Wine is an open source project, and there are accordingly many different versions of Wine for you to choose from. The standard version of Wine comes in intermittent releases (roughly twice a month), and can be downloaded over the Internet in both prepackaged binary form and ready to compile source code form. Alternatively, you can install a development version of Wine by using the latest available source code from the Git repository. See the next chapter, Getting Wine, for further details.
There are a number of programs that are derived from the standard Wine codebase in some way or another. Some of these are commercial products from companies that actively contribute to the Wine project.
These products try to stand out or distinguish themselves from the standard version of Wine by offering greater compatibility, easier configuration, and commercial support. If you require such things, it is a good idea to consider purchasing these products.
Table 1-1. Various Wine offerings
| Product | Description | Distribution Form |
|---|---|---|
| CodeWeavers CrossOver Office | CrossOver Office allows you to install your favorite Windows productivity applications in Linux, without needing a Microsoft Operating System license. CrossOver includes an easy to use, single click interface, which makes installing a Windows application simple and fast. | Commercial; 30-day fully-functional demo available. |
