of both bottle types at once.
If CrossOver is installed in single user mode then only private bottles may be installed in that user's account.
Private bottles. A private bottle is used by a single user, and is generally placed in that user's home account. Applications installed in a private bottle are unavailable for use by other users on a system. Bottles are created in private mode by default if you have chosen to run CrossOver in private multi-user mode.
 | It is not generally useful to create a private bottle when running as root. Such bottles will only be usable by the root user. |
Managed bottles. Managed bottles are created within the CrossOver subdirectory, and can be used by all the users on a system. Applications installed in a managed bottle can be run by any user, and each user is able to configure and customize existing applications. Bottles are created in managed mode by default if you have chosen to run CrossOver in managed multi-user mode.
Managed bottles save space and time by requiring only a single installation of each Windows application. However, some applications (those not properly designed for multi-user use) may perform erratically.
When a user accesses a managed bottle, a 'stub bottle' will be created in their home account. Stub bottles contain a user's custom alterations to the bottle, and contain symlinks that refer to most large files and directories in the managed bottle. A stub bottles have the same name as the managed bottle to which it refers.
| Managed bottles can only be created by the root user. Non-root users cannot install additional applications into a managed bottle. |
| Any application configuration changes made to a managed bottle by the root user will apply to all users of the system. Do not configure email accounts or enter passwords as root, or this information will become available system-wide. |