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How do I run a Windows program once it's installed?

I just downloaded CrossOver to see if it would install the latest TomTom satnav client...and it does.
But once it's installed, there isn't anything to click on to run it — no icon or menu entry
(this is under Xubuntu 16.04 using both xfce and Enlightenment).

What can I click on to run an installed program? Or is there a command I can type?

///Peter

If the Windows application you installed was a.) run via CrossOver's Software Installer (you can select 'unknown application' if your application does not have a crosstie); and b.) created either a Desktop or Start Menu shortcut, CrossOver should create a shortcut visible in its main window which will allow you to launch the application.

Since it sounds like that did not happen, you can still run your program using the 'Run Command' button in CrossOver's main window. Click on that and you will have the opportunity to navigate through the virtual windows filesystem (or 'bottle') into which your application was installed. Most Windows programs will put themselves somewhere in c:\Program Files. Find your executable (something named .exe) and select it, then hit 'Run.'

If you find it and it works, the same dialog will allow you to save the command as a shortcut for future use.

Does that help?

Thanks for the swift reply.
a) Yes, it was installed via Crossover's Software Installer using 'unknown application' (I'm not aware of any other way 😊
b) No, it didn't create any Desktop or Start Menu shortcut anywhere that I can see.

The "Command" box in Run Command is empty, so there isn't anything for it to do (I assumed that the "Run Command" was a dialog where an expert could type a command to run the program). Clicking Browse gives me a file manager window in ~/.cxoffice/TomTomContentTransferAssistant/dosdevices/c: showing directories for Program Files, users, and windows and there is no evidence of any .exe files in them except the ones put in windows by Crossover (explorer, notepad, etc).

I am assuming the installation failed, but didn't report this to the installation process.

P

Peter Flynn wrote:

I am assuming the installation failed, but didn't report this to the
installation process.

Unfortunately it sounds like that is true. For 'unknown applications,' the installation process doesn't have a reliable way to tell whether an install succeeded or not, so it isn't surprising that the software installer did not alert you in this case.

One thing I've noticed with the default installer (i.e. if you're new to Crossover) is that apps are defaulted to an X86 XP bottle - 32bit in other words. I've noticed a number of apps just quitely fail without so much as a "by your leave" when faced with this. In fact, it's common for the installer not to even start at all - although Crossover performs as if it did. In such cases you'll see that the app isn't present in the bottle (the virtual hard drive).

I helps with modern software to use a more modern bottle even though Wine doesn't support Windows post XP and 64-bit as well as it does the simpler times, this can at least get you started.

I don't personally know how many installers fail in this way, but it's something we're interested in. fwiw I think the wine project plans to switch to a 'Windows 7' default prefix type after the new year, and we'll use that experience to guide ourselves in doing the same. We have to be a bit conservative because of our existing user base, but I think the sense is that it's time to switch.

Greetings Josh! I fully agree that it's pointless and unhelpful to jump to a new installer just because it's available!

I'm going to advocate any Video production software I can get my grubby hands on (legally) and test it until it falls apart. Much as I love Linux, nothing comes remotely close to things like HitFilm and Resolve (yet). Kdenlive is a fantastic attempt but it's slower than "the molasseses in January" (nice movie reference there) and still rather buggy. I'll certainly be using it when (for example) MLT is able to use more than a single core - as is, it experimentally supports four cores/threads but video production often needs as much power as you can throw at it!

Would it be possible to flag x64 installers at all? Or at least warn users using the default installer that x64 is not supported and may not produce an error? So far everything I've tried has required or expected 64bit Windows (typically Win7) and they just fail silently which is disconcerting if you're not expecting it.

I believe the things I'm trying (and breaking) are due to DirectX woes but I have no idea how to access the debug logs (if they even exist) so I can assist in getting these problems ironed out.

Why not make the "usupported installer" ask for the bottle to be used? Although you can select the prefix type, it may not be obvious for newbies, but if a pop-up window appears offering a list of Windows versions 32 and 64 bit to be selected, new CrossOver users will be able to try with the ones supposedly more compatible with their applications. Just my 2 cents... I say that because I thought the instation interface was a bit confusing, the first time I used it.

I think Silvio has a point there. At least that would warn noobs (and for all of my experience, that caught me out too) of the potential for clashes with the Windows installer making too many assumptions!

when using the 'unknown application" - I've generally had to select the bottle type anyway.

  • since lots of programs aren't known,
    I've had to select:
  • 'unknown application" on the Application tab
  • the installer on the 2nd tab
  • bottle type on the 3rd tab
    then click on continue with the installation.

which then, often fails :(

so, in a way, the Cx does ask for the bottle type, anyway.

That's what we meant. It IS possible to choose bottle, but it is not very clear, especially for beginners... A wizard-like installation which asks for the bottle type and that warns you of the possibility to try different Windows versions could help a lot of people.

It's tough with 64 bit now. Maybe we should consider doing something to make that easier.

There are a lot of options during install, and we used to put more of them front-and-center as questions posed to the user. We still got user confusion, with the general impression being that we were maybe being too forceful in asking too many questions, rather than selecting reasonable defaults and allowing the user not to think about it if they didn't want to. So, we deemphasized some of those questions.

But if it becomes true that 64-bit apps are quite common things for people to try in CrossOver, a 32-bit prefix of course isn't a reasonable default any longer.

Yes, 64 bit COULD be default, but as far as I know, 64 bit code takes nearly twice the space as 32 bit code... And speed improvements are not that significant to justify... And, so far, 32 bit CrossOver is more tested and stable... We need to think better about this.

It's not so much size that matters (oh, err...)

But that 64bit code can access more than 4gb of memory. With an OS loaded, a typical 32bit machine leaves applications fighting for a share of 2-3Gb.

Move to 64bit and pow - I forget what the limit is, but it's huge (for now).

The code isn't necessarily twice as large either - it's only the address space that's doubled up. 64bit X86 has been with us for over a decade so it's time to think serious about it. I don't know the state of Wine personally but I expect that Windows 7 x64 would be the safest option for now.

Well somebody famous once said something like "4 GiB ought to be enough for everybody" ...or maybe not exactly that! 😊
I suppose CodeWeavers has a statistic of how many people need more than that. If more than 50% do, then we should switch to 64 bit default... as soon as 64 bit CrossOver is considered stable enough... That is if I will always have an option to choose 32 bit, since I prefer to be conservative, unless 64 bit processing is really necessary or with applications that will benefit with 64 bit code or more than 4 GB addressing, or both.

You're right of course, his name rhymes with "mates" and it was 640K IIRC - but I'm sure you knew that Silvio.

There is a cart-before-the-horse problem here though.

Does Wine/Crossover want to support just games or does it want to access a wider professional - potentially lucrative - base?

Games and smaller apps are just fine with 1-2Gb free RAM but I've got applications on this workstation that can easily eat 32Gb and would happily consume more if I had it.

I just don't really enjoy running Windows at all and I really want to run the Windows apps that I can't such as Blackmagic Resolve. Apple doesn't offer a powerful enough system for my needs and that leaves me in a bit of a corner. :)

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