Run Windows apps on Mac
Integrate Windows games and programs into your Mac desktop with Wine
REQUIRES
Porting Kit (macOS 10.8 or later), SIP disabled (Catalina only)
YOU WILL LEARN
How to run 32–bit Windows apps on your Mac in Catalina
IT WILL TAKE 25 minutes
There are several ways to run Windows-only apps on your Mac, but only one allows you to run them directly from your Mac desktop, and that’s Wine ( winehq. org). Its command-line nature makes it fiddly, but thankfully more user-friendly variants exist.
Of these, CrossOver for Mac 19.0 ( bit.ly/cwwindonmac) is by far the best way to get Windows apps working on your Mac, but it’s not free: prices start from around US$41. Luckily, there are several free alternatives; they’re not quite as user-friendly, but of these Porting Kit ( portingkit.com) still manages to take a lot of hassle out of the process.
One fly in the ointment is that you’ll have to disable System Integrity Protection (SIP) to use it in macOS Catalina. This requirement is likely to be removed from later versions, but if that makes you too uncomfortable, you might prefer to stick with CrossOver instead. Porting Kit makes use of another Mac-friendly solution, Wineskin, to convert Windows apps into self-contained application “wrappers” that enable you to run them directly from the Applications folder as if they were native programs.
Get started
Disable SIP: reboot your Mac into macOS Recovery (press Cmd-R at startup) and then pick Utilities > Terminal. Type “csrutil disable,” press Return and reboot.
Next, download Porting Kit.zip from portingkit.com/download to your Downloads folder, then double-click it to extract the application, which you then move to the Applications folder.
Launch the app and click OK when the system warning pops up. Launch it again and click OK when the secondary warning pops up – it should now open. You’ll be prompted to create a Games
subfolder inside your user Applications folder – click Yes to do so. After a few prompts, click Open System Prefs to select Porting Kit under Input Monitoring – click Quit Now before restarting the app.
Before going further, a word of warning: many antivirus applications incorrectly flag files created by Wine as threats, either quarantining them or deleting them. Disable real-time protection while installing any apps in Porting Kit.
Once done, add your newly created app to your antivirus list of exceptions and it should avoid falling foul of its real-time protection going forward.
Back in Porting Kit, click the Library button. Use the slider/ page numbers to browse a massive library of supported games or search for a favorite game. Select one for a description – note some games may require purchasing. Keep an eye out for games marked with “Free.”
When you’ve found one you like, click Install followed by Install Now to open an installation wizard, which steps you through the install process. The game will appear in the left-hand menu as well as in your user’s Applications > Games folder. Just run it like any other app.
Install an app manually
Porting Kit’s huge library is exclusively a gaming one, but can be used to set up and run Windows apps too. First, check the app’s compatibility on appdb.winehq. org – make a note of which version runs best, and any additional requirements such as the .NET Framework, which you’ll need to install separately. After downloading the program installer from its website, open Porting Kit and choose Tools > “Find out EXE needed libraries,” then select your program installer to view a list of required libraries. Most should be provided as standard in Wine but make a note of them in case you run into any problems.
The guide shows how to manually install an application that has no extra demands: MP3tag. But it’s likely your chosen app requires a bit more effort. Start by following the guide to see how far you get.
Further configuration
If you’re prompted to install additional components, try to complete the installation first. Once done, Ctrl-click the new shortcut in the left-hand pane and choose Wineskin Tools > Launch Wineskin. Click the Advanced button, switch to the Tools tab and click Winetricks under Utilities.
Winetricks should make it easier to install common Windows components into your wrapper to give your program the best chance of working. After a pause, you’ll see a list of categories appear. Instead of browsing these, use the search box to find missing components. Place a check mark next to the component or components you need, then click Run. Follow the install progress in the bottom pane and, if all works as it should, you should see when it’s installed. Try running or installing your app again.
The Wineskin Advanced menu has other uses: under Configuration you can set which program launches when the wrapper starts or click Test Run to verify things are working properly. The main Wineskin Tools menu has other shortcuts: select Wine Configuration to change the Windows version of your wrapper, tweak graphics settings, link folders inside the wrapper to those on your Mac, and more.
Remember, running Windows apps on your Mac is hit and miss. Many apps will run – some perfectly, some with glitches – but many others won’t. Be prepared to experiment, and good luck!
NICK PEERS