PlayOnLinux Explained: Components Part 1

Components are also called Windows Packages, Libraries and DLL's. Libraries are necessary operating system files that allow games and programs to work. All operating systems have them.

Wine has bundled Windows compatible libraries so we can run our PC games and programs in Linux. Sometimes the bundled libraries aren't enough and we have to download more.

I won't be able to describe each component available through PlayOnLinux because most games don't require them all.

Note: When doing a manual installation components are named "POL_Install_" and then the name of the component.

Install Components:



Microsoft Core Fonts:
Installs true type fonts for Windows

• andale mono
• arial black
• arial (bold, italic, bold italic)
• comic sans ms (bold)
• courier new (bold, italic, bold italic)
• georgia (bold, italic, bold italic)
• impact
• times new roman (bold, italic, bold italic)
• trebuchet (bold, italic, bold italic)
• verdana (bold, italic, bold italic)
• webdings

DirectX:
Direct X is basically an operating system for Windows that boots performance for audio and video. Most games require it to run, but also have an OpenGL counterpart that runs natively in Linux.
Note: To install all of them in one step, see dxfullsetup

• d3dcompiler_43
• d3dx10
• d3dx11
• d3dx9
• d3dx9_35
• d3dx9_36
• d3dx9_40
• d3dx9_43
• directx9

All d3dx components download directx_jun_2010_redist.exe 95.6MB


Desura:
Desura is a game client that downloads, updates and launches your games.


Downloads the Desura client 1.2MB


Click Next
Click Next
Click Next
Click Install
Uncheck Launch Desura and Visit Website
Click Finish
Click General Tab
Click "Make another shortcut in this virtual drive"
Select "Desura.exe"
Click Next
Name the shortcut: Desura
Click Next
Select "No I don't want another shortcut"
Click Next

Dinput:
Direct X input libraries. Can help with mouse and controller support

• dinput
• dinput8

Installs directx_feb2010_redist.exe 104MB



Microsoft Dot NET Framework:
Deciding to install dotnet is a hard choice because its very difficult to know which version you need for each program or game. Sometimes you can find "redist" directories in game folders that have DotNETFramework .exe's and you can try to install those to figure out which "dotnet" they require.
The safest bet is installing dotnet30 because it already installs dotnet20 and dotnet20 service packs before downloading and installing dotnet30.

Wine 1.5.18 is the best version of Wine to install all of the dotnet libraries because they don't crash or error. Other versions of Wine have been known to crash installing versions of dotnet.

Note: If you are using Wine 1.5 or later it comes bundled with a dotnet equivalent called Mono. First test your program without installing dotnet... if it requires dotnet, then use Wine 1.5.18

dotnet11


Downloads dotnetfx.exe 23MB


dotnet11sp1


Downloads NDP1.1sp1-KB867460-X86.exe 10.2MB


dotnet20
Downloads dotnetfx.exe 23MB


dotnet20sp1


Downloads NetFx20SP1_x86.exe 23.6MB


dotnet20sp2


Downloads NetFx20SP2_x86.exe 23.8MB


dotnet30


Installing dotnet30 will result in this error.


Open Terminal
Copy & paste:

Code:

echo "0"|sudo tee /proc/sys/kernel/yama/ptrace_scope

Press Enter
Enter password
Close Terminal
Install again

Note: This ptrace introduces a security risk, but the command is reset at next reboot.
Requires dotnet20 & dotnet2sp1


Downloads dotnetfx3.exe 50.3MB


dotnet30sp1
Requires dotnet20, dotnet2sp1, dotnet2sp2, dotnetfx3langpacksv.exe a couple of fixes and updates.

Downloads NetFx30SP1_x86.exe 25MB


Downloads RGB9RAST_x86.msi .1MB


Downloads XPSEPSC-x86-en-US.exe 3.6MB


dotnet35


Installs:

• fix 1
• fix 2
• update

Downloads dotnetfx35.exe 197.1MB


dotnet35sp1


Downloads dotnetfx35.exe 231.5MB

dotnet40


Downloads dotNetFx40_Full_x86_x64.exe 48.1MB


Downloads gacutil-net40.zip 0MB


You may get an error
Click Close


A bunch of dll's will install after this


dsound
Requires WinXP SP3, directx & quartz


Downloads Windows Service Pack 3 WindowsXP-DB9336929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe 316.4MB


dxdiag
This is a Direct X diagnostic tool that displays your video card information and audio information. It can also run some basic audio/video tests.


Installs directx_feb2010_redist.exe 104MB


Downloads Windows Service Pack 3 WindowsXP-DB9336929-SP3-x86-ENU.exe 316.4MB


dxfullsetup
Great for installing all versions of direct x in one step.
I use this for most games and it works very well.


Installs directx_feb2010_redist.exe 104MB


gecko
Wine's own implementation of Internet Explorer
http://wiki.winehq.org/Gecko

continued in Part 2