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Bottles (Windows Compatibility)

Software & Apps 2026-05-08

Bottles is the recommended tool for running non-gaming Windows software on Shanios. It manages Wine environments ("bottles"), handles runtime dependencies, and keeps each application's Windows registry and files isolated in its own prefix.

Installation: Pre-installed on the KDE Plasma edition. On the GNOME edition:

> flatpak install flathub com.usebottles.bottles
>

For gaming, use Steam + Proton or Heroic Games Launcher instead — Bottles is for productivity tools, creative software, business applications, utilities, and legacy apps.

How Wine Works

Wine reimplements the Windows API as native Linux calls — it is not an emulator. DXVK (DirectX 9/10/11) and VKD3D (DirectX 12) translate DirectX calls to Vulkan. Most Windows applications run at near-native speed.

Wine cannot run applications that rely on Windows kernel drivers, hardware dongles tied to Windows, or kernel-level anti-cheat. Use a Windows VM for those cases.

Creating a Bottle

Open Bottles from your application launcher → Create a new bottle:

  • Application — for productivity tools, utilities, and most Windows software.
  • Gaming — pre-configured with DXVK and VKD3D for DirectX games.
  • Custom — full manual control.

Installing Windows Software

  1. Open your bottle → Run Executable → select the .exe installer
  2. Follow the installer as you would on Windows
  3. The installed app appears under Programs
  4. Click Add Desktop Entry (three-dot menu) to add it to your Linux launcher

Your Linux home directory is accessible from inside Wine at Z:\home\username.

Runtime Dependencies

Go to your bottle → Dependencies → search and install as needed:

| Dependency | Required by | |---|---| | vcredist2019 | Most modern Windows apps (Visual C++ 2019) | | vcredist2015 | Older apps (Visual C++ 2015) | | dotnet48 | .NET Framework 4.8 — business software, installers | | dotnet6 | .NET 6 — newer cross-platform apps | | d3dx9 | DirectX 9 components | | d3dcompiler_47 | DirectX shader compiler | | corefonts | Microsoft Core Fonts — improves text rendering | | liberation | Liberation fonts — metrically compatible with Arial/Times |

Wine Runners

Change the runner in Settings → Runner:

| Runner | Best for | |---|---| | Caffe | Default — stable, good general-purpose choice | | Vaniglia | Upstream Wine, minimal patches — use when patched runners misbehave | | Wine Staging | Wine + Staging patchset — good for productivity apps | | Wine-GE | Valve's Wine backported for non-Steam use — best for DirectX games and media software |

Advanced Configuration

DXVK and VKD3D: In bottle Settings, enable DXVK (DirectX 9/10/11 → Vulkan) and VKD3D (DirectX 12 → Vulkan). Both are enabled by default in the Gaming template. Some creative and 3D tools also benefit.

Virtual Desktop Mode: Enable in bottle Settings if an app has window management or full-screen rendering issues. Wine creates a fake Windows desktop at a fixed resolution inside a single Linux window.

DLL Overrides: In bottle Settings → DLL Overrides, set native,builtin to prefer a winetricks-installed DLL, or builtin,native to prefer Wine's built-in. Common fix: install d3dx9 via Dependencies, then set d3d9 override to native.

Environment Variables: In bottle Settings → Environment Variables:

  • WINE_LARGE_ADDRESS_AWARE=1 — allows 32-bit apps to use more than 2 GB RAM
  • WINEDEBUG=-all — suppress debug output (speeds up some apps)

Storage

Bottles runs as a Flatpak. Data lives in ~/.var/app/com.usebottles.bottles/data/bottles/bottles/ — inside the @home subvolume, surviving all OS updates and rollbacks.

Checking Compatibility

  • WineHQ AppDB — compatibility database. Platinum/Gold = works well; Bronze = workarounds needed; Garbage = consider a Windows VM.
  • ProtonDB — for Windows games under Proton/Steam.

When to Use a Windows VM Instead

Wine cannot handle:

  • Applications requiring a kernel driver (hardware dongles, some DRM, security software)
  • Kernel-level anti-cheat systems
  • The full Microsoft Office suite with macros, COM add-ins, and MDM integration
  • Enterprise software with hardware-locked licensing

For these, use a Windows VM via virt-manager (pre-installed on the KDE Plasma edition). See Virtual Machines.

Troubleshooting

  • App won't start: Check the Logs tab. Install vcredist2019 or dotnet48 first.
  • Graphics glitches: Switch runner (e.g. Caffe → Wine-GE). Toggle DXVK on or off.
  • App needs other drives: Settings → Sandbox — add paths or disable sandboxing.
  • Crashes on startup: Check WineHQ AppDB for known workarounds.